The Influence of the French in Mexico

www.pvmcitypaper.com
Issue 401
Saturday 9 to Friday 15
July - 2016
requested, so when you’re ready to leave,
ask «La cuenta, por favor» and your bill
will be delivered to you.
MONEY EXCHANGE: Although
you may have to wait in line for a few
minutes, remember that the banks will
give you a higher rate of exchange than the
exchange booths (caja de cambio). Better
yet, if you have a «bank card», withdraw
funds from your account back home. Try
to avoid exchanging money at your hotel.
Traditionally, those offer the worst rates.
I
f you’ve been meaning to find a little information on the region,
but never quite got around to it, we hope that the following will help.
If you look at the maps on this page, you will note that PV (as the locals call
it) is on the west coast of Mexico, smack in the middle of the Bay of Banderas
- one of the largest bays in this country - which includes southern part of the
state of Nayarit to the north and the northern part of Jalisco to the south.
Thanks to its privileged location -sheltered by the Sierra Madre mountainsthe Bay is well protected against the hurricanes spawned in the Pacific.
Hurricane Kenna did come close on October 25, 2002, but actually touched
down in San Blas, Nayarit, some 200 kms north of PV.
The town sits on the same parallel as the Hawaiian Islands,
thus the similarities in the climate of the two destinations.
AREA: 1,300 sq. kilometers
POPULATION: Approx. 325,000
inhabitants
CLIMATE: Tropical, humid, with
an average of 300 sunny days per year.
The temperature averages 28oC (82oF)
and the rainy season extends from late
June to early October.
allowed under certain circumstances
but fishing of any kind is prohibited.
Every year, the Bay receives the visit
of the humpback whales, dolphins and
manta rays in the winter. During the
summer, sea turtles, a protected species,
arrive to its shores to lay their eggs.
FAUNA: Nearby Sierra Vallejo
hosts a great variety of animal species
such as iguana, guacamaya, deer,
raccoon, etc.
ECONOMY: Local economy is
based mainly on tourism, construction
and to a lesser degree, on agriculture,
mainly tropical fruit such as mango,
papaya,
watermelon,
pineapple,
guanabana, cantaloupe and bananas.
SANCTUARIES:
Bahía
de
Banderas encloses two Marine
National Parks - Los Arcos and the
Marieta Islands - where diving is
CURRENCY: The Mexican Peso is
the legal currency in Mexico although
Canadian and American dollars are
widely accepted.
Index
BUSES: A system of urban buses with
different routes. Current fare is $7.50 Pesos
per ticket and passengers must purchase a
new ticket every time they board another
bus. There are no “transfers”.
TAXIS: There are set rates within
defined zones of the town. Do not enter
a taxi without agreeing on the price with
the driver FIRST. If you are staying in a
hotel, you may want to check the rates
usually posted in the lobby. Also, if you
know which restaurant you want to go,
do not let the driver change your mind.
Many restaurateurs pay commissions to
taxi drivers and you may end up paying
more than you should, in a secondrate establishment! There are 2 kinds
of taxi cabs: those at the airport and
the maritime port are usually vans that
can only be boarded there. They have
pre-fixed rates per passenger. City cabs
are yellow cars that charge by the ride,
not by passenger. When you ask to go
downtown, many drivers let you off at
the beginning of the area, near Hidalgo
Park. However, your fare covers the
ENTIRE central area, so why walk 10 to
15 blocks to the main plaza, the Church
or the flea market? Pick up a free map,
and insist on your full value from the
driver! Note the number of your taxi in
case of any problem, or if you forget
something in the cab. Then your hotel or
travel rep can help you check it out or
lodge a complaint.
TIME ZONE: The entire State of
Jalisco is on Central Time, as is the
area of the State of Nayarit from Lo
de Marcos in the north to the Ameca
River, i.e.: Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías,
La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Sayulita, San
Pancho, Punta Mita, etc. North of Lo
De Marcos, Guayabitos, La Peñita,
San Blas, etc. are on Mountain Time,
i.e.: one hour behind PV time.
TELEPHONE CALLS: Always
check on the cost of long distance
calls from your hotel room. Some
establishments charge as much as U.S.
$7.00 per minute!
CELL PHONES: Most cellular
phones from the U.S. and Canada may
be programmed for local use, through
Telcel and IUSAcell, the local carriers.
To dial cell to cell, use the prefix 322,
then the seven digit number of the
person you’re calling. Omit the prefix if
dialling a land line.
LOCAL CUSTOMS: Tipping is
usually 10%-15% of the bill at restaurants
and bars. Tip bellboys, taxis, waiters,
maids, etc. depending on the service.
Some businesses and offices close from
2 p.m. to 4 p.m., reopening until 7 p.m. or
later. In restaurants, it is considered poor
manners to present the check before it is
WHAT TO DO: Even if your allinclusive hotel is everything you ever
dreamed of, you should experience at
least a little of all that Vallarta has to
offer - it is truly a condensed version of
all that is Mexican and existed before
«Planned Tourist Resorts», such as
Cancun, Los Cabos and Ixtapa, were
developed. Millions have been spent to
ensure that the original “small town”
flavor is maintained downtown, in the
Old Town and on the South Side.
DRINKING WATER: The false belief
that a Mexican vacation must inevitably
lead to an encounter with Moctezuma’s
revenge is just that: false. For the 21st
year in a row, Puerto Vallarta’s water has
been awarded a certification of purity for
human consumption. It is one of only two
cities in Mexico that can boast of such
accomplishment. True, the quality of the
water tested at the purification plant varies
greatly from what comes out of the tap at
the other end. So do be careful. On the
other hand, most large hotels have their
own purification equipment and most
restaurants use purified water. If you want
to be doubly sure, you can pick up purified
bottled water just about anywhere.
EXPORTING PETS: Canadian and
American tourists often fall in love with
one of the many stray dogs and cats in
Vallarta. Many would like to bring it
back with them, but believe that the laws
do not allow them to do so. Wrong. If
you would like to bring a cat or a dog
back home, call the local animal shelter
for more info: 293-3690.
LOCAL SIGHTSEEING: A good
beginning would be to take one of the City
Tours offered by the local tour agencies.
Before boarding, make sure you have a
map and take note of the places you want
to return to. Then venture off the beaten
path. Explore a little. Go farther than the
tour bus takes you. And don’t worry this is a safe place.
Publisher / Editor:
Allyna Vineberg
[email protected]
Contributors:
Anna Reisman
Joe Harrington
Stan Gabruk
Krystal Frost
Giselle Belanger
Ronnie Bravo
Tommy Clarkson
Harriet Murray
Gabriella Namian
Canada, the United States,
and now… France!
Most of us have either read Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables”
or seen the movie, or both. It deals with the French
Revolution of 1789, celebrated nowadays as the birthday of
modern France – Le Jour de la Bastille (Bastille Day).
As we’ve done every year at this time, we offer you
a short summary of the days that led to it.
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Cover Photo:
“Gillian and the foal
at Quimixto”
by Gabriella Perry
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The Storming of the Bastille
Half past three on July 14, 1789, a huge, bloodthirsty mob marched
to the Bastille, searching for gun powder and prisoners that had been
taken by the unpopular and detested King, Louis XVI.
Even elements of the newly formed National Guard were present
at the assault. The flying rumors of attacks from the government and
the biting truth of starvation were just too much for the angry crowds.
The Bastille had been prepared for over a week, anticipating about a
hundred angry subjects. But nothing could have prepared the defenders for what they met that now famous day.
Along the thick rock walls of the gargantuan fortress and between
the towers were twelve more guns that were capable of launching
24-ounce case shots at any who dared to attack. However, the enraged Paris Commune was too defiant and too livid to submit to the
starvation and seeming injustice of their government.
The Bastille was governed by a man named de Launay. On July 7th,
thirty-two Swiss soldiers led by Lieutenant Deflue, came to aid de
Launay, helping him to prepare for a small mob. Rumors were flying
everywhere. De Launay was expecting a mob attack, but certainly
not a siege! The entire workforce of the Bastille had stealthily and
furiously been repairing the Bastille and reinforcing it, all to prepare
for a minor attack from a hundred or so angry citizens.
At three o’clock that afternoon, however, a huge group of French
guards and angry citizens tried to break into the fortress. There were
over three hundred people ready to give their lives to put an end to
their overtaxing and overbearing government.
Continued on Next Page...
