Vallarta Tribune - Issue 1159 June 20 - 26 , 2019

NEWS

HEALTHY LIVING

ART & CULTURE

Page 06

Page 09

Page 20

Protect Rio Horcones

How many steps are enough?

The Birdmen Ritual

June 20 - 26 , 2019 Year 22 Free Issue 1159

Tiger by Tony Collantez, photo by Paul Glickman

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 20 - 26 , 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 FIRE DEPARTMENT: 322.223.9476 AMBULANCE: 322.222.1533

Ahoy Cruisers!

IMMIGRATION: 322.224.7719

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

CONSUMER PROTECTION: 01.800.468.8722 TOURISM OFFICES Jalisco: 322.221.2676 Nayarit: 322.297.1006

In port this month

In the month of June, July and August Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit welcomes 41,600 passengers! Bienvenido!

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CARNIVAL CARNIVAL CARNIVAL CARNIVAL CARNIVAL CARNIVAL CARNIVAL CARNIVAL CARNIVAL

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DATE

3,200 05.06.2019 3,200 12.06.2019 3,200 19.06.2019 3,200 26.06.2019 3,200 03.07.2019 3,200 10.07.2019 3,200 17.07.2019 3,200 24.07.2019 3,200 31.07.2019

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CARNIVAL CARNIVAL CARNIVAL CARNIVAL

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3,200 07.08.2019 3,200 14.08.2019 3,200 21.08.2019 3,200 28.08.2019

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

Note

editor@vallartatribune.com

Shakedown

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rne wrote me a few weeks back, wanting to know if there was any truth to a rumor he’d heard about police shaking down people for money and valuables, often young people and often late at night.

This is a sensitive subject because I don’t have any personal experience with something like this, but I know of others who do.

I have a ‘canned response’ when it comes to this question, which I’ll share with you in a moment, but initially, I brushed it aside and carried on. Then this week we are publishing a report on 20 average salaries of professionals across the country, and the second one highlighted is Municipal Police, and I was reminded about my conversation with Arne.

If you’re from Canada or the USA, you probably have a relatively positive view of the police. Sure there are some (very troubling) issues, but for the most part, they are there to ‘serve and protect.’ Police in Mexico

have a much different reputation, warranted and not.

In the Two Expats column this week, the national average monthly salary (2018) for a municipal police officer is 12,019 pesos or about $600usd. A few years ago, I was in a relationship with a municipal police officer here in Puerto Vallarta.

Decent enough guy. He’d done 4 years in the military, then two years schooling and then four years as a beat cop. He was paid just over 10,000 pesos, a month. He also had 3 children and an ex-wife and a family who relied on him for money back in a tiny village in San Luis Potosi, where police wages were more like 5000 pesos a month.

You can imagine how extremely stretched his budget was, (he was also responsible for buying his uniform, boots and all his ‘tools’ for his job) which all leads me back to my ‘canned’ response.

“Unfortunately the police are incredibly underpaid in Mexico in general and in Puerto Vallarta specifically, and while that doesn’t justify their actions, it’s not hard to imagine why they do what they do when they have families to feed.

When something like this happens, understandably people rarely go to file a complaint (called a denuncia), and as such, it doesn’t get resolved. My advice is to hold your ground when police stop you.

Remain polite but demand a ticket or to be taken to jail. Refuse to pay any fine/bribe on the spot. Of course, this is easier said than done, especially if it’s late at night, you’ve had a few, and you’re being intimidated, but since what they are doing is illegal (and you complying or offering a bribe is equally unlawful), they’ll usually give up and move on.

That said; don’t walk home in the early hours along a deserted street.

Take a taxi/uber/bus.”

Safety is, of course, a concern both here in Vallarta and wherever else you might call home. These things can and do happen anywhere. The best course of action is to keep your wits about you and protect yourself by staying in well-lit, populated areas, taking a taxi, and traveling in groups.

Also, if something does happen, call 911. File a denuncia. Take their badge numbers, get a photo of their license plate. There is a very recent case of a shakedown in the Yucatan where the cops were caught, arrested, and jailed because the victims took action. Most people and police departments want the corruption to end. They want to ‘serve and protect.’ That’s why they do this job for such little pay. (Not unlike school teachers and nurses, but that’s another rant.)

The local police department in Vallarta takes these crimes very seriously, hosting community forums to find solutions and they will assist you, as will the legal aid offices in Lazaro Cardenas Park and in Marina Vallarta.

I suppose not the cheeriest commentary this week, but it’s part of our reality. We don’t need to bury our heads. Just be smart.

Also, say no to the straw and the plastic bag you don’t need. Be generous to those who serve you.

(Tips make all the difference this time of year.) Look at the Turtles, but don’t touch. Sunscreen and water.

Drink more water than you think you need. Trust me. Kidney pain is real.

Safe travels, Madeline

June 20 - 26 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Tony Collantez, Artist of Incredible Talent

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his week’s cover image is a tiger mural painted by Tony Collantez and photographed

by Paul Glickman.

Tony is a growing artist celeb in Vallarta, working out of the ArtVallarta studios when he’s not painting murals around the city and further afield. Tony’s art includes numerous international public murals, which have won many international competitions and can be found in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Mexico and the U.S.

“As one of Mexico’s new generation of expressive young painters, Tony offers the world a fresh, imaginative look inside the human condition that’s often playful, sometimes shocking and always provocative,” says Nathalie Herling, ART VallARTa’s founder and director.

Find more of his work at facebook.com/CollantezProyectos, where you can see photos of the many murals he’s painted around Vallarta. You’re bound to recognize a few!

You can find this guy at 465 Lázaro Cárdenas, Old Town, Puerto Vallarta.

local

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June 20 - 26 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Strike Planned to Protect Los Horcones River By: Dr. Rafael Guzmán Mejía horconesANP@gmail.com round the world, recordbreaking numbers of student strike demonstrators are rocking the system and demanding action to fight climate change, ecocides and other abuses to our planet. Your help is needed here in the Puerto Vallarta region on Friday, June 21, 2019.

An Appeal to the Youth of our Region Dear students in Puerto Vallarta, Cabo Corrientes, Bahía de Banderas and beyond: The Los Horcones River and all the wildlife that it supports (both terrestrial and marine) need your help, your voice, and your physical presence to clearly demonstrate the will of our greater community. I invite you to join us on June 21 for a strike from your classes to a demonstration right at the site of where a group of Guadalajara-based companies intend to dam the Río Los Horcones, dooming the wildlife and people who depend on it.

This strike and demonstration is intended as a physical show of strength to compliment a legion of environmentalists who have signed our petition to declare protection of the Río Los Horcones as a federally designated Área Natural Protegida (natural protected area).

This petition to Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and top environmental authorities gained over 70,000 signatures within just one week of going public and is quickly picking up momentum.

Please take the time to read, sign, and share this petition. In the petition’s narrative I propose that the would-be dam of the Horcones is not about “clean energy” as its proponent José Ayala Michel claims, but rather an attempt to privatize and commercialize this river’s waters.

The companies that Ayala represents were given shady exemptions to evade the environmental and social impact studies that these kinds of projects legally require. The communities that would be most effected by this project, foremost among them Boca de Tomatlán, were never consulted nor have they been told who would be the new owner of their community’s water.

But collectively, we throughout the entire region can make their voices heard and serve as a voice of the threatened plants and animals that cannot speak for themselves.

