Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - I am writing to inform everyone about a very important issue that greatly affects our community, and ask for your help to head off inaccurate headlines that have recently surfaced about the safety of traveling to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit

On April 22, 2011, the US Department of State updated its official travel warning regarding unsafe areas of Mexico to avoid. This warning, which you can read Here, added several new states to the last warning issued in September 2010.

The headline already making the rounds is that the "US Has Added Five Mexican States" to the travel warning, including Jalisco. While this is literally correct, it does not state the specific areas involved, and is very misleading.

Here is the text of the entire detail section on the Jalisco warning:

Nayarit and Jalisco: Official U.S. government employees are prohibited from traveling to Colotlan, Jalisco, and Yahualica, Jalisco, both near the Zacatecas border, because of an increasingly volatile security situation.

Concerns include roadblocks placed by individuals posing as police or military personnel and recent gun battles between rival transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) involving automatic weapons. You should defer non-essential travel to these cities.

In addition, the border areas between Jalisco state and the states of Zacatecas and Michoacán, as well as southern Nayarit state including the city of Tepic, have been sites of violence and crime involving TCOs. You should exercise extreme caution when traveling in these areas.

Due to recent TCO-mounted road blockades between the Guadalajara airport and the Guadalajara metropolitan areas, U.S. government employees are only authorized to travel between Guadalajara and the Guadalajara Airport during daylight hours.

There are NO WARNINGS against travel to Puerto Vallarta or the Bay of Banderas/Riveria Nayarit Region.

To clarify this, yesterday I wrote to Kelly Trainor, US Consul based in Nuevo Vallarta, who confirmed to me personally in her words: "...there are no specific warnings for the Municipality of Puerto Vallarta or Riviera Nayarit."

The warning relating to Guadalajara was based on an incident the night of January 15, 2011. This warning notes that this was the FIRST such incident in Guadalajara, and also notes that several individuals were arrested and detained in relation to this incident.

The rest of the warning pertains to parts of Jalisco that border Tepic, Zacatecas and Michoacan: these zones are all at least a 4 hour drive from Puerto Vallarta.

The Guadalajara metropolitan area has a population of about 4.4 million people, and in any city of that size, even in the US, there are bound to be any number of drug or gang-related or violent incidents in a given month.

I have personally driven to Guadalajara from Puerto Vallarta on the toll road as of last month, and will go again in early May, with no fear for my personal safety. Security has been elevated, and is very much in force everywhere you go.

Beach resort areas of Mexico are NOT given travel warnings, with the exceptions of the downtown areas of Acapulco and Mazatlan, where it is recommended to stay in tourist areas. The violence cited is between drug gangs and law enforcement, and not directed toward or involving tourists. The concern is for any effect on innocent bystanders.

The North American press treats "Mexico" like a small city that should be avoided, not a huge country of 110 million people, with 31 states and Mexico City. They rarely differentiate between Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua (at the US Border, 4 days drive from Puerto Vallarta), or Culiacan, Sinaloa, Durango, Tamaulipas or other affected areas which are also far from away from tourist areas.

It's like saying don't visit the Jersey shore because people get murdered in Newark, where the year-to-date total of murders is 29. Or don't visit San Francisco because of the murder rate in Oakland (36 so far this year). But these troubled areas are all CLOSER to these tourist areas than we are talking about in Mexico.

Be specific, and use examples to help US and Canadian residents to understand that Mexico is a big country, confronting problems which are primarily fueled by the flow of money and arms from the US in exchange for drugs used by American citizens.

We are all in this war together. If North Americans stop visiting Mexico tourist areas, we are are only contributing to further decay of Mexican society by staunching the flow of legitimate tourist dollars to legitimate businesses and honest Mexican workers.

Be a Safe Tourist

In my experience as a hotel owner, Puerto Vallarta's historical extreme safety is in fact the cause of the few problems tourists do encounter, because they throw caution to the wind. As in many US cities with economic problems, the bad economy and lower tourism caused by the fear of drug violence, has resulted in an increase in non-violent petty crime.

As in any city, tourists need to use reasonable precautions including the following for a safe visit:

1. Do not go out with unnecessary jewelry, cash, credit cards or valuables. Take only what you need and keep the rest locked in a secure hotel safe.

