Moscow round 2

[Sculpto]

"A" arrived back in Moscow and we finally talked on the phone.  She didn't want to talk about Armenia.  I asked about it and her only response was.. "nothing good there" and then changed the subject.  I don't see a need to press her on it.

So, I think the next few weeks will be really interesting.  She has to get some work and she knows I am out of work and will not send her any money.  I am mostly interested to see how her mood is and if she returns to being communicative like she was before December.  There is life in her voice so that is a good sign. 

I also called some Russian travel agents here in the Bay Area to ask them about Russians visiting Mexico.  "A" and I were talking about Thailand, but, since I plan to live in Mexico at least part time in the not too distant future it occured to me it might be better to see her there instead of Thailand and see how she responds to the different places I am considering.  According to the agents I spoke with the lady should purchase her round trip plane tickets and show hotel reservation on paper and then the Mexican Embassy in Moscow will issue her the tourist visa with no hassles.  Has anyone tried this or have any experience with it?

[Kuna]

"A" arrived back in Moscow and we finally talked on the phone.  She didn't want to talk about Armenia.  I asked about it and her only response was.. "nothing good there" and then changed the subject.  I don't see a need to press her on it.
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So, I think the next few weeks will be really interesting.  She has to get some work and she knows I am out of work and will not send her any money.  I am mostly interested to see how her mood is and if she returns to being communicative like she was before December.  There is life in her voice so that is a good sign. 

I also called some Russian travel agents here in the Bay Area to ask them about Russians visiting Mexico.  "A" and I were talking about Thailand, but, since I plan to live in Mexico at least part time in the not too distant future it occurred to me it might be better to see her there instead of Thailand and see how she responds to the different places I am considering.  According to the agents I spoke with the lady should purchase her round trip plane tickets and show hotel reservation on paper and then the Mexican Embassy in Moscow will issue her the tourist visa with no hassles.  Has anyone tried this or have any experience with it?

She doesn't want to talk about Armenia??? 

You're kidding right? 

Nothing good there??? 

You accept that? 

You don't see a need to press her on it? 

Sculpto...  when men and women have relationships they usually move towards building a level of comfort where they can confide in each other.  As their confidence grows they share more about themselves including bad and/or difficult things.  That is when relationships mature and couples start to consider/talk about something more permanent - like marriage.

It's interesting that you think things will get interesting when "A" finds out you won't be sending her any money...  I would have thought her refusal to talk about parts of her life would have been more interesting to you.

Strangely enough, the thing that is interesting to me is that you're planning another liaison away from her hometown.  I thought the reason for avoiding her hometown was her father.  One assumes you and she would now be able to meet in her hometown now that he is dead.

My friend.. either you're a troll or you're trapped in the middle of a scam that you're VERY busy making excuses for.

As JollyRats would say, "Kick her to the curb, girlfriend".   

[Mir]

I am out of work and will not send her any money.

So you were sending her money?

[docetae]

"A" arrived back in Moscow and we finally talked on the phone.  She didn't want to talk about Armenia.  I asked about it and her only response was.. "nothing good there" and then changed the subject.  I don't see a need to press her on it.

So, I think the next few weeks will be really interesting.  She has to get some work and she knows I am out of work and will not send her any money.  I am mostly interested to see how her mood is and if she returns to being communicative like she was before December.  There is life in her voice so that is a good sign. 

If you start to look about sign and she is not direct with them, that means you are not a couple and there is no sign. Something I have learned and you will understand probably later is that (and it seems more cultural than for individual), women from FSU are not shy to express their feeling to the man they love.
If they don't express feelings, there is no love.

Your story is remembering mine and the one from Simoni. I was struggling to admit there was no love because the woman was always switching from warm feelings to cold shower... In fact, this is only a way to keep you at the distance she wants.... Even if this is difficult, breakup. it will be the best you can do.

I was with this woman during a little more than one year, traveling with her, meeting her. I met some of her friend but she was always secretive about her parents. It was ok to meet her sister but not her mother, etc..

If you are a couple, in my book, there is no taboo and you can talk about everything, openly and there should be explanation about everything because in our case, occurrence of misunderstandings is very high, our native languages are not the same.

When I met my wife, I understood I was totally wrong before and looking only for what I want to see. In a relation, there must be no innuendo about the foundation of the couple: reciprocal love.

[Gator]

I also called some Russian travel agents here in the Bay Area to ask them about Russians visiting Mexico....Has anyone tried this or have any experience with it?

