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..the heartbeat of the Riviera Nayarit
January 10 2010
Rincon de Guayabitos beach cleaner photograph by Bill Bell
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Headline News
Mexico says immigration reform unlikely in
2010
Mexico's ambassador to the United States said
Friday he expects immigration reform is unlikely to pass in that country
in 2010 because of unemployment and midterm elections.
In an unusually frank assessment, Ambassador
Arturo Sarukhan said Mexico will continue its quiet, "under the radar"
lobbying for a reform that would benefit the estimated 11.8 million
Mexicans living in the United States. A large percentage are
undocumented………..go
to original article
Rafael Marquez optimistic about Mexico’s
chances
Mexico’s most famous player, defender Rafael
Marquez, is optimistic about his team’s chances in the World Cup, and
much may depend on the opening game against host South Africa.
The Barcelona player said on Thursday there
may be extra pressure because it will be the first game………..go
to original article
Mexico mugged by Starbucks? Company plans
payback
Starbucks Corp.'s Mexico unit says it is
willing to pay for permission to sell coffee mugs featuring pre-Hispanic
images, after the Mexican government notified it about potential
violations of intellectual property rights.
Starbucks Corp.'s Mexico unit says it is
willing to pay for permission to sell coffee mugs featuring pre-Hispanic
images, after the Mexican government notified it about potential
violations of intellectual property rights. ………..go
to original article
Canada to lend Mexico 5 million swine flu
doses
Canada is lending Mexico 5 million doses of
the swine flu vaccine.
Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said in
a statement Wednesday that Mexico requested the doses to help bridge
that country's immediate pandemic vaccine requirements.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says Mexico
placed orders with several manufacturers, but the bulk of Mexico's order
will only be available at the end of the month.………..go
to original article
Mexico’s Wireless Airwaves Auction to Begin in
May
Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Mexico’s government will
begin its auction of mobile-phone airwaves in May, aiming to spur
competition with Carlos Slim’s America Movil SAB.
Regulators are relaying the information to
prospective bidders this week, the Federal Telecommunications Commission
said today in a statement. The length of the auction will depend on how
many rounds of bidding occur. Once it ends, the agency will have 30 days
to declare a winner. ………..go
to original article
Four Mexican priests leave church over
celibacy rule
Four priests assigned to the archdiocese of
the central Mexican state of Puebla have decided to leave the Catholic
Church because they have girlfriends and children, a situation that is
incompatible with the celibacy rule. ………..go
to original article
Mexico’s Valley of Wine
Hot, dusty, rattled by rocks and ruts of the
road, and as confused as lost conquistadors, we slump into chairs at the
reception office of the inn Adobe Guadalupe.
Minerva Cerda, graciously bearing dewy glasses
of a bright rosé, materializes immediately through a side door. With the
first sip – a gulp, actually – we relax, stop worrying about the car's
undercarriage and begin to look more closely at our surroundings.………..go
to original article
Escape to divine Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo
Rose-hued sunsets meet azure waters in this
sensory extravaganza…a rainbow tapestry of experiences and
accommodations. For those with “champagne taste and beer money,” there
are lovely, quaint resorts with all the amenities for less than $50 a
night. For those travelers who can afford it, there are elegant
accommodations where the sky’s the limit. But for everyone who visits
this still-underdeveloped gem on Mexico’s western coast, it is a double
paradise in other ways as well. The colorful fishing village of
Zihuatanejo (“Place of Women”) oozes with tradition, heritage and déjà
vu culture of the past, while Ixtapa sports the image of a young, new
and contemporary tourist mecca. Old and new are blended like a fine
tapestry offering something for every tourist in what’s termed the Costa
Grande of Mexico.………..go
to original article
Elton John concert in Mexico's Maya ruins
Mexico City - British singer Elton John is set
to perform amid the ruins of the famous Maya site of Chichen Itza in
Mexico on April 3.
According to Mexican media reports,
archeologists have authorized the concert but the relevant contract was
yet to be signed. ………..go
to original article
Mexico expresses "deep concern" at migrant death
MEXICO CITY—The Mexican government says it is concerned by the fatal
shooting of a Mexican migrant by a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Mexico's
Foreign Relations Department says it will closely watch investigations
into the case, and has expressed the government's "deep concern" over
the shooting.
As more reports of violence surface amid Mexico's drug wars, California
state officials issued new warnings Monday for travelers headed south of
the border. …..Click
here for original article
4.0
Earthquake in Northern Mexico
SAN DIEGO - Two small earthquakes struck Baja California Sunday, the
second and larger of which was felt in southeastern San Diego County,
but no local damage was reported.
A magnitude 3.1 shaker struck at 9:25 a.m. at Guadalupe Victoria, a
small farming town about 19 miles south-southeast of Mexicali, according
to the U.S. Geological Survey.…..Click
here for original article
Mexico Captures 3rd Brother Of Famous Drug Family
The capture of a reputed kingpin following the death of his brother has
knocked out most of a brutal drug trafficking dynasty after a Mexican
crackdown on corruption stripped the Beltran Leyva cartel of many
snitches within security forces. Carlos Beltran Leyva was arrested in
the Pacific coast state Sinaloa, where he and several of his brothers
were born and allegedly started their gang. A judge ordered him held for
at least 40 days while officials investigate possible charges of
organized crime, the Attorney General's Office said in a statement
Sunday.…..Click
here for original article
Mexico Spending $90M on Ads for Tourism
If the rich, famous and pretty are returning to Mexico's beaches now
that officials say the swine flu epidemic is waning, won't everyone
else?
That's the message of a $90 million campaign aimed at luring tourists
scared off by the outbreak, which has killed at least 83 people in
Mexico…..Click
here for original article
Mexico City battling water crisis with taxes and pleas
VALLE DE BRAVO, Mexico -- Lake Avandaro has long
been the emblem of leisure in this wealthy, colonial town west of Mexico
City, but the capital sucked it half-dry last spring. …..Click
here for original article
Mexican stocks hit intraday high on US factory data
Mexico's benchmark stock index hit an all-time high on Tuesday after a
report on U.S. factory orders showed a rise for the third consecutive
month, boding well for a recovery in Mexico's exports.…..Click
here for original article
Jennifer
Aniston plans to open a Mexican restaurant
Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston has said she wants to open a Mexican
restaurant later this year.
The 40-year-old star has plans for the restaurant, which she says would
be in the Big Apple.…..Click
here for original article
Why Mexico Is Anxious About Its Bicentennial
Forget 2012. As far as many Mexicans are concerned, the ancient Mayas
were being generous: the sky's actually going to fall next year. Why?
Because it's 2010, Mexico's bicentennial, and Mexican history has an
eerie way of repeating itself. Mexico's 1910 centennial, after all, saw
the start of the bloody, decade-long Mexican Revolution, which killed
more than a million people. And that cataclysm was precisely a century
after the start of Mexico's bloody, decade-long War of Independence in
1810. …..Click
here for original article
80 years young!
One of Jaltemba coast's
nicest people recently celebrated her 80th birthday! Congratulation to
Agnes Dudley
Whales are one of most mesmorizing creatures one can view along
coastal Riviera Nayarit. Since the tropical warm water of this
latitude is the winter breeding ground for several migrating
species, January is an excellent month for whale watching. Besides
the resident species of Cetaceans, one can catch a glimpse of mother
with calve from shore and certainly farther out in a boat on one of
the numerous whale watching tours that are available. Seeing these
denizens of the ocean in the wild is an unforgetable experience that
tops even the best Discovery special or Seaworld show. Coming
face-to-face with a hypnotically lovely group of whales-experiencing
their immense size, intelligence, and acrobats live- far surpasses
any picture.