However the Bastille was threatened
by more than the numerous crowds: three
hundred guards had left their posts earlier
that day, out of fear and from the rumors.
The besiegers easily broke into the Arsenal
and into the first courtyard, cut the drawbridge down, and then quickly got through
the wooden door behind it. They boldly
demanded that the bridges be lowered, but
they were refused. The Marquis de Launay
said he would surrender if his troops were
allowed to leave peacefully, but he was
simply rebuked. They wanted de Launay
on a noose or with his head in a basket.
The vicious crowds shouted for him to
lower the bridges. De Launay sent a note
to a mob leader named Hulin, claiming
that he had 20,000 pounds of gunpowder
and if the besiegers did not accept his offer,
he would annihilate the entire fortress, the
garrison, and everyone in it! Yet they still
refused. The bridges were finally lowered
on de Launay’s command, and he and his
soldiers were captured by the crowds and
dragged through the filthy streets of Paris.
The mob paraded through the streets,
showing off their captives, and crudely cutting off many heads. The National Guard
tried to stop the crowds from looting, but it
was useless. They continued marching on,
making their way to the Hotel de Ville.
Upon learning that the Bastille had been
taken, King Louis XVI, who was residing
at Versailles, was reported to have asked
an informer: “Is this a revolt?” and La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt said, “No, Sire, it is
a revolution.” Little did Louis know that
the mob’s next plan was to march to Versailles, and take him away with them.
The Influence of the French in Mexico
By
Ana Luz Velazquez
France’s influence on world history is
undeniable. It appears in the works of
many people and nations, and Mexico
is no exception.
The Independence of Mexico
French influence can be clearly established
in time: as of the 1810 War of Independence.
The leader of the movement was the priest of
the town of Dolores, Miguel Hidago y Costilla, a learned man. The basis of his libertarian
principles can be found in the books written
by philosophers Voltaire and Jean Jacques
Rousseau, and in the principles of equality, fraternity and liberty engendered by the
French Revolution.
But all did not end here. Liberal thinkers of
the recently acquired independence of Mexico in 1821 carried a patina of French ideology in their intellectual heritage.
In the end, the French - who claimed to be
enemies of absolutism and supporters of liberty, while belonging to a culture that was
highly influential on all things Mexican were able to settle in this country with great
ease, dedicating themselves to commerce,
small industry and handicrafts.
The French Intervention (1862 – 1867)
In the second half of the 19th Century,
French culture was slowly seeping into
Mexican society. The arrival of Maximilian
of Hapsburg in Mexico, called Emperor of
Mexico by the conservatives, imported the
European social etiquette that Mexico’s conservative high class adopted.
From that time on and until the end of the
Porfirian period, men’s and women’s fashion
was dictated by French fashion.
The French established themselves in various areas of Mexico where they opened
Continued on Next Page...
The opening of visa-free travel from Mexico to Canada
Canada agreed to lift its
requirements
for
Mexican
citizens, and in exchange Mexico
will open its beef market.
Canada announced Tuesday it
would drop visa requirements for
Mexican visitors as of December
2016, and in exchange Mexico
announced it would open its
markets to Canadian beef.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau and Mexican President
Enrique Peña Nieto made the
announcement in Ottawa, ahead
of the North American leaders’
summit on Wednesday, where
they will be joined by U.S.
President Obama.
A statement from Trudeau read:
“Lifting the visa requirement
will deepen ties between Canada
and Mexico and will increase
the flow of travellers, ideas, and
businesses between both countries.
Closer collaboration between
Canada and Mexico on mobility
issues will also help encourage travel
between the two countries while
preventing any increase in asylum
claims or other irregular migration.
Officials plan to meet regularly to
promote these mutual interests.”
From 2005 to 2008, asylum claims
in Canada had tripled, and many of
those were from Mexican citizens.
In 2009, the conservative Canadian
government, headed by thenPrime Minister Stephen Harper,
imposed the visa restrictions
to cut down on asylum
applications. Last year, Trudeau
ran on a platform to repair the
country’s relationship with its
North American partners, which
included a promise to rid the
visa requirement for Mexico.
For its part, Mexico agreed to
open its beef market to Canadian
exporters, which it had closed
in 2003 after the discovery of
mad-cow disease in Canadian
beef. Mexico later relaxed its
restrictions, but limited it to
animals under 30 months of age.
Canadian cattlemen say they
believe Mexico could buy as much
as $250 million in beef each year.
(Source: www.theatlantic.com)
community from the State of Puebla), many French chose to remain
on Mexican soil, mostly in the States of Michoacán and Jalisco. And
they married, resulting in a strange mix. It is common to see men
and women living in the rancherías and little towns of Jalisco’s Highlands (Tepatitlán, Lagos de Moreno, San Juan de los Lagos) who
are tall and blond, with green or blue eyes.
restaurants serving French dishes, cheeses, wines, liqueurs and
pastries. They also set up bakeries and pastry shops. To this day,
you can find croissants and French baguettes, crêpes, pastries
made with “crême pâtissière” (crema pastelera), Chantilly cream
or Lady Fingers. Furthermore, it is common to find items on menus such as patés, compota (from the French compote), mousses,
soufflés, Profiteroles, etc.
Blue-Eyed People in the Highlands of Jalisco
Following the withdrawal of the French after the loss they suffered at the hands of the Mexican army and the chinacos (a native
The “Porfiriato” (1876-1911)
Porfirio Diaz was the Mexican General instrumental in the 5th of
May or Cinco de Mayo defeat of French troops near Puebla. During his dictatorship, called the “porfiriato”, a tendency to imitate
European styles, especially French ones, took hold among those
in high society. This applied to everyday customs as well as architectural styles. Consequently, at the beginning of the 20th Century,
small palaces arose in the big cities.
Along some avenues in Mexico City and Guadalajara, we can
still admire the beauty of great mansions that once belonged to
the so-called “Porfirian nobility”. Most of them clearly show the
French influence, with fluted columns, fountains, avenues, sculptures in the great symmetrical gardens, stairways and staircases,
lamps, marble floors. Many of them were abandoned during the
decline of the Porfiriate, preserved as monuments to the megalomania of a social class. Most inhabitants of those huge houses
chose France as their final refuge.
How Mexico went from telecom laggard to mobile trailblazer
T
wenty years ago only one out of 10
people in Mexico had a telephone of any kind.
Today, more than 100 million people (out of
a population of roughly 125 million) have
cell phones and, more amazingly, more than
70 percent of those are smartphones. To keep
up the torrid growth, scrappy competitors are
offering smartphones for every budget and
plans that let users choose right from their
handsets which services they want and how
much they want to spend.
Three factors have catapulted Mexico’s
mobile industry into the 21st century. First,
Mexico has grown into the world’s 11th largest
economy (in terms of purchasing power) in
just the last two decades. Second, millennials
are Mexico’s largest demographic group (they
make up more than half of Mexico’s online
population) and they want and expect what
their counterparts in developed countries
have. And third, the towering presence of a
company that Mexico’s government considers
a monopoly in both the landline and mobile
markets has spurred its smaller (though not
unsubstantial) competitors to be more inventive
and aggressive.
That monopoly is the creation of a man who
for four years in a row was ranked the world’s
wealthiest individual, Carlos Slim. His flagship
business, America Móvil, is one of the largest
telecom concerns in the world, with operations
in nearly 30 countries.
The telecom titan controls roughly 80 percent
of Mexico’s landline market and 70 percent of
its mobile market. The Mexican government
has been trying unsuccessfully for years to
break up Slim’s empire. However, his mobile
competitors aren’t waiting for that to happen.
Instead, they are challenging the status quo
that America Móvil is struggling to preserve by
bringing innovative technology and business
models to Mexico’s mobile market.
Mexico’s second largest mobile operator,
Telefónica, is shaking up the market by offering
users a more modern solution for purchasing and
managing mobile services. As the fifth-largest
mobile operator in the world, Telefónica has the
financial assets and know-how to give America
Móvil serious competition. The company
introduced a new service, branded as Movistar
On, in response to the rampant confusion and
frustration among consumers that it discovered
through intensive market research.
Mexico’s millennials did not grow up in a
wired world with its physical limitations and
bureaucratic practices.
