Issue 332 www.pvmcitypaper.com Saturday 7 to Friday 13 March 2015

Transcription

ISSUE
332
www.pvmcitypaper.com
Issue 332
Saturday 7 to Friday 13
March 2015
March 2015
Need to Know
2
ISSUE
332
manners to present the check before it is
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
March 2015
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.
ISSUE
332
Your Comments
[email protected]
Dear Editor,
I am happy to see that the PV Mirror is willing
to endorse the successes of its citizens, especially
locals, i.e.: Frankies Spaghetti House. With so
many tourists being taken advantage of at times,
I would like you to know that I have found a local
company that saved me from a construction disaster
in my home and I am so appreciative. I continually
recommend this company because they are honest
and fair. I hope you will publish my comments.
During a recent remodeling of my bathroom, I
encountered difficulty working with the person who
was constructing a wall for a shower extension.
When the person tried to tell me that there was a
“variance” allowed for the straightness of the wall,
I called the person who was doing the frameless
glass shower door to intervene, Leonardo Uribe,
co-owner of Arq-espacio S.A. de C.V., a local
company in Mezcales.
Without Leonardo’s
intervention, I am certain that it would have taken
much longer to complete the job. He was respectful
and considerate and really went far out of his way
to help me with a contractor that was difficult to
work with. I am absolutely certain that, if it were
not for his willingness to meet with the contractor
at the start of the project and his insistence that
the wall needed to be perfectly straight to install
the glass shower door, she would still be trying to
tell me that I should not expect perfection and to
allow for all her variances! It was a pleasure to
work with Leonardo and I appreciate the excellent
professional service, high quality product and
attention to detail that I received. Gracias!
Patricia Brannan
Dear Editor:
Sad to say Good-Bye!
I am a long time visitor (21 yrs.) to Puerto
Vallarta, and my 2-month vacation here is quickly
coming to an end. I always have had a wonderful
time here in the 20 plus years in which I have come,
but this was an especially fabulous year.
I have come to realize how genuine the people
are, who live here. The local, shop keepers,
restaurant workers, bus drivers, taxi operators,
carpenters, chefs, gallery owners, street sweepers,
and so on. People appear to be either content, happy
or just trying their best. BUT, they work hard.
This is a magical town, and you all make us, the
tourists, feel comfortable. It truly feels like home
away from home because YOU, the locals, are
special. Claire, Joe, Gena, Fred, Dorothea, Marta,
Mario, Cherie, Ute, Barbara, Jeanine, Miguel, Allyna,
Rebecca, Gil, Rudolfo, Tim and the Guys, Erendira,
Yesa, Hollis, Jorge, “Mama Gloria” Sue, and the list
goes on… Thank You!
Monroe Davids
Dear Editor,
A word of warning to people who intend to rent
accommodation in your beautiful town:
Please thoroughly check out the background of the
agent you are dealing with before you send any money.
We secured a one month-contract from our agent,
Frank Mata at Essentiality, and he was working on
another location for us for another 2 months. We sent
the money, but no contract was forthcoming, and no
other unit was secured for us, so we had to return
home at the end of one month.
Our money for the second location has not been
returned, and now our emails are being ignored.
Apparently this man is well known to the authorities
in PV. We have lodged a complaint with the Bureau
of Consumer Complaints where the people knew his
name immediately. There are, apparently, numerous
complaints already registered regarding the fraudulent
actions of this agent.
So please tell your readers to be aware with whom
they are dealing. Check out the background of agents
and ask around. We do not want others to go through
this upsetting, exhausting, frustrating process, and like
us, end up with no place to stay and no money returned.
A. & T. Boyle
Editor’s Note: If you “google” Frank Mata,
Essenciality, you will find complaints against this
person on reviewstalk.com, tripadvisor.com, scamorg.
com, craigslist.com, etc…
Dear Allyna,
I have noticed the number of letters of complaint
to the Editor regarding the bus service and drivers in
the PV Mirror. Perhaps there should be some input
from you, the Editor, regarding possible reasons for
the actions of these bus drivers.
In our some four decades of vacationing in PV, the
bus service has had some changes. In the early years,
visitors were told not to ride the public buses for they
Continued on Next Page
March 2015
Sound Off
3
4
Sound Off
ISSUE
332
Continued letters to editor...
were for the locals, and that the taxi service were for foreigners. Part
of the explanation was that the local buses were subsidized by the
government for the Mexican people. As time went by, more and more
visitors from other countries would ride them because of the lower cost
than the taxis ... which were another problem.
The issue with reading the bus destination signs for the visitor, that
are in Spanish, is that different colored buses are provided for [different]
locations. The bus fares have slowly gone up over the years, mostly due
to the fare subsidies for the Mexican population. Today it is only 7.5
pesos, a price regulated by the authorities.
In San Francisco, the bus fare is $2.50 for an adult. Children, students
and senior citizens either ride free or at a discount. Consider that when
I ride one of the PV buses, the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to the
peso is currently some 14.993 to one. Could it be that the PV bus
drivers are showing signs of protesting the large number of visitors
riding the buses instead of taking a taxi ... that are taxed to subsidize the
buses, and the fares received by the drivers is only 7.5 pesos?
Frank Norton
Dear Editor,
Back from Puerto Vallarta to the frigid Chicago suburbs, I am thinking
of the wonderful sound of the waves hitting the beach, the excellent
restaurants (especially Archie’s Wok - who would think one has to go
all the way to Puerto Vallarta to eat delicious Chinese food?) and the
markets... what fun to stroll through the various markets, large and small.
An especially memorable experience on our first Saturday in town, my
friend and I wandered into the farmers’ and artists’ market, a delightful
collection of booths full of music, absolutely delicious baked goods,
lovely art work... jewelry, handicrafts, pulled-pork sandwiches... you
name it. The experience reminded me of a mini Chicago Merchandise
Mart as the main floor has tables of wonderful goodies (one can even
order matzo-ball soup!) and upstairs are rooms where various vendors
are offering their crafts. I hope other tourists are lucky enough to visit
the “Tres Gallinas y Un Gallo” Market at 466 Venustiano Carranza,
Colonia Emiliano Zapata on Saturday mornings, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lynne Heidt
Allyna Vineberg
[email protected]
Contributors:
Anna Reisman
Joe Harrington
Harriet Murray
Stan Gabruk
Krystal Frost
Giselle Belanger
Gil Gevins
Ronnie Bravo
Tommy Clarkson
Luis Melgoza
Todd Ringness
Christina Larson
Dr. Fabio Cupul
Janie Albright Blank
Arlene Pervin
Sandra Cesca
Pauline Wallis
Gabriella Namian
Office & Sales: 223-1128
Graphic Designer:
Leo Robby R.R.
Webmaster:
PVMCITYPAPER.COM
Online Team
Cover Photo:
Painting by Ada Colorina
See article on page 16
PV Mirror es una publicación semanal.
Certificados de licitud de título y
contenido en tramite. Prohibida la
reproducción total o parcial de su
contenido, imágenes y/o fotografías sin
previa autorización por escrito del editor.
An important notice
Dear Editor,
Drama at the market!
Last Saturday, I was enjoying the market when I began to feel
weak. I lay down on the grassy bit near the entrance where I became
quite violently ill. My friend went to seek help; in the meantime, a
lady dressed elegantly in black began wiping down my face with a
kleenex dipped in a cup of ice cold water. She continued to do this
until my friend had found Dr. Ortega who happened to be helping
his wife at her booth and the ambulance arrived.
Now my dilemma: I would very much like to meet and thank
the mysterious lady in black. I do know that she is from Toronto,
as I am, and that she has a big heart. Dr. Ortega remarked on her
diligence in comforting me. It all worked out with the excellent
medical attention, but who was the wonderful lady in black?
Eleanor Walenius
Publisher / Editor:
March 2015
The PVMIRROR wants your views and
comments. Please send them by e-mail to:
[email protected]
250 words max, full name, street or e-mail
address and/or tel. number for verification
purposes only. If you do not want your name
published, we will respect your wishes.
Letters & articles become the property of
the PVMIRROR and may be edited and/or
condensed for publication.
The articles in this publication are provided
for the purpose of entertainment and
information only. The PV Mirror City
Paper does not accept any responsibility or
liability for the content of the articles on
this site or reliance by any person on the
site’s contents. Any reliance placed on such
information is therefore strictly at such
person’s own risk.
Note:
To Advertisers & Contributors and those
with public interest announcements,
the deadline for publication is:
2:00 pm on Monday of the
week prior to publication.
ISSUE
332
IFC presents an introduction to Kirtan chanting
Home Tours in final month of the season
By
$50 pesos or 2 kilos of social
service aid (rice, beans, sugar,
diapers, toilet paper) donation at the
door. Doors open 6:15 p.m.
Janie Albright Blank
T
he International Friendship
Club (IFC) will present an
Introduction to Kirtan Chanting
on Thursday March 12th at 7 p.m.
at the IFC. Classically trained
local musician Raoul Díaz de la
Garza will lead an hour of Kirtan
chanting. Kirtan is call-andresponse chanting performed in
India’s bhakti devotional traditions.
Kirtan practice involves chanting
mantras in the beautiful ancient
language of Sanskrit to the
accompaniment of instruments.
Raoul will play the harmonium and
guide the chants. Raoul leads monthly Kirtan
gatherings at Davannayoga Studio
on Matamoros and Corona. His
background includes 2 years at
Beijing’s School of Performing
Arts and 2 years at UC Berkeley,
as well as 5 years of private piano
immersion in Mexico City with
piano masters. For the past six years
he has been the director at Saraswati
Multidimensional Creativity. This
group explores the creative process
of music and language as an
expression of consciousness.
Prior to his music career, Raoul’s
creative background includes being
a creative director at McCann
Erickson, a well known advertising
agency in Mexico, Japan, and Hong
Kong. He spent five years prior
producing, editing, and assisting
the director for Mandoki films in
Mexico City, Mexico.
Raoul leads a meditation group
twice a week in his own meditation
space in Vallarta and loves to surf,
practice yoga and meditate. He has
performed live piano concerts in
Australia, China, France, India, Japan,
Lebanon, Mexico, New Zealand,
Spain, and the USA, and produced
six CD’s of piano music composed in
India, Japan, and Mexico.
Raoul says, “The attraction that
one finds in music makes one
wonder if there is a mystery hidden
behind it, if there is a language of
sound which could be learned. The
answer is that the language of music
and sound is the language of the
soul. It is our inner language, the
natural language of life.”
“It is the tone and rhythm of sound
which have an influence on the tone
and rhythm of our being,” he says.
“By the help of music we can tune
ourselves to the spheres where we
wish to be, aiming to higher planes
of expression where we can discover
the inner and outer balance of our
own bright soul, for understanding,
freedom and love.”
Kirtan is a major practice in
Hindu devotionalism, Sikhism, the
Sant traditions and some forms of
Buddhism, as well as other religious
groups. No background or religious
affiliation needed to attend, just an
openness and desire to enjoy an hour
of relaxing and enlivening chanting!
Last three weeks for
IFC Home Tours this season
This IFC Home Tour season has
flown by, breaking all records.
Approaching their 30th season,
Home Tour popularity has increased
because these are one-of-a kind
experiences, and many guests come
back many times.
Four beautiful homes are included
on every tour, with the homes
rotating weekly. The IFC continues
to seek out homes and homeowners
who are willing to share their
properties with our guests. As
always, all personnel are volunteers.
The proceeds fund the IFC Cleft
Palate program, first and foremost,
with additional donations used for
other charities supported by the IFC.
The final tours of the season will be
held on March 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25.
Tickets are $500 pesos per person
and can be purchased on line using
PayPal or a major credit card, at the
IFC office M-F, 9-2, or on the day of
the tour in pesos at the Sea Monkey
beginning at 9 a.m. Tours depart
promptly at 10:30 a.m. and return
around 1:30 p.m. The Sea Monkey
is located on the beach at Aquiles
Serdan.
For more information,
please go to ifctoursforvallarta.com
or call 222-5466.
The International Friendship
Club is a registered charitable
organization in Mexico listed as
Club Internacional de la Amistad
de Puerto Vallarta A.C., located
at the northeast corner of the Rio
Cuale Bridge above the HSBC
Bank downtown. Phone: 222-5466.
Website: ifcvallarta.com
Email: [email protected]
March 2015
Within PV
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6
Within PV
ISSUE
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The South Side Shuffle!
On Basilio Badillo Street
I
n 1988, Basilio Badillo was
known for three restaurants:
Roberto’s Puerto Nuevo, Pizza Joe
and El Tucan. These restaurants were
so successful that more restaurants
and other businesses started to
relocate to this area. In the mid-90’s,
there were no less than 12 restaurants
on the 200 block of Basilio Badillo
and for years it was known as Calle
de los Cafés (Restaurant Row).
