Vallarta Tribune - Issue 1157 June 6 - 12 , 2019

NEWS

VIBES & VICES

Vallarta launches a library on wheels

River Cafe Impresses

Page 07

Page 15

ENTERTAINMENT

Summertime music Page 18

June 6 - 12 , 2019 Year 22 Free Issue 1157

FR EE

GU ID E

ALL-INCLUSIVE NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE FOR VALLARTA AND RIVIERA NAYARIT

MAP OF BANDERAS BAY

PAGE 12-13

VALLARTA SHOPPING PAGES 14-15

EVENTS PAGES 20-21

CROSSWORD PAGE 22

WWW.VALLARTATRIBUNE.COM | FB/VTATRIBUNE | TWITTER @VALLARTATRIBUNE | INSTAGRAM @VALLARTATRIBUNE

welcome

Welcome to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit

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t the Vallarta Tribune we want you to have the best experience possible while you explore Puerto Vallarta, the Bay of Banderas and Riviera Nayarit. Here are some helpful tips for traveling.

TIME ZONE: The entire state of Jalisco and the southern part Nayarit are on Central time – if you’re heading further north than Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, remember the time change so you don’t miss your flight.

BUSES: A system of urban buses can bring you from El Tuito in the south to San Pancho in the north and all the spots in between.

Fares vary according to distances travelled, but the base fare is 10 pesos. If you’re going further than San Pancho, head to the main bus terminal to catch a ‘Pacifico’ bus.

TAXIS: There are set fares within defined zones of town. Do not enter a taxi without agreeing on the price with the driver. Make a note of the taxi number in case you leave something behind.

Drivers typically do not carry change.

UBER: New in 2017 to Puerto Vallarta, Uber is still experiencing some growing pains particularly in the state of Nayarit. Uber is cheaper than a taxi usually.

GETTING AROUND: In many places such as Centro Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta there are paths for bikes and pedestrians. Please be respectful of these designations.

MONEY EXCHANGE: The most hassle-free way to exchange money is to use your debit card in the ATM to withdraw pesos.

Exchange houses offer higher rates and banks are remiss to change dollars to pesos if you don’t hold an account with them.

Best to use ATM’s that are affiliated with a reputable bank located in well lit secure areas.

TIPPING: In general you should tip 10-20% in restaurants and bars. Taxi or Uber drivers – 10-20 pesos. The person who bags your groceries or helps load your car – 10-20 pesos. Don’t forget to tip

your maid, bell boy, masseuse, the band, the entertainment on your tour. And by all means, tip more if you want, wages are extremely low in Mexico.

DRINKING WATER: While Puerto Vallarta’s water has been awarded a certification of purity for the past two decades, the quality of the water tested at the source varies greatly from what comes out of the tap at the other end. Don’t wreck your holiday – buy bottle water.

EXPORTING PETS: Falling in love with the street dog outside your hotel is easy to do and it’s also easy to bring them home with you. The process is inexpensive and only takes a day or two. You only need a certificate of health from a local vet and check with your airline for additional requirements.

COMMON SENSE: Just as you wouldn’t walk around your hometown drunk and belligerent, it is not acceptable to do that here.

While Mexico is a tolerant culture, politeness is paramont. Don’t pee in the streets. Don’t flash your money or expensive gadgets. Pay attention to your surroundings.

Know where you are going. Pay your bills (and don’t forget to tip).

And have fun!

DRINKING AND DRIVING: First off – just don’t. The consequences are not worth it. Taxis or Ubers are cheap and plentiful.

Fines are very expensive. You can go to jail and your vehicle impounded. There are many checkstops on the weekends, and you will be asked to take a breathalizer test if they suspect you have been drinking.

LEGAL SYSTEM: Not knowing the law is not a valid excuse in Mexico, or anywhere. If you find yourself caught in a legal situation be aware that often guilt is presumed until your innocence can be proven. This is a very difficult lesson to learn if you are visiting from the United States or Canada. Immediately contact your consulate for assistance.

Director Noemi Zamora noemi.zamora@cps.media Editor Lic. Madeline Milne mmilne@Vallartatribune.com Sales Team editor@vallartatribune.com Designer Cynthia Estela Andrade Gutiérrez cysandra@gmail.com Web Manager Ana Espinosa

June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

CALLING IN MEXICO Calling phones in Mexico can be tricky. There are different codes you need to use depending if you are calling landlines or cellular phones and if they are local or long distance.

LONG-DISTANCE CALLS FROM WITHIN MEXICO For national long-distance calls (within Mexico) the code is 01 plus the area code and phone number. For international long-distance calls, first dial 00, then the country code (U.S. and Canada country code is 1), so you would dial 00 + 1 + area code + 7 digit number.

CALLING CELL PHONES (FROM A LAND LINE) If you are calling from a landline within the area code of the Mexican cell phone number dial 044, the 10 digit number. Outside of the area code (but still within Mexico) dial 045 and then the 10 digit phone number. Cell phone to cell phone only requires the 10 digit number.

CALLING TOLL-FREE NUMBERS Some toll free numbers work from Mexico to the US and Canada, but many do not. Those that do work are often not toll-free. You need to dial a different prefix. To call the following toll free prefixes, dial as follows: 800 numbers Dial 001-880-then the number 866 numbers Dial 001-883-then the number 877 numbers Dial 001-882-then the number 888 numbers Dial 001-881-then the number

Emergencies: 911 Red Cross: 065

IMMIGRATION: 322.224.7719 CONSUMER PROTECTION: 01.800.468.8722

FIRE DEPARTMENT: 322.223.9476 AMBULANCE: 322.222.1533

TOURISM OFFICES Jalisco: 322.221.2676 Nayarit: 322.297.1006

Ahoy Cruisers!

CONSULATES American Consulate 24 hrs 01-332-268-2100 Canadian Consulate 322.293.0098 322.293.0099 24 hrs: 1.800.706.2900

In port this month

In the month of May Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit welcomes 12,800 passengers! Bienvenido!

NAME

CARNIVAL SPLENDOR CARNIVAL SPLENDOR CARNIVAL SPLENDOR CARNIVAL SPLENDOR

PASS

DATE

3,200 3,200 3,200 3,200

05.06.2019 12.06.2019 19.06.2019 26.06.2019

Vallarta Tribune is an activity and entertainment guide and publishes information as it is provided by the advertiser or event host. We do not assume responsibility in errors or omissions other than to correct them as they are made known to us regarding event schedules, locations and/or prices. In addition, we do not assume any responsibility for erroneous inclusion or exclusion of information except to take reasonable care to ensure accuracy, that permission has been obtained to use it, and to remove it as soon as is practical upon receiving your notification of error. We recommend you always confirm prior to attending or visiting an event or establishment. Weekly publication edited, printed and distributed by Ediciones y Publicaciones Siete Junio, SA de CV Grupo Editorial Tribuna Calle 21 de Marzo # 1174 Col. Lomas del Coapinole Del. El Pitillal, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco México CP 48290 Tel. 226-0800 * www.vallartatribune.com * https://www.facebook.com/VtaTribune/

Cut out and put near your phone for handy reference

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editorial

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Editor’s

June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Note

editor@vallartatribune.com

A weekend at the country house

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sn’t this weather a pleasant surprise? Personally, I love the fresh air and lack of sunshine ( for a day or two). Reminds me of my days in Vancouver. Though I can imagine if you’re here on vacation, you’re ready for it to clear up!

Restaurant Week continues until the end of this week. Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to check out some new restaurants.

I know our intrepid ‘culture critic’ AJ has enjoyed more than a few of the restaurant’s offerings and he shares some of his thoughts with us here this week.

June definitely slows down as we prepare for the summer vacation crowd but there are still a few things going on, and I’ve updated (to the best of my ability) the Live Music Calendar. I’ve left most of the venues even if they don’t have any scheduled performances so you can contact them directly, just in case.

The Vallarta Botanical Garden has two events coming up Hummingbird Day on the 16th with special events centered around the cutest little birds ever, and June 20 is National Botanical Garden Day, and they have some special programs available (for a fee) as well as other programming included in the cost of admission. Check out their Facebook for details.

As you may know, I’ve been writing a travel guide for the area, which has been my catalyst to travel north to San Blas, south to Barra de Navidad and inland all the way to Tequila. This past weekend I headed east to Mascota in the Sierra Madres to do a little more exploring and take some photos.

The landscape in Mascota is very similar to where I grew up in the Okanagan/ Similkameen in BC’s interior. The low lying valley

with its quilted fields of green, the river that snakes along, and the pine trees with their scented needles. Gives me goosebumps every time I visit.

We stayed at Villa Cantabria which you can find on Airbnb for about $40/night (includes breakfast), a gorgeous hacienda overlooking the valley with a refreshing pool and a herd of cows that walks past each morning and returns each night. It was a welcome break from the hustle of the big city.

If you’re looking to get away for a few days I 100% recommend Mascota. The town is lovely, very clean, and well maintained. There are historic buildings dating back centuries, colonial architecture, an excellent little archeology museum, a quirky home covered entirely in river stones, lots of good restaurants and possibly the cutest plaza principal of all the plazas I’ve seen.

If you like driving there is an interesting route you can take

into the mountains that leads you through some tiny pueblos to Juancatlan Lake (where you can stay at the fancy Sierra Lago resort) and then around a series of volcanoes, before heading back to Mascota.

There is also a hot spring and a river to play in.

If you don’t have a vehicle it’s an easy bus ride from the little bus station in Versalles. Bus tickets are about $150 each way and it will leave you in the center of town where there are a number of charming hotels ranging from $20-100 a night.

As the cloud cover reminds us, torrential rains are on their way.

Please do what you can to pick up the litter in the streets and along the waterways to stop it from heading into the bay.

A big thank you to Paul Glickman for this week’s cover image. You can read more about Paul and his journey on page 10.

Safe travels, Madeline

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news

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June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Plastic Waste Being Made into Ecologically Friendly Houses in Western Mexico

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lastic bottles, lids and bags are being converted into walls and roofs in ecologically friendly houses in accord with a project developed in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, a project seeking to contribute to sustainability and reduce the amount of waste that goes into the oceans.