Cetaceans are air-breathing, warm-blooded ocean mammals that bear
live young and nurse them on milk. Since
the gestation and rearing periods are so long in most whale species,
and the suckling so draining, cows only give birth every two to four
years. This slow reproductive rate means that any substantial whale
hunting may have a detrimental effect on whale populations.
Just
as impressive is their evolutionary history: that the study of
fossils indicates is that cetaceans evolved from four-legged,
terrestrial ancestors that made their way back to the seas around 55
million years ago. The existing 83 species of Cetaceans are
subcategorized into two main groups: the toothed whales (odontocetes)
and baleen whales (mysticetes)- with both types inhabiting
the Mexican coast of the Pacific Ocean. This article will focus on
the toothed species that you may see in the Riviera Nayarit; next
week will highlight the baleen species as there are significant
differences between the whale types.
Before meeting the local toothed whale species, let’s look at
typical behavior and characteristics of all toothed whales. This
category of species uses echolocation- the sound tracking by
bouncing sonar signals to identify prey and obstacles. As with land
predators, they are active hunters, needing to search and stalk
their dinner. They use their teeth to seize their target then
swallow it whole, unlike other smaller predatory mammals that tear
apart prey. Thinking of the biblical tale of Jonas being swallowed
by a whale indicates this behavior has been observed by humans for
centuries.
Whale
Watching Regulations In and Around Banderas Bay Keith May - PuertoVallartaWhaleWatching.org
January 08, 2010 Whether you are taking a tour or are a private boater, the Executive
Director of Puerto Vallarta Whale Watching Forum, Keith May, tells us
everything we need to know about safe and legal whale watching for
Banderas Bay's official 2009/2010 whale watching season.
This year SEMARNAT gave out white flags with
the SEMARNAT logo and a humpback whale, so you can easily
identify the boats authorized to do whale watching activities in
Banderas Bay.
Whale Watching Regulations for Private Boaters
Many private boaters are not aware that the Mexican government has
enacted very specific laws as it relates to whale watching activities
from a private vessel as opposed to a vessel that has a legal whale
watching permit.
These laws were designed to ensure the least amount of stress on the
whales, to protect them from unintentional injury by boaters and to
ensure that the mothers and calves are never separated from each other –
lest the calf falls victim to being eaten by a Killer whale. Without
human intervention, we estimate that one in three calves are lost to
predation by Killer whales. So, it’s in our interest and the interest of
the whales to ensure that we are not accidently contributing to the
deaths of the newly born calves.
Mexican environmental law NOM 131 ECOL 1998 states the following as it
relates to whale watching by private boaters:
Private boats can stay looking at the same group of whales for a maximum
of 10 minutes (no matter how exciting the show might be) and must
maintain a distance of at least 80 meters or 240 feet. When
participating in whale watching boats must operator no faster than 4
knots at any given time and must never move faster than the slowest
moving whale.
Mothers with calves are extremely sensitive and every effort should be
made to reduce their stress. Never obstruct the path of a whale, never
split groups and certainly never engage in any activity that will
separate the mother from the calf.
Sport fishing is not permissible near or during any whale watching
activity. If you observe any marine mammal entangled in fishing gear,
please report it to the Navy Sector at (322) 224-5783 or on marine
channels 16 or 82. Do not attempt to assist the animal as this can be
very dangerous and keep a distance of at least 300 yards until
professional assistance arrives.
Scuba diving or snorkeling in the vicinity of a whale is very dangerous
and is forbidden by law. Jet skis, water skis, kayaks, canoes, etc. and
any type of aircraft, parasail or gliders are also forbidden to be used
in the vicinity of whales.
Trash, especially plastic bags and such can suffocate a whale if it is
sucked into this blow hole. Also, they become a choking hazard for our
endangered sea turtle as they are mistaken for jellyfish – a favorite
food of sea turtles. If you see plastic bags floating in the water
please take the time to retrieve them. This small action may in fact
safe the life of an endangered whale or sea turtle.
When whale watching you should only ever approach diagonally from the
lateral position and move parallel to the course of a whale or group of
whales. Avoid any unexpected changes in velocity and direction within
300 feet or 900 meters of the nearest whale.
By following these few simple steps will ensure a safe whale watching
experience for you and your friends and most importantly help to protect
these gentle giants that call Banderas Bay home for a few months of
every year. The official 2009/2010 whale watching season runs from
December 8, 2009 – March 23, 2010. Whale watching activities outside of
these dates are forbidden. Authorized Banderas Bay Whale Watching Boats and Tour Companies
This year SEMARNAT gave out white flags with the SEMARNAT logo and a
humpback whale, so you can easily identify the boats authorized to do
whale watching activities. If the boat does NOT have this flag it means
they don't have a whale watching permit. Click
HERE for a list of Boats and/or Tour Companies Authorized by SEMARNAT to
do Whale Watching activities in Banderas Bay, Jalisco-Nayarit, from
December 8, 2009 to March 23, 2010 Click
HERE for Banderas Bay Humpback Whale Watching Regulations for the
2009/2010 season.
To learn more about responsible whale watching, please visit the
Puerto Vallarta Whale Watching Forum.
Happy Whale Watching!
Keith May, Executive Director
Puerto Vallarta Whale Watching Forum
PuertoVallartaWhaleWatching.org
Submitted
by Our Wonderful French Yvonne
Buy a
ticket for this beautiful knit afghan
A hand-made Afghan, knitted by Micheline Bédard, will be raffled off
with proceeds going to the primary school ''Sebastian of La Colonia
de La Penita''.
Tickets are selling for 50 pesos for 3 tickets and can be purchased
at the Hotel & Bungalows Guayabitos, 15 Sol Nuevo, apartment 215. I
will also have tickets available. Draw will be held February 15,
2010.
Hope your readership supports this activity.
Yvonne
Rotary Club of Jaltemba Bay announces 1st Annual Dinner
Dance”
First Year Anniversary to raise funds for two major 2010 projects
La Peñita de Jaltemba, Nayarit, January 4, 2010 -- Sebastian Marin,
President of Rotary Club of Jaltemba Bay – La Peñita announced today
that the club, celebrating it’s first year, is hosting it’s
First Annual Dinner Dance
on Saturday January
23 rd at Toñita’s
III in La Peñita. The event is open to all Rotarians,
business and community leaders, and the public at large.
The Dinner Dance is schedule from 6:00 – 12 midnight and
tickets are available from Rotary members, in Guayabitos at Piña
Colada Restaurant and Fitness Pad and in La Peñita at Xaltemba
Restaurant, Youcha Centros Quiroprácticos and Sebastian Realty.
Tickets are 300 pesos per person, which includes dinner dance, and
one drink, there will be dancing to a wide variety of music.
The Jaltemba Bay Rotary Club is a young club founded in late
2008.It is made up of
local business owners and some foreign business owners and retirees
who live here a major part of the year.The event is bound to be a great opportunity to celebrate the
clubs first year and meet the local business owners who are working
hard to improve the community.
