Posted in 
We’ve been busy.
In the meantime, check out Puerto Vallarta’s Liveliest Websites new home: www.pvnn.com/vallarta
Y para spanish: www.pvnn.com/espanol/
Enjoy
New Sports Bar to Help Charity
| Benjamin and Adriana, former owners of Adriana’s Place on Olas Altas street are looking for investors for a brand new Sports Bar/Restaurant called “Gecko’s” on the Malecon. Take a look at the pictures we took, it looks very nice, has a great location (same block as McDonalds) and has two beautiful little balconies overlooking the malecon.
Benjamin tells us that they are planning to expand their sports bar and open a casino next door to give earnings to MamaVallarta (http://www.mamamexico.org/aMamaHome.html) a charity that feeds children and women in need here in Vallarta (306 Libramiento). |
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| We went to Mama Vallarta’s place and took a few pictures and even got to meet a woman who is said to be 102 years old! See for yourself… |
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| If you wish to invest into a Sports Bar and or support Mama Vallarta, please contact them at MamaVallarta@yahoo.com or pvmexico1@yahoo.com |
Excursions to El Tuito
April 10, 2010 | 
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Who would have thought that only 45 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta, there is a place with an altitude of 1000 meters called the Valley of the Gods which offers everything a Paradise can offer. You will find a tiny town called El Tuito with no more than 4,000 people living there in pure tranquility and peace. It’s almost as if you traveled a couple decades back in time, with the only difference that now they have electricity, telephone, internet, hospital and police. Only 10 minutes walk from el Tuito there is a unique and beautiful ranch called “Rancho Los Arrayanes”. The ranch uses solar electricity only and the water that is used for the facilities is pumped directly out of the ground, since the valley of the gods has a lot of water, a lot! There are three lakes at the ranch where you can do bass fishing, swim in the lake or pool, use a kayak, ride on a bicycle or enjoy this natural paradise. El Tuito has some delicious food products such as milk and cheese from local cows, fruits (mango, limes, avocado, oranges, guayabas and so many delicious things that wouldn’t fit in this paragraph anymore). Quien hubiese pensado que a solo 45 min. al sur de Puerto Vallarta a mil metros de altura, se encuentra un lugar llamado el Valle de los Dioses que ofrece todo lo que un paraíso puede ofrecer. Encontraras un pequeño pueblo llamado El Tuito con no más de 4,000 habitantes viviendo en pura tranquilidad y paz. Es casi como si regresaras unas cuantas décadas al pasado, con la única diferencia de que ahora hay electricidad, teléfono, internet, un hospital y policías. A solo 10 minutos caminando desde El Tuito hay un único y hermoso rancho llamado “Los Arrayanes”. El rancho usa únicamente energía solar y el agua se bombea directamente de la tierra ya que el Valle de los Dioses guarda muchísima agua a solo pocos metros de profundidad. El rancho cuenta con 3 lagos donde podrás pescar lobina, nadar en el lago o piscina, usar un kayak, montar bici o disfrutar este paraíso natural. El Tuito ofrece productos alimenticios deliciosos como leche y queso de vacas, frutas (mangos, limones, aguacates, naranjas, guayabas y muchas más delicias que ya no caben en este parágrafo).
And if this was not enough yet, there is a fairy-tale-like beach called “Mayto” just 50 minutes west of El Tuito. The most beautiful beaches of the entire bay: Como si no fuera suficiente, hay una playa como de cuento de hadas llamada “Mayto” a solo 50 minutos al oeste de El Tuito. Es una de las playas más bellas de toda la Bahía:
A solo 5 minutos al sur de Mayto, tendrás que probar los ostiones fresquisisisimos que pescan frente a ti en la pequeña bahía de Tehuamixtle. Estas fotos fueron tomadas en el invierno, cuando el clima estaba seco y fresco, debería estar mucho más verde en verano!
Reserve this tour now! Call cel.: Reserva el tour ya! Llama al cel.: |
Las Animas Beach
April 1, 2010 | Author
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Las Animas Bay is a Beach Club and Restaurant located only 15 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta at the beautiful beach of Las Animas.
“The Restaurant at Las Animas Bay is ready to please you with the most exquisite seafood plates to the exquisite taste of our brick-oven dishes; in here we have merged the best of both worlds!”
Their activities offer a Waterfall Trail Hike, Kayaking, Snorkeling, Sailing and even Scuba Diving! You will enjoy the Beach Club’s wonderful view of the Bay of Banderas and experience an excellent service accompanied by beautiful sunsets and paradise.
Las Animas Beach Club also offers memberships for Puerto Vallarta residents only, to encourage and support local customers with discounts up to 25%
Beautiful and Natural Jungle Paradise
Enjoy a relaxing massage!
You can visit their website at www.lasanimasbay.com |
Paradise Magazine – Reloaded!
December 10, 2009 | Author
Finaly! A dear friend, Carlos Juvera, has published his discontinued magazine again: Paradise Magazine. It is a free modern magazine about Mexican culture, cuisine, beaches, beauty, nature, art, history and so much more.
The independent magazine focuses on many things, places and stuff that you don’t find in many magazines circulating the Bay of Banderas. Even though it’s focused mainly on Puerto Vallarta and its surroundings, it is about Paradise in Mexico. The official website can be found at www.paradisemagazine.net and to read the full online version you can click here.
We wish him and his magazine the best and hope that it will stay around for a very long time.
Jardin del Tuito – Hotel & Boutique
If you have never been to El Tuito before, now you have more than one reason to go! In middle of this small town, located an hour south of Puerto Vallarta, you will find a jewel of hotel. Their new website just launched today at www.hotelboutiquevallarta.com and will show you every little aspect of this charming home with three original suites.
What´s so special about this hotel? Well… besides the great decoration, lovely hosts and artistic details, this hotel has indeed a little bit of France in Mexico. You will discover that every suite is unique and pays tribute to famous areas in France, such as The Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and Notre Dame. They offer a great swimming pool, garden and art. Relaxation is guaranteed!
See for yourself: www.hotelboutiquevallarta.com
Cabo Corrientes
December 10, 2009 | Author
Just a few minutes to the south of Puerto Vallarta you will find desert beaches, tiny villages and tons of untouched tropical nature. In the picture below you can see a panorama of Yelapa, a tiny fishing village.
Next picture shows Los Arcos, a popular snorkeling area with Puerto Vallarta in the background.
And the beautiful view of a tiny part of the Cabo Corrientes area.
People and Dog Lovers
July 6, 2009 | Author
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San Pancho es una miniatura de pueblo, casi casi uno puede pensar que es un pueblo fantasma. La plaza principal no tenía ni un alma presente. Poco después de llegar a la playa ya ví porque: Esta preciosa la playa de San Pancho. Nos fuimos al restaurante El Brujo, era muy bonito y calmado. Que mal que la ley mexicana prohíbe la venta de alcohol cuando hay elecciones (ni a los extranjeros les venden) lo cual es muy curioso ya que los días antes de la elección todo mundo compra toneladas de alcohol! Así que no es ilegal emborracharse hasta el gorro, mientras no intercambies dinero por alcohol. Ahora ya sabemos
San Pancho is a miniature town, you could almost think it’s abandoned. The main plaza had not one single soul near it. But shortly after arriving at the beach I could understand why: The beach is BEAUTIFUL. The few souls that are at the beach you could count on one hand. We sat at El Brujo restaurant, it was very nice and quiet. Too bad Mexican Law prohibits the sale of any alcoholic drink (even to foreigners) when there’s election day, which is kinda weird since everybody buys tons of alcohol the day before, so it’s not illegal to get really drunk but you can’t purchase this Good. Now we know |
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Birdwatching in Vallarta
June 28, 2009 | Author
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Una de las cosas de las que quizá no escuches mucho es el avistamiento de aves aqui en Puerto Vallarta. Hay algunos tours de avistamiento de aves donde podrás encontrar diferentes especies como: Garzas nocturnas, Avocetas, Tildíos, Martines pescadores, Chipes, Semilleritos, Carpinteros, Cuclillos, Orioles y muchos más. No hemos participado en uno de los tours de avistamiento de aves, pero en cuanto lo hagamos, postearemos un articulo con fotos y hasta entonces les mostramos las fotos que tomamos en una playa cerca de Bucerías.