Our Collective Power to Effect Change Online petitions are an exce-

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Event Summary — Río Los Horcones Demonstration Meet-up: June 21, 2019 at 10 am at the southbound bus stop in Las Juntas y Los Veranos (Along Highway 200 about a 10-minute drive south of Boca de Tomatlán) Group Photo: 11 am at the site of the would-be dam (Which we can stop!)

Bring:Drinking water, snacks, swimming attire, towels, sunscreen & banners with your messages about protecting nature Petition: Go to change.org and search for “Horcones” or click: http://chng.it/vZhc2vFM7h Learn more: http://vivanatura.org/rio/ llent way to tap into the power of social media and quickly amass tens of thousands or even millions of supporters. But signatures on devices lack the power of images generated at good old-fashioned demonstrations.

And I’m a good representative of the old school. As a student at the University of Guadalajara (UDG) in the 1970’s I rediscovered a teozintle (ancestor of corn) assumed extinct for decades. Shortly thereafter I discovered a new species of

teozintle with even more potential for the world’s agriculture industry.

These discoveries helped spark a campaign to protect the lands where these rare plants could be found. But just as important to our campaign were our discoveries and exposure of widespread illegal logging operations in these forests.

Less than a decade later, these lands were declared as the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve and I was appointed as the founding director, by then a professor of the

UDG. Now I’m retired, but my love and commitment to our planet doesn’t allow me to sit back and watch the abuse of Mother Nature, deforestation, and loss of habitat for our animals. In the 70’s and 80’s I worked with other supporters to turn the very abuses that saddened and angered us into rallying points for a major protection victory. In a similar way, we can use the threat of a dam that would alter the Río Los Horcones forever to catalyze our movement to protect this river

forever.

So please join this movement!

While even old-school lifelong learners like myself are welcome to join our demonstration on the 21st, I’m especially hopeful that Kindergarten through University aged students arrive in mass numbers.

Throughout the world, student strikes are forcing the hands of politicians and other decision makers.

You can be this force in our region.

Your future depends on your actions today.

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From Here Marcia Blondin

marciavallarta@gmail.com

A Quiet Week

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nother soft, grey morning starts off the week in Vallarta.

Another Monday with remnants of flu! In June? Perhaps I am having a delayed reaction…so many were so ill during season, and I scooted by all those germs. That piper will evidently be paid.

National Botanical Gardens Day is 22 June so guess where you should be this coming Saturday? It is super easy to get out to the Vallarta Botanical Garden on the bus and a feast for the eyes every inch of the way. The Hummingbirds were feted last weekend at the VBG; this fantastic, tranquil place will flood all your senses with joy and peace.

And the food is excellent! Become a member; the Garden receives no monies at all from any government sources, so it’s all on our community

to help keep the flowers growing.

If you were lucky enough to attend one of Enrique de Allende’s concerts over the last couple of months, you would have heard newcomer-to-Vallarta Mary Porter! Her lovely soprano voice is being celebrated in early July in her own show. Details next week in this space!

Demetro Galeria on Lazaro Cardenas across from the Tile Park has reduced their hours of operation. If you are looking for some large canvasses or smaller versions of Jim Demetro’s sculptures, for your new home, stop in every Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. Talk to Gina; she can steer you in the right direction. While you are there, you can check out a few of my pieces of jewelry that are made specifically for Demetro Galeria.

I had lunch with two of my fave

men in Vallarta last week – Paco Ojeda and Alain Perreault. We convened for a few hours of good food and fabulous conversation at Seasons P.V. – nicely air conditioned, by the way, without freezer burn. Keep that in mind during our long sweaty, summer days and, I highly recommend the chicken Caesar Salad.

The boys are back at Act II from a well-deserved vacay. See their Press Release in this issue so you can plan your week’s worth of entertainment. Act II recently won Best Entertainment Venue in town by readers of the Vallarta Tribune. I will see you there, maybe for Karaoke?

Don’t forget to join us at the Marsol Friday Market by the Pier; the only Artisan Market open all year in Vallarta. Hugs are free from me!

Keep your umbrella near at hand and, get your gutters cleaned if you haven’t done them yet. Hold one other close in the tormentas - that’d be you, the dogs and the kitties.

Keep telling them everything’s gonna be alright because you know what? It will be, that’s why; it’s only just a storm. Always, love the one(s) you’re with, From Here.

June 20 - 26 , 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.

Sixth Grade Graduate

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oday is a big day for my daughter. Today she graduates from primary school. We have been planning for it for a very long time, and it’s involved a lot of elements that weren’t included in my son’s big day last year. For example, all sixth grade graduates need to wear black pants or skirts and shoes and white tops. For my son, this involved buying: 1.- The first pair of black pants that fit 2.- The first white dress shirt that fit 3.- His dad’s black shoes For my girl child, it’s been a bit more complicated. I don’t know how many of you have been shopping with a teen girl, but let me tell you this: there is nothing they enjoy more than picking things out, trying them on, rejecting them, and getting angry with you because you thought they looked really nice (and the fact that you are obviously lying).

For example, the black skirt involved multiple, agonizing searches for just the right circle shape that covered more than the essentials, and in the end a tearful request to a talented seamstress to whip up nothing less than a miracle.

The first white shirt was unacceptable, as was the twenty-ninth.

Finally, feeling eerily calm, I stepped away from the issue and sent her with her stepsister and her father, because a) her stepsister is twenty and considered the only cool person in the family and b) her father was (until that point) completely unaware of the difficulty of shopping with a teen girl and therefore naively happy to help.

She came back with a lovely shirt that everyone thought was great and, most importantly, was chosen by her sister.

The shoes. Well, that was pretty easy. All it took was telling her that the black ballet flats at H&M were the only ones approved by the school principal (sorry Miss Nancy, I did what I had to). At that point, I just needed to not be in the mall

anymore. After that, there were Hair Considerations. My girl has this beautiful mane that she inherited from both her jet-black haired father and me, La Rubia. Her hair is this lovely light brown shot through with natural blond highlights for which most folks pay a month’s worth of tacos. It is, however, Completely Wrong because apparently it has frizz, so we must anti-frizz. I longed for last year when The Boy got a fifteen minute trim which needed a gob of gel that he certainly didn’t care about.

But we made it through somehow, and here we are today making our final adjustments on the custom made skirt and the virtually invisible kink on one hank of hair. And suddenly I can’t breathe through the mother-sized lump in my throat, because she’s breathtaking and mature and suddenly ready for high school.

This little girl who twirled around my living room in a pink satin tutu (and that’s all), this sweet one who pretended to make me tea, this beloved creature who only wanted five danonino yogurts for every single meal all through preschool; this girl is going to high school.

She’s old enough to be lovely and poised, but young enough to have no idea that she is. She’s old enough to know about makeup and high heels, but young enough to be ok with not using them (yet).

She’s old enough to spend hours planning this whole Look she’s got going on, and young enough to twist my heart to see her looking so hopeful that she got it right.

You’ve got it right, my girl. I’m so proud of this growing young lady that you are, and I’m so certain of the great things you will do. Now let’s go get that diploma.

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June 20 - 26 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Creative hands of Mexico Leigh Thelmadatter

osomadre@hotmail.com

Leigh Thelmadatter is a professor at Tec de Monterrey, Mexico City, Wikipedian, and semi-professional researcher on Mexican handcrafts and folk arts. She has a blog called Creative Hands of Mexico and has just published a book on Mexican paper maché called Mexican Cartoneria. creativehandsofmexicodotorg.wordpress.com

Pine needles in Mexico

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he craft is called ocoxal.