Telefónica partnered with Silicon Valleybased ItsOn to build Movistar On around that
firm’s cloud-client platform. “Cloud-client”
is the architecture of choice among internet
phenoms like Amazon and Uber. The cloud
component enables the operator to quickly
introduce new services, while the client piece
gives users the self-service functionality that
millennials crave. The combination enables
Telefónica’s marketers to engage subscribers
directly, presenting them with timely offers and
closely tracking their choices.
While traditional mobile operators force users
to purchase data by the megabyte or gigabyte,
Movistar On gives users more comprehensible
buying options, such as “1 day of YouTube,” “3
days of Netflix,” and “30 days of Spotify.”
Users can see exactly what they’ve used at any
point in the billing cycle and make adjustments
right from their phones. This appeals to
millennials who prefer self-service over calling
customer service and being put on hold, and
who feel they have a right to know exactly what
they are getting for their money. Such are the
expectations of young people who have grown
up with the internet and smart devices.
Mexico’s third-largest mobile carrier, AT&T
Mexico, holds the remaining 10 percent of
the market. The company is leveraging its
operations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico
to provide seamless service throughout the
North American Hispanic community. With
smartphones, subscribers can keep in touch
with friends and family just by participating in
the same social networks, and by using overthe-top services that make voice and even
video calls more affordable.
The shift to smartphones in Mexico has
been nothing short of spectacular. Smartphone
penetration soared from 17.9 percent in the
second quarter of 2014 to 59.8 percent in the
third quarter of 2015. That means the number
of smartphone users tripled in little over a
year. Why are so many Mexican users making
a relatively big investment in their phones?
Because a smartphone gives them all of the
capabilities of telephones, TVs and personal
computers in a single device that is loaded with
intelligence and goes wherever they go.
Despite America Móvil’s dominance, which
is very real, Mexico’s mobile users have
compelling choices, and the way that operators
are competing for their business is a case study
for mobile carriers everywhere.
Mexico’s millennials did not grow up in a
wired world with its physical limitations and
bureaucratic practices. They are flocking to
smart devices that add new features almost on
a weekly basis. They demand mobile operators
find new ways to engage and empower them —
and Mexico’s mobile operators are advancing
to make it happen.
(Source: Ira Brodsky – techcrunch.com)
By
Tarzan
Not a good week for opening
releases. Tarzan tanked, but more
surprising so did BFG a little bit
– which had the usually magical
hands of Stephen Spielberg at the
helm. This proves, once again,
what William Goldberg wrote in
his entertaining book Adventures in
the Screenwriting Trade, “Nobody
knows nothing,” to be absolutely
written in granite.
Early reviews are mixed
on BFG with all praising the
gorgeousness of the scenery. I live
in the mountains and see gorgeous
scenery every day. I go to movies
to be entertained.
Back
to
Tarzan’s
latest
reincarnation. For some reason
most of the movies made about
the boy lost in the jungle and
raised by apes, as opposed to the
boy lost in the jungle and raised
by wolves, turn out to be turkeys.
The Jungle Book has a much higher
rate of success in creating decent
entertainment than Tarzan. Edgar
Rich Burroughs was a good
writer. So was Rudyard Kipling.
So the fault, as I see it, is too much
tinkering with the original plot of
Greystoke’s legend.
Here are the five top rated movies,
released in the last thirty years,
regarding the guy using vines, that
never break, to swing from tree to
tree. Number one: Tarzan (1999), a
Disney animated movie that racked
in an 88% approval from critics, 74%
audiences. All downhill from here.
Greystoke: the Legend of Tarzan,
King of the Apes (1984), 67% rating
critics, audiences 60%. Tarzan
(2013) Critics 19%, audiences 33%.
Tarzan: the Ape Man (1981), 11%
critics, 21% audience. And finally,
Tarzan and the Lost City, critics 6%,
audience 21%.
Here’s how the latest waste
of celluloid involving Tarzan
went: 33% critics, 74% audience.
Apparently, the audience in the
theater I went to did not share that
74% approval. Two walkouts. No
applause. No excited chattering
leaving the theater, just heads either
bent or eyes glazed.
One example of stupidity: Tarzan
is a boy raised by gorillas. He
was not born on Krypton where
he inherited an incredible DNA of
strength and magical powers like
the ability to fly. He is human.
There is a scene where our hero
faces off against a gorilla. Man
weighs about 200 pounds of lean
muscles. We know about the
muscles because in the jungle he
never wears pants or a shirt. The
gorilla, sans any clothes including
loincloth, weighs in like most
mature male gorillas, at around 800
pounds. The man has teeth meant
to tear apart and chew lettuce. The
gorilla has fangs meant to rip the
throat from animals like squirrels
to elephants.
They charge each other. And,
like a technique used more and
more, slip into slow motion as
they near for the ultimate clash of
titans. An example of using this
effectively was in Butch Cassidy
and the Sundance Kid when Robert
Redford and Paul Newman face
six banditos in a gunfight. Six
bandits died. Tarzan, not facing
bullets but an animal that has the
ability to rip his arms and legs off
with ease, smash into each other.
Gorilla gets the upper hand and
Tarzan lays cowering and flat on his
stomach. Gorilla, using both fists,
smashes man on the back, clobbers
him over and over with blows that
could crack boulders, meaning no
problem with a man’s spine.
Next scene? Hospital room?
Ward for paraplegics? Cemetery?
Tarzan slumped in wheelchair?
Nope, hero lounging in jungle
chatting with Jane.
My favorite Tarzan interpretation
is not a movie, but an ad going
around now. If you’ve missed
it here’s a description. Scantily
clad Tarzan and even more scantly
clad (of course) Jane stand on the
humungous limb of a tree in a
dense jungle. The missus waves at
a nearby chimp and yells, “Which
way to the waterfall?” Tarzan say’s
“No, no, me Tarzan, King of the
Jungle.” Jane, waving at the chimp
and mimicking with her fingers
falling water, says, “Waterfall,
which way?” Cut to chimp looking
confused, cut to Tarzan looking
peeved, cut to Jane looking
perplexed as she says, “What’s
the matter? We have to get to the
waterfall.”
Brilliant. In fact too brilliant.
I have seen this ad many times,
remember the scene, but for the life
of me can’t recall what was being
advertised.
Act II Entertainment
the biggest entertainment venue in the Bay –
by PV show maker Alfonso Lopez. Alfonso
is quickly becoming a top producer in Puerto
Vallarta, not only artistic director of the
PVGMC, but also artistic director for Act II.
Alfonso is now in pre-production for the Tony
Award-Winning Musical, Avenue Q.
Be Italian
Opening Night Saturday July 9 at 7 p.m.
Starring Gloria
Be Italian, starring the hilarious and talented
Gloria Fiona who will tell you she is not from
Italy, she is from Rome. Gloria first became
popular as someone in the crowd who stepped
up to sing Karaoke one night in Encore last
summer. The crowd went wild and the next
week she won a contest that placed her as a
singer in the Act II Back-to-School Fundraiser. Gloria went on to be the crowd favorite and
placed 2nd in the Voice of Vallarta season 3,
beating out hundreds of contestants. Most
recently Gloria closed her show Radio and she
was the one everyone talked about. ¨This girl
is funny as hell and she can sing, she should
be in the high season lin-up¨, said everyone in
attendance. Once again directed and produced
Bob’s Karaoke Party
Where EVERYONE in Puerto Vallarta
goes to meet ‘n greet
Every Wednesday at 8 p.m.
Join us every Wednesday at 7 p.m. for the
biggest party of the summer. Encore bar is the
place where expats meet ‘n greet every single
Wednesday. It all starts at 6 p.m., to 8 p.m.
when we start the 2 x 1 drink special. At 7
p.m. we start what has become the best place
to be all summer long. Join Alfonso Lopez,
PVGMC and ACT II Musical Artistic Director
host each week and watch your friends sing a
song as you cheer them on.
Broken English
Starring Eli – Voice of Vallarta Winner
Opening Night Saturday July 16 at 7 p.m.
Eli Estarada, the girl who would take the
prize. Crowned The Voice of Vallarta 2016,
Eli has not wasted time. Eli has just finished a
very successful run of Radio performed at Act
II Red Room and has been cast in a lead role
in next season’s Avenue Q. Eli was also the
winner of the Voice of Vallarta much coveted
Cabaret Week, taking the audience by storm
with her humor and incredible stage presence.
The prize for winning such a night is this
show. After 5 months of rehearsal and private
coaching from producer and director Alfonso
Lopez, Eli has created a show that will be sure
to make you laugh, cry and cheer. Performed
in Broken English, Eli is sure to be a high
season hit! Continued on Next Page...