One of the things you might not hear tooo much about is bird watching. There are several bird watching tours in Puerto Vallarta where you can find all kinds of bird species like: Herons, Egrets, Avocets, Sandpipers, Kingfishers, Rufous-capped Warbler, Orange-Breasted Bunting, Gray-Crowned Woodpecker, San Blas Jay, Rusty-Crowned Ground Sparrow, Russet-Crowned Motmot and many more. We haven’t participated in any of the tours, but will write an article about it when we do, so until then check out our pictures we took near Bucerías beach. |
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PV Disco/Nightclub: GLAM
June 27, 2009 | Author
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Hicimos una corta visita a una de las mas nuevas discotecas en Puerto Vallarta: GLAM. La discoteca Glam está ubicada en el sur del Malecon pasando Mandala, Hilo y el Bebotero. Las fotos fueron tomadas el Viernes a las 23:00 horas. Poco a poco estos lugares se están llenando.
We made a quick visit to one of the newest nightclubs in Puerto Vallarta: GLAM. Glam’s nightclub is located on the southern Malecon passing the Mandala, Hilo and Bebotero. These pictures were taken around 23:00 on Friday. Slowly but steady these places are being filled out. |
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Weather: Hurricane Andrés
June 23, 2009 | Author
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Esta foto fue tomada el dia de ayer el 22 de Junio a las 7:30 am. El clima ha estado muy nublado y finalmente ha comenzado a llover. Una tormenta tropical al sur de Bahia de Banderas podría convertirse en el huracán Andrés que se dirige hacia la parte sur de la Bahia. Todo el día de hoy ha estado extremadamente nublado, esperemos a ver como se mantiene el clima en las próximas 24 horas.
This picture was taken yesterday on the 22nd of June at 7:30 am. The weather has been very cloudy lately and the rain has finally begun. A tropical storm south of Banderas Bay could develop into the hurricane Andrés, heading towards the southern part of the Bay. This entire Tuesday has been extremely cloudy; we’ll see how the weather develops in the next 24 hours. |
2do Concierto Ecologico de Vallarta
June 18, 2009 | Author
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Aqui tenemos unas fotos del Segundo Concierto Ecologico de Vallarta, organizado por Vallarta Verde. Aunque llegamos un poco tarde, todavía pudimos tomar buenas fotos del ambiente. En caso de encontrar más fotos de día, actualizaremos este espacio.
Here are some pictures of the “Segundo Concierto Ecologico de Vallarta” (Second Ecological Concert of Vallarta) organized by Vallarta Verde (Green Vallarta). We did show up a bit late, but even at night we were still able to take some good shots of the ambient. If we find some day-light pictures, we will update this post. |
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Puerto Vallarta Nightlife
June 13, 2009 | Author
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We went to a few discos and places to show you how great Vallarta’s Nightlife actually is. You can see people partying every day but the weekends are the ones that show how lively Vallarta has become. Words like: Swine Flu, Nine Eleven, Hurricanes and Economic Crisis are far away from these Nightclubs.
Fuimos a ver algunas discotecas para mostrarles lo padre que es el ambiente nocturno en Vallarta. Podrán ver a la gente en la fiesta todos los días, pero especialmente los fines de semana son los que muestran lo vivo que se ha vuelto Vallarta. Palabras como: Influenza Porcina, Once de Septiembre, Huracanes y Crisis Económica son palabras que se encuentran lejos del ambiente fiestero de Vallarta. |
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Now is a great time to come down to PV and enjoy not only the nightlife but also the huge discounts many companies are offering. Vallarta Adventures has up to 30% Discounts on their tours this month, just use their promotional code “Jun30″.
Ahora es un muy buen tiempo para venir a visitar Puerto Vallarta y disfrutar de las fiestas o simplemente ahorrar muchísimo dinero al reservar con las companias que ahora están ofreciendo promociones increíbles. Vallarta Adventures está dando más del 30% en algunas actividades y más si eres local. |
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Here are two pics we have of Trisha Tompkins, as per request. For more pics of Trisha Tompkins, click here.
Aquí tenemos dos fotos de Trisha Tompkins, como nos pidieron. Para más fotos de Trisha Tompkins, haz clic aquí. |
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Remembering Hidalgo Park – Recordando Parque Hidalgo
March 24, 2009 | Author
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Los parques son esenciales para el bienestar de nuestra comunidad al igual que lo son las escuelas, agua limpia y hospitales. Deben de contar con mantenimiento, brindar seguridad, comodidad y mucha sombra, especialmente en el caliente y húmedo verano de Puerto Vallarta. Los parques públicos son para la gente. Mucha gente disfrutaba del Parque Hidalgo. Se podía ver diferentes tipos de gente conviviendo en el Parque Hidalgo. Algunos venían con sus hijos o amigos, compraban bebidas, comida o regalitos hechos a mano. Otros solo descansaban bajo la sombra fresca. Los turistas casi siempre estarían tomando fotos o buscando una sombrita para refrescarse. Hace unos años el parque no solo estaba lleno de personas, sino también lleno de vida. Muchísimas especies de aves vivían en los más de 113 arboles en el parque Hidalgo.
Parks are as essential to community health as are schools, clean water, and hospitals. They have to be maintained, secure, comfortable and provide shade and cover, especially in the hot and rainy summer in Puerto Vallarta. Public parks are for the public, the people. Parque Hidalgo was one of those parks that many people and children enjoyed. Back then you could see all different kinds of people meeting at Parque Hidalgo. Many came with kids and friends, bought drinks, food or handcrafted souvenirs or just sat in the shade for some rest. Tourists would always be taking pictures or having a cool rest in the shade. A Couple years ago the park was not only filled with people, it was filled with life. Many bird species lived in more than 113 trees at Hidalgo Park.
Los parques de Vallarta son símbolos muy importantes, al igual que lo son sus hermosas montañas en el centro histórico, o el tejado rojo, las calles empedradas, los mismos pescadores desde hace más de 20 años y la inigualable mezcla de culturas, arte y personas. Estos símbolos fundamentales son la razón porque el resto del mundo ama a Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta no es una ciudad planeada como lo es Cancún, ya que tiene más de 150 años de historia y ha crecido más rápido de lo imaginable. Muchas cosas en Vallarta tienen el riesgo de desaparecer algún día, como los parques que ya hace mucho tiempo los políticos los tenían en la mira. Compañías extranjeras (”Guarantee Investment”) han ofrecido construir estacionamientos privados en áreas públicas, precisamente las áreas donde estaban situados los parques.
Puerto Vallarta’s parks are part of the most important symbols in town, as are(were) the beautiful mountains in the historic center, the red Spanish-tile roofs, the cobblestone streets, the same fishermen for the past 20 years and the amazing mixture of cultures, art and people. These fundamental symbols in Vallarta are the reason why the rest of the world loves Puerto Vallarta. Vallarta isn’t a planned city like Cancun, it has over 150 years of history and it has grown faster than anyone could have ever imagined. Many important subjects in Vallarta feel threatened; the parks were always something that the local politicians had an eye on because of foreign investment interests (”Guarantee Investments”) at building a private parking lot on the free public space where the parks stood.