Most of the restaurants have closed
–though Roberto’s is back now!- and
fine shops started to take over. The
area became known as “a one-stop
shopping center”, the finest area
in town to find quality items of all
types.
So, five years ago, some of
the businesses on that street
decided to move forward with “The
South Side Shuffle” – a street party
of sorts, a shindig, open house, fun
times.
Time sure does fly. What started
as a little idea to put Old Town back
on the map as a fabulous destination
to come and experience in Puerto
Vallarta turned into a real success,
offering the most interesting variety
of art galleries, restaurants and shops.
Not only can you reward yourself
with a beautiful piece of jewelry, clothing (from
sexy beach wear to elegant resort attire), works
of art in all mediums, sculptures, ceramics, native
crafts and spa-worthy lotions and soaps, you can
also take in a fantastic dining experience at one
of the many spectacular restaurants on the street
now, all the way from Insurgentes to Olas Altas.
Today, the Shuffle is one of the more popular
events in Old Town, with live music and
beverages being served by the 19 different
participating businesses. The wide sidewalks are
lined with bougainvillea draping over the street,
which comes alive with hundreds of visitors
taking part in what Basilio Badillo Street has to
offer.
March 2015
Happening on Friday evenings twice a month,
this has become a social gathering with music
and drinks to rejuvenate the South side. In
addition to the participating businesses, there are
also many other wonderful shops, restaurants
and galleries in the vicinity that organizers also
hope will benefit from this event.
If you haven’t attended one of these “fiestas”
over the last few weeks, this is the time to do so.
Last two South Side Shuffles of the season:
Fridays, March 6th and 20th, from 6 to 10 p.m.
Please come by and see what all the excitement
is about. You will have a great time!
ISSUE
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Popular hand-drawn Vallarta maps
By
W
Sandra Cesca
ell-known cartographer Jeffrey Obser, or Mapa Jeff as he is
known in Vallarta, continues to produce exceptional hand-drawn and
enhanced maps of many of the Banderas Bay areas. These maps are
so detailed, indicating every street name, stairs, trails, pathways, and
points of interest, that they are THE maps to have for anyone who enjoys
walking. In addition, his latest map of the entire Cabo Corrientes area
south of Vallarta is useful as a driving map as well as walking map of
some of the rural towns in this area.
Jeff does much of his research by physically walking every inch of
the area he is working on and taking detailed notes so when he gets
back to his studio in California, he can produce these wonderful maps
as accurately as possible. He updates the more popular Vallarta maps
annually, reflecting the changes that have occurred during the year.
Maps are coated to protect them from moisture, can be rolled for purse
or pack, and can even be used as placemats or framed souvenirs from
your travels around Banderas Bay. Couple these maps with Sandra
Cesca’s Walking Guidebooks, and you have all you need to strike out on
your own and never get lost!
If you are not familiar with these great maps, you can find the most popular
at the booths of Walk Vallarta! Learn Vallarta! in the Friday Marsol
Market near the Los Muertos Pier and the Saturday Tres Gallinas y Un Gallo
Market at 466 V. Carranza in the Romantic Zone on the south side of town.
March 2015
Within PV
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8
Within PV
ISSUE
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By
D
eadlines have a funny way of
changing our priorities. The actual
word “deadlines” was coined
during the American Civil War as
the closely guarded and uncrossable
perimeter boundary line about 17
feet inside the outside prison camp
walls. A couple of centuries later
to present day, and deadlines apply
to almost everyone, everywhere.
While most of us won’t get shot
if we cross a deadline, there are
usually unfortunate consequences
for doing so.
Every week I have a deadline to
get this column to my editor in time
Todd Ringness
for her publishing deadline. As the
deadline approaches, my priorities
change. Some think this is time
management, but I’ve never held
the belief that I can do anything
to alter passing time or manage it
in any way. What really happens,
is that which was not important
becomes more important, and vice
versa. Accordingly, things get
done and deadlines are met. But
sometimes life brings surprises that
helps reshape our priorities.
My wife Sandra Gaye and I had
the very unwelcome experience of
a home break-in this past week.
The very good news is that the
thieves had compassion on our
15-week old puppy who was
home alone at the time. When
we returned, we found Daisy May
locked in the bedroom… not where
we had left her. We are SO grateful
that she was safe, instead of hurt or
released or who knows what. Yes,
there are sort of feelings that come
along with a home invasion. They
got what they wanted… nearly all
of our electronics and jewelry for
quick resale, we presume.
I bring this up because a sideeffect of having a lot taken from
you, is the slow and unrelenting
stream of thoughts and feelings
that just about all point to blaming
oneself. For not doing this, nor that.
For not having a more secure backup for all our important photos,
music, files, etc. For not bringing
the other phone, or not wearing that
piece of jewelry when you went
out. For not hiding away things
better. For not having a security
system. On and on it goes.
My wife wasn’t wearing our
engagement/wedding ring because
it was awaiting repair… a repair
that I was planning to coincide with
our 15th wedding anniversary next
week and the surprise of her ring
during our celebration. A jewelry
shop on Carranza had already been
selected.
Could the ring have been repaired
sooner? Of course. Could I have
backed everything up before it was
all stolen? Certainly yes. Could
we have had better locks installed?
Absolutely yes. But we had other
priorities. As do you… though
some might change as a result of me
sharing our story with you, and that
might be a very good thing indeed.
Because good things coming out of
bad things brings balance, order,
and encouragement for all of us.
Let me add that bad things happen
everywhere. We were twice robbed
when we were living in Kelowna,
British Columbia; once at our
coffee shop, and once at our home.
Surprisingly, this time around, the
feelings of violation and anger are
not as strong as they were the first
time. That said, I’d really rather
not go through this again.
I suggest you join us and make
it a priority to enjoy yourself this
week. If you enjoy being with
your dear ones, then do it. If you
all like to laugh, then go see a drag
queen or do some karaoke together.
If you like to sing along and tap
your toes, then take in a concert.
We are blessed with hundreds of
great options with MANY talented
people who make it a priority to
give you a good time right here in
our town.
Many local charities are
squeezing in their final fundraisers
before the winter season winds
down in a handful of short weeks…
I know!
These opportunities
allow you give and receive in a
way that multiplies your money
and makes a big difference in our
community. Check the Charities
tab on VallartaTickets.com to see
what’s coming up, or ask around.
Consider making it a priority to
support at least one local charity
before the season is over and/or
you head back north.
So yes, we’re out several thousand
dollars in things that were important
to us, and no, there is no insurance.
And I am pretty sure that the waves
of loss will still come and go. But
something like this really presents a
chance to reflect on one’s priorities,
and where value is placed.
I regularly walk past our
neighborhood’s contained but open
trash heap, and quite often there
is some dear soul in there digging
around. It’s almost unimaginable
what things he sees, smells, and
touches in there. Yet I can’t help
but think, “There but for the Grace
of God go I.” And so I remain:
Grateful.
Maybe you’ve ended up with
shuffled priorities.
Or maybe
your comfort autopilot is activated
and most decisions are relegated
to routine. This might be a great
time to examine priorities so that
you won’t accidentally cross any
“deadlines” you didn’t know were
there. Blessings upon you!
Todd Ringness
Along with his wife Sandra Gaye are the founders of Vallarta Tickets, a Canadian online
ticketing agency serving the Banderas Bay region and beyond. You can usually see this man
about town, or you can email: [email protected]
March 2015
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Asilo San Juan Diego
If you missed it the first time… it’s back!
Second Special Sicilian Soirée
at Sapori de Sicilia
A
silo San Juan Diego is a non-profit organization (C.A. - civil
association) created to improve the quality of life for our elders (65 to 100
years of age) so their last years can be lived in dignity and full of happiness.
It also offer families of Puerto Vallarta alternative care and support for
their elderly family members with a day care system so the seniors who
would normally be left at home without care during the day may enjoy each
other’s company, with therapy services, health and recreation to improve
their quality of life.
We welcome the arrival of Sr. Martin Escobedo from SEPEPSA Security
Company to our growing list of sponsors. His company is donating a
security system with cameras and all needed accessories, to the Asilo. As
a number of people had to be turned away due to insufficient space last
month, Stratos Media and the San Juan Diego Home for Seniors invites
you to be part of this second edition of the wonderful charity evening
organized to support this organization and raise funds to build additional
rooms for the Seniors’ Home.
Don’t miss the spectacular Sicilian menu and enjoy the live entertainment
by piano duet Raoul Díaz and Antonio Lecomte, plus all the raffles and
prizes we have for you on Sunday, March 8th at the restaurant Sapori di
Sicilia located in Plaza Romy at 228 Ignacio L. Vallarta in the Romantic
Zone on the south side of town. Donation $395 pesos under reservation at
vallartatickets.com
March 2015
Within PV
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10
Calendar / Directories
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March 2015
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Airline Directory
AEROTRON
226-8440
AIR CANADA 01 800 719-2827
AIR TRANSAT 01 800 900-1431
ALASKA
01 800 252-7522
AMERICAN
01 800 904-6000
CONTINENTAL
See United
DELTA 01 800 266-0046
FRONTIER
01 800 432-1359
INTERJET
01 800 011-2345
SUN COUNTRY 01 800 924-6184
UNITED
01 800 864-8331
US AIRWAYS 01 800 428-4322
AEROMEXICO 01 800 021-4000
March 2015
Calendar / Directories
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12
Beyond PV
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Kassiano & Murillo
Concert at the VYC
On Wednesday, March 11 , the Vallarta
th
Yacht Club will be sponsoring an encore
performance by Kassiano and his music
director, Julia Murillo. This event will take
place at the Yacht Club.
Hors-d’oeuvres will be served at 6 p.m. and
during intermission. Theater-style seating will
be at 7 p.m. Entry is by prepaid admission only,
of $275. Pesos for members and their guests,
or $375 Pesos for non-members. Tickets can
be obtained from Rudy or Danny at the Yacht
Club or by calling 297-2222.
The Chacala Music
& Art Festival
We are proud to announce that the Banderas Bay
Jazz Allstars are returning for the 2015 Chacala Music
& Art Festival! They will perform Friday, March 13th
from 7:30 to 9:30 in the Palm Grove.
The Banderas Bay Jazz Allstars from Puerto Vallarta
have been creating a stir, and selling out venues all
around the greater Vallarta area for three seasons now.
Individually these players have had successful careers
in the States, Europe, and beyond, performing at some
of the most prestigious jazz festivals in the world.
Their diverse backgrounds create a unique chemistry
that covers the gamut of jazz, blues, and funk styles.
The group consists of Chas Eller on keyboards,
Saxophonist, and flutist extraordinaire. Bryan Savage
is well known as a solo artist on the Smooth Jazz scene.
Bassist Steve York has a career that spans 45 years of
recording and touring with many major artists. And last,
but not least, Cuban-born Lazaro Poey.
March 2015
Mariachi Garibaldi will perform in the Palm Grove
Saturday, March 14th from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. This is a
performing ensemble from Southwestern College in
Chula Vista, CA, USA, the first school in the world to
offer a college degree in Mariachi music.
Mariachi Garibaldi has performed countless
engagements in and around San Diego, including several
national education conferences. Their travels have taken
them to countries like Mexico, Russia, France, China and
Brazil. Their newest CD “Un canto por el mundo” was
inspired by their world travels and features music they
performed on 4 continents.
Director Jeff Nevin, Ph.D., is a professional classical
trumpet player, mariachi trumpeter and soloist, a
conductor specializing in the interpretation of Mexican
music and an award-winning composer whose works
have been performed by numerous symphonies. In
addition to numerous performances in the US and
Mexico, he recently returned from performing tours in
France, China and Russia.
To enjoy these performers in action take a look at
https://youtube.com/watch?v=MsMiuMGJL6E
The 2nd Annual Festival is celebrating both arts and
music in Chacala and will be held from March 12th to
the 15th, 2015. If you have any additional questions,
please email [email protected] or find out more
at www.chacalamusicfestival.com
We can’t wait to see you there!
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Vegas-style Revue ‘An Evening at the Birdcage’ returns to
The Palm Cabaret March 5 - 21
B
ack by popular demand, ‘An
Evening At The Birdcage’, starring Joe
Posa and Thirsty Burlington, returns to
The Palm on Thursday, March 5th at 9:30
p.m. Hosted by Posa, as comedic icon
Joan Rivers, the show is reminiscent
of a Las Vegas revue, with a mix of
spot-on impersonations of Cher (with
live vocals), Barbra Streisand, Liza
Minnelli, Judy Garland, and Michael
Jackson, all with incredible likenesses
and gorgeous costumes. Posa and
Burlington were a huge hit last year, as
well as earlier this season at The Palm,
after completing a very successful
sold-out run in Provincetown, MA.
during the summer.