The funds raised will be used to finance the building of a new
kindergarten at Las Cabras in La Colonia and classroom repairs and
computers for Cebeta/Zaeta Extension Preparatory School in Zacualpan.The Club has received initial support and donations from
Rotary Club of South Cowichan (Mill Valley) B.C., Rotary Club of
Ladysmith B.C. Canada, and commitments from Rotary Clubs of
Sebastopol, Middleton,
and Santa Rosa in Northern California.
Rotary International is the world's first service club
organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs
worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally,
regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and
sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and
eradicate polio under the motto Service Above Self.
Club Rotario meets every Wednesday at 7:30 am for Breakfast meeting
at Piña Colada in Guayabitos located on Highway 200 lateral street.
Las Cabras Kindergarten, La ColoniaWeeklyRotary
Club meetings at Piña Colada
The next meeting of Los
Amigos de La Peñita will be on Monday, January 11 at Restaurante La
Palapa de Guty, Circuito Libertad #4.There will be a social gathering at 6:30 with the formal
meeting starting at 7:00.
Key agenda items will be:
Report from Recycling Committee
Report on Fiesta
2010
Presentation on
Mango Project
All are welcome.
The Facts
Concerning Violent Crimes Committed Against US Tourists in Mexico Jim Scherrer - PVNN
January 05, 2010
There are in excess of 200 cruise ships that
visit PV from the US every year with an average of more than
2,000 passengers each; i.e. approximately 400,000 passengers
arriving annually.
This article is prepared in response to an extremely misleading and
obviously biased piece recently published on a site known as
OfficialWire.com and shown under the topic of Official Spin; and spin it
is! It was written by Derek Armstrong and posted on his website,
Crime Report USA, as follows:
Mexico the Most Dangerous Country for Americans Wednesday, December 23, 2009 at 3:39 PM
U.S. Department of State Warns Largest Number of Non Natural
Deaths Occur in Mexico.
Derek Armstrong, Chief Crime Correspondent Crime Report USA: Mexico is overwhelmingly the most
dangerous place for non-service Americans, topping the list of
destinations with the highest "Non Natural Deaths", according to
the US Department of State: Top 5 Countries for Non Natural Deaths
Mexico 651
Iraq 82
Costa Rica 69
Thailand 67
Germany 63
Since shocking and misleading headlines such as "Mexico the Most
Dangerous Country for Americans" are designed to be attention grabbing,
tourists that read such nonsense might want to do their homework before
considering vacation destinations in Mexico; they must understand the
facts and not be frightened by ridiculous fear tactics put forth by
those with ulterior motives.
At first glance, the above article seems to indicate 651 non natural
deaths occurred in Mexico last year, however, when the reader digs
deeper into the article he finds that the data was obtained over a three
year period from 2006 through 2008, resulting in about 220 non natural
US deaths per year in Mexico. Of the 220 non natural deaths per year,
approximately 50 are homicides, the balance being auto accidents,
drownings, suicides, etc. per the
US Department of State.
Next, the reader needs to understand that approximately 20 million
Americans visit Mexico each year, far more than any other country in the
world per the
US Dept Commerce. Therefore, we know that about 50 individuals out
of every 20 million US visitors to Mexico are murdered during a violent
crime every year while in Mexico.
Okay, let's take it a step further; let's determine where in Mexico
these violent crimes take place. When reviewing the data presented by
the US Department of State, you'll see that the majority of these
violent crimes occur in the border towns such as Ciudad Juarez and
Tijuana. Therefore, the next time you plan your winter vacation you
might want to avoid these areas; they're probably about as dangerous as
Chicago, Detroit, or Los Angeles! Instead of vacationing in beautiful
downtown Juarez, you might want to consider a resort destination such as
Cancun, Cozumel, Cabo San Lucas, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, Huatulco,
or Puerto Vallarta.
As 13 year residents of Puerto Vallarta, we can attest to the safety of
this magnificent resort destination south of the border where the
possession of hand guns is prohibited and violent crime is virtually
nonexistent. For proof of this claim, we'll first determine the number
of US citizens that visit PV annually and then get the facts related to
violent crime in the area.
There are in excess of 200 cruise ships that visit PV from the US every
year with an average of more than 2,000 passengers each; i.e.
approximately 400,000 passengers arriving annually. During the six month
"high season", PV receives more than 50 international flights daily.
Let's assume that 40 are from the US carrying an average of 100
passengers on each plane; that's more than 700,000 passengers arriving
by air during the six winter months.
Next, let's assume that 30 planes arrive daily in PV during the six
summer months of which 20 are from the US; that's another 350,000
passengers arriving by air during the "low season". Finally, we'll
assume that another 50,000 people drive to PV every year. Totaling these
conservative numbers, we find that at least 1.5 million tourists from
the US visit Vallarta annually.
A number of websites such as
travels.com put the total number of visitors at 2 million, others
such as
puertovallarta.net peg it at 2.2 million - and assuming at least 75%
are from the US, our estimate of 1.5 million US visitors to PV per year
is quite accurate.
Now, let's return to the data from the US Department of State. You will
notice that during 2008, there were merely five non-natural deaths of US
visitors in Puerto Vallarta and only one was a homicide. (Chances are
that he was doing something or involved with something that he shouldn't
have been!). That's one violent death out of 1.5 million visitors for
the year or less than 0.7 per million.
According to US government provided data, the US has 6.2 violent deaths
annually per 100,000 residents. This information is readily available at
the
US Bureau of Justice and on other websites such as
cdc.gov. In other words, we have 62 homicides or violent crimes
resulting in death per million residents in the US, or 93 homicides per
1.5 million; i.e., 93 times as many as in Puerto Vallarta!
You'll notice that the author of the referenced article is from Toronto,
Canada; a beautiful city with a reputation for being quite safe, having
a homicide rate of only 3.1 homicides per 100,000 residents per the
Toronto Police Department or approximately half of that in the US.
Still, that equates to 31 per million residents or 46 murders per 1.5
million people, i.e. nearly 50 times as many as the number of Americans
murdered in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! For example, in 2007, Toronto, with
a population of 2,750,000 inhabitants, experienced 84 homicides or
approximately 31 per million people.
You'll also notice that the author of the article publishes his
propaganda on sites where feedback and comments are impossible; is it
any wonder? There have been plenty of knowledgeable folks that have read
preposterous articles such as the one addressed above and they too, are
voicing their opinions and commenting on websites such as
TheTruthAboutMexico.com. For the most part, these are people with
intimate knowledge of Mexico and if it were dangerous for Americans in
Mexico, they probably wouldn't be living or vacationing there on a
routine basis.
(Yes, I am biased and yes, I have an axe to grind [representing real
estate buyers in Puerto Vallarta]; but more importantly, I feel it
imperative for someone to set the record straight and not allow
misleading propaganda to be published on the Internet without being
challenged.)
In summarizing, the next time someone insinuates that traveling to or
vacationing in Mexico is dangerous for Americans, you can present the
facts to them. Hopefully, after reviewing this analytical approach with
the documented facts and figures provided by the US government, you'll
feel much more comfortable and inclined to visit our beautiful Paradise
south of the border, where you have nearly 100 times better odds of
surviving than in the good ol' US of A!