Esto dejó solo una opción para los ciudadanos: Protestar. Una vez a la semana, el grupo ecológico de Puerto Vallarta organizaba protestas pacificas donde atendían más de 100 personas caminando desde el Parque Hidalgo hasta la presidencia municipal. Que lastima que en ese tiempo no existía el grupo “Vallarta Verde”, un nuevo grupo de personas ecologistas que tuvieron su segundo Eco-Concierto con más de 15 grupos musicales y mucho entretenimiento para toda clase de gente.
This left only one thing to do for the citizens: To Protest. Once a week the ecological group of Puerto Vallarta would organize peaceful protests where hundreds of locals and friends would walk the ten blocks from Parque Hidalgo to the Presidency. Too bad there was no such thing as “Vallarta Verde”, another new group of environmentally motivated locals that had their second Ecological Concert with over 15 different music bands and a lot of entertainment for everybody.
Voluntarios y extranjeros ayudaban a crear los letreros en ingles. La gente pasaba, se paraba y dejaban salir su curiosidad preguntando de que se trataba todo el escenario. El grupo defensor colectó miles de firmas con nombres, emails y números telefónicos, pero nada de lo que hacían los Vallartenses sería suficiente.
Volunteers and foreigners helped to create signs in English. People would walk by, stop, let their curiosity play and ask what all the fuzz would be about. The defending group collected thousands of signatures with names, emails and even phone numbers, but nothing the locals did was ever going to be enough.
Los parques habían estado en peligro por muchos años. Tanto que el diputado González Villaseñor, antes de llegar a ser presidente municipal, firmó un documento que declaraba su apoyo de preservar los parques como el parque Hidalgo para evitar la modificación del espacio publico para fines privados. Lo chistoso es: En cuanto llegó a ser presidente municipal de Puerto Vallarta, permitió la destrucción de estos bellos parques y convirtió el área pública en área privada con mucho cemento, supuestos “arboles” y escaso de vida. La gente le llama a los supuestos arboles “Plantas de Adorno”.
The parks had been endangered for years. So much, that Gustavo González Villaseñor signed a paper before he became Mayor, which supported the idea of preserving parks like Parque Hidalgo and wouldn’t allow the modification of public space for private purposes. Funny thing is: As soon as he became the Mayor of Puerto Vallarta, he allowed the destruction of these beautiful parks and converted the public space into a private parking lot with a cement-heavy, no-tree-type design with no life. By the way people call the so called trees: “Decoration Plants”. New Park with underground parking lot: En la madrugada del 10 de Marzo se notificó a la prensa y a los ayudantes del Grupo Ecologista de Vallarta que ya venían en marcha las maquinas y trabajadores para la destrucción del parque Hidalgo.
In the early morning of the 10th of March the press and the ecological group of Vallarta were notified about the machines and workers that were approaching Hidalgo park for its destruction.
La buena y rápida organización del Grupo Ecologista de Vallarta permitió que en minutos la gente defensora del parque se reuniera para apoyar en una protesta pacífica. Una de las grandes desventajas que tuvo el grupo ecologista de Vallarta fue el horario extraño para una demolición “legitima” en el parque Hidalgo a las 4am de la madrugada.
The quick organization of the ecological group of Vallarta made it possible for the defenders of the park to unite quickly and to support the pacific protest. One big disadvantage for the defenders of the park was the surprisingly awkward hour for a “legitimate” destruction of the park at 4a.m. in the morning.
Niños, mujeres y ciudadanos de mayor edad eran los valientes que confrontarían las máquinas y a los oficiales de policía. La resistencia no duró lo debido pero no sería una gran sorpresa al ver el aspecto y manera intimidante de la policía y los trabajadores que probablemente no se hubieran comportado de tal manera si hubiese sido en las horas del día.
Children, women and older citizens would be the bravest and confront the machines and police officers. It didn’t last for too long and it’s no surprise when the police showed up with intimidating numbers of workers and an attitude that wouldn’t be acceptable in the hours of the day.
Este individuo en la imagen de abajo es uno de los policías en civil que agredió a uno de nuestros defensores (Nombre protegido) que estaba documentando la situación con su cámara de foto. Abuso de autoridad y provocación planeada de crear un ambiente de agresividad y falsos hechos deberían ser solo unos de los delitos por los cuales esta persona debería de ir a la cárcel. Cualquier información acerca de esta persona por favor enviarla a info@wexico.com o info@vallarta-verde.com
This person showed in the image below is one of the police officers in civil clothing who attacked one of our defender friends (Name protected) that was documenting the situation with his foto camera. Abuse of authority and planned provocation of creating an aggressive environment with false facts should be only a few of the reasons why this person should go to jail. Any information regarding this person please send it to info@wexico.com or info@vallarta-verde.com
La Sra. Rosa en la imagen de abajo es una senora de 80 anos y fue herida por la policia al subirla a la patrulla. Despues de casi 5 anos de lo sucedido la Sra. Rosa sigue vendiendo rosas en el malecón.
Mrs. Rosa in the image below is a woman of 80 years of age and was injured by the pólice when they threw her in the back of the pick up. After almost 5 years of these happenings she still sells roses on the malecon of Puerto Vallarta.
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Where to get affordable gift baskets?
November 12, 2008 | Author
Christmas is coming! Birthdays are coming! Family visits are coming!
A lot of events knocking on the door? We stumbled upon this beautiful gift basket website with incredible low prices so that you can choose and order your gift baskets in only a couple of minutes and be prepared for any upcoming events.
As if the great gift baskets and the low prices weren’t enough, there’s still a 30-day money back guarantee! If you’re not satisfied with your basket, just send it back!
The perfect gift for any occasions like Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Valentines, Weddings and so many more…
We found one category to be of special interest, since we have many friends that have a garden and love gardening, this category is called “Gifts That Grow” and has a variety of different seeds in a nice decorative growing pot including nutrients, soil and a decorative leak-resistant bag that is used for the growing pot. The price? Only $13.99
This service is only avaible in the US and Canada, but will hopefully soon deliver to Mexico aswell. So before you come down to Mexico, you can order some great gift baskets at their website at Giftbasketsforall.com and bring them down here! And in case you still have spare room in your luggage, bring us one too!! 
Go check out these affordable Gift Baskets at www.giftbasketsforall.com
Weekend Laugh
October 5, 2008 | Author
Barbecue?
As the coals from our barbecue burned down, our hosts passed out marshmallows and long roasting forks.
Just then, two fire trucks roared by, sirens blaring, lights flashing. They stopped at a house right down the block.
All twelve of us raced out of the back yard, down the street, where we found the owners of the blazing house standing by helplessly.
They glared at us with looks of disgust.
Suddenly, we realized why………we were all still holding our roasting forks with marshmallows on them…
Bikinigirl “No to Plundering Tourism!”
October 4, 2008 | Author
An activist dressed in bikini is taken away by security personnel as she holds up a banner saying “No to Plundering Tourism!” during the opening of a tourism exposition in which Mexican President Felipe Calderon was present in Mexico City, Monday Sept. 29, 2008. The activist protested against the alleged practice of destroying entire eco-systems in order to build major tourism resorts.(AP Photo/Greenpeace-Gustavo Graf)
2c: “Too late for PV, take a look at the mountains. There exists no definition for Illegal in Politics/Business”
This undated photo released by Marival Resort shows an aerial view the Marival Resort & Suites in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Marival is a sprawling 495-room Mediterranean themed resort on the hotel-lined beach in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, just north of the famous vacation city.
Mexicans remembering October 2, 1968
October 4, 2008 | Author
A protester blows marijuana smoke against the face of a police officer during a march to mark the 1968 Tlatelolco plaza ‘massacre’ in Mexico City, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008. Hundreds of student demonstrators were killed by men with guns and soldiers on October 2, 1968, ten days before the 1968 Summer Olympics celebrations in Mexico City. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)
Protesters carry posters with pictures of victims of the Tlatelolco massacre during a march to mark the 1968 Tlatelolco plaza “massacre”‘ in Mexico City, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008.