Joe Posa, a member of both Actor’s
Equity and the Screen Actor’s Guild,
has performed in venues in New York
clubs such as Don’t Tell Mama, Rose’s
Turn, The Blue Angel, The Triad and
The Supper Club. Posa is perhaps
best-known for his highly regarded
impersonation of the late Joan Rivers,
having appeared with the comedy
genius herself in Houston,Texas, as
well as on CBS’s ‘The Morning Show’.
As a member of Actor’s Equity, his
credits include the International touring
company of West Side Story. He also
appeared on All My Children as Erica
Kane’s double, alongside Susan Lucci.
Thirsty Burlington (aka: Scott
Townsend) is regarded as one of the
finest celebrity impersonators of the
day. Early on, Townsend discovered
an instinctive ability to impersonate
Cher, including spot-on live vocals, as
well as several others including Judy
Garland. He takes his audience on an
incredible ride of music and comedy,
morphing into these iconic celebrities,
playing to packed houses throughout
the U.S.A. and Mexico. His character,
Thirsty Burlington, is also the subject
of a soon to be released film ‘Thirsty’
by Margo Pelletier and Lisa Thomas
of Thin Edge Films.
‘An Evening At The Birdcage’
plays March 5 - 21 at The Palm. All
performances at 9:30 p.m. Please
see the link below for a calendar of
all shows and online tickets.
Also currently playing at The Palm
is Vallarta favorite Amy Armstrong
in her new music and comedy show
‘Diva Loca’ through March 31.
Popular Argentinean duo Luis and
Andrea of Bohemia Viva return
March 2 - April 5. And this season’s
comedy hit ‘Greater Tuna’, starring
Tracy Parks and Chaz Weathers is in
its third extended run, now playing
through March 30. Latcho & Andrea
- The Blond Gypsies also have two
added show dates on March 21 & 31.
The Palm is well-known for bringing
top notch, cutting-edge entertainment
to Vallarta. Inside you’ll find an
intimate, completely refurbished 90seat cabaret with outstanding sound
and lighting, creating the ambiance of
cabarets from days gone by. Shows are
scheduled seven days per week with
two different shows nightly through
April, 2015. The Palm also offers
matinées at 4 p.m. on selected shows.
The Palm is non-smoking (a patio
is provided for smokers), located at
March 2015
508 Olas Altas in the Romantic Zone
on the south side of town. Tickets
may be purchased online 24/7, and at
The Palm’s Box Office, open from 11
a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. A full calendar
of performances, information and
online tickets are available at www.
ThePalmPV.com You can also find
the Palm on Facebook at The Palm
Cabaret and Bar.
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“Forever Plaid” opens in the Main Stage March 10th
Forever Plaid opens in the Main
Stage Theater March 10th under the
direction of Alfonso Lopez. It will be
performed in English. Relive an era when doo-wop was
king, big hairdos were in, cars had
enormous fins, and the harmonizing
bands of the 50s were all the rage.
This hallmark jukebox musical
comedy by Stuart Ross centers on
a quartet whose dream of recording
an album ended in a bus collision
while on their way to their biggest
gig. Now they’ve been miraculously
revived for the show that never was. You’ll be humming along with
the great nostalgic pop hits of the
1950s and rollin’ in the aisles from
the delightful patter of the original
clean-cut boy band – The Plaids. Featuring such hits as Sixteen Tons,
Chain Gang, Three Coins in the
Fountain, Perfidia, Cry, Catch a
Falling Star, Day-O, Gotta Be This or
That, Matilda, and Heart and Soul.
The Plaids get a chance to look back
at their lives, and they discover that
they didn’t just have wonderful lives;
their lives were wonderful, because
they lived them together.
Together they can achieve the
unimaginable, the unexplainable. Starring local performers Elvis
Martinez, Alfonso Lopez, Roberto
Duran and Jose Maria Caudillo with Bob
Bruneau at the piano, Forever Plaid is
produced by Act II Entertainment and
Mary Amelotte .
The Voice of Vallarta Classic Rock & Duets Week
The Voice of Vallarta returns to the
Main Stage for Classic Rock & Duets
week. Each of the contestants has been
paired up with another and will sing
duets, but first is classic rock songs. The
Voice of Vallarta has had its share of
drama over the last few weeks with triple
eliminations, contestants high jacking the
show and dropping out without warning
to producers and as in the case of this
last Sunday, just not showing up, judges
throwing fits and refusing to vote, and
tears... lots of tears. One thing is sure: The
Voice of Vallarta is hotter than ever! The
Voice is down to the top seven and who
goes home, no one knows. Join us every
Sunday for Vallarta’s favorite show, The
Voice of Vallarta at 8 p.m. every Sunday.
The Main Stage theater is located upstairs in the Act II Entertainment STAGES complex at 300 Insurgentes
(corner of Basilio Badillo)in the Romantic Zone on the south side of town. Tel.: 222-1512.
March 2015
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Roslyn Kind dazzles Vallarta with 4 SOLD OUT shows
… and adds a fifth!
Roslyn Kind - dazzles audiences
with her vocal prowess when she
presents an evening of music,
cabaret and family storytelling that is
sure to entertain. Recently featured
on her sister Barbra Streisand’s
World Tour, the acclaimed singer,
actress, and comedian has built
a considerable name for herself
as a headliner at Lincoln Center,
London’s Café Royal and Carnegie
Hall. Join Kind for “a journey
of emotions” in her brand new
show featuring both new material
and vintage “Rozzie” tunes – on
Saturday, March 7th at 7:30 p.m.
Banderas Bay Jazz Allstars
- consists of Chas Eller, on
keyboards, Bryan Savage on sax &
flute, Steve York on bass, and Lazaro
Poey on drums. Individually these
players have had successful careers
back in the States, in Europe, in
Cuba, and around the world. Now
they are spending winters in the
greater P.V. area, and have joined
forces to create an amazing musical
chemistry the likes of which this
area has not seen before.
Members of the group have
played with Dr. John, Paul
Butterfield, Kilimanjaro, Tom
Coster, (Santana), the Amazing
Rhythm Aces, Al Stewart, Marianne
Faithful, Joan Armatrading, and
festivals in the U.S., Canada,
Europe, Soviet Union, and Asia. The uniqueness of these four
individual’s musical roots makes
for a repertoire that covers the
gamut of jazz, blues, and funk
style. March 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Luna Rumba - thrills audiences
with their sonic tapestry of Latin
Fusion, Gypsy Flamenco, Arabic
Melodies, Cuban Rhythms, Celtic
Riffs and even Latin Jazz. Their
shows are a celebration of musical
fusion, human diversity, creativity,
warmth and virtuosity. Fiery
violins, rumba-flamenco guitar,
hot keyboard riffs and cool bass
ride on top of the unstoppable
polyrhythmic grooves created by
the exotic percussion instruments
and drums. If this weren’t enough,
be prepared to hear vocals that will
melt your heart and warm your
soul. March 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Bonnie Kilroe - A professional
and award-winning* entertainer for
more than 15 years, the last 10 of
which she has dedicated to her onewoman act – Celebrity Imposters –
Bonnie has been singing and
strutting her stuff to the enjoyment
of local, national, and international
audiences, in theaters, convention
centers, casinos, cruise ships, and
less exotic stages. The producer
of her own one-woman-shows—
Divas: Vegas meets Vaudeville,
Country Queens and The Patsy
Cline Tribute Show (among
others)—this versatile performer is
always coming up with new ways
to thrill and delight. March 6, 8
and 10th at 9:30 p.m.
Every week in the
Red Room Cabaret…
Cashetta - as a Singer, Comic,
Emcee, Magician and Fabulous
Psychic Medium, Cashetta is
a one of a kind entertainer that
is not to be missed! Tuesdays
& Saturdays at 9:30 p.m.,
Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
March 2015
Miss Conception - An all live
singing show with your favorite
story book characters with a twist.
Mondays at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.,
Thursdays at 9:30 p.m.
Kim Kuzma - Being her
10th year of performing in PV,
Kim has learned to simply give
what audiences want from her. “Just Kim” is exactly that. Kim’s
Acustico show features Kim and her
fantastic 5 piece band. Acustico Sundays at 7:30 p.m., Just Kim Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m.
ELVIS - Rob Knight holds the title
of Pacific Northwest 2014 Division
Champion as an Elvis Tribute
Artist. Forever Elvis is reminiscent
of his lively and passionate Las
Vegas stage shows and concerts.
Wednesdays at 4 p.m.
The Red Room Cabaret &
Bar is located upstairs in the
Act II Entertainment STAGES
complex at 300 Insurgentes
(corner of Basilio Badillo)in
the Romantic Zone on the south
side of town. Tel.: 222-1512.
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Cuates y Cuetes
hosts Spring Jazz Festival
By
Ada Colorina is widely renowned for her simple,
yet sophisticated, depictions of everyday life in
traditional Mexican towns. Using Puerto Vallarta
as her main source of inspiration, she covers her
canvases with bright, intense colors, creating
beautiful and vibrant images of commonplace scenes,
in her own inimitable naïf style. She has represented
Puerto Vallarta internationally in many art-related events.
Arlene Pervin
Celebrate Spring and Jazz at the
19th Annual Festival of Jazz.
Cuates y Cuetes has been serving
up all styles of music for 19 years.
With a deep desire to educate and
promote jazz and to provide a venue
for people to listen to different
styles of music, the concept of the
first jazz festival at Cuates y Cuetes
was born in 1996.
“Tete”, manager of Cuates y
Cuetes, and Martine, promoter,
educator and musician, have been
the generating force behind the
festivals and their realization. It
was their desire to make jazz
more understandable to others that
launched them into doing festivals.
March 2015
“It’s like being exposed to other
colors, if you are exposed to only
one color, you don’t know that
there’s a whole spectrum of colors
out there”, she says.
Her philosophy reflects her
openness towards the arts. “Don’t
limit yourself to one genre, one
style, for if you limit yourself, you
limit the art.”
The Festival of Jazz has always
been linked to the Spring Equinox
which falls on March 21st. In their
first years they had a mascot of a
butterfly, which represented the
transformation of the mundane to
the beautiful.
“Who could imagine that a
colourless worm would turn into
a butterfly?” It is in that analogy
that “Tete” feels that we all have
a butterfly within us. With spring
and renewal and the openness
towards the creative spirit, may we
all release some of our butterfly
spirit on that day.
With an eclectic line-up of
musicians and bands, one thing is
certain: The universal language
of music will cross boundaries,
cultures and the spoken word and
where spring, love and Jazz will
definitely be in the air.
Spring into Jazz at Cuates y Cuetes
on Los Muertos beach, on March 21,
2015. Music from 4 to 10 p.m.
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Map
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Los Bambinos celebrate
success in their 9th season!
By
P
On Wednesday, March 18th, Galeria Colectika presents
Enrique Flores with his latest collection: Magical Realism.
Enrique studied at the prestigious Bellas Artes School of Fine Arts
in the University of Benito Juarez, Oaxaca; he learned to make
prints at the Rufino Tamayo work shop with Juan Alcazar
and mentored with the famous Rudolfo Morales.
Enrique will be in the gallery at 1 p.m. to answer any questions
and there will be a cocktail reception with the artist during the
Art Walk from 6 to 10 p.m.
Beatriz and Kevin look forward to your visit at Galeria Colectika,
858 Guadalupe Sanchez & Allende, 222-2302.
www.peyotepeople.com
Christina Larson
uerto Vallarta’s own Los
Bambinos enjoy a ninth year
presenting their sold-out shows in
the Romantic Zone. The years have
seen their smiling faces playing
on international stages in the US,
all the way from Marin County,
California, to the Isles of the San
Juan in Washington, but no stage
brings such favor as those with their
original supporters and fans, who
continue to seek out their shows
here in Puerto Vallarta. Tuesday and Friday nights 8 p.m. at the Roxy
are Los Bambinos’ this season featuring their forte: vocal harmonies
with their stellar musicianship. The theme through both shows this
year is no other than presenting their original music, tastefully, with
the covers that they excel in performing.
Among classic rock favorites in their Tuesday night show, with the
Everly brothers and the Monkees, Los Bambinos bring to life the vocal
harmonies of the Beach Boys in a special medley. What better way to
round out a great night celebrating classic rock musical history than
with a little disco music?… That’s right, you’ll be ‘Flashed-back’ to
the Bee Gees and their Saturday Night Fever favorite: Staying Alive,
fresh with Los Bambinos memorable Latin twist.
