What did Madonna sing in her Eva Peron voice? ‘Don’t cry for me Argentina!’ Well don’t cry for me as I suffer in silence in PV Mexico.

I am not leaving and you can’t make me.

OHMYGAWDOHMYGAWDOHMYGAWDOHMYGAWD! I walked into the suite (bigger than my apartment!) and forgot to hug Kerry I was so gobsmacked with the accommodations.

Dancing up a storm in the square. (photo credit: Kerry McLaren)

Across the malecón from the beach, beside a major square, this is one happin’ place. Zooba classes, Mariachi bands, tourists in all their varied hues, Mexicans selling-singing-hocking, little families selling stuff with kids running willy/nilly… what an amazing spot! It is all we can do to rip ourselves from the balcony to go exploring the town.

Wine, women and wireless!

The only thing that got us outside was our wi-fi has been down and we have been desperately searching for internet cafés for a connection. Finally we whined loud and long enough that they fixed it for us, so we may not leave until Saturday.

I haven’t been to PV for at least 10 years and while the part from the airport to Centro zone has morphed into one hideous big mess of big box stores and high rises, Old Vallarta is still grubby and charming; a soup of gringos, ex-pats and Mexicans of all sorts stuffed into a small footprint of old buildings and new ones made to look old. I am still enchanted with this town, bedazzled even. I walk around grinning like a fool, excited as a child when I discover that a favorite restaurant has survived and thrived the past decade. It feels like a coming-home party.

Sunset (photo credit: Kerry McLaren)

Now shopping is what Kerry and I do best (oh and drinking red wine… and margaritas) and we are hitting our stride. We are getting these amazing tote bags made by an ex-pat artist (who are everywhere), wait till you see them; all I will tell you is that they have glitter and a dog and an elephant!

Sleeping on a hard single bed and sharing a bathroom with 15 other people is a distant memory.

As I am sure you have deducted, this is a very different holiday from my Thailand trip, or from any of the other ones for that matter. This is an adventure in indulgence, friendship and relaxation. Next week jungle – this week is a feather-t0pped king-sized bed, red wine and my bff. happy happy happy.