Come to Mexico

OK, so the swine flu hasn't been the killer of the century as originally feared (or as originally portrayed in the media). Yet what the N1H1 flu has done is damn neared killed the tourist industry here in Puerto Vallarta. Empty streets, hotels, restaurants and night spots. Laid off workers desperate to find some way to make a living. It's so bad that this week while visiting Sayulita, instead of saying "No, Gracias," we actually bought things from the beach vendors trying to help them out (I love my new shark tooth necklace and hand painted book marks!).

Considering that other than a couple of isolated cases of the flu here, PV has been relatively immune from the virus, but very susceptible to the hype.Now comes word that it is officially OK for PV to come back to life.

This week, the Jalisco government decided it was safe enough to reopen everything ... theaters, clubs, bars ... everything ... no restrictions.

Today, as we believed it was all along, the U.S. has declared it is OK to come back to Puerto Vallarta and Mexico.

The Center for Disease Control in the U.S. issued the following statement, lifting its advisory to avoid travel to Mexico:

Updated: May 15, 2009
CDC’s Travel Health Warning recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico, in effect since April 27, 2009, has now been downgraded to a Travel Health Precaution for Mexico.
Current Situation
CDC has been monitoring the ongoing outbreak of novel H1N1 flu in Mexico and, with the assistance of the Mexican authorities, has obtained a more complete picture of the outbreak. There is evidence that the Mexican outbreak is slowing down in many cities though not all. In addition, the United States and other countries are now seeing increasing numbers of cases not associated with travel to Mexico. Finally, the risk of severe disease from novel H1N1 virus infection now appears to be less than originally thought.
CDC Recommendations
At this time, CDC has removed its recommendation that U.S. travelers avoid travel to Mexico.
CDC continues to recommend that travelers visiting Mexico take steps to protect themselves from getting novel H1N1 flu.

Last night, we went out to dinner and drove home along the Malecon. There were people out and about. The clubs were busy. And there is a feeling that this experiment in pandemic management may be over. As the swine flu disappears, we can only hope that the visitors and travelers reappear.

What Flu???

When my friend Bob Casey called a week ago last Friday and said he was considering canceling his upcoming trip to Puerto Vallarta because of the swine flu, I did not know what he was talking about. I had not seen the news that day.

Bob did not come to PV. Nor have thousands of others tourists. Nor has the swine flu. But unlike me on that first day that he called, we all know now what Bob was talking about.





Though there has not been one single case of swine flu in Puerto Vallarta, nor in the entire state of Jalisco, the impact has been significant. The day after Bob called we began to realize how serious the situation was, even here on the periphery. A visit to grocery stores found greeters at the door handing out anti-septic hand wipes and clerks wearing masks. The following day, Sunday, the government ordered schools, night clubs, bars, and theaters closed. There was a run on masks, hand cleaning gel, and flu medicine (you still can't find those items here). And the US Consulate told Americans living here to stock up with food and water for two weeks. We already had a lot of food on hand, but went to Sams & Costco anyway just to top things off. The stores were mobbed.

While we discussed leaving, we decided to stay and see how it played out here in PV. Remember, there were no cases here ... yet. And to protect PV, the Mexican the government dissuaded people from stricken areas, like Mexico City, from traveling here by closing down so many tourist attractions early on. So, we chose to remain close to home, cook our own dinners here, cocktails on the balcony watching the sunset each evening, not going to public spots except the beach ... kind of like camping ... but much more comfortable.

Though we stayed here, many others did not. One person who lives in our complex and had to be back to work Monday left last week, concerned that his flight Sunday may be cancelled. Another couple that we know who lives here from October to July cut short this year's stay. They closed up their house, and flew back to the U.S. And, while flights were sold out heading out of here, two groups of friends who just arrived over the weekend said they flew into PV on nearly empty planes. And, of course, dozens of ships that were to have docked here are now going elsewhere.

The result has created a tremendous hardship on local businesses. I took a walk Sunday morning along Los Muertos Beach which is lined with popular restaurants. I chatted with a waiter at the Blue Seas Restaurant where only one table had diners. He said it was the worst he had ever seen. Other restaurants didn't even bother to open. The same is true of hotels and resorts. Saturday night, we had dinner with friends who own the most luxurious and spectacular villa right on the beach in PV. They told us that in addition to cancellations for the next few weeks, people are actually considering cancelling Christmas and New Years trips here. For us, living in a place that is so beautiful, that has not had one case of the swine flu, we wonder why. But then, all we have to do is look at what is being said on TV, radio, and in newspapers in the U.S. It is a media frenzy.

Last Monday morning, I got calls from from both of the stations where I used to work, KXTV News 10 (ABC Sacramento) and KTVU Channel 2 (Fox San Francisco). Both asked if I would be able to do stories for them from Puerto Vallarta. I also got calls from KFBK Radio (Sacramento) and KGO-AM (San Francisco) requesting phone interviews. So, for the first few days last week, I was back into TV news mode, doing interviews, shooting video, editing and feeding reports back to the U.S. from PV. I’d like to think that the stories I did and that my former stations did cut through the hype and offered a balanced and accurate accounting of what was going on. Unlike some others, they are both recognized as very respectable news organization. If interested, here are links to two of those reports (after the page loads, see the video player on the right side of the screen):

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=58489

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=58578

While the mainstream media (such as KTVU and KXTV) did seem to handle the story with reserve, coverage from some cable news stations bordered on hysteria. As they played loose with the facts and depicted alarmist scenarios, the impact has been devastating. And for what?

Today, 11 days after this started, we are learning that perhaps it just wasn’t
as bad as the experts thought. Instead of 176 swine flu deaths in Mexico, tests now show there were only 25 (compared to 151 deaths in the same period from the regular seasonal flu). The situation has stabilized here to the point that following Tuesday’s Cinco de Mayo holiday, all businesses are being allowed to reopen. Hopefully the tourists and cruise ships will soon return. Still, the fallout from the flu may have a lingering impact here.

Last week, after my live interview on KFBK, afternoon anchor Kitty O’Neal forwarded me a message from a listener. She said she and her husband had planned to come down here this Wednesday. While her husband said “Let’s go,” she was leery. She asked my advice. I wrote back and gave her my observations of what was happening. The risks were that some of the tourist places and night clubs may not be available. The benefits being fantastic weather in a beautiful vacation town where there are very few people and some very good bargains. She wrote back today saying, “Thanks, we’re on our way.” Perhaps it’s an omen of better times to come. The flu never came to PV. Hopefully, the tourists will ... soon.