New Years and New Friends

Christmas in Puerto Vallarta passed by with little fanfare. Sure there are still decorations up in hotels and restaurants and bells of red and gold garland hanging from the street lights on my street, but the celebration of Christmas itself is much more sedate here than in Canada.

I worked right through the holidays, giving out information on the beach about all the gay parties happening for the week leading up to New Years, and then at Joe Jack's, busting my butt for eight hours a night. So Christmas ended up passing me by almost completely unnoticed.

And you know what? I think I'm okay with that. I went out with my roommate Alfonso for breakfast on Christmas morning to Coco's Kitchen, a great local open-air spot just seconds from the beach. I ate scrambled eggs and French toast and bacon with lots of maple syrup. We wished each other a very Feliz Navidad as we sucked back mimosas and chased thosed down with black coffee.

Now New Years Eve on the flip side--and frankly the whole weekend--was celebrated here like it was 2012 and the world as we know it was coming to end. Fireworks up and down the beach at midnight then again at 2am. Partiers out in the streets until the sun came up and clubs full until then.

I worked lunch at Joe Jack's until 4pm then had to stay to peel Brussel sprouts for 2 1/2 more hours. More on that later. Afterward I went back to my apartment for a couple cerveza and to meet my houseguests for the weekend. Alfonso's niece Fernanda flew in from Monterey with her friends Doravida, Ulysses and Octavio. They are true Mexicans; incredibly friendly, warm and of course, ready to party. Though I'm sure NYE had something to do with that as well.

They mostly don't speak English and mi hablo espanol pocito so we did what we could to get to know each other before I had to leave them behind and head to the party I was bartending at.

Latin Fever was one of many parties happening for NYE and the promoter, Gilles Belanger, is a fellow Torontonian. He needed a bartender for the night and so I volunteered. The money was great, I danced all night and I drank for free. But the best part was the view from the fourth flour of the parking garage where the party was being held. I could see the lights of PV from a 360 degree vantage point and it was the ideal spot to watch the fireworks going off all around us.

The next night we hit the Malecon, the oceanfront commercial strip and headed to a great Cuban bar, La Bodeguita del Medio. Complete with live Salsa band and possibly the best mojito I've had here so far. The bartenders and Joe Jack's make a mean mojo but the secret at La B del M is the Havana Club rum they use. The best in the world.

Januaray 1st on the Malecon was as packed as I've ever seen it. Mostly locals and Mexicans enjoying the sound of the waves mixed with the beats spilling out of the clubs that line the strip. Many of them mixing their own cocktails and cracking beers from styrofoam coolers. Everyone out enjoying their friends and family and in one of the greatest cities anywhere.

And to me, that's what Christmas should be about. Spending time with the people you love. I celebrated with my family before I left Canada and then I came here and celebrated again with some new friends.

Who needs gifts when you've got that?