Erring on the side of caution, perhaps, since no cases of swine flu – excuse me, H1N1 virus – were reported anywhere in the state; nonetheless, the closures prevented La Manzanillans from getting together and sharing any undisclosed bugs.
On Thursday, the very next day, however, the La Manzanilla Information System (a pickup truck with a microphone and loudspeakers) cruised the village inviting everyone to a celebration in the plaza that evening. The President of La Huerta, our municipio, was coming to dedicate our recently completed street-paving project and the new pedestrian bridge spanning the arroyo. Come one, come all!
Huh? Did I hear that right? We couldn’t go to restaurants, not that La Manzanilla’s remaining skeleton crew of year-round expats could constitute a crowd in any one establishment. But we were encouraged to gather at the plaza. Bricks and steel were a hard excuse to swallow, especially when I was still jonesing for that bacon and blue cheese burger.
About 70 residents, plus officials, attended the event. Adan Israel Mendoza Rodriguez, La Huerta president, and a handful of other visiting dignitaries involved with the street-paving project delivered short speeches. La Manzanilla Delegado Gustavo Guzman, as well as current and past ejido presidents Primativo Gonzales and Oswaldo Suazo, respectively, and a number of other local residents were recognized for their cooperation and assistance. The ribbon spanning the street from the plaza to the church was cut, and everyone moved down to the bridge for more of the same.
The buzz around the plaza echoed confusion over the conflicting directives. Some said to close restaurants and cancel public events without basis was politically and fiscally irresponsible. Others defended attendance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, because it had been scheduled for months. Besides, it was being held outside. So would the annual Children’s Day parade have been held outside, they were reminded, but it was called off. And so it went, back and forth.
The crowd was as subdued as it was divisive. Hugs and kisses on cheeks, customary greetings between friends, were replaced by awkward moments. No one seemed to know quite what to do with their hands, other than to apply liquid sanitizer. People tended to maintain an assured clear distance from each other. With no laughter, delighted shrieks and children running amok, the whole scene was surreal and discomfiting. It was more like a funeral than a party at our plaza.
Although no one in La Manzanilla suffered a bout of the H1N1 virus, we all felt its effect. As inconvenient as the flu outbreak was, however, it could have been worse. At least it happened after the tourist season ended.
Passport Renewal
Those of us on the Costalegre have two options when our passports expire: we can go to the US Consulate in Guadalajara, or to the one relocated from downtown Puerto Vallarta to Nuevo Vallarta, just across the border in the State of Nayarit. I recently opted for the latter location.
Don’t get me wrong: I love coming to Guadalajara. It’s a vibrant, fascinating city I’d love to know better and a refreshing change from the beach. From La Manzanilla, however, the Consulate is about six hours away. There and back, plus time spent inside the Federal Benefits Unit office, pretty much necessitates an overnight stay for those of us who no longer have the stamina for an all-day travel excursion. Nuevo Vallarta, on the other hand, is only about four hours away, easily doable in a day with time to spare for lunch and a trip to Costco.
Travel time isn’t the only difference. The consular offices in Guadalajara are housed in a stately, high-security edifice that takes up an entire city block. In Nuevo Vallarta, they’re tucked in a second-floor corner of the Paradise Village Mall.
No need to check purses and other belongings across the street in the paqueteria, hoping you have everything you’ll need with you when you finally get inside. No security wands, no waiting for admittance, no being locked in until your business is concluded. At the Consulate in Nuevo Vallarta, when you walk through the door a guard at the front desk makes a cursory examination of whatever baggage you’re carrying, and you’re in.
Unlike the US Consulate in Guadalajara, which I understand now takes appointments for business you need to conduct with the Federal Benefits Unit, Nuevo Vallarta operates on a first come, first served basis. No one else was waiting when I got there. I was in and out within half an hour and instructed to return for my passport in three weeks. Unfortunately the consular offices were closed for the flu when my three weeks were up.
Another difference between the two consular locations: for an extra charge, Guadalajara will messenger your new passport back to you. Nuevo Vallarta doesn’t deliver. When I groused about making a return trip, they did concede that I could have a friend bring a copy of my old passport’s front page with a signed note to release the document to the bearer.
Overall, renewing my passport in Nuevo Vallarta was a pleasant, easy experience except for the sticker shock. The cost for renewal was 75 US dollars. At a time when the exchange rate was 12 pesos to the dollar everywhere else, the Consulate charged 17 pesos. Ouch, since I was paying in pesos! Well, I guess that’s one way to help combat the budget deficit in the U.S.
The U.S. Consulate office in Nuevo Vallarta isn’t full-service as is the one in Guadalajara, but they do provide passport, notary, and emergency services. To get there, take Highway 200 north from Puerto Vallarta into the State of Nayarit and take the first Marina exit. Follow the signs to the Paradise Village shopping center, park in the underground garage (the Consulate validates parking) take the escalator to the second floor of the mall, turn left, and follow the signs. A recorded message on their phone, (322) 222-0069, delivers all the information you need.
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