The
founder of Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Buyers' Agents (PVREBA), Jim
Scherrer is a retired entrepreneur who has owned property in Puerto
Vallarta for more than 25 years. Utilizing his experience and extensive
knowledge of the area, Jim's series of informative articles about travel
to and retirement in Puerto Vallarta reveal the recent changes that have
occurred in Vallarta, while dispelling the misconceptions about living
conditions in Mexico. For more
articles by Jim Scherrer, click HERE or visit
PVREBA.com.
Open wide! Amazing how this La Penita de Jaltemba pelican can open its
mouth so wide. Bill Bell photograph
Mexico's
Organized-Crime Squad Investigates Canadians Catherine Solyom - Montreal Gazette
go to original
January 08, 2010
Five Canadians detained in Mexico on New Year’s Eve are being
investigated by Mexico’s organized crime branch, according to EFE, a
Spanish-language news agency.
They are Eduardo Larenas, Daniel Jean, Eric Brochu, Daniele Ciampelletti
and Martín Giguère.
The five men were initially detained in Puerto Vallarta by municipal
police along with seven Mexicans after a shooting erupted in a popular
nightclub. But the detainees were then transferred to the military
police.
According to Canada’s Foreign Affairs ministry, consular officials
continue to press for answers as to why the five men were held for four
days before the embassy was notified. They have expressed concern to
their Mexican counterparts about the mistreatment of the men in
detention. The ministry refused yesterday to confirm the identities of
those detained, however, or provide any further information.
According to EFE, the men are in the custody of the SIEDO, Mexico’s
anti-organized crime unit. They were stopped in the state of Jalisco,
where the Sinaloa drug cartel is known to operate. But a spokesperson
for the Mexican attorney-general’s office, Viviana Macias Vences,
specified that the Canadians have not been formally arrested and are
instead “in protective custody.” She couldn’t say under what conditions
the Canadians are being held.
Five
Quebecers Arrested in Mexico
Catherine Solyom - Canwest News
go to original
January 07, 2010
Montreal - Five Quebecers arrested in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on New
Year's Eve remain behind bars somewhere outside Mexico City, but it is
still unclear why they were detained and handed over to military police.
A spokesperson for Foreign Affairs would not release the names of the
five men, but did say that Canadian consular officials in Mexico City
are now in contact with them and their families in Canada, and have been
to visit the detainees twice since their arrest.
The Foreign Affairs department has also contacted its Mexican
counterpart, to address allegations of mistreatment and the delay by
Mexican authorities in informing the Canadian embassy of the arrests.
The detainees were not allowed to make any phone calls until Jan. 4,
five days after their arrests.
"At the request of the minister (Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence
Cannon), a diplomatic note was sent to the Mexican Foreign Ministry to
underscore the Government of Canada's concern with late consular
notification and the allegations of mistreatment," said press secretary
Natalie Sarafian in a statement.
No one contacted in Mexico could confirm whether or not the arrests were
connected to a shooting inside the Mandala, a popular night club in
Puerto Vallarta around 6 a.m. Dec. 31, where one police officer was shot
in the head.
Never smile at Crocodile when you visit Jan and Bill Poteat's House in
La Penita, Bill Bell Photograph
Harvest workers keep the wine presses busy at
L'Escuelita, a cooperative winery and winemaking school. (Mike
Dunne/The Bee)
Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico – Hot, dusty, rattled by rocks and ruts of
the road, and as confused as lost conquistadors, we slump into chairs at
the reception office of the inn Adobe Guadalupe.
Minerva Cerda, graciously bearing dewy glasses of a bright rosé,
materializes immediately through a side door. With the first sip – a
gulp, actually – we relax, stop worrying about the car's undercarriage
and begin to look more closely at our surroundings.
Though Adobe Guadalupe has just six rooms, it's one sprawling hacienda,
with a massive fountain in the courtyard, a winery off to one side, a
pool and hot tub on the other, collections of teacups and cut crystal
artfully arranged here and there, and three galumphing Weimaraners
enjoying the run of the place.
We glance out doorways and windows, seeing vineyards roll in orderly
rows across the vast valley floor. It looks like the Napa Valley, but
we're in Baja California.
More specifically, we're wrapping up our first day in Valle de
Guadalupe, about half an hour northeast of Ensenada, a coastal party
town roughly 70 miles south of San Diego.
In Ensenada, the tourist draws are fish tacos and beer. In Valle de
Guadalupe, it's wine. There's not much here other than vineyards and
wineries, slowly squeezing out the orange and olive groves, alfalfa
fields and horse farms that have long set the tone for the valley's rich
agrarian history.
Wine lovers won't be disappointed with what they find in the hot, arid
Valle de Guadalupe. Although swine flu and fear of violence have
deterred many Americans from visiting, we couldn't resist it.
An estimated 80 to 90 percent of the wine made in Mexico is made in Baja
California, and most of that is produced by the 30 or more wineries in
this valley. The producers range from corporate giants to boutiques no
bigger than a one-car garage.
Although most of Baja is desert, Valle de Guadalupe benefits from its
proximity to the Pacific Ocean and by topography similar to Santa
Barbara County. In both viticultural areas, maritime breezes stream east
though a gap in the coastal hills and are more or less confined by
ridges, providing cool breaks from torrid temperatures, helping maintain
the sugar and acid balance crucial for expressive wine grapes.
Wineries are apt to be far back on a washboard road or tucked in a
ravine up a tortuous path best traversed with a high-riding
four-wheel-drive beater.
"I like to tell people that this is off-roading in the wine country,"
says Steve Dryden, a retired U.S. National Park Service naturalist who
came here a decade ago to write about wine and guide tours.
Our first stop on Day 2 is Vinicola L.A. Cetto, one of the larger and
more historic wineries in the valley, dating from 1974. Out front,
members of the Kumai tribe oversee a table at which they sell bundles of
fresh rosemary and sage, and baskets woven with pine needles.
Inside, Camillo Magoni, the native Italian who has been Cetto's
winemaker from the start, is lining up bottles to showcase the winery's
portfolio, from an inexpensive everyday petite sirah to a pricey blend
of cabernet sauvignon, nebbiolo and montepulciano he makes every five
years to salute the winery's founder, fellow Italian Angelo Cetto.
"Mexico is known for tequila, beaches, archaeology, Corona and spring
break, and in the near future for wine, I hope so," says Magoni.
He's been involved in the valley's wine trade since 1965 and has seen it
evolve from a focus on large yields for simple brandy to today's
intensifying concentration on small yields, premium varietals and
high-end proprietary blends. The brandy has all but disappeared,
succeeded by dry table wines, Magoni says.
"This is the best area in Baja for wines, but it's not the only one," he
boasts, noting that such neighboring valleys as Las Palmas to the north
and Santo Tomas and San Vicente to the south also yield fruit for fine
wine.
While demand for Mexican wine is growing, particularly in Mexico City,
Guadalajara and resort cities with a sophisticated and affluent
clientele, vintners say, Baja's wine trade is hamstrung by forces
natural and bureaucratic. Drought, coupled with Ensenada's tapping of
the Guadalupe River, is keeping growers from expanding for fear they
won't have adequate water to irrigate their grapes.
And then there are Mexico's mysterious, cumbersome and onerous wine
taxes, which inflate the price of a bottle between 35 percent and 40
percent if it is sold beyond the winery.
"It's almost impossible for a winery our size to comply with the federal
regulations to get that government sticker so we can sell to hotels and
restaurants," says Miguel Fuentes, vineyard manager and winemaker at his
family's Vinos Fuentes winery on the southern outskirts of Francisco
Zarco.
