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000377 Visit since
SPECIAL REPORTS
Finally, after more than a year,
my girlfriend and I decided to visit Quimixto once again.
This is a little village south of Puerto Vallarta that
can only be reached by sea, a place that some 250 families
call home. Obviously, each family has an average of
five members.
After a drive of about 15 minutes
along the scenic highway that connects Vallarta to Manzanillo,
we arrived at Boca de Tomatlán around 9 o'clock.
That's where you can get one of those "water taxis"
that will take you to Quimixto. When we got there, we
found out that the first taxi leaves at 9:30 A.M., and
the last to return leaves Quimixto around 5:30 P.M.
As we waited, we realized that mosquitoes attack their
victims ferociously here. We ran to buy some repellent
at the local shop.
At exactly 9:30 A.M., we boarded
the "taxi" that would take us to Quimixto
and within a few minutes 10 of us were at sea, following
the coastline, on the way to our destination. I would
like to mention that the "water taxi" -which
is really a fiberglass boat with a capacity for 20 people-
is the only means of transportation to reach paradisiacal
places like Las Animas, Quimixto and Yelapa, the most
often visited sites among so many other small, beautiful
beaches and coves one can find south of Vallarta.
After 25 minutes or so on a calm,
deep blue ocean, time that allowed us to enjoy the ride
and especially admire the spectacular sights of the
oceans meeting the mountains along a line of white foam
where the waves break upon the rocks, we reached our
final destination after having made a stop at Las Animas
where six of our original group got off.
Claudia and I were the only ones
to get off at Quimixto. (The other couple was going
on to Yelapa.) For the kind of activity that takes place
here, we arrived early so in fact we could watch the
village wake up. We took the path up the mountain along
the only paved road in the place, one that leads directly
to the place where the horses are tied up. These can
be rented to take you to the falls. By now, I had already
taken some photos as we walked around, admiring the
houses, most of which are made of wood, with earthen
floors. We could see how four or five people slept in
a single room. In nearly all of these houses, the beds
are separated by a raised sleeping platform that enables
two people, usually the parents, to sleep in the upper
part of this little house that his about ten by twelve
feet in size. We had the opportunity to enter one of
them and it is really amazing how, despite the small
space, most of the families have a stove, a refrigerator,
a TV and a stereo.
Thanks to Ignacio [Nacho], a good
friend originally from that place, and his family, after
having breakfast in the house of another friend, we
went out on horseback to the falls of Quimixto, an obligatory
site to see. We followed a path that is maintained with
the cooperation of all the families of the place, going
up and down the hills, we crossed part of the mountain
before reaching the falls. On both sides of the path,
despite the heavy traffic, we could still see hundreds
of different types of wildlife and especially different
types of birds that would fly right in front of us in
search of food. We saw many green parrots, the same
kind that the locals catch to keep as pets in their
homes. Once they are acclimatized and trained, this
kind of parrot is very talkative and makes for excellent
companions.
After about 25 minutes at a relaxed
pace on horseback, we reached the falls that although
the rainy season hasn't begun yet, still have enough
water to be beautiful and form a natural pool where
the visitors can cool off. Naturally, we got into the
very cold water and enjoyed a deliciously refreshing
and invigorating dip.
After a while, Nacho asked us to
join him in going farther upstream to go even more deeply
into the forest. We walked for more than 40 minutes,
following the river. Some of the vistas were truly marvelous.
And along the way, we found out where the favorite spots
for the river shrimp were. Nacho and his family caught
some to prepare a delicious soup later on.
Like always, I was fascinated with
the vegetation and especially the changing environment
as we followed the river. Nothing and no one can hold
the river back. It will find a way despite all the natural
obstacles that may block its way. Although I truly enjoy
this type of treks, I am not accustomed to them and
while Nacho and his family and even Claudia were walking
barefoot, I had to put on my sneakers to be able to
follow. Just seeing how accustomed the locals are in
following the river is a show in itself. Seeing the
children jump among the slippery stones like baby goats
with no problem whatsoever really amazed me. At times
I was even worried that they could slip and fall, hurting
themselves, like Nacho's daughter who was even carrying
a little girl about 3 years old on her shoulders. While
I was worrying, she was laughing at me, inviting me
to follow her and stop worrying.
Finally, we reached a spot where
a little canyon had formed. There we found another waterfall.
We stopped there to take another refreshing dip in its
cool waters. Once again, the little ones carried on
as they were wont to do and all got together to ensure
that we were having a good time too. They climbed to
the top of the waterfall and lying down, they blocked
the water for a moment, just to stand up suddenly and
let the water fall freely once again. I stood beneath
them many times over, just to feel the power of the
water when they would let it fall on my back full force.
A most exciting experience it was.
