Snorkeling Through the Winter Solstice

a moment on the Malecon (all photos JS)

December 21, 2011 found me in the open waters off Los Arcos near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. But  don’t think I’m bragging about my good fortune; those waters were cocococoooold! And the tides were at their most extreme. Good for whale-watching, I’m told, as the humpbacks love these waters at this time of year. But not great for a scantily-clad snorkeller hoping to see pretty fish in the murky sea!

Despite this, I did see some startlingly bright blue and yellow angel fish, and other lovely iridescent varieties that seemed to give off light in an otherwise grey-brown bay that had me shivering with teeth-chattering through the snorkel mouthpiece. By the time the boat got to the second diving spot, I’d given up on snorkeling and wasn’t relinquishing the towel in which I was bundled. It’s hard to miss out on adventure, but it occurred to me that comfort wasn’t so bad, either.

Cathedral with its crowned cupula (all photos by JS)

This was part of my brief holiday in the sun, which fortunately returned the next day as a bright and warmly glowing disc.  My plan, like many northerners, was to soak up as much of this southern sun as I could, using it as solar shield  for my body during the bleak winter days back home.

Why we choose to spend the a chilly and cloud-covered winter solstice out on a boat and in the cold waters is a cosmic misunderstanding. Otherwise, it was a sun and fun holiday.

I like Mexico a lot, having traveled and worked in different areas there and feeling comfortable with the language, customs, and  residents. And there is such imaginative artwork  and crafts, much of it collected in tourist centres like Puerto Vallarta. 

It’s always a treat to be introduced to the work of a Mexican artist I hadn’t known  before: like a new fireworks display! Such a burst of inventiveness, decorative hi-jinks, creativity and sensual charm.

 boy on a seahorse sculpture, emblem of Pto. Vallarta

one of my personal favorites

Puerto Vallarta is a festive town bordered by The Malecon, one of the most gorgeous boardwalks ever to grace the sea. Intriguingly inviting metal sculptures are on display, along with more ephemeral but impressive sand sculptures.

I snapped a shot here of an artist spraying one of the sand sculptures of a huge iguana. I asked if it was lacquer he used to keep the grains in place. "Nope, just water,'  he replied.

It’s especially festive in Pto. Vallarta at this time of year, with nightly fireworks and free public performances at the town square or along the Malecon.

I was delightfully surprised one evening by a show of dancing horses. They were just wonderful in their rhythmically controlled tap dancing and swaying turns set to the music.

Another day there was a local band, complete with sousaphone, playing in the town zocalo,

So what if sleepy Vallarta has turned into a tourist town after its’ ‘discovery’ by movie moguls as a perfect setting for Liz and Burt and The Night of the Iguana? Both Mexicans and foreign visitors mingled and enjoyed all the many delights of this solstice (sans snorkeling).

Not only music treats you, but there are also street performers and living statues to surprise you, like the angel photographed below. Put a coin on his plate, and he animates. Very ingenious propping, don't you agree?

And here's an lifesized Olé ornament that says Feliz Navidad, Mexican style:

lifesize bull head mounted on wall with garland of Christmas decorations

Enjoy your winter holidays, whatever and however you celebrate!

Rio Cuale entering Bandera Bay near the Malecon, Pto. Vallarta (JS Photo)

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