For those desiring more of that Latin twist than the rock, so easy to
find in the bars of the colder climes, Los Bambinos Friday night show
brings a Latino night with music selections from around the warmer
parts of the globe. In this show, the quartet performs with inspiring
instrumentation their unique blend of voices in an easy listening
evening of Latino & international rhythms that so many have come to
look for when returning to Puerto Vallarta. Alongside a choice selection
of international songs, the group brings their original music to the stage
(New Album Mundo Ideal now available on iTunes). In both shows,
they play a selection of brand new songs, quickly becoming the private
party song requests of tomorrow.
Over the years playing together, Los Bambinos’ original style has
morphed into what they now confidently describe as Latin Rock
Fusion. This sound is full of their signature four-part harmonies, and
well-done electric and acoustic instrumentation. “Their outstanding
characters come through in their original music; it just makes you feel
good each time you play a track… like you do when hearing them
live. I can’t wait to hear more of Los Bambino’s original music!” describes a fan.
Come experience this sound and a great show with Los Bambinos
at the Roxy Rock House, that features live music every night at 217
Ignacio L. Vallarta in the Romantic Zone on the south side of town.
Los Bambinos perform Tuesday and Friday nights from 8 to 10 p.m.
Tickets and booking at www.losbambinosmusic.com or 222-4357,
English spoken. See you at the show!
March 2015
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New paintings at
The Loft Galeria
B
ill White, Wosene Kosrof
and Nicola Wheston each have
new paintings on exhibit at The
Loft Galeria. While each of these
wonderful artists utilize vastly
differing styles and approaches in
their work, each pursue their craft
in a very disciplined manner,
while bearing in mind the importance of the viewer
in the successful outcome of art. These artists allow
the viewer to find their own unique relationship with
painting and do so in distinctive ways.
Bill White, with his super-realism, invites us into
a very personal world with his subjects, where we
often anticipate the unexpected. Wosene Kosrof,
the great modernist, scatters references of language
and imagery across his canvases, summoning us to
apply our own discernment of the work, and Nicola
Wheston and her fearless use of heavy brush and
spatula work, trusts her viewers to find the tangible
elements they need in her paintings.
The great painter and teacher Steve Huston tells
us: “Art, finally, is a dialogue between the piece on
the wall and the viewer. At that point, the artist needs
to get out of the way and let these new relationships
build. Cropping, limiting or manipulating the color,
realism devolving into abstraction...lost and found
details… these are some of the ways to invite the
viewer to interpret and to explore.”
At The Loft Galeria, we trust these artists to
trust their audience; you, the viewer.
Please visit the artist’s work, and us, in person at
176A Corona (upstairs) or call 222-6353.
Please stay tuned to our website at: www.
TheLoftGaleria.com and please like us on
Facebook at The Loft Galeria.
John C. Strawn
Director/Owner
March 2015
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The 7 Arts
By
cable networks have stepped up to
the plate and are now delivering stuff
that is better than almost any TV
presentations in the past.
Certain things really struck me –
like camera angles. The choices for
many of these are unusual. It’s hard
enough to carry on a high level of
Joe Harrington
Better Call Saul
E
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very once in a while, I review
something on TV. Last week, I
watched three episodes of Better Call
Saul. This is created by those who
gave us Breaking Bad. This is writing,
plotting, acting, at its very best.
I don’t know how many movies
and TV shows have used lawyers and
the law as the central theme. And it
makes sense because what they do is
by definition, drama. Confrontation
is drama and the resolution is usually,
“We, the Jury, find…” But this
series delivers far more than just the
expected drama. It delivers twists
that catch one like being blindsided.
I am not going into the plot any
further than I almost switched
channels back to either AMC or TMC,
where I usually spend most of my
time wasted in front of a television. I
kept thinking, what is this? It’s black
and white, yet it’s a 2015 production.
There’s nothing happening. And I
mean nothing happening, just a guy
working in a grocery store who stares
suspiciously at customers. That’s
not exactly conflict on the level of
Godzilla meets Mothman. But then
it changes and sucks you
in, and makes you (or at
least me) an addict by the
end of the first episode.
The star is a bottom
feeding,
ambulance
chasing, worst nightmare
for professional and
ethical lawyers, meaning
what most people think
of the profession. But
this lawyer is likable.
And
that
likability
comes slowly. It isn’t that he has any
attribute that should make you like
him, but it is his persona.
My youngest son, Devin, put me
onto this thing. And once I was
hooked, he told me that it was a
prequel to Breaking Bad. Kind of
like Star Wars 4 beginning that epic
series, and then coming back after the
first three to Star Wars. I had seen
only one episode of Breaking Bad,
and a portion of another. The one I
saw involved a fly getting into a meth
lab. I sat, absolutely mesmerized, at
how a simple plot could develop into
a brilliant story that was riveting.
Better Call Saul shows that network
TV has capitulated thought-provoking
presentations to reality shows, but
brilliance for two hours or so in a
motion picture, but think what it takes
to do it hour after hour after hour. And
with silver screen cinematography
production values. This is no simple
set and low budget stuff, this is top
quality.
Bob Odeen Kirk is the hapless
lawyer in this thing. And he has
been so overlooked for the last few
decades, it is unbelievable. This
guy is no Clark Gable, no George
Clooney handsome leading lady type,
but can he act! I’m a professional
writer. What impressed me about this
effort is that what gets delivered at
first seems disjointed, confusing, but
time after time it spins around a while
later and ties all things together.
March 2015
This is not easy and something
I applaud. Remember, I am not
talking about a single segment of
this presentation, you have to watch
three or four to get the full sense
and impact of what its creators have
accomplished.
This thing is satirical, caustic and
brilliant.
I know
where I plan to be
every Monday night:
glued to AMC. I can
sum all this up with
one word - Bravo!
And what is even
more impressive is
how the plot seems to
go off on a tangent to
somewhere and you
wonder what the hell
is going on, and then
seamlessly segues
later on right back
and explains all.
Some readers have emailed me
that it seemed I had more fun writing
when I didn’t like something than
when I did. Wrong. I love raving
about something special. I am not
a big fan of slapstick humor, but
situational humor, humans acting like
humans and being ridiculous, I love.
Joe Harrington
Is an internationally published true crime
writer and documentary filmmaker.
Send comments or criticism to
[email protected]
Artwork by Bob Crabb.
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JICAMA!
Good Bites
23
Meet “Mama Gloria”
J
icama (hee-kah-ma), a.k.a.
Mexican water chestnut, Mexican
turnip, sengkwang, yacon, etc., is a
root vegetable that resembles a very
large potato or brown turnip. It is a
relative of the sweet potato, native
to South America and Mexico.
Jicamas may grow as large as 6
lbs! You must peel a jicama before
eating or cooking it.
When eaten raw, it has a mild
flavor with a crisp texture, not
unlike an unripe pear. Eat it raw,
sprinkled with salt and lime juice,
or use it as a vehicle for dips from
ranch dressing to hummus. Jicama
may also be used in a stir-fry to
create a crunch similar to water
chestnuts, or sautéed on its own for
a side dish.
A ½ cup serving of jicama counts
toward the 2-3 cups of veggies
adults are recommended to eat
each day. A whole cup (about 4.6
oz) contains just 49 calories and
virtually no fat. Jicama are mostly
carbs - 11.47 gms/cup. They only
have 0.94 gms of protein per cup,
but 6.4 gms of fiber per cup, i.e. 16%
of the 38 gms recommended daily
for men and 25% of the 25 grams
recommended daily for women by
the Institute of Medicine. One cup
also provides 30-40% of the daily
value of vitamin C, and 16% of your
daily folic acid needs. Jicama, per
cup, is a moderately good source
of potassium offering 195 mgms same as you get in a peach.
Jicama can be included with
other fruit like mango, pineapple,
watermelon and cucumber to make
a refreshing Mexican-style salad. It
can also add crunch to green salads
without all the calories and fat of
croutons, nuts or bacon bits.
In Mexico, fresh tubers are cut
into cubes or julienne sticks and
sprinkled with lime juice, salt and
dressed with olive oil and paprika or
ground chili pepper. It is a favorite
root vegetable in Mexican cooking
where it is used in salads, slaw,
stews, stir-fries, soups, etc. It mixes
well with poultry, meat and seafood.
Choose well-formed, firm, round,
medium sized tubers. Avoid soft,
shriveled, or tubers with surface
cuts, cracks and bruised skin. Once
at home, jicamas can be stored much
like potatoes. They have very good
shelf life and keep well in a cool,
dry, dark place for about 2-4 weeks.
Whether you like them raw or
cooked, make sure you’ve peeled
them well as the peel is not edible.
“Mama Gloria” is a Vallarta legend - at least in her own joyous
mind! Possessed of an indefatigable spirit, she IS “Mama’s Jewish
Comfort Food” while simultaneously running, and she seems to
always be running (or dancing), “Mama Vallarta Tour & Concierge
Services”.
Always the first to sell out at the two markets she attends (the Friday
“Marsol Market by the Pier” and the Saturday “Tres Gallinas y Un
Gallo” on V. Carranza), she makes EVERYTHING (matzoh ball soup
with a quarter of a chicken per 3 serving container, blintzes with home
made farmer’s cheese and her biggest seller, chopped chicken livers) by
hand from her grandmother’s handwritten, translated, Yiddish recipes!
A purchase of Mama’s products helps support an entire community.
All of her ingredients are purchased from local growers, grocers and
meat markets.
We (the FabFabricFellows of apron, t-shirt and mask fame)
have worked beside gallivanting Gloria at both the ‘late’ “Paradise
Community Center Market” and now at the bustling “Marsol Market
by the Pier” where your senses will happily lead you to the sensory
delights of the outside food court where, as Mama Gloria is fond of
saying, “Samples and guilt are free”!!
COME, VISIT, ENJOY!
March 2015
Health Matters
24
By
ISSUE
332
Krystal Frost
Plastic surgery and alternatives
A
couple of years ago, when
coming up on another decade of
years, she/he (let’s stick to her for
now) happened to take more than
the normal glance in the mirror, and
wondered… “when did these extra
flaps over my eyes, under my eyes,
around my cheeks, jowls and neck
creep up (or down)?” It all started
when her hairdresser took a profile
photo of the new sassy haircut. The
cut was great… but... “What is going
on with that jowl line?” This started
her on a 6-month rejuvenation of skin
that included cellular turnovers, eye
creams, moisturizers, sunscreens,
lifting creams, facial acupuncture
combined with drinking juices
formulated for mineral properties to
renew the skin, organic food, tons
of kale, salads, spinach, wheat grass
juice, morning tea and high quality
lean proteins. Her skin glowed and
she felt wonderful enjoying days of
high activity, and languid evenings
with friends and lovers…
However, all the above plus Yoga,
Pilates, weight training, hiking, boating
and all the head stands in the world did
not get rid of those bags and sags.
“Its just a fact of life, honey,” her
beautiful blond 85-year old mother
murmured as she stroked her goddess
cat curled up on her lap, glaring at the
daughter with golden eyes. “Every
dog has its day, I had mine in the 40s,
you had yours in the 80s, every age is
beautiful darling, cultivate them!” With
that, she turned on her big screen TV to
watch a classic movie with Humphrey
Bogart. What she really wanted to ask
her mom was her thoughts on plastic
surgery... Her mother looked up from
her movie, smiled sweetly and said, “I
wish I had done it 30 years ago, I just
hate my neck.” But in those days, plastic
surgery was exclusively for Hollywood
personalities, discreet millionaires’
wives around the world and mafia guys
wanted to escape the law.
Well, things have changed, Honi!
Diet and exercise have first place in
staying healthy, active and free of pain
and medications. Having said that,
here is some first-hand information
on what’s happening here in PV
when it comes to elective surgery and
the alternatives. Many clients travel
from the U.S. and Canada to see the
dentist, and some cosmetic surgery,
to return to their homes 2 weeks later
with not only a tan and bright smile,
but a refreshed and natural look. One
can expect to pay and save at least
30% of the cost of prices in the U.S
or Canada.
Botox is used to ease expression
lines in the brow area, crow’s feet, lift
the brow and can lift the corners of
the mouth a bit. It is also used to ease
the effects of facial paralyses and
excess underarm perspiration. The
effects last from 3-6 months. Some
clients come in their early years to
prevent deepening expression lines.
Plastic surgeons and dermatologists
apply the treatment.
