We flew into Mazatlan because in those days there were no direct flights to our destination of Puerto Vallarta.
I got us lodging at the Siesta Hotel and we walked along the Malecon (boardwalk) to a crowded beach. At the beach there was a bathroom that had a wet floor, the toilet had no seat, there was no toilet paper and it did not smell very good. I warned them not to touch anything, to try and not to step on the wet floor with their bare feet, and to try not to breathe! Neither child was happy with all my instructions but they did enjoy the warm, sandy beach and the cool green water.
After spending a pleasant afternoon playing in the ocean, we began walking to our hotel. "I'm tired," cried my daughter. "Get a taxi," said my son. After about a block of whining I stuck out my thumb. My budget did not include cabs! A pickup with three men in the cab stopped and told us to get in the rear of the truck. We gladly jumped in and almost gagged because the men were fishermen and had carried a load of fish. The fish were gone but the smell lingered!
They dropped us off at the Siesta. We showered and ate dinner. I made sure the kids ordered the least expensive items on the menu. In the morning we took a cab to the bus station and since I did not want to wait for a later bus going to Puerto Vallarta, I took the first one leaving. The bus was so crowded that my son and I stood while a kind gentleman let my daughter sit on the corner of his seat. "I'm thirsty," said my son. "Me too," said my daughter. At the first stop I bought them a pop. "This pop is warm,"said my son. "Mine too," said my daughter. "I want water," said my daughter. "Me too,"said my son. No matter how I explained that we could not drink the water, they could not understand why they couldn't have water when they were so thirsty. Water bottles had not yet been invented! The air conditioning on the bus was not working and even with all the windows open we only got small amounts of fresh air. "Mom, I don't like Mexico," said my daughter as her lower lip trembled. "I'm hot and I'm tired," said my son. It was a bit better as passengers got off and we were able to sit. I admit it was a torturous ride between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta but we finally arrived and I checked into the Rosita Hotel.
From then on, we had a wonderful time. The kids enjoyed playing on the beach, visiting the mercado, and walking along the Malecon. I rented a Safari, a sort of a jeep, and we drove to a secluded beach called Mismaloya. There were a few huts with palm roofs called Palapas. The ocean was a bluish- green and peaceful. I told them that a movie had been filmed at Mismaloya called The Iguana but they were more interested in playing in the water!
The kids got a short horseback ride after I bargained with the owner of the horses. "Well, since I am not busy, they can ride a little bit," he said. Instead of the usual hour, he let them ride for about twenty minutes. We spent most of the time playing on a beach. They stopped complaining about not being able to drink the water and we consumed a lot of pop without ice.
After three days of fun, we boarded a bus to Mazatlan. The bus ride was not as bad as our original ride and somehow, I believed that the kids were adjusting to being in a foreign country. I counted out my pesos. I set aside money for the cab to the airport. I had enough to buy them each a hamburger with french fries and I hoped they would leave some left overs so that I could eat. They ate everything on their plate. The room I found was near the Siesta and it was cheap. It had one bed for the three of us. Since we had been in the sun all afternoon, we all got a terrible sun burn. Any movement on the bed was painful while next door, a loud band played until dawn. We did not get much sleep.
In the morning before going to the airport, we were getting our feet wet in the ocean when a large wave took my son's sandal. We watched it get washed out to sea! When we took a cab to the airport my son went barefooted and the cab driver didn't even blink an eye when I told him I had no tip money! We must have been a sight with our red faces and my son without shoes, as we boarded the plane! When we were on the plane, the stewardess (as they were called back then) ignored our plea for water though she did bring a drink to some well dressed Americans. I immediately switched from Spanish to English and the response was instantaneous. Water, magazines, newspapers were then offered to us. Somehow, I got the feeling that the Mexican attendants cater to Americans. When we were served our meal, it tasted so good that it made me remember something my Mother used to say, "When you are hungry, everything tastes good!"
Neither child had good memories of their first trip to Mexico. Even back then, when everything was more economical than now, I learned that $100 was not enough for one adult and two children for a week. We made it but it was hard on all of us. When I returned to work I began saving my money so that we could return to Mexico. I just knew my children, with a few changes, would love Mexico as much as I did!
A breakdown of costs:
Hotel Siesta in Mazatlan: $12.00 One night
Meals and Miscellaneous 9.00 Snacks, dinner and breakfast
Cab to Bus Station 1.00
Bus to Puerto Vallarta 6.00
Drinks 1.50
Hotel Rosita in P.V. 24.00 Two nightsMeals 14.00 Two days
Safari Rental 9.00 1 day
Horseback Riding 2.00 1/2 hour
Bus to Mazatlan 6.00
Hotel in Mazatlan 8.00
Meal for kids 4.00
Cab to Airport 3.50
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$100.00
The same trip today would be over $800 if not more! Even though it was a bare bones budget, and I failed to prove to my children that Mexico was a fun and beautiful place, we still did a lot with one hundred dollars!
Adios, Until Next Time!
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