The plastic waste that finds its way – or is dumped – into the seas and rivers can be used more productively to create economical homes, which are resistant to earthquakes, have thermic properties and do not degrade or crack like conventional house walls do.

This kind of house is made possible by using processed plastic to make so-called “plastic wood,” a material composed of several polymers that was developed by engineer Ramon Espinosa as a solution to the pollution caused by the plastic waste generated both by individual homeowners and by industry.

“It’s a proposed solution for reversing the situation we’re currently experiencing in various parts of the world. It’s a healthy

proposal, sustainable, ecological and – above all – it’s directed at any social environment,” the creator of the concept and director of the Ecoplastico Ambiental company told us last Tuesday.

Ever since he was a Master’s student in renewable energy a little over a decade ago, Espinosa has wanted to create a construction material that would be resistant, abundant and would not affect the environment.

Plastic was a good option since, far from a decline in its consumption

on the global level, its use is increasing.

The result of years of testing with different polymers is his “plastic wood,” which can be formed into highly resistant sheets from the plastics people use every day in their homes: milk bottles and bags, as well as the frameworks of electronic devices and post-industrial materials.

All these items can be treated and processed in special machines and transformed into multicolor sheets that are light but able to support tons

of weight or can be modified in other ways to fit any home construction need, depending on what an individual desires and can afford.

He added that although “plastic wood” is made of plastics the material does not heat up quickly, and thus the walls of a plastic wood home help maintain a comfortable temperature inside, which avoids the excessive use of fans or air conditioning, thus saving on electricity costs and reducing the production of greenhouse gases.

A house made of this materials

is 30 percent more economical than conventionally made homes and requires only minimal maintenance, with a small house for two or three people taking just four weeks to build, since no internal structure is required, just a concrete foundation or base.

Espinosa displayed a house in which virtually every item was made entirely of plastic wood, although that fact was evident only from the texture and natural colors in the sheets forming the walls and ceilings.

Of course, installing basic services such as plumbing, electric wiring and the like is done as in a conventional house, and there is no problem with ensuring that such services work properly. Solar panels can even be installed on the roof.

Espinosa and his team have also developed other ways to use plastic wood, such as using it to make urban furniture like park benches, tables and posts for fences.

It can also be used for truck chassis, containers and water tanks, school classrooms and many other things.

Because many plastics take a long time to break down in the natural environment, homes made of plastic wood will last for at least 150 years, he said.

Original: laht.com

Mexicans launch friendly defensive to deflect US tariffs

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exican officials have copied a page from President Donald Trump's playbook in recent days, taking to Twitter to communicate that they are working flat-out to de-escalate tensions over immigration and avoid punitive tariffs on all Mexican exports to the U.S. Announcements of meetings in Washington, selfies and carefully crafted messages of optimism for cool-headed discussions are some of the tactics on display in social media to respond to an economic and diplomatic emergency that few anticipated. Trump's threat last Thursday to impose tariffs to pressure Mexico to do more to curb the flow of migrants came the same day that Mexico declared it would begin the process of ratifying the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade.

Many are questioning the legality of mixing immigration policy goals with trade retaliation, and U.S. business groups are already considering legal action against the proposed tariff, arguing that the

countries both produce for each other and together.

"Almost everyone was caught flat-footed," said Antonio Ortiz-Mena, an international trade consultant based in Washington with the Albright Stonebridge Group who represented Mexico as part of the team that negotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement in the early 1990s.

Ortiz-Mena said he spent much

of the weekend on phone calls and crafting strategies to advise clients in the U.S.-Mexico supply chain on how to navigate the situation. His advice to Mexican officials would be to stay calm and show good faith by ratifying the USMCA trade deal.

"We're neighbors. We're not going anywhere," Ortiz-Mena said.

Mexico's message has been consistently friendly. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said

Mexico won't panic, signing off on a letter to Trump as "your friend" and repeating that his country doesn't want this confrontation, much less a trade war.

But on Monday, his top officials also strove to set some boundaries.

"There is a clear limit to what we can negotiate, and the limit is Mexican dignity," said Mexico's ambassador to the United States, Martha Bárcena, at a news conference in Washington. She added that her country has taken steps to offer migrants visas, and said that "without Mexico's efforts, an additional quarter million migrants could arrive at the U.S. border in 2019."

Mexico is the top export market for U.S. corn and pork, and Mexico supplies one out of three fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States. Tariffs on Mexican agricultural exports are seen raising the cost of avocados, tomatoes and berries for U.S. consumers.

The Mexican strategy of killing with kindness has been met with skepticism and increasingly harsh

words from Trump.

"Mexico is sending a big delegation to talk about the Border," Trump tweeted Sunday. "Problem is, they've been 'talking' for 25 years. We want action, not talk."

Trump says he will impose a 5% tariff on Mexican goods beginning June 10 as a way to force the government of Mexico to keep mostly Central American migrants from crossing into the U.S. He says that until he is satisfied with Mexico's results, the import tax will be increased five percentage points every month through October, topping out at a total tariff of 25%.

López Obrador said Mexican officials will try to better communicate their immigration efforts in Washington this week. He issued a memo to "the people" of the U.S. on Sunday saying he wishes to remain Trump's friend and professing that Mexicans are their friends, too.

He closed the letter by saying: "Let nothing and nobody separate our beautiful and sacred friendship."

Original: finance.yahoo.com

By Amy Guthrie

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Famous Mosaics - Ceramic Museum + Mosaic Garden, Jingzhou China

Ceramic Museum and Mosaic Garden; image courtesy of Casanova + Hernandez Architects

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his summer the Tile Park is taking the show on the road!

We’re paying a virtual visit to the most famous mosaics of the world... from China to Spain to the US... tile parks, record-breaking installations, ancient murals, points of interest and so much more. Join us!

Some of the real beauty of artistic pursuit comes in the interpretation, the artist’s personalization of it.

There is the concept or application itself, and then there is the act of creation. The adoption of the theory or process, and the subsequent uniqueness that could only come from that artist.

The Ceramic Museum + Mosaic Garden in Jingzhou China is a wonderful dovetail of process and interpretation. Mosaic, an artistic concept as ancient as China itself, is made unique and personal thanks to the locally-sourced ceramic that Jingzhou is famous throughout the world for.

In preparation for the 2013 World Landscape Art Exposition in Jingzhou, Casanova + Hernandez Architects designed this incredible space for visitors to enjoy. The idea was to bring together and play upon concepts that might normally not be linked.

For example, working with the ancient art of mosaic, known all over the world, but using only local ceramic, what Jingzhou is known for all over the world. The trademark crackle glaze on each ceramic piece echoes the geometric lines of mosaic art. Indeed this was also the inspiration for the long, bold, angular lines of the park itself.

The design also lends structure and rigidity to something as organic and natural as flowers, while transforming the rigidity of ceramic into the likeness of soft, sweet flowers.

That yin/yang quality is to be found in many aspects of this gorgeous space.

New proposed minimum salary for domestic workers The rate is more than double the national minimum wage

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he National Minimum Wage Commission (Conasami) has proposed setting the daily minimum salary for domestic workers at 249 pesos (US $12.70). Commission president Andrés Peñaloza Méndez said that a Conasami study estimated that 90% of employers have the financial capacity to pay the wage proposed.

The rate is more than double the national minimum wage, which increased by 16% to 103

pesos on January 1. Peñaloza predicted that the pay increase will be approved in December, adding that Conasami will hold talks with the relevant government agencies to ensure the new wage scheme is implemented effectively. Just over 1.4 million domestic workers, most of whom are impoverished women, are expected to benefit.

According to Consami, almost 40% of people employed in homes in urban areas earn a monthly wage below 3,104 pesos (US $160), an amount which social development agency Coneval says is the minimum required for a person to be able to afford to pay basic expenses.

Did I mention this place used to be a shrimp farm? This place used to be a shrimp farm. The land was reclaimed from the sea, and after phase 1: the landscape art expo, it was reclaimed once again, becoming phase 2: the central park space of a new urban housing development.

Bold, straight lines are juxtaposed with soft, rounded flower petals.

Uniformity in color scheme transitions through various mediums, engaging visitors with compelling visual stories. These flowers are the color of those tiles. The shapes of the flower beds are mirrored in the building, or is the building mirrored in the flower beds?

The brightly colored exterior of the building is mostly comprised of angles, echoes of the ceramic glaze, and mosaic too. The inside is painted a stark white, showcasing many triangular skylights and windows which allow light to pour in from every angle. Inside this beautiful space is where you’ll find rotating installations from all manner of artists. The overarching intention of this project, not matter the phase, is to shine a light on the interconnectedness we all share. How shapes can mirror, inspire, transform, and so much more. How one thing can take on the qualities of another, and vice-versa.

By inviting artists to tell their own stories from within this shrine to connection, it adds another layer of meaning, another point to ponder.

More consideration of perspective, and another way to be and feel in this space. Not too shabby for an old shrimp farm!

Peñaloza also said that Conasami will explore the possibility of offering a range of other incentives to domestic workers including tax breaks.

Statistics showed that almost 97% of household employees didn’t have access to social security benefits in the first quarter of 2019 but that is expected to change as the Senate approved new labor legislation earlier this month.

The legislation guarantees basic employment rights to domestic workers including a minimum wage, paid vacations, social security benefits, health care, annual bonuses and maternity leave.

Under the law, anyone who employs a cleaner, cook, live-in maid, babysitter or gardener in their home must formalize the relationship with a written contract.

Original: Mexico News Daily

June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Inauguration of the new Bibliobús

By Miguel González Guerra

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o celebrate the 18th Anniversary of Radio Universidad, and within the framework of the 25th birthday of the University Center of La Costa, the station’s director, Susana Mendoza Carreño, unveiled a mobile library, which will deliver books and videos to the neighborhoods around Puerto Vallarta, using the discontinued buses from the recent switch to Unibus.

