The Lifestyles Guide To Vallarta
continued from Page 1



Moving Microcosmos of Mexican Culture
Ah, our city buses, can’t live with them and can’t live without them. They go too fast and clog our streets, but you never have to wait long for one and they’re a cheap way to get not only from point A to B but also to poke around in Vallarta’s 160 colonias, or neighborhoods.
Crocheted covers adorn stick shifts and kids’ shoes sway on the hang rail – not representing how many children the driver has, as one gringa thought, but waiting to be claimed.
At first glance it seems that most riders have no manners because they plunk themselves in the aisle seats, blocking the empty window ones, and rarely ask anyone if they’d like to get past. One reason for this behavior? Some buses have so little legroom they figure that if you don’t nab an aisle seat you’d probably prefer to stand. If you’d rather sit tight, however, “permiso” is the magic word.
Chances are, somebody will jump on your bus and try to sell you something – Chiclets, chocolate bars, just about anything portable – or entertain for tips. Clowns acting silly to get a laugh, others crooning tales of love and loss to the accompaniment of guitars, maracas, tapes or crackling radios. A peso or two does the trick, but there’s no obligation.

Helpful Hints:
Blue and white signs designate stops.
Marina Vallarta is one place, the Marina Terminal (where the cruise ships dock) another. So don’t just say you want “the marina.” Be specific.
Have your $4 pesos ready and a free hand to hold on because they take off, ready or not.
To get off, press the red buzzer or shout “Bajan” (pronounced ba-ha).
Your ticket is proof you paid, not a transfer. Each ride demands a fare.


Art as a Metaphor
Pay attention to the numerous sculptures and statues you’ll come across while exploring and you’ll gain some understanding of Vallarta and this country. In the South Side park named after him, Lazaro Cardenas has a story to tell, while Poseidon, god of the sea, and a whale and her calf representing those in our bay, welcome visitors to Marina Vallarta. Sculpture-rich, the downtown Malecon’s boy on a seahorse at its south end is one of our town’s most recognized symbols, the Mother calling to her children as they climb a ladder to who knows where is the subject of much conjecture and many photo ops, and, at first glance, the wonky-looking Millennium statue at the seaside promenade’s north end had one visitor exclaiming: “My God, George, look what the hurricane did!” Perhaps the most touching piece is Nostalgia, a beautiful testament to the power of love. Depicting its creator, Ramiz Barquet, with the love of his life, Nelly, gazing at the bay and planning their shared future, it symbolizes their love, its loss, and finding one another again after many years.

How About a Ride on an Upgraded Dugout Canoe?
The only way to get to the exotic, jungle village of Yelapa with its pristine crescent -shaped beach is to take a boat, either an organized tour or a panga, a long, low-lying craft modeled on a dugout canoe. Unique to Mexico, and designed in the Baja to handle the chop and mount a motor, these worker-bee water taxis ply back and forth carrying everything vehicles normally would, from sightseers to building supplies.
Pangas depart from the Los Muertos pier at 10:30 and 11 am, returning at 4 pm. Round-trip fare is $18 USD and the voyage takes about 35 minutes, passing gorgeous beaches and the Mismaloya set of “The Night of the Iguana” en route. Off to a late start? Bus to Boca de Tomatlan on the South Shore and catch a panga from there. The first one leaves at noon, the last at 5 pm, and its $12 USD round trip.