2. Do not invite strangers to your room, especially when you do not know the person, are alone, and if your valuables are not secured. If you must, register guests at your hotel or condo, and/or ask for and take photo copies of IDs. Escort the individual off the premises, don't let them wander among other rooms or condos and put others at risk.

3. When you go out at night, bring only your ID and the necessary cash, not a wallet full of cash and credit cards ripe for pickpocketing in your back pocket. Don't flash your money around. Don't leave cameras or wallets out and unattended.

4. When you go out late at night, or return home late at night, take a taxi regardless of the distance to your lodgings. Ask the establishment you are in to note the number of the taxi, and you should note it in case of any problems or lost items. Do not walk home late at night, inebriated, in dark areas with uneven sidewalks and expect good things to happen. You wouldn't do this at home, where you know your surroundings, so don't do it when you travel and are unfamiliar with the language, customs and laws. Don't use or carry drugs on the street, be drunk in public, urinate on the streets or otherwise break the law as in any other city.

If everyone uses these reasonable safety precautions they will find Puerto Vallarta a safe and welcoming destination. It is remarkably free of violent crime, warmly embracing visitors and providing a memorable and fun and safe vacation for all.

Don Pickens is a Puerto Vallarta resident and owner of Casa Cupula, one of the world's finest boutique resort hotels for gay men, lesbians and friends. Since 2002 Casa Cupula has built a reputation for services and luxury equal to any mainstream 5 star resort. For more information visit CasaCupula.com or call 866-352-2511.

On May 5, 1862, Mexican troops defeated an invading French army in the outskirts of Puebla, a city around 60 miles east of Mexico City. How did events come to this point; what were French troops doing in Mexico and why?

On September 15, 1810, a priest, Miguel Hidalgo, sounded the church bells to unite Mexicans in a war of independence from Spain. Independence was declared the following day, September 16th. But it took Mexicans 11 years to oust the Spaniards.

They were barely getting their house in order when an unprovoked war was thrust on them by the US wanting and taking about 50 percent of its territory. Needless to say, Mexicans weren't happy with this circumstance and blamed their leader, Santa Anna, accusing him of great treason. This led to a rebellion to oust him from office.

Once this was done, Mexico entered into one of its most important historical periods, the formation of its Constitution of 1857.

There were two political forces at work, the Liberals who wanted to create a country not unlike the US: A representative republic, democratic, federal, religiously tolerant, free market economy, and an educational system independent of religion, and, most importantly - separation between the State and religion. This instrument would provide Mexican citizens with vast constitutional protections rivaling those in the U.S.

The other political force was the Conservatives who wanted strong ties to Spain, only the Catholic religion would be allowed, national industrial protectionism (limited imports), regulated freedom of expression, no opposing political parties. They also believed Mexico should be tied to a European monarchy with the head of Mexico having absolute power, and to distance the country as much as possible from the US.

This terrible schism led to the civil war known as "La Guerra de Reforma" (The War of Reform). In 1861, the Conservatives were defeated, and their leaders executed. But the combination of so many years of fighting had placed Mexico in heavy international debt with England, Spain and France.

Meantime in the French court of Emperor Napoleon III, a wealthy Mexican land owner and Conservative, who had access to, and meetings with, the Emperor's wife, the Spaniard Eugenia de Montijo, planted the idea of establishing a monarchy in Mexico as a way of stopping the further territorial expansion ambitions of the U.S.

The U.S. was tied up in its Civil War, so France convinced Spain and England to join in sending troops to collect monies owed them by the new Liberal controlled government presided by Benito Juarez.

Troops from the three countries landed in Veracruz in late 1861. The English and Spaniards were able to negotiate a repayment schedule that was acceptable to all. The parties, including the French, signed the agreement. The Spaniard and English troops left Mexico without incident.

The French commander, Dubois de Saligny, declared, "My signature is worth as much as the paper it is written on." Declaring they were there at the invitation of the exiled Conservative government to establish a monarchy and save Mexico from its non Catholic leaders, French troops began their long march to capture Mexico City.

And so it was that on May 5, 1862, the most potent army in Europe of its day met the Mexican army of veterans and farmers outside of Puebla. Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza, addressed his troops, "Your enemies are the first-rate soldiers of the world; but you are the sons of Mexico, and they are here to take your country."

The battle began at noon - the French stormed the Mexican defensive position once and were repelled. A second charge brought the same results. It was then that the Mexican troops attacked, driving the French back in disarray. Hostilities came at the end of the day due to heavy rainfall making any more action impossible.

