Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – Some of the most important people in life arrive completely by accident. For MiMi Bomba, one ordinary afternoon in Puerto Vallarta turned into the beginning of a friendship she could never have planned. All it took was a little dog, a shoulder bag, and a willingness to stop and talk to a stranger.
One day I was walking up Olas Altas on the way to meet with some nice people who were going to take a pup I had been fostering to her Forever Home at a ranch south of Guadalajara. I had her in my shoulder bag instead of on a leash because I didn’t want her to pick up fleas along the way.
As I passed by Sama with my purse puppy – remember the martini bar Sama – a deep voice said, “Cute Dawg.” I stopped and we chatted for a minute, and I told them Perla was on her way to meet her new people. Then I continued to the little bar where I left her with her new mommy, and I headed back down Olas Altas.
As I passed Sama, the same guapos were still there, and the Jersey voice who had admired my pup said, “Join us. We’ll buy you a martini.” So I did. He then invited me for dinner at his condo at the Signature, and I met several other PV residents, which then branched out to dinners at their places and meeting more people. There are too many stories to share in this column. I promise to revisit this, though, because there is a lot to tell you.
Skipping ahead over a dozen years, I am still friends with the sweet man who bought me that martini at Sama that day. Our history now includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, and his daughter’s wedding in New Jersey, too many dinners to count at his condo in PV, beach days at Green Chairs, several weeks in Barcelona at a place I was renting, and a lifetime of friendship. Not to mention all the great road trips; Niagara Falls, Toronto, fun resorts, Queretaro, San Miguel de allende and so many more. If I hadn’t stopped and talked to Anthony that day, I might have missed out on much of the richness of Vallarta’s community and inclusiveness, as well as a dear friend.
I have made many other wonderful friends in Puerto Vallarta since that day, but I count that walk down Olas Altas as one of my favorite memories.
Me encanta Vallarta! Me encanta Mexico!
MiMI Bomba
Writing with warmth, wit, and a deep affection for Puerto Vallarta, MiMi Bomba draws inspiration from classic humorists while creating a style all her own. Her stories celebrate the people, places, and experiences that make life in Puerto Vallarta both unpredictable and rewarding. Click HERE to read more essays by MiMi Bomba.