A protester sprays paint on the face of a police officer.
PV Streets In The News
September 4, 2008 | Author
It’s this time of the year again. It’s hot, wet n’ sticky all day long and you’re feeling the quality of many things, like our streets. There is no official connection between the increasing number in car accidents and street holes, but it suggests that there are too many dangerous holes in the streets that haven’t been fixed in a long time.
While people in charge are distracted figuring out new ways to attract tourism, money and of course wonderful Bikini Jams 
, Vallarta’s population that owns a car is driving slalom, throwing out money to repair damages caused by our streets.
But the number of holes is not the only one increasing. Local taxes are in the ways to be raised by up to 7 points. What exactly is being done with the extra money or how they ended up with the number seven is unknown. Only one thing is for sure:
“Our taxes are being used for anything else but to repair our streets.”
Ujena Jam 2008 Pictures
August 29, 2008 | Author
Ujena Jam, Thursday 28th of August, Collage Disco, Puerto Vallarta. Enjoy some of our pictures from the Collage Foam Party and get ready for the hot weekend because this beautiful event will be over September 1.
If you are in PV:
What is the answer on where to go tomorrow (Friday) at 10:00pm?
Mandala.
2 girls
TV fun
Going in the pool
Little break
Chic
Crew
Sexy
More foam!
Ambient
….ummm
Highest Low Season
August 29, 2008 | Author
…for Vallarta. There has been a lot of shootings, besides the Ujena Bikini Jam photo-shoot. Heavy weapons in la Cruz and a grenade made news a few days ago, today in the morning in Fluvial there was an incident with 3 different police entities, everybody armed with war guns but no shootings.
Several federal agents were driving all day long around main streets and night life areas, stopping and checking random vehicles. As bad and frightening as all of this may sound, it’s great to see something being done.
It’s time for Mexico to clean up, even if it’s just a little, anything is better than letting monsters take over the streets.
Let’s hope that next year Vallarta is going to be lower in crime and shootings, because this is not the free “what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico” Mexico anymore.
Ujena Bikini Jam 2008
August 24, 2008 | Author
For one week, beginning August 23, 2008, Puerto Vallarta Mexico will play host to the world’s largest live swimwear model and photographer search, the 24th Annual Ujena Jam.
More than 180 models and photographers will be competing from eight countries for more than $200,000 in cash, awards, gifts, scholarships and prizes in this event that has been appropriately dubbed the “Olympics” of swimwear competitions. Not only will they compete for magazine covers and lucrative modeling contracts, the models, photographers and guests will also participate in events that range from a 5k run and 50 meter swim, to golf and deep-sea fishing tournaments.
Many of the events are open to locals and non-models, and each of the event’s five days culminates in theme-related parties around the town. This year will also feature a contest within-a-contest for Mexico-resident models and photographers only. The winners of the Ujena TV Special Model and Photographer Contest will be featured in a one-hour televised special aired on Televisa and receive coverage in Maxim en Espanol magazine.
“This year’s event is the biggest Jam ever in terms impact on the Mexican marketplace,” said Bob Anderson, founder of the Ujena Swimwear Company and creator of the Ujena Jam. “We have an unprecedented 30 events and contests during the week, including a $20,000 Bisbee’s Offshore Ujena JAM fishing tournament and the 3rd Annual El Tigre Ujena JAM golf tournament. There will be more than 100 hours of video footage shot that will air to millions of viewers worldwide.”
The event will also be used to launch a new energy drink to the Mexico market. Verve, a healthy energy drink and product of the Arizona-based Vemma company, will be distributed free during the event as the networking company officially launches business in Mexico.
Ujena Jam week has become a late summer tradition in Puerto Vallarta, attracting hundreds of local visitors, media and industry executives. Editorial crews from Women’s Fitness magazine, Maxim en Espanol, Lifestyles Family Fitness and Ujena Magazine and local media will be covering the action and looking for new talent. The Ujena Jam Expo at the NH Krystal hotel and spa allows media and business sponsors to network and find new talent for models, spokespersons and photographers.
In addition to Bisbee, El Tigre and Verve, some of this year’s sponsors are Nikon, Pepsi, Corona, Gatorade, Action Event Pros, Tinbu, C1RCA skateboard company, BetCris, the NH Krystal’s nightclub Christine’s, the Crown Paradise hotel, Tequilas premium, RMX radio and the city of Puerto Vallarta.
“Welcome Ujena to Puerto Vallarta. You are at the most beautiful tourist destination. We are happy and proud to welcome the Ujena JAM with opened arms, let us pamper you with the warmth of the people in our city that will make you feel at home. Our main objective is that you have the best unforgettable moments and that you always come back.” said mayor of Puerto Vallarta, Lic. Francisco Javier Bravo Carbajal.
The Ujena Jam’s 3rd annual Party by the Sea takes place during the day on the busy streets of downtown and offers a chance for everyone in town to watch the photo shoots and participate in the fun and outside of Hilo Sunday August 24th starting at 4 pm.
Already the world’s largest live model and photographer talent search, the Ujena Jam’s emphasis on fitness contests puts it in a class of its own. While most events and competitions are provided for fun and entertainment, all competing models and photographers must participate in the 5k run, even if they walk.
More than 400 runners are expected to participate in this year’s 5k, which now attracts quality runners as well as fun runners. Its inclusion as a mandatory event is not surprising, given Anderson’s background. Prior to Ujena, at age 17, Anderson started Runner’s World magazine and built it into a $30 million dollar company that launched America’s love affair with running in the 1970s. The Ujena 5K is set for Saturday August 30 at 9am across from the Sheraton. $1000 in cash prizes will be awarded.
“With the race, a swim, an extreme hike, soccer tournament and even an acrobatics competition there is always something going on during the Ujena Jam week,” says Alberto Estarrano, Director of Ujena en Espanol. “The events are why this event continues to grow each year.”
Most all events welcome spectators. Many of the fitness and sporting events are open to local and non-model participants. A full schedule of events and times can be viewed at ujenajam.com. All competing models and photographers will be featured at UjenaTalent.com and full coverage of the event and awards will be at UjenaJam.com and Ujena.tv.