My wife and I traveled frequently over the six years prior to marriage.   Of all countries, Mexico was the most difficult.  Australia was easier.

According to the agents I spoke with the lady should purchase her round trip plane tickets and show hotel reservation on paper and then the Mexican Embassy in Moscow will issue her the tourist visa with no hassles. 

The hassle is time.  Plan on two months and even then the visa will come at the last moment.  We attempted to do it in one month and failed, requiring that the flights be changed.

[Sculpto]

So you were sending her money?

Not much Mir.. I wanted to send more but she wouldn't accept it.

[Sculpto]

She doesn't want to talk about Armenia??? 

You're kidding right? 

Nothing good there??? 

You accept that? 

You don't see a need to press her on it? 

Sculpto...  when men and women have relationships they usually move towards building a level of comfort where they can confide in each other.  As their confidence grows they share more about themselves including bad and/or difficult things.  That is when relationships mature and couples start to consider/talk about something more permanent - like marriage.

It's interesting that you think things will get interesting when "A" finds out you won't be sending her any money...  I would have thought her refusal to talk about parts of her life would have been more interesting to you.

Strangely enough, the thing that is interesting to me is that you're planning another liaison away from her hometown.  I thought the reason for avoiding her hometown was her father.  One assumes you and she would now be able to meet in her hometown now that he is dead.

My friend.. either you're a troll or you're trapped in the middle of a scam that you're VERY busy making excuses for.

As JollyRats would say, "Kick her to the curb, girlfriend".   

Kuna, she just buried her Father.  The family she met with n Armenia are people she had never met before.  She was in a remote village with no internet etc.. Its not like she was there site seeing.  If all it does is bring up a raw and unpleasant memory what purpose does it serve to press her?

I know what you are saying about meeting her outside of Russia and not her hometown.  But, at this point I am sick of going to Russia.  Seeing how she deals with Mexico is going to tell me a lot more about her future ability to adapt than meeting her Mom will.  I can do that later, even before she comes here, assuming it gets that far.

I am interested to know what basis you have for saying I am caught in some kind of scam.  What could be her plan?  She wasn't looking to leave Russia and is not enthusastic about it now.  The small amount of money I have sent her was at my urging whe I knew she needed it but was too stubborn and proud to accept it.  Now, I know she needs money but I do not have it to send.  So, yes I think it will be interesting to see if she has a reaction or if she offers to send me money like she did when I told her I was laid off. 

[groovlstk]

I know what you are saying about meeting her outside of Russia and not her hometown.  But, at this point I am sick of going to Russia.  Seeing how she deals with Mexico is going to tell me a lot more about her future ability to adapt than meeting her Mom will.  I can do that later, even before she comes here, assuming it gets that far.

Sculpto, I realize you've built a house of cards and can't accept any reasoning since if you do it will all collapse, but this paragraph is absurd. Testing her to see how she'll "deal" with Mexico should be secondary to meeting her family and seeing how she treats those she truly loves.

[docetae]

Sculpto, it is not a kind of scam, it is an attitude toward life that will not change with time. So I will not try to make you change your mind, go to the end of this thing and you will realize at on time that your story and you were not different from the one of other people. It is hard to accept, I know but this is truth.

If you don't know what is a plane and someone bring you in one cloud and ask you to fly her, you will not know your position until you have crashed on the ground...It seems it will be the same for you. Your plan is good for travel to Mexico, I did the same to Bulgaria and stopped all mess after...

[Misha]

Seeing how she deals with Mexico is going to tell me a lot more about her future ability to adapt than meeting her Mom will. 

How long do you intend on staying with her in Mexico? IMHO, if you spend less than a month with her in Mexico, it will only tell you how good she is as a tourist, now what she will be like as a future wife.

I won't beat around the bush. Is she ashamed of bringing you to visit her mother? You are trying to rationalize why "you" don't want to go to Russia, but it is pretty clear what is the driving force in your relationship.

[ScottinCrimea]

Sculpto, My ex dealt with the US just fine. It wasn't where she was that was really the issue, but who she was.  I can see the scenario now.  You spend two weeks with her in Mexico, trying to expose her to the the worst possible conditions as a test to see if she can handle the life of subsistance living that you have laid out for yourself.

You really need to get to know the woman and who she really is, and that would be better done by spending time in her home town with her friends and family in her every day environment, not on some vacation or in a totally foreign environment like rural Mexico.

How much of her reluctance to have you visit Tomsk is related to her concerns regarding how her ex-boyfriend (the one who beat her up) would react to her bringing you there?

