What swine flu???

To stay or to go? That was the question that exactly one year ago we suddenly faced as word spread that the Swine Flu had been discovered in Mexico and in fact, was creating a health emergency the likes of which we have not experienced in our lifetimes. As it turned out, word spread faster than the flu itself. But a year ago, it was a somewhat uncertain time, especially here.

Though not one case had been confirmed in Puerto Vallarta, or for that matter in the entire state of Jalisco, we had friends who immediately packed up, closed down their house for the season, and fled to the U.S. While there was not a sense of panic, there was also the realization that should the flu be as bad as feared, the medical system in Mexico would likely not be able to handle the crisis. But after a few initial stumbles, Mexico pulled through and actually served as a model for other countries that were about to face the flu. Though we didn’t leave (and are glad we didn’t), we did go to the store the first day and stocked up on food and supplies to get us through a couple of weeks. It was kind of like a flu party without the sick part.

Fast forward to this year, where the ravages of the flu have pretty much been forgotten. While a year ago, restaurants, bars, nightclubs were all closed, now, everything is back to normal. Tourism is up this year, though already the summer slide has begun a bit earlier than normal. You don’t need reservations, you can find parking spots, and it’s getting to the point that without all the visitors here, you see the same locals in town day after day. It really is a small town when you take away vacationers.

And the cool thing is … this so far has been the nicest time of the year after a very strange cool windy rainy winter. The light breezes are keeping the temperature tolerable, the humidity has yet to make its ugly return, and the skies have been clear. On top of that, the ocean, likely due to El Nino, never got cold this winter. It is now about 80 degrees and a great place to go if only for a quick afternoon swim.

So, we will hang for a while … likely putting off our four day drive back to California until mid to late June … squeezing a road trip next month into Guadalajara and San Miguel de Allende … then making a list of all the things we want to bring back here when we return next fall.

A year since the swine flu and uncertainty. Unneeded uncertainty because in the end, life in Mexico now is better than it ever has been.