Susana Carreño, intent on bringing a cultural learning experience to the children of all the neighborhoods of the city, was interviewing the director of Unibus PV, Luis Romero, when she saw several buses in disuse, and asked him what were they going to do with them. He proposed to transform them into a Library ... and the dream came true.

In the opening ceremony headed by the rector, Jorge Téllez, the public transport entrepreneur, Luis Romero, announced that he loaned this bus for three years, but that five buses in total are in the process of being converted to cover the four municipal delegations and one requested by the mayor of Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, Jaime Cuevas.

Thanks to the sponsorship of the City Council of Puerto Vallarta, Seapal, Rafael Yerena, Jorge Villanueva, the deputy Lorena Jiménez, the student community and other friends, it was possible to remove the seats, arrange floors, upholster, decorate, attach shelves, acquire books, projector, chairs and tables, among other things that transformed the old bus into a new adventure for the children of Banderas Bay. Children can also get a”Library Passport” with stamps for each book they read, and when the child fills their passport they receive a gift as a reward. In order to extend this

project, the support of everyone is requested. Those who want to make a donation can go directly to the CUC Radio Universidad, or call 226-2212.

The Bibliobús is a public library that uses a means of transport, to physically access, in a planned, predetermined, periodic and publicized way, to places or social groups that do not have access to a formal library, with the objective of making them participants of all its benefits. They will start by going to the “Brigades” that the university students perform in the various colonies and when the other three buses are complete they will El Pitillal, Las Juntas, and Ixtapa.

The state of reading in the country: Mexico ranks 107th out of 108 countries in the UNESCO reading index.

41% Use their free time watching television 30% Do not like to read 61% Do not have time 48% has never attended a library.

Puerto Vallarta has three Public Libraries: Mangos Library, Francisco Villa 1001 Civil Association founded on November 18, 1996. The collection is mostly made up of donations, which means a large percentage are not current. In November 2018, they invested for the first time in the purchase of books.

Municipal Public Library “Ciudades Hermanas” Av. Mexico 100A, Las Palmas Park Receives economic support from the municipality. Collection of 1,549 books approximately. With approx.30 children and adolescents visiting daily.

CUCosta Library, Carretera a Ixtapa 181, Los Tamarindos, Currently the most complete library in Puerto Vallarta. Non faculty and students can make inquiries but not request loans.

Translated from the original.

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From Here Marcia Blondin

marciavallarta@gmail.com

Salted Foot

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am having the best time these days handing out certificates and window stickers to the Winners of the Tribune’s latest Pata Salada Awards. I have a big stack left to deliver, but it’s been great bringing smiles to friends/clients/neighbors who have won; many of them two years in a row. Remaining number one in the People’s Choice survey include Intercam Bank (LOVE dealing with them!), and Lemongrass Boutique (gorgeous tropical clothes and accessories).

Luisa’s (Best Clothing Designer; she opened her store the same year I moved to Vallarta in 1991!) also won again as did Metamorfosis Day Spa. I finally went to the latter for a pedicure to find out WHY they have won twice. Places to get massages/ manicures and pedicures are as common as OXXO’s in Vallarta, so I put myself in Isla›s capable hands last week and let her tackle my toes. Everything in Metamorfosis is sterile except the atmosphere and the warmth and expertise of the staff. The salon is not the least bit pretentious; just cozy. And busy! People emerging from their massages all had that slightly dazed, barely able to talk or walk with blissed-out expressions. Some made it as far as the manicure table…then – why the hell not? – let’s do pedicures, too!

I chatted up everyone that was handy; the consensus across the board – Metamorfosis is the best spa. Period.

I walked up the hill from Metamorfosis to meet Kathrin at Signature/ Pinnacle Resorts to give her the certificate from the Tribune. I have spent quite a few happy hours in their winning-est bar with the killer views and Beautiful People enjoying cocktails in splendid surroundings.

Did you know they have almost finished their third building? It should be up and running by January 2020, offering more premium rental space for people who really want a hassle-free luxury vacation.

For 22 years in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, awards have been handed out for the best theatre productions in the state. Vallarta has been in the ‘Winner’s Circle’ at that event for the past few years, and

many dear friends from Vallarta are competing as we speak. Essential names in Vallarta Theatre circles including Ramiro Daniel, Cesar Bravo, Alain Perrault, Samantha Dueñas, Juan Pablo Hernandez, Juan Carlos Ramirez, the cast of Princesas Desesperadas, Perro Bravo Productions, and Paco Ojeda, attending for the first time. Paco did the sound, light, and video for ‘El Pequeno Poni’ which is up for Best Play; he will likely have some fabulous photographs - watch for them on Facebook. Good luck to everyone or, as they say in Spanish, “Mucha mierda.”

Had a wonderful ‘farewell for the summer’ luncheon with Lalo at Co-exist Café. Lalo, our jewelry expert from Marsol Friday Market, will spend the summer tracking down estate sales in San Miguel de Allende and bringing those treasures back for all to ogle in November. Co-exist is really one of the best restos in Old Town Vallarta – Bill Makley turned me on to it a couple of years ago, and it never disappoints. Half of Bill’s office, Vallarta CoWork was there the same day (including Bill!) along with ArtVallARTa’s Nathalie Herling. Give it a try!

Not too many Sunday brunches can beat feet-in-the-sand at La Palapa. Skip and wife Nancy, Margareta and Mikey, Sculptor Jim Demetro and wife Eva, and I had a grand reunion after months of not seeing one another. We spent hours catching up and making tentative next-season plans for Rodolfo, Vallarta’s blind tenor. One of the things we discussed was finding a manager/agent for Rodolfo, so I’ll just throw that out there; my email address is at the top of this column.

Please drop me a line if that inte-

rests you or someone you know…

I attended a lovely housewarming in Versalles last week. There were tables covered with food catered by “U.N.I,” personal chef services provided by husband and wife team Aric and Yukari Bianchi.

Desserts kept arriving, and I kept sampling…

To Dwayne and Michelle – I hope you have many, many happy years in your beautiful new home.

It occurred to me a few days ago that there may be more than two people out there who have no idea what I do with the other half of my life that is not spent in theatres, restaurants, cool parties, and gallery openings and then writing about them! I am, 50% of my time, a ‘Found Artist.’ That means I find things (fabrics, broken necklaces, single earrings, and etc.) and make them into something else. People also bring me things that can no longer function as they were initially intended – silk shirts and neckties and broken or unwanted jewelry, and I make those into silk collars (necklaces) and crazy earrings I call “Mixtos.”

These can be found at Qulture Gallery, Demetro Galeria and at the Marsol Friday Market by the Pier that I run throughout the summer. We are the only artisan market open 52 weeks/year in Vallarta.

The Marsol Friday Market is far smaller in summer than winter for obvious reasons but like I tell everyone kind enough to come inside, that we exemplify Quality over Quantity so, this is your personal invitation to come to visit Friday until 1:30 pm and have a look-see at the truly amazing things we create.

The rains are coming so go clean your gutters! And the streets, too.

Everything you see laying around ends up in the sea. Each piece of trash you pick up is a triumph for a baby sea turtle. You can’t hug them; they are too little, and they have an agenda so hug each other, often and hard. Give the energy away with love and remember to breathe, From Here.

June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Paradise and Parenting Leza Warkentin

mommyinmexico.wordpress.com

I am the preschool coordinator and nursery teacher at the American School of Puerto Vallarta. I am also both unsurprised and not a bit sorry that this list of my favorites is mostly about places to eat. If you can live in Vallarta without appreciating some of the good eatin’ around here, you have to be at least half Vulcan.

Kindergarten teacher

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love to be a teacher. I especially love teaching young children.

From mid-August until mid-June, I get to know my class of kindergarteners very well, and they get to know me very well too.

For example, I know that after recess they will forget at least one step of the following post-recess procedure: 1) put away the outside toys 2) get a drink of water 3) sit down on the carpet.

And, in turn, they know that I will remind them of this very complicated routine every.single.time.

With a big smile. Or at least a big facial expression of some kind.

I think kindergarten is fun because every day there’s something new to say to my students, such as “please stop licking your pants” or “I am not a Kleenex” or “legos aren’t food” (these are actual things I have said this week).

Not only that, young children are always happy to see you. Whether they find you at the grocery store, the beach or simply coming out of the bathroom beside their P.E. class, they will scream your name and act like you are a celebrity or at least a well-loved aunt whom they haven’t seen since last year.

And that’s nice, because if you are a teacher and also a parent, your own children aren’t always glad to see you on school premises. In fact, it almost seems like they might prefer having a bit of space when you go to their table at lunch and ask them how the grilled cheese sandwich held up since you made it last night. Being a kindergarten teacher means that twenty children want you to come and sit with them and see each and every item in their lunch bags.

It also means that, in June, it will be time to fit them for the world’s tiniest graduation cap and toga. It means that they are going to walk down a big, scary aisle to “Pomp and Circumstance”, walking in a comically straight, heel to toe line because you told them just to follow the center line of the basketball

court. They will not be able to smile because a) they’ll be nervous with all the eyes on them and b) they will be concentrating on the post-Pomp and Circumstance instructions (knowing that Miss Leza has some strong feelings about these).

It means that I’ll be passing off some kiddos that seem way too small for the big school. I’ll be expected to give a speech but I won’t be able to, and I’ll force my principal (emcee extraordinaire) to choke out a truly emotional bit that I’ve written for them.

Yes, it’s true. I always cry on graduation day, because look at them, sitting there in the front, so full of hopes and dreams and the wiggles. Scratching through their togas. Giggling through their fingers. Definitely touching the person beside them (because I’m on stage handing out diplomas and thus helpless to stop them).

And that’s the joy of being a teacher. You spend so much time with these children that you know them well, and they know you. They come to you with all of their deepest hurts (“our dog died and I’m sad”), their greatest joys (“my daddy took me to Avengers and then we had pizza and then he bought me a LOL Surprise.”), and just every little thing that comes into their heads (“Hey, that was like back when the dinosaurs were alive! Like when you were in school, Miss Leza”).

And, in turn, you get to learn about how to be a better person, and how to give a little bit more. You learn how to receive love that you don’t always deserve, and you try to be worthy as often as you can.

