“Telephone call for Sylvester Stallone” was the message that crackled over the public address system as we approached the pool for the first time. The message convinced us that we had certainly arrived at a posh place! The promotional literature for the complex proclaimed, “Club Regina Puerto Vallarta… Your kind of Paradise.” Sun, sand and sea, greeted you as white as ghosts escaping the gulag conditions of the frozen north.
We began to orientate ourselves to the 21 acre grounds, so much like a park with lots of palm trees and birds chirping. Stone pathways led every which way. With four swimming pools, pool-side restaurants and two bars, it was becoming difficult to find our way, so we plopped down on a couple of lounge chairs at the edge of the beach to ponder our next move.
In a strong brogue, a gentleman who introduced himself as John began to talk with us about the guide dogs and how they travelled. John was from Balmoral Scotland and asked if we had found the open bar to welcome new guests. With the promise of free refreshments, we replied in unison that we’d love a cold drink, so we followed John to the Westin Regina and Club Regina. Protesting that he needed a fresh drink anyway, John enjoyed several rum punches with us and soon we were swapping stories about our travels.
The public address system around the activity pool crackled to life again with another important announcement,… “Saddam Hussein, please proceed to the meeting room immediately. Your time share briefing is about to start.” We had obviously fallen victim to Mexican humour but who can blame us?
We were tired after our flight from Ottawa, which had been postponed for two hours. We arrived at Pearson International Airport in Toronto with less than an hour to travel from terminal three to terminal one and catch our charter flight to the sun. We burst through the doors of the arrival area from the Ottawa flight and there were two Air Transat staff members there to greet us and help us with the transfer. Other travellers in the same predicament swarmed around the Air Transat representatives clamouring for help with luggage to carry and a shuttle bus to board. Flight connection assistance to travellers with disabilities turned out to be a vacation-saver for more than a dozen other travellers.
At the check-in counter, our baggage was tagged and checked. We were over the limit of 20 kilos per passenger in allowable baggage weight. Since this was due to the need to carry two weeks supply of food for our guide dogs, we were not charged for excess weight at five dollars per kilo because the food was for our mobility aids.
Our seats were in row twelve on a Boeing 757 which carried over 200 passengers. Usually, we have the bulkhead to get extra room for the guide dogs but Bruno at Air Transat Customer Care had told us there would be more room in these seats. We were a bit sceptical as we awaited our chance to board the aircraft behind several passengers who used wheelchairs.
We were surprised to enter the aircraft not at the front but in the middle of the cabin. Right behind the emergency exit row seats at the door were two seats with extra space for the service animals as the seat in front had been removed. This was the most comfortable charter flight the dogs have ever had. They could actually lay down and stretch out for a good snooze during the four and a half hour flight to Mexico. Their only interruptions were offerings of ice and the occasional greeting from a dog lover who sought permission to pet the dog as they were sad to have left their animal at home.
Soon it was time to don the harness and put the dogs to work guiding us in a strange place. On the way to Customs, they had a quick pit stop at a convenient patch of grass by the VIP arrival door. Then it was on to the formalities. Pushing the light button at the Customs barrier caused it to light up green and we were on our way. If the button had activated the red light, we would have been required to go through a Customs examination of our luggage. We were lucky and won the Customs search game of chance at the entry door and were officially welcomed into Mexico.
Two weeks of rest and relaxation followed. Late January has a nice climate with warm sunny days and cool evenings which made for good swimming and deep sleep at night. The weather reminded us of the idyllic climate of Hawaii. It was wonderful weather for us but the hotel staff insisted that it was too cold for them to go swimming. After all, to the citizens of Puerto Vallarta, these were winter conditions. Incredulously, we compared the warm sun and light breeze to the snow and arctic blasts we had left behind. The only ice here was the chunks tinkling in the Margarita glasses.
We took an excursion on a boat to see the sites where we met Steve and Vicky and their three small children. We did some snorkelling, visited two secluded beaches, watched a farm family from Illinois try their hand at parasailing, and enjoyed lunch aboard ship as we cruised along the shore line. Lots of fun! All too soon, we were back at the dock sharing a nine passenger van as we returned to the hotel complex.
Although we had planned to take more tours, it was so easy and cheap to take taxis around town, we decided to go on our own to the Malecon to see the statues and look at Old Puerto Vallarta. We had no problems with acceptance of the guide dogs in the cabs. Many people were curious to see how the dogs worked. Many asked their names and, upon learning that the ten year old dog was called Luna, voiced their expectation that the other dog was called Sol. Alas he was not the sun’s name sake but his name was Quincey. He was given the nickname of Pero Macho by the staff who served us at the Italian night festivities at the hotel.
We also enjoyed the weekly Mexican fiesta, called Viva Mexico at the Westin Regina Hotel. The evening featured games, prizes, domestic open bar, snacks and a delicious dinner offering a wide variety of Mexican dishes. We have to confess we drank a bit too much wine that evening in the company of merry-makers from all over. You see, we were worried about the dogs, who do not like fireworks, and had to calm our nerves with wine!
With the help of the attentive staff, we managed to leave just before the program finale with the fireworks. The show featured Folkloric ballet, a mock cockfight, mariachis, a rope twirler, Ranchero singer and the infamous fireworks. It is just as well we had to leave early or we would be still there partying today! As it was, we managed to hop into the balcony hot tub for one final soak of the day, listening while the dogs slept in the apartment.
