April 3, 2009. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Van Ride.

The vans are always white and always have a sign posted on the front on the dashboard. While waiting for the bus by the Market, we see these white vans stopping to pick up and discharging passengers. These white vans are not part of the official bus system which are big and new, but seem to be privately owned and run. These vans arrive and depart frequently. We asked Victor, our shuttle driver and our source of all things important, what these vans were all about. He told us that anyone can ride for a fee, and the driver will stop anywhere you want him to stop, of course based on the town listed on the front. San Juan or Vallee were most often seen. Ken and I decided to take one of those white vans, to which ever van arrived first. That was how we visited San Juan yesterday. It was a most interesting ride.

We got on at the market, along with several others. I thought the van was full. Two school girls wearing school uniforms were sitting right in front of us chattering away to each other in Spanish and looking like all teen aged girls at home. One girl removed her school earrings and put on three inch bright ping hoops. Now I thought the van was full, but we stopped for two very overweight old ladies who got on the van and sat on two jump seats who had been pulled out by a young man. I did not dream these ladies would get into the van, yet alone sit down, but they did. The van is old and well worn and the bus stops a lot, so to make up speed, the driver speeds along between stops, then suddenly stops when signalled by passengers. It was quite a ride. Of course, no air conditioning. People use these vans to cover distances short and long. One man of about twenty five carrying a baby got on the van and then got off in five blocks. During that time, the people sitting on that row played with the baby the whole time. It was very sweet. Now, when the people get off, they reach their money in the open window of the passenger seat and give the driver the fare. Sometimes they know the fare and sometimes they ask, but every one did the same thing. They reach across the two people sitting in the front seat to give the money to the driver. Everyone was polite and everyone was quiet. I wondered if anyone ever failed to pay their fare? I guess if they did not pay, next time they could not ride. It is a great system, heading up the valley to these little towns and stopping all along the way. Of course, there are no official bus stop, you just signal the driver and he will stop. The driver stopped us right outside our door at the Playa Royale. It doesn't get much better than that.