Semana Santa. WWJD ?

-
Semana Santa in Vallarta is Mardi Gras redux. There is nothing "holy" or solemn or remotely dignified about Easter in Vallarta. And not just here either. I've been in other Mexican cities during religious holidays (Xmas, Three King's Day, Passover, Saint someone or other) and the people celebrate wilder than they do on, say, Cinco de Mayo; and behave more buckwild raunchy than at a stag party.

Sin boldly, not flagrantly

It coincides with Spring Break where, yes, everyone cuts loose, as annually pimped out by MTV, but Americans have enough shame and marketing panache  to call it 'Spring Break'. Could you imagine any place seriously promoting un-Christian nastiness for a decidedly Christian weekend:

Get your Easter freak on! 

2x1 tequila shots & beer bong contest. 

Hot gogo dancers where the party never stops!

Decadence can be delicious but I draw the line at playing church.
And don't give me that "spiritual" bullshit. There's nothing spiritual about doping up so you can go on the prowl or dick down as many strangers as possible. Defiling our bodily temples in the guise of rejoicing unto the Lord. Talk about gall and short-attention span! Sin boldly, not flagrantly. What would Jesus do? The blessed bastard certainly wouldn't be celebrating Semana Santa (in Pto. Vallarta)!

   This is Puerto Vallarta 2013

Read More

Now available on the Kindle

But not in the UK. Since they doubt I am a writer and rejected 

me entry I've since restricted publication in all UK territories 

Read More

Interjet over Volaris

-
Went back to the drawing board and bought my plane tickets from Volaris competitor Interjet, a small Mexican airline that is expanding its national reach with selected destinations abroad. The website isn't in English but I know Spanish and was able to quickly and easily scour prices and various routes. Plus, and more importantly, unlike Volaris, it was hassle-free paying for my reservations with cash.

Booked the tickets online, next day went to the airport (local travel agencies were closed on Sunday), gave the Interjet agent my confirmation codes and payment and she gave me my paper tickets. And there was no line either! In and out in under 20 minutes. Easy as uno-dos-tres. 

Read More

A bee's stinger in my throat

-
After stair-climbing this morning - on actual stone steps leading way up from the beach, not the electronic machine with the revolving platform - I was stung in the throat by a bee as I was walking home.

At first it was a flicker of a thump and, instinctively, I swatted at my neck with the hand towel I was carrying. Then the mild sensation of a tiny stinging prick became noticeable. Thinking I was stung by a bee, my eyes combed the surrounding sand for----
A-ha! There it was: a bee; mostly covered (or camouflage) with the sand. I stepped on it for good measure, grinding it apart with the grains of sand.

I don't think I am allergic but, all the same, I consciously breathed in and out and drank more of my Gatorade. At a nearby car I stopped to use its tinted window as a mirror. Faintly, I noticed a light-colored speck around the area of the pinch. Was it just sand? My fingers were useless...maybe it was nothing more than a stubborn grain of sand and my imagination getting the best of me. Then I used the hand towel as a grip and realized my reflection was now free of the speck. I looked down at the towel. In it was a tiny, ever so teeny-tiny, stinger. Hot damn I got it!

I mindfully carried the towel home, washed my neck with soap and water, and then taped the stinger in my journal book with a account of the morning's event. Me? I feel fine.

Read More

Volaris airlines has shitty organization

Dear Volaris --

 I spent a lot of time searching your website for flights to Los Angeles. Dealing with your company has been a great waste of my time. 

Firstly, the information on your website regarding payment options is outdated and inaccurate; or, more true, Mexican employees in retailer shops are too, too lazy to do any transaction more complex than scanning a barcode. No one - not HSBC, OXXO, MoneyGram - knew how to process cash payments for Volaris customers. They all claimed no such service was provided. Not even the Volaris office at Pto. Vallarta airport knew how to complete payment for my reservations. How is this tolerable?! Secondly, instead of hiring pretty girls and family relations, try hiring people who are actually competent to do the job. (I'm so sick of dealing with stupid cajeras who can't do basic math, can't speak English, can't solve the tiniest problem. Y, si, yo hablo espanol; de hecho trabaje hace muchos anos en una escula de idiomas.)

What really upsets me about your (lack of)organization is the time I spent online (countless hours ) and, consequently, running around town (two days) trying to pay for my bookings before the deadline...ONLY TO LOSE THE RESERVATIONS. I hate wasting my time; I hate dealing with goddamn incompetent people.

I will never again try Volaris. I will write on my travel blog about how horrible it is dealing with Volaris. Offering low rates is no excuse for being shitty airline. Maybe to actually fly with Volaris is okay but getting to that point is a big pain in the ass.

Read More

Why infrequent posts? Google +

-
Sorry for the delay in post updates.
Thanks to the ever-encroaching arms of Google, some of us are experiencing obstacles in accessing our 'blogs. 

Namely, forced subscription to GOOGLE +.

Personally I'm sick of signing-up for every thing and super fed up with needing to re-sign-up for "added" stuff in the name of synchronicity & security. Let me write in advance: My travel log will be moved to another website because I have zero interest in joining Google + 

Read More