Ujena Bikini Jam Schedule
Puerto Vallarta International August 2008
Friday 22
3:00 PM Press Conference (Golden Crown Paradise)
4:00 PM Official Ribbon Cutting (Golden Crown Paradise)
Saturday 23
*Arrivals for nine night package*
FREE NIGHT
Sunday 24
7:30 AM Sunrise Photo Shoots
UjENA Talent Workshops
One hour each at the Crown Hotel
10:00 AM Getting the Most Out of the JAM (Keith McNulty and Martha Gonzales)
11:20 AM On Location Photography (Addison Fitzgerald and Catherine Cross)
1:00 PM Working With the Light (Keith McNulty)
4:00 PM Party by the Sea – Photo Shoots until Sunset (Hilo Downtown PV)
10:00 PM Media Martini Party (Ztai)
Monday 25
7:30 AM Sunrise Photo Shoots
UjENA Talent Workshops
One hour each at the Crown Hotel
10:00 AM Editing and Selecting Images for Print (Bob Anderson)
11:30 AM On Location Makeup and Styling for Print (Catherine Cross)
1:00 PM Editorial Style Photography (Ed Alexander)
4:00 PM Photo Shoots until Sunset
9:00 PM Carlos O’Brian’s Party
Tuesday 26
7:30 AM Sunrise Photo Shoots
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Ujena Bikini Expo and Casting Day #1
UjENA Talent Workshops
One hour each at the Crown Hotel
10:30 AM Getting the Most Out of Your Camera (Addison Fitzgerald)
11:30 AM Artistic Photography (Alejandro Zenker) (in Spanish)
1:00 PM Bikini Model Posing (Trisha Tompkins)
4:00 PM Photo Shoots until Sunset
9:00 PM Rio Latino Party
Wednesday 27
7:30 AM Sunrise Photo Shoots
*Arrivals for five night package*
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Ujena Bikini Expo and Casting Day #2
7:45 PM – 8:45 PM Required Model and Photographer Orientation (Expo)
8:00 PM Bisbee’s Off Shore Ujena Jam Captain’s Meeting (Hotel)
8:45 – 10:00 PM JAM Networking Party #1 (Expo)
10:00 PM – Official Jam Welcome Party at Hilo
Thursday 28
7:00 AM Bisbee’s Off Shore Ujena Jam Fishing Day #1
7:30 AM Sunrise Photo Shoots
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Ujena Bikini Expo and Casting Day 3
11:00 AM 50m Swim Competition
UjENA Talent Workshops
One hour each at the Bikini Expo
2:00 PM “Lights! Camera! Tracking!” Workshop presented by Holdon Log
4:00 PM Photo Shoots until Sunset
8:30 PM – 9:30 PM JAM Networking Party #2
10:00 PM C1RCA 3rd Annual Ujena Foam Party (Collage)
Friday 29
7:00 AM Bisbee’s Off Shore Ujena Jam Fishing Day #2
7:30 AM Sunrise Photo Shoots
1:00 PM Photos are due for Models, Photographers and Makeup Artists
2:00 PM Judged Photo Shoot at the Marina (All models and photographers are required to attend)
8:30 PM – 9:30 PM JAM Networking Party #3
10:00 PM Maxim en español Ujena Clubkini Party at Mandala
Saturday 30
8:00 AM Leave for Ujena 5K from Hotel
9:00 AM Ujena 5K Run/Walk (Required event)
10:15 AM Ujena Jam Acrobatics
10:45 AM C1RCA Skateboard Exhibition
12:30 PM Announcement: Top 20 Ujena Models, Top 10 Ujena Photographers Top 3 Ujena Makeup Artists
4:00 PM Ujena Finalists Shootout
10:00 PM Ujena Costume Party at Christine Club
Sunday 31
8:00 AM Photo Tour at El Tigre (Shoot with the Tigers)
8:30 AM Interviews Model/Photographer
9:00 AM 3rd Annual El Tigre Ujena Jam Golf Tournament
3:00 PM Rehearsal for Ujena top 20 models and Partners
8:00 PM 3rd Annual Ujena Jam Image Awards (40 Image Awards will be presented)
10:00 PM Final Night Party at Christine Club
Monday Sept 1
Departures all day
[BanderasNews]
Whatz Up in PV
August 13, 2008 | Author
1 out of 21 anti-addiction units for Vallarta
Each unit will have the cost of 1 million 613 thousand 329 pesos and 12 ½ centavos. There will be 2 in Guadalajara, Tonalá and Zapopan. Others are Colotlán, Lagos de Moreno, Tepatitlán de Morelos, Arandas, Ococtlán, Tamazula de Gordiano, Zapotlán El Grande, Puerto Vallarta, Mascota, Ameca, Tlaquepaque, Tlajomulco de Zuniga. This will improve the availability of these services with quality and opportunity.
Colonia 5 de Diciembre: Tortured, Killed, Burned
Yesterday 12th of August at 4:40 am, police found a male (25) body on fire at Privada Brasilia street near Libramiento. The body was thrown on to the street by unknown people who lit him up using some sort of gasoline to accelerate the burning process. The body had signs of torture and 2 bullet wounds in the head. There was no evidence of violence at the scene and no conclusions have been made so far.
Coming true: Nayarit will have its own Airport
For a long time Nayarit has been thinking about constructing an Airport to be able to bring more tourism up north of Vallarta and soon it will come true. There are many projects going on with the focus on better connectivity between Cities in Jalisco. Also planned is the construction of a highway from Guadalajara through Nayarit to Puerto Vallarta which will be of great benefit to many businesses and people.
25 gallons of diesel leaked in Marina Vallarta
The Navy, supported by the local Fire Department and Civil Protection, was forced to implement an operation in the morning of the 13th to prevent damage. The diesel was recovered at 9:30 am. Where the gasoline came from is unknown, but it is thought that it could have come from a construction site or the golfing area. The captain of the Marina said that this is not an uncommon problem here and other Marinas.
No work for people with AIDS
The organization Vallarta Contra el Sida (Vallarta against AIDS) is accusing various businesses in Vallarta of giving out jobs only to those who have no AIDS. They are pointing out that it is discriminative and a violation of human rights what is happening in the restaurant area. The AIDS test is required to obtain a job in many places because businesses are afraid and or misinformed about the risks and facts of AIDS. Vallarta Contra el Sida will start a campaign of orientation to help people that are affected in their rights as well as there will be classes for businesses to explain everything related to AIDS.
Clean Vs. Dirty Beaches
Boca de Tomatlan shows 1,800 enterococci but nothing to be worried about. The rain can be problematic sometimes; it comes with a lot of dirt and waste, which causes the measurements to vary significantly. Besides Boca, all other beaches are said to be good for recreational use.
Recycling in Vallarta, Jalisco
We’re just a few weeks away from a new law that will make it obligatory for everybody in Jalisco to separate the garbage. The mayor of Vallarta said that it is something that the people and culture, will have to learn to change. We know we have to and we’re going to work in that aspect.
Ujena Bikini Jam coming up
From the 22nd to the 31st of August, we will be seeing over 250 models, photographers, stylists and many more running around PV creating thousands of high quality photos, profiles and portfolios. Not to forget the amount of publicity Ujena Swimwear is getting from the Talent Shows. There will be Workshops to learn the most important aspects in photography, modelling and makeup, as well as parties, competitions and a lot of fun. Also: Prices with a value of $250,000 usd in cash, contracts & awards. Go to: the official Ujena Bikini Jam Puerto Vallarta 2008 website.
Photographic Competition ¡Vive Puerto Vallarta!
July 6, 2008 | Author
The project has 102 participants from Puerto Vallarta, Banderas Bay, Guadalajara, Nuevo Leon and Mexico City. The competition ¡Vive Puerto Vallarta! has shown success at the time of registration of over 280 art pieces that reflect the happenings of daily, touristic and cultural life.
You will be able to admire the exposition of these images next Monday 7th of July at 6pm at the inside of the municipal hall and will enjoy of a welcome cocktail for the inauguration and a little tour describing the different images.
The art pieces will stay in the municipal hall until the 20th of July and will hold the nomination of the winning picture Monday 14th. First price will be 10 thousand pesos, a painting of one of Vallarta’s icons, the artist Campero plus 2 thousand postcards with the winning image printed on them. Second place gets 6 thousand pesos and third place 4 thousand.
We’ll hope to be there, otherwise we’ll update on the winning pictures nothing. Good look!
What’s up in PV?
July 6, 2008 | Author
It is expected that this year Vallarta will have one million visitors until mid August 2008. It is definitively more than we had in the low season of 2007. One thing is for sure: There are more, much more cars and traffic than last year. Maybe it’s due to all the new Americans, Canadians, Nationals and other International visitors that have moved to Vallarta, adding not only a long-term multi cultural touch to it but also a demand for bigger, better, cheaper stores, houses, cars and services.
Puerto Vallarta is absolutely serious about growing. It has planed to spend over $80 million pesos (around $8 million usd) to finance development projects. Some of the approved projects are the “rescue of the historical center” for 8 million pesos and the “Pier in Boca de Tomatlan” for 2 million pesos.