[Sculpto]

Sculpto, My ex dealt with the US just fine. It wasn't where she was that was really the issue, but who she was.  I can see the scenario now.  You spend two weeks with her in Mexico, trying to expose her to the the worst possible conditions as a test to see if she can handle the life of subsistance living that you have laid out for yourself. 

Not exactlt Scott.  But, I have friends there who are people I trust and who have known me longer than anyone.  I have called them my adopted family in previous posts.  Plus, backpacker travelling is dynamic and requires certain skills of adaptability.  I don't plan to take her to shanty towns or anything.. but.. just feel it will show me a lot.

You really need to get to know the woman and who she really is, and that would be better done by spending time in her home town with her friends and family in her every day environment, not on some vacation or in a totally foreign environment like rural Mexico.

I get that.  But I am also tired of travelling to the FSU.  I have made 4 trips in 4 years and during that time haven't done Mexico once.  The luster has worn off visiting the FSU for me. 

How much of her reluctance to have you visit Tomsk is related to her concerns regarding how her ex-boyfriend (the one who beat her up) would react to her bringing you there?

First, I do not know it was the x that beat her up.. I just supposed it was because of her sudden obsession, now past, about my potential to hit her.  (which I would never do)  So, I still really don't know what happened.  Beyond that there is nothing stopping me from going to Tomsk now except me.  I am invited.

[Sculpto]

How long do you intend on staying with her in Mexico? IMHO, if you spend less than a month with her in Mexico, it will only tell you how good she is as a tourist, now what she will be like as a future wife.

I won't beat around the bush. Is she ashamed of bringing you to visit her mother? You are trying to rationalize why "you" don't want to go to Russia, but it is pretty clear what is the driving force in your relationship.

It would be a two week trip I would guess.  I suppose I could take mroe time  since I am not working.. not sure what she could do.  Though, I am sure i can see what I need to see in two weeks. 

She wants me to meet her Mom.  I don't want to go to Russia because I am just tired of it.  I need some sun and warm water and I really miss my friends there. 

[Sculpto]

seeing how she treats those she truly loves.

Groov.. Without being in Tomsk I saw that she sacrificed everything to do all she could for her Father to ease his pain and make him comfortable in his last days and her "step family" during his illness.  I know she has earmarked the greater percentage of future earnings to support her family, Mother, sister and niece... I have seen her with her Moscow friends who she says she is a lot closer with than her friends in Tomsk.  She is admired and respected by them.  I don't disagree that seeing her in her native environment would be good, but, right now I feel like I have some needs that are starting to become more important and think I would be better off addressing those needs rather than dumping another pile of money travelling someplace that is not very interesting to me. 

[Misha]

She wants me to meet her Mom.  I don't want to go to Russia because I am just tired of it. 

  If you plan on marrying her, or think you will marry her one day, go meet her mother!

[Wienerin]

If you plan on marrying her, or think you will marry her one day, go meet her mother!

Again  - save you breath. I keep forgetting all the time how old Sculpto really is - and keep slipping into the same mode as with my sons and their hippy "family" of some 20 yers ago - when they were in their teens or early 20s 

It's useless... The parents are "adults", figures of authority, and so scary and hostile, better to avoid them if at all possible. You may laugh but I vividly remember as two of my friends and I, all young mothers (I - of two already) of about 24-27 were calling yet another friend and asking "Is your Mam gone already, can we come?"

So no use telling Sculpto he should at least once visit her home, get acquainted with her family and other near and dear... and if this is impossible for some reason, - try do take her to the US, to let her see what her life is supposed to be... not drag her backpacking to a wild country with unknown language, customs, etc.

I've also tried already to tell Sculpto to bone up on the logistics of K1, adjustment of status, regulations for permanent residents, etc. - that it simply wouldn't be possible for her for some years to go gallivanting to Mexico every time Sculpto feels the urge.

And let's not forget about "tourist's runs", too  (not a laughing matter, BTW)

[Misha]

Again  - save you breath. I keep forgetting all the time how old Sculpto really is

You are right. Sculpto is the eternal Peter Pan and his Neverland is Mexico 

Puer Aeternus is Latin for eternal boy, used in mythology to designate a child-god who is forever young; psychologically it refers to an older man whose emotional life has remained at an adolescent level, usually coupled with too great a dependence on the mother. The puer typically leads a provisional life, due to the fear of being caught in a situation from which it might not be possible to escape. He covets independence and freedom, chafes at boundaries and limits, and tends to find any restriction intolerable.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puer_Aeternus

[Gator]

Sculpto, the things you have said in other threads about her lack of affection and now about not meeting her family make me wonder.  Nevertheless, I am in the minortity and think it is acceptable (but not preferable) to take her to Mexico. 