And, at the end of all these lessons, you learn to be brave, so you can let them go.

local

09

A Table in the Corner

June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Two Expats in Mexico

Bronwen White

Paul Kurtzweil

Bronwen White, originally from London, England, has moved here from the United States where she lived in many of its great cities. Having always loved Mexico, she has now moved to Puerto Vallarta and is embarking on her journey of discovering the delights of the local culinary scene.

Paul Kurtzweil (Q-Roo Paul) is a former lieutenant from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. During his 25-year career, he received numerous commendations to include two of the agency’s top honors: a Meritorious Service Medal and a Medal of Valor. In 2015, Paul retired and moved to Mexico with his wife. He now spends his day’s blogging from the beach.

Boccon di Vino, a Divine Mouthful

Bringing your Pets to Mexico

walesbw@gmail.com

W

ith my limited Italian, I was scratching my head wondering what a Boccon could be – a flask, a carafe? And found out it’s a play on al boccon di’vino which means a “divine mouthful”. The vino part first caught my eye as I love wine and never have a meal without it.

Luckily, Boccon di Vino features Italian wines as I am a little tired of the mostly Mexican and Chilean wines on offer in Vallarta. Re: the former, I do like L.A. Cetto (founded by an Italian, I might add!) but I do think Chilean wines somewhat overrated and when I visited Chile I was very surprised to see how little wine drinking was going on, they export most of what they produce and prefer drinking pisco sours and the like.

So order a Tuscan chardonnay or Sicilian shiraz and then wade into the menu. First off, their carpaccio is terrific and they also have an octopus variation. I also like the Portobello mushroom with goat cheese. There’s bruschetta and very nice cozze – mussels in white wine. Then on to the big guns or, in this case, big pastas.

Spaghetti variations are vongole (with clams and Pinot Grigio), tried and true Bolognese, a la Scoglio (an assortment of seafood) and of course da Spaghetti wid-a meat-a balls-a, staple of every red and white checked tablecloth/candle in the chianti bottle Italian joint. They’ve three sorts of ravioli – I like the Ravioli Sophia Loren stuffed with ricotta and spinach. “Oh Sophia” as the Italian song goes. And let’s not forget good old gnocchi, penne

www.qroo.us

and fettucccine! I am partial to baked pasta dishes, they do not have my absolute favorite, cannelloni, but they do have lasagna and the first dish I ever had here was the baked eggplant parmigiana. I was on an eggplant parmigiana kick at the time and theirs is delectable.

PV seems very fond of risotto and they’ve got two renditions of it. It stars in the frutti di mare - a really hearty dish, chocabloc full of mussels, squid, octopus and shrimp. Last time I had the veal piccata, the sauce was delicious but the veal could have been a bit tenderer.

Dessert-wise, I’m pretty sure I ordered panna cotta here once, but last time I went they didn’t have it so I had a fantastic passion fruit ice cream – delizioso! As is their terrific walnut/fig one. I am a little disappointed by the tiramisu, it is too light, and I prefer mine somewhat denser with a bit more amaretto in it.

Boccon di Vino has a lovely homey feel, they’ve two courtyards in the back, rather eccentrically decorated with assorted platters, empty wine bottles on the walls and photos of la bella Italia circa 1950 all interspersed with plastic bunches of grapes and other accoutrements ubiquitous to Italian trattorias. Service is extremely friendly (we do enjoy Silvia who has been there for years) and the mostly Italian sound track tailored to quiet conversation while you linger over an Italian digestif such as sambuca or limoncello. Who doesn’t like an Italian restaurant, a theory of mine is that it’s because pronouncing Italian is so pleasant – say Valpolicella three times and see! Andiamo e mangia!

T

he government agency tasked with overseeing the importation of pets and other animals is el Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad, Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASICA) which falls under la Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación (SAGARPA).

In writing, the two agencies are often mentioned together and appear as SAGARPA-SENASICA. Here is an interesting factoid: According to SAGARPA-SENASICA, only dogs and cats are considered “pets” in Mexico.

That may come as a shock to those of you who were planning on bringing your parakeet, ferret, rabbit or turtle on your next vacation to Cancun.

For those folks, I have good news. Although your animal is not technically considered a pet, it is still possible to bring them along with you.

I will be discussing the requirements in the section titled Other Animals.

Dogs and Cats Do I need any special paperwork to bring my dog or cat to Mexico?

You need a veterinarian to issue a certificate of health, on letterhead, for your animals. Multiple animals can be included on the same health certificate. You must bring the original certificate and a copy.

According to SAGARPA-SENASICA, the certificate should contain the following information: Name and address of the exporter (address from the country of origin) and the importer (address of the destination in Mexico) That the animal or animals have been vaccinated against rabies, include the date of the vaccination, and state how long the vaccination is good for. This does not apply to animals under three months of age.

That the animal was found to be clinically healthy prior to travel That the animal or animals have had preventative treatment for internal and external parasites in the past six months and are free

of external parasites.

The name of the veterinarian, professional license number and his or her signature What happens if I don’t have a certificate of health when I arrive?

According to SAGARPA-SENASICA, you may request the services of a Mexican licensed veterinarian of your choice and at your expense, to issue a new valid health certificate and/or apply the treatment required.

I haven’t met anyone who chose this route, but knowing what I do about Mexican bureaucracy — I wouldn’t recommend it. The best option is to arrive with a certificate of health in hand.

(Ed. Note: If you arrive to the airport in Puerto Vallarta with insufficient or the wrong paperwork, a Mexican licensed veterinarian will attend to you and your animal at your expense.)

When will I have to present my documentation?

Upon arriving in Mexico, you are required to get in contact with personnel from SAGARPA-SENASICA. They will conduct a brief physical inspection of the animal and make sure that you have complied with all of the agency’s requirements.

If all is well, they will issue you an import certificate.

Their personnel can be found at international airports, sea ports, and other points of entry into the country.

Are there any additional requirements that I should know about?

The pet must arrive in a clean kennel or carrier, free of any bedding or other accessories. If there is anything else in the kennel or container, it will be removed and destroyed (this does not apply to collars and leashes).

There are also several restrictions

related to the type and amount of pet food that you can bring with you.

The safest thing to do is to only bring enough for the travel day and plan on buying more when you arrive.

Is there a fee to get an import certificate for my pet?

If you are transporting one to three pets, the import certificate is free. If you are transporting more than three, the costs is $2,087.00 pesos or about $112 USD at the current exchange rate.

Other Animals Obviously some of the importation requirements will change depending on the type of animal. The key is knowing what the requirements are.

How do I find out what the requirements are?

Here is the good news, the Mexican government has created a site to help you find the import requirements for almost any animal. It’s called Módulo de Consulta de Requisitos Zoosanitarios para la Importación (MCRZI).

The bad news is the site is 100% in Spanish. If your Spanish reading comprehension skills are lacking, you may want to consider asking one of your Spanish-speaking amigos to help you.

How does it work?

This is a searchable database with drop down menus that will allow you to find out the requirements for importation. Once you locate the particular animal, you can print an official looking document with all of the information. http://sistemas.senasica.gob.mx/ mcrz/moduloConsulta.jsf What if my animal does not appear in the system?

If the type of animal you are looking for is not in the system, or if the animal you would like to bring is receiving medical treatment, you will have to send your request via email to reqzoosan.dgsa@senasica.gob. mx or redacuicola@senasica.gob. mx (for aquatic animals).

Is there a fee to get an import certificate?

Importation certificate for land animals: $2,087.00 pesos or about $112 USD Importation certificate for aquatic animals: $2,187.00 pesos or $118 USD If you have any questions about importing animals into Mexico, get with SAGARPA-SENASICA for clarification.

10

local

June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

I Came to Puerto Vallarta to Die

By Paul Glickman

T

his time last year I was living in a 34th floor condo with a 360-degree view of Chicago, Wrigley Field included. The Windy City is a smaller, kinder, more floral New York. In the summer it’s wonderful, but after ten years of winters I had had it with the cold. The wind would race off the lake, tornado down my street and blast my seventy-six year old body, freezing it to the bone. After ten years I had had it.

I lived in Mexico before as a college student, so I knew the language, weather and the people, and I had been here many times.

As part of the preparation for my journey, I had a medical checkup and was shocked to learn that my kidneys were in stage four failure.

Dialysis or a new kidney was recommended, but both choices didn’t appeal. They offended my freedom of movement. My doctor said turning

www.vallartatribune.com

those options down might lead to death in two years. “If I was going to die”, I thought, “then I wanted to be warm while I was waiting”. So it was off to Puerto Vallarta for me.

I’ve been here a bit over a year now and life has been good. PV may have actually saved my life. The next kidney test I took revealed the downward slide had leveled off a bit.

I lived in Olas Altas for the first six months with a wonderful local family.

After, I moved to Plaza Santa Maria where the staff takes care of me like an abuelo (grandfather).

I got interested in photography after a twenty-year career in motion pictures. At my age I’ve gone from Kodak box cameras to iPhone digital. I don’t use my Nikon or Canon anymore, I need the spontaneity and convenience of a phone with a camera that’s always hanging around my neck. I snap off ten or twenty pictures a day. I love my fellow Puerto Vallartans, especially the young and carefree ones.

All the work that you see here and on the cover started out as regular pictures. Using on-line and downloaded filters, and my trusty Photoshop that I’ve had since it first came out, I work my digital magic.

I’ve been promised a show in the lobby of La Galleria in August and you are all invited. You won’t be in the show, but if you’d like a portrait of yourself in the any of the styles you see either here or there, email paulfglickman@gmail.com

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EL CORA CORA CROCODILE CROCODILE SANCTUARY SANCTUARY 13. LOS ARCOS AMPITHEATRE 28. MOVIE + PICNIC 13. LOS ARCOS AMPITHEATRE 21. CUALE 20.

EMILIANO ZAPATA MARKET 14.