Cosmetic Fillers are used to fill
in the hollow cheeks, ease lines
around the mouth, chin, upper lip
and between the brows. The inoffice procedures of filler injections
are done with a needle and local
aesthesia. The effects can last one
year. Plastic surgeons apply this
treatment. Product may cause an
allergic reaction in some clients.
Fat Injections is a procedure done
by a plastic surgeon who harvests
your own fat from the stomach area
(usually) and plumps up the face,
much as in the cosmetic filler. The
cost is about the same as the cosmetic
filler, but you use your own fat. One
can expect at least 50% of the graft
will remain and there is no problem
with allergic reaction. This procedure
is done in the hospital under sterile
conditions and considered a day
surgery. They can do this to plump
up other parts of the body too.
LIGHT LIFT is a combination of
botox and fat fillers.
All of the above have a valid place
when
considering
“maintenance
upgrade”...
At some point, one
considers a consultation with a plastic
March 2015
surgeon and a more permanent solution.
Eye treatment removes the excess
skin of the upper lid, easing the weight
on the lid so you can actually see better,
and wear eye make-up. The lower eye
treatment removes the excess skin and
fat bags. Usually this is a day surgery
if done early in the morning.
Lower face lift is treatment of neck,
chin, jowl line, and cheeks. Finally
we get rid of the saggy neck and jowl
line. This is done in the hospital and
usually requires an overnight stay. It
is known as a MINI LIFT.
Face lift is a combination of both
of the above.
Generally speaking, these procedures
require minimum lab work and
cardiologist evaluation. Requirements
can vary with different surgeons.
Prices vary between surgeons as
to services, packages and hospital
options. It’s best to go with someone
who has a LOT of experience, is
certified by the Plastic Surgeons Board
of Mexico, and (55 5616 4910) and is
a member of the Mexican Association
of Plastic Surgeons. Consultation
is normally complimentary when
the surgeon will take a look, discuss
your options and show you before
and after photos of their work. Some
surgeons apply a holistic approach to
pre surgery protocol, suggestions of
diet and supplements that decrease the
down time.
SHE went ahead and had the
face lift... much to the admiration
of her mother and the horror of her
children… They got over it.
Krystal Frost
Is a long time resident of Puerto Vallarta.
Graduate of University of Guadalajara, and
specialized in cosmetic acupuncture at
Bastyr University in Washington State. She
is the owner of Body & Sol for over 20 years
where she practices traditional Chinese
medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy,
yoga, meditation and nutritional counseling.
She has created healing programs for
individuals, retreats and spas. For questions
and comments - Cell: 322 116-9645,
Email [email protected]
ISSUE
332
Growing older
By
Giselle Belanger
S
o often our age sneaks up on
us. We think we are fine and then
suddenly there are problems, whether
we are in our forties and accepting
that we need reading glasses or we are
in our eighties and can’t get around
the way we used to, can’t remember
things we should, or we’re taking a
handful of medications. None of us
like it and yet all of us must face it.
Of course as we grow older, there
are potentially more complications
and considerations. Today I am
going to discuss such things as they
relate to the “elderly” or “seniors”,
but hopefully all of you are paying
attention so that certain decisions can
be made ahead of time and options
can be considered.
Life happens
The life cycle is a fact and moving
through the different stages is an
interesting journey to say the least.
Although, I am not suggesting that
retirement age is “old age” or puts
you in the category of “elderly”, but
it is the beginning of a phase in life
where productivity is no longer the
goal. Once you reach retirement age,
you expect life to be a blast, after all,
it’s what you looked forward to all
the years that you worked and raised
a family. In fact, you counted on it.
Retirement brings expectations of fun
carefree days when it doesn’t matter
what time you go to bed or wake up
and you finally have to time to enjoy
all of the things you dreamed of and
planned for.
Unfortunately, that’s not how it
works out for many people. Many
find their retirement years aren’t what
they expected at all. Instead, they may
have lost their spouse or have health
problems, and their dreams and goals
are slowly slipping away. Loneliness
RN, LCSW
and boredom are extremely common.
Their life doesn’t have a purpose;
they’ve lost their reason for living
and getting up every day. Their
friends may have moved away to be
near their children or are living in
nursing homes. Their own children
may live far away. They may not be
able to drive anymore or physically
get around like they used to.
Most of you living here are probably
enjoying a wonderful retirement and
wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Your days are fulfilling and you are
active, going out and doing whatever
you like. And like most of us, you
assume it will continue like that, never
considering what you would do “if…”.
What would you do if…?
What if you were alone, or your
memory was failing you, if you were
confused, lethargic? What if you
were losing your independence and
could no longer drive or manage your
finances? What if your friends didn’t
call and invite you out anymore?
What if your children weren’t around
to help? What if you couldn’t travel
to the places you’ve dreamed of
because you couldn’t walk good
enough or your heart couldn’t take
it? How would you feel? How would
you respond? What solutions would
you consider?
Undiagnosed depression
Sadly, an extremely high percentage
of depression in the elderly goes
undiagnosed and an extremely high
percentage of seniors are depressed.
Depression is often the result of life
circumstances, which is the case
in most seniors, (versus a life-long
chemical imbalance in the brain), as
they react to life changing events such
as the death of their spouse, retirement,
health complications, and their
subsequent impact. Anti-depressants
can be very helpful and make a world
of difference. They come back to life.
They regain interest in things they
once enjoyed, they are motivated
to get up and out and become more
active, they sleep through the night
again, their appetite returns, and they
smile and laugh again.
Confusion, dementia, irritability
I have seen a surprising number of
seniors have symptoms of memory
loss and confusion, and jokingly say
how they can’t remember anything
anymore like that is normal or okay.
Before you run to get checked for
Dementia or Alzheimer’s be sure to
have your blood pressure checked.
I am amazed at how many seniors
have symptoms that mimic dementia
including memory loss, confusion,
inability to follow a conversation,
irritability, unreasonable anger and
frustration, and after they successfully
balance their blood pressure, the
symptoms go away or diminish
greatly. An oxygen depleted brain
cannot function normally and once
the blood successfully oxygenates the
brain, it works again (obvious and not
so amazing, but true). Often times the
doctors only look for the more telltale signs of high blood pressure like
dizziness or headaches. (Note: 120/70
is ideal for most people, 160/80 may
not be terrible but it’s not optimal and
you may have such symptoms).
Hire a companion
I chose the word “companion”
instead of “caretaker” in order to
make it easier for you to consider/
realize that you don’t have to be so
bad off that you need a caretaker in
order to consider hiring someone to
accompany you and help you out.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone
to finally be able to get out and go
do things with that you would not
otherwise be able to? What if you
could finally go and do, be involved
in activities you left behind years ago
or never pursued or felt comfortable
doing alone? Just imagine, now you
would have someone to go exercise
March 2015
Health Matters
25
with, go to breakfast or the movies,
someone to take you to the grocery
store and make meals with, someone to
make sure you take your medications.
Just having someone to talk to or
tell your life stories to, is extremely
important and very consoling.
Do
not
underestimate
the
devastating impact of loneliness
and boredom. There are enough
challenges with old age, without
suffering needlessly. Recognize the
signs of symptoms and explore your
options. Do not passively accept your
demise or that of a loved one. Quality
of life is always the goal, no matter
the restrictions or obstacles. Solutions
are within reach.
Giselle Belanger
RN, LCSW (psychotherapist) is available
for appointments in person, by phone,
or by skype webcam. Contact info:
[email protected] Mex cell: 044
(322) 138-9552 or US cell: (312) 914-5203.
26
Vallarta Voices
ISSUE
332
The Shoe Fairy in Puerto Vallarta
By
I
Pauline Wallis
remember the tooth fairy
because I put a tooth under my
pillow at night and the next
morning, it was replaced with
25 cents. I remember the tooth
fairy because my children put
a tooth under their pillow at
night and the next morning,
it was replaced with 1 dollar.
But I do not remember the
shoe fairy - and there is a shoe fairy
here in Puerto Vallarta.
A family from Idaho vacations here
for a week or two in February. They
stay at a hotel on the beach in Old
Town where there are many vendors
who bring their children along. The
youngest daughter, Micaela, who is
currently 16 years old, was adopted.
She felt a strong kinship with the many
Vallarta children who are without the
support of their biological parents.
Micaela was fortunate and has a close,
strong, nurturing adoptive family. She
knows how lucky she is and wanted to
do something for those children who
did not find a loving, caring home.
Several years ago after learning
about children in Puerto Vallarta
who had been abandoned, abused or
neglected, but were currently living
at a children’s shelter, Micaela asked
to visit the Refugio Infantil Santa
Esperanza (RISE).
She felt so connected to these
children that upon returning to Idaho,
this amazing young woman decided
what her role would
be. Learning that shoes
are a vital need for both
school and play, Michaela
has become a shoe fairy.
Since children outgrow
their shoes, the needs
are ongoing. Since 2013,
Macaela fundraises in Idaho
during her school year in
order to provide for this important
need. Her goal is to raise $2,000.
USD. In 2014 she raised $1400.
The shoe fairy fund is a component
of the Children’s Shelter of Hope
Foundation. The President of the
foundation asks the RISE director
to recommend the recipient children
based upon need and behavior.
Generally every two weeks, 5 children
are taken to the shoe store to pick out
the shoes they want and then go for an
ice cream or nacho treat. It is a special
day out. Recent recipients come from
both Corazón de Niña and Refugio
Infantil Santa Esperanza. This last
February, Micaela, our very special
PV shoe fairy, went with the children
to buy shoes and have a treat. Kudos
to Micaela!
For more information about the
Children’s Shelter of Hope Foundation or
to contribute to the Shoe Fairy fund, please
visit our website at www.cshf-us.org
Tradition is alive and well in Mexico
By
W
Gabriella Namian
hen was the last time you wrote a real letter? Yes, paper, pen in
hand, the works. Then fold it well, stuff it in an envelope, affix a stamp,
address it and drop it in a real mailbox? All this has been replaced by
e-mails; surely it does save time but it lacks that “je ne sais quoi” …
character, personal touch, individuality, personality.
When was the last time you had a real face-to-face conversation with a
friend? It has somehow been replaced by texting. I know this is a vital
tool when you are stranded and need help, but the last time I went to a
certain coffee shop, I saw a young couple having dinner and they were
both texting while dining. My curiosity increased as I wanted to find out
more, only to discover they were… texting each other.
Some professions are dying these days: shoe repair, watch-making,
upholstering, fabric weaving. Repairs would cost too much these days, so
why not throw the items away and get new ones? Good for the economy.
For some newly-acquired purchases, we have extended warranties. We
usually prefer to waive this expense only to realize that the item we bought
needs repair exactly after the warranty has expired. In the old days, things
would last indefinitely.
Believe it or not, I realized that many of these long-lost practices are still
in full swing in Puerto Vallarta. Call me old-fashioned, but I still believe
in some of these old-school things… like baking my own bread without
the help of a machine, hand-made tortillas, making cookies and cakes
from scratch without the commercial mixes, using home remedies, writing
letters, leafing through a real newspaper or a book, etc. I realize some of the
shortcuts are necessary in order to save time and make life for us a bit easier,
but honestly, in the end, they somehow take the pleasure out of these tasks.
But that is my opinion and who knows? I might be wrong!
There’s nothing more pleasing to the eye than seeing the local Mexican
women concoct their own spice mixes in their molcajete by hand, just as
their ancestors used to do when there was no electricity or modern small
appliances; or shape their own home-made tortillas. Or roll their tamales in
banana leaves. Or the art of making NONI juice. Weaving a perfect carpet
or a hammock. Shaping and accessorizing minuscule dolls. What talent and
how wonderful these crafts still are, having been passed on from generation
to generation! That is what I call respect and unadulterated tradition.
Tradition. It’s alive and well in Mexico!
March 2015
ISSUE
332
By
T
Anna Reisman
he Italians are coming!
The Italians are coming!
Well… maybe not really. In
reality, they’re already here,
all over Puerto Vallarta. I’m
referring to all the local Italian
restaurants and their owners.
What did you think I meant?
Of all the countries I was
lucky enough to visit and
travel through in Europe, I
think that Italy was -and still
is- my favorite. I spent many
months there. I loved the people, from
the Piemonte region in the north to
Brindisi in the south. And of course, I
loved the food, then and still.
I’m just impressed with the number
of Italian restaurants in PV, and
especially by the fact that they’re all
so different from one another. Bay
Vallarta, probably the very best free
guide/magazine in town, has over 30
of them listed …and they’re missing
some! And now our friend Andres
Espinoza –of Casa Naranjo famehas changed his beautiful restaurant
to reflect the colors and wonderful
flavors of that Mediterranean country.