French commanders were so sure of quick victory that before beginning their march had sent a message to Napoleon III declaring the Emperor owner of Mexico. Instead, it took three months to capture Puebla, and eventually all of Mexico.

Having captured the country, the French were never able to appease the population. Widespread resistance finally led to their defeat and departure from Mexico. The Intervention lasted until 1867.

So as history goes, Cinco de Mayo was one day in which the soldiers of Mexico fought bravely for their country, and bathed themselves in honor.

So on the Fifth of May raise your glass to them setting aside our differences wishing that they may again be victorious in the present “war” they face.

Patrick Osio, Jr. is the Editor of HispanicVista.com and editor of the Osio Report. Contact him at Osio1939(at)gmail.com.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - In Mexico, Mother's Day, May 10th, is an auspicious day. Its importance in Mexican culture is noted with the fact that it is regarded as an especially significant holiday.

It is celebrated with a mass at the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, where an orchestra plays 'Las Mañanitas' of the Virgin. The Virgin here is symbolical of motherhood. After the mass, Mexicans follow a wonderful custom of providing an early morning meal to all the mothers, usually tamales and atole.

The celebration of Mother's Day in Mexico is similar to celebrations in the United States. Children present their mothers with gifts of candy, cards or flowers, and children who can't be home on Mother's Day often will telephone Mom to let her know that she's loved. Unlike in the United States, where Mother's Day is always the second Sunday in May, in Mexico, Mother's Day is always celebrated on May 10th.

In many families, the children present a little program for their mother, singing songs and perhaps offering a brief skit. Sometimes, schools sponsor programs for the mothers of the students, especially if May 10 falls on a school day. The children may dance, tell jokes and sing for the entertainment of their maternal audience.

Just as in the United States, Mother's Day lunch or dinner at a restaurant is common. Mexicans know to make reservations many weeks ahead of time, as the restaurants will be crowded on May 10. Other families bring food to their mother's home and enjoy a meal together there. Most families try to put aside any disagreements for the day.

The sound of music begins Mother's Day in some Mexican cities, where it's the custom to go to Mom's house early in the morning and awaken her with song. Those who can afford it hire trios or Mariachi bands to accompany them, but Mama equally welcomes children who can't afford a band and have to provide the musical awakening themselves. Many families then go to a special mass, followed by a community breakfast.

In 1942 some Mexican mothers got an unusual gift for Mother's Day, one that benefited their children as well. Time Magazine reported that the Mexican government, saying that sewing machines were vital to mothers who needed to clothe their families, ordered the National Pawnshop to return all of the pawned sewing machines it held without requiring the loans to be repaid. The estimated loss to National Pawnshop was about $160,000.

Riviera Nayarit, Mexico - Travel virtually and win a real trip to Riviera Nayarit for you and five friends to experience the magic of the destination known as Mexico's Pacific Treasure. It's this easy to enjoy our destination thanks to the FriendTrips campaign, which has been launched by the online travel operator Expedia.

The campaign is aimed to end consumers and is the result of a joint strategy with Villa La Estancia Riviera Nayarit Beach Resort & Spa that is being promoted on social networks.

Expedia is the most popular travel brand in the world, and one of the most reliable resources for consumers. Their microsite dedicated to Mexico has a directory with over 800,000 hotels around the world. Expedia receives approximately 59 million unique visitors per month through its different websites.

In a strategic alliance, Riviera Nayarit is participating with Expedia and Villa La Estancia Riviera Nayarit Beach Resort & Spa in the FriendTrips game, which Expedia launched on Facebook to generate a great amount of information on Expedia and the destination in other social networks like Twitter.

FriendTrips is a Facebook application that allows users to compete in a virtual game in which each participant designs a trip with five friends to several preferred destinations, one of which is Riviera Nayarit. Users can earn points by publishing photos, adding friends to the team, telling travel stories about the selected destination, commenting and rating photos from other contestants or inviting friends to fill their virtual plane, as well as riding in other friend's planes. All these activities are then posted to the different users' walls.

At the end of the competition, "flights" that receive the largest number of points will earn a trip to Riviera Nayarit valued in an approximately $65,000 USD, among other prizes. The winner and his or her five friends with confirmed reservations on the winning "flight" will spend six days in 6 deluxe suites in Villa La Estancia Riviera Nayarit Beach Resort & Spa, with unlimited golf and Spa services.