"Producing grapes, making your own wine, and selling your wine on your
own property is a lot easier to do," adds Fuentes, a Mexicali native who
graduated from UC Davis with a degree in international agriculture
development in 1992.
Like several of the valley's other boutique vintners, he's hoping the
area continues to develop the infrastructure to become as well-known as
an appellation as it is as a day trip for tour groups out of Ensenada.
But today, Valle de Guadalupe is a rustic wine region with just a
handful of posh accommodations and only a couple of restaurants with
ambitiously artistic food. Like the Napa Valley of half a century ago,
it is occupied primarily by farmworkers and pioneering winemakers, and
only essential businesses – the Pemex gas station, mini-markets,
panaderias, taquerias. Fashion boutiques and spas are a long way down
the road.
Wine enthusiasts who want something to do after they've exhausted their
palates pretty much are limited to horseback riding, mountain biking and
hiking, or they can head to Ensenada for sport fishing or golf.
On the other hand, anyone seeking a change of pace from the
competitiveness and congestion often encountered in Northern California
wine regions, as well as some welcome solitude, will find Valle de
Guadalupe comforting – unless they step out of the car and almost get
hit by a youngster galloping by on his horse, as happened to me in
Francisco Zarco.
"Most guests have an agenda when they get to the valley, but once they
get to our place they stay and relax," says Nathan Malagon, whose
family's Vinedos Malagon includes a small and secluded bed-and-breakfast
bordering an old grenache vineyard tucked up against the foothills just
to the north of Francisco Zarco.
Not that Valle de Guadalupe entirely lacks archaeological, historic and
cultural attractions. The most curious stem from the immigration in 1905
of Russian Molokans, pacifists who fled the mother country rather than
fight for the czar. They congregated just southwest of Francisco Zarco,
in an area to become known as El Porvenir, or "the future."
Today, the valley has three small Molokan museums, two across the street
from each other in Francisco Zarco, where the cemetery has almost as
many headstones in Russian as Spanish. (Explanatory signs in the
museums, however, invariably are in Spanish and Russian, not English.)
The third museum is at Vinos Bibayoff, owned by David Bibayoff Dalgoff,
a member of one of the last two Molokan families in the valley, in
Rancho Toros Pintos, just south of Francisco Zarco and El Porvenir.
Dalgoff, who in the winery's museum shows off the framed government
permit his grandfather, Alexie M. Dalgoff, got in 1931 to make wine,
tends 40 acres of grapes, most of which he sells to other vintners.
Under his own label, he makes a fleshy and herbal cabernet sauvignon, a
sweet zinfandel and a spicy port.
Big and convivial, Dalgoff represents the relaxed and casual attitude of
much of the valley's wine community.
"When the gate is open, we are here," says Dalgoff, when asked when
Vinos Bibayoff is open to the public.
No less enamored with Valle de Guadalupe's wine prospects is ceramic
artist Ivette Vaillard, who moved into the valley from Veracruz 27 years
ago, acquired a half-acre of hardscrabble hillside and without
electricity began to plant pomegranate, macadamia, walnut, olive and
pear trees, the fruit of which she sells at the local farmers market.
She also began to cultivate wine grapes and with two other women created
Tres Mujeres Winery. They make mostly perfumey and juicy cabernet
sauvignons. They sell their production out of their cellar, where they
tunneled deep into the granite under vineyard and orchard to scoop out
one of the few wine caves in the valley.
Throughout my tastings I'd been trying to pin down stylistic threads
that tie one wine to another in hopes of understanding what sets apart
the wines of Valle de Guadalupe from releases in other regions. The task
is complicated by the wide variability in style and quality among
producers.
Some are as coarse as wines made by a not particularly attentive home
winemaker, while others are startling for their complexity, elegance and
balance.
When I ask vintners what broadly distinguishes the wines of Valle de
Guadalupe, they also struggle to come up with an answer, an indication
of the region's youth and continuing experimentation. Ivette Vaillard,
on the other hand, nails it: "Compared with other countries, they are
heavy wines, they have a lot of body."
True, regardless of whether the wine is white, rosé or red, varietal or
blend, dry or sweet, the wines of Valle de Guadalupe tend to have a
richness to them, a fleshiness, a ripeness stopping just shy of being
overripe. That's generally speaking. Exceptions can be found, such as
that lean, crisp and spicy rosé that first welcomed us into the area at
Adobe Guadalupe. See sidebar:
Accommodations, Restaurants, Wineries, and More Information
Having problems with Telemex? You can call an English speaking operator for
problems with your internet and phone 01 800 123 0004
Mexico: A
Tough Year Ahead Emilio Godoy - Inter Press Service
go to original
January 06, 2010
This year will be extremely
difficult, with recovery expected to be very slow and it is
likely to feature low job creation and lower wage increases.
- Enrique Dussel
Mexico City - Steep price hikes for goods and services and higher taxes
foreshadow a new year fraught with economic difficulties for most
Mexicans.
Mexicans faced new year announcements of price rises for gasoline and
other fuels, natural gas, electricity, fees for procedures at government
offices, public transport and telecommunications, as well as an increase
in value added tax (VAT) and income tax (ISR), among others, which add
to the traditional burden of January, after the outlays for the festive
season.
This year "will be extremely difficult, with recovery (from the economic
crisis) expected to be very slow, especially after a disastrous 2009,
and it is likely to feature low job creation and lower wage increases,"
Enrique Dussel, coordinator of the China-Mexico Studies Centre at the
Economics Faculty of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, told
IPS.
The government of conservative Mexican President Felipe Calderón decided
to raise the retail prices of fuels, electricity and liquefied natural
gas, used mainly in homes for cooking and heating water, in order to
boost depleted public revenues.
By raising the price of gasoline in December, Calderón broke a national
agreement in favour of the family economy and employment, reached in
January 2009, which stipulated fuel prices would be frozen for one year.
The government is seeking to mitigate a 23 billion dollar public
deficit.
Meanwhile, the leftwing administration of the Mexican capital decided to
increase the price of transport on the city metro system, as well as
local taxes and charges for administrative procedures, to shore up its
own finances.
The cost of the basic basket of goods went up by 30 percent in Mexico
City in the first few days of January, according to surveys, with
essential items like rice, beans, lentils, maize, eggs and sugar
becoming more expensive.
"The middle class will face economic strangulation, with job losses,
lower consumption and payments falling due for mortgage and consumer
loans," Alfonso Ramírez, founder and head of El Barzón, an organisation
of users of financial services that arose after the 1995 crisis which
decimated savings in current accounts, told IPS.
In 2009, Mexico was one of the Latin American countries hit hardest by
the global economic and financial crisis, which originated in its
northern neighbour, the United States.
The poverty rate increased from 31.7 to 34.8 percent, according to the
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). Over
400,000 jobs were lost, GDP shrank by between seven and eight percent,
oil prices - the government's main source of revenue - fell, and
inflation rose to nearly four percent.
Last November Calderón announced the recession in the country was over,
but it is unclear what indicators his statement was based on.
Prospects for this year are not auspicious. The authorities expect the
economy to grow by three percent, and say inflation will be higher than
five percent.
But they also hope 400,000 new jobs will be created.
Although the government uses the slogan "Living Better" in its official
advertising, few Mexicans are experiencing this in real life.
