Welcome back to the final part of my winter vacay in Puerto Vallarta. In the previous two parts I shared some of the fun and food in PV. In this part I will explain what went down on Sunday February 22nd, day six of my vacation.
The Gang War:
There seems to be much confusion for most of the world’s population about Mexico and their Cartel – there are Cartel and there are the CJNG (Cartel Jalisco New Gang) gangs who are a bunch of rogue ex-cops among an assortment of other undesirables whose mission is to take over territories and destroy and disrupt, and who think that they can somehow take over the famed Sinaloa Cartel. This is what the various wars across Mexico have contended with for years. The Cartel are not the problem in many parts of Mexico, as much as the gang wars are. The original Cartel do their illegal thing, they also own properties, which are mostly used for money-laundering purposes, and they mind their own illegal business with zero reasons to come out in public and stir up unnecessary shit. They’re like the Mafia, except in Mexico. Mafia don’t approach innocent people, they do their own thing and take care of their own problems, not harassing the average citizen in the streets. These new gangs have to prove themselves as powerful thugs as they try and take out real Cartel for power, and sadly, whoever is in their line of fire become a victim of carnage. The real Cartel aren’t looking for street action. They own hotels too and rely on the tourism; they want to keep their investments safe, and need their investment properties for money-laundering. I know they own plenty in Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta is known as one of the safest cities to visit.
An enlarged view from my hotel rooftop – smoke up in the mountains
What happened in February in PV didn’t begin in PV. There has been a price on the head of the CJNG leader, known as ‘El Mencho’, for decades. It just so happened that the Mexican police and Federales received intel on Sunday, February 22nd as to his whereabouts and he was shot and wounded and was being sent for medical assistance, but died enroute to hospital. This occurred in the city of Talpapa, Jalisco, about a five to six hour drive, east from Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. Only, when gang members heard their leader and son and six other members were killed, they rebelled in various areas of the state. We originally heard the backlash was in retaliation for the shooting of El Mencho, and also because the gang wanted the leader’s body back. In Puerto Vallarta, there were some members up in the mountains who began lighting fires in demand. Many cars in public parking lots were also set afire. It all happened so fast, and just as quickly, the Mexican police and Federales had Puerto Vallarta cordoned off pronto. All traffic ceased, roads blocked, hotels and condos locked down.
I took these pictures when we walked up the empty street the next day and saw these cars parked in the grocery plaza parking lot
Where was I?
It was about 8:30 am-ish on that Sunday morning, when we dashed up to the rooftop pool to secure our sun lounge chairs. We grabbed our pool towels and proceeded to where we liked to sit, when we were told we couldn’t stay at the pool, we must go back to our rooms or to the lobby. We went back to put our pool gear back in our room and I called Zahra to see where she was and if she knew what was going on. Of course she did! She’s Zahra who missed her calling as a reporter or cop, lol. She told us to come down to the lobby and briefly gave us the lowdown on the lockdown. I then went back to my balcony where I had a bird’s eyeview of the layout of the land. I saw quite a few fires burning up in the mountains. I’m quite used to seeing smoke come from the mountains every so often, so it wasn’t shocking. What was shocking was looking at the main drag below and seeing nobody, not a vehicle, not a siren, but the odd army truck or Federale vehicle and the odd police helicopter circling round. As I found out, the city was in lockdown and being patroled by the army, navy, local police and the Feds. It was surreal seeing the bustling city quiet as a churchmouse.
View from my balcony of the mountain fires and the ominously, quiet main drag below
A view from the rooftop pool as quite a few vacationers were also looking down at the carnage
I began checking the news, looking up Canadian media sites and Youtube to see if the world was aware of this incident, but nobody seemed to be talking yet about what was happening. I decided to contact our local CTV news channel here in Toronto. I sent an email with what was transpiring, along with some images – and then I totally forgot I’d sent the email and literally, never checked my email again until the next night where I discovered journalist, John Woodward, replied to my email asking if I’d do a live Zoom with him. I burst out laughing as I read the email much too late, and told Cheryl about the email. I replied with some more facts, and my opinion about how much the media was blowing up everything to epic proportions from what I’m seeing on both Canadian and American news. I told him the event was handled and over by 5pm the same day, so anything I had to report was late in the news cycle spin, but if he still wanted to Zoom or see my footage that I’d be happy to. I didn’t hear back from him.
I could have been a star! Below is some short balcony footage I took from my balcony after we were sent back from the pool – with my amateur commentary.
As soon as lockdown happened, the hotel took all the emergency exit doors by elevators off their hinges – just in case.
