From www.vallartainfo.com

Surrounded by pine covered mountains, Talpa de Allende, another silver mining town, founded by the Spanish in 1599, has a population of about 10,500 - including 9 gringos, is an important religious site in Mexico. There are 4 pilgrimages a year to see the Virgin "Rosario of Talpa", a small statue that is said to have healing powers, On these occasions the town's population triples.
Candlemass (Fiesta de la Candelaria, January 25 - February 2); Feast of Saint Joseph (Fiesta de San JosÈ, March 10 - 19); Anniversary of Crowning of the Virgin of Talpa (May 10 - 12); Anniversary of the Renovation of the Virgin of Talpa (September 10) and Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario, October 7)
At over 4,000 feet the climate is wonderful and the town, which is scrupulously clean, has several hotels and restaurants. I was also told that there is a 'geothermic steam bath house' in town. Many stores sell the famous Guava Roll and tiny articles, like sombreros and sandals made out of chewing gum. This is not sweet gum, it is derived from the Chitle tree which grows locally. Now you know where the word "Chiclets" come from

To read the entire story click here

Story and Photography by Bill Bell

When you visit Puerto Vallarta or the Riviera Nayarit, the thought of trekking through some ancient pre Hispanic archeological site is usually not on the agenda.  The well known sites such as Teotihuacan in Central Mexico or even Chichen Itza on the Yucatan Peninsula are hundreds if not thousands of kilometers away.

Still, for those travelers who  love the west coast of Mexico but still yearn to explore ancient sites, both  the states of Nayarit and Jalisco have much to offer. One of the finest examples is just outside the modest little town of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, 40 kilometers due West of Guadalajara.  There lies one of the most impressive archeological sites in all of western Mexico, Los Guachimontones.

Los Guachimontones (alternatively Huachimontones) is a prehispanic archaeological site built by a complex society that existed from as early as 300 BC until  900 AD.

Bribery in Mexico: A State-By-State Guide to Graft

T.W. - The Economist
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Mexico City - “I am confiscating your driving licence. You can collect it at the police station on Monday, but you will have to wait all day, maybe longer. Shall we settle the matter here?” Your correspondent is by no means the only person to have been approached for a bribe in Mexico (he declined). Households paid around 200m backhanders to companies and public officials last year, according to a report published in May (PDF) by the Mexican branch of Transparency International, an anti-corruption outfit, which we have plotted as a map (above). At 165 pesos ($14.10) per bribe, officials are charging 20% more for their corrupt services than they did in 2007.

The survey quizzed 15,000 homes on whether they had paid bribes in the course of completing 35 tasks, from installing a phone line (2% had) to running a street stall (23% had). Mexico is only averagely corrupt by Latin American standards. But corruption varied widely by state: if stopped by traffic police in Tamaulipas, nine times out of ten motorists were expected to cough up; in Quintana Roo, “only” a quarter of such stops result in palms being greased. Overall, the most corrupt places were Mexico City and the adjacent state of Mexico, whereas the cleanest was the peninsular state of Baja California Sur.

Not coincidentally, they are respectively the most- and least-densely populated parts of the country. Eduardo Bohórquez, head of Transparency’s Mexico office, reasons that in over-populated places there is excess demand for public services, which allows officials to auction off the scarce resources they manage. The poor are especially likely to be targeted for demands for bribes and acquiesce to them, he says.

It is not all bad news. Since Transparency’s first survey in 2001, it has become easier to access government aid programmes without having to pay people off, which Mr Bohórquez believes reflects a strengthening of the country’s democracy. The postal service and electricity market are cleaner, thanks to reforms in both sectors. Most federally-run programmes have been getting less corrupt. The mixed performance of the states has no obvious link to which party runs them.

But overall, things are little better than they were a decade ago. Traffic police, the worst offenders, have got even greedier. Hospitals are more open to speeding up appointments with a little financial encouragement; more school certificates are being bought than before. Justice is still for sale: nearly a quarter of those who had dealt with state prosecutors said they had paid to influence their case. Transparency reckons that the public paid some 32 billion pesos in bribes last year. As long as policemen and judges are for sale, the cost to society will run much deeper.

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Better Lives for Mexicans Cut Allure of Going North - Part 1

Damien Cave - nytimes.com
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A growing body of evidence suggests that changes in Mexico are just as, if not more important, than slowdowns or crackdowns in the United States. (photo: Tyler Hicks/The New York Times)

Agua Negra, Mexico — The extraordinary Mexican migration that delivered millions of illegal immigrants to the United States over the past 30 years has sputtered to a trickle, and research points to a surprising cause: unheralded changes in Mexico that have made staying home more attractive.