I have been to Zihuatenejo before there was Ixtapa, and Isla Mujeres before there was Cancun.  I imagine that you know similar places.  Take your woman there and immerse her in the basic Mexican life with no frills.  Tell her what you feel about the place, explaining that you find it spritual and comfortable.  Add that the two of you may be spending your first few years there.  Her reaction should be interesting.

If the two of you are still talking after Mexico, then demand to meet her family in her home city.

[Sculpto]

Gator gets it. 

Look, I have been in Russia with her two times.  She has had all the advantages in both those situations. 

I certainly want ot meet her Mother and understand the need for it.  But, here is the reality...

if I apply for K1 sooner than later the best case scenario is she will interview in November or December.  By that time the holidays are upon us and I will want her to spend it with her family and then she will have exams at the end of January and into February.  So, reality is the soonest she will be here is at the end of next Feb or early March. 

That gives me TONS of time to make two trips if I can manage it financially which shouldn't be a problem unless I get really lazy or hit by a car or something of that nature.

I know she is not enthusasitc about living in the USA and is enthusastic about living in Mexico.  I have shown her some web sites and of course my photo album so she has at least a small idea about what things look like.  I have also described the artistic and socio/political landscape in Chiapas and Oaxaca, two states in rebellion, and she is fascinated by that.  But.. as Possum pointed out in a PM, the drug war, shanty towns, and primitive conditions in certain parts of Mexico may not be to the liking of an RW.  Besides those concerns.. I need to see how she functions in an unknown environment where she is the one with language difficulties, where she has no support system except for me and where everything is strange to her.  If she shuts down, well then I have my answer.. but if she embraces what is in reality a fascinating and exciting place and lifestyle than I also have the positive answer I am looking for.  Plus, if it really sucks I can always stick her on a plane back to Russia and still have a good time in Mexico. 

If my next trip to see her is to Tomsk I can tell you exactly how it will be right now.

I will be greeted in her family home with all the expected Russian hospitality.  I will be doted over by Mother, Sister and at least a few friends.  I will ask to go see hot springs and it will be agreed to, but, at the last minute the excuse will be given that only the drunks go there and it is dirty.  If I want to see wooden houses I will end up going alone.  If I want to go for a walk in the birch forest I will be told nothing there but insects.  But, inside her family home I will be given every attention and comfort known to Russian women. 

YAWN

I have heard her talking to her Mom on the phone.  I know they are close and her Mom is constantly advising her about how to take care of me.  When I was sick there were constant phone calls and I understood enough to know they were talking about what treatment to give me.  I know she has great respect for her Mom.  I also know her Mom is pushing her to behave properly with me.  I had her tell her Mom.. "A" is difficult but I love her anyway.  I heard her Mom laugh on the phone and "A" told me this is what she said.. "Yes, she is difficult but I love her too, thank you Eric" 

I can take her to Mexico this summer and determine at that point if there is good reason to go forward with her.  I can learn more on that turf in two weeks than I could in a year of visits to Russia.  here are a couple of links to the places I would be taking her.

Puerto Escondido Oaxaca.. this region is famous in surfing circles as the "Mexican Pipe" and is considered one of the top four surfing destinations in the world.  Long a laid back hangout for surfers and backpackers Puerto has matured into an excellent "off the beaten path" destination.  Excellent beaches, snorkeling, National Parks, hot springs, organic coffee and cacao plantations, indigenous communities, tortoise reserves, whale watching, shark diving and a multitude of other attractions abound.  Excellent boutique hotels and vacation rentals are available at a fraction of the cost at other more well known tourist areas yet services available in Puerto often exceed what is available elsewhere.  A large artistic expat population of Italians, French, Israelis, Americans keep the nightlife interesting as well as populate the lobbies of the bigger hotels and the small galleries full of art and music of international caliber.

