We just returned from a week long trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Overall, the people were very friendly.  It rained in the evenings and sometimes during the day, but that's to be expected for this time of year.


It was the beginning of the summer holiday season in Mexico, so most of the tourists were from Mexico, instead of other countries.  Entertainers from all over the country came to perform on the malecon, a boardwalk next to the beach. 

Since it was so hot during the day, most people stayed inside or in the pool or ocean.  In the evening the town the malecon (boardwalk) was buzzing with people--old people, children, families, teenagers, etc.  Everyone came out to enjoy the performances, eat delicious food, watch the sunset and more!

I saw many girls and women with their hair braided in many intricate styles.  I was approached by many indigenous women to get my hair braided.  They walked around with little photo albums from which people can pick the style they wanted.

On the second to last day I decided to get my hair braided in corn rows with little flowers.  The girl who was going to braid my hair was from Oaxaca.  She said that they couldn't braid my hair on the malecon.  They took me and several others to a bank parking lot where they proceeded to comb and braid our hair. 

Suddenly I saw an official guy appear.  He said that what the girls were doing was illegal because they didn't have permits.  The girls were working, not stealing and still they were being reprimanded.  I found that quite absurd.  The official who was of Mestizo origin continued to talk negatively about these indigenous women and accused them of stealing work from other locals. 

The indigenous women come to PV because they know that there is a demand for braiding and they can earn some money.  Instead of trying to help them earn a living, the local officials harass them and talk down to them.  I hope that the local PV government will help these women get permits and find a place to braid, so they don't have to do it secretly in parking lots!
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We stayed in Rosita Hotel in downtown right next to the malecon. While the location is good, the hotel isn't. It was noisy and not so comfortable. We traveled by bus everywhere and didn't go on any tours.

Click here to check out some photos.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/livingbrown/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/globalmosaics/
Here are some travel tips.

GENERAL TIPS
1. The buses are a great, cheap way to get around PV and to the beaches.
2. Enjoy the evening entertainment at the malecon! There was music, dance performances & more.
3. Leave tips for service employees in hotels, restaurants, etc. They work hard, and don't earn much.
4. Go out in the morning and evening. In the afternoon try to find some shade because it can get extremely hot.
5. Take a copy of Moon Handbooks Puerto Vallarta. It was an excellent resource and we couldn't have traveled without it.
6. Electricity: We were able to use the same 2 pronged flat plugs as in the US.  If you have a 3 pronged plug from the US, you may need an adapter. You don't need a voltage converter.
7. Banks: We got money from the Santander Serfin Bank using out Bank of America atm cards.  They have a partnership, so we weren't charged a fee.  Also the exchange rate was 11 pesos for $1, so better than most places.
8. Stay away from public bathrooms.

RESTAURANTS
1. Tacolandia: A++++, Great food, great service, reasonable prices, great ambiance, cool & clean. Don't be fooled by the name that sounds like fast food. (Address: Mina 195, Col. Centro)
2. Cenaduria de Dona Raquel: Simple place, but great authentic Mexican food.
3. California restaurant: The breakfast, juices and entrees are excellent. It was also clean and cool because of the AC.
4. Casa de los Pancakes: Great food and ambience!

BEACHES
We took the buses to the nice beaches.
1. Playa Los Muertos: Wouldn't recommend it for swimming.
2. Playa Mismaloya: Nice beach, but it a bit rocky. Majority of the beach front is dominated by the hotel and boats. We took the boat from Chico's Dive Shop to Los Arcos for snorkeling. We paid 200 pesos per person.
3. Yelapa: Great beach, great people and beautiful views. We took the lancha (boat) from Boca de Tomatlan. It was 120 pesos round trip per person.
4. Quimixto: No beach, but has a waterfall. We didn't visit it because it was raining.
5. Las Animas: Decent beach, but too many boats and people. The water can be a bit rough.
6. Bucerias: Nice beach, nice restaurants and market near beach. You can take a bus from Puerto Vallarta to Walmart, and catch another bus to Bucerias from there.
7. Playa San Francisco (AKA San Pancho): This beach is located in the state of Nayarit. We took a bus from Bucerias to Tuito and got off at Playa San Pancho. This was a beautiful beach! Strong undertow, so swim carefully! Nice coconut trees and mango trees everywhere! It also has a great restaurant, Dona Celia's. Great homemade food!

RESOURCE LINKS
http://www.puertovallarta.net/fast_facts/general_data.php
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/puertovallarta/
http://p073.ezboard.com/btodopuertovallarta
http://www.vallarta-info.com/index.html
http://www.virtualvallarta.com/index.shtml