A growing body of evidence suggests that a mix of developments — expanding economic and educational opportunities, rising border crime and shrinking families — are suppressing illegal traffic as much as economic slowdowns or immigrant crackdowns in the United States.

Another look at new immigration laws

How the New Immigration Law Affects Mexico's Expats

Keph Senett - PV Pulse
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President Calderon signed the new Ley de Migración into law on May 24, 2011. The new law has bundles of changes affecting ex-pats that dwarf last May’s changes. (photo: presidencia.org.mx)

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - On May 24, 2011, in response to mounting concerns about the safety and welfare of migrants, President Felipe Calderon signed a new Migration Act (Ley de Migración) into law.

The document, which is designed to favor the human rights of migrants regardless of their nationality, affects all foreigners in Mexico including those from Canada and the United States. In consultation with Puerto Vallarta lawyer Claudia Cadena of Cadena and Associates, we help you understand what this means.

Click here to read the entire story

 

We all have our stories about getting ripped off at Pemex stations. When we take our Caravan down to La Peñita we always give the lesson on buying fuel. One person stay with the vehicle. One person be by the pump. Check that it is zeroed. If possible say the amount of fuel you want. Give exact change if you can, etc.
Two years ago we brought the caravan down and stopped south of Santa Ana at the Pemex station. Our coach has a huge fuel tank and we were near empty. We filled up and the amount was $6000 pesos. I counted out the money in the coach and went to pay. The attendant said I needed to come inside. I did. While I was counting the money to him 2 other attendants came in and created distractions. When I counted the money again I was missing the $1000 peso note I had. I pointed it out and (by this time the others left) he said no, there was no $1000 peso note. I could not argue so left. I crossed the Pemex off the list.

Click here to read more

PVNN Staff - PVNN
 

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - OXXO is a chain of franchise-based convenience stores in Mexico, with over 8,500 stores across Latin America and Columbia. It is the largest chain of this kind of store in Mexico. It is wholly owned by the beverage company FEMSA (Fomento Económico Mexicano), a company best known as brewers of Carta Blanca, Tecate and Indio beer. The store layouts follow a pattern similar to Japanese convenience stores such as 7-Eleven.

OXXO was founded in Monterrey, Mexico, in 1977, following a FEMSA marketing plan to use company-owned stores to promote and market the Cerveceria Cuauhtémoc beer brands. This distribution method bypassed the traditional Mexican network of local wholesalers (deposito de cerveza) selling beer via local supermarkets and small stores (tiendas and miscelaneas).
Click here to read the entire story

                                 © Tara A. Spears

Thirty seven young and talented chefs scurried about setting up a luscious buffet that consisted of each graduating student’s best culinary effort after completing the three year training program. Adriana Gallegos Garcia, right photo, confessed, “I’m so nervous!  What is no one likes my dishes?”  The annual culinary arts (Muestra Gastronomica) exhibit is important to the students because the event invites government dignitaries, hotel and restaurant managers (think job offers), besides their families.  As if that isn’t enough pressure, the students also earn a grade for their entries. The mouth watering display was impressive, consisting of:  appetizers, beverages, fruits, side dishes, entrees of beef, chicken, pork and seafood; and my personal favorite- yummy desserts.

Click here to read the entire story

Not quite finished soccer Stadium in La Peñita de Jaltemba

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Three Cruise Lines Say 'Yes' to Vallarta
 

Ubardo Aguilar - La Tribuna
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Puerto Vallarta's newly renovated and expanded Maritime Terminal can simultaneously accommodate three full-size cruise ships. (photo: PromoVision)

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - This week cruise ship arrivals will start to pick up in the maritime terminal of Puerto Vallarta, as the Carnival Splendor, Ocean Dream and Pacific Star cruise ships begin making weekly trips to the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Casarrubias Alex Garcia, CEO of Puerto Vallarta's Port Authority (API) confirmed that the Carnival Splendor and Pacific Star will arrive on Thursday and Pullmantur's Ocean Dream will come into the port on Friday.

Pullmantur, which operates Ocean Dream and Dream Pacific, will have a weekly route starting from Acapulco and entering several ports, including Puerto Vallarta, where passengers will embark and disembark on Friday. It is expected that this cruise line alone will bring 100,000 passengers into our port this year.

"Starting this week we'll begin to feel a better economic flow in Puerto Vallarta. Cruise passengers spend an average of $65 USD in the city, although it depends on the ability of the destination to sell," said Casarrubias Garcia.

Regarding the meeting held with city officials, the director of the API said they discussed issues such as attention to passengers and safety devices inside the terminal.