The Act II Entertainment STAGES complex is located on the 2nd floor at 300 Insurgentes,
corner of Basilio Badillo in the Romantic Zone on the south side of town. Tel.: 222-1512. For show tickets and information:
www.actiientertainment.com for show details. Box office opens on show days at 4 p.m.
By
Anna Reisman
It always gives me great pleasure to read or hear
about Puerto Vallarta in the international media
– when it’s done in an honest, positive manner
of course. The latest such article I came across
was in travelpulse.com You may want to check it
out, especially if you’re contemplating or already
staying in Nayarit on the north side of the Bay.
Although I respect everyone’s preferences when
it comes to vacation or retirement spots, I still find
it sad to think that so many –especially visitorsbooked in Nayarit never even come to Vallarta,
and remain totally unaware of all the attractions
it has to offer.
In a similar vein, a good friend of mine posted
on her Facebook page: “I am unimpressed with
the amount of foreign, mostly American, business
owners (I am not talking about retirees) and
others that work here that do not speak
Spanish, do not TRY to speak Spanish
and really do not care.” I totally agree.
If one works to earn their living in either
the U.S. or Canada, he or she must learn
the language of the land, so why not here
in Mexico?
I partook of the Canada Day dinner
and celebration at Blake’s Restaurant this
year. As expected, the place was full despite the heat. Well-placed fans and an
abundance of great food kept everyone
happy.
Some trivia: PV’s new Canadian Consular
Agency in Plaza Peninsula was inaugurated 6
years ago this week. Everyone who mattered was
in attendance that day: Canada’s General Consul,
its Ambassador to Mexico, Lyne Benoit, our
Consular Agent at the time, and the then mayor
of Puerto Vallarta whose name does not deserve
to be published (he’s the one who appropriated
some $467 Million Pesos from the city’s coffers
to pay for his “personal services”…) There were
also three Canadian naval frigates in port for the
occasion!
Encore Lounge located inside the Act
II Entertainment complex and most
recently as co-star in the show ¨Radio¨
that just ended a successful 3-week run
on The Red Room Stage. What Job
brings to the Red Room stage is very
different than what he did in Encore.
While very often Job was asked to
bring it down, he now explodes on the
stage with all he has. ¨He is sexy and
talented as hell!¨
The Book of Job
Closing Night July 23rd, 7 p.m.
Opens to amazing reviews
The Book of Job opened to just
amazing reviews: ¨Who knew
this kid was so funny?¨ And with
God at the wheel translating every
word we find out that God is just as
hilarious. Musical Director Alfonso
Lopez brings to The Red Room
Cabaret another evening filled with
wonderful music and laughter, starring
the last man standing: Job Hernandez.
Job became very well known this last
year as the headline singer in The
Arts and Education
Last month Act II Entertainment’s
Artistic/Music Director Alfonso Lopez
concluded the first in a series of greatly
successful musical theater workshops. The Level 1 Musical Theater class which
focused on vocal technique was the first
in a series of classes offered by Act II
and taught by Alfonso Lopez who holds
a Master’s degree in Voice, Acting and
Musical theater. We are now starting
a wait list for the 2nd in a series of five
workshops that will be taught over the
next year. Act II is also offering personal
training with Alfonso. For registration
and more information please contact
[email protected]
This week, the ever-growing French
community in town will be celebrating
Bastille Day. For many years, the event
used to be marked with special dinners
at both La Petite France (now La Leche)
and our famous Café des Artistes.
Having attended a French lycée for 8
years, I always got goose bumps when
singing La Marseillaise with the rest of
my fellow francophones – memories of
my childhood… I haven’t read of any
similar celebration this year.
Not really a sequitur unless you’re
thinking of frogs’ legs in a garlic butter sauce, the
froggies are back somewhere around my house! I
don’t know where exactly, considering that all the
nearby green spaces have disappeared, but here
they are. I can hear them, and I just love it! I’ve
even heard cicadas calling out!
All too many good people leaving us this year…
R.I.P., Elie Wiesel. You certainly deserve it.
Joyeux Jour de la Bastille à tous mes amis
francophones! I wish you all a most enjoyable
week. Stay safe, stay cool, stay hydrated!
Hasta la próxima vez. sheis@ymail
Evangelization of Puerto Vallarta
(Part 4)
By
“Hey, what are you doing
tonight? Would you like to grab
something for dinner?” I asked
my next-door neighbour.
“Sure, what do you have in
mind? I can’t stay out too long as
I’m expecting a skype call from
home so let’s stay in the Marina!
I feel like having some red meat
for a change. Don’t need a fancy
place, just good eats.”
“Hmm... In that case we should
go to Fajita Banana tonight! Can’t
beat his steaks, especially the
arrachera, carefully marinated
for several hours and grilled to
perfection, accompanied by a
twice-baked potato with melted
Manchego cheese on top.”
“What else do they have?”
“Oh my… how much time do
you have?” I asked smiling. “Well,
their specialty is ribs and more
ribs, and their special BBQ sauce.
Then they have a variety of fajita
plates which are flambéed right
in front of you. Appetizers are
delicious, especially the “shrimp
served in a steaming molcajete”.
The chicken enchiladas are by
far the best I’ve eaten so far (but
I also did like Co-Exist’s version
downtown just across the street
from the Mercado Municipal
flea market). You can ask them
to change the salsa roja to salsa
verde which is a bit spicier. Oh,
and don’t forget the black bean
soup, grilled huge shrimp, the
perfect hamburger, the fabulous
tortilla soup (a meal in itself) and
the chicken wings! Service is
impeccable and so professional!”
“Stop it, I’m drooling already!”
“Mind you, at times it may
be a bit lively; this is a sportsoriented restaurant (these days
we’re talking soccer) with several
flat screens, and after a goal you
may feel the whole place is going
to jump but hey, some people
are making merry and for a good
reason. Fantastic cocktails, great
food, lively atmosphere, Carlos
Vergara (the owner) wants his
customers happy from the first to
the last bite.”
“Great!
We’ll meet up at
around 7 o’clock at the Oxxo
convenience store as I need to buy
an ice-box for a picnic tomorrow;
now, where do I find a pharmacy
as I think some little ants have
become enamoured with my legs
and it itches like hell!”
“Ah. vYes, those little buggers
can be bothersome and quite
unpleasant sometimes.
The pharmacy will surely give
you something – they’ve got
everything you need – but should
nothing work in your case, try
to spray your legs with Windex
(don’t laugh – it does work as
it has ammonia) or simply rub
your legs with Listerine. And
remember, don’t wear dark colors
and do not wear any after-shave
or cologne.”
“Oh wow… I didn’t know that!”
“Yes, amiga, old home remedies
DO work, and in some cases,
better than anything else! And,
while you’re at Oxxo and feel like
having a snack in-between meals,
their hot-dogs are fantastic!”
“Great! I’ll remember that.
Incidentally, how do you ask for
a bill? I notice that waiters do not
bring you the bill unless you ask
for it.”
“Normally we say, “La cuenta,
por favor”. And yes, according
to custom, it is very rude to just
bring the bill and shove it under
your nose. What’s more, they
always bring your change to the
last peso. Then you can leave a
tip (propina); you be the judge
how you liked the service but
generally, a 15% tip is fair. One
more thing: the meseros (waiters)
make roughly $5 CAD a day
so they do depend a lot on tips.
And all the meseros at Fajita
Banana will bend backwards for
their customers. So after you’ve
gone there once, you’ll surely be
hooked!”
“Okay, amiga, let’s meet at 7
p.m. in front of Fajita Banana.
Don’t be late!
(to be continued)
Gabriella Namian divides her
time between Montreal, Quebec,
and Marina Vallarta where she and
her husband spend their winters.
VIEWPOINT
By
Basic to investing is to start with formulas:
A: capitalization rates
Calculating Cap Rates
Before you buy a property, it’s a
good idea to estimate the cap rate
to get an idea of its potential rate
of return. To figure the cap rate for
a particular property, you begin by
calculating the net annual income. If you don’t own the property it is
going to be difficult to know the
rental income and costs involved
in maintaining and managing it. To
research local rental rates; find ads
for similar properties or condos in
the same area. Subtract 10 percent
of your total annual rental income
to account for a potential vacancy.