Considering that his lovely wife (and
chef extraordinaire) is never satisfied
with her accomplishments, thus
learning more and more new things
every day, it doesn’t surprise me.
They tell me that their prices will be
“reasonable” and the generous size
of the salads that will accompany the
entrées at no extra charge will surprise
us. I believe them and I fully intend
to visit them as soon as I can.
And then there are the Germans…
Last week, my friend and I finally
made it to Heidelberg, the newest
addition to our ever expanding array
of restaurants featuring international
cuisines. What a delightful surprise
that was! I must tell you that as we
walked down Honduras Street in the
dark, towards the beach,
we nearly gave up hope of
finding this gem, but there it
was, just past the food stands
lining the north side of that
street.
Honduras is two
blocks north of Uruguay,
where the now defunct
Teatro Vallarta used to be,
where the operas from the
New York Met used to be
transmitted in High Def…
Forgive me while I shed a
few more tears…
Getting back to the Heidelberg, I
can’t begin to tell you how pleasant,
relaxing and delicious it is. Just
the right lighting, just the right
background music, and the food…
Wow! Generous portions, all prepared
upon demand, meaning that you wait
a few minutes longer, but you get
something prepared from scratch, just
for you. Like El Arrayan and a few
others, these folks adhere to the “Slow
Food” philosophy, and the results are
superb. I won’t even try to describe
the menu to you as it is too full of
wonderful surprises, like authentic
Russian borscht and real honest-togoodness French onion soup… You
just have to go there yourself, and try
whatever titillates your taste buds the
most. You won’t be sorry.
This weekend is shaping up very
nicely for me, especially Saturday. I
intend to spend as much time as I can
at the RiverFest, then come home,
change, go see Sol Rose’s last show
of the season at The Palm, followed
by dinner at his Café Bohemio around
the corner – that’s IF I still have room
for more good food…
That’s all for now. I hope that
your Mirror always reflects a happy,
healthy you. Hasta la próxima vez!
[email protected]
March 2015
Vallarta Voices
27
28
Legal Matters
ISSUE
332
Ask Luis
By
Luis Melgoza
Dear Luis:
With so many
opportunities for charitable contributions
in Puerto Vallarta, I’d like to choose
wisely and donate to thoroughly vetted
organizations. Is there any way to check
an organization online?
Dear Reader: Ideally, you could
start your due diligence downloading
the Tax authority’s (SAT) directory of
organizations authorized to accept tax
exempt donations from: http://www.
sat.gob.mx/terceros_autorizados/
donatarias_donaciones/Documents/
DIRECTORIO_2015.xls,
crossreference the organization with the
same SAT’s continuously updated
index of authorized donees that have
fulfilled their yearly obligation to
report their activities, assets, liabilities,
income, expenses and cash flows, also
available at the SAT’s website, and
against the Jalisco Institute for Social
Assistance’s (IJAS for its Spanish
acronym) directory of authorized
charitable organizations, downloadable
from: http://www.ijas.mx/wp-content/
uploads/Padron-de-Instituciones-deAsistencia-Social-Privada.pdf.
I said ideally because, regrettably,
many bona fide charitable organizations
in Puerto Vallarta, organizations that
tirelessly do a world of good, are not
authorized by any authority in Mexico
to accept donations. All their income,
from any source, foreign or domestic
(i.e.
endowments,
contributions,
donations, raffles and other forms of
gambling, ticket sales, etc.) is taxable
and they are prohibited by Law from
issuing tax-exempt receipts.
Some charitable organizations
operating locally, but not recognized
as such by either the federal or state
governments, do have 501(c)3 status
in the US. You can still deduct your
donations made to those in the US;
but, once the money is in Mexico, it is
taxable income for the organization.
For example, most United Way
organizations would not qualify as
authorized donees in Mexico, simply
because they take administration fees
from the donations they receive. The
SPCA does not qualify as an authorized
donee in Mexico because pets are neither
wildlife, nor endangered species.
Only these 22 organizations in
Puerto Vallarta are federally authorized
tax-exempt donees as of this writing:
Asilo San Juan Diego, A.C., Banco
de Alimentos de Puerto Vallarta,
A.C., Becas Vallarta, A.C., Colegio
Americano de Puerto Vallarta, A.C.,
Club International de la Amistad
de Puerto Vallarta, A.C., Casa
Infantil Mojoneras, A.C., Cáritas de
Puerto Vallarta, A.C., Club Rotario
Puerto Vallarta Sur, A.C., Clínica de
Rehabilitación Vallarta Santa Bárbara,
A.C., Casa Hogar Corazón de Niña,
A.C., Desarrollo Comunitario y
Conservación de la Naturaleza Nuestra
Tierra, A.C., Dives in Misericordia,
A.C., Discapacitados Vallartenses,
A.C., Discapacitados Visuales de la
Bahía, A.C., Expedición Infinito, A.C.,
Fundación Paradise Village, A.C.,
Instituto de Educación y Cultura Patria
y Cultura, A.C., Mamás Unidas por
la Rehabilitación de sus Hijos, A.C.,
Puerto Vallarta Navy League, A.C.,
Somos Ubuntu, A.C., Voces Alternas,
A.C. and Vida Reavivida, A.C.
Of these 22, only 14 are recognized
by the State of Jalisco: Asilo San
Juan Diego, Banco de Alimentos de
Puerto Vallarta, Becas Vallarta, Casa
Infantil Mojoneras, Cáritas de Puerto
Vallarta, Club Rotario Puerto Vallarta
Sur, Clínica de Rehabilitación Vallarta
Santa Bárbara, Casa Hogar Corazón
de Niña, Dives in Misericordia,
Discapacitados Visuales de la Bahía,
Fundación Paradise Village, Mamás
Unidas por la Rehabilitación de sus
Hijos, Puerto Vallarta Navy League,
and Somos Ubuntu.
Not being federally authorized as
tax-exempt donations recipients, or not
recognized by the State as charitable
organizations does not necessarily
mean than an organization does not do
charitable work. Many simply don’t
qualify, despite their great work.
In Mexico, to be authorized as a taxexempt donee, an organization must be
solely dedicated to:
a)
Providing
assistance
to
impoverished individuals, sectors and
regions, indigenous communities, and/
or to groups vulnerable on the basis of
age, gender, or disability, as long as the
organization is chartered and dedicated
exclusively to charitable work.
b) Schools incorporated by authorized
higher-education institutions or to
the Secretariat of Education, as long
as donations are solely devoted to the
acquisition of capital goods, scientific
research or technology development and
no more of 5% of donations are used for
administrative expenses, and schools
dedicated to scientific or technological
research and registered by the National
Council of Science and Technology.
c) Cultural organizations dedicated to
the promotion and diffusion of music,
plastic arts, drama, dance, literature,
March 2015
architecture and cinematography,
as well as to the support of artistic
education and research related to those
arts, or, to the protection, conservation,
restoration and recovery of Mexico’s
cultural heritage (artifacts and
buildings of archeological, artistic and
historical nature), or, to the protection,
conservation, restoration and recovery
of indigenous communities art,
languages, customs and habits, arts
& crafts and traditions, respecting the
nation’s cultural diversity, or, to the
creation and development of public
libraries incorporated by the National
Network of Public Libraries, or to
activities in support of the object and
activities of the museums dependent
of the National Council for Culture
and Arts, or, to the creation and
establishment of museums and libraries
open to the general public.
d) Ecological Organizations devoted
to the research and protection of wild
flora and fauna, pollution prevention
and control, or preservation of
endangered species.
e) Organizations dedicated to
financially support other authorized
donees.
f) Scholarship granting organizations,
as long as scholarship beneficiaries are
selected among the general public on
the basis of academic merit and valid at
accredited schools only.
Sadly, there are scam artists, too.
This is one where you simply should
follow your heart.
Send me your questions to askluis@
pvgeeks.com, I am not able to answer
each message privately due to the
volume of mail I receive. I do not
take legal cases, I am retired from the
practice of Law.
Luis Melgoza
Is a former PRI (Mexico’s ruling party)
Head Counsel and Legal Adviser to the
Mexican Congress. Although retired
from the legal profession, he is a highly
respected consultant for both the foreign
and Mexican communities in Puerto
Vallarta. Luis’ PVGeeks is the premiere
wireless high-speed Internet provider in
Puerto Vallarta. For Internet service, you
can reach Luis at [email protected]
ISSUE
332
VIEWPOINT
By
Harriet Murray
A better and more accurate description:
Foreign ownership of real estate in Mexico
I. Remember the Alamo?
If you are an American and you
paid attention during your U.S.
History classes in High School or
College, then you might remember
the U.S.-Mexico War over Texas,
the Battle of the Alamo and the
Battle of San Jacinto. What you
probably don’t remember are the
causes of this conflict: back then,
Texas was mostly deserted as part
of the Mexican territory, so the
Mexican Government granted
Stephen Austin the right to settle
in that territory in exchange for
recruiting and taking responsibility
for new settlers, who were also
granted title over land in that
area. The first new settlers are
known as the Old Three Hundred,
297 American families who
were granted title over property
throughout Texas.
With time,
the number of settlers increased,
and they decided to become an
independent country and the rest is
known to all of us: a war started,
then the Battles of the Alamo and
San Jacinto, and in the end Mexico
lost the Texas territory to the U.S.
In order to prevent these events
from happening again, almost 100
years ago the Mexican government
established
a
constitutional
prohibition that prevents foreigners
from acquiring direct title over
property in the restricted zone.
All this might seem like ancient
history to you and the prohibition
totally outdated, but this is still a
sensitive issue for some Mexicans,
especially for the ones who are leftwing sympathizers.
II. … And then there was the
Taylor-Burton affair.
During the 1950’s and 1960’s,
Mexico started to exploit its coasts
and beaches as tourist destinations.
Acapulco achieved its golden era
and Puerto Vallarta was in the
international spotlight thanks to
John Huston’s “The Night of the
Iguana” and to the Taylor-Burton
affair. Like Elizabeth Taylor and
Richard Burton, many foreigners
decided to acquire property
on the Mexican coasts, and as
the constitutional prohibition
prevented them from acquiring
direct title, the solution at that
time was to acquire the property
under the name of a Mexican
national, what is commonly known
in Mexico as a “prestanombre”,
or “name lender” in English.
However, many of these properties
were worth a considerable
amount of money and by using a
prestanombre, the foreigners had
absolutely no legal rights over their
property and they were easy targets
of fraud. So in 1973 the Mexican
Government came with the solution
to this problem: a Mexican trust or
Fideicomiso.
III. A Fidei... what?
By using a Fideicomiso, it is the
Mexican bank as trustee who has
direct title over the property you
acquire, and you will be named
beneficiary of that trust. This is
the way to get around the legal
prohibition of the restricted zone
but still provide security and legal
certainty to your investment. As
beneficiary, you will have the rights
of ownership over the property:
rights to use the property, to lease
it, to improve it, to transfer title,
to pass on to your heirs, to use as
collateral, etc.
Unlike in a U.S. trust, the
bank cannot act on its own or
make any decisions on managing
or transferring the property,
as in Mexico these decisions
remain within the beneficiary
of the trust. In a way, the bank is
March 2015
Real Estate
29
your prestanombre, but with a
Fideicomiso a contract is signed
in a public deed, and the bank
has a legal obligation towards the
beneficiary to administer the trust
according to the instructions issued
by this beneficiary.
Banks in
Mexico consider the Fideicomiso
part of the services they provide,
and they charge an initial and annual
fee for acting as trustee. The assets
that banks have in Fideicomiso,
legally are not part of their capital,
so they can never be touched for
the bank’s liabilities. Another
advantage of the Fideicomiso is that
you, as beneficiary, have the right
to name your heirs as substitute
beneficiaries.
When you pass
away, these substitute beneficiaries
will acquire the rights you had
as beneficiary over the property
held in trust, without having to go
through a judicial process.
This correction of a prior article
I wrote about the history of expat
real estate ownership in Mexico,
is by Roberto Ortiz de Montellano
F., Mexican-Licensed Attorney
at Law, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
www.ortizdemontellano.com
Thank you, Roberto, for your
interesting and better version.
Harriet Murray
Can be contacted at:
[email protected]
30
Fish Tales
ISSUE
332
Finally Rooster Fish move in,
Sailfish / Marlin for the lucky?
By
Stan Gabruk
(Owner of Master Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle)
of 60-lb Wahoo and they’re serious,
so you better be as well, with wire
leaders. With mouths as sharp as
razors, I’ve seen these fish chew
through smaller gauge hooks. If you
hook a Wahoo on mono line, then
you got lucky. Located just a mile
or two off the island is your best bet.