One of the main objectives of the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) of Riviera Nayarit is to increase the online presence of our destination, due to the fact that the Internet is becoming increasingly influential in the purchase decision of international travelers, and is becoming the largest growing factor for hotel reservations. In this sense, this alliance is an important asset to promote our destination.

Click HERE to start your Friendtrip NOW!

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

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The highly popular free Malecón Sculpture Walking Tour created and conducted by Galería Pacifico owner Gary Thompson has been extended through Tuesday, May 31, 2011, with Learn Vallarta's Sandra Cesca conducting the tour.

Learn Vallarta, along with Los Mangos Library and the Rosita Hotel, has supported the tour through this winter season with the donation of an updated hand-out of sculpture information including photos and a map.

The tour will remain at the same time: Tuesdays, 9:30 am, at the Millennium sculpture in front of the Rosita Hotel. The tour lasts about two hours and will continue to end at Galería Pacifico where Gary will be available for questions.

Miniatures of some of the sculptures are on display there along with information about Learn Vallarta's other walking tours and services. There will be an opportunity to make a donation to Los Mangos Library. Complimentary cold beverages will also be offered.

Learn Vallarta is a new service in town dedicated to education and cultural integration. Owned and operated by two Americans and their staff who live in Vallarta fulltime, they deliver personal and helpful assistance in learning more about this charming tropical environment and its friendly people... especially recommended if you are thinking of moving here. For more information, call them toll-free at 1-888-856-3120 or visit their website at LearnVallarta.com.

Click HERE for more Learn Vallarta information.

Puerto Vallarta remains a favorite destination for Canadians who wish to own a winter home - there are thousands and thousands of them. There are many reasons why. Here are just a few:

Weather - The average high February temperature:

Puerto Vallarta: 27° C / 80° F
Vancouver: 5° C / 40° F
Calgary: 5° C / 40° F
Toronto: -3° C / 27° F
Montreal: -8° C / 18° F

Summer in Canada. Winter in Puerto Vallarta. A perfect lifestyle!

Strong Currency - The Canadian Dollar has remained strong against the US Dollar and the Mexican Peso for 3 years. This has allowed Canadians to buy real estate at the full value of their currency [in US Dollars] and to pay for day-to-day living at the full value of their currency [in Mexican Pesos]. A big improvement from years past.

Sub-Prime Slump - This has been mainly an American problem as Canadians had entirely different regulatory and banking practices. The global recession has affected everybody, but not as much damage has been done to the Canadian economy as to the American economy.

Community - There is a large vibrant Canadian contingency throughout the entire bay with the highest concentrations in Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias and La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.

Activities - There is a lot to do in Puerto Vallarta, so it is an ideal place to live for part of the year. Canadians love boating, fishing, golfing, relaxing on the beach, restaurants/nightlife... all the things that make Puerto Vallarta a great resort destination.

Access - A modern international airport that is served by all the major North American carriers. Many non-stop seasonal routes from Canada and easy connections to Puerto Vallarta as well.

Safety - Puerto Vallarta is a low crime city; it is not, and has never been, a foothold in the drug trade. It is rather isolated (Guadalajara is 5 hours away) and the local economy is dependent on foreign investment and tourism. Americans and Canadians are welcome here and you can feel it.

Like any city, use common sense and good judgment - don't check your brain at the border. There are bars which encourage patrons to overindulge, and that's never a good idea. Downtown Puerto Vallarta is safe to stroll, but never late at night after the festivities are over, and it's not a good idea to venture too far off the beaten track. Would you walk down the street drunk at 2 am in your home town? I have lived here 8 years and feel safer here than I did in Dallas, Texas - where I came from.

Part of the Timothy Real Estate Group team, Russell Faulkner has been living and working as a realtor in Puerto Vallarta since 2002 when he fell in love with the area and Puerto Vallarta's real estate industry. With a genuine love of Mexico, he makes finding or selling your property both interesting and informative. He handles the purchase experience with care, diligence, and professionalism. Contact him at Russell(at)TimothyRealEstateGroup.com.

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Timothy Real Estate Group is a full-service real estate sales, rentals and development agency representing some of the most distinguished properties and developments across Puerto Vallarta, Bahía de Banderas and the Riviera Nayarit. For more information, visit TimothyRealEstateGroup.com.

Click HERE to learn more about Timothy Real Estate Group