Baskets are made of all kinds of materials in Mexico, based on the plants that are locally available. Many are similar to those made in other parts of the world: others, like the coiled baskets of northern Mexico are recognizable to that region. But those made of pine needles are an equally localized phenomenon, not readily associated with Mexico.

Mexico has millions of acres of pine forests, generally mixed in with other species such as holm oak. These are most prevalent in central Mexico into the north and at higher altitudes including around El Tuito to the south of Puerto Vallarta and east towards San Sebastian del Oeste. Those in central Mexico, such as the border area between the State of Mexico and Michoacan, have an environment that those of us from the Appalachian and some Rocky Mountain states/provinces would feel right at home in.

These pine trees tend to grow very long needles, making baskets a viable product. They have been woven by the Mazahua of this region as well as in some other parts of Mexico (parts of Jalisco, northern Queretaro and Durango).

It is the work of the Mazahua which is the best-known and best-marketed.

One of these Mazahua areas is the El Oro municipality, right on the State of Mexico side of the border.

It is a former mining area, now best known as a Pueblo Magico and for its proximity to the monarch wintering sites.

The making and marketing of the baskets has been somewhat successful because of the abundance of raw material, as well as their uniqueness. The process of making the baskets begins with the collection of needles. This is limited to the beginning of the dry season,

when needles fall off trees and dry out. (Needles are not harvested green or from the tree.) Two species of pine are favored: pinus michoacana and pinus montesume, colloquially called pino teocote and pino chino respectively.

The dependence on naturally falling needles presents some challenges. Pine needles, even from the same species of tree, do not grow the same. Soil conditions and other factors can result is a wide variety of colors and quality.

Colors range from rust, to dark brown to an almost blonde. The main challenge is gathering enough quality needles. Most are broken, discolored or otherwise damaged by the elements, requiring the sort to occur on the forest floor. Eight hours of this work yields only about 400 grams of usable material per person. Artisan cooperatives can scour up to 80km2 of forest to collect enough.

Once the appropriate needles are selected, they are cleaned and disinfected with soap and/or bleach.

They are then sorted by tone so that finished products can have uniformity. Pine needles baskets and other items are made principally with the coil method. Needles are laid out in a loose roll and then tied together and onto the previous circle to stabilize the structure.

Flexibility of the pine needles is an issue principally in the tightest of circles, when needles need to be bent the most. These needles are usually soaked in water, but the effect of cold temperatures on the needles’ naturally-occurring resin is also a concern. In outer circles or straight lines, needles can be worked dry without breaking. The string used to tie the coils together can be of various materials, but in most places, the most common is commercial hemp twine because of its strength and resistance. The cord is worked using metal needles and these needles, as well as the pine needles, can and often do

Gerardo Castro

pierce hands.

The time needed to complete a piece depends on size and complexity, but a basic tortilla holder with lid generally takes two people about two days to make.

This includes cleaning, disinfecting, moistening and the actual weaving.

There are various families and cooperatives in El Oro and other locations that make the pieces.

Most sell to intermediaries, but some have been able to organize representation at craft and other fairs to sell more direct to the public. However, the craft is very poorly paid for the amount of work it requires. These craftspeople must do other things, including subsistence agriculture, to make ends meet.

Of all the materials available to these craftspeople the pine needle baskets have had the most success. They are unique and can emit a pleasant smell, especially

when moist and recently made. The craft originated for purely utilitarian purposes for auto-consumption.

Purely traditional objects and designs are still made and sold, but commercialization has had an effect on this craft like so many others.

The vast majority of artisans’ inventory is modified traditional items or those that are completely new, which is the case in purely decorative works. The most important innovation has been the addition of metal accents.

This is recent, probably about 15 or 20 years old. The metal is almost always polished stainless steel, which as been commercially-made specifically for this craft.

The accents are found on edges and other parts where wear is strongest, so it has a practical as well as an aesthetic appeal. It is interesting to note that the addition of this cheap, industrial material

does not detract from the handcrafted pieces but rather enhances them, especially those made with darker pine needles.

If a piece is used frequently, it can last about 5 years or so. Purely decorative pieces last much longer.

Gerardo Castro is a pine needle worker from the small community of Santiago Oxtempan in El Oro. He belongs to the Xihuatl (pine) Mazahuart organization. He and the organization are Mazahua, one of six core members, employing up to ten more during peak seasons.

He is at least the third generation in his family to do this work commercially, but does not feel that it is viable for those generations after him.

Central Mexico offers more economic opportunities, which parents want their children to take advantage of. However, Castro hopes the craft can be preserved as a cultural activity.

local Medical Matters

Pam Thompson

pamela@healthcareresourcespv.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

Healthcare Resources October!

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t is hard to believe we are already planning for October when we are not yet even in to July but the way that time flies here, it will be here before we know it! As many know, October is always our Breast Cancer Awareness Month with numerous events and activities. Several years ago San Javier Hospital initiated an Art Contest which has become wildly popular. The amount of submissions and the talent of the folks submitting is amazing! With this heads up, this provides plenty of time for those creative juices to get started! Here are the rules!

“Fight Against Breast Cancer” is the theme and anyone may participate.

Only one work may be presented per participant.

CATEGORIES: • Drawing: Junior (6 to 15 years old) | Adults (16+) • Painting: Junior (6 to 15 years) | Adults (16+) • Video: Junior (14 to 17 years old) | Adults (18+) • Sculpture: Adults (18+) JUDGES: The judges will be composed of 6 people from different areas and chosen by Hospital San Javier, without making it known until

Movement as Medicine

By Via Anderson

yogawithvia@gmail.com

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

Walking: How Many Steps Are Enough?

Less Than You Thought!

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verybody knows walking is good for you. It is the “superfood” of movement.

But how much walking is enough?

How much walking will make a difference in your health and your longevity?

Taking 10,000 steps per day is often suggested as a desirable goal for fitness. That is what my walking app tells me. But it turns out that 10,000 steps have no

scientific basis.

For a lot of us, the 10,000 steps rule has been a damper rather an incentive. As in, “that’s more than I can do. So I won’t even try.” I have good news for those of you who feel that way!

A recent study found that 10, 000 steps are not necessary to increase your longevity. A lot less will do.

The 10,000 steps rule originated in Japan in the 1960s.

A clockmaker manufactured a pedometer and called it a name that translates as “10,000 steps.”

That marketing decision became a popularly accepted urban myth.

the day of the event, will be local artists.

TOPIC: “Fight Against Breast Cancer”.

Any other subject will be disqualified.

RECEIVING OF ART The artworks must be delivered before Friday, October 4, 2019 to the Public Relations area of Hospital San Javier Marina from Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.

FORMATS: DRAWING: • One sheet of opaline white letter size (21.50 x 28 cm) • Any orientation (vertical or horizontal) • Free technique (watercolor, chalk, crayon, etc.)

If the sheet exceeds the letter size it must be framed (single frame without glass). *Deliver drawing on paper shell painted pink with a margin that protrudes by 2 cm.

PAINTING: Only in the following sizes: • 25 cm x 30 cm • 30 cm x 40 cm • 40 cm x 50 cm • 50 cm x 60 cm

Any orientation (vertical or horizontal) Free technique (watercolor, oil, pencil, etc.)* Only paint on canvas in frame will be accepted.

SCULPTURE: • The technique will be free, (Clay, clay, paste, etc.). * At the end of the award, the sculptures will be returned immediately.

VIDEO: • It must be original attached to the topic with a duration maximum 3 minutes and Delivered on a USB. * The videos will be shown to the public, it is requested not to provide disturbing images.

