Friday, January 24, 2025
We did not see a single iguana all day. It’s just as well.In case you haven’t guessed it, we were in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico today. The movie, The Night of the Iguana, starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor was filmed here in 1963, and it put PV on the map.
We have been to PV many times before, but we have never walked the full length of the Malecón (the Boardwalk), so we decided to do that today.
The Malecón is a mile-long esplanade. It’s paved with concrete and bricks, so it’s not really a boardwalk, but it runs along the beachfront, so it’s fair to call it a boardwalk.
The weather was perfect today. Sunny and warm, but not too hot. We took a taxi from the port to the beginning of the Malecón. It is a very touristy area, but it wasn’t overly crowded.
There are a number of interesting statues interspersed along the length of the Malecón. As part of a geocaching activity, we had to answer a question about each statue along the way.
 |
The Millenia
The three birds on top are real |
 |
| Origin and Destination |
 |
| Nostalgia |
Who made all these cairns on the beach?Let’s look at some more Malecón sculptures . . .
 |
| The Subtle Rock-Eater |
 |
| Unicorn of Good Fortune |
 |
| Nature as Mother |
 |
| The Roundabout of the Sea |
 |
In Search of Reason
We have been fans of the sculptor, Sergio Bustamente, since our first visit to PV in the mid 1980’s. |
We took a break to do a geocaching activity based on coastal erosion. We learned how coastal erosion can be mitigated by riprap (large rocks, such as those in the photo), and seawalls. |
| Seawalls and riprap can protect against (but not prevent) coastal erosion |
 |
| Rain |
 |
| Triton and Siren |
The iconic crown on the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe can be seen from the Malecón.
And let’s look at a few more Malecón statues. |
The Boy on the Seahorse (Caballero del Mar)
Not the best photo of a famous statue - the first one on the Malecón. I think the giant letters, added later, detract from the joyful figure.
|
 |
The Friendship Fountain
A gift from PV’s sister city, Santa Barbara, CA |
 |
| Dancers of Vallarta |
 |
| The Laundress |
At the end of the Malecón we visited a park with colorful, whimsical mosaics.
For the most part we saw no vandalism or graffiti in these beautiful public spaces. Just sayin’.
After reaching the end of our promenade, we returned to a beachside restaurant we had passed earlier, and stopped for lunch.
 |
| Street tacos, with a burrito in the background |
 |
| Strawberry Margarita |
Back on the ship, we watched whales spouting in the bay as we sailed away. Captain Cuculic announced that several people have reported to the medical center with gastrointestinal symptoms. We were reminded to wash our hands, etc., etc. and the crew will be taking additional precautions to prevent the spread of illness. One person was being disembarked for medical reasons prior to our departure from PV (not necessarily related to the gastrointestinal cases). He did not specify in either statement whether patients were passengers or crew members or both.
Today’s fabric is Our Lady of Guadalupe Stars by thelittleroseshop for Spoonflower.
It’s nice to see so much art.
ReplyDeleteYou look happy!😀😀😀
Becky says that’s a good sized margarita. Hope you stay well. Looks like a fun place.
ReplyDeleteFrom becky: noted some of our fellow women passengers dress like aged meringues while others resemble well preserved fruit. The women of the lower 48 try hard to resist the appearance of aging but fail to truly hide its truth.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the photos. Some lovely statutes. Definitely agree with you that the letters detract from the simple beauty of the boy on a seahorse statue.
ReplyDeleteI had to look carefully to conclude the Dancers of Vallarta was a statue and not people. I’m thinking it has to be repainted regularly. Kate