A few weeks ago, I traveled to Puerto Vallarta in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, for a site visit in planning the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality's (SSSS - or quad S for the unitiated) Annual Conference. Having never been to Mexico other than to the border towns of Juarez and Matamoros, I was excited for the new experience, particularly in a city that has a strong reputation for being gay-friendly, having large numbers of hotels, restaurants, and bars that cater to gays, and plenty of beautiful beaches for soaking up sun and margaritas. Oh yeah, and to spend some time working with my colleagues to create an unforgettable program for this year's conference.
I love the feeling, especially when flying from a cooler clime to a warmer one, of stepping off the plane and feeling the heat in the jet bridge, and when deplaning my Alaskan Airline flight from San Francisco I was not disappointed by the feeling of moist warmth that provided a hint at how hot it would feel to step out of the airport into tropical heat of Puerto Vallarta. I quickly made my way through immigration and customs, stopping to have my temperature taken by some type of thermal camera (ensuring that I didn't have swine flu) and proceeded into a hallway of uniformed people asking me to step up to the counter. I had been warned about the timeshare sales but had not realized what I had stepped into until it was too late. After listening to a short spiel (and getting some useful information about the city), I turned down the opportunity to take a look at a condo and made my way out beyond security into the airport.
When I travel to other countries, I prefer to wait until I arrive to get local currency out of an ATM rather than visiting a currency exchange counter at a U.S. airport, where the exchange rates are usually higher, or from my home bank, because I'm just lazy. I had also been told that I would fare better by paying in Pesos rather than using U.S. Dollars during my stay in Mexico. Of course, I didn't realize until later that 1000 Pesos wasn't going to last me very long (approximately $76 at the time of my visit - taking 1000 anything out of an ATM feels weird at first), but I quickly realized this after my 120 Peso ride to the hotel/resort - not that bad in my opinion.
The conference is taking place in the Regina Westin Resort in the Marina District of Puerto Vallarta. Having been built during the mid-twentieth century, it has the traditional Mexican mid-century modern aesthetic of brighly painted stucco walls, geographic shapes, and tons of outdoor space. With numerous pools, beach access, a variety of restaurants and bars, and a fitness center and spa (I got a fabulous massage to help me relax after all the conference planning work), I'm sure that all of you planning to attend will find plenty to do without ever leaving the resort. Please don't do that!
A 15-20 minute cab ride to the Old Town or the Zona Romantica will cost you about 100 Pesos or approximately $7; with four or five in a cab, it's well worth the dollar or two per person to make the trip. I was particularly interested in the Zona Romantica where the majority of gay bars, restaurants, hotels, and beaches are located and made several trips during the site visit (I had to make sure that there were plenty of fun things to do while y'all are there for the conference!). Be sure to check out the Blue Chairs on the beach (or the green ones or the rainbow ones) where all of the gay tourists, mostly Americans, spend the days nursing hangovers with a little "hair of the dog" and admiring all the "natural" beauty. At night, there are martini bars, dance clubs, edgier bars for the leather/bear oriented, and a number of other places to get a drink and meet a new friend or two. Of course, Puerto Vallarta, generally speaking, is a tourist destination, so you'll have to spend a few extra days and travel to Guadalaraja to get a greater dose of culture and art. However, you won't be disappointed if you make the effort to wander a bit off the main roads and enjoy the architecture, cobbled streets, and hills of this beautiful city.
This being a sexuality conference, I think it is worth considering what it means to be a sexual tourist or to engage in sexual tourism. I'm not going to spend a great deal of space here discussing my thoughts on the issue, but it is something that I've considered. I'm not necessarily talking about paying for the services of a sex worker or even having sex with a local (although there is a good chance that any local you meet in PV might be a an American ex-pat). What about just having more sex or a greater variety of sexual experiences while visiting? Does leaving our homes and being in a place with a little anonymity provide us with a chance for some sexual exploration? What happens in Vallarta stays in Vallarta? Something interesting to ponder...
Oh yeah, I mustn't forget to mention the conference and the great program that I and the other members of the planning committee are putting together for you. Due to receiving some very strong abstracts, we're putting together a number of concurrent sessions that will be thought-provoking and interesting. In addition, we've assembled a fabulous group of plenary speakers who will share their work from across Latin and South American regions as well as the U.S. We also are planning some great social events to provide you the opportunity to catch up with your old friends and make some new ones.
As plans move forward, we'll be posting further information, including the preliminary program, on this site. So check back often, or better yet, sign up for our newsletter and receive updates. In the meantime, don't forget to get a passport or renew your old one (you need one for travel to Mexico, now), brush up on your Spanish, and start getting those presentations ready. See you on the beach! I'll be the one sitting under the umbrella in one of the blue chairs with a margarita in my hand.