LABEL: All works must be delivered with a label with the following information: • Title of the work • Full name • Age • Phone number • Email *Describe the meaning of your work on a printed page.

FINALISTS A review and pre-selection of the works will be made by the judges, choosing finalists they will

be presenting during the awards at Galerias Vallarta on Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.

The 5 finalists of each category will be awarded within the first 3 places in each category that best expresses the theme except the video category where only the 1st place will be screened.

The decisions of the judges will be final.

AWARDS One week prior to the event there will be a deliberation of the judges for the 5 finalists of each category.

The finalists will be contacted to confirm their attendance at the awards ceremony as it required of the presence of the artist or a representative, EXHIBITION At the end of the event the participating works will be exhibited during the rest of October, depending on the quantity of works.

The Hospital reserves the right to choose the items that will be exhibited according to the space designated by Galerias Vallarta.

Watch for further information on upcoming October activities!

Here’s to a creative week!

But we can ignore it now.

A new study published in May 2019 tells a different story. It looks at activity and mortality in 16,741 U.S. women who are part of the Women’s Health Study. (The WHS has been tracking the health and habits of older women for decades.)

The first part of this study took place between 2011 and 2011. The average age of the women was 72. The women agreed to wear a device that measured their steps.

They wore the device while they were awake for 7 days.

The women were not influenced by the readout results because they did not see them. And they were not told about them.

They were simply moving through their daily lives in a typical week. Few walked for exercise.

The device also measured the intensity of the steps. But the study found that intensity did not matter.

The results were the same.

Scientists checked death records for the group of the next four to five years. The women who moved the least took about 2,700 steps.

This group was most likely to have died during the follow-up period. Women who took 4,500 steps were 40 percent less like to die during the follow-up period

than the first group. Between 4,500 steps and 7,500 steps mortality rates kept improving. Then they leveled off.

The results were surprising to the researchers. A relatively small number of steps could and did increase the life spans of the women in the study. Listen up! Is it time to get moving?

SUMMING UP: Walking is the easiest way to get moving. This is not the first time I have touted its benefits and it won’t be the last. Now you know

you don’t have to walk 10,000 steps a day to live longer and better. That 4,400 to 7,500 will do it. Will you do it?

Reference: Lee I, Shiroma EJ, Kamada M, Bassett DR, Matthews CE, Buring JE. Association of Step Volume and Intensity With All-Cause Mortality in Older Women. JAMA Intern Med. May 29, 2019 Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for education and information only. It is not a substitute for a doctor’s opinion.

Photo Credit: ID 15927288 © Tiziano Casalta | Dreamstime.com

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June 20 - 26 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

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June 20 - 26 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

A Table

in the Corner Bronwen White

walesbw@gmail.com

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. Email: walesbw@gmail.com

El Barracuda

E

l Barracuda is fun – sort of Montego Bay (Jamaica) meets Montauk (Long Island). We love it as my boyfriend is from Long Island and I adore the Caribbean, its shabby chic seaside vibe suits us perfectly!

Touted as having “mercadito style” that is to say street food style, it is a marisqueria with dazzling array of the very freshest mariscos.

They have two El Barracudas in Banderas Bay, the one I frequent on Camarones Beach and another in Nuevo Vallarta. They will be opening another soon in Punta de Mita and taking credit cards, very practical - as if I’m any example you spend more if you use one!

It is bright and cheerful, there’s a lovely little tiled bar on the left as you go in and directly in front of you a display case of oysters to get you into that maritime mood.

I have tried mightily to develop a taste for raw oysters (24 years in



New Orleans - I was considered a freak not to like ‘em!) but give me char-grilled, Rockefeller or Bienville every time.

I am equally as squeamish about ceviche. I got terribly sick in Quintana Roo once having gorged on it from a roadside puesta and haven’t had the nerve to try another. But I am assured that El Barracuda’s are terrific. They have the iconic Peruvian one, traditionally made with corvina or sea bass and marinated with key



Christ Church by the Sea Iglesia Cristo del Mar The Rev. Canon Robert Webster, Rector Welcoming ALL to worship with us.

ENGLISH SERVICE & COMMUNION enEnglisngli in the ANGLICAN ~ EPISCOPALIAN TRADITION

 10 AM SUNDAYS  







Plaza Genovesa ~ Center Courtyard Palapa Av. Francisco Medina Ascencio 2015 www.christchurchbythesea.org mypvchurch@gmail.com

lime instead of lemon. It’s such a beloved dish in Peru that they have a National Ceviche Day annually on June 28th. (How I love Peruvian food, I am thinking of visiting this year just so I can try a different potato recipe for breakfast, lunch and dinner!)

They have a lot of marlin on the menu, smoked or in tacos. If you like shrimp, and I don’t think you would come here if you didn’t, it is served up in myriad guises, actually probably every one you can think of including their own barracuda style and of course Baja style, which generally means

dressed with cabbage and creama.

A pal of mine was vaguely disappointed with the lack of heat in the shrimp Diablo and last time my order wasn’t marvelous.

I ordered a Crunchy Salad (with the ubiquitous shrimp) and was full of anticipation waiting to see what ingredient would earn it the “crunchy” label - I’m a big fan of crunchy. Could it be tostadas liberally sprinkled over it? Sesame seeds? Pine nuts? Croutons?

But the end result was lettuce, tomatoes, artichokes, avocado and shrimp. Not a crunch to be heard . . .

A winner is the whole red snapper. Like meat on the bone, I think fish is marvelous prepared whole and it is so much fun to scrape the tender flesh off the bone until one side is ravaged and then turn the fish over and have a pristine side to tackle all over again! I like the snapper fried with garlic. Muy rico!

It really is a lovely place to while away a lazy afternoon or watch the sunset.

The service is terrific (shout out to Ignacio!), and you can actually feel what remains of your cares slowly slipping away!

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55 DE DECIMBRE DICIEMBRE DE5 DE DECIMBRE 5 DE DECIMBRE

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18

55

5

POINTS POINTS OF OF INTEREST INTEREST POINTS OF INTEREST 9.9. 55 DE 16.

1.1. TURTLE RESCUE 24.

DE DEC. DEC. CEMETARY CEMETARY 16. HIDALGO HIDALGO PARK PARK TURTLE RESCUE CAMP CAMP 24. FOREVER FOREVER SPRING SPRING MARKET MARKET 10.

DE 17.

MARKET 9. 5 DECERRO DEC. CEMETARY 16.

HIDALGO 2.2. WHALE OF A HOLE 1.

TURTLE RESCUE ARTWALK FOREVER SPRING MARKET 10. MIRADOR MIRADOR CERRO DE LA LA CRUZ CRUZ 17. THREE THREE HENS HENS MARKETPARK 25.

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THREE HENS MARKET 11.

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VIRGIN DE LA GUADALUPE CHURCH 19.

MUNICIPAL MARKET 3. PLAYA ESCONDIDO 4.4. KISSING BRIDGE 26.

RIVIERA FARMERS MARKET MARKET 12. VIRGIN DE LA GUADALUPE CHURCH 19. MUNICIPAL MARKET KISSING BRIDGE 27. MARINA ARTISAN MARKET VIRGIN DE LA GUADALUPE CHURCH 19. MUNICIPAL MARKET MOVIE + PICNIC 13. LOS12.

ARCOS AMPITHEATRE 20.