To determine net income, you
will need to subtract all costs
involved in operating the rental:
management costs, taxes, utilities,
insurance and any other expenses
such as maintenance.
Then, divide your net operating
income by the total acquisition
cost for the property, including
brokerage fee, closing costs, and all
the rehab costs necessary to make
it “rent ready.” The result will be
your cap rate, expressed
as a percentage. Your
cap rate is the equivalent
of the net operating
income (NOI) for your
investment. It is an
estimate of your cash
flow income and, if you
made your acquisition in
cash, it is your return on
investment (ROI).
The simple cap rate
formula assumes that
acquisitions
are
all
cash and do not involve
finance charges. If you
are financing a purchase,
you need to include the annual
costs of financing your property as
an operating expense.
Immediately you can see the
relationships
between
rents,
operating costs and acquisition
costs. If the cost of acquiring your
property is higher than comparable
rentals in your market, you are
going to have to charge more rent
to achieve the same cap rate. If
you can’t rent the property at a
higher rate to account for the higher
acquisition cost, your cap rate is
going to shrink. On the other hand,
if you can acquire and renovate a
property for less than comparable
rentals and rent it out at the going
rate, your cap rate will rise and
your rate of return will rise. You
can see why it is so important to not
overpay for a property.
Calculating cap rates makes
you also aware of the importance
of controlling operating costs. Operating costs are subtracted from
your rental income to give your
net income. Every unnecessary
operating cost has the effect of
lowering your rental income. When
you can achieve operating costs
lower than your estimate, your cap
rate and profits rise.
When comparing cap rates, be
sure to check that all costs are
included and that you are comparing
“apples to apples.” For example,
some rates leave out a consideration
for vacancies, while others do
not. It’s also important to avoid
comparing condo cap rates with
single-family rentals. Though rent
rates and cap rates for the two forms
of residential rentals are sometimes
lumped together, they are very
different products with different
costs and rent rates. Remember
that cap rates are always expressed
as if acquisitions were all cash. For
properties that are financed, leave
out finance charges when comparing
with other properties.
What constitutes a “good” cap rate
depends on your investment goals. Most investors would consider an
ideal cap rate, which includes all
operating and acquisition costs to be
10 percent or better, though many do
well as low as seven percent.
This article is based upon legal opinions,
current practices and my personal
experiences in the Puerto Vallarta-Bahía
de Banderas areas. I recommend that each
potential buyer or seller conduct his own
due diligence and review.
What are you waiting for?
By
M
any of you may have friends
and family who have asked “what
are you waiting for?!” It seems
obvious and unbelievable to them;
the ones on the outside looking in,
that your situation is ridiculous, that
it has hit the most extreme degrees
possible, and they are perplexed
and baffled why you have not done
something about it. Sometimes
it is very important to listen to
what everyone else is telling you,
especially when they all seem to
have the same opinion. How can
they all be wrong and you be right?
What is it going to take before
you do something about it?!
If you have heard it once you’ve
heard it one thousand times. And
you shamefully say “okay, okay”
just to shut them up and change
the subject, but secretly you may
wonder why, what in the world is
wrong with you? There are two
major reasons why someone might
continue to live or just exist in a
painful unhappy situation. They
are: increased tolerance and poor
boundaries and limit setting.
Another way to say “increased
tolerance”
is
“to
become
RN, LCSW
accustomed to” no matter if we
are talking about quantities of
drugs and alcohol, frequency and
intensity of partner/spousal abuse,
or infidelity; number of sexual
partners, mistresses, or long-term
love affairs your partner has had.
Somewhere along the way you
became so accustomed that you
may even be indifferent; not care
anymore, or feel helpless and
hopeless, and you may have even
convinced yourself that “it doesn’t
hurt.” But, we both know that it
does. It hurts like hell.
Poor boundaries and limit setting
is the inability to say “NO.” It’s
when you are unable to determine
when enough is enough because
you keep changing the previous
limit you set, giving someone
another chance, thereby re-drawing
the line further back allowing
more room for tolerance. Poor
boundaries and increased tolerance
go hand-in-hand; one feeds the
other. We tolerate more and more
because we are unable to enforce a
firm boundary.
Fear is a huge obstacle. Being
afraid of consequences, of the
unknown, of life without xyz,
causes us to cling tightly to what is
familiar no matter how bad it is or
how much pain it causes us. This
is because we know what it’s like;
what it feels like, and we think it’s
better and easier than the pain that
we imagine must come with the
change; leaving that person or drug
behind, the pain of moving on into
the unknown and unfamiliar.
IF you stop denying and
minimizing your situation long
enough to consider the following
questions and scenarios and you
answer them honestly, you will
probably choose change over “mas
de lo mismo” (more of the same).
Note: I recognize that both the
male and female can be victims
of domestic violence (DV), be
addicted to drugs, and cheat on
their partner or spouse.
DV victim… does he have to
hurt you so badly that you are
hospitalized, permanently disabled,
or killed?!How many times have
you already walked around with
bruises or broken bones? Finish
the scenario… If he kills you, your
children will lose their mother;
no longer have you in their life,
not to mention, you will be dead!
Let’s assume he ends up in prison
for killing you, now your children
won’t have a father either! What will
happen to them? Who will they live
with? Who will take care of them?
How will you ever forgive yourself
for not getting out sooner? How will
they forgive you for not protecting
them and preventing this?
Addict… do you need everyone
who still cares about you to finally
give up and shut you out of their
lives? Do you need to crash the car,
possibly disable or kill someone?
How would you like to end up in
prison? Do you need to be rushed
to the hospital for an overdose?
How many times have you started
over? How many times have you
been in debt, paid it off, made
money and then lost it all again?
How exhausted and miserable do
you need to be before you refuse to
feel that way anymore?
Infidelity… do you actually need
to catch him in bed with her before
you believe it or do something about
it? How many more times are you
going to believe his promises that
it’s over or this is the last time?
How many STD’s (Genital Herpes,
Trichimonis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia)
have you already been treated for?
Do you think he’s using a condom
every time? Have you or he been
tested for HIV? IF you are the one
cheating, are you willing to lose your
partner or marriage over it? Do you
need to get her pregnant or end up in
a “Fatal Attraction” scenario?
The need to feel angry
It is impossible to do anything
about it if you are only feeling
sad and/or afraid. Although those
feelings are expected and necessary,
they maintain you in a victim role,
powerless and hopeless. Until you
allow yourself to get angry; to feel
how angry you are that this has
happened to you and decide you
are not going to take it anymore,
then nothing will change. Anger
provokes action!
Change doesn’t come while you
sit waiting, you make it happen!
By
Sunflower sprouts… a true super food
It happened that we have a new team member taking over the
media marketing, something we understand is necessary these
days. I sent her a photo file of signature greens and super foods
grown in the organic select gardens in San Sebastian. Her first
question was:
What is a superfood?
A superfood is a fruit or veggie that goes beyond
fulfilling the bill of basic nutrition and gives one
super amounts of antitoxins, antioxidants, minerals,
enzymes, vitamins, minerals, proteins’ and elements
we have not identified yet.
One superfood is sunflower sprouts. Organic Select
has been growing these for years, in fact it was one of
two superfoods that started the local business when
the growing was done on the balcony of the apartment
over River Cuale. The little green sprout in the O.S.
logo is a sunflower sprout. Here’s why we have had a long history
with this amazing micro.
It suits all types of diets, Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, organic, etc…
1. Sunflower greens offer one of the most balanced forms of
a complete plant protein around. They provide all the essential
amino acids and help to repair muscle tissue while supporting
the enzymes of the body to do their jobs as well.
• 2. Sprouted sunflower greens, known as microgreens,
also contain up to 100 times the enzymes of regular, full-grown
greens. This means your body can more easily assimilate
important phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals.
• 3. Sunflower greens are full of folate (folic acid), and B
complex, vital nutrients for pregnant women and a developing
baby.
• 4. High levels of antioxidants in sunflower greens can
aid in heart health, slow aging, and support cellular recovery.
High levels of vitamins C, E, and selenium can even reduce
high blood pressure and improve arterial health.
• 5. Sunflower greens are packed with nutrition and have
very low calories, so they are a perfect food for those who
want to lose weight.
• 6. Sunflower greens contain lecithin which helps to break
down fatty acids in the body.
• 7. They also contain vitamins A, D, and E as well
as important minerals including calcium, copper, iron,
phosphorous, magnesium and potassium.