5. EL CORA CROCODILE SANCTUARY 28. MOVIE + PICNIC 6.6. PUERTO 29.

14. ISLA ISLA CUALE CUALE 21. CUALE CULTRAL CULTRAL CENTER CENTER PUERTO VALLARTA VALLARTA SIGN SIGN 29. RED RED CROSS CROSS 14. ISLA CUALE PARK 21.MARKET CUALE CULTRAL CENTER 6. PUERTO VALLARTA SIGN 15.

LAZARO CARDENAS 22.

5 DE DEC 29.NATIONAL RED CROSS 7.7. ESTERO EL SALADO 30.

LOS ARCOS 15. LAZARO CARDENAS PARK 22. 5 DE DEC MARKET ESTERO EL SALADO NATIONAL PARK PARK 15.ALTAS LAZARO CARDENAS PARK 23. HUANACAXLE 22. 5 DEMERCADO DEC MARKET 30. LOS ARCOS 7. ESTERO EL SALADO 30. LOS ARCOS NATIONAL PARK 15.

OLAS FARMERS MARKET 8.8. PITILLAL PLAZA 15. OLAS ALTAS FARMERS MARKET 23. HUANACAXLE MERCADO PITILLAL PLAZA 15.

OLAS ALTAS FARMERS MARKET 23.

HUANACAXLE MERCADO 8. PITILLAL PLAZA

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BANDERAS BAY SHOPPING AND SERVICES

Find us at: Show Room @ SUCESOS BOUTIQUE Tuesday Market @ Nuevo Vallarta Thursday Market @ La Marina Vallarta Sunday Market @ La Cruz de Huanacaxtle

www.palmaleone.com

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Vibes & Vices: River Cafe

AJ Freeman

cosmiccapt@gmail.com

AJ Freeman is an adventurous spirit, serial friendmaker, and general enthusiast. He lives his everyday life hoping to demonstrate the nearly infinite potential for discovery and wonder on this small wet rock orbiting a dim yellow star in the backwoods of the Milky

D

espite hiding in plain sight at the heart of Vallarta, Isla Cuale may be one of the city’s more understudied sections. More than a few visitors have flown away again without ever having known it existed, and there’s a fair share of locals who haven’t taken the time to wander onto the urban island either. It’s kind of a shame, given the presence of places like River Cafe along this shaded, scenic stretch just inland from the Malecon.

The Vibes: Surrounded by a selection of small shops selling souvenirs and sundries--had a great debate about the price of a pair of earrings before dinner--River Cafe offers especially sophisticated surroundings for an early evening meal. The intimate glow of string lighting and a serenade from Sade beckon my assistant and I to tables overlooking the river, and after stopping to greet a few familiar faces, we settle in to take in the scenery.

River Cafe takes full advantage of the tropical jungle backdrop to create its appealing atmosphere. Lush plant life peers through the fourth wall of the open air dining room, eavesdropping on the lively conversation of the clientele while silently swearing to keep their secrets. Themed pieces by local artists enhance the environment, engaging the gaze with visual treats in every direction. The Sun has just set, and with a pitcher of sangria we are set for the setting.

The Vices: In case you didn’t know, the Caesar salad is a Mexican original. Created by an enterprising

restaurateur in Tijuana during the first quarter of the 1900s, it is not eponymous to the emperor, but the entrepreneur of an eatery. As if it needed something besides booze to attract visitors from north of the border during the Prohibition years, Caesar Cardini brought this dressing to the world as a permanent addition to the human pantry.

Almost a century after its invention, a Caesar salad arrived on my table as a Restaurant Week selection at River Cafe because I really enjoy authentic Mexican food. This was a worthy take on the classic, and with a taste or two of the fried calamari my dining partner decided on as an appetizer, created an excellent opening act for this evening’s presentation.

After a basket of bread accompanied by delicious chili butter and the addition of a candle to our table in the twilight, the main course made its grand entry. A large portion of portobello chicken breast in a creamy sauce along with pasta and spinach was a substantial and satisfying

second course, and I savored every bite I took, but with my sweet tooth in mind I dusted off a strategy from my childhood and saved some room for dessert.

I am not sure who decided to fry ice cream for the first time, and I’ll leave you to google that one yourself.

Still, what we can take away from the fact that it exists is that the person in question possessed three characteristic traits of this singularly sapient species: ambition, curiosity, and mild insanity.

These are the qualities that have gotten me to where I am in life (wherever the hell that is), and so whenever I get a chance to appreciate their crazy contribution to our culinary tradition, I take advantage of it. Certainly a good call here...coated in a crisp outer shell and drizzled in chocolate, the flavorful scoop of vanilla ice cream was a perfect finish to our meal. As I leaned back in my chair with some after-dinner mint, Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight” was yet another morsel of perfection at the table we shared that evening...from start to finish, dinner at River Cafe felt like a true privilege.

The Verdict: Restaurant Week gives folks like me a chance to try out some new and interesting possibilities around town, and happily River Cafe was one of the best choices I’ve made so far. With an alluring atmosphere and plenty of tempting choices on the menu, an evening at this oasis on the Rio Cuale is without a doubt one well spent. Maybe I’ll catch you there.

Info: Isla Rio Cuale 4, Zona Romántica facebook.com/RIVERCAFEPV/

Restaurant Week Bites w/AJ *Okay so I get it...not everyone digs Restaurant Week. limited menus, long waits, and even variable quality make for less than ideal experiences for some places typically identified as area standouts, and while I can’t just ignore the biggest culinary event of the summer for six weeks, I can at least acknowledge the world outside of prix fixe in this space so check it out.*

I

feel like Almacen Cocktail in Old Town doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

Can’t be the location...half a block off Ignatio Vallarta and two corners past the Rio Cuale bridge, you almost couldn’t get more centralized without knocking down the main church.

Can’t be a lack of atmosphere... the Wednesday night of my last visit to the restaurant featured a live DJ cranking a groovy blend of old-school funk and 80s hits. It sure as hell can’t be the food.

I’ve lost more than a few favorite local restaurants to summertime slowdowns over the past few years, and so I sat down with Javier at Almacen recently in the hopes that he could help me understand.

“We concentrate on making memories for the people that come in here...the menu changes regularly, and we usually have a special off-menu drink. Our courtyard is great for groups, which is why we keep a DJ on staff...we only spin the

good stuff, no sugar pop allowed.” he explained. “We want to be a place where people can hang out before they hit the club or bring a few friends from out of town for a great dinner after a day on the beach.”

Parked at a sidewalk table watching the world roll by between the bay and the bustle, it seemed like an ideal place for a twilight after-work sip as well.

Eat: The slider platter is the ace option for indecisive burger lovers, bringing a classic bacon-cheese deluxe, a lamb burger with goat cheese, and a generously portioned pulled pork sandwich together on one plate with a side of fries.

If you’re bringing a date, consider upgrading to the full sampler, which adds wings, onion rings, and other things to the equation.

Drink: The mezcal margarita is a fantastic choice, pumping up the beachside standby with the smoky signature spirit of Jalisco. If you’re feeling a little spicy, try the Maguey, which adds punch to pineapple jam and lemon juice with chile ancho and a healthy pour of mezcal.

Be Merry: The DJ arrives around 7 and sticks around until at least 12, and with most of a wine bottle to keep me company, I did the same. If you’re looking to get your evening started right or just kill time until your friends with local jobs get off work, this is the place to do it.

Tel. (322) 222 2675, (322) 222 5402, w Celular: 322 175 0412 mundodeazulejos@hotmail.com www.talavera-tile.com

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Sustainably Yours Emily Majewski

emilyannmajewski@gmail.com

Emily Majewski is Co-Founder of PHYTOSTONE, a small firm based in Nayarit dedicated to creating advanced natural materials for home and garden.

Building Sustainability with The Right Materials abandon. Behind retaining walls, in

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s a continuation of our series on Sustainable Home Making in the humid tropics, we are going to delve into the subject of materials. Picking up where we left off: A local resource they we enjoy here in the Bay is pumice stone.

Pumice (jal) mined in Tepic is used by local block makers to make ‘bloques de jal’. Very little cement is used as a binder, because pumice itself is a pozzolanic material, meaning it has a latent reactivity that extends the effectiveness of cement. As little as 3-5% cement is used in these pumicecrete blocks.

Numerous production facilities exist near Sayulita, Ursulo Galvan and La Penita.

Integrally pigmenting white stuccos is a great way to add color to walls without supporting toxic paint industries. Conventional paints use petroleum derived binders that effectively “shrink wrap” the house in a plastic membrane. Just like hot food creates condensation on shrink wrap, condensation, salts and molds get trapped behind conventional paints, causing efflorescence, blistering and peeling.

Pigmented stuccos allow for more breathability although you do see moisture patterns moving through the walls as “dark patches” before they evaporate. Our company, PHYTOSTONE, also specializes in breathable concrete-free plasters here to the north of the bay (www. phytostone.com) . If breathable plasters are not an option, eliminating stucco layers altogether is a better route to go, as in pouredin-place walls. The fewer zones for salts and molds to collect between unbreathable layers, the better.

Salts in mineral based building materials are fairly inevitable down here. Generally, pigmenting coatings in lighter shades makes efflorescence less visible. Additionally, light colors allow a building to reflect more light, which affects indoor comfort levels greatly.

Because of constant salt migration, use vapor barriers with

conjunction with foundation work, under floors, vapor barriers are key to curtailing salts and moisture related problems. Vapor barrier can imply using pond liners or tarring building components where appropriate.

Palapas can be treated with clove oil based sprays or steeped parota woodchip teas teas. The organic store, Terrenal, outside Sayulita carries non-toxic palapa treatments.

Feel free to write me at phytostone@gmail.com if you have an inquiry about nontoxic, 0 VOC sealants for mineral surfacing (stone, concrete, plasters, marble and granite). Breathable sealants are key to respecting the natural vapor diffusion of all materials while nevertheless blocking pores against larger salt and mold molecules as much as possible.

Because acetylated and silicified wood products are not readily avai-

lable in Mexico, cellulostic materials like bamboo and pine must be chosen with care. Currently, borate based insecticides are the most benign and available protection against termites. If you are using exotic tropical hardwoods or parota, make sure your wood has a certificate of origin that proves it was legally harvested. Legitimate ‘maderias’ or carpenter shops will be able to show this paperwork.