4. KISSING BRIDGE 27. MARINA ARTISAN MARKET 5.5. EL 20. EMILIANO EMILIANO ZAPATA ZAPATA MARKET MARKET 28.

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

www.vallartatribune.com MURPHY’S IRISH PUB Located on the Historic Malecon across from the lighthouse statue (El Faro) - beautiful sunset views every night!

Delicious traditional pub menu.

Live Rock Music - Thurs - Sat @10:30pm Watch all sports w 2 satellites.

Pool Table. Happy Hour Daily 3 to 6 pm.

2 x 1 Corona or Pacifico. 50 pesos Well Drinks.

484 Morelos - 2nd floor - Centro Vallarta Open daily 11 am

Murphys Puerto Vallarta

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his absolutely stunning beachfront home overlooks the sandy cove and crystal blue waters of Vallarta’s famed south shore. The open floor plan features a modern kitchen with granite counters, stainless appliances, custom hardwood cabinets and bar seating.

The elegant and tasteful living room and gorgeous indoor dining completely open for true ‘’indoor/outdoor’’ living!

The beautiful master suite takes full advantage of the amazing views with a sliding ‘’pocket door’’ and features a king-sized bed and spotless full bathroom. Tastefully furnished and offered ‘’turnkey’’ ready, this amazing home is ‘’must see’’ property for those that always dreamed about having a tropical beachfront lifestyle!

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Famous Mosaics - The ancient city of Pompeii

By Emily Murray This 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! his week’s virtual tour brings us to Pompeii, the ancient civilization frozen in time under the ashes of Mt Vesuvius. In August of 79 AD, on what would have been a normal day in a bustling Roman city, the whole town was stopped in its tracks instantly as the volcano blew, burying everything under hot, heavy, volcanic ash.

In that moment the entire city was perfectly preserved… houses just as they were, markets stocked with merchandise, political propaganda on the streets, lovers clinging to each other in fear and awe as everything came to a standstill on that fateful day.

Because of this perfect preservation, the ancient civilization of Pompeii is an archaeologist’s dream.

Located near modern-day Naples and originally discovered in 1748 under meters of volcanic ash, it’s an incredible study of how the people of that time lived.

T

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

These days anyone can visit, and if you’re so inclined, you’re likely to be amazed by some of the things you see. Theaters, sculptures, frescoes. Private homes, temples, the famous thermal baths… it’s all here. While a lot of what you’ll see in the city itself is a reproduction, many of the original and important findings were moved and preserved in a nearby museum.

Plenty of visitors to Pompeii say the same thing: it doesn’t matter in the least that some parts of it are reproductions. It’s incredible just to be there. Plus it’s all right over there in the museum and many folks like it all in one place.

Among the important findings of the ruins: loads and loads of mosaics. Around this time mosaic was rapidly evolving, and one of the really wonderful things about Pompeii is that it contains examples of more rudimentary work as well as quite refined.

It’s always been an approachable art form, mosaic, and archaeologists found many of the citizens’ own private homes decorated with simple patterns and rough-cut tesserae (tiles).

Even the ubiquitous “Beware of Dog” sign we all know… it was way cooler back in the day... appearing on the doorstep of many Pompeian

homes as a warning to would-be trespassers: stay out.

The public buildings of course displayed much more grand and refined designs, adorning floors and walls alike. The famous “Battle of Alexander” mosaic which now lives in the museum is perhaps one of the most significant and well-preserved.

It seems there’s no limit

to the subject matter of the mosaics; if it struck the artist’s fancy it would find a way to be tiled. This leaves no shortage of interesting things to study and interpret, and makes Pompeii a place that will always hold intrigue for those who are curious.

Learn more about Pompeii: https://www. pompeionline.net/pompeii/ index.htm

local

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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.

Save money. Be safe with window tinting

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s we approach the hottest part of the year, its time to think about how the intense and direct rays of the sun negatively impacts us. We know that our CFE bills are likely to go up with the increased use of air conditioners and fans. We are also at risk for skin damage and cancer. Most of us think about that risk only happening when we are outside. Unfortunately, it can

even happen inside our homes.

That’s because most of our windows in Vallarta have unprotected glass.

An effective way to protect ourselves and our wallets is to install tint on the windows in our homes in Mexico. According to the International Window Film Association, window tint, also known as window film or solar tint, can reduce up to 99% of harmful UV rays – the ones that may lead to the development of skin cancer.

Applied to the inside of a window, this film reduces the amount of light and heat that enters the

home. Since this film reduces the heat, it also reduces the need for the fan or air conditioner. Since most fabrics fade from sunlight, it can also give your furniture, drapes and rugs a longer life.

With all those benefits, its no surprise that more and more homeowners are interested. I spoke with Raul Mendoza who offers a home window tinting service in the Bay of Banderas area. He has seen a significant increase this year in requests for tinted windows.

According to Raul, “people want to keep their CFE bills as low as possible. That is still the main reason they get their windows tinted. They don’t realize how much it also helps keep them healthy.” He estimates the average job to take about 6 to 8 hours and he offers a three-year warranty on tinting services.

Window tint materials available are improved, no longer making interiors dark. Today, the light absorbing materials have reflectors that are invisible, keeping your interiors light and bright.

Made from plastic, they are available in different thicknesses.

The thickest is security film which is durable, scratch-proof and can prevent glass from shattering.

This is a great solution for much of the lightweight glass used here in our Vallarta condos and casas. Should the glass break from a storm or by accident, it will develop spider web-like lines rather than just falling apart.

Although window film is generally easy to install, the work and materials come with a warranty if you get a professional to do it.

A liquid solution is sprayed on to the clean window. The film is then carefully applied to ensure no air bubbles or creases. It must be left to cure for 24 to 48 hours. It takes longer for darker and thicker films than lighter and thinner ones.

Before you add a window film, remember to check your window warranty first. If you do anything to your window, including adding a tint, it could negate your warranty.

Want more info on window tinting? Email me at sa.novak@ solutionsmexico.com

Two Expats in Mexico Paul Kurtzweil www.qroo.us

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.

A Look at the Salaries of 20 Occupations in Mexico

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often hear from readers who tell me they plan to move to Mexico to take advantage of the low cost of living; however, their plan is to work here doing the same type of job or profession they currently have. Most of these folks haven’t done any type of salary research and are operating under the mistaken impression that the salaries for skilled labor (e.g. engineers, IT professionals) will either be on par or only slightly lower than what they’re used to back home — but unfortunately, that’s rarely the case.

Let’s Take a Look at the Numbers To give you some idea of what the average salaries are like in Mexico, I’ve created a chart showing the median salary for 20 randomly selected occupations in Mexico.

I would like to point out that Mexico is a very large country and salaries can vary quite a bit from area to area. The chart below reflects the nationwide salary averages for someone with 10 years of experience in the listed position.

How to Conduct Your Own Research

It’s easy to do some research online using a site called misalario. org. Itcontains detailed salary data on a long list of occupations and it even adjusts the numbers based on factors like years of experience. That’s where I obtained the data presented in the previous section.

Here’s a link to the part of the site where you can conduct your own research: h tt p s : / / m i s a l a r i o. o rg / m a i n / tu-salario/comparatusalario#/ Another effective way is to look through the job sites for Mexico. There are several of them out there, but here’s one link to get you started: https://www.indeed.com.mx/ Let’s Wrap This Up Although the salaries in Mexico are considerably lower than they are in countries like the U.S. or Canada, it’s important to keep in mind that the cost of living is also much lower.

That’s why Mexico is a popular choice for American and Canadian retirees who want to make their limited retirement funds go as far as possible.