We were located in one of the newest, most complete Mexican resort developments, Marina Vallarta. The architecture is inspired by the colours of Mexican folklore, the fine virgin textiles, and modern design which expresses a harmony with exotic gardens and the blue of the Pacific Ocean. Club Regina is what we always dream about in the snow and ice of a Canadian winter.
The resort has 203 comfortable and luxurious one or two bedroom suites, with elegant decor and all the amenities: terrace Jacuzzi, ocean or marine view, fully equipped kitchens, air conditioning and fans, smoke detectors, direct-dial telephones, in-room satellite colour televisions with remote control and clock radios.
We had a spacious apartment and each morning we ate our breakfast watching the sun come up. Then it was off to the beach to listen to talking books, swim, and gossip with other tourists. We enjoyed a long walk on the beach, even though there were pebbles underfoot. It was necessary to buy aqua slippers for a dip in the sea without being bothered by the pebbly bottom. The few vendors who sat near the beach entrances, were friendly and not pushy in any way. After a few days we felt secure enough on this almost private beach to unleash the dogs and let them run free for a few minutes each day. The dogs enjoyed the chance to have a swim too. Walking along the water’s edge became an enjoyable daily routine.
Some days we snacked at lunch especially if we had a hardy breakfast. Other days we wandered into the pool side restaurants for lunch. The Tenampa and Tlaquepaque Snack Bar is located between the four swimming pools. Open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., it had a good menu of salads and sandwiches. My husband particularly enjoyed the tuna baguette sandwich. He got in the habit of trying the special drink of the day, drinking concoctions from hollowed-out coconut shells and pineapples adorned with bright and beautifully scented flowers.
Even at the pools there was lots of room and it was never a problem to find a lounge chair no matter what time of day it was. So we moved around a fair bit in the late afternoon trying out first one pool and then another. Finally it was time to return to the apartment and watch the sunset from the comfort of our own private balcony hot tub, which our Scottish friend John referred to as his ” weather tub”. At any rate it was nice to soak up the last rays of the sun in the warm water and sip a glass of wine at sunset.
For the first few days we sampled hotel restaurants which, while good, were a bit pricey. At the Westin complex, the fancy restaurant is Garibaldi’s. It has a spectacular palata with Mexican and International cuisines right on the beach. There was music and dancing from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. and then the party continued as the restaurant became an all-night disco.
El Palmar Restaurant overlooks the gardens and offers a wide variety of Mexican and International specialties from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Here we enjoyed the Champagne Sunday Brunch, featuring many Mexican dishes and providing a good opportunity to graze.
Our daughter met new friends from many places at a popular attraction, La Cascade Lobby Bar which had live music and happy hour from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.. We never made it to this bar as so many other activities competed for our time. One problem with paradise is that there is never enough time to do everything! The time crunch is critical so we just put our watches away and followed our spur-of-the-moment decisions.
As the two weeks passed, we went out more and more in the evening to visit a local restaurant downtown or to eat at one of the dozen eating establishments at the Marina. These latter were all within walking distance of the hotel. The following is a list of those we particularly enjoyed along with the type of cuisine and the part of town where they can be found.
Mexican Viva Mexico! Marina Vallarta
Pipi’s Papally St.
Steak House Los Pibes Marina Vallarta
Italian Porto Bello Marina Vallarta
International Las Palomas Marina Vallarta
Bar/Disco Carlos O’Brians Malecon
We found the service attentive and courteous. Prices were extremely reasonable and the food tasty, well prepared and substantial. We did not experience any problems with the water at the hotel or at the restaurants. By the second week we were eating salads and enjoying fruits of all kinds.
Of course we did face the odd challenge. Carrying a letter from the Mexican Embassy, usually solved any access problems related to our service animals, except for one night. We had run into our old acquaintance John at the Marina and had lingered over dinner chatting with him and his wife Vivian. So we returned to the hotel rather late only to meet security guards who did not want to let us in. They seemed intent on shooing us out into the Mexican night for a sleep under the stars. Eventually we did gain admittance and the next morning we were assured that all would be well for the rest of our stay. We received a letter of apology and a fruit basket as a gesture of regret. We never again had a problem and on several occasions when we returned from excursions, security staff rushed to open the taxi door for us and help us to enter the hotel.
Marie-Claude, the Canadian Holidays representative at our hotel, indicated that a wheelchair user had been among the four or five parties of visitors who had come already this winter. We met several tourists who used wheelchairs including a gentleman from Winnipeg, who was enjoying his vacation as much as we were. Although little difficulty using wheelchairs was experienced within the grounds of the Westin Regina, most users had to transfer to car seats for any excursions outside the hotel. Sidewalks were narrow, uneven and with high curbs. Once at the Marina, most of the restaurants could be accessed with a bit of help from staff. The Marina features a wide flat boulevard and could be accessed from the parking lot with little difficulty. However, the five minute route we walked with our guide dogs from the hotel to the Marina was uneven, festooned with high curbs, hilly with lots of stairs. Since cabs are so cheap and easily available, this is a good alternative for some. Unfortunately, we were told that there were not any accessible cabs in the city. Given the friendliness and helpfulness of the people, it is quite possible most access problems could be worked around, one way or another.
Having visited four places in Mexico over the years, we have to say that Puerto Vallarta was the most pleasant. The people were friendly, outgoing and cheerful. Yes they wanted to make money but smiled and chatted amiably while they conducted business. All in all it was a pleasure spending money in Puerto Vallarta.