The spirit of Vallarta: this too shall pass

I came to Puerto Vallarta 21 years ago, in the year of the lord of 2002. I came from right the other side of Mexico, from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. From Veracruz, to be more precise.

A very good friend of mine, Alex, encouraged me to come. Alex and I had been friends for 20 years when I arrived (you do the math). He would always say “you should move to Vallarta, it’s never cold and it’s the place for you.” I was in a situation of need back then, and when Alex’s parents welcomed me into their house and back into their life (I hadn’t seen them in over a decade), I knew I had come to the right place.

My first job here as an English teacher at the Villa del Palmar hotel, a resort by the beach in the hotel zone. I still remember March 8, 2002, as my first day of work. It was back then when I started to learn about what being in Puerto Vallarta meant.

Everybody I met in and out of my job was nice to me. When I was introduced to friends and acquaintances of my friends, they would find out I was here alone, and they all would go like “let me know if you need anything.” I enjoyed the warmth of both people and environment.

The spirit of Vallarta appears as Kenna hits

Then, in October 25, Hurricane Kenna hit Puerto Vallarta. I had been in the place of a natural disaster a few years before, so the situation was not new for me. What was indeed new was the reaction of the people. Fortunately, my family and I did not suffer any damage, so I could pay attention to what was happening around.

First and foremost, EVERYBODY, with capitals, was involved in the recovery of normality. As I said, I was working in a hotel, and as soon as the sea receded and the wind calmed down, employees of all levels rolled our sleeves and started cleaning. You could see the managers and the waiters, the cleaning ladies and even the guests and timeshare owners all helping with the same effort, all united by the same goal: nothing would defeat us in getting back what the elements tried to take from us. Within hours of kitchens being destroyed, food was being served to quench the hunger of the tired people.

Kenna passed, but the spirit of Vallarta remained intact. Fortunately, since that day, we have not had the need to make use of it in a big scale. Sure, when a neighbor or a workmate is in a dire situation, we are there for them. A fire, an accident, a period of sickness are all chances we get to help each other. Hurricane Nora created havoc a couple of years ago, and the spirit of Vallarta rose again.

The spirit of Vallarta shines again

Today, we are facing a similar situation. Hurricane Lidia made landfall last Tuesday evening as close to Vallarta as a meteor has ever hit. Heavy rain came down and strong winds swooshed all over the city. This wind is the main culprit of the disaster Puerto Vallarta is living now. Utility posts, poorly built walls, solar panels and trees, especially trees plummeted over cars and houses. Most of them were lying across streets, blocking the way.

And surely enough, the spirit of Vallarta is shining again. Neighbors get spontaneously organized to move trees and cables. Companie donate machinery time to help them. For those whose house suffered damages, collects are organized by coworkers. A sheltering roof is always available should you need one. Cleaning teams are set up in every street and every colonia.

That is the spirit of Vallarta we all have come to cherish. A spirit created by us all who live or have lived in town. We have created this spirit by ourselves and for ourselves. We all shine with the same light, we are all vallartenses, disregarding whether we were born here, came to work or to retire, whether we came from other countries or other Mexican states.

Let us feel strong and proud of our Vallarta spirit. As in many instances before, this too shall pass.

With information and photographs by Tribuna de la Bahía.