Another consideration is education, licensing and accreditation – most of which will need to be done in Mexico.

In nearly all situations you’ll need to be essentially fluent in Spanish, in particular with the words you need to do your job.

* Data obtained from misalario.org on 11/21/18. Dollar amounts were calculated using an exchange rate of 20 MXN to 1 USD

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Vanishing Earth/ Vanishing Home John Warren

john3984@me.com

John Warren is in charge of Publicity for the International Friendship Club (IFC). His articles describe the programs and charities that IFC supports, the sources of income of IFC and the social experiences, lectures and classes that members can enjoy. During the summer John writes about Puerto Vallarta.

Good News at Last

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good friend of mine who lives in Puerto Vallarta is 95. She was born in 1923 and is in excellent health. That’s part of the good news. When she was four years old, the world’s population reached 2 billion people, and now, in 2019, it is around 7.7 billion. That’s not so good.

However, help for Mother Earth is available from The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). It’s an intergovernmental organization that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future and serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy.

IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security, and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity. 160 countries are members, including Mexico, Canada, and the USA. Its 2018 report shows that renewable energy and energy efficiency can, in combination, provide over 90% of the necessary energy-related CO2 emission reductions to meet the goals set at Paris in 2015.

The sources of renewable energy include the sun, which doesn’t shine all the time, the wind, which doesn’t blow all the time and the rivers, which don’t flow all the time. But new technologies are being used around the world which may solve some of our problems.

In Morocco, for example, much of the country is covered by the Sahara desert, and it has almost no fossil fuel resources. But it does have zillions of hours of sunshine a year and, soon, this

country may be exporting energy.

Its Noor Solar Power plant is the largest and most efficient solar power plant in the world and is due to be completed next year.

Noor will supply a total of 1.3 million households with electricity from its 500,000 parabolic reflectors and will provide 52% of Morocco’s electrical requirement with renewable energy. Storage of power has always been a huge technical problem, but at the Noor plant, it will be possible to store solar energy in the form of heated molten salt, allowing for the production of electricity into the night. How cool is that?

The Sahara covers 3.5 million square kms (9 million square miles), amounting to almost a third of Africa, and the potential for generating electricity from the sun’s rays is enormous. All that those countries (Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, and Tunisia) need are peace, money, and vision. Solar energy could provide a tremendous benefit to them and the rest of Africa.

Another massive potential for the generation of solar power lies in the middle of the road - literally.

In China, in the city of Jinan, two kilometers of solar panels have been installed as road surface, and this project is now feeding

solar power into the grid. It is also designed to recharge electric cars wirelessly as they travel over its surface. The surface is no different to drive on than regular roads and can melt snow automatically. In a typical Chinese city roads take up about 40% of the useable space, so if the streets could be turned into renewable energy, the potential in China and around the world is vast. If the present problems of cost and strength of materials can be solved, road transportation around the world will be changed, and CO2 emissions will plummet.

There is also potentially good news about the future of nuclear energy. Nuclear power plants today use the process of nuclear fission, in which uranium atoms are split. Although these plants do not produce CO2, their radioactive waste is hazardous, and the potential for accidents is not to be ignored; think about the catastrophes at Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi. So fission may not be the way to go.

But, in Germany, people at the Max Planck Institute are attempting to create what the sun does naturally: to fuse two hydrogen atoms together. “Fusion not fission.” The good news about this method of generating energy is that there is no CO2 emission, no need to store dangerous materials and no risk of an explosion or meltdown. However, it’s a massively expensive solution to our insatiable demands for electricity and the potential for commercial production is at least thirty years away.

So the good news is that we do have the ability to reduce CO2 emissions. But do we have the political and personal will to do so in the time that is left?

June 20 - 26 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

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.

Making Your Home And Garden Here In The Bay

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hope you have enjoyed the previous 3 articles on design and material recommendations for sustainable home building in the humid tropics.

Now let’s take a look at the construction logistics as well as how to get off to a good start with your garden!

The following is a continuation of the previous 3 articles.

As mentioned previously, always confirm whether you need an environmental impact study for your project site. PROFEPPA is the agency that handles this assessment.

Remember, that if your building is commencing in the rainy season (July through October), heavy equipment can wreck irreversible havoc on your soil. Necessary heavy equipment is ideally limited to the dry season, to mitigate damages.

Excavation fill must be handled legally and not dumped on a neighboring property Road building should be parallel to the contours of the topography as much as possible. Roads can be pitched towards drainage ditches and bioswales, diverting water to passive water holding dams or cisterns. Roads should be perceived not only as providers of access, but also intentional channellers or water and fire barriers. An excellent consultancy in Jalisco that specializes in these areas is Mas Humus (https://www.facebook.com/ Mashumus).

Local artisans and contractors are the ideal partners in making your sustainable home and garden a reality. Be aware that the local construction industry struggles with the issue of living wages (or, more accurately, lack of). This results in a tragedy of addiction and migration that affects all of society.

It is up to the consumer and home builder to participate in raising these standards. This can only begin by building up relationships with small crews and taking responsibility that living wages make it into the accounts of the individual workers, not just deposits that arrive first to the family of the worker, ensure that funds get first and foremost allocated to family

support. Appropriate allocation is equally important to raising wages.

When planning for a construction project, it is beneficial to hash out a rough timeline, with goals per quarter, that the home owner can cross reference as the building progresses.

This way if time or monetary targets are grossly missed, the homeowner can detect the discrepancy early in the building process. A good general practice is to break lump sum payments into thirds, with 1/3 initiating materials. Paying a large percentage of a construction project upfront can be regrettable.

Erosion control should always be considered when designing your landscape. I have written about the incredible grass species Vetiver here https://www.vallartatribune.com/ sustainably-erosion-awareness/.

A source is provided there. This is an ideal species to contain erosion for sunny conditions. In shade, another very hardy species that helps stabilize slopes is mother-in-lawtongue, or, Sansivieria, Sansevieria trifasciata. Always dedicate a portion of your property to habitat protection and for the pollinators.

Audubon Mexico and the Vallarta Botanical Garden have some great tips in this regard. In fact, dedicating 20% of a back yard to pollinators and birds is a core value we are incorporating into the planning at ecoBravo, Lo de Marcos, a project I am assisting with (www.ecobravo.org) If you are inclined towards backyard food production, building an attractive screen room with growing tables is ideal. A screen room is the tropical version of the greenhouse – it is contained by mosquito screen rather than glass and its main purpose is to prevent pest entry and provide shelter from our extreme elements.

I have written a guide on growing vegetables in the humid tropics here http://phytostone.com/wp-content/ uploads/2018/12/PHYTOSTONEGROW-BOX-GUIDE_NEW.pdf.

It’s free to download! The previous installments to this Tribune series can be found online. I’d love to know your experiences in creating your own sustainable oasis here in the Bay – email them to me at phytostone@ gmail.com if you wish to share.

Happy sustainable homemaking!

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June 20 - 26 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Life’s a beach in Banderas Bay Sun-seekers can pick a different stretch of sand every day and find a new slice of Mexican life every time in Banderas Bay Barbara Ramsay Orr

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s you travel around Banderas Bay in Mexico, from just outside the curve of the northern tip all the way around to the southern edge, you can find a smorgasbord of beaches, each one different, and each one gorgeous in its own way.

Banderas Bay is bounded on the north by Punta Mita and on the south by Cabo Corrientes, with the resort city of Puerto Vallarta just about in the centre. Within the blue curve of this Mexican coastline, each fold and turn hides sun-kissed beaches, some small and intimate, some wide and busy.