Somehow, Vallarta seems to have managed to clean up its beaches that Greenpeace tagged back then as polluted. The Health Secretariat of the state of Jalisco said that the water was clean enough for recreational purposes in Vallarta but they added that the test results for the beach in Boca de Tomatlan were not in the recommended parameters by WHO (World Health Organization) standards, showing 504 enterococci in 100 milliliters of water. Six days later they did the tests again and it showed only 226 enterococci, so now the beach is officially clean.
They also said that if a beach reaches too much pollution, over the recommended parameters by the W.H.O. there “will” be a sign pointing out that the pollution of the water is high and that it is not recommended to swim in it. “If you don’t see a warning sign, it means the beaches are clean and good for recreational use,” they say. Let’s hope they don’t “forget” to put those signs up!
The truth is, that especially now in the rainy season, there is much more movement going on. There are more insects and more humidity and heat, allowing diseases to grow and procreate, which is why the levels in the water vary so much depending on the time of measurement. There is no record of any red tide in the Bay of Banderas, and there are just so many hotels and people in the high season, that it’s hard to believe that the water directly in front of Vallarta, is clean and good for “recreational use”. Let’s just hope we’ll never have to read “for excrementional use only” next time we go to the beach.
But let’s don’t worry too much, in fact there has never been so much attention regarding the pollution of our waters and if we believe what they tell us, it seems they will let us know of more health issues in the future. Besides Vallarta has been one of the top cities in Mexico for clean tap water and it is planed for someday in the future to have the water clean enough to drink.
Vallarta has also planed to check on food stands, restaurants and seafood places so that awareness is raised for more precautions handling food that can cause illness because of the increasing heat.
What else is new?
Well.. low season is slow season, but the grass keeps growing, so let’s check out what’s new in PV:
- 18 crocodile babies born at CUC university. Crocodiles can have between 15 and 70 babies! The name of the crocodile is “Morrita” and the biologists Helios and Pablo Hernández are very glad she had babies because it reflects the good care it got this year. They say that last year there were a few problems and it seems like it had to do with the food and the sand.
- 22 million pesos will be spent in Puerto Vallarta this year for security issues. Vallarta is getting ready for the real deal, a big city needs big security, especially in times like these, where the war on drugs seems to be affecting every corner in this country.
- Last Friday there was the inauguration of the ten cinema screens of the corporation MM Cinemas in the new Plaza Galerías. Now Vallarta has, like any other bigger city, at least three cinemas to cover popcorn demands.
- After the horrible incident that happened in a disco in Mexico City where many people lost their life, Puerto Vallarta confirmed that mostly all of its places are secure and have enough exit doors and competent personal to handle difficult situations. There has never really been a real emergency in Puerto Vallarta discos and we’ll hope it will never happen.
- Our neighbor state, Nayarit has its election day today. Who will govern this beautiful place up north of us? Will it be PAN, PRI, PRD, PT, PVE, PRS, NA or AS ?? You can keep track on elections on the official website ieen.org.mx
- Mario Bueno, director of the public work of the Ayuntamiento, admitted that there were many flaws in the repairs / construction of many streets before the rainy season in Vallarta. This is also due to the increase in traffic, which adds more usage to the fragile streets of Vallarta. Sad only that Ayuntamiento sees the problem when it’s too late and only there where there is extreme traffic. There are many streets that haven’t been dealt with for over 20 years! Those streets aren’t some forgotten old hidden paths far far away from Vallarta, they are actually right by Fluvial, the new fancy area of Puerto Vallarta. Not only do the streets damage the cars, they also get very flooded when it rains, causing more and more damage.
- Oil prices force American Airlines to eliminate 11 flights to Mexico. These are only 11 of 190 planed cancellations by American Airlines for the coming months.
- The creation of new artificial reefs in 20 different spots around the Banderas Bay will take place in a few weeks, by dropping concrete blocks into our ocean which will be a basic foundation for the reefs to grow. This will also help the reproduction of many species in the bay, and will also increase the fish industry.
- And at least, Vallarta receives 27 new teachers. Good that our administration sees the importance in educating our future fruits. There is a lot of money flowing around, every year repairing streets instead of making them better the first time, artificial reefs, events, security, and the endless need of more and more that it’s sad to say that most of the people do not have and never had access to good education due to the lack of qualified teachers and money.
- The first real rain showers are coming quick. We’ll see if the city actually did do something against the flooded streets here on Francisco Villa (Pancho Villa), but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the streets turn into lakes and seas all around Vallarta. Let’s see the bright side, where the rain cools us off from the unstoppable heat and where beer and ice cream taste so much better and colder.
Good sweat!
Ultima lluvia
June 5, 2008 | Author
Me has vuelto a visitar
queridisima y pura vida
las gotas que dejas brillar
gozan de tu despedida
Ya siento que te extraño
pero se que volveras el proximo año
y me purificaras con un refrescante baño
limpiando todo lo malo junto al daño
Yo te aprecio y te adoro
te agradesco y te respeto
porque me calmas cuando lloro
y sin ti me siento incompleto
De recuerdo estas fotos tomé
y junto a mi PC las colgaré
Te mando muchos saludos
y con paciencia te esperaré
aguantando los días picudos
te extrañaré
Puerto Vallarta is Culture – Fiestas de Mayo 08
April 29, 2008 | Author
The city of Vallarta has prepared a special program of cultural activities in honor to Puerto Vallarta and its people. This year we’ll be enjoying the Fiestas de May08.
México, Germany, France and Spain are the countries of origin of some of the artists who will perform at the international events throughout the month of may.
The fiestas will have something for everyone: Regional Mexican dance, Tahitian, Contemporary, Jazz, Afro, Flamenco and so much more.
The main event of Las Fiestas de May08 will be hold on the malecon arches, but there will be other public locations like the Pitillal plaza, Las Juntas and the Sport area “Augusting Flores Contreras” which will present the traditional Chinese Dance of the Lions on 30th of May.
32 events with over 250 artists will be held on Fiestas de May08 in Puerto Vallarta.
Event schedule:
1st – 20:00 – Inauguration at the malecon arches with the tropical rhythm of “Los Fumancheros”
2nd – 18:30 – Romantic Music by the “Festival de Estudiantes” (malecon arches)
2nd – 20:00 “Grupo Rey Nayar” Regional Dance in Plaza Pitillal
2nd – 21:00 – “Radiopatias” with musical humor, intelligence and sketches will bring everyone some good fun time. (malecon arches)
3rd – 19:00 “Grupo Rey Nayar” Regional Dance (in Las Juntas)
3rd – 19:00 – Romantic Music by the “Festival de Estudiantes” (malecon arches)
3rd – 20:15 – “La Quinto Danza” Contemporary Dance to welcome Jerome Murat on the malecon arches.
3rd – 21:00 – French “Jerome Murat”, best mime ever will perform his masterpiece “The white statue” on the malecon arches.
Jerome Murat
4th – 20:00 “Grupo Rey Nayar” Regional Dance (malecon arches)
4th – 21:00 – “Orquestra Chamaco” Jamaican music mix with reggae rhythms.
5th – 21:00 – “2 Play” Acrobatic Comedy representing the comeback of the living legend of Olympic gymnastic.
7th – - “Sherele” Hebrew music from Europe with an emotional and spiritual touch. (malecon arches)
15th – 20:30 – German Orchestra from the Chamber of Stuttgart directed by “Michael Hofstetter” in the hotel Krystal, room Jalisco. Enjoy Mozart, Bach and Mendelssohn for only $150 pesos / ticket. (This is the only event with cost, all the others will be free)
Michael Hofstetter
16th – 20:00 – Italian “Marco Carolei” will guarantee a lot of laughter with his professional clown techniques on the malecon arches.