Living in the humid tropics means that you can consider air as an insulating thermal break between your materials! Air is an excellent insulator, so creating hollow wall systems is a viable option for our climate. Pink insulation and foam can’t beat the eco-credentials of air.

Did you know Rotoplast is making biodigestors these days, for more sustainable waste handling?

See https://rotoplas.com.mx/ catalogo/biodigestor-autolimpiable/ Always choose your materials with the 7th generation in mind.

Acrylics, polystyrene and other artificial building materials should be foregone for biodegradable options based on plants, earth and minerals. High temperature kilning, like that of ceramics, is environmentally preferable to adding toxic or non-biodegradable ingredients, where performance is required.

Join us next article, as we continue our discussion on Construction Logistics and Best Practices for your tropical garden!

Welcome Home Sheryl Novak

sa.novak@solutionsmexico.com

Sheryl Novak is an expat Canadian who has owned a home in Mexico for over ten years. She is the owner of SOLutions Mexico and The Furniture Store by SOLutions Mexico. She is an expert on sourcing all styles of furniture for all sizes of budgets, in Mexico.

Stay away from this carpenter!

O

ne nuisance that comes with living in a warmer climate is a higher risk of insects that could damage your home. Termites and carpenter ants are small critters that can wreak havoc and cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in repairs to furniture and more importantly, your house. Carpenter ants are common in the Americas, especially Mexico.

Carpenter ants are often mistaken for termites because they both damage wood and have a similar look. Because both have wings, people often mistake the carpenter ant for a type of termite called the swarmer.

Whereas winged ants have a narrow waist and elbowed antennae, termite swarmers have a broad abdomen and straight antennae.

Unlike the carpenter ant with front wings longer than its rear wings, the termites front and back wings are the same size.

There are over 24 species, but the two most common are the red and black carpenter ants. Each carpenter ant in the colony varies in size. While an adult carpenter ant can measure from 6 to 12 mm in length, males, or winged swarmers, can grow to up to 18 mm. Queens can reach 20 mm in length.

Unlike termites who eat the wood, carpenter ants only use wood to nest and live. Carpenter ants prefer partially decayed wood for their homes, and their nests are often difficult to find.

They tend to choose areas with moisture problems, such as attics and ceilings, rugs and flooring, windows, doors, trees and shrubs, woodpiles, plumbing, electrical and other utility entries, gutters, vents, trashcans and sheds or doghouses.

A nest of carpenter ants generally grows to about 2000 or 3000 workers. Some nests have been known to have 100,000 workers.

It takes about three to six years to establish a large and stable colony.

The life cycle of a carpenter ant is estimated to be 6 to 12 weeks from

egg to adult.

A tell-tale sign of their presence is when you see sawdust around wood furniture. Sometimes you can hear carpenter ants rustling within wall voids.

Should you think you have uninvited house guests, there are pesticides available to ensure they check out early. Place insecticide that contains an attractive sugary bait near a carpenter ant trail and the worker ants will take it back to the nest. Generally, it will take a few days for the colony to die. If there is more than one nest, it will take longer.

Boric acid is considered a go-to product to control all ant species, including carpenter ants.

You can get boric acid as either a dry powder or liquid bait. It is readily available, odorless, and effective when applied according to instructions. Since it is sometimes difficult to correctly formulate this solution, there is no guarantee that it will kill a colony. If you suspect there might be more than one nest, it may be best to bring in a professional sooner rather than later.

When purchasing furniture for your home, it is always best to invest in items that have been pre-treated to reduce the risk of insect damage.

New condo? Save money and stress. We offer over 20 stylish furniture packages delivered right to your development.

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Movement as Medicine

Medical Matters Pam Thompson

By Via Anderson

pamela@healthcareresourcespv.com

yogawithvia@gmail.com

Pamela Thompson operates HealthCare Resources Puerto Vallarta, a multi-faceted, independent, resource network that is here for your total health and well-being. We offer assistance to help find a physician, hospital and diagnostic service for any healthcare needs. www.healthcareresourcespv.com

A Really Nice Guy

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s I am always saying, I am so lucky to work with many fascinating people. I am snoopy. I want to know about them, what makes them tick, where they have been, what they have done. I believe that everyone has a “story”, rich with all kinds of stuff woven in.

One of these people is Jose Raul Angulo Baños. He is our X-ray technician at Clinic Sanmare.

He goes by Raul and he was born here in Puerto Vallarta, so a true pata salada. I have watched him work with patients at various locations of the DIV Radiology System (which is what we have at Sanmare) and I have always been so very impressed as to how very kind he is with a patient. Raul has a bit different background than your average radiology technician as he used to be a cook, he says, although in reality, I think he should be called a chef. He began his journey at Café des Artists and was able to work in their various restaurants for a couple of years until he applied for and was accepted as a chef on a cruise ship! He worked in the Caribbean, northern Europe, working in pastry and eventually was the ice cream man! After working at sea, he wanted a more stable job on land so he attended school in Guadalajara and obtained his radiology technician degree. He was hired by Diagnostic Integral Vallarta and we are glad that they did!

I asked him what the most favorite part of his job is and he

June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

says: Seeing a patient coming back to check how they are doing, seeing their progress. He says “you not only get to see bones in here”!

I asked him what the least favorite part of his job is and he says having children patients because it is never easy to see a child in pain with an accident/illness. He says ‘it always gets to me’.

I asked him a tip that I could give to patients coming for X-rays, CT scans, etc and he says “You do not have to worry about the radiation you are receiving. Let us worry about you and your problem at the moment and trust us when we do your study.

We are here to attend to you. There is always a risk benefit using x-rays for diagnostic purposes but trust us when we say that we make all efforts to protect you as much as possible.

We are here for you!”

My final question to Raul was ‘where do you see yourself in ten years’? I see myself, hopefully, working as an X-ray technician until I open my own food place, like a food truck so that I can have the versatility of changing the food/ menu as I please so that I can make what I love, wherever I want it and wherever the world leads me.”

I say Bravo Raul! We are so proud to work with you. And my last question: When are you going to bring us a gourmet lunch?

We have a plethora of speakers programs in June! Follow my Facebook page and if you are not on our newsletter list, send me an email!

Here’s to a scintillating week!

Via Anderson, E-RYT, is a Yoga and movement coach and teaches the Intelligent Movement Forever system of healthy movement in a weekly online class, in private sessions, and at Yoga Vallarta during the high season. This 77-year-old grandmother practices what she preaches and teaches. She is the author of “How to Move Without Pain: A Compendium of Intelligent Movement”, to be released in 2019. www.intelligentmovementforever.com

Healing My Thoracic Compression Fractures: the Fear Factor

inside my apartment. But I have been very timid about walking outside my house. The cobblestones, the uneven sidewalks are daunting. Will I always be a Fall Risk? Should I stop moving?

I devised a plan to address my

fear. I am using my brace and my hiking poles and ask my friends to walk with me.

Thank you, walking buddies! You have opened up new vistas and new hope for me.

I am overcoming the fear factor.

My notice that my history of moving well and often serves me. I am moving with ease and resilience.

There is light at the end of my tunnel!

I will keep moving, listening to my body. When my fractures are well healed, I will add prone back extensions to my movement practice.

The Mayo Clinic found that strong back extensors can help prevent vertebral fractures. Even when you have osteoporosis. Here is a basic back extensor movement that I will do. And so can you.

On April 25, I put too much pressure on my upper back lugging suitcases.

No bueno!

I

landed in the Emergency Room in Encino, CA, USA, with two upper back compression fractures.

I described my healing journey and my healing discoveries in two previous articles. Today I am going to talk about the “Fear Factor.”

When I got back to Puerto Vallarta, I got a bone density test and learned that I had osteoporosis in my lumbar spine. Not my femur.

Bone density in the thoracic spine is not tested. But thoracic osteoporosis is assumed when it shows up in the lumbar spine.

I share my story with you because you might also be part of the silent epidemic of osteoporosis.

If you are 60 or older, you are more likely than not to have osteoporsis.

If you fracture your spine, hip, or wrist. There is a very good chance that osteoporosis is the underlying source of your fracture.

I am in the 6th week of healing my compression fractures. I also have a plan to reverse my osteoporosis, but that will not happen overnight. See my previous article for details. Now I am dealing with the “Fear Factor”. Knowing that I have lumbar osteoporosis. Knowing that I am at greater risk for future fractures. Knowing how painful and debilitating they are. I do not want a repeat performance, ever, thank you very much.

I have been wearing my amazing Frieda Kahlo brace and walking

PRONE THORACIC BACK EXTENSION CHEST LIFT Start on the floor face down, on your stomach (prone).

Bend your elbows and stack your hands, palms down, at your forehead.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Become aware of your breath.

Lift your chest and your hands off the floor.

Stay out of your lumbar spine.

Stay here for 3, 6 or 9 breaths. Listen to your inner athlete.

Return to start and report, 3, 6, or 9 times.

Summing Up: 53 million men and women in the U.S. are at risk for osteoporosis-related fractures. Get a bone density test to find out if you are one of them.

Awareness is the first step in addressing this issue. Then make a plan to improve your nutrition and your movement. Including back extensor strengtheners. Next week: Something different!

Medical Disclaim: This article is intended for information and education.

It is not a substitute for a doctor’s opinion.

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Summertime Music and More Christie Seeley

vezelay@mac.com

From Oakland, California to Puerto Vallarta…lured by music of guitars and sounds of the sea. vallartasounds.com

T

he summer season has begun with overcast skies, sometimes rain and a generally changed atmosphere. Many of our favorite entertainment venues have closed for the season here in Puerto Vallarta and we may find ourselves at a loss as to what to do.

The good news is that some of our best musicians are still around and playing regularly for our listening pleasure.

The group Moruno composed of Ignacio Flores, Diego Mateo and Oscar Terrazas is playing incredible Mediterranean music at several venues around the Zona Romantica. You can catch them in full form at Cuates y Cuetes Sunday and Tuesday evenings from 8:30-10:00.

