I have visited Mexico on several occasions and no visit was like the one I had to Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco for the holidays in December 2022.
I have seen the intentionally maintained, clear water beaches at oceanfront resorts, filled with tourist from all over the world, the prescheduled tours, and the excursions. Food choices designed to cater to the foreign palette even, down to overwater messages and therapeutic luxury spa services but this time… I was privileged to see this place, not as a tourist but as a person with eyes wide open truly seeing the art in everything.
In all my trips to Mexico, this was the trip I realized… this place is art
The perfectly green, green things, the culture on the rooftops, the spirit of the birds as they sing,
The character of the architecture, that resides among the elements aging just as it naturally should.
This place that is easily a muse to an artist inspired enough to create however, all that is truly necessary is for you open your eyes to see that this place is art. A place with a language that many visitors can’t read or speak yet are deeply intrigued by and wish to understand.
The uneven roads are made of individual stones that require quick swings and skilled maneuvers just to travel them. The tables of fresh fruits and vegetables at the nearby frutería were held up only by rickety crates that could falter at any moment. The far-away appeal of trees and mountains nestle the rarest, the rawest pieces and people of the culture. Seriously, the list goes on but I could only consume and recall so much. You just had to be there, be present, and know how to truly appreciate the natural state of things.
This place is art.
As I moved about this breathing work of art, there were several occasions when even my companion acknowledged the wonder and intrigue in my eyes. The pure joy in my smile and the calm in my spirit.
One would assume that a walk alone in a foreign place at night would be frightening. However, the sounds of native tunes in the distance, laughter from the group communing at the street food spot on the corner, or even a dog barking for his owner to return home were all somehow the calmest sounds to a visitor like me. A place with such a sweet and pure frequency. A place where just enough is just enough.
This place is art.
Jalisco, thank you for being you!
Roxy Wuz Here
photo credit: Rickale West