Marco Carolei
18th – 20:00 – “Carsten Daerr Trio” also from Germany will be playing a Jazz concert
Carsten Daerr
30th – 21:00 – “Dance of the Lions”, traditional Chinese Dance followed by traditional Mexican fireworks.
The month of May has always been a very important month in Mexican history. “La Batalla de Puebla”, the Battle of Puebla is celebrated every year on the 5th of May.
History says that the Mexican army with only 4,500 poorly armed men had won the battle against the French army that had over 8,000 well-armed soldiers.
It was also the first time that the imperial troops of Napoleon III fell overdue demonstrating that they were not invincible. The celebration surpasses that of the Mexican Independence Day, something very logical if one notes that the bulk of Méxican Americans born in the United States, while not naturalized Mexican residents still celebrate the Mexican Independence Day.
It’s never too late.
April 27, 2008 | Author
Vallarta Blog wishes everyone a great weekend!
So don’t forget to..
… let your monkey out! (at least once in a while)
Happy Weekend!
CCMA Meeting – April 27 to April 30
April 26, 2008 | Author
For 45 years, CCMA (Comite de Compradores de Material Aeronautico) has been bringing together Latin American and Caribbean airline technical buyers and industry suppliers in a unique four-day event providing the opportunity for interaction and networking between suppliers and airline representatives.
Mini-meetings are the heart of the event, and feature a series of 10-minute one-to-one sessions between the airlines and the suppliers. In addition, CCMA provides networking opportunities such as family day, cocktail receptions, lunches and a gala dinner, amongst others.
Ideal for industry suppliers who want to create new business relationships with Latin American and Caribbean airlines, CCMA offers the opportunity to meet representatives from 40 airlines in one place. It’s also perfect for those who simply want to keep up with current clients.
This year the CCMA will take place April 27-30, 2008, in the beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Aeromexico is the host airline.
For more information visit:
CCMA Agenda (details)
Registration
Participating Airlines
Latin American & Caribbean Airlines Fleet
Family Day
Where?
Hotel Rates
Make a Reservation
Airline Tickets
Mini Meetings
Sponsorhip Opportunities
Aeromexico discount code: IT20RG05708
Vallarta Verde Fiesta Ecologico A Success
Vallarta Verde (Green Vallarta) Ecologico was a total success. The entire afternoon at Cuiza Restaurant Bar was filled with music, drinks and people from everywhere. Rastas, Hippies, Grandpas & Grandmas, everybody with some rhythm in their blood was present.
UPDATE
(Video Source: Vallarta Verde)
In case you missed it, we have some pictures especially for you and for our german friend Ajim and his drummer girlfriend that did an incredible job on stage, not to mention: for free and for the good of keeping Puerto Vallarta green. Everybody that performed today/tonight was outstanding and drew big happy smiles on everybody, not to mention the people who danced through every song.
La Cuiza is a neat hidden place on Rio Cuale but not too difficult to find and only one minute walk from the new Malecon Bridge that connects El Centro with Olas Altas. Just follow the stairs that go down right in the middle of the bridge towards Oscars and River’s Café.
To help support the Vallarta Verde Ecologists, you can buy t-shirts, hats, drinks at their events, so please don’t think twice about it, buy something, knowing you are supporting the ones that want to keep Vallarta as what it became famous for (The green fishing port) and not the gray, cement Acapulco 2 City.
In the news: Fieste Ecologica – VALLARTA VERDE
Barbara Sands
Puerto Vallarta - Vallarta Verde, a group of young and ardent ecology-minded activists has launched a new initiative to foster “green” thinking among Vallartenses.
Spearheading the new group’s efforts are Greta Fuentes, Tatiana Meneses, Carole Oury and Mercedes Sanchez among others. Joe “King” Carrasco of “Nuevo Wavo” musical fame, a transplanted Texan, is lending his group to bring Tex-Mex and reggae flavor to the day and promises to round up a bevy of local musical talents to keep the island moving to a green beat till evening.
The keynote theme of the day is information and ecological awareness. All it takes, sometimes, is a bit of chit-chat among friends and neighbors to uncover common concerns and to determine ways to address them.
Vallarta Verde aptly conveys the aims of the newly established group to build public interest in exploring all ways to preserve what very few green spaces we have remaining to us.
Major among these spaces is the eastern end of the Isla Rio Cuale whose development into yet another commercial corridor has been envisioned by the last two municipal administrations. The Isla is still a micro-nature preserve for iguanas, squirrels and an amazing numbers of birds.
But, more importantly, it’s a cool respite on a hot day; it’s a shady outdoor classroom for kids during the summer months and remains a small verdant microcosm in the Cuale. What an idea it would be to label those many varieties of trees; to have a plant and animal map. John Huston would find himself less lonely in his director’s chair.
The Isla effort will go hand-in-hand with public education through the press, in schools and in city-wide presentations to encourage ecologically sound waste management along with water and other natural resource conservation.
Development has moved so quickly in Vallarta that concrete bastions rise before our eyes without warning. Development certainly cannot be confused with progress and isn’t always the best answer for the municipality.
We can’t forget what put Vallarta on the map besides the torrid Taylor-Burton affair. It is its very Mexican-ness, its leisurely demeanor, its tile roofs and feeling of a city with proud roots, and those it has in abundance.
All those who have grown weary championing the preservation of our beautiful city’s native charms can only applaud these new faces picking up the challenge and bringing in new troops to carry on the battle to preserve our beautiful surroundings, our trees and the city’s heritage.
From the southbound bridge, Cuiza is located down the stairs and toward the ocean. From the Malecon, access is down the stairs and straight ahead to Cuiza on the right past Oscar’s and River Café.
For more information or to offer assistance, contact Greta Fuentes: zuckyinc(at)yahoo.com; Mercedes Sanchez: aisforartist1 (at) hotmail.com; Carole Oury: carolepvr(at)yahoo.com; Tatiana Meyeses: llomera(at)gmail.com or Barbara Sands: barbsands007(at)yahoo.com. Musicians or singers (dancers?) DJs or MCs who want to be part of the action can contact Joe King at joeking(at)joeking.com. Please! drummers need not apply.
Deutscher Tourismus in Puerto Vallarta
Aurelio Lopez Rocha, tourismus secretär von Jalisco, México meinte dass auch wenn es keine Garantie gibt dass es eine Verbindung zwischen Berlin und Guadalajara geben wird (was er auch in seiner Vorstellung in Deutschland erwähnt hatte), gibt es eine positive Initiative von der Firma die momentan die Genehmigungen der Regierung bearbeitet, da sie contact mit dem Secretariat fuer Tourismus aufgenommen hat und ihre volle Unterstützung bekommen wird.
„Es fehlen Flugzeuge. Schade dass es nicht genug Flugzeuge gibt, denn jeder ist am fliegen. Ganz besonders die Transcontinentalen Flugzeuge sind limitiert. Zuerst werden wir ein paar Sachen klären müssen, bevor man mehr sagen kann. Was ich sicher sagen kann, ist dass wir unser bestes tun um mehr Verbindungen zu schaffen.“
Er sagte auch dass es notwendig wäre ein treffen mit den Flug-Routen Coordinatoren über Puerto Vallarta’s Flughafen zu haben, so wie es in Guadalajara statt fand um Interessen und Ideen von Teilnehmern und der Tourismus Industrie auf den Tisch zu legen und Atraktivitäten schaffen damit die Flüge nichtnur ankommen aber auch bleiben.
ENG:
Efforts to bring German tourism to Vallarta
Aurelio Lopez Rocha, the secretary of tourism in Jalisco said that even if there is no guarantee that there will be a Berlin-Guadalajara connection (which he proposed and presented recently in Germany), there exists a positive initiative from the company that is processing permits for the government and has already established contact with the secretary of tourism in Mexico, which expressed its full support.
