Vallarta Blog

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.