Nacho and Diego play Saturdays at Babel Bar from 1-3 and at the wonderful Greek Restaurant, Eclecticos, on Thursday and Saturday evenings from 8:30-9:30.

Tatewari continues to entertain us with fiery flamenco music at Cuates y Cuetes on Wednesdays from 6:00-8:00 PM and Esaú Galvan of the group lights up the afternoon at Babel Bar with friend and flamenco maestro Lobo (Wolfgang Fink) playing improvised flamenco guitar on Sundays from 1:00 to 3:00, the likes of which you have never heard before. Esaú Galvan plays solo at Daiquiri Dick’s seaside restaurant from 7:30-9:30 on Sunday evenings.

A friend and I took advantage of a somewhat quieter period and embarked on a short trip to an enchanting town near Mexico City in the state of Morelos. Tepotzlan is designated as a UNESCO Magical City and is a short bus ride from the capital. I had visited Tepotzlan many years ago intrigued by studies I read in cultural anthropology classes at University that described the town as a typical Mexican town, untouched as yet by 20th century advances and known for the ancient ruins sitting at the top of the mountain overlooking the town.

My friend and I flew Viva Aerobus to Mexico City, took a cab to the bus station and boarded a bus to

Tepotzlan. The town is of course larger than when I visited but quite unchanged in its buildings and atmosphere. A quiet, relaxing and reputedly spiritual town, it is nestled at the base of picturesque mountains. The fog rises softly in the mornings to the sound of birds and roosters as the town wakes. There are several sites to visit, including and ex-convent which at present houses an inspiring collection of photographs highlighting the career of Emiliano Zapata. The cathedral is off limits at present due to restoration but the nearby market is lively.

We took a side trip to Cuernavaca, a half hour cab ride away, and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Robert Brady Museum. Brady converted a Franciscan convent

into his home during his lifetime and there you can a collection of art and artifacts from his flamboyant but short life as painter and bon vivant. Some key buildings in Cuernavaca were badly damaged by the 1987 earthquake and remain semi closed but the architecture of the center is spectacular. It is a busy downtown with curving streets and a marvelous feeling of its splendid past. The city, called City of Eternal Spring for its pleasing climate, has long welcomed Mexico City families who built homes there as well as Expats who settled there including the famous Hollywood group persecuted by the witch hunt of the FBI during the McCarthy era of the late 40’s and early 50’s.

Our last night we dined at a lovely restaurant called La Veladora set in a lush garden with views of the surrounding mountains and were treated to a spectacular thunder and lightening storm which continued throughout the night. All in all, we were happy to have the experience of visiting a different part of Mexico and were indeed pleased to return to our lovely home by the sea and, of course, it’s wonderful music.

For more details visit my website vallartasounds.com

June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Vanishing Earth/ Vanishing Home John Warren

john3984@me.com

John Warren splits his time between Puerto Vallarta and Lethbridge, Alberta.

In the winter months he writes for the IFC, this summer he’s focusing his writing on the environment.

Vallarta Heading For 115F?

F

ifty-four years ago, the President of the USA, Lyndon Johnson, received a report from an advisory panel of scientists that climate change was a threat to the world. On 5th February 1965, he delivered a special message to Congress on the topic. Silence.

Tick, tock, tick, tock… Earlier this year the twenty-nine-year-old Representative, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, brought forward her Green New Deal proposal and Americans seemed surprised at the bold demands it contains. It might be too late, folks!

It’s not that the USA is the only country to blame for the problems we face, but climate change is a threat to all living things on Mother Earth and, if we cannot manage the danger, we’ll all be toast. The last four years were the hottest on record, and yet we pumped more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than ever before. We continue to ignore these facts because we are all too worried about our jobs, dividends, and pensions.

While some people play ostrich and bury their heads in the sand, others do think about the future. They know that the systems that regulate our climate, our crops and our existence are intensely inter-connected and are like dominoes standing on a table: once one falls, there is a cascade of other dominoes. Same with climate. When we pump CO2 into the atmosphere, temperatures increase, ice caps melt, the sun’s rays are absorbed by the dark earth rather than repelled by the whiteness of ice and the oceans warm up. Then things get terrible.

The last time there was this much CO2 in the atmosphere was over three million years ago. At that time the oceans were twenty metres (66 feet) higher than they are now and Puerto Vallarta was in no position to be a “puerto”.

The high northern latitudes are already feeling the effects of consistently warmer weather. During the winter changes in and around the Bering Sea, off Alaska, startled scientists. Rivers, which for thousands of years had frozen solid, melted and flooded. The sea ice, which allows the Indigenous peoples to travel and polar bears to hunt was

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SPCA of Puerto Vallarta

W so thin that both scientists and Indigenous populations are very, very worried for the future. “We expected to see situations that occurred last year but not for another forty or fifty years in the future,” Seth Danielson, a physical oceanographer at the University of Fairbanks reported.

Still in Alaska, statewide temperatures for March 2019, were 4F degrees above the previous record (not above the average). Most rivers melted out early; the town of Deadhorse (beautiful name!) was 23 degrees above average for the entire month and, for many days that month, the settlement on the shores of Prudhoe Bay was between 30F and 40F above normal. Imagine being Puerto Vallarta in March 2020, and, instead of enjoying a perfect average high of 80F as we did in the past, we roast at 115F. Another climate change crisis closer to home affects sex. Sex of the sea turtles. The gender of a sea turtle is determined by the temperature of the sand in which the egg is laid. Because of the warmer sand temperatures, the ratio of females to males is now 116/1. That’s not good odds for the future of these beautiful creatures. Why is this happening?

Who are the World’s Arsonists?

Well, in the USA, the giant fossil fuel companies spend about $200 million each year to lobby their paid politicians. In Mexico, AMLO has just authorized the construction of a new oil refinery. In Brazil, the new President, Jair Bolsanaro, is planning to open up the Amazon Basin to more mineral and agricultural exploitation. In Alberta, there’s a huge political push to approve the export of low-grade bitumen.

Putin’s Russia depends on burning carbon, and Trump wants to “restore American energy dominance”. Why is it that these old, white guys don’t care if they are remembered as “The Planet’s Worst Grandparents”?

There is good news, though.

Independent media do report on critical things happening to our planet; for example, 350.org, Truthout, and the National Observer are all worth following. But the best news is that this generation of school kids and university students is becoming better organized and is demanding change from political leaders. They understand that there is no point in going to school to learn useless facts so that they can get a “good job” in the future. They know that there are no jobs on a dead planet.

Playas Gemelas Jacarandas Ph4

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June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

2 bed, 2 bath, 1,452 sq.ft. $329,000 USD

his absolutely stunning beachfront Penthouse overlooks the golden sands and crystal blue waters of Vallarta’s famed south shore. The open floor plan features a gourmet kitchen with granite counters, custom cabinets and bar seating under custom pendant lighting. The elegant and tasteful living room with spectacular vaulted ceiling and gorgeous indoor dining open to the beautiful covered outdoor terrace overlooking the beach, bay and town! The spacious bedrooms are havens of restful relaxation that take full advantage of the stunning views and include private bathrooms and separate air conditioning zones.

Some other features of this beautiful beachfront home include: remodeled kitchen and bathrooms,

new plumbing, wiring, “mini-split” air conditioning, private storage locker and wood beamed ceilings. The well maintained complex includes: Secured entry, professional management, laundry and storage room and lovely pool surrounded by tropical gardens. This beautiful beachfront home would be perfect for a second home, retirement villa or investment property. Elegantly furnished and offered “turn-key” ready, this amazing beachfront home is perfect for the most sophisticated and discriminating buyer.

Contact information: BOARDWALK REALTY OF: 322 224 0014/ 322 223 0001 michael@boardwalkrealtypv.com https://www.boardwalkrealtypv. com/properties/jacaranda-ph4/

e receive messages every day asking how to report animal abuse or what can be done if you see that wildlife needs help and similar questions.

The city of Puerto Vallarta has done a lot in the past years trying to be better prepared for these cases and to be able to help, starting with the “Patrulla Verde” the green Patrol car that can be seen in Vallarta. This unit is dedicated to answering reports about pets and wildlife in need of help. Of course it is still only one car and not nearly enough for all the calls they are getting, but they do help as much as they can,

and we are grateful for it. Please check this official poster from the city to see where you can report which type of animal in need of help. We have only found it in Spanish, but it´s easy to read. The urgent cases like run over animals, poisonings, pets attacked by other pets/animals and endangered species, you can report 24/7 to the Police´s emergency 991 number and ask for the Patrulla Verde. For all other cases there are different departments in charge that can be reached during business hours. So if you see a turtle laying eggs at night, I guess you can only hope that they will be safe until you can call the Ecologia department at

8am the next day. But like we said before: we all do what we can, and we are much better off here in Puerto Vallarta than in most other Mexican cities where the officials are not doing anything for the animals at all. Did you know they also banned Circuses with animals from performing in Puerto Vallarta a few years ago already?

So here is a “Muchas gracias!” to the city of Puerto Vallarta! May they ad more green patrol cars and hopefully ban Dolphins in captivity some day!

You can learn more about the SPCA Puerto Vallarta by checking us out at www.spcapv.com/home or on Facebook.

Adorable Dog in the Spotlight: CAIRO

C

airo is a lovely young lady and great for a loving family. She is a Shepherd mix just 2.5 years old and weighing 40 pounds. She has a medium high energy. Cairo enjoys playtime with the other dogs but is also independent and can be off by herself with her toys. She is not good around cats, however. With her people she can be a bit shy initially, but warms up quickly and is soon ready for cuddles, She loves just hanging with her “pack”. She would be great for a home with older children. Cairo has been spayed, dewormed and vaccinated. She is now ready for her forever home and we are accepting applications for her.

Contact us now at spcapv@gmail.com

riviera nayarit

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June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Surfing in Riviera Nayarit While most everyone knows Sayulita and Punta Mita are great surf spots, did you know there are renowned surf breaks throughout the Riviera Nayarit?

