An odd beginning

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The morning air is cold as the dampness of a Northwest night penetrates to the bone. It's spitting snow as I head for Armando's place. We are both going to Mexico today. We are on different flights and different trips and we are both more than ready to thaw out in the warm Mexican sun.

I'm exhausted from zero sleep as we speed down the freakway to Sea Tac Airport. We arrive and Armando gets off. We say good bye and it's off to Delta Airlines in the impressive new south end of the terminal. Delta to PV? This is a first and I like it because it routes me through Salt Lake City a destination I find less stressful and more manageable than LA or San Francisco.

I'm standing patiently at the departure gate and this guy comes up to me and asks me how I'm doing and where I'm going. He doesn't look like a likely candidate for the FBI or CIA so I told him I was headed for Mexico. A look of genuine shock and concern came over his face. He proceeded to caution me about the dangers of Mexico. I asked him if he had been there. No he hadn't, he was a missionary returning to Oklahoma City from his work in Seattle.

He proceeded to proselytize and lay a mantle of blessings from Jesus on me as I disappeared into the bowels of the plane that was about to whisk me on my way towards my certain death in the dark Mexican night maybe even later this very day! This guy was riding the currents of fear based spirituality which I pointed out to him. I don't think he got it. I wonder what kind of missionary work he was doing in Seattle. Every now and then domestic missionaries show up at my door all smiles and scrubbed and ready to bring the message of fear and doom into your life. You wonder how these folks sleep at night with all those imagined gremlins running around.

From Seattle it's a quick hop to Salt Lake City. As we approach Salt Lake City and make a sharp left turn the astounding monumentality of the Great Salt Lake comes into full view, a wondrous blue jewel in a sea of pristine white. This was an absolutely stunning entry to this legendary city.

I'm hungry and the airport food is pretty grim which is surprising, not sure why it's surprising but it is. I find a place that makes unremarkable scrambled eggs served with equally unremarkable potatoes and the coffee was marginal. The transition to the Mexico flight was easy.

The flight to Vallarta went quickly as I read and dozed most of the way. Before I knew it ker-thunk and the plane is down on all threes and we are taxing to the parking place where a bus will meet us after we deplane the old fashioned way; down a long flight of steps to the tarmac. Wow it feels great and smells great. It's warm but not too warm and it's dry. Perfect!

Customs goes quickly. The guy checking my passport is wearing a puffy insulated winter coat. The AC is on and it's downright cold to the acclimatized locals. To me it felt great, just right. Passport checking is a bit of a formality these days. Then it's off to the red light green light test. This time I got a red light, my first time. I haul my carry-on over to a raised platform where after a polite buenas tardes the customs agent and I have a very nice conversation as she casually searched my stuff. Then it was out to the lobby and to the casa de cambio to change 50 bucks usd into pesos. The rate is $10.30 pesos to the dollar which looks okay to me. I don't get into splitting pennies on currency conversion.

Next it's out to the sidewalk and to the road where soon any number of busses will stop headed for el Centro. It's about 85 cents to get into town this way. By cab it's closer to 30 dollars one way. The economics are arguably in favor of the bus which also has the magic effect of getting you fully into the spirit and soul of Mexico as you bounce along on hard plastic seats as the locals come and go amidst the welcome noise and friendly chaos of Mexico.

After a while through totally bleary sleepless eyes I spot super mercado Ley on the right. Ley is a large Mexican supermarket chain. I get up and walk to the front to signal the driver to stop the bus. The venerable Hotel Marlyn is on the right about a half a block towards town from Ley. The Marlyn is a nice little relatively unknown mid range hotel. Rooms rent for 380 pesos single or 430 double (early December 2005). The best rooms are on the top or fourth floor in the rear overlooking the water. Nice views and quiet however you will pay a little more for them as they all have two beds where a standard single room has one double bed. These are good clean air conditioned rooms with firm beds. HW works well and aqua potable is in the hall with your pitcher and glasses in the room. This little gem of a hotel is painted in rich yellows accented with red brick and beautiful potted bugambilla. All rooms face a central courtyard open to the sky above.

After a welcome shower I took a brisk walk down the newly rebuilt Malecon or sea promenade. The wind is blowing brusquely off the water and the soft glint of new bronze sculptures catches my eye. Hurricane Kenna wiped out Vallarta's Malecon a few years ago. After a massive infusion of Federal aid following the storm Vallarta rebuilt the water front in a hurry and did a marvelous job in the process.

I cash traveler’s checks and catch up with my friend Jim for a few beers at Bar Escondida a popular ex-pat hangout in Vallarta's older south end. Soon the urge to sleep overtakes me and it's back to the Marlyn for some much needed rest.

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