Those are my words by the way.. not something from a tourist brochure..

http://www.puertoescondidoinfo.com/

San Cristobal de las Casas was my home for three years in the late 80's.  It is a small colonial city at about 8000 feet above sea level surrounded by mountains covered in rare "montane cloud forrest".  The region outside SCLC is populated by Mayan speaking indignous communities that live an agrarian lifestyle and have an active and ancient culture.  SCLC is often called the "Kathmandu of the Americas" because of the indigenous cultural diversity.  Previously obscure SCLC achieved international fame in 1994 when the Zapatista rebels appeared from the jungle demanding indegnous rights and the end to one party rule in Mexico.  The poetic leader of the Zapatistas, Sub Comandante Marcos, has inspired artists, writers, sociologists, anthropologists, journalists, hipsters and hangers on the world over.  SCLC is populated with an intense and large expat community from every corner of the globe.  The lifestyle in town is informed by organic foods, political and social action particularly on issues of human rights and culturally sensitive development projects, and a cafe pace more associated with Paris than Mexico.  In the evenings musicians stroll the streets, lovers make out in the park, the returaunts are full with locals and foreigners, concerts at the Opera house or the Casa de Cultura are standing room only, the nightclubs bring in famous acts from the capital, other LA countries and sometimes the US or Europe and the numerous galleries and coops support an art scene considerd second only to San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico. 

I chose this link because two of the three photos are from the street I used to live on.    The author does have the correct perspective about tourism.. but.. fortunately tourism in SCLC is limited to the two main drags.  It is very very easy to escape that.

http://www.josefschneider.com/?m=200802

The final segment is Palenque.  Palenque is on the opposite end of Chiapas from SCLC and is the best entry point to the jungle.  But, Palenque itself contains the Parque Nacional de Palenque.  The most famous of all the Mayan ruins.  Considered the "Athens" of the Maya, Palenque is truly and architectural and engineering masterpiece.  I have spent cumulatively over the years pretty close to a full year here camping inside the park and doing extensive study of architectural form, heiroglyphic writing, and certain natural phenomena in the jungle.  in 1986 the first time I visited Palenque village, about 8km from the Ruins, was a one mud road town with more horses than cars and a population of about 5000.  Today there are all kinds of hotels, camp sites and hostels, all kinds of resturuants catering to the tourists and backpackers and the entire region is being developed into a mega eco tourism paradise with a population of about 50,000.  There are more waterfalls than can be counted, easy to view wild animals like monkeys, giant green iguanas, tucans, fresh water manatee, giant crocodiles and even black panther.  Frankly I doubt I could live year round at Palenque, it is too humid and can be very very hot, but, I already have a small plot I bought from a guy that makes sheeps milk cheese just 1K from the entrance to the ruins which does have a view.  I love to visit Palenque in winter when the day time temp is usually right about 80F and it only rains at night. 

btw.. this blog I just found is excellent.. there are photos of Puerto, SCLC and a bunch of other spots along La Ruta Maya including some from Guatemala. 

http://sinfrijoles.dk/mexico/person/kenny/index.html

So, my point is.. this trip I am sort of planning.. is one of the most popular backpacking adventures in the world.  It would be the perfect introduction to the life I plan on living.  If "A" can not handle it.. there simply is no future with her no matter how good a girl she is or isn't and no matter how much she loves her Mother.  I have spent all this time and effort "wooing" her and she appears committed.  But, the fact of the matter is she knows me a lot less than I know her simply because there is a lot more of me to know.  She likes what she sees now, but, she might not like what she sees when she sees me in my element. 

Will she fire dance with me on the beach at night or will she be in the bar getting drunk?

[GoodOlBoy]

Will she fire dance with me on the beach at night or will she be in the bar getting drunk?

Sculpto, can I have your permission to run a poll here on RWD with the following questions:

1. Will "A" fire dance with Sculpto on the beach at night? 

2. Will "A" be in the bar getting drunk, leaving Sculpto to fire dance alone? 


GOB


(Just kidding Sculpto)

[Sculpto]

LOL GOB.. nooooo poll...

btw.. i actually prefer cooking food on a beach fire to fire dancing...

[Gator]

Wonderful!  I understand your attraction.   Not the same architectural richness of a Guanajuato (where I asked my RW to marry me), yet not overflowing with gringo.  My kind of tourism.

You should be able to make and export your art pieces from there, and live on less, a lot less.

If she is your soulmate, she will love it, and somehow find something fulfilling to do.  My wife is more Latin in soul than Russian, yet I could never talk her into living in a small city in Mexico.  Havana is her favorite city in the world, and she would consider going there if she could start a career in something rewarding.

Your woman is Armenian, so she has a somewhat Latin look, but much taller than the Mayan.  Just needs to learn some Spanish, which is easier to Russian speakers than English.  They already have the "r."

Good luck!

