Description: The early nineties found me exchanging into KRYSTAL KIVC. I was really impressed with the location in Puerto Vallarta and the facilities offered. I especially liked the Ocean Front units with their wonderful view of sunsets, the old style Mexican tiles; fountains; pools and well kept grounds. In addition I was able to meet many new people and some of them became life long friends. I was still doing a lot of exchanging but around 1994 I purchased two weeks/year of prime red/1 Br. and started to plan a one or two week visit every year and inviting more of my friends to join me.

In 2001 I had a life threatening operation and that turned out to be the only year I have ever missed going to the KRYSTAL. As it turned out, I started to up my visits to a minimum of two weeks and last year and this year to four weeks. Since 2001 I have a much more appreciative value of life and the sunsets are more vivid. Another factor and the most important are the friendships I have established with all the people from Director to bellhop. This was not established by one or two visits but over the course of many years. These wonderful people keep the KRYSTAL going, are always open to suggestions to improve the top quality of the resort and have always made my stay a little better. I spend time, as you know,talking to all and for that a big THANK YOU !!
HURRICANE KENNA

Having "been there and done that" as far as all the activities both on and off the resort are concerned over the last seventeen years, my most memorable adventure was riding out the hurricane Kenna on 10/25/02.(Colettes' birthday) The night before, the KRYSTAL staff had sent out a notification that "Kenna" was approaching and gave directions for the guests to follow. This notice I later found out was one of the few that PTV. had as many people were caught unaware of this serious storm. At the time, a friend of mine and I were staying in unit 344 horse shoe ocean front, and at about 8:15 AM the wind and waves started to build. The wind was coming from the south and creating waves that were merging with waves coming from the west, creating even larger waves hitting the beach at KRYSTAL. There was still the old wooden window frames and the windows/frames were beginning to buckle so we closed the drapes on the south corner or the room and piled furniture against the window. As the winds picked up I started to take pictures from the balcony and I watched as we went from 50 feet from the ocean to 200 feet out in it. The whole bottom floor was full of sand and water and we watched the furniture float away. About that time we thought that it might be a good idea to go to the lobby as the wind started to slack off, so off we started. There was a river of sand and water racing through the 1st floor and we came down the back stairs and waded to higher ground by the Acquaducto. Once in the Lobby, which was full of people bussed in from other resorts, we found that there was no longer any water left so we decided to return to the unit where there was plenty of drinking water. This was about 10:20 AM and the "eye" of the storm was over us so we made it back without incident. My that "water" tasted good ! Took some more pictures and by 1:30 PM the hurricane was passed and we went outside to view the damage. Chairs were in the pool,even saw some fish swimming around. Windows were out,furniture on the beach,sand and palm fronds everywhere. All through the storm security did a great job and utilities were back on line in no time. Food was provided for a couple of days and in fact a wedding was held at the main pool two nights later. I know you must have many pictures of this event both for and after. I just looked at my pictures, that was quite an adventure.

Laurence Close