Updates, For People Coming to Chacala

12/31/07
I was at the PV airport today and it's all open again. With nice new bathrooms near the Arrivals area. The only problem was that two of the three ATMs were not connected .But the HSBC ATM is functioning. It's at the corner where the departure area starts, at the end of the concession area that starts near the Arrival area.

12-30-07
The easiest way to take the bus to Chacala is as follows. There are more options in the following posts. And photos of how to leave the airport, etc.

Walk out the door of the airport that is right ahead of you as you leave the baggage-customs area.

Go to your left, over to the pedestrian bridge that crosses the highway.

Cross the bridge.

There is a bus top across the highway, for city and inter-city buses going north. The Central Camionera, long distance terminal is about a mile north of here. But you can avoid the terminal and save from 10 to 70 pesos by following these directions. And some time too.

Usually there are a number of people waiting for city buses here and you can ask for help. Be sure to watch for your bus, and wave it down. They won´t stop if they don´t see anyone waving for it.

You want to take the ATM (grey colored bus) to Brucerias. Each bus has several destinations painted on the windshield in white paint. This bus is 10 pesos. You need to have pesos and correct change or something small, like a 20 peso bill.

Tell the driver you want to go to Brucerias. Pronounced Brew-sir-re-us

Brucerias is a long town on either side of the highway.

Ask a neighbor on the bus to tell you when you get to Brucerias. It's about 15 minutes north of PV.

Then, when you get into Brucerias, go up to the driver and ask to be let off at the Pacifico bus terminal. Say ¨Pah-si-fee-co por favor". He will either let you off the corner before the little office front bus terminal or right in front of it. Be sure to get off in Brucerias.

The bus fare from Brucerias to Las Varas (say "Las Baras") is 60 pesos. Less than $6us.

In Las Varas, another 1.5 hours, more or less to the north, the taxis to Chacala are right at the corner. About 100 pesos. 10$us. If you arrive before about 4;30pm and don´t have much stuff you can take the collectivo to Chacala for 12pesos. About 1.10us. The collectivo stop for Chacala is two blocks back down the highway, the way you came into Las Varas.

If you have a reservation in Chacala make sure the person who took the reservation gives you specific directions for how to get you the place you rented. Makes it easier, especially at night.

Sunday Before Christmas in Chacala

It´s been overcast today, at least first thing in the morning. And now, about 4:30pm, it has clouded over again. We are still having cold nights, 62-64F lows. Ugh. 80Fs in the days.

More and more tourists are arriving. But I expect the bigger group will be Christmas Day, when families from Guadalajara and other mountain towns in Mexico will arrive in Chacala. Big families, camping for the week and filling up whatever rooms are available. Some of the rentals here are mostly rented by families. Big families who are comfortable squeezing in together for the night.

I love how families seem to be in Mexico. Of course, my fantasies are probably nothing to do with reality. But in four years I have only seen kids getting whacked a couple of times. Maybe three. In the US I was always hearing a whack and then a child´s scream in supermarkets and big box stores. Maybe I am not spending enough time in huge stores in Mexico. If I did, I might see the kind of child abuse-random violence I often saw in the U.S.

I still have the grippe. Last night and this morning were awful. Throat raw and burning, headache, and sneezing and constantly running nose. But the Mapaches or whatever they are stayed away. Or I slept through their visit.

This is the last or second to last night of the Posada, and I am headed off to find it. I am going to a local party tomorrow night and a gringo party Christmas afternoon. Should be interesting.

For the past few days there has been a huge, maybe 30 by 40 foot chunk of whale fat-flesh floating in and out on the tide down on the beach in front of Mar de Jade. Really gross, but not to smelly.

Must be the God´s gift to Chacala, paybacks for the continuing destruction of the natural environment here.