Heading to town

Let's face it, this town, which began life as a mining and whaling port, wouldn't be where it is now without all the fine people enjoying the sun. And with that comes shopping. And with that comes shopkeepers, peddlers, and all sorts of assorted ingenious people keeping their eye on the prize - the tourist dollars.Not that I'm complaining. I love to walk around and shop just as much as the next girl...and, if you ask Robert, he'll tell you that I could shop for Canada.Not strictly true...lol...but here in Puerto Vallarta, the main shopping part of town, The Malecon is scrubbed clean and sparkling and certainly inviting to tourists.The sidewalks boast intricate designs and the peddlers walk around dressed in white.There are interesting pieces of art made from brasses, mostly touchable, climbable and definitely photographable.And, with this amazing backdrop of the largest bay in the world, you bet that people keep snapping those photos. Not to sound jaded, but we've been told umpteen times that we should really go into town to see the sunset. Not that the sunset from town is any different than the sunset from the resort, but the sunset from town features restaurants and bars where the tequila and beer is $1 at happy hour, the people charm you and invite you and call you in with promises of a good time...and then you stay and the drinks get more expensive...and then you get hungry...Speaking of restaurants...hundreds of them. And they range from the downright silly to the sublime.But finally we get down to the goods. The shopping is really amazing. There are stalls and stalls of the same stuff and you just have to decide what you want, wander around till you find a stall which has pretty much everything you were after, pick your stuff out and ask for the best price and then offer about half and negotiate from there. Please remember that mostly the silver will be 850 and not sterling at 925. Anyone can buy a 925 stamp and use it. Also, be aware that 850 is so darn close to 925 that you cannot tell the difference, but it's worth about $15/gram rather than $20. Just saying.But if you're like me and want to look past the whitewash, it's not too hard. Just peer around the corner into the back of the garden to see the dancer taking a break on the cool grass between shows.A block or two away from the tourist section are quaint streets with an absolute spider's web of electricity wires and laundry drying over the balcony.Tabebuia trees shedding masses of golden blooms into private courtyards.And while tourists walk across the bridge leading to the whitewashed Malecon, locals cool off in the shade of the bridge and the river below. This is the Puerto Vallarta I like to see. :D