• 8. Eating sunflower seeds or greens helps to boost your
reproductive health by providing the body with ample zinc.
Zinc also works with over 300 enzymes in the body to keep
things running smoothly.
• 9. Sunflower greens are incredible for boosting immunity.
Leafy green sprouts, especially those of the sunflower variety
are essential to creating innate lymphoid cells (ILC) important
immunity-boosting cells found in the lining of the digestive
system that help to keep our gut bacteria healthy. Many people
realize by now that gut health is the primary form of fighting
disease and foreign invaders in the body.
• 10. Sunflower sprouts are full of essential
fatty acids that are needed to make a plant
burst out of its seed shell. Start sprouting
to receive up to 900% more nutrition from
your food.
• 11. All sprouts, including sunflower
sprouts are full of chlorophyll – the same
substance which makes plants turn green.
In human beings, this one constituent keeps
our blood healthy, reduces inflammation,
calms the nervous system, revitalizes tissues,
and balances pH levels.
You can clip and toss them into a salad, add as a garnish to
a soup or entrée. I like them mixed with baby red arugula,
thinly sliced red onion, a bit of mint or cilantro, sesame oil,
pink salt and lime juice. Then top the salad with toasted nuts.
Back-up… Local or cloud?
I’ve
received many emails the
past week about the Windows 10
free upgrade deadline coming up, so
I thought it would be a good time to
review your back-up options before
tackling the upgrade process. Most
upgrades go smoothly but in the off
chance yours does not, you want to
make sure your precious data is safe
and secure in at least one location.
Anyone who knows me, knows I’m
a little OCD when it comes to my
data. I don’t rely on just one location
for my data. For really important,
irreplaceable photos and documents,
I have them backed up in 2 or 3
locations… some online in the form
of email attachments to myself, a flash
drive and an external hard drive.
So what are the best back-up
options then? For backing up locally,
the external hard drive is your best bet
for data storage these days. You can
get sizes to fit your need/budget. A
1TB external hard drive starts at $75.
US and can go up to 2 and 3 Terra
Bytes (TB). But treat your external
hard drive with care!! It is a sensitive
device and if dropped, you can have a
paperweight on your hands.
Now as many of you know, I’m
not the biggest fan of backing up to
an online service as your only backup source. But there is absolutely
nothing wrong with using online backup in conjunction with a local backup, as extra insurance. Having your
irreplaceable data saved in more than
just one location only makes sense.
Another pitfall of cloud back-ups
the past years was the cost. For a free
basic storage in the Cloud running
a mere 2GB to 15GB from most
sources, it left many people running
out of space quickly.
So what are you options for Cloud
storage and who is the leader in
online backup? By far Amazon AWS
(Amazon Web Services) now eclipses
all other competitors. Amazon AWS
Cloud services are now bigger than
Microsoft, IBM and Google Cloud
storage combined. Is bigger better?
Amazon Cloud Drive has a big jump
on the competition due to its online
server capacity, built up to serve to its
massive online retail business. With
all that capacity, Amazon also hosts for
some of the biggest companies around.
That infrastructure and capacity allows
Amazon to now offer cut throat pricing
to individuals like you and me.
The new buzz word in Cloud
storage is UNLIMITED. After years
of high resolution photo taking and
more videos these days, many of us
are hitting the ceiling of online storage
limits currently offered for free.
Amazon has a new entry level
package of “Unlimited Photo” storage
for just $11.99 per year!! Now you
can store all your many years of
vacation and birthday photos for just
$.99 per month!
The second new package Amazon
has is “Unlimited Everything” which
allows photos, music, videos, and
movies, documents… everything! It
runs $59.99 per year ($5 US /month).
This is a big shift as up until now,
almost all “unlimited” packages were
only available to business clients.
This new offering by Amazon, has
DropBox, Google and Microsoft
scratching their head to try and figure
out what to do next.
Currently the very popular DropBox
offers a paltry 2GB free Cloud storage.
This was fine a few years ago, but
most people now can take enough
photos on a single vacation now to fill
that 2GB limit without a problem.
DropBox does offer a 1TB (1000GB)
storage option for $10. US/month
($120. US per year). Now realistically,
1TB of cloud storage is the same as
unlimited for most people, but why
pay double what Amazon costs now?
Besides, the term “unlimited” makes
the consumer feel they are getting a
better value, whether they actually
need or use it that way. Hats off to the
Amazon marketing team on that one!
Up until recently, Microsoft One
Drive and Google Drive both offered
15GB of free cloud storage, which
included what your Hotmail and
Gmail accounts use up. But for some
reason, Microsoft chose to downgrade
their free One Drive to 5GB storage.
Microsoft also did away with the
100GB and 200GB paid packages and
introduced a 50GB paid storage for
$2/month or $24. US/year.
I for one have already used 30% of
my Google Drive with just my Gmail
over the years and have yet to store
a single photo or document up there.
YES… Like many people, I do need
to do some housekeeping on my
Gmail, which goes back to 2006. The
old line of “do as I say and not as I do”
is haunting me as I type (ha-ha).
Google Drive does offer a paid extra
storage at $2 US/month ($24 US/year)
for 100 GB storage. They also have
the same plan as DropBox for 1TB
(1000GB) storage option for $10 US/
month ($120. US per year).
Amazon may have hit a marketing
home run with this new offering. $60/
year unlimited Cloud storage will be
the new benchmark that Microsoft,
Google and DropBox will have to
come to grips with.
If you want to sign up for the
Amazon Unlimited Photo package
for $12 US /year OR the Amazon
Unlimited Everything for $60 US/
year, just go to www.amazon.com/
clouddrive and sign up. A special
introductory offer of the first 3 months
free trial is currently going on as well!
Whichever route you go for
backing up your data, make sure
you do it before attempting the soon
expiring Windows 10 upgrade offer.
Remember, it’s an upgrade, not just an
update - things can go wrong. Protect
yourself.
That’s all my time for now. See
you again next week... until then,
remember: only safe Internet! If
you’d like to download this article
or previous ones, you can do so at
www.RonnieBravo.com and click on
“articles”.
Our best fishing in two years,
it’s fish city in PV!
By
P
(Owner of Master Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle)
uerto Vallarta is not one of those
tropical destinations that just gradually
warms up after the preferable climate of
winter. No, we just sort of start warming up
mid-May, then BOOM! It’s June and it’s
hot and humid. Now I say hot and humid
to the California types, to the Houston,
Florida and other humid areas, PV is mild
when compared to your summer standards.
But when it does get warm, the warm
currents come with it and with the currents
come Puerto Vallarta’s fishing reputation as
being one of the top ten fishing locations
in the world! Right now, it’s living up to
that reputation with abundant ¨Bucket
List¨ trophy gamefish and happy Anglers,
YeeHa!
The report this week is much the same as
last week, with small variances that make a
difference. At Corbeteña it’s been another
spectacular week. Yellowfin tuna are no
longer over 100 lbs., what we’re seeing
now is Spinner Dolphin moving into the
area and with Spinners we normally find
Tuna running with them. They’re running
anywhere from 20 to 60 lbs. Smaller, yes,
but great tasting and large numbers of these
smaller succulent YF Tuna are fun to catch,
they don’t take hours to boat, the meat has
a great flavor and remember: everything
counts in large amounts! Then we have
Blue Marlin starting at 400 lbs. and up, Black Marlin at 600 lbs.,
Striped Marlin to 225 lbs., Sailfish of trophy size are picking up in
increasing numbers, Amber Jacks at 50 lbs., Cubera Snapper to 60
lbs. and more! Bait is off the hook and readily abundant, get the
bait in the morning, but check the bait in the area when you arrive
at the fishing grounds to see what baits are in the area. Mahi Mahi
or Dorado are moving into the area now, not many to speak of
around The Rock, be patient, next week
this should change, more to come. With
the fishing this good, it’s insane to wait
for things to get ¨better¨.… True, YF
Tuna of any larger sizes would be better,
but not much… stay tuned.
El Banco, normally these two areas
will be about the same, with small
differences. This week is no different
with the simple fact they’re seeing
Yellowfin Tuna to 60 lbs. when you
find the spinners. Remember, if you’re
looking for big fish, they’re normally
larger at El Banco - if they’re ¨there¨.