“There aren’t enough airplanes and especially transcontinental airplanes, since every airplane is being used to its full capacity. We have to solve a few issues before we can draw any specific dates, but what I can say for sure is that the effort on our part is there and will continue to try to increase connectivity.”
Now that the meeting of the committee for airport routes was realized in Guadalajara, the next step is to have the first meeting at the international airport “Gustavo Diaz Ordaz” in Puerto Vallarta to align the interests of all beneficiaries and the tourism industry. This is fundamental to get the incentives and create the attractions so that the flights do not only get here, but are also sustained.
ESP:
Se hará gran esfuerzo para traer el turismo alemán
El secretario de turismo de Jalisco, Aurelio López Rocha señaló que si bien no está garantizado que se realice una conexión vía aérea Berlín-Guadalajara (que se mencionó en su reciente presencia en la feria turística en Alemania), existe una positiva iniciativa de la empresa que ya tramita los permisos ante el gobierno teutón y ya estableció el contacto con la Secretaría de Turismo federal, la cual expresó su apoyo.
“También hay falta de aviones, por desgracia hoy el mundo está viajando y volando tanto que hacen falta aviones, principalmente los transcontinentales. Tenemos que despejar estas tres cosas, pero sin poder predecir una fecha en que se pueda concretar, lo que sí puedo decir es que el esfuerzo de nuestra parte va a ser continuo para incrementar la conectividad”.
Refirió que es necesario realizar la primera reunión del comité de rutas en el aeropuerto internacional “Gustavo Díaz Ordaz” de Puerto Vallarta, después de que ya se llevó a cabo la primera en la terminal de Guadalajara, a fin de alinear los intereses y visión de todos los beneficiarios y de toda la industria turística porque es fundamental para que tengamos los incentivos y crear los atractivos para que los vuelos no sólo lleguen, sino se sostengan.
Whale Watching is OVER!
In the above picture you can see three boats heading (at full speed) towards a couple of whales.
These pictures where taken on March 29. According to vallartawhales.com the season ends on March 24. The date changes, depending on the source, like on puertovallartatours.net it says the season is until March 31st.
No matter if the season is on or not, it is not ok for boats to turn towards whales, especially on full speed.
We were sitting on the beach and had noticed the whales before these boats showed up. It looked like two whales playing together and constantly jumping out of the water. Of course they disappeared as soon as the boats in the above picture sped towards them… pretty sad.
In the next picture you can see how close the 3 boats are from the whales. And then people ask themselves how it’s possible that every year there are accidents with whales.
This combined with some news talking about Vallarta being one of Mexico’s most polluted beaches.. is.. sad.
Please inform yourself well enough to know if you are participating in a real eco friendly tour/ride/adventure or if you are contributing to endangering our whales from being hit or maybe even never come back home to the Bay of Banderas.
Vallarta Fun Planner
1. Find some kids on the beach that look like they could need some fun
2. Choose a game, set the rules and show the prize (ie: 20 pesos)
3. Let them play and if you want PARTICIPATE!
4. Enjoy the beach, the sand, and the sunset.
Enjoy
Save Vallarta Adventure’s Logo
March 19, 2008 | Author
Something very unexpected has happened to Vallarta’s and probably Mexico’s biggest tour company: They are changing their image.
There is only one word that I have in mind when I saw their post on the new logo: WHY?
We have compared some thoughts and ideas that went through our minds when we saw the logo for the first time… take a look:
As you can see we played a bit around with their new logo… simply to make a point.
These are the words that pop up in our minds when we look at the…
…Old Logo:
Colorful, Wildlife, Nature, Ocean, Sunset, Friendly, Cool, Adventure, etc.
…New Logo:
Monotone, Health, Sports, Boring, Religion, Ugly A, ? between legs, etc.
What do you think about their new logo? Comments are welcome on our blog or on theirs… but since the comment option is OFF, just write them an email (newlogo@vallarta-adventurea.com) to let them know if you like the new or old logo.
Save the old logo!
Surfing and Yoga in Sayulita Mexico
March 6, 2008 | Author
One Big Wave of Yoga and Surfing! Vacation with Via Yoga April 18-24, 2008, in Sayulita Mexico
Via Yoga, the company that offers yoga and surfing vacations in Sayulita, Mexico, has a retreat April 18-24 geared at intermediate surfers. Ramp up your surfing skills this week with our highly trained surf instructors. You’ll surf the waves of Sayulita and also enjoy unbeatable surf on two daytrips where you’ll explore the hidden gems of the area.
According to SayulitaLife.com, “Surfers were some of the first foreigners to visit Sayulita in the late 1960’s where they found warm water and consistent waves all year-round. To this day, the Sayulita surfbreaks and waves have fulfilled the tropical surf dreams of beginner to advanced surfers from all over the world.”
Yoga teacher Matt Pesendian has been surfing for 30 years and practicing yoga for 17, so he knows how to prepare yoga students for time on the board. His two daily yoga sessions – one dynamic vinyasa and the other gentle Qigong (Chinese yoga), will strengthen your core for surfing.
Surf instructors are Kate Slater and Murilo Evangelista dos Santos, who live in Sayulita and teach surfing for many of Via Yoga’s vacation weeks. Kate has been vacationing in Sayulita since she was a child, and has lived in Sayulita for almost seven years. She learned to surf in California when she was nine, and since then has dedicated her life to travel and surf. Murilo grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil. For the last few years he has taught at a surf school in Brazil for developing surfers and tourists. He moved to Sayulita in 2007.
Trips range from $2495 and up, and include six nights accommodations in a deluxe villa (Villa Amor, www.villaamor.com), two yoga classes per day, daily breakfast, three group dinners, two daytrips, a massage, and roundtrip airport transfers. Airfare is not included.
Via Yoga offers a dozen yoga & surfing trips each year November through May.
Contact: Via Yoga, (800) 642-9025, info@viayoga.com
Art Exhibition, “Expression From Prison “
February 25, 2008 | Author
The municipality of Puerto Vallarta presents an exhibition of art work by the inmates of the penitentiary, CEINJURE Costa Norte, here in Jalisco; concentrated artistic creations by a group of people being detained for some of the most diverse causes.
Artwork as expression, what it means to overturn the imagination, bringing into play and converting the harsh environment of prison into a freer, more alive experience and opening up through art in order to relieve some of the loneliness which occurs in such a situation.
Among the many forms of art included you will find a wide variety of crafts, storytelling, poetry, paintings and tales of items which represent things ranging from magic to the limits of love and madness.
This exhibition is the means by which the interns at the CEINJURE Costa Norte, revolt against the gray existence in which they live and transform hard times into beauty and remain a part of society, with the intention of sharing and connecting themselves with the outside Community through art. A human force capable of opening your imagination and showing how creativity can help to overcome some of the toughest obstacles one might experience in life and how important artistic creation can be to holding onto hope.
The art exhibit will be held February 27 to March 6, in the main courtyard of the Presidencia Municipal.
Interesting links:
Prison Talk
Art Jail – Youth Study Center
Favorite TV show in prison: Prison Break
Expo Oaxaca in Puerto Vallarta
February 19, 2008 | Author
PRESENTATION GUELAGUETZA
Another Expo Oaxaca will be held in and around the Puerto Vallarta area this coming weekend, February 21st-23rd. With a large display of arts and crafts as well as clothing, food, sweets and jewelry, this will be a great event to enjoy and get to know more about the Oaxaca area and its culture. Sure to have some great food and be a colorful display, the expo promises a good time, and some great shopping for everyone who attends! The dates, locations and times are as follows:
21 IN PITILLAL 20:00 hrs.
22 THEATRE AQUILES SERDAN (LOS ARCOS) 20:00 hrs.
23 PLAZA HIDALGO 20:00 hrs.