Yellow alert from red, lockdown over next afternoon, with nothing still open except the big grocery store across the street, and we could see the lineups blocks long just to get in. We were allowed out, but nothing opened until Tuesday, and it was full on business as usual everywhere then, but a ghost town on Monday – save for the busy grocery store. Sadly, Zahra and her hub were leaving Tuesday morning, so their last two days were spent locked out from doing anything. But their flight got out on time as scheduled. Cheryl was staying another two days and then I’d be moving over to Liz’s rented condo next door.
The Grand Venetian didn’t give me that same old comfortable vibe. First off, the outdoor pool tables with umbrellas and chairs were moved from ‘our’ section. This section offered breezes despite the sun’s rays because of its strategic location. Instead, management placed potted plants around the area and argued the tables would make it difficult for the gardeners to water them. So the few tables left are further down along poolside where the sun blazes from 11am onward with nary a breeze. I found myself sitting by myself on the cooler part while ‘the gang’ sat around two or three tables, gabbed and drank under an umbrella, daily. The forging of tables somehow forged a few groups of people together – expanding our circles. I began to feel excluded among my once familiar surroundings – save for my dear friends Brenda and Saul, and Liz. I’m very selective who and where I choose to spend my time with, so I didn’t feel comfortable auto-pulled into a cluster of people I didn’t prefer to hang around. I was also a bit peeved at two events planned with reservations with ‘the group’ for outings that I wasn’t even considered asking to attend. I don’t hold grudges and move on, but I also prefer to disappear and slither away silently if I’m not into the scene. That’s how I’ve always rolled. I also didn’t feel like the welcomed guest I did the previous year when I stayed at Liz’s, which was taking an internal toll on me to both, endure and keep my thoughts zipped. Without elaborating, I will state – this had nothing at all to do with Liz.
Something was definitely in the air with that blood moon, lunar eclipse, mercury retrograde, that hit the last week of my vacay. Each of these planetary happenings have a tendency to affect me. And this clusterbomb was a lot. Which brings me to the real energetic forces working against me, beginning on my long awaited massage day. It began early morning when I took the elevator down to lobby and walked to the spa in the next building – I got stuck in the elevator for ten minutes. No thanks to anyone’s help, I finally got out. After my massage, when I went to pay, my Visa card wouldn’t go through. It was my last few days in PV and I didn’t want to run out of Pesos, but I told the girl I’d bring down the cash. While I was upstairs I called my bank to see what the problem is and there apparently wasn’t any. After I went back down to pay the girl, I found out that other Canadians were having trouble with their Visa cards there as well. The same day, my email morphed into some weird configuration right before my eyes, nothing looked familiar, no current emails, only emails from 2022. It took me over an hour of Googling and Youtubing in search for some aid from whatever morphed onto my screen, to get it back to normal. Then to top it all off, I grazed my hand over a cactus plant and had to then pull out MANY needles. It was a day that kept on giving.
A few interesting images: Setting up for a beach wedding on the public beach in front of the Grand Venetian pool (taken from my lounge chair)
A nightly view from the condo balcony – firework clip (pay no attention to the background chatter)
I felt the time had come to move on, the universe was showing and telling me. But it was all good, although the fun part of my trip was with my homies. 🙂 I did go out for a few more meals, but not many. I went to one of our fav spots with Brenda and Saul – it’s kind of become our ritual to visit Bonito Kitchen. Nobody else appreciates the small little Asian fusion restaurant the three of us love.
A few pics with me, Brenda And Saul:
A few more images at Abulon with me, Kevin and Tina
And I also went back to Abulon with Tina, Laura, Kevin, Brenda and Saul. Liz didn’t come because her husband caught whatever seemed to be knocking someone we knew, down daily in that gang. It wasn’t until I caught the ‘not feeling so great today’ moment two days before I was coming home, I was next. Oh yes, It became a familiar feeling, perhaps a bit milder than the time I experienced Norovirus on a cruiseship. I was too sick to even look at my phone for the rest of the day or night. Keeping my eyes open made me dizzy. The next day I made a point to Google – What on earth is going around Puerto Vallarta making people sick for a day or two. The reply was Norovirus. Boom! Not exactly the best way to spend my last two days – in bed, but very grateful I was well enough to fly home.
It’s been quite a ride! I’m quite sure I’m ready to move on to new pastures next year. Time to let go of my comfort zone and make new memories somewhere else. Who knows where that will be!
Waiting for a cab to airport and my posse – Liz in the middle and Brenda sending me off
©DGKaye2026
DGKayewriter.com 