[Sculpto]

Yes Gator you are right about Guanaguato having a certain style.  But SCLC has its own charm in the simplicity of its colonial heritage.  At the time of conquest it was more of an outpost and not the highly prized rewards that were given to Spaniards in the central part of Mexico.  But, that is exactly what makes it awesome now because it had 500 years to evolve into its own unique place with very little influence from central Mexico.  Tradition is VERY strong and totally unique in all Mexico.

One of my favorite pastimes occurs every Friday night when people sell tamales from their front door.  Each barrio has its own style of tamal.. it is possible to taste over 50 different kinds.. no where else in Mexico is this tradition as serious or diverse.. the other thing I love is the proximity to the some of the most amazing nature in the world.  Plus.. the capital, Tuxtla Gutierez is less than two hours away.. has nearly a million people and all the modernity one could ask for.  NASCAR just completed their newest track in Mexico there, there are big malls, walmart, home depot etc.. and on top of all that.. Plan Panama has an enormous amount of development dollars earmarked for this region over the next 25 years.  There is definitely money to be made right there for a smart operator. 

There are all kinds of opportunities available for both import and export and the best as I mentioned in a previous post is developing a business that caters to the locals is by far the best bet.  The locals have expendable income and they love new and "exotic" things.  If "A" and I were to make a Russian Tea House we would simply make a fortune.  There is nothing like it now.  There are French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Vegan (run by a Danish woman) and even middle eastern cafes.. but nothing with a Russian flavor.  I remember several years ago when there was an exhibit at one of the museums of traditional dress from Poland and they brought in some Polish "Folkloric" musicians and dancers.  The exhibit was packed and every performance was standing room only.  The locals just ate it up.  The same would happen with a Russian Tea Room serving chai and Russian style pastries and blini.  I know an American guy in Puerto that makes 5k (gross) a day selling good coffee and pastries.. SCLC doesn't have that kind of volume potential but I can easily see doing half of that volume and being the BEST employer in town... 

and believe me.. with that kind of volume I will live very very well there.  Per capita income is still under 8K a year in Mexico and considerably less in Chiapas.  A nice house on the outskirts in a brand new "eco development" is under 100k.  A 3-500 year old colonial fixer upper with 6-8 bedrooms in the center of town can be had for about the same.  A do it yourself, my preference anyway, on one of the forested hills could be done for under 50k with all the modern conveniences.

"A" told me as a journalist she likes "problems".  Chiapas, if she got into it, has more than enough for a lifetime of work.  Between the Zapatistas, the "hand of death" paramilitaries, the drug runners, the illegal immigrants, offical governmental corruption, political intrigue and so on I can not see her getting bored.  Besides that, Mexicans have a fascination with Russia and if she were the only Russian there she would be a novelty in a big way and it would make her famous in a short time. 

I actually lean towards SCLC as opposed to coastal Oaxaca simply because there is a lot more to do.  The weather at the beach is not condusive to doing much of anything during the day and most people spend the day resting.  Work gets done in the very early morning or after the sun goes down.  It is just too hot otherwise.  I think I might get lazy if I lived there and there is not nearly as much for my journalist to do.

[SANDRO43]

Puerto Escondido Oaxaca.. this region is famous in surfing circles as the "Mexican Pipe" and is considered one of the top four surfing destinations in the world.  Long a laid back hangout for surfers and backpackers Puerto has matured into an excellent "off the beaten path" destination.  Excellent beaches, snorkeling, National Parks, hot springs, organic coffee and cacao plantations, indigenous communities, tortoise reserves, whale watching, shark diving and a multitude of other attractions abound.  Excellent boutique hotels and vacation rentals are available at a fraction of the cost at other more well known tourist areas yet services available in Puerto often exceed what is available elsewhere.  A large artistic expat population of Italians, French, Israelis, Americans keep the nightlife interesting as well as populate the lobbies of the bigger hotels and the small galleries full of art and music of internati

The location of G. Salvatores's 1992 film of the same name (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105188/) - he won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for his 1991 Mediterraneo, a lovely comedy about a platoon of Royal Italian Army soldiers sent to occupy a small Greek island in 1940 - and who remain there forgotten by everybody, slowly going native until they are evacuated in 1943. An enjoyable movie .

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1ARc284gMU&feature=related[/youtube]

[Sculpto]

I was wondering if you would catch that Sandro.  My understanding is Puerto is exceptionally well known in Italy.  There are certaily enough Italian eateries and gelato places...

The Mexican film, "Y Tu Mama Tambien" was also filmed in the area.