December 1 - We arrived at Marina Vallarta. All the cruising guides said that we would need a reservation to get a slip, since the marina was always crowded. We tried calling them on the radio all day, but they never answered. So we just went in and stuck the boat in an empty slip counting on the old adage "it is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission". Sure enough, a bunch of the dock employees turned up and after much talking on the radio, put us in the only slip left. It had no electricity or water since those things had broken and nobody ever bothered to fix them. This marina, although not cheap and loaded with megayachts, had lots of deferred maintenance. The public showers had no hot water and apparently this has been the case for weeks. We were just glad to be here. We have heard that the other marinas in Nueva Vallarta are perfectly maintained, but they are also very 'American'. The atmosphere is insufficiently Mexican. We didn't come here to be in American enclaves, so we are happy where we are. Not only that, we are much closer to the city center. This marina is totally charming, with about 8 outdoor restaurants scattered around the perimeter. In the morning, our slip is in the shade of the nearby condos. That shade is gratefully received. It isn't all that hot by the thermometer, but the humidity is about 88%, which means that with any effort, you are dripping. With no electricity, we have no air conditioning, so we rigged up our canopy and are decently comfortable, especially with several showers per day.
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