10.- Platanitos Located right on the border between San Blas and Compostela, Platanitos is a beautiful beach break to chill out on and enjoy.

9.- Santa Cruz de Miramar (San Blas) These waves are powerful and dangerous because of the rocks but they’re very, very fun for those who know what they’re doing.

8.- Lo de Marcos This beach has high waves best for intermediate level surfers. Many people don’t know about it but that’s great for those who do—they have lots more room to play. Worst case scenario you’ll share the waves with some 15 people, max.

7.- Ola Lola in Chacala La Ola Lola in Chacala, Compostela, is a hidden gem: to get to the bay you have to jump in a fishing boat for 20 minutes due north. This wave isn’t for beginners, in fact, it’s strictly for pros.

6.- Burros, La Lancha and El Anclote This area of Punta de Mita has

several breaks that are a favorite of the destination because they’re calm and laid back, ideal for longboards.

5.- San Pancho In San Pancho you can start to sense the open sea beyond the bay.

It has strong waves recommended for intermediate and advanced surfers—left-hand breaks that can go as high as four meters.

4.- Veneros (Punta de Mita) Beginners on the verge of becoming intermediate surfers will appreciate Veneros—it’s a strong, good-sized wave and there aren’t many people around.

3.- Las Islitas The longest wave in the region is here: it’s very straightforward and you can ride it for almost an entire kilometer. At some point it was the longest wave in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records, but they’ve already spotted others. At its peak this wave is over two kilometers long and spans the bay at Matanchen.

2.- Sayulita This is a great beach for beginners all the way to pros, since it has three different breaks coming in from the left, the right and a special section for learners.

1.- Stoner Point Break This is strictly for the advanced surfer: it’s only available in the summertime with the southern swells and is famous around the world for its strength. It’s located between the beaches at El Borrego and Matanchen in San Blas.

SayulitaLife.com gives back to local charities

A

s the largest website and community portal for the popular surf destination Sayulita, Sayulitalife.com is the go to website for local information, rentals and more.

To celebrate their 15th anniversary in Sayulita, Sayulita Life began the “Giving Fund” campaign, honoring their dedication to giving back to the community by pledging a donation of 5,000 pesos every

month to a different local charity, fundraiser, organization, or cause in Sayulita.

The first recipient of this 5,000 peso donation was granted on Thursday, May 29th, 2019, toward the 2019 Dia De Los Muertos Festival. The donation will go directly toward the purchase of yarn and materials to support the efforts of Sayulita’s goal to create at least 12,000 “Ojos de Dios”, or “Eyes

of God” for this year’s Dia De Los Muertos festival.

For more information visit sayulitalife.com

events

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Live Music Calendar

This listing features bars and restaurants that may have live music and ongoing acts, if there are no acts listed, check with the venue as they may still have events planned. Schedules can change without notice.

We do not take responsibility for misinformation. Email editor@vallartatribune.com to update or add listings.

NUEVO VALLARTA

VALLARTA

Aloha Bar (Plaza Parabien #16) Thur: Dr. Groove 10pm

Babel Bar (Aquiles Serdán 437, Isla del Cuale) Fri: Faralae 7-9 pm Sat: Nacho and Diego 1 – 3 pm Sat: Oscar & Raul 7-9 pm Sun: Esau & Lobo 1 - 3 pm

Chasers Sports Bar (Avenida Mexico 570A) Fri: Gecko Band 8 – 11 pm Eddies (Boulevard Nayarit 70) Weekly – Live music 6:30 – 9:30

Blakes Restaurant and Bar (Plaza Los Glorias #16)

El Barracuda (Boulevard Nayarit 70-8)

Captain Don’s (Honduras 126) Fri: Tequila Rush 8 - 11 pm Sat: Da Crew 8 - 11 pm

Estudio Café (Paseo de la Marina 31)

June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Upcoming June Events 8th National Congress for Mexican Regional Dance (June 6-9) The Riviera Nayarit will host the 8th National Congress for Mexican Regional Dance from June 6ththrough the 9th; this event is organized by Veltour travel agency together with the Diplomados de Danza Regional Mexicana (Regional Mexican Dance Graduates) to promote tourism, particularly Mexican folklore and culture. Host hotel Reflect Krystal Grand in Flamingos-Nuevo Vallarta is expecting over 600 participants from dance schools in Guanajuato, Michoacan, Mexico City, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Sinaloa. The event is open to the public.

Restaurant Week (May 15- June 10) This restaurant celebration goes on for nearly a month in the Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta, during which over 60 local eateries offer three-course prix fixe menus. More information: restaurantweekpv.com/

Ernestos Good Grub (Calle Perra,Jarretaderas)

Cuates y Cuetes (Francisca Rodriquez 101) Tues: Moruno at 8:30 – 10pm Wed: Tatewari 6:00 – 8:00 pm Sun: Moruno at 8:30 – 10 pm Daquiri Dick’s (Malecon and Lazaro Cardenas) Sun: Esaú Galvan 7:30 – 9:30 pm El Oasis de Holi (River mouth by La Isla Mall) Sat: Dr. Groove 6 pm El Rio BBQ, (Paso Ancho) Sun: The Cheko Ruiz Band at 3 p.m.

Jardin Montenegro Restaurant Blvd. Nuevo Vallarta #220 – Nuevo Vallarta

BUCERIAS Encore Restaurant & Lounge (51 Lazaro Cardenas | Bucerias) Buzzos (In front of Bungalows Princess | Bucerias) El Chivero (Avenida Pacifico 9, Centro | Bucerias)

Incanto (Insurgentes 109) Sun: Benji Gutierrez, Piano 7:30 PM Tues: Lady Zen 7:30 PM Wed: Bob Bruneau, Piano 5 PM Sat: Footprints Band 7:30 PM

Drunken Duck (Avenida Mexico, Centro | Bucerias) Wed: The Gecko Band 9 pm Sun: The Gecko Band 5pm

Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse (Lazaro Cardenas 245) Mon: Hoochie Coochie Men 8 - 11 pm Wed: Tequila Rush 8 – 11 pm Thurs: 3Tones 8 – 11 pm Fri: Dr. Groove 8 – 11 pm Sat: Soul Trip 8 – 11 pm Sun: No music during low season La Casa de La Hugo (Hamburgo 146, Versalles)

JAX Bar and Grill (Avenida Mexico 17, Bucerias)

LA CRUZ Ana Bananas (Tiburón #42 | La Cruz) Sun: Live Music 7 pm Greene Tomato (Town Square, La Cruz) OSO’s Oyster Bar ( La Cruz Marina) Sat: The Remedy 7 pm

La Ingrata (Abasolo 169) Late night DJ most nights Murphy’s Irish Pub (484 Morelos, Malecon) Thur: The Others at 10 pm Fri: The Others at 10 pm Sat: The Others at 10 pm Special: Fri: June 7 La Trez Cuartoz Nacho Daddy (287 Basilio Badillo) Tue: Cat Daddy’s 8:30 pm Wed: Joker Band 8:30 pm Fri: Texas Embassy Blues Band 8:30 pm

Britannia (Coral, La Cruz) Tues: Open mic with The Turn 7pm

Humming Bird Celebration (June 16) With your admission to the Vallarta Botanical gardens on June 16 you’ll enjoy hummingbird themed events including a talk on the little birds.

More details at : facebook.com/vbgardensac Mexico’s National Botanical Garden Day (June 22) The Vallarta Botanical Gardens has some special events planned for this day including a chocolate making course. Some events have an additional fee while others are included in the cost of admission. More details at facebook.com/vbgardensac 59th San Blas International Sport Fishing Tournament (June 27-29) The Historic Port of San Blas is set to welcome the 59th San Blas International Sport Fishing Tournament from June 13th through the 17th at the Marina Fonatur.

The event’s main organizer is the Tepic Sport Fishing Club. Participants will compete in three categories: Sailfish, Marlin, and Mahi-Mahi.

This tournament is considered the best of its kind in the Mexican Pacific, and one of the top ten best events of the year in the Riviera Nayarit.

For more information click here: https://bit.ly/2VYAsV3 Battle of the Saints in Mexcaltitán (June 29) Among the most iconic traditional ceremonies are the patron saint festivities for saints Peter and Paul on the Island of Mexcaltitán, the birthplace of Mexicanness.

The celebration includes a pilgrimage emulating the Mexicas or the Aztecas, who left Aztlán to establish the great city of Tenochtitlán.

Sayulita Pee Wee Surfing League (TBD) Sayulita will be hosting the surfing league for minors, which seeks to encourage new talent in a sport that has produced so many great examples on a national level. The league is presented by Ramos Shapes, Sunset Bungalows, and Los Rudos SurfShop under the competition formats established by the World Championship Tour Top 33 via the World Surf League (WSL), the ISA (International Surfing Association), and the Nayarit State Surfing Association (ASENAY), with the support of the local surfing clubs from the different host destinations.

Visit the Facebook page here: https://bit.ly/2HMhSvx

La Cruz Inn (36 Calle Marlin | La Cruz)

SAYULITA & SAN PANCHO El Atico Hookah (Sayulita) Don Pato (Marlin 12, Sayulita) Live music nightly

Que/Pasa (625 Aquiles Serdan) Tues: The Change at 7-10pm Sun: Sylvie&The Zippers 7 – 10 pm

Jack’s Cantina (Sayulita beside bus terminal)

Roxy Rockhouse (Ignacio L Vallarta 275) Nightly music after 11 pm with house band

Faro Mita (Higuera Blanca)

View these listings and more online at www.vallartatribune.com/eventos/live-music-calendar/

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games

June 6 - 12 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Anglican Church Puerto Vallarta

Iglesia Anglicana Puerto Vallarta

Worldwide Anglican Communion Anglican Church in North America

Read the first edition of the Best of Banderas Bay and Riviera Nayarit guide online www.vallartatribune.com

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pages of information designed to make your stay in the area the best! From the best beaches to the best activities and more, you can download and view online at www.vallartatribune.com and watch for copies at your favourite Vallar taTribune distribution points.