As in the phrase “Move along, folks, nothing to see here…” we have found the events of last week somewhat inflated. Puerto Vallarta hosts the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) this year, as the city plays host to their annual conference from May 4-9, 2015. Attendees will observe a city brimming with exciting and fun things to do. Their activities will include special performances of music and dance; zip line tours; water adventures such as fishing, snorkeling, dolphin and whale watching; horseback riding, jungle hikes and ecological tours; beach clubs; golf; and Puerto Vallarta’s incredible cuisine.
May Day has been a time for protest and demonstrations since the USA and their unions first called for the introduction of an eight-hour work day by forming a general strike to press for these demands in 1886. Businesses normally are closed on this day, in Puerto Vallarta as well as cities all over the world. This year, demonstrators clashed with police in Istanbul, Turkey; Milan, Italy; Seattle, Washington, USA, resulting in scores of arrests and injuries. Istanbul’s Taksim Square had 10,000 police stationed around its perimeter.
In Puerto Vallarta six guys in two pickup trucks drove to three banks, busted the windows and tossed Molotov cocktails through the doors. Those were their weapons. As afore mentioned, the banks were closed, empty. This group also set fires at five gas stations. Storage tanks did not blow up and the perpetrators warned everyone to get out of their way to avoid harm and injury. It is rumored these incidents were carried out by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel to show how quickly they can mobilize. They also were reportedly responsible for events in other areas of Jalisco and neighboring states.
Social media is not a reliable source for our news. Facebook was the only place the fires of Puerto Vallarta were difficult to extinguish. Amazingly, an automobile on the Guadalajara-Colima highway overheated and was reported, repeatedly, as cartel activity. News in the USA was highly focused on news of the day that six Baltimore police officers had been charged in the death of a citizen.
The evening of May 1 in Puerto Vallarta found people on the beaches, walking the Malecón and filling bars and restaurants. Locally the query of the day was where to watch the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight, which turned out to be as humdrum as the 6’O’Clock news in Puerto Vallarta.
We expect the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) to report that Puerto Vallarta is, indeed, all it’s purported to be: [Truly a world class tourist destination, named “Friendliest City” by Conde Nast in 2001, “Best place in the world to retire” by AARP (North American Association of Retired Persons), “Best Vacation Destination in Mexico” by USNews.com in 2010, “Most Romantic Place in Mexico” and “Favorite Beach Destination in Mexico” by About.com in 2012, “Best place for Conventions” in a convention marketing magazine and listed in “Top 10 Destinations in Mexico” by TripAdvisor in 2015.
Que es cómo es.
Thanks to our guest blogger Adam Garcia for this article!
Do You Want To Live The Ultimate Villa Experience? Thinking Of Renting a Puerto Vallarta Luxury Vacation Villa or Condo? Let Our Beston Properties Team Find You The Perfect Luxury Vacation Villa Rental in Puerto Vallarta or Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. Try Our ‘Perfect Villa Finder’ Tool Here.
Check out some of our Puerto Vallarta Luxury Vacation Villas here:
[su_posts template=”templates/teaser-loop.php” posts_per_page=”3″ post_type=”listing” taxonomy=”type” tax_term=”28″ tax_operator=”0″ order=”desc” orderby=”none”]
