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SHE SAID…
June 22, 2003
 It
was another one of those unusual, exciting weeks in
Vallarta. In reality, there never is a dull moment in
this town. There is always something happening, something
unexpected, unlike anything we’ve seen before
…in this town.
For me, it all began with the arrival
of the Dancing Horses. They were supposed to start at
the Hotel Rosita at 6 or 6:30 and then proceed along
the Malecon to the main square… but, as often
happens, their departure was delayed somewhat and so
after admiring the exhibit of saddles in the main square
(and the sleeping babies who couldn’t care less)
we began walking towards the Rosita in the hope of finding
the horses. On the way there, we met a number of acquaintances,
some of which had their own explanation of what may
have caused the delay of the horses… One Italian
gentleman friend of ours opined, “Maybe the charge
of the light brigade came up against the Russian cavalry…”
 We
kept walking. It was just another evening in paradise.
We stopped in at “Exotic Tours” to gawk
at the python lazily slithering around the entrance
to that fun place. (No, I didn’t have the courage
to pat it, even though its “guardian” assured
me that it was okay.) Then, all of a sudden, we heard
the music. Yes, there they were, coming down the Paseo
Diaz Ordaz, first the beautiful horses, then the musicians.
By the time they had advanced a couple
of blocks, the crowd had gotten so thick that it took
up the whole width of the Malecon and the sidewalk on
the other side was just as full. The music played and
the horses danced. It was quite beautiful but I wondered
what they were thinking as they were made to dance.
How had they been trained to do it? Were their trainers
kind to them? I thought of Jonathan Swift’s cruel
satire of the human race, Gulliver’s Travels,
and the virtuously easy, gentle and intelligent Houyhnhnm
horses and how they contrasted with the nauseous brutality
of the Yahoo, the beasts with a human aspect.
 On
Sunday afternoon, we decided to take a walk along the
river, up to the new Paso Ancho bridge, to visit Ada
Colorina, the painter whose studio is located just past
the old foot bridge. As it turned out, we were too late.
She had gone out already. We stopped in at Cuale Paradise
for a late lunch. The food, as always, was delightful,
but that bridge is something else! Boy, is it ever ugly!
If you continue to go inland, eastwards after the bridge,
you find yourself in a different country - Mexico! Maybe
that’s why I enjoy it so much up there, in the
“country”. There is where you find real
life, children playing in the streets, beautifully-kept
horses grazing in the fields marked off with barbed
wire (which I consider acceptable for that purpose,
unlike the one that was installed at the corner of Aguacate
and Basilio Badillo…) There are Brahma bulls and
chickens and roosters, and cats taking a siesta, snuggled
up against the dogs. The trees display blooms of light
blue and yellow and crimson red. And there are mangoes
weighing down the branches all over the place. If you
stop in at La Huerta at this time of year, they may
offer you some of those amazing fruit called “nancy”
that they have growing there. Not only will you love
the exotic taste, but their perfume will surely overpower
you.
 Last
week, Dayna, the editor of The Times, wrote that you
could “almost hear the plants and trees growing…
it’s like watching time lapse photography in your
own front yard!” She took the words right out
of my mouth, it couldn’t have been written it
better. And it is oh so true. I love it. I told you,
didn’t I? The mountains have already undergone
a quasi-total metamorphosis.
My friends and I have made plans
to go to the Summer Solstice ceremony at Contacto Natural
in El Nogalito this weekend and I promise to tell you
all about in next week’s column. In the meantime,
I wish you all a wonderful week. Don’t let the
cloudy skies deter you from wandering into town, into
the small side streets and all the little shops that
are hidden there. Don’t be afraid of straying
off the beaten (tourist) path. This is a wonderful place,
so don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy it.
To borrow Dayna’s words again:
“enjoy the quiet beaches, rainstorms and lightning,
and the choice of tables in the local restaurants…”
And take care of each other.
Hasta luego.
pvmomto3@hotmail.com
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