Eight years.
That's how long it had been since I had left Canada on vacation. Longtime readers might recall a column I did several months ago talking about my wanderlust and desire to go travelling again. At the beginning of November, I finally achieved that goal as I flew off to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Mexico has long been one of several countries on my vacation list, including the UK, France, Argentina, Australia, and others. Mexico was never at the top, granted, but when a friend of mine (who insists on remaining nameless) offered me a place in his hotel room in Mexico for free, I knew I couldn't refuse a golden opportunity.
In the spirit of vacationing as cheaply as possible, I decided to fly standby with Flair Air. I'll admit it was a bit nerve-wracking knowing that I didn't have a guaranteed seat flying down, but it all worked out in the end and on the flight back the plane had 100 seats free, so no sweat there.
There was some sweat, though, the moment I stepped off the plane. After the cold Canadian fall stepping into the warm and muggy Mexican air was like enjoying a sauna. I'm happy to say that warm weather persisted throughout my stay and boy do I miss it now that the snow is flying here in the South Cariboo.
Unlike my previous trips abroad, this vacation was rather sedentary. I wasn't out exploring every day, but instead enjoying the comforts of our resort's swimming pool and beach. It was a delight to watch iguanas relax beside us at the pool and to find colourful tropical fish hidden beneath the waves of the ocean. Who needs to go scuba diving or on a safari when the animals just come to you?
An interesting aspect of this style of vacation I found is the people you meet at the pool. Club Regina is a relatively small resort so we saw many of the same people over and over again. You get to know one another pretty quickly and have fascinating conversations about life, politics and your profession. I see why snowbirds enjoy this so much.
All that being said, I did make sure to go out and see the town first on a shopping trip and later as part of a free tour. Puerto Vallarta is a fascinating city. While it still undeniably has its old fishing village charm with its cobblestone streets and lovingly preserved historic buildings, it's also a boom town. Everywhere I went I saw evidence of recent or new construction as new stores, hotels and homes were being raised.
As for the people who make Puerto Vallarta their home, I found them to be friendly across the board. Whether they were taxi drivers or waiters, pirates or tour guides they all did their best to accommodate me and my terrible grasp on Spanish. Except for those guys at the airport who pitched me a timeshare while I was just trying to get a taxi. That was a bit much.
In the end, I certainly enjoyed my time away. No matter if your vacation is frugal or extravagant, time away from your daily routine, I find, gives us some much-needed perspective and appreciation for our lives.
I certainly know now that I will not be waiting another eight years to plan my next trip. The only question is, where...
