PARROQUIA DE GUADALUPE

Although usually referred to as the Cathedral of Puerto Vallarta, La Parroquia de Guadalupe is a "parroquia" or parish, as it is not the seat of a Bishop.  No, I am not going crazy on churches.  One is just next to my home, but this one is probably the landmark of Puerto Vallarta.  Its tall spire with the crown can be seen all over the town.   So one day last week, my friend Nancy and I decided to take a little tour.  It is located just across the river off the Main Plaza.  Why it was stuck at the end of a tiny street and not on the plaza, or why the plaza wasn't built in front of it ? Well because it is Mexico !

The Virgin of Guadalupe is based on an apparition that appeared only before the lowly Indian peasant, Juan Diego.  She became the Patron Saint of Mexico.  How do you make a saint out of an apparition ?  You would have to ask the Catholic Church.  Supposedly this church was inspired by the famous Our Lady of Gudalupe in Mexico City.  The Festival of the Virgin occurs all over Mexico on the first twelve days of December.  The main procession starts along The Malecon near Woolworths (Yes, we do have a Woolworths with the same soda fountain lunch counter I remember as a child) and then proceeds to the church.  Actually the whole town participates with each school marching as well as many floats depicting the Virgin And Juan Diego. There are also native dancers in brilliant feathered costumes.  For twelve days the two streets by my home are impassable in the evening

The foundations were laid in 1903.  Later in 1917 it was decided to make it larger and the foundations were redone (not really usual for Mexico).  Construction began in earnest in the 20's but wars and other disputes stopped construction so it wasn't until the 40's that they started on the towers.  The famous crown of angels didn't go up until the mid 60's.  The crown was made of cast concrete, but an earthquake in 1995 destroyed it and a new metal one was designed.  I did the best I could to get a good photo of the twin towers plus the large one with the crown, but it is on this little side street.  The Main Square looks out across the bay through the also famous arches.  In the center is a gazebo (almost all plazas have a gazebo)  If you think you see Christmas decorations hanging there, you would be wrong.   They were left over from Independence day (always red, white and green).

The nave and altar piece are far more impressive than the simple one across the street from me.
Lots of carved (or plaster) statues and lots of gold leaf.  You may note the copy of the famous image of the Virgin brought to the Bishop by Juan Diego.  Because it was constructed over such a long period, each succeeding priest put their own stamp on it.  So some of it appears to be neoclassical, but the towers are more renaissance in style.  All in all it is quite beautiful.  Even a little side door has an ornate marble carved arch.

After our little tour, we walked a few blocks further down the Malecon to The Cheeky Monkey.
It is one of the oldest (and cheapest) watering holes along the Malecon.  Located on the second floor it has a wonderful view of the bay.  Two things I really liked are that they serve rolled up cold wash cloths (just like Japan) and the fact that beer and margaritas are only twelve pesos (less than one dollar).  It was a very pleasant charming day.  You should try it.


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HOSPITALS AND LIFE

Yes, I know, we were not going to discuss this again.  Well I changed my mind (I do that a lot)  You will not hear of my various medical problems, nor will I even tell you what the surgery was about.  I knew in July that I would have to return in September for surgery.

The date was set and I was delighted to find a very cheap airline ticket.  Then my doctor's nurse called to say that he could not do surgery that day, and would "October 7th work for me".  I was livid and told her it would not work for I had already booked my tickets.  A week or two later she emailed me again and said the surgery could be done on September 18th.  I could keep the arrival flight, but had to change the return flight (at a cost of $200.00).  I was still not pleased, but it did mean that I could have all the tests done in the U.S. saving me the cost of having them done here.

The first morning I was there, I went to the lab (they picked) and gave four tubes of blood for various tests.  Then I saw the surgeon (I did not like him then, and I still do not).  My regular doctor was out of town for the month and no longer does surgery.  He then sent me for more tests (an EKG, and a chest Xray).  Of course I passed all of them beautifully (so much for my smoking and drinking).  However, one week later the nurse called again to ask if I had the tests done.  I assured her that I had, but for some reason they had not forwarded the results.  She did finally get them.  No explanation of why it took a week.

I had lived in the Laguna Beach area since 1965 until I moved to Mexico.  I may have mentioned that most of my friends are dead (well, I am very old).  The few that are left could not  accommodate me. Either someone was in their guest room or their home was on the market.  I called my lawyer who had always said that I could stay in his guest house (I sold him the property 25 years ago).  He had a woman staying there (who was not paying rent) so he asked her to move out for a few days.  I felt bad about it but could not afford three weeks in a hotel.  I did go ahead and book a hotel just a few blocks from the hospital for the night before surgery and the night after.
I had to be there at 5:30 in the morning and planned to drive myself there.