El Banco can be temperamental, but for
now, it’s well worth the time, fuel and
verbal abuse you’ll receive from the
¨little woman¨ for taking off on the spot
to catch some world class fishing! And
don’t forget the area in between these two
locations, many a tournament winning
fish have been caught ¨in between¨.
Those with a limited budget will still
find world class action around the point
off Punta Mita. Eight to twelve miles
off the point on a 285o heading you’ll find
nice sized Dorado in the 25 to 35-lb range
(mostly 25 lbs). Sailfish are everywhere
and surprisingly thick, Striped Marlin
to over 225 lbs. Rooster fish in the surf
line and around the reefs, but not like
two weeks ago. Still, this 8-hour trip is
Continued on Next Page...
affordable and full of action! Around the Marieta
Islands you’ll still find the normal players of
Bonito to 35 lbs., Jack Crevalle to 40 lbs., Amber
Jacks to 30 lbs. and with some luck you could run
into a Dorado or Sailfish.
Inside the bay, we’re about the same as
last week, but a little different. It’s the subtle
differences that make all the difference. One
strange thing is Sailfish are all over the bay! Now
I can remember reports where I have said it’s
impossible to find Sailfish in the bay, well these
days I have changed my tune. I know of at least
eight Sailfish that were brought in and many more
hook-ups that were lost. Right now you’ll find
Sailfish around Los Arcos, Mid Bay, La Cruz,
and points in between! Jack Crevalle are still the
dominant species to 45 lbs. The trash line is in
when we have rain and small Dorado of 10 lbs.
have been feeding on this organic trail mix nicely.
Bonito to 35 lbs., Football YF Tuna to 40 lbs. at
Yelapa, Snapper in front of the river mouths with
Snook to 25 lbs. The list goes on; you can’t lose
fishing in the bay so grab the family and have
some fun.
Water temperatures are still a perfect 84
degrees. Around the bay the water is mostly clear
green, not bad, the fish don’t seem to mind, but
once you get five miles off the point of Punta Mita
it’s all high visibility blue water! Baits: most of
the Marlin this week were caught on dead bait
(surprised me) and lures. Marlin like the blue
with pink marking or Petroleros of green, brown,
purple skirts! Sailfish are looking for green with
yellow color combinations. Start with these
colors in your pattern. Bite: It’s been a moving
target lately, the last few days it’s been 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. before they
seem to get serious about taking baits, so sleep in, be patient and it
will all pay off, amigos.
In Summary: With the way things are forming up, it looks like
we could have larger and more abundant Dorado in the coming days.
Remember, it was August last year before we saw ten-pound babies
while San Diego got the bulk of our Dorado.
Solution to crossword on page 21
Solution to Sudoku on page 21
This year it looks like we’ll be in a more normal
pattern. Striped Marlin in the area to me is a little
surprising since they normally like the cooler waters
of Cabo. Last I heard, Cabo waters were still chilly
so we’ll consider this a ¨windfall¨ and be thankful
in PV for that. Very seldom will you have the three
different species of Marlin, we have all in the same
area at the same time! Sailfish are thick and will
be thick until January, but not normally in the bay!!
Yellowfin Tuna - it’s still a little early for us, but we’re
knocking on the door for prime time Tuna Fishing,
so stay tuned. And as always we’ve got some great
summer deals for family fishing so call us and let’s
get you on the water!
Right now we’re running a special for the month
of July: 8 hours, four people max, ice, bait,
captain, crew, licenses, on insured boats with
English-speaking captains is only $250 USD for
a ¨Full Service¨ fishing Trip. You’ll have a shot
at Striped Marlin, Sailfish, Rooster fish in the surf
and around reefs, and with some luck, Dorado. For
those looking to just get on the water and do
some basic fishing, our 4-hour trip from Marina
Vallarta to Los Arcos trolling for smaller game
fish is only $195 USD, four people, same as the
$250 trip, but you’ll be limited on distance. Air
fares are cheap, hotels are all running specials and
the fishing grounds for the most part are still empty.
Until next time, don’t forget to ¨Kiss Your Fish¨. . .
Master Baiter’s is located in Marina Vallarta
between docks A and B on the boardwalk. Email
your questions to me at: CatchFish@MasterBaiters.
com.mx Web page: www.MasterBaiters.com.
mx Local Phone at: (044) 322 779-7571 or if
roaming: 011 521 322 779-7571 cell phone direct. Come like me
on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Master-BaitersSportfishing-Tackle/88817121325
The trade name Master Baiter’s ® Sportfishing and Tackle is protected
under trade mark law and is the sole property of Stan Gabruk.
From the Vallarta Botanical Garden
BBC to film orchids & bees at the Garden
Curator’s Corner
Dear Friends of the Garden,
Peace. It should be one of our foremost quests as
individuals (inner peace) and collectively as an
interdependent global community (world peace).
Any other goals that do not contribute towards peace
are of questionable value. Even while true and lasting
peace may at times seem unattainable, efforts towards
it create the most rewarding journey possible and
allow us to profoundly touch lives and help others.
Just as natural landscapes can restore the soul and
create the perfect settings for reflection and goal
setting, designed garden landscapes can provide this
along with accessibility and infrastructure that cannot
be found in the wild.
Two of our landscape architecture collaborators
have created a design for a new International Peace
Garden which we would like to install at the approach
to the garden’s new chapel,
Nuestra Señora del Jardín (Our Lady of the Garden).
It gives me great pleasure to unveil these plans to our
community of garden supporters and invite your help to
make this new project a reality! Please read on to learn
more and get involved. In the meantime, please plan
your next trip back to the Vallarta Botanical Garden to
enjoy nature and set your purposes for peace.
Warmest regards from the Garden,
Bob Price,
Founder and Curator, VBG
O
rchids are outstanding among plant life with their staggering variety of
shapes, sizes, colors, and even fragrances. Some native Mexican orchids smell
so good to their pollinators, that they don’t even need to produce nectar to attract
them. Euglossine bees, also known as “orchid bees” for their plants of choice,
have complex relationships with various flowers resulting in male bees taken
to practically bathing themselves in floral fragrance to attract females. Their
antics, combined with novel adaptations of the flowers to pass pollen along in the
process makes for an exciting spectacle.
The BBC is sending researchers and a film crew to the Vallarta Botanical
Garden to capture this all for the big screen. We’ve been selected both as a place
where these bees naturally occur and for our celebrated orchid collections. In the
garden, these plants are much more accessible than where they can normally be
found in the wild in the upper reaches of the forest canopy.
The BBC team will be available for a press conference at the Vallarta Botanical
Garden on July 15th at 3 p.m. to talk about their work and the fascinating, colorful,
and intensely aromatic world of orchid bees. The delightful spectacle of orchid
bee pollination occurs throughout the year at the VBG and our surrounding
forests but is witnessed by only some of the most careful, patient, and lucky of
observers. If you have the opportunity to take your own photos of these bees,
please share them with us! You may send those to [email protected]
Presenting the VBG’s new plant
propagation coordinator
T
he propagation areas of the Vallarta Botanical Garden, including the
orchid laboratory, are now managed by a new coordinator. Martha Karina
Robles Adame has a biology degree from the Universidad Tecnológica de
Bahía de Banderas.
She is in charge of propagating an incredible variety of plants with a
special emphasis on orchids. She has ample background in propagation
both in vitro (in sterilized containers) and afterwards; along with
pollination, breeding, and treating against plant pests and pathogens.
Design of an International Peace Garden
The grounds of the Vallarta Botanical Garden are
already a place of calm, solace, and healing of body,
mind, and soul. The recently completed chapel, “Nuestra
Señora del Jardín” (Our Lady of the Garden) has added
a new element of spirituality to the garden experience.
A new design by Architects Nick DeLorenzo and Cesar
Amezcua will complement the approach to the chapel
with space of incredible beauty and purposeful function.
It will feature plants of the Mediterranean and the Holy
Land along with Mexican wildflowers. A combination of
shade and sun provide an inviting usable space throughout
the year for activities from educational programming
and family enjoyment to quiet meditation. The tiered
benches may allow the space to later be used as theater
seating for open-air concerts and performances. It will
be a welcoming place for people of all backgrounds to
come together in harmony with nature and focus on our
collective power to make this world a better place.
Please contact garden management today to become
part of the development of the new International Peace
Garden at the Vallarta Botanical Garden! You may reach
the Garden’s Philanthropy and Special Events Manager,
Hillary Abrams, at [email protected]
She worked for five years at a major commercial orchid production
center as their general supervisor and lead laboratory technician. She
delivered training programs at her company and developed an expertise
with native Mexican orchids.