Beginning on July 7th Puerto Vallarta will receive three weekly cruises, maintaining the same number of arrivals per week as during the summer of 2010.

Cruise Ship Arrivals

Carnival Splendor will continue their weekly visits to our port on Thursdays.

Pacific Star will also arrive on Thursdays.

Ocean Dream will arrive in Puerto Vallarta every Friday.

A Battle of the Saints at Mexcaltitan

RN Staff - Riviera Nayarit

 They may be a little too heavy at times, but they are in no way cheating. That's what the people of Mexcaltitan say regarding the festivity for the island's patron saint, which could be the mythical starting point for the pilgrimage of the Nahuatl tribes in search of Tenochtitlan. As every year on June 29, San Pedro and San Pablo will engage in a battle, and the winner will be that who is known as the cornerstone of the Catholic Church.

Since the arrival of the Spanish and evangelization, this small island, lost in wetlands, has honored both apostles. And, even if the Huitchilopoztli God ever commanded its people to undertake a pilgrimage in search of an eagle - or for more realistic effects and a more precise interpretation made by the Boutorini Codex - a heron devouring a snake, now San Pedro and San Pablo are the guides every year.

The festival is colorful and unique. Shrimp-fishing characterizes this region, which is known as the 'Venice of Mexico', and the Saints sail out very early, followed by a procession of parishioners from around the island to bless the waters so that the traps they've set get as close as possible to the three ton record per night that was set in the past.

The mangroves create the shrimp's habitat and provide the material to build an elaborate levee system that have been used for fishing since immemorial times, while a shorter-than-usual mass is celebrated.

This is followed by a battle, and the whole town is split up in two teams, each one representing one of the two saints, who compete on a race throughout the island, followed by a pagan celebration.

Each team will chose their best sailors for the race, who will compete on board of enormous canoes carrying the image of their respective saint. They'll circle around Mexcaltitan, propelling the canoe with sticks that are submerged to the bottom of the channels, just like they do in the trajineras in Xochimilco, and not with paddles like it's done in the rest of the country. Every year, San Pedro's team will invariably win.

"No, we're not cheating. It's just that San Pedro is even more miraculous and it's better to commend fishing to him, as we don't want to annoy him. The strongest contenders are always placed in San Pedro's team, and this is why he always wins… but we're not cheating, the competition takes place like any other", said Hector Apodaca, a guard at the Museo del Origen, which was built on this island to celebrate its designation as Cradle of Mexican culture.

The joy, cheering and festive environment that surrounds the races is only the beginning of a party as traditional as any, which includes dancing and eating, as well as fireworks during the night, but more importantly, framed by a natural environment of incomparable beauty.

How to Get There
Mexcaltitan is located 21 miles northeast of Santiago Ixcuintla, approximately 1 hour from San Blas and 2 from Tepic. From Santiago Ixcuintla, you must take the road towards Sentispac, and continue on towards the La Batanga pier, where you'll have to take a boat to the island.

It's recommended to sleep in San Blas when visiting Mexcaltitan, as the travel to and from the island can be made with ease. In San Blas, one can find a room in comfortable hotels like Garza Canela, Hacienda Flamingos and Casa Mañana, among others.

Lick your Fingers
Eating at Mexcaltitan is a whole new experience. This is the place that gave birth to the original recipe of the 'cockroach shrimp', and in no other place can they be found as crunchy, the ideal snack to go along with a beer. Fish in the zarandeado style, shrimp tamales, shrimp pate and aguachile from Nayarit complete the feast.

• • •

About Riviera Nayarit: Mexico’s newest destination, Riviera Nayarit, stretches along 192 miles of pristine Pacific coast framed by the majestic Sierra Madre Mountains just ten minutes north of accessible Puerto Vallarta International Airport. The region extends along the entire coast of the Pacific state of Nayarit including the resorts of Nuevo Vallarta, the historic colonial town of San Blas, exclusive Punta Mita, picturesque fishing villages, miles of serene beaches and spectacular Banderas Bay. Riviera Nayarit offers countless activities, all pleasantly affordable, such as: PGA golf courses, luxury spas, whale watching, turtle release, zip lining, surfing, record deep sea fishing, bird watching, international cuisine, and shopping for local artwork and traditional Huichol handicrafts. The region attracts and satisfies vacationers of all tastes and budgets with its wide range of accommodations including chic luxury resorts, eco-tourism boutique hotels and quaint B&B inns. Visit the website at RivieraNayarit.com
 

OPEN ALL SUMMER

The Recycling Program that Los Amigos first put in place in 2008 continues to gain momentum. What began as purely a school-based program recycling plastic bottles in La Peñita has now been expanded to include other types of plastics as well as corrugated cardboard and covers the entire community of Jaltemba Bay.

