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Published: August 8th 2007
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April 2nd - 16th Puerto Vallarta - Just a Few More Days
Hola! Time for an update again…. Hope everyone is good and well… So, continuing from where I left off, a couple more days in Puerto Vallarta turned into nearly two more weeks! We both fell for its charms big time… The place is so alive with Mariachi bands playing on the beach, fresh fish and shrimp on a stick served when you’re sunbathing, cocktails, more shrimp in the evening etc. etc… It is so clean and tidy and although major development of the bay has began further around the sea front the ‘Downtown’ (where we were staying) retains all of its small town Mexican appeal with cobbled streets and myriad of small shops, bars and restaurants. The ‘Malecon’ (or promenade to us English) stretches along the sea front with various fantastic, nautically themed sculptures scattered along it pathway amongst which assorted street entertainers including - clowns and mime artists, indigenous Indians doing a jig up a 60ft pole and the beach artists show off sand sculptures and rock balancing (one rock ontop another)... all along a palm fringed sea-front where restaurants look out over the sea as the
sun sets… Truly beautiful! One particular restaurant that won our hearts was Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. (yep! straight from the film Forrest Gump) with various ‘stupid is as stupid does’ slogans and film memorabilia plastered everywhere - Absolutely Shrimptastic!
As well as the culinary delights Claire managed to track down a traditional ‘Temazcal-Temazcalli’ or Aztec Steam Lodge. I must admit to being a bit hesitant at first but must say it was an experience I will never forget. I thought it was just going to be a steam house for 45mins and job done… How wrong I was…. There was Claire and I and about 10 other assorted people at this full on Spa retreat in the mountains with aromatherapy, massages and all manner of beatification/soul cleansing activities… The owner Horhay (who was also our guide/interpreter) and his wife?(not really sure) but a striking Latino Shamanic who lead the proceedings conversing in Spanish with the man Horhay translating as we went along. What had I signed up for? - Well, we all had to get in lines according to our star signs around a stone statue and then with rhythmic drums playing and some fragrant stuff thrown on a
fire we started limbering up… Dance to the left dance to the right - hands in the air, hands to the side…. Fly like an eagle… Stalk like a jaguar… Play like a monkey… I think you get the picture - I’m trying not to laugh and cannot help thinking YMCA - Claire looks at me and says ‘You’re not at a rave now!’ we both laugh - I’m totally out of sync with the rest of the group.. Anyway, once the big limber up finishes the Sweat Lodge has been prepared (a big stone and clay shaped a turtle) and we all go in one by one… We all sit in the dark once the last person has entered and the Shaman lady continues with more profound statements about the world today, ancestors and how this process will make us born anew… Water gets thrown onto hot stones and wooosh…. HOW HOT! And then she throws more water on! At this point one lady tries to make a dash for the entrance but is told to lay down on the floor (where it is cooler) - which everyone starts to do as it burns your ears, neck, nose and
throat in that order…. Sweat Lodge it is and I sweat for England… I honestly can’t describe how hot it was in there and when the 30 minutes were up… I’m REBORN! (well that’s what the Shaman said anyway) I pick my ass up and scrambled out the hut to gulp in some cool fresh air…. And relax…. Group hug and water fight later its all over… If you ever get the chance I highly recommend you give it a try….
Well that’s about all there is to the Puerto Vallarta story… We moved on to Acapulco and have since moved on again - that as they say is another story…. So until I get my facts in order I’ll be bidding you all good day…. Adios Amigos…
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