I arrived on time and after checking in was taken to a temporary room where the anesthesiologist saw me (He had tried to reach me the night before, but called my phone in Mexico).  Then a nurse came in to insert an IV drip line in the back of my hand.  She made three attempts and could not hit a vein.  Now I have great veins, but I had been told not to even have a drink of water after midnight.  (Up until then, I had been drinking beer).  Another nurse came in and managed to place it in my right hand.  Once the anesthetic was inserted I went right to sleep.  The next thing I knew I was in a hospital room.  Once conscious, I demanded morphine.  It was a double room and the man next to me was checking out.  His entire family was there (and it was a large family) and they made a terrible racket getting him out of the room.  I had just settled back into a semi coma when the cleaning crew came in and made even more racket.  Then another man from emergency was rushed in.  Nurses all over the place and a panicky wife.  The noise went on constantly.  I don't know what they were doing to him but he was getting a lot more attention than I was.  It turned out he was in for a gall bladder operation.

I screamed and demanded something stronger than morphine.  I desperately wanted to go to sleep. The nurse gave me a hard time insisting that I was getting very strong pain medication.  I told her to call the doctor for it was not working.  The commotion next  door went on all day and night.  It was 11:00 at night before it was quiet enough for me to sleep (after a 7:00am surgery).  My doctor never did appear.  He sent an assistant.  I did not like him any better.  The following night he did show up to say that the "surgery went well" and sorry about the six stab wounds in my abdomen. For some reason they did not go in the side as planned.  I told him that I need a shower.

To my amazement, there was no shower in my bathroom (unlike my Mexican hospital room).  I asked the nurse and she said the doctor had to approve a shower.  I told her that he already had and she said she would "check on it".  Nothing happened so with my IV removed I got out of bed and went to the nurses station.  It was directly in front of my room which also contributed to the noise as the nurses were always laughing and talking (about the patients, I am sure).  I had constantly asked them to close the door.  The nurse informed me that the doctor had approved the shower, but I had to wait for someone to go with me.  I told her that I did not want someone "with me" in the shower.  Just give me a towel and I will find it myself.  Reluctantly, she did.

Once showered, I wanted out of there.  I had to wait for the doctor to release me and once he did, I dressed, gathered my stuff and went back to the nurses station.  They said I need to sign the release papers.  Fine, give them to me and I will sign what ever they are.  Once the paper work was done, I just walked out.  No wheel chair, and no one to meet me.  They were glad to get rid of me.  Now, I am sure you think that I must be a terrible patent, and maybe I am.  But I have had enough surgeries and been in enough hospitals to know that if you just lie there quietly and suffer, you will get nothing!   I told any one who would listen how much better, cleaner and nicer the hospitals were in Mexico  

Kathie was to pick me up, but she doesn't get it together in the mornings very well.  She said she could not make it until after noon.  I had my car in the parking lot, so I just drove myself to the hotel.    I did have someone pull my luggage out of the trunk and put it in my room.  I had left it there in the parking lot at the hospital.
                                                                        
Kathie finally arrived at the hotel several hours later, but by then, I had walked across the street to a shopping mall and gotten something to eat.  The next day I went to my lawyers guest house.  He and his "new" wife are from New York and they party until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning.  It was fine, I slept like a baby on pain killers and sleeping pills (which I was).  A week later I saw my doctor (for the last time)  He was amazed at how quickly I heal (every doctor I have ever had has said the same thing).  The "Wilsons" are built tough.    He told me no gym for at least three weeks.  We will see !  Then I flew home.  Richard met me at the airport in his new car and I had the "fish taco" man next door carry my bag up the stairs.  He refused a tip.

It was so wonderful to be back home and as luck would have it we had two cools days of rain.  But the sun came out and it has been hot ever since. (I do not care),  It was just good to be in my own place again. I had asked Filipe (my favorite bar tender and good friend) to water my plants while I was gone.  Alex normally does it, but he had just had surgery to repair a broken femur from a motorcycle accident.  I gave Filipe the same amount I gave Alex and he was very happy.  To my amazement, he had cleaned the entire house that morning.  (actually his girlfriend/wife did it).  He said he did not want me to come home after surgery and have to clean house.  See how nice people are here ?

So my life is back to normal (well normal for Mexico) and I intend to live it as much and as hard as I can.  My cocktail party will be in November, so I am busy planning and getting stuff for that.  I really do like my life better here and the hospitals are a Hell of a lot better (I just have to pay for them)


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