Emerging from the recession "does not mean much to the vast majority of
the population, who are hit by price hikes in goods and services without
any compensation in terms of income or job opportunities," the newspaper
El Universal said in its editorial on Monday.
A recent poll by another newspaper, Reforma, reported that 42 percent of
interviewees said economic growth and more employment would be the best
gifts in 2010.
Respondents in a similar poll carried out by El Universal said they
believed the economic situation this year would be worse than in 2009.
Late last year the minimum daily wage was raised by nearly five percent
to about five dollars a day.
"The employment and wage situation is particularly worrying, as for
years now it has seemed that things couldn't possibly get worse, and yet
they continue to do so," Dussel said.
Over the last decade, Mexico's economy has grown by an average of 1.8
percent a year, one of the lowest growth rates in the region.
"We are going to experience another wave of extremely high food prices,
and the government has no plans to cope with this," Ramírez said.
In March, El Barzón will be holding a National Consumers Convention in
the Mexican capital which will focus on food prices and the cost of
financial services.
As 2010 began, industrial import tariffs were lowered to an average
level of 5.3 percent, among the lowest in Latin America, according to
the World Trade Organisation. Mexico is therefore more exposed to the
influx of manufactured goods from abroad.
The tariffs will be reduced to an average of 4.3 percent by 2013,
according to the government's trade liberalisation plans.
Canada
Lends Mexico 5 Million Doses Of H1N1 Vaccine
go to original
January 07, 2010
So far, 40 to 45 percent of Canadians have
been immunized against the swine flu.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Health Minister Leona Aqlukkaq said
Wednesday Canada will lend to Mexico five million doses of Influenza
A (H1N1) vaccine. Ottawa will begin the shipments this week. Mexico
will replenish the swine flu shots by the end of March.
Aglukkaq stressed the vaccines are being lent, not donated. Health
observers are wondering why Canada, despite its surplus of H1N1
vaccine, would lend instead of give to its poorer North American
neighbor.
Mexico's request for assistance is timely since demand for H1N1
vaccine in Canada is on a decline, while the country still has about
25 million doses of unused immunization shots out of the 50.4
million it ordered from GlaxoSmithKline.
The 50.4 million doses of vaccine order was premised on Canadians
needing two shots of the H1N1 vaccine, but it turned out most of
them need only one dose. So far, 40 to 45 percent of Canadians have
been immunized against the swine flu.
While Mexico - one of the worst hit nations by the swine flu - has
ordered more H1N1 vaccine from different pharmaceutical firms,
deliveries are scheduled only by the end of January.
Calderón: We
Are Not Standing Idly By in the Fight Against Crime Suzanne Stephens Waller - Presidencia de la República
go to original
January 09, 2010
President Felipe Calderón leads the 21st
Meeting of Mexican Ambassadors and Consuls. (Presidencia de la
República)
President Felipe Calderón stressed that the battle his administration
has waged against crime and organized crime is designed to preserve the
security and tranquility of citizens.
He also pointed out that it should not be assumed that this problem will
be solved by standing idly be, as some people hope.
“This is a serious problem in which the President will take the lead and
will involve heavy costs in terms of time, because it cannot to solved
in the short term; and money, which is why we have virtually doubled the
budget for the country’s security and unfortunately, human lives,” he
said.
At the 21st Meeting of Mexican Ambassadors and Consuls, the President
instructed members of the Mexican Foreign Service to speak well of
Mexico in order to dispel the mistaken image those abroad have of the
country.
“I know that events have attracted the media's attention, creating
distorted or mistaken perceptions about the scope of the problem we
have, but it is crucial to gauge its true dimension."
“In short, one can dissent or criticize but one can also speak well of
Mexico and we must speak well of Mexico. This is true for any Mexican,
particularly for those of us in public positions and particularly for
those in the foreign office," he said.
Accompanied by members of his cabinet, President Calderón stressed that
in 2010, Mexico needs public figures to act with unity of purpose and
action, overcoming ideological differences, since Mexicans have the
obligation to reflect and contribute to the country's political, social
and economic strength.
“In this year of the Bicentennial, I think that Mexicans must draw some
lessons from the nation's history. A key one is that the lack of unity
destroyed us in the past, and curbed the country’s progress,” he said.
Addressing nearly a hundred ambassadors and consuls, the President
declared that it is also important for people to know about the real
situation in Mexico regarding human rights, where the main challenge is
the construction of an effective Rule of Law.
He regretted the fact that there are Mexicans who speak badly of the
country and regarded it as important to understand that there is a
national interest above any particular interest.
“The main attacks on life, patrimony, freedom and human rights do not
come from Government but rather from organized crime. There are states
in the country where they say: There is violence here because Federal
Government intervened; there are states in the country that request the
intervention of the Federal Forces and then say: No. there is violence
here because Government intervened. That is not true. Federal government
intervenes when there is violence, not the other way around,” he
explained.
President Felipe Calderón also paid tribute to Ambassador Carlos Rico
Ferrat, who died on Monday and was an exceptional diplomat and academic
who dedicated his life to serving Mexico.
Mixed Slowpitch
Just a reminder that Mixed slowpitch is Wed at 11 AM at the ball
diamond next to the Guayabitos PEMEX. All welcome. We share gloves so
even if you don't have one come on out.
Click the ad to go to our site
Amigos de Lo de Marcos Fundraiser
Date:
Saturday, 06 February 2010
Time:
15:00 - 22:00
Location:
Plaza Principal, Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, Mexico
This event raises funds that enable Amigos de Lo de Marcos to
help the community of Lo de Marcos. Amigos projects last year
included repairing bathrooms at the Elementary School, building
garbage collection centers, providing transportation for Senior
Citizens, building Recycling Bins, etc. There will be Live
Music, auctions, raffles, and Great Food!! Donations for auction
gratefully accepted!
Driving
Safely in Mexico
Driving safely in Mexico tips by Bill and Dot
Bell
Book Takes
Mexico Drug War to Task Ken Ellingwood - Los Angeles Times
go to original
January 04, 2010
Soldiers at a Mexico City military school line
up before leaving to aid in drug crop eradication. Two former
top officials write in a recent book critical of the
government's campaign against narcotics traffickers, "If what is
good for us is decriminalization, that is what we should fight
for." (Dario Lopez-Mills/Associated Press)
Mexico City - Almost everything to do with the Mexican government's war
against drugs is wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
The threat from narco-trafficking is overblown. Fighting cartels won't
stop the flow of illegal drugs or erase Mexican corruption. The real
battle over drugs lies on the U.S. side of the border.
That's the gist of a provocative new book that challenges virtually
every premise on which Mexican President Felipe Calderon has based his
3-year-old offensive against drug cartels.
"El Narco: La Guerra Fallida" ("Narco: The Failed War"), by two top
officials under Calderon's predecessor, Vicente Fox, is one of the first
book-length looks at the crackdown launched by Calderon when he took
office in December 2006.
The Spanish-language book, which has sold well here, is controversial
and stubbornly contrarian, to the point of suggesting that Mexico might
be better off coming to terms with the drug capos and focusing on
smaller-bore crimes that plague Mexicans.
"Calderon could have easily launched a major crusade against insecurity,
violence and unorganized crime, on the type of minor misdemeanors that
gave birth to Rudy Giuliani's zero tolerance stance in New York," the
authors assert. "But that crusade would never have unleashed the
passions, support or sense of danger that a full-fledged war on drugs
actually did."