The departure of most of the community’s seasonal residents represents a good time to review the progress that was made this season.

Thanks to the generous support of the Jaltemba Bay Rotary Club, Los Amigos embarked on an ambitious program to build more recycling baskets.  An enthusiastic group of volunteers attended the ten Saturday workshops – many of them coming week after week to help out.  The basket-making season concluded with a special session at CONALEP, where the regular basket-making team worked with a group of students, including a number of scholarship recipients, putting together baskets for the school.

A total of 334 baskets were produced.  Well, actually, there were 337 produced; three individuals made it into the “Order of the Double Bottomed Basket” when they accidentally put bottoms on both ends of a basket.  After all, we did advertise that all you needed to bring to one of the workshops was your enthusiasm.

The Committee would like to thank Gayle and Tony Dixon and Ryan Campbell who took turns hosting the regular Saturday workshops over the winter season Mimi Beaupre and Zobeida Barrera who helped organize the session at the CONALEP.

The Committee also made great progress over the winter getting the hotels and bungalows to participate in the program.  Thanks are due to Heather Gunn and Sheila Soenen for their hard work in helping to make it happen.

Los Amigos are now collecting an average of 4,000 kilos of plastics each month – and having a huge positive impact on the environment.  The program was also expanded this year to include corrugated cardboard.  Between December and April alone, almost 12,000 kilos of plastics were compacted and sold to a recycler.  The program is well on its way to become self-sustaining from a financial point of view.

The Committee owes a debt of gratitude to Vern Porter, who supervises the operational side of the program, and Gustavo Cisneros Dávila who operates it on a day-to-day basis.

One of our key initiatives next year will be to develop an implement an educational program for the schools on the benefits of recycling.  Marion Rogers has agreed to chair the group looking at this and would welcome volunteers to help out.

Los Amigos also had an opportunity this season to thank two silent heroes of the recycling program:  Danny Milski has provided us space for our compactor operation for the last three years at a rent of $1 a year and Rodger Murphy from Green Parrot who was instrumental in helping to finance the purchase of the truck, trailer and compactor when an opportunity arose to obtain it. 

All in all, it has been a busy and productive season; no small part of this is due to the work of Carol Wallace who agreed this year to take on the challenging task of chairing the Recycling Committee.

And it’s not done yet.  Contrary to what some people think, the recycling program will continue to operate all summer.  So, if you are a permanent resident, be sure to keep putting out your plastics and cardboard.  Collection is on Mondays for Guayabitos and Los Ayala and Wednesdays for La Peñita and La Colonia.  Please put out the cardboard only on collection days and break down boxes if at all possible.

And last, but not least, thanks to all of you for your support of our recycling efforts.

Mexico Drug War Forcing Canadian Mennonites to Flee

Jeff Davis - Postmedia News
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Mennonites in Mexico (Jordi Busque)


As Mexico spirals deeper into a cycle of drug-fuelled violence, Mennonites who migrated there from Canada nearly 90 years ago are returning home by the thousands.

These traditional pacifists have found themselves caught up in the crossfire of Mexican drug cartels, which are waging a bloody battle for supremacy. As a result, the Mennonites have become the victims of crimes ranging from carjackings and armed robberies, to kidnapping and nighttime raids on their villages.

An estimated 5,000 of the more than 70,000 Mexican Mennonites of Canadian origin have left the country in the past few years as the drug war has escalated, said John Janzen of the Mennonite Central Committee, a national organization for the community.

"Mennonites traditionally try to live apart, and lead simple peaceful lives," he said.

"Normal life has been disturbed by the drug cartels that are fighting among themselves for supremacy."

Known for their independence and self-sufficiency, Mennonites typically don't turn to government authorities for help. But in two of the states most affected by drug-related violence — Chihuahua and Durango — they are increasingly turning to the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City with safety concerns.

Read the entire story here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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International Travelers Pick Up US Slack in Travel to Mexico
 

Chase Buckner - Journey Mexico
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According to the Mexican Tourism Board, Mexico boasts a 97% retention rate, meaning that 97 percent of travelers to Mexico say they plan on returning.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Two recent articles (one from the Washington Post and one from San Diego Red) are indications of an interesting scenario: The negative/slanted media coverage of Mexico pouring out of the US is hurting the Mexican Tourism industry, which has caused the industry to lower prices and offer enticing deals.

These deals are being eaten up by international travelers from outside the US, causing an overall rise in tourism to Mexico.