After the dip, having cooled off
again, we decided that it was time to head back. This
time, we took another path, away from the river banks,
that made our way back easier. By the time we got back
to the first waterfall, it was already 2 o'clock and
there were many foreign visitors there who had come
with the various boats that offer day tours there.
During the hike, Nacho told me that
most of the 200 families who live there earn their life
from the rental of horses. When we got to the lower
waterfall, we noticed that more than 80% of the visitors
had gotten there on foot. I didn't feel like asking
Nacho if that was normal, but he told me quietly, sad
and worried that that is how it has been for the last
few weeks. I asked him to tell me more about what was
going on, and he did. "The cost for the rental
of a horse both ways is $100.00 pesos, of which $20.00
pesos go to the guides that come off the tourist tour
boats. The authorities advised us over a month ago that
in order to continue renting out the horses, we would
have to pay for insurance against all kinds of accidents
that may occur to visitors along the ride. Our group
decided that in order not to increase the rental costs
to the tourists, we would ask the guides to lower their
commission from $20.00 to $15.00 per person, and we
would allocate the remaining $5.00 pesos to the insurance
fund. The guides disagreed, saying they preferred to
tell the people not to take the horses to go to the
waterfalls, even though that would mean that they would
lose all their commissions. And that's how it has been
since then as we could not come to an agreement."
Thinking about what it meant for
the local families to lose the income from the horse
rentals, I could understand their sadness and concern.
Nacho told me that each family owns an average of 6
to 10 horses, and that there was a roll so that each
family would get its turn to rent its horses according
to the demand, justly. Nowadays, waiting for your turn
to rent out your horses means waiting three to four
days. For Nacho and each one of the families, this means
an average of $600.00 to $1,000.00 pesos per week from
the rental of horses, and with that they have to provide
for a family of five or six, feed the horses, pay for
light, power and all the other necessities. All this
without counting their basic groceries which they usually
get in Puerto Vallarta, and for which they have to pay
an average of $80.00 pesos per person for transportation
on land and sea each time they go grocery shopping.
The saddest part of all this is that
some of the guides (not all) -maybe as a way of pressuring
them to raise the prices so that they may continue to
receive the same commissions- are telling visitors that
the horseback ride is dangerous. Today, I can tell all
those of you who are thinking of visiting Quimixto that
the horseback ride is safe, including for those who
have never ridden horse before. The animals are docile
and they know the paths to take perfectly well. In fact,
they are so used to it that they will take you straight
to the falls and back -at a slow, even pace- even if
you don't guide them. These are not race horses, and
if their riders treat them with respect, there is no
reason whatsoever to think that the ride would not be
safe and pleasurable. It's been a month now since our
visit to Quimixto and according to that which was planned,
regardless of whether the families have come to an agreement
with the guides or not, it is most probable that they
have contracted the accident insurance coverage as required
of them by the authorities.
By the time we got back to the village,
it was 4:00 p.m. and we were very hungry. We had to
leave to catch the last water taxi back to Boca de Tomatlán.
Nacho told us that he, his wife and one of his children
had to go to Vallarta, so if we agreed, we could all
go back in the boat of one of his friends who would
do us the favor of taking us after the one and only
Catholic mass celebrated in the village at 5:00, which
he wanted to attend. Claudia and I figured that would
be fine and we would take advantage of the time to go
eat at one of the restaurants on the beach - which was
about to close for the day. Not only did they attend
to us very well, but they would even allow us to take
a little siesta in a wonderful hammock while we waited
for our boat to leave.
They prepared a filet of fish in
butter and garlic and another "a la diabla",
and apart from the fact that we were so hungry, the
seasonings were excellent. After we had eaten, Claudia
decided that she would attend the mass too. I went to
sleep for an hour or so.
Finally, the time came for us to
go back. We all boarded the little boat and landed in
Boca de Tomatlán at the same time as the sun
set. From there, we drove back to Puerto Vallarta.
We had the chance to not only enjoy
the day, but also spend time with the folks of Quimixto,
and that was worth more than the outing itself. Once
again I was able to see what I have felt ever since
I came to Vallarta 26 years ago, the local folk, with
their problems and conditions, who without prejudice
continue to dedicate themselves wholly to their daily
routine, and to fulfilling the wishes of those who open
their hearts to them. For one day, Claudia and I were
part of a humble, hard working family. We were treated
with respect and warmth. Within the means at their disposal,
they shared everything they had with, demonstrating
to us that we would be welcome every time we would return.
Quimixto, that little corner of Vallarta,
allowed me to feel once again the colorful joy of a
people. Its people reminded me that this place would
be absolutely nothing without the human quality of its
inhabitants.
Naturally, we will return to Quimixto
very soon, and naturally, I recommend to all our readers
that once they are in Puerto Vallarta, they should visit
this beautiful spot south of town.
Hasta Pronto!
Jesús de Avila
editor@pvmirror.com
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