Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Playa de Cortez





I'm writing this post from the deck of our condo in Puerto Vallarta.  We bought it almost ten years ago and have never lived in it.  While we were cruising we had it rented out.  Lucky for us to just one renter who took good care of the place.

It took us seven travel days to get from Seattle to PV.  We land travel like we cruised.  Slow.

We came across some beautiful wood carvings from the early 1940's hanging in the bar at the Hotel Playa de Cortez in Guaymas. The hotel is old, about a hundred years, and a bit down on its luck.  But it's former splendor is still evident.

Playa de Cortez lobby



There are four carvings, each about five feet square, occupying prominent wall space in the bar.  Given the subject matter: Conquistadors and indigenous women getting to know each other, the bar was perhaps the only place they would have been appropriate back when they were new.

 Alan Riding in his book "Distant Neighbors" writes that these early contacts between the Spaniards and the indigenous people were and still are a bit of a touchy subject with Mexicans.  These women, mothers of the first Mestizos, were either rape victims or collaborators.















A bit racy for the times, but Hotel Playa de Cortez was a beach resort where the rich went for some fun.

4 comments:

  1. Hi! It's Karin,Joe and Jack here. We were at the Cortez bar with Mike and Doreen from St. Leger about 2 weeks ago. We have rented a place here in Jocotepec(west side of lake Chapala) until the end of January. Maybe we can catch up with you guys in PV or Lunch in Guadalajara!

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    Replies
    1. We would love to see you guys. Let us know where and when. We have an extra bedroom in the condo if you need to get off the boat.

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    2. We left the boat on the hard in Guaymas and we're renting a place just south of Guadalajara until the end of Jan. My e-mail is karinlovesjoe@gmail.com Probably will do a run to PV after the New Year. Would be fun to catch up!

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