In "El Narco," former Fox spokesman Ruben Aguilar and former Foreign
Minister Jorge Castaneda attempt an end run past the usual debate over
whether the Calderon anti-crime strategy is working. Instead, they
maintain that the offensive was unnecessary, and they seek to poke holes
in many of the reasons Calderon has offered for launching a campaign
that has claimed more than 15,000 lives.
The president's assertion that Mexico faced a crisis of deepening drug
consumption at home? They present figures showing that though domestic
use has risen, it is minuscule compared with countries such as the
United States.
Calderon's contention that drug violence had reached alarming levels
when he decided to act? The authors quote studies showing that the
nation's overall homicide rate had been in decline for years. (It has
gone up since.)
"Why in the world was it necessary to declare an all-out war against the
cartels because of growing violence, when violence was actually
diminishing?" the authors ask.
The book argues that U.S. drug use - the motor of the violent
trafficking industry - is largely unaffected by Mexico's enforcement
actions. The answer for Mexico, it says, lies in swinging debate north
of the border in favor of drug decriminalization or legalization.
"If what is good for us is decriminalization, that is what we should
fight for," write Aguilar and Castaneda, a leftist intellectual and
commentator who is the better known of the two.
The authors propose some public-safety measures, including creation of a
national police force and a no-fly zone over southern Mexico. But rather
than send troops to fight drug cartels, they argue, Mexico should focus
on limiting the "collateral damage" that most aggrieves Mexicans:
kidnappings, extortion, car theft and corruption.
This could mean "tacit quid pro quos" with gangs to get them to keep
down criminal mayhem in Mexico's streets, the writers say, but it
doesn't require a formal handshake.
"The narcos understand," they say. "If they were imbeciles, they
wouldn't be rich."
Aguilar and Castaneda contend that in launching the drug offensive, the
conservative Calderon sought to win legitimacy for his presidency after
a disputed election victory in 2006. That thesis is heard often on the
Mexican left.
Calderon hasn't directly referred to the authors, but he has sharply
criticized those who he says would have Mexico run from the drug war or
cut deals with traffickers. He says such approaches would "erode the
foundations that support our society, as a state based on law."
Calderon has frequently characterized his crime crackdown as an attempt
to clean and modernize a system that had become thoroughly corrupted
through decades of official acceptance of the drug trade, or even
outright collusion with it.
Last month, he urged Mexicans to "ignore those who naively want the
government to just walk away from the fight, as if the problems would
solve themselves by magic."
The outspoken authors of "El Narco" are uncharacteristically spare when
it comes to solving Mexico's graft problem. They agree that drug-related
corruption has long been part of the Mexican landscape, especially in
small towns, but are skeptical of reports that traffickers' penetration
of the system had hit grave new depths when Calderon sent troops into
the streets.
"This is Mexico, not Norway," they write. "Narcos' complicity with
municipal, state and federal authorities wasn't born yesterday." ken.ellingwood(at)latimes.com
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Bus Plunges
Off Cliff in Northern Mexico; 14 Dead Associated Press
go to original
January 03, 2010
Tijuana, Mexico — A bus carrying farm workers and their families home
plunged off a cliff in northern Mexico on Saturday, killing 14 people
and injuring 21.
The bus was traveling along a treacherously winding stretch of highway
before dawn when it veered off at high speed over a cliff halfway
between the border cities of Tijuana and Mexicali, according to reports
from police and prosecutors.
Baja California state prosecutors said the bus fell about 330 feet (100
meters) and broke in two, scattering luggage, seats and passengers along
the slope below the highway.
The cause of the crash was under investigation. One man injured in the
crash told investigators the bus appeared to have brake trouble before
the wreck and quoted the drivers as saying a mechanic would be available
in Mexicali.
Among the 14 dead were two young boys and an infant. Nine men and two
women died.
The bus was transporting the workers from El Papalote ranch in the
Pacific coast town of San Quintin to another ranch hundreds of miles
(kilometers) south, in Villa Juarez outside the Sinaloa state capital of
Culiacan.
Among 21 people treated for injuries at nearby hospitals were five
children, ages 8 months to 10 years, listed in serious or delicate
condition.
Banks to Charge Only One Fee for ATM Use The News
go to original
January 01, 2010
A client
withdraws money from an
automatic teller machine (ATM)
of BBVA Bancomer in Mexico City
on Wednesday. (The News)
Mexico City - In 2010, the Bank of
Mexico (Banxico) will inact a new
regulation in order to prevent undue
commission fee charges for ATM users.
The effort won't be easy, said Banxico
Director of Operations Systems and
Payments, Ricardo Medina. He
acknowledged that there is currently no
limit to the commission fee “we will be
vigilant regarding the rate of increase
in order to determine whether or not
another type of regulation will be
required.”
Last October the central bank reported
that from next year banks will only
charge cardholders once for ATM
transactions, after detecting that banks
were charging ATM users double
commissions without informing them of
the charges. The change is to enter into
effect from 15 January and 30 April, the
new regulation will limit the number of
commission fees charged and require
banks to notify users of the fees before
charging them.
In an interview Ricardo Medina explained
that with these measures the central
bank will resolve a problem with
transparency in ATM operations. “We
think that it is very healthy and
recommendable for cardholders who use
ATMs that before they realize their
transaction they clearly understand how
much the bank will charge them for the
transaction and on the basis of this
authorize the transaction.”
“It has become common practice that each
bank, that which issued the card and
that which operates the ATM, each
charges a commission of their own.” In
these cases the cardholders do not
realize they will be charged twice “and
this can become quite expensive.”
In the face of this situation Banxico
has outlined within the new regulation
that banks will have until 15 January,
2010 in order to regularize and make
transparent their commission charges for
transactions where the ATM operator and
bankcard are from the same bank, and
until 30 April for different
institutions.”
Ricardo Medina emphasized that “through
the new regulation Banxico will
eliminate one of these two commissions.
The ATM operator will have the right to
charge the commission and if the ATM
operator decides to charge the
commission then the bank that issued the
card will no longer be able to charge a
commission fee.” He said that there
still does not exist a limit on rate of
commission that can be charged
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The Perez Brothers and the Puerto
Vallarta Chamber Players to Entertain at Fiesta 2010
The Perez Brothers and the Puerto
Vallarta Chamber Players have been confirmed to entertain at Fiesta
2010.
Fiesta 2010
- a gala fundraising event in support of Los Amigos de La Peñita
will be held on Sunday, January 31 from 1:00 to 5:00 at the
award-winning home of Thomas Bartlett in La Peñita.
This
extravaganza will include an open bar and hors d’oeuvres.There will be a new live auction as well as a silent auction
featuring a host of valuable items.
Tickets
will be available for a donation of 750 pesos per person.Tickets can be obtained at
Xaltemba Restaurant, Daniel’s Backstreet , Latitude 21, Bold
Development, Hidden Paradise Real Estate, Casita de La Peñita,
Posada Las Flores (Los
Ayala), Beach Dog Boarding & Salon (Lo de Marcos) as well as at the
Tianguis every Thursday.You can also get them through Allyson Williams at
MexicanaAlly@att.net,
Christina Stobbs at
christina.stobbs@gmail.com, Jerry Aschenbrenner
at the La Peñita RV Park or
at the Tianguis every Thursday.