Winter fishing with ¨surprises¨ is
still making us all scratch our heads
as we move deeper into the winter
fishing season. This week, we’ve
seen an increase in Wahoo around El
Moro. Bait levels which were already
abundant are even more plentiful this
week. Marlin and Sailfish are still a
stretch, but they’re out there for the
lucky few and I do mean ¨Lucky¨.
Rooster fish are finally here and
running in the large range. Dorado
are A.O.L. and that’s not surprising.
The water is clean and blue outside the
bay. Fishing is great; the only thing
missing is YOU!
Well here we go again, trying to
figure out the ¨unfigureable¨ - if that’s
a word. We have bait, boy do we
have bait! Flying fish to 10 inches,
Sardines, Bullet Bonito, Skip jacks,
Google eyes, Blue runners, and the
bait list goes on. With this impressive
list, you’d think we’d have fish coming
out of our ears, but that’s not exactly
the case. Still, having said that, the
fishing is great with species we’re not
used to seeing at this time of the year,
primarily Wahoo and with mouths like
Ginsu Knives, you better be running
wire leader or you’ll be looking at
frayed line and nothing else.
Starting with El Banco and
Corbeteña: If you’re not interested
in targeting Sailfish and Marlin, then
there isn’t anything out there that you
won’t find closer in, enough said on
that subject.
If you’re in the bay, you’re still
catching fish like a machine. Mostly
Jack Crevalle to 50 lbs. with the
average being just under 40 lbs. Sierra
Mackerel are still abundant, running
20 lbs. Bonito of the Alaskan version
-which is really Tuna- are anywhere
from 10 to 40 lbs., just depends on
what you come across. Skip jack Tuna
to 40 lbs. and a host of other species
just waiting for you to show up.
The main story this week has been
the area from El Moro to Punta Mita
and a little north from there. El Moro
located just 6 miles south of the
Marieta Islands has had an invasion
In case you didn’t know, Wahoo is a
wonderful tasting fish and frankly, I
like it better than Dorado, so give it
a shot and I’ll meet you at the dock to
get a piece of this sought after species.
The Marieta Islands are seeing
Sailfish off the island to the point of
Punta Mita. Start trolling lures and
live bait from Punta Mita about 8
miles out towards the Marietas and
your chances increase. Not exactly a
given fact, you’ll be working for these
desired species, but well worth it. Also
at the point of Punta Mita are larger
Rooster Fish. Ranging from 30 to 70
lbs., they’re huge and they’re finally in
the area. We’ve been wondering where
they’ve been, especially since we have
Sardines, their favorite bait to chase.
So there you go, Sailfish, Rooster Fish
and Wahoo all in an 8-hour fishing
day. With these unusual conditions,
I suggest getting out there as soon as
you can before things change and the
Wahoo leave.
We’re looking at a full moon now, so
the bite is happening early. I suggest
getting to the fishing grounds no later
than 8 a.m. or you’ll find the Rooster
fish bite over for the day, or at least
until the late afternoon. Full moon
does this, so don’t be ¨late¨. When it
comes to water temperatures, we’re
still on the warm side, even though
it dropped to 75oF it’s still about five
degrees above normal and explains the
Marlin and Sailfish hanging around
March 2015
the area. Lure colors should be Blue/
silver and Purple in color to mimic
flying fish, Marauders work well!
Reminder: Higher paid captains
are getting that salary for a reason.
Normally it’s either because they own
the boat or they catch fish. Cheap
boats are sporting lesser captains for
the most part and we won’t even
discuss the equipment they don’t
have. A good captain can make the
difference in catching or wanting,
the only thing is that when you ask,
everyone is the “best captain in
Marina Vallarta” until of course you
have a ¨bad day¨ where ¨nobody¨
was catching fish. That is until
you find out you were the only one
who didn’t catch fish. Fast boats
normally go with capable and well
paid captains and in the end, it’s all
about how much time you have your
line in the water and not the price of
the boat. Slow boats cost less, less
capable captains and boats with little
variety for lures and yellow stressedout lines, well, those boats are the
cheapest but in reality are the most
expensive when figuring out cost per
hour fishing. So keep this in mind and
have a great day on the water…
One last thing, we have Koozies for
your favorite canned beverage. But be
warned, when you tip up the beverage
it says ¨I Master Bait¨ on the bottom,
you’ve been warned. We’ve got them
in the Marina Vallarta shop now!
Until next time, don’t forget to kiss
your fish and remember: at Master
Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle “We
Won’t Jerk You Around!”
Master Baiter’s has changed
locations in Marina Vallarta,
now 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. 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.
ISSUE
332
The Southside Scuffle
By
E
Gil Gevins
very other Friday we and our
neighbors stage a promotional event
on our bougainvillea-lined block of
Basilio Badillo. It’s called the South
Side Shuffle, and for the past several
years it has been growing more and
more popular until, finally, it has
become too popular.
Too popular for the tourists? No,
they’re all having a ball. Free booze.
Live Music. Great stuff to ogle and
(yes, please, why not) purchase.
Is the Shuffle too popular for the
participating merchants? Are you
kidding? What retailer wouldn’t
want all that extra income and
exposure?
No, the tragic truth is, the South
Side Shuffle has become too popular
for only one person. Myself.
My problem (among several million
others) is the size of our shop (small)
and the number of people wishing to
enter it (not small). All it takes to fill
this modest folk-art oasis is eight to
ten normal-sized people* (defined by
the Oxford Dictionary as “…persons
whose height consistently exceeds
their girth”*). Finally, during the
last Shuffle, when the shop became
so densely packed that no one could
move, I decided to take action.
“Honey,” I told my wife, who
happens to own the place, “I’m going
to hire a doorman for the next Shuffle.
When the store gets too full, Hank will
tell our clients to please wait outside
for a moment, until two people who
add up to their approximate volume
have vacated the premises.”
“Hank?” Lucy said. “Isn’t he a
little mild-mannered for a…”
“Crowd Control Officer?
No,
honey, meek is exactly what we
need.”
Hank showed up Friday night,
shaking like a leaf.
“I’m terrible at saying no,” he
bleated. “What do I do?”
“Just tell them that Lucy’s Cucu
Cabaña (this Vallarta icon, this
paragon of artisanal excellence) is
like an elevator. Use reassuring
words, like, ‘Maximum Capacity’,
‘Earthquake’, ‘Tsunami’. Then tell
them, if we go over-capacity, the fire
department will shut us down.”
“Does Vallarta have a fire
department?”
“I think so.”
“But everything is made of concrete
and brick.”
“Okay, Hank, tell them it’s the
Health Department.”
“Is there really a Health Department?”
“Of course! Where do you think I
get my free flu shots every year?”
“Is that wise?” Hank asked. “I
hear vaccinations can cause brain
damage.”
“I don’t believe that is an issue in
our case, Hank.”
“Why not?”
“You know the expression, ‘If it
ain’t broke, don’t fix it’?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, here’s the corollary: ‘If it’s
already broke, don’t worry about it.’”
“Huh?”
“Just assume your position outside.
Here they come!”
“Okay,” Hank said. “But I’m a little
nervous. Could I have a margarita,
please?”
“Sure, why not,” I said, sealing my
doom.
Lucy and I had only known Hank
sober. He rarely drank. We were
about to find out why.
An hour and two Margaritas later,
Hank’s transformation was complete.
“Hey!” he yelled in the doorway,
“I got a couple of Extra Grandes out
here. Can I let ‘em in?”
Everyone turned to stare at the
doorway. The shop was already
packed solid, and the two potential
clients waiting to get in were indeed
a little on the wide side. I told Lucy
to man the desk, while I rushed out.
“Hi, folks,” I said to the waiting
couple. “I’m the owner.”
“Hello,” the man said. “Does
this… person work for you?”
“Uh… not really.”
“Damn right!” Hank shouted.
“We understand your problem
with overcrowding,” the man began,
“however…”
“Hey, where are you going?” Hank
yelled at a passing couple. “This
place is a paragon of retail excellence!
Come back!”
“That’s a great shop,” I heard the
fleeing man tell his partner. “They
don’t need some drunk out there
pimping for them.”
“Excuse me, SIR!” Hank barked,
hands-on-hips, eyes wild. “I don’t
like the implication of your remark!”
The fellow stopped, and turned to
confront Hank.
“No, no, no!” I said, stepping
between Hank and the passerby.
“Please, sir, allow me apologize
for…”
“No need to apologize for the likes
of him,” Hank said. “It’s not…”
“Hank,” I said, “go take a break.
Or, better yet, take a nap. Or have
yourself euthanized. We’ll wake you
up when the coast is clear.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hank, aggressive behavior is not
in your job description. Remember
what we talked about. Tact. Good
humor. Patience. All that nice
Buddhist stuff.”
“Easy for you to say,” Hank, who
claimed to be a practicing Mahayana
Buddhist, said. “And who are you
calling a pimp?” he snarled, turning
around. But his antagonist was way
down the block by now. A young
woman from Indiana, standing
directly behind Hank, thought that he
was addressing her.
“I would never call anyone
a horrible name like that,” she
said. “I’m a practicing Mahayana
Buddhist.”
March 2015
Gil Gevins’ Page
31
Perfect!
They could meditate
each other all night, while I tried
to make some money. Glancing
inside, I caught Lucy’s eye. She
threw me a meaningful look, which I
interpreted to mean: “Stay where you
are. Number one priority: Neutralize
Hank!”
Hank, in full Mr. Hyde mode, was
shouting at tourists again: “Dead
hookers for sale! Hey, get yourself
a dead hooker! Eighty per cent off!
Don’t miss this once in a nighttime
opportunity!”
“Eighty per cent off?” a woman
said. “I’m going to buy out the store!
But what’s this about dead hookers?”
“Please, ignore him,” I told the
woman. “We don’t sell dead hookers,
just these cute little skeleton figures.
And there’s no eighty per cent off,
either.”
“Of course there is,” she demurred,
“he just said there was. And who are
you?”
“I’m the owner.”
“No, you’re not. I’ve met the
owner. She’s a woman.”
“She’s my wife.”
“Your wife? Poor woman. And
who is that man? Doesn’t he work
for you?”
“No, no,” I said, “he’s a… he’s an
escaped mental patient. We’ve got a
call into his court appointed guardian,
and...”
“But what is he doing?”
“He’s, uh, hallucinating. He used
to work as a barker in San Francisco
at one of those…”
“Totally topless!” Hank shouted.
“Fifty-Five, Triple D! Tonight only:
Two for one! Happy mammary hour!”
Gil Gevins
Is the author of four hilarious books,
including the cult-classic, PUERTO
VALLARTA ON 49 BRAIN CELLS A DAY,
and his latest and greatest, SLIME AND
PUNISHMENT. Signed copies of all Gil’s
books are available at LUCY’S CUCU
CABAÑA, located at 295 Basilio Badillo;
or as E-Books on Amazon.
32
Hi-Tech
ISSUE
332
Tech News Round-up…
D
ateline Cupertino California:
Apple has now sent out invites for
its March 9th Apple Watch event.
The new wearable technology had
been announced last year and now is
about to become a reality.
In earlier announcements for the
Apple Watch, a base price of $350.
US was confirmed for the stainless
steel model (316L model). The
pricing for the Watch Sport (7000
series model) is rumored to be in
the $500. US dollar range. With
customizable bands, the prices will
creep up from there.
The Apple Watch “Edition” is
an actual gold watch and rumors
range from $3,000. to $5,000. US
depending on how much gold is
actually in it and the band selection.
I truly am at a loss for words as to
why a technology company would
go this route.
The main issue I see (aside from
price) is the unanswered battery
issue on any of these models. To
have a daily chore of charging your
watch battery is a big negative in my
opinion. As well this smart watch
(like others out there) needs to be
used with a smart device (iPhone
or iPod touch) to get most of the
functions to work.
This is the first new “category”
that Apple has gone into since the
passing of Steve Jobs. Wearable
technology was not in any 5-year
plan that Steve Jobs left Apple with,
before his passing. The success or
embarrassment of the Apple Watch
rests solely on the shoulders of the
current Apple CEO, Tim Cook. I
doubt Steve Jobs will be resting in
peace on March 9th.
Dateline Worldwide: Last week
the BBC reported that everyone’s
favorite whistle blower, Edward
Snowden, had revealed that US
and UK intelligence agencies had
hacked into a Dutch company called
Gemalto. So what’s the big deal,
you ask?
Well, it is a big deal because
Gemalto makes 30% of the world’s
SIM cards for cellular providers.
Some of the big names that use
Gemalto SIM cards include AT&T,
T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint along
with 450 other cellular service
providers around the world.