Considering the limited number of people with this unique specialization,
we feel quite lucky to have met Martha and welcomed her to our team.
Within her first month of work she successfully polinated over 100 orchids
which we hope to start reproducing by seed very soon. This is a long term
commitment by the Garden not just to increase plants on
display and for sale to the public, but to develop reserves for
reintroduction to natural areas as these needs arise.
Garden Amenities and Services
Visit the Garden’ Hacienda de Oro Restaurant for authentic Mexican food
and brick-oven pizza. Hike the Garden’ nature trails and bask in tropical
mountain scenery. Experience the very best of Vallarta!
We are about a 30-minute drive south of Old Town PV, on Carretera a Barra
Navidad at km 24, just past Las Juntas y Los Veranos, all easily accessible
by public transportation. Tel.: 223-6182. Open every day except Mondays
from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. www.vbgardens.org
Planting Roots
in Mexico
By
Flame Tree
Delonix regia
Family: Leguminosae or Fabaceae
(Also known as: Flamboyant Tree, Royal Poinciana,
Peacock Flower and Mexican Flame Tree.)
This stunner goes by other names as well. In Spanish it is called
the Arbol de Fuego – “Tree of Fire”. And in Mexico, Costa Rica
and parts of Central America it is often referred to as Malinche.
(This was the name of an Indian girl who was said to be so
beautiful that she persuaded Hernan Cortez to spare her people
from extermination by his conquistadors.)
If you seek bright color for your garden, this might be the tree
for you! In fact, Robert Lee Riffle – who I consider to have been
the preeminent tropical botanist – wrote in his classic tome, The
Tropical Look, “It is the world’s most beautiful flowering tree.”
That well sizes it up!
There are a dozen or so different trees called the Flame Tree,
with all being stunningly beautiful. Those most seen here in
Mexico are the Delonix regia which requires ample space and
full sun to reach its umbrella-shaped (often wider than its height)
mature stature of 18 meters.
Well named, the riot of brilliant red flowers of the
Flame Tree are a delight to see.
The genus name is derived from the Greek words delos (meaning
conspicuous), and onyx, meaning claw, referring to the appearance
of the spectacular flowers. (For those into genealogy, it is related
to the Tamarind and Mimosa Tree!)
This spectacular, tropical, shade tree has a smooth, gray colored
bark. Its feathery, fern-like leaves are evergreen if watered year
around, but will drop off if the tree becomes parched during the
dry season. Appearing with its new leaves are masses of brilliantly
vivid, five-petal flowers that range from red-vermilion-orangeyellow to a pale apricot in color.
As one of the most colorful trees in the world, the Flame Tree
puts on a riotous floral show during a protracted spring and summer
timeframe. These flowers are large, with four, spoon-shaped, solid
colored, petals up to three inches or so (8 cm) long, and a fifth
upright petal called the standard, which is slightly larger and is
spotted with yellow and/or white.
This tree flowers best with two distinct seasons. Following
its blooms come long, flattened, leathery dark brown-black seed
Continued on Next Page...
Its flowers are large, with four spoon-shaped, solid colored, scarletred or orange-red petals and a fifth upright petal called the standard,
which is slightly larger and is spotted with yellow and/or white.
pods, 23-½ inches (59.69 cm) long and two inches (5.08 cm)
wide. These seed pods are used in the Caribbean as a percussion
instrument known as the “shak-shak” or maraca. The noisemaking, individual seeds inside these pods are small, weighing
around 0.4 gram. Beyond musical applications the pods are
sometimes, used as fuel for fires.
The compound, doubly pinnate leaves have a feathery
appearance and are a light, bright green. Each leaf is 12 to 20
inches (30-50 cm) long and has 20 to 40 pairs of primary leaflets
(or pinnae), with each of these further divided into 10-20 pairs
of secondary leaflets. A malleable sort, this tree can tolerate
aggressive pruning and thus can be kept rather small.
It is fast growing, at about five feet (1½ meters) per year, is
tolerant of a wide range of well drained soils, likes full sun, and
tolerates salty conditions. But it is best to provide protection
from strong winds - and they don’t like living on an openly
exposed beach. If the tree does not receive regular and deep
watering, it forms large surface roots which, actually, only add
to its attractiveness!
The native habitat of Delonix regia was, purportedly, unknown
until the 1930s when it was “rediscovered” in that land of so many
magnificently different plants – the island nation of Madagascar.
It is now widely grown throughout the Caribbean (where the
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“There is something almost indescribable, protecting, yet
massive, dark and yet vibrant… and, of course, flamboyant.
Nothing in the tropical landscape is more beautiful.” Robert Lee Riffle
locals simply call the tree “flamboyant”), Africa, the Canary
Islands, S.E. Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and in Southern China.
Because of the flowers’ brilliance, and so many growing
naturally in the area, the Puerto Rican town of Penuelas has been
nicknamed “The Valley of the Flames.” In Vietnam, this tree is
called “Phượng vỹ”, or Phoenix’s Tail; and in Miami, there is an
annual festival to celebrate the flowering of the Flame Tree.
A few negatives are that as a result of its shallow, wide-spreading
roots, underplantings generally do not work; its roots can cause
problems for building foundations, walls and sidewalks; its large
woody pods and brittle branches can get broken off in the wind;
and, the seedlings that come up around the tree base can be a bit
of a nuisance . . . but I still like ‘em!
If one has the space, this is a superlative – and spectacular –
tree to have!
The New York Times Tuesday Crossword Puzzle
by Nancy Salomon / Will Shortz ©New York Times
Across
1
1. Insubstantial stuff
14
15
16
17
18
19
6. "Show Boat" novelist
Ferber
2
3
4
5
20
6
7
8
21
10. Regarding
25
15. Wiener schnitzel
meat
39
26
28
19. Huff and puff
20. Words following an
oath, sometimes
23. Writer Roald
34
51
12
13
31
35
36
37
38
47
48
53
52
55
56
66. Blue book filler
27. Legal hunting period
67. Flat payment
29. Dadaism pioneer
Max
68. Professional charges
69. Catches one's breath
30. Buck's partner
Down
35. Release, as a chain
1. Work wk. ender, for
most
37. Out of port
2. Cakewalk
4. Pendant gem shape
44
46
26. City near Phoenix
3. Old music halls
41
43
17. "That is to say …"
18. Eliel Saarinen's son
30
40
45
50
29
33
42
16. Mix together
11
24
27
32
10
22
23
14. Cowpoke
competition
9
65. Plumbing problem
5. Accord maker
49
6. Without highs and
lows
54
57
58
59
61
62
64
65
66
8. ___ a soul
69
9. Up in the air
67
68
63
7. Consider
60
10. Trembling trees
24. Take care of
11. Get out of the way
28. Like Easter eggs
42. Something some
people return from
vacation with
31. Govt. code breakers
43. WWW addresses
32. Peace of mind
44. Paid attention to
50. Russian plain
53. Cashmere, e.g.
55. "I didn't understand a
thing you said"
60. The good life
34. Womanizer
45. "Casablanca" pianist
61. "Roseanne" star
36. Gullible one
22. Weasel out (on)
47. Conductor Klemperer
49. Afternoon socials
62. Sees the sights
25. Unable to move,
after "in"
25. Roman god of love
39. Avoid technobabble
64. Grandson of Adam
SUDOKU!
Sudoku is a logic-based placement puzzle.
The aim of the puzzle is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each row,
column and group of squares enclosed by the bold lines (also called a box). Each
box must contain each number only once, starting with various digits given in some
cells (the “givens”). Each row, column, and region must contain only one instance of
each numeral. Completing the puzzle requires patience.
It is recommended as therapy because some studies have suggested they might
improve memory, attention and problem solving while staving off mental decline
and perhaps reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Solution to Sudoku on Page 17
12. Touch of color
13. Garden products
brand
21. Words of a worrier
33. Batting woes
38. Highest degrees
40. Worldwide workers'
grp.
41. Went wild
46. Most appropriate
48. Pipsqueaks
50. Have the helm
51. Macbeth's title
52. Treble clef lines
54. Aquatic mammal
56. Nearly unique in the
world
57. Canal of song
58. Rumple
59. Word after quod
63. Method: Abbr.
Solution to Crossword
on Page 17