Jesus Saves

Jesus looked down on us as we got on the bus. From his perch, he could see everyone who got on or off. Jesus’ 6x8 color image was glued to the bus’ ceiling just above the steps. The graphic was surrounded by gold-colored fringe that hung down about 4 inches, so it wasn’t easy right away to spot Jesus.

We were headed back to Casa Andrea after spending an hour shopping at Puerto Vallarta’s spiffy Super Wal-Mart near the Marina. The Wal-Mart, new since we were here last, is gigantic. More than half of it is groceries. There are some American brands but most of them are Mexican (some of which we can buy in Colorado). There’s a large produce section near the front of the store, at least as large as any of the King Sooper’s stores near our home. Of course, the produce section is filled with fruits and vegetables you might not find in the U.S., like “tuna roja,” the pear-shaped fruit of a large cactus found all over Mexico’s deserts.

The bus ride from Parque Lazaro Cardenas, about 4 blocks from Casa Andrea where Calle Olas Altas hits the Malecon, takes about 30 minutes. Maybe a third of the passengers are norte Americanos. You know which bus to take first by asking directions to the bus stop and then because the destinations are painted in white on the windshield. Each bus has a list of several places it’s going. On the way out we got on the one that said “Wal-Mart” and coming back we found one that said “Centro.” The driver of the second even helpfully told us where to get off.

Riding the bus, if you’ve got time, is by far the best way to get around PV. The cab ride from the airport to Casa Andrea cost us 230 pesos. The bus to Wal-Mart, which is not too far from the airport, cost 11 pesos for two. You have to put up with the jouncey ride created by the cobblestone streets and the twists and turns when the driver swerves out of the way of a car or hits the brakes to avoid a collision.

I read an editorial in a PV magazine that complained about how many buses there are in the city. The editorial said local politicians keep adding bus operators to pay off a political debt of some sort. There are a lot of buses, but there are far more taxi cabs, many more than when we were here last. Maybe they multiply for the same reason. Streets are lined with the little yellow cabs, some with their drivers taking a nap or talking with other cabbies.

The taxis in our experience are clean and efficient. They get you places faster than the bus, but they don’t give you the same cultural experience. When we took the bus back from the botanic gardens most of the passengers were Mexican. When we got off, a man clambered off behind us with two packages grasped in his hands. From his left hand dangled a cage with a black rooster inside. The right hand held a cardboard box with many holes cut in it but we couldn’t see inside; there might have been another chicken inside that the man wanted to conceal. Perhaps a fighting cock or two? Who knows?

Every bus is decorated differently, although we haven’t seen any like we saw in Durango that had names painted on the front, names like “El Tigre del Norte.” It seems the drivers now are pretty much confined to decorating the inside, usually with religious objects like La Virgen de Guadalupe or Jesus. Perhaps they help keep everyone safe.

(Photo looking through a bus windshield, note the word “Sams” signaling Sams Club, which is next to the Wal-Mart.)