13th February, 2017

Searching for Reason

Jay and I are still in Nuevo Vallarta due to some extended dental work I have had to have done. We are hoping Friday, February 17, I will be good to go. Our plans, weather permitting, are to sail south beginning Saturday morning. Meanwhile…

February 6, 2017

Our friends, Bobbi and Don (s/v Sea Dancer) recently arrived in Banderas Bay. In 2013, Don came down the Pacific Coast with Jay and me on Cadenza and in return, in 2014, Jay and I flew back to San Diego and came down the Pacific Coast with them on their boat. For the last two years, we have been on different cruising schedules until now. Since they have arrived, we have been having fun showing them around town. On two different days, we took them downtown to explore Puerto Vallarta. Our first stop, the Malecon.

It was late afternoon, so the sun was low in the sky and the breeze had picked up. The crowds had thinned out from the holidays, revealing the sights around us. Decorating the walkway were lush, green trees and tall palms lined the path. Climbing the buildings and falling over balconies were flowering bougainvillea in vibrant fuchsia. The sea sparkled. Bobbi mentioned there was so much to take in, it was a bit overwhelming, and the Malecon goes on for miles.

On one side, was the expanse of the bay. The surf was loud and the waves crashed along the rocky shore. Where there was sand, there were some amazing sand sculptures. They change quite frequently as the wind and water sweep them away. Yesterday, there were three; one was an iguana, and to it’s left was Mother Mary, and beside her, Joseph. A small box sat on top of the wall, asking for donations. We dropped a few pesos.

On the other side of the Malecon was block after block filled with stores and restaurants. Every imaginable trinket was available for sale, as was the very exquisite Huichol art, made by the native Indians who live here in the state of Jalisco. Peeking between the buildings were cobblestone streets leading up into the hills. Houses hung on the side of cliffs. Traffic moved noisily along the roads. Puerto Vallarta is a large city and downtown was bustling with energy.

Back on the Malecon, the surf smothered out the city sounds. The breeze was fresh and felt cool on my skin. We came upon more works of art displayed by various artists. Many were whimsical figures made out of stone. There was a wishing well, a boy riding a sea horse, and a dolphin fountain, among others. My favorite piece was Searching for Reason by Sergio Bustamante. Three bronze figurines with over-sized heads and cascading robes, reach out and up to the sky with their arms as if on a quest. One stands on the ground, the other two are atop a tall ladder. In an era when our world is riddled with crisis, and our own country is divided in such a way that causes me to question…well, just about everything I thought we believed in as a nation, I found, Searching for Reason, not only thought provoking, but quite fitting.

Finding myself so fascinated with this piece of art, I coerced Jay, Don and Bobbi to go back down to the Malecon the following morning, when the light would be right for a photo. Having read that the artist encourages visitors to take part in his art, I climbed up the ladder and joined the others, searching for reason.

See photos in Gallery.