There’s a family beach, a surfing beach, a gay beach, a beach where you can buy fresh coconut pie – in short, a beach for every taste. With the town of Puerto Vallarta as your centre, a beach lover can choose a different stretch of sand each day and find a new slice of local Mexican life each time.

PUNTA MITA’S FOUR SEASONS RESORT BEACHES These are a string of sophisticated beaches, with comfortable cushioned sofas and cabanas, a cool thatched beach shack serving drinks and burgers, and a long, wide smile of white fine sand. One section has craggy rocks and rough surf, but just around the edge of the cliffs, the water becomes calm.

The drawback here is that you can only use these beaches if you are a guest of the hotel. But you can book a reservation for lunch or dinner in the surfside Bahia Restaurant and enjoy the spectacular ocean views.

LOS MUERTOS BEACH, OLD TOWN, PUERTO VALLARTA Nothing dead about this beach.

It’s the epicentre of life in Puerto Vallarta and you can find almost everything here. The section near to the River Cuale is called Olas Altas, and in that part you can find, under the bridge, the local oyster vendors. There are often artists painting in the early mornings.

Water sports abound, beachside cafés are numerous, mariachis

will serenade you, vendors will sell you anything from sun hats to souvenirs and friendly ladies will give you a manicure, a tattoo or a massage while you recline under your umbrella. It’s busy, family friendly and fun.

BLUE CHAIRS BEACH Towards the end of Los Muertos Beach is a resort and beach café called the Blue Chairs, and an area of the oceanfront that is the gay beach. Though decidedly Catholic, Mexico is not judgmental about different ways of life, and Puerto Vallarta has long been a gay-friendly destination. This is the best place to enjoy the “Golden Hour,” that soft time of the day,

when everyone comes down to the beach to watch the sun go down, enjoy a cool cerveza and wait for the green flash.

CONCHAS CHINAS BEACH A more rugged beach, with tide pools and rocks, Conchas Chinas is ideal for children who want to paddle in the shallow pools and look for sea creatures. Drop in to the Lindo Mar Resort Restaurant right on the beach where you can get a simple lunch or enjoy a very reasonable dinner while you watch the sunset.

PALMARES BEACH Located south of the city, this is a long and wide white-sand beach where you can walk for

long distances and wade in the calm waters.

The sand is perfect for sandcastles. On weekends this is a busy place with local families and their children enjoying beach picnics.

MISMALOYA BEACH John Huston made this beach famous with his filming of the movie, The Night of the Iguana, but there is little left of the Hollywood glamour. It remains an attractive beach area, framed by the surrounding jungle and the Sierra Madre Mountains. There are a few small restaurants and on the north side, is the Barcelo Resort. If you feel ambitious, you could do a half-hour hike to the Vallarta Zoo.

BOCA DE TOMATLAN The little town is the end of the road for the bus line and the last beach in this stretch that you can access by car. The restaurants on the beach are often very busy as this is the place where both visitors and locals come to catch the pangas (small fishing boats) out to other villages and beaches.

You can enjoy fresh fish, grilled shrimp and tortillas while watching the boat action.

COLOMITOS COVE Tiny and jewel-like, this pristine beach is pure pleasure to float around in. The sand beach is surrounded by cliffs, so it’s quiet and private. Just five minutes by panga from Boca de Tomatlan, the beach is right beside one of the best restaurants in the area, the Ocean Grill. You have to reserve in advance to dine here but the food is excellent and the ocean views are magical. If you’d rather get some exercise, you can take a 40-minute and fairly aggressive hike to this cove.

YELAPA About a 30-minute boat ride from Boca de Tomatlan is this isolated fishing village with a superb beach. You can hike into the mountains to a waterfall or go horseback riding, as well as enjoy the usual water sports. But the real attraction is the pie ladies, who sell fresh and delicious pies by the slice to hungry beachgoers. The only crime I have ever witnessed in Mexico happened here, when I saw a local dog make off with a slice of coconut meringue pie when a tourist wasn’t watching. (The ladies gave her another slice.)

HIDDEN BEACH, LAS MARIETAS And the star is Hidden Beach, on the Marieta Islands out in the middle of Banderas Bay, which ranked 10th on The Guardian›s annual 50 Best Beaches in the World list. The islands are reachable by excursion boats or pangas, and it takes about two hours sailing time to reach them. They are a protected area, famous as a habitat for blue-footed boobies.

You have to swim through a tunnel to visit Hidden Beach, but you emerge into a sun-filled pocket of blue water and white sand, totally surrounded by rock and invisible from the other side of the tunnel. Visitors are only allowed to stay for a brief time but just seeing this secret treasure is a thrill. And there’s rum punch and entertainment on the return trip to the marina.

Original: Globe & Mail

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Summer Music

June 20 - 26 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Vibes & Vices: Layla’s Restaurante

Christie Seeley

AJ Freeman

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

cosmiccapt@gmail.com

vezelay@mac.com

Lobo and Esaú Present Their Second CD together at Incanto!

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he world famous Bavarian born Flamenco Guitarist Wolfgang “Lobo” Fink and local, classically trained Flamenco Maestro Esaú Galván will present their second CD together at a splendid show in the Incanto Cabaret Theater, Insurgentes 109, by the River Cuale the evening of June 26. The duo has thrilled audiences this year at their many concerts and they continue to produce incredible improvised music together.

The first CD recorded live at Incanto sold out and is in it’s second edition and a brand new one has just been completed.

This new CD was recorded in Dany Marquez’ Groove House Studio in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and is indeed a treasure. Inspiration? Well, judging by the name of the CD, Arriba La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, it is La Cruz itself.

Esau was born and raised there and indeed carries the town in his heart. As his father has always been a fisherman, the surf and the life it gives to the community are of great importance to him. Lobo has now spent a major part of his life in the town and loves it for the friendly people and great surfing. I think the magic they feel comes out in the music.

Lobo completed an incredible international career with the famous violinist from San Miguel de Allende and Sarasota, Florida, Willie Royal when Willie passed away in 2016. Since that time he has been living again in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle with his wife Diana and presenting sold out shows around the Banderas Bay Area. For the past two years, he and his former student Esaú, now an accomplished flamenco guitarist, have worked together, producing many extremely well attended shows both in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle’s Tree House Bar and

Incanto Vallarta’s Cabaret Theater.

Lobo who studied years ago with the famous gypsy guitarists in the Caves of Sacromonte in Granada brings an inspired, free flowing style while Esaú, more formally trained, adds his classical touches to their performances. It seems they were born to play together as their interaction flows in a creative and inspired musical conversation.

The presentation of the new CD will take place at Incanto Cabaret Theater on June 26 at 8:00 PM. (incantovallarta.com for tickets or box office at Insurgentes 109).

Incanto is offering a series of new shows this summer, usually a quiet period, as new opportunities arise. Look for shows by classically trained singer Enrique de Allende and composer, singer Jose Carlos. Lady Zen who now lives here in Puerto Vallarta will also be performing this summer. Go to Incantovallarta.com for the new programs.

For more details, visit my website vallartasounds.com

s someone who moves around a lot--mostly by choice--I spend a lot of time thinking about what makes one feel “at home.”

Just like we can feel a sense of companionship with nothing but our internal dialogues and completely alone in a room full of people, I’ve felt familiarity in places I’ve visited for the first time and estranged for in the wrong location, and Layla’s Restaurant is one of those places in which it was easy for me to make myself comfortable.