The hack by the NSA and the
British equivalent was aimed at
getting the access codes embedded
in SIM cards thus making of cellular
voice and text interception a simple
task.
For the most part, if someone tried
to intercept a cellular phone call or
text message, all they would get is
garbled data. But if someone had
the encryption key, all the “garbage
data” would be instantly unlocked.
Historically, it is well known that
during war time, the US and UK
spent a lot of time and resources
trying to crack the codes of enemy
messages. So it is not hard to believe
that they would do the same with
modern day encrypted data.
Not surprisingly, the US and UK
intelligence agencies -as well as
Gemalto- have declined to comment
on the Snowden leaked reports.
Gemalto also makes chips that get
embedded into passports around the
globe, but in those cases the passport
chips are sent out to government
agencies as “blanks”. The various
governments then program the codes
and encryptions into the chips.
Dateline Hollywood:
On the
entertainment front, a notable “first”
in primetime network television
happened this past week. An episode
of the award winning comedy
“Modern Family” was shown that
was shot entirely on iPhones, iPads
and a Mac Book Pro!
The theme was that Claire (mother
and anchor of the extended family)
was waiting to board a flight out
of Chicago. Meanwhile the usual
family turmoil and confusion all took
place between some 12 characters
on the show, via modern mobile
technology.
The show’s co-creator came up
with the idea for the episode, because
many American families rely on this
technology in their day-to-day lives.
They used Facetime (Apple’s video
chat) for the main part of the episode,
but also text messages displayed
March 2015
onscreen and even Facebook to tell
the story.
At one point, Claire confessed to
having a fake Facebook account,
with her profile picture of 80’s heart
throb Scott Baio, in order to “friend”
and keep tabs on her daughter.
In a panic, Claire even “guessed”
one daughter’s iCloud password in
order to use the “find my iPhone”
GPS tracking feature to track her
daughter down. While the daughter
was not with her iPhone in Las Vegas
at a wedding chapel as it appeared, it
made for some entertaining TV.
The finished product was also
all mobile device video rather than
filming with tradition sophisticated
cameras used in the show. The
theory was why film on expensive
equipment, then convert it all to look
like mobile video.
While all the main devices used in
the episode where Apple products,
no money was received from Apple
for “product placement” apparently.
As a result, there was no “raving”
over the wonders of iPhone 6 or the
iPad, but that they just happened to
be used in the episode. This made
the episode fun to watch and not feel
like one long commercial.
The name “Modern Family”
definitely lived up to that this week. I
doubt this form of filming TV shows
will become the norm anytime soon,
but it was an innovative statement on
the integration of mobile technology
in our world today.
That’s all my time for now. See
you again next week... Until then,
remember: only safe Internet!
Ronnie Bravo
Ron can be found at CANMEX Computers.
Sales, Repairs, Data Recovery,
Networking, Wi-Fi, Hardware upgrades,
Graphic Design, House-calls available.
www.RonnieBravo.com,
Cellular 044-322-157-0688 or just
email to [email protected]
ISSUE
332
Almiquí: the venomous shrew
are mammals related to the
shrews, belonging to the order of
Soricomorpha, although larger in
size (30 cms total body length). Two
species specific to the islands of Cuba
belong to this group: Solenodon
cubanus, and in Haiti and Santo
Domingo: Solenodon paradoxus,
whose populations have been
severely impacted by depredation
caused by rats, dogs, cats, mangeese
and other wild animals since the
arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors.
The Cuban alimiquí is in the
category of the highest risk of
extinction, as well as at the top of
the conservation priority list. Thus
vulnerable situation is also the result
of our meager attention to small
things and to those we erroneously
consider as unimportant.
This
disregard for the small (or better said,
for that which we do not understand)
is reflected in a couple of popular
Spanish sayings: “gazing at the
shrews” and “thinking of shrews”.
On the aforementioned topic, in his
Cuento de Cuentos (1626), Spanish
writer Francisco de Quevedo (15801645) mentions the “contemplating
shrews” saying, an expression that
means “looking elsewhere than
where one should be looking, due to
distraction”. Thus, because the shrew
is a small animal that lives hidden
underground, it was thought that
it was of no importance. And thus
the saying means that observing
a shrew is to distract oneself by
contemplating things of little or
no value.
In Cuba, there was also another
species, (Solenodon arredondi),
now extinct, whose fossils date
back to the Late Quaternary
period (between 126,000 and
11,784 years ago). Scientists
have speculated that in those ancient
times, this species was a favorite
food of formidable giant owls called
Ornimegalonyx oteroi, that could be
as much as three feet tall.
The alimiqui looks like a fat rat,
but its snout is elongated like a small
elephant’s trunk. The nails on its
front paws are very strong and long,
perfect for digging, as it likes to
live in dens as deep as 1.22 meters.
This is a nocturnal animal, although
it will come out on cloudy days and
following heavy rains. As to its life
expectancy, those living in captivity
have done so for a little over six years.
The almiqui in Haiti and Santo
Domingo secrete a venomous saliva,
which is probably also true of the
Cuban species. Biologist Hortensia
de los Santos had the opportunity of
testing this when an almiqui bit her
left hand, resulting in high fever for
a week, intense chest and head aches,
as well as severe inflammation of
Solution to crossword on page 35
Solution to Sudoku on page 35
By
Dr. Fabio Cupul
The almiqui (Cuban solenodon)
the hand. Thus she proposed that
the purpose of the venom was to
destroy the tissues of the almiqui’s
prey that serve as its food, i.e.: the
venom pre-digests the food before it
is swallowed.
Most of its diet is made up of
scarabs, butterflies, spiders, crickets
and various insects’ larvae, as well
as millipedes, worms and termites.
Nevertheless, the almiqui are
also large enough to hunt small
vertebrates such as amphibians,
reptiles and even birds and their
eggs. A strange study revealed that
a specimen in captivity managed to
eat as many as ten newly-hatched
chicks in a single night.
In Cuba, its almiqui name possibly
derives from the Taina culture’s
vocabulary (a culture that includes
the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the
Bahamas and various other Caribbean
islands) where it means “air”.
When hunting, the almiqui
approaches its prey quickly so that it
will not flee and it extends its snout
to catch it. Once caught, the prey is
March 2015
Nature’s World
33
immobilized by the toxic saliva. The
almiqui has a deep rut on the internal
side of the second incisors, where
the venomous saliva accumulates
copiously to favor its entrance into
the wounds caused by the initial bite.
Although the saliva is less
toxic thank that of its shrew
relatives, it can be fatal to
other almiqui wounded in
battle for territory, food or
mate. Its bite can be painful
to humans, however, aside
from the pain, they say that
the almiqui “offends” the
most tolerant sense of smell
as it can really stink. The
stink comes from an oily
secretion emitted by some
glands in the skin of its belly. It is
possible that the smell has a sexual
function to attract a mate or perhaps
a repulsive one to keep potential
predators away.
Jeremy Hance, author of wildlife
and conservation writings, states
that the almiqui is an example of
survival as it survived the comet that
destroyed dinosaurs, the separation
of continents, the arrival of hungry
humans, the clearcutting of forests,
the invasion of foreign species like
rats and dogs, the arrival of European
settlers and colonizers, and the
appearance of the modern world.
Dr. Fabio Germán Cupul-Magaña
Coastal University Center (CUC) of
the University of Guadalajara
Email: [email protected]
Nature’s World
34
ISSUE
332
Planting Roots
in Mexico
By
Tommy Clarkson
Beaked Yucca
(Yucca Rostrata)
Family: Asparagaceae
Also known as: Silver Yucca, Big
Bend Yucca, Blue-Beaked Yucca,
Old Man Yucca and Adam’s Needle
A
round here, as a result of my
now nearing 100 different species of
palm trees), some folks call me “The
Palm Guy”. But to that somewhat
fun “handle”, I feel I must assert that
these comprise only about 1/8th of
the total diversity of sub-tropical and
tropical plants that thrive here in Ola
Brisa Gardens. The Beaked Yucca,
for instance, is one of my personal
favorites and he comfortably coexists between an African Oil
Palm and Old Man Palm in a row
comprised of five different varieties
of cycads!
Of the approximately 40 different
species of Yucca, this is one of
the most beautiful. Its uniquely
attractive trunks are covered with
short orange-brown shag from the
old, dead leaves.
Native to Northern Mexico, as well
as Arizona, New Mexico and Texas
in the U.S., this interesting evergreen
derives its name from its beak-shaped
seeds. It is one of the hardiest species
of the trunked yuccas. When larger
it is deer-resistant, hummingbirdfriendly and should be able to handle
temperatures all the way down to
32oF (0oC)!
When younger, this makes a great
container plant but as it matures it
develops that interesting trunk. One
which, by the way, will allow the
Beaked Yucca to attain an ultimate
height of around 12 to 15 feet (3.6 -
4.5 meters) …taking decades as this
is a slow grower.
As to where it likes to ensconce
its roots, well, your basic, average,
gritty, well-draining variety of suelo
will do. Sol? Yep, full to partial.
Agua? Yes, but only once every
month or so. Keep in mind its love
for rocky soils that you are sure will
not flood during heavy rains. The
Yucca rostrata is most intolerant of
waterlogged soils.
Flowering in the spring, summer
and early autumn, its large clusters
of white flowers are bell-shaped at
the ends of yellow-orange colored
stalks and glorious to behold! That
flora stands atop 2-foot long, waxy,
fairly supple and a bit arching - yet
appearing stiff-like - leaves which
are pale bluish green to light gray,
linear and grow to around 18 inches
(45.7 cm). Its leaf margins are a
yellowish white with strands of fiber
that appear to be peeling as they form
a dense rosette atop the stems.
Its old leaves, if left alone, can
form a “beard” or skirt similar to that
of some palm trees which, if properly
trimmed and maintained, create a
very attractive, manicured effect.
I’ve read – but cannot confirm - that
this may have been one of several
plants cultivated by pre-Columbian
tribes of Mexico and Central America
as these cultures were significantly
advanced in use of fiber technology.
Pursuing this further, supposedly,
Cortez discarded his metal armor
in favor of Aztec textile armor as it
was more effective against the Aztec
spear and arrow points made of
obsidian which shattered, and these
pieces would then work their way
through the armor.
When planting, do so in a wide,
shallow hole which is a bit wider
Its uniquely attractive trunks are
covered with short orange-brown
shag from the old, dead leaves.
Of the approximately 40 different
species of Yucca, this is one of
the most beautiful.
than the spread of its root system.
After filling the hole with welldraining soil – avoiding air pockets
- place a 3-inch (7.6 cm) layer of
organic mulch around the planting
area but ensure to keep the mulch at
least a foot from the base of the plant
in order to prevent root rot. Finally,
initially water your new “baby”
heavily so as to ensure its deepest
roots get a good, solid drink.
Yet another bonus to this plant is
that, as noted by Robert Lee Riffle,
the Beaked Yucca “is perfectly at
home near the shore and a valuable
addition to the repertory of plants
that are somewhat tolerant of salty
air and saline soil.”
To again quote “He whose work I
so greatly admire”, Riffle has written
of the importance of acquiring plants
such as these only through bona fide,
licensed nurseries. He correctly
asserts that, “Digging (endangered)
plants out of the wild not only is
unconscionable in an environmental
sense, but the plants usually always
die within a few months because of
root damage.”
As to pests and diseases – keep an
eye out for Root Rot, grubs or Desert
Beetles at their larval stage feed on
roots. I’d suggest, as a soil treatment,
the application of Diazinon granules.
Final word of warning: gophers
love the taste of its roots!
Tommy Clarkson
Its old leaves, if left alone, can
form a “beard” or skirt similar to
that of some palm trees
March 2015
In Manzanillo, visit Ola Brisa Gardens,
Tommy and Patty’s verdant, multiterraced tropical paradise nestled on
a hill overlooking the magnificent vista
of Santiago Bay. Leisurely meander its
curved, paved path, experiencing, first
hand, a delicious array of palms, plants
and flowers from all over the world.
Or, e-mail questions to him at
[email protected]
For back issues of “Roots”, gardening tips,
tropical plant book reviews and videos of
numerous, highly unique eco/adventure/
nature tours, as well as memorable
“Ultimate Experiences” such a Tropical
Garden Brunches and Spa Services,
please visit www.olabrisagardens.com
ISSUE
332
Brain Teasers
The New York Times Tuesday Crossword Puzzle
by L. Glickstein / N. Salomon / Will Shortz ©New York Times
Solution to Crossword
on Page 33
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 33
March 2015
35
ISSUE
332
March 2015

Issue 332 www.pvmcitypaper.com Saturday 7 to Friday 13 March 2015

Transcription

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