Funds
raised will be used to support a variety of Los Amigos projects
including: our plastics recycling program, building and maintenance
projects at local schools, beach clean-ups and scholarships for
needy students.
Christian Groups Try to Reverse Mexican Gay Marriage Law Agence France-Presse
go to original
January 09, 2010
The capital's legislature approved gay
marriage on December 21, in the first such law passed
anywhere in Latin America.
Mexico City - Christian groups on Thursday said they had asked
Mexico's attorney general to overturn a newly-voted Mexico City law
allowing gay marriage and the possibility of adoption, because it
was "unconstitutional."
The capital's legislature approved gay marriage on December 21, in
the first such law passed anywhere in Latin America.
The Contraternice group of Evangelical churches and the College of
Catholic Lawyers said they believed the new law that "allows
marriage between people of the same sex and the possibility to
adopt" was unconstitutional, a statement said.
The complaint was based on "Christian principles," but also included
legal issues on which the Supreme Court should decide, including
possible violations of the Constitution and the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, it added.
The Mexico City law changes the meaning of marriage from "a free
union between a man and a woman" to "a free union between two
people."
The Mexican capital authorized civil unions for homosexuals in
November 2006 and decriminalized abortion in April 2007, contrasting
with mostly conservative policies across the largely Catholic
nation.
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Bigfoot Truck Camper
2001 Model 3000, Series – Excellent Condition,
Queen size Bed, Dinette which converts to
second bed
Range/Oven, Furnace, Double Sink, Full Shower
and
Bathroom, Microwave, Air Conditioner, Two
Awnings,
TV in Bedroom, Electric Jacks. Immediate
possession.
See Tom at Oasis Trailer Park – Phone
322-116-6072
Carnival
Bans Cougar Cruises: Older Women Looking for Younger Men on the High
Seas Told to Go Elsewhere Sebastian Lander - Daily Mail UK
go to original
January 09, 2010
Hide and seek: There is a growing number of
events for older women and younger men who are attracted to each
other.
A cruise line has banned events aimed at older women searching for
younger men from taking place on its ships. Last month, U.S.-based The
Society of Single Professionals and The Singles Travel Company held
their 'International Cougar Cruise' aboard Carnival's Elation on a
three-night trip from San Diego in California to Mexico.
The 300 places booked for the event on the 2,052-capacity ship were
swiftly snapped up and there was even a waiting list of eager cougars -
the name given to older women - and 'cubs' - the younger men attracted
to them.
A spokesperson for Carnival made its position clear, saying: "This theme
group was not sponsored nor organised by Carnival but rather by a travel
agent and the cruise line will not be allowing any future groups to be
booked and marketed under this theme."
But Rich Gosse, chairman of The Society of Single Professionals, said
the event had been a success.
He said: "We are grateful to Carnival for helping us with the world's
first International Cougar Cruise. Their cruise staff were wonderful,
and our cougars and cubs had a great experience.
"[It] was such a tremendous success, we are doing it again - twice!"
The 'West Coast Cougar Cruise' will visit the Mexican Riviera from May
16 - 23, leaving from Los Angeles and stopping in at the ports of Cabo
San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, aboard Royal Caribbean's
Mariner of the Seas.
The 'East Coast Cougar Cruise' will take place from December 3 - 6
departing from Miami and visiting the Bahamas with cruise line NCL.
Mr Gosse added: '"In addition, we are currently negotiating the
Australian Cougar Cruise for 2010. "We hope the 2010 cougar cruises will
be even more popular and more fun. British cougars and cubs are most
welcome to join us!"
Become a Friend of Nayarit on Face book
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New with travel guide information added!
Pacific Coast Road, Driving and Travel Guide Log 2010
Driving in Mexico just got a little safer with the
release of México Road Logs - A comprehensive compilation of road logs
of the Mexican Highway system researched and created by Bill and Dot
Bell (www.ontheroadin.com).
They have just released the updated version of their successful Nogales
to Puerto Vallarta road Log and Travel Guide.
The Mexico Road Log and Driving Guides give details
of what to expect along major travel routes when visiting different
areas of Mexico. "Far more than a simple map, these road logs detail
intersections, driving directions, points of interest, and provide
important information on driving hazards that even current GPS systems
do not track" said Dot Bell. "The Road Logs are a must for those who are
driving throughout the Baja, Pacific, Gulf Coast, and the Interior of
Mexico."
According to Insurance Guru Jim Labelle President
of Mexpro (the largest insurance supplier to Canadians and Americans
entering Mexico ) the Road Logs will make car and RV travel in Mexico
less intimidating. "For years, our clients have asked us for updated
road logs of Mexico," Labelle said.
"The Mexico Road Logs provide our customers with
additional peace of mind and will allow them to have a more enjoyable
Mexico travel experience. They may even prevent U-turns and collisions!
By using the Mexico Road Logs, our clients will experience less stress
and have a more relaxed driving experience, which should also help
Mexpro with reduced claims that in the past have resulted from customers
getting lost or losing their composure," Labelle said.
The Mexico Road Logs are updated, simple to read,
easy to use, and offer the perfect solution to people who want to drive
and enjoy Mexico.
The Bell's originally designed the Mexico Road Log
for a Caravan they were leading down Mexico's West Coast. "We wanted to
list every individual gas station and identifier so folks wouldn't get
lost. We wanted to warn them of every turn and hazard along the way,"
says Bell. "They were such a hit and even the people who have driven
Mexican Roads for years were asking for them. They wanted to be reminded
where the next gas station was, if it sold diesel or where the next
Military checkpoint was likely to be."
The Bell's are experts in Mexico Travel and have
led conferences, seminars and special classes about driving and travel
in Mexico throughout Canada and the USA. They have the most
comprehensive travel website on Mexico Driving, RVing and Camping and
are now working with Mexpro to distribute Mexico Road Logs in an
easy-to-use interactive download.
Available at http://www.ontheroadin.com.
How to download and buy the Road Log
Click on the buy now button and you will be directed to a merchants page.
Once you pay for the road log you will redirected to an easy to use download
page where you will be able to receive your product immediately. Now only
$9.99
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Come celebrate our Grand Opening
Just
as impressive is their evolutionary history: that the study of
fossils indicates is that cetaceans evolved from four-legged,
terrestrial ancestors that made their way back to the seas around 55
million years ago. The existing 83 species of Cetaceans are
subcategorized into two main groups: the toothed whales (odontocetes)
and baleen whales (mysticetes)- with both types inhabiting
the Mexican coast of the Pacific Ocean. This article will focus on
the toothed species that you may see in the Riviera Nayarit; next
week will highlight the baleen species as there are significant
differences between the whale types. 
The
founder of Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Buyers' Agents (PVREBA), Jim
Scherrer is a retired entrepreneur who has owned property in Puerto
Vallarta for more than 25 years. Utilizing his experience and extensive
knowledge of the area, Jim's series of informative articles about travel
to and retirement in Puerto Vallarta reveal the recent changes that have
occurred in Vallarta, while dispelling the misconceptions about living
conditions in Mexico.
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For
more information or to make an appointment, contact Pamela Thompson, a
registered nurse who has lived in Puerto Vallarta for over 17 years, 10
of them in health care. Pamela now leads HealthCare Resources Puerto
Vallarta, a local healthcare resource network. Her years of experience
and expertise are available to you by emailing your questions to
pamela(at)healthcareresourcespv.com or by visiting
Complaints Against providers of tourist services
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