A few months ago, my parents visited after not having been in years. While they had a good time, they were disappointed with all the development that had been made since they had last visited, it just wasn’t the same PV they had known.
After arriving yesterday, however, I do not feel the same way.
I wasn’t expecting much just because I didn’t want to get my hopes up only to have them crushed when I found a completely different Vallarta. I, too, grew up with an image of the city all of my own. After all, we had been flying in to PV since my first trip to Mexico. It was one of the cities I knew best.
But I was utterly delighted by what I saw yesterday.
We stayed at a hotel in a newer part Vallarta, one that’s made of shopping malls and highways and resorts. It’s about a 20 minute drive from there to the Centro, the oldest part of the city, the downtown part. After debating whether to stay close or go down there for dinner, we finally settled on going to the old Centro.
I’ll admit, it’s different. There’s more traffic and it’s getting kind of smoggy, the beaches are a little dirty and there are a lot of people who only cater to tourists. But old Vallarta’s still in there.
Despite all the traffic, people still roll down their windows and ask other drivers for directions, and they can always expect an honest response. The Plaza, although flanked by a Starbucks and a bank on either side, is still as beautiful as ever, and the church still stands proudly behind it. The streets are still cobblestoned in the old Centro. And the Malecon is still as beautiful as ever, filled with artists and young couples and just happy people. It's the little things that I can hold onto that make losing some of the bigger parts just a little bit easier.
Although Puerto Vallarta isn't the same as it used to be, it's certainly still my México lindo y querido.
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