Proof of this can be found in the continual increase in international flights to Mexico. The prestigious Virgin-Atlantic has recently reported that as of June, 2012, they will be adding a twice-weekly flight from London’s Gatwick Airport to Cancun. Virgin sees demand for Mexico rising and expects to carry 94,000 passengers during the first 12 months of service.

In addition to the new Virgin flight from London, airlines such as Aeromexico, Air Europa, TAM, and LAN have added new flights from Lima, Peru to Cancun; Sao Paulo, Brazil to Mexico City; and Madrid, Spain to Mexico City – many beginning in the next few months.

Earlier this year, the Mexican Tourism Board said they anticipate 2011 to see up to a 15% rise in tourism (coming off 2010 which saw a 12% increase), but I doubt they imagined so much of it coming from outside the US.

So if the San Diego Red is right and it’s bargains that are driving this year-over-year increase in tourism, one must ask for how long is this bargain model sustainable? Now more than ever we’re seeing public backlash against the “daily deal” model as business owners continue to say that large discounts offered by companies like Groupon are not sustainable and do more damage to the business than good. If all these new tourists come to know Mexico as a land of cheap deals, how can the industry ever raise their rates back to normal?

Pretty easily, actually. According to the Mexican Tourism Board, Mexico boasts a 97% retention rate, meaning that 97 percent of travelers to Mexico say they plan on returning. Being almost two million square kilometres in size and home to more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country in the Americas (including the US), it’s not surprise that Mexico leaves visitors wanting more. As tourism continues to increase, Mexico should be able to gradually raise rates to normal as demand rises.

In May of this year, Mexican President Felipe Calderón stated that he wants Mexico (currently number 10) to be one of the top five tourism destinations in the world by 2020. If current trends continue, international tourism continues to rise, and the US starts to realize that 99% of Mexico is perfectly safe for travel, Mexico should have a real shot at hitting the top five.

Based in Puerto Vallarta, Journey Mexico is a full-service luxury travel company that provides authentic and unforgettable travel experiences throughout the Mexican republic. For more information, visit JourneyMexico.com.

 

PESO Makes big gain against US dollar

Mexico’s peso posted the biggest weekly gain since January 2010 as concern eased that Greece would be unable to resolve its debt crisis.

The peso advanced 2.5 percent this week to 11.6071 per U.S. dollar at 5 p.m. New York time, from 11.9001 on June 24. The currency gained 0.9 percent today and has risen 6.3 percent this year, the third-best performer among the major Latin American currencies tracked by Bloomberg, after the Colombian peso and Brazilian real.

 

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Quintana Roo Proudly Promotes Mayan Heritage The News
The News
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Quintana Roo is a state that proudly promotes its Mayan heritage, Governor Roberto Borge Angulo recently said during the presentation of the program Mayan World 2012.

President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa presided over the presentation of the program, which aims to attract a larger number of tourists and to trigger the tourist potential of the region.

“A great moment is around the corner. The date: Dec. 21, 2012, is not a synonym of destruction or devastation, but an opportunity to reconsider our relationship with the planet and the rest of its inhabitants,” Borge said.

The people of Quintana Roo take great pride on the remnants of the Mayan culture that can be found across the state.

“The arrival of this new era will give us the chance to renew and transform into a better version of ourselves.

“We are committed to preserving our natural and historical legacy. All service providers from this unique destination will take part in this new beginning and they will generate attractive options so our national and foreign visitors enjoy the huge natural and cultural richness of Quintana Roo,” the governor said.

Yucatán, Campeche, Chiapas and Tabasco are also participating in Mayan World 2012. The program will culminate on Dec. 21, 2012 at the Sanctuary of Hope.

The state government is promoting the preservation of the environment through the strategy “Green Quintana Roo.” The Sanctuary of Hope is an instrument to promote the invaluable heritage of Quintana Roo among the new generations. It will be built using recycled material to encourage the population and visitors to participate and collaborate in preserving the state’s heritage.

“(The sanctuary) will be a symbol that will represent all of us. It will become a forum to promote Quintana Roo’s richness, the kindness of its people and attractions for Mexico and the rest of the world,” Borge said.

The program Mayan World 2012 will be the perfect opportunity to enhance traditional events, such as the Santa Cruz Fair in El Cedral, which may be recognized as an Intangible Heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the Travesía Sagrada Maya, which houses the shrine to the Goddess Ixchel; the competition Mayan-Caribbean Expedition, which consists of a 200-kilometer (124.2 miles) route that passes through the communities Bacalar, Laguna Guerrero, Calderitas and Raudales; and the Life and Death Cultural Festival in Playa del Carmen and Xcaret.
“We will also organize a series of concerts, cultural and sport events, exhibits, gastronomic shows, and conferences throughout 2012,” Borge said.