The Vibes: Perched on a second-story balcony seat with a view of a street fair in Parque Hidalgo to the east and a sliver of the Pacific to the west, I had plenty of space to unpack my thoughts and stretch out my presence for a while. A light mist of rain brought freshness and renewal to the early evening air, and the smoked pineapple raicilla margarita that Fernanda set on my table with a smile made me feel even more welcome.

Although I was the only guest on the 2nd floor at the time I arrived, before long I was joined by a congenial party of 4 who enjoyed a lively conversation amongst themselves, laughing as bottles of wine cut new streams of consciousness through the bedrock of longstanding camaraderie. I spooned through a hearty bowl of shrimp and corn chowder while totally not eavesdropping and taking notes.

The Vices: “Aren’t you that guy from the newspaper?” inquired one of the 4 friends as he saw right through my face paint disguise. I learned long ago never to deny a rumor that favors you, and this one had the benefit of being true.

I confessed to being myself, and was rewarded for my candor with a healthy pour of Roganto Cabernet Sauvignon, another product of Mexican sociability. We chatted for a bit about the roots of friendship and the merits of cornbread, and I even caught a recommendation for a future edition of “Vibes & Vices” before the main course, so thanks again Tracey.

In time the pork tenderloin flew in from the kitchen, and the near-universal understanding that there is to be a moment of silence to honor the arrival of delicious food demonstrated itself once more. I took my work tools in hand once more to unleash my productivity on the pork tenderloin, stuffed with delicious delights including more pork.

Co-owner Isabel made some time for a chat, joining me at the table as I savored the last morsels of meat. “The menu is all my husband’s idea, he loves to share foods from his grandmother’s table,” she explained as she motioned to Fernanda for dessert. “We started this restaurant as a tribute to our daughter Layla, who passed away 7 years ago...everything we do here is inspired by love, we try to give our guests a special experience.”

As if to bolster her point, the Royal Lemon made its grand procession to the table soon after. A delicate white chocolate shell had been dyed yellow and formed into the fruit’s shape before being lined with vanilla ice cream, filled with lemon jelly, and eagerly smashed

by Fernanda with a ceremonial spoon in a display that gave me a wide-eyed kindergarten giggle.

After dinner I was treated to a tour of the restaurant, including the kitchen on the 3rd floor as well as the 4th floor roof deck. “We’re restoring it right now, we want to start throwing parties up here soon...the air is fresh and the view is very nice,” Isabel revealed. It was yet another reason to return to Layla’s...not that I hadn’t made that decision about an hour ago.

The Verdict: At least if you’re asking this writer, what makes us truly feel at home is the mindset we maintain and the company we keep. If you are at peace with yourself and willing to connect with those around you, you can make yourself at home practically anywhere on this planet, and Layla’s Restaurante specializes in warm welcomes and warm people.

Maybe I’ll catch you there.

Info: Venezuela 137, 5 de Diciembre www.laylasrestaurante.com.mx/

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Act II Announces Exciting New Summer Entertainment Schedule!

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fter a much-needed summer break, Act II is happy to be back in the “swing” of things, and is excited to announce its brand-new Summer Entertainment Schedule! Events will be presented four nights each week, beginning this Tuesday, June 25! It’s a great time to be in Puerto Vallarta, and Act II is the perfect place to enjoy some cool temperatures, as well as some great entertainment!

Act II is #2 in “Things to Do” in Puerto Vallarta! ~Trip Advisor #1 Entertainment Venue ~Vallarta Tribune What’s Happening at Act II This Week?

Tuesday, June 25 – 8:00 pm Karaoke Night!

Karaoke Night has become the most popular, most welcoming and most FUN karaoke party in the Bay! Happy Hour Drink Specials are offered from 6:00 - 8:00 PM, and free karaoke begins at 8:00 PM! Our beautiful Encore Lounge has a fully-stocked, air-conditioned bar, and features the BEST KARAOKE in town! It’s the place where many of your favorite singers/actors from your favorite shows pop in to sing with the locals!

Wednesday, June 26 – 7:30 pm “The Best of ABBA and Elton John” After its incredibly successful, SOLD-OUT RUN this year, Us Two is thrilled to be able to present their #1 show, “The Best of ABBA and Elton John” during the summer season! In a musical tribute to the

timeless music of two unforgettable acts, ABBA and Elton John, UsTwo will perform songs that you remember, such as Mama Mia, Dancing Queen, Chiquitita, Sad Song, Candle in the Wind, and Rocket Man, and many more. Their repertoire changes with each performance, but these amazing vocalists (and their live band) will treat you to an unforgettable evening of music and an evening to remember!

Saturday, June 29 – 7:30 pm “Twist & Shout” Twist & Shout, Act II’s hugely popular “sleeper hit” of the season, returns to the Red Room on Saturday nights this summer!

Take a journey back to the time of poodle skirts and rock ‘n roll, with the dynamic duo of Pedro Islas and Faride Talama who present a high-

energy, hilarious musical comedy, with such songs such as I Wanna Be Loved By You, Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, Be My Baby, Lollipop, I Only Want to Be With You, Twist and Shout... and more!

You will want to get up and dance along with them! This unforgettable show has a unique format and is full of singing, comedy, and DANCING to the rhythms that changed the world! Tickets are available at www. act2pv.com!

A Summer Concert Series begins Thursday, July 4.

Each summer, Act II has created a series of shows that highlight and showcase some of the incredible talent here in Puerto Vallarta! Many of the musicians that have been featured in these shows have gone on to stardom, as a result of this exposure!

This year, our Summer Concert Series will feature some of the wonderful local bands that have emerged in our area! Keep your eyes open for more information about this exciting event, or go to our website at www.act2pv.com.

Actor? Dancer? Singer?

Act II is still casting for next season’s shows! Contact Marsha Ward Ross at act2entertainmentproductions@gmail.com to set up an audition!

Tickets to all shows can be purchased online at act2pv.com or at the box office, which opens at 4:00 pm on show days. The Act II Entertainment Stages complex is located on the corner of Insurgentes and Basilio Badillo on the South side of Puerto Vallarta. For more information, call (322) 222-1512, or follow Act II on Facebook.

June 20 - 26 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Protect your dog from the heat!

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e are lucky to have it sunny and hot all year round in Puerto Vallarta, but for our local pups it is very important not to forget that the same rules apply to them all year here, as for dogs during high summer in other parts of the world: ·Dont let your dog linger on hot surfaces like asphalt and cement when the sun is high. Being so close to the ground can heat their body quickly and is also an invitation to burns on sensitive paw pads. Keep walks to a minimum.

Apply the 5 second rule: Place the back of your hand on the asphalt, if you can´t hold it there for 5 seconds, it´s too hot for your dog´s paws too. · Giving your dog a lightweight summer haircut can help prevent overheating, but never shave to the skin, the dog needs one-inch of protection to avoid getting sunburned.

· Provide access to fresh water at all times. Make certain an outside dog has access to shade and plenty of cool water. · Restrict exercise when temperatures soar, and do not muzzle the dog because it inhibits their ability to pant. · Many dogs enjoy a swim in the ocean or river, splashing in a wading pool, that can help bring body temperatures down. · Never leave your pet in a parked car, not even if you park in the shade.

If you are interested in visiting our state of the art sanctuary outside of town, contact us at spcapv@gmail. com to schedule a tour. Tours leave from the Costco parking lot only on Thursdays during low season and reservations are required.

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

The Birdmen Ritual

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his ceremonial feat of courage and grace is performed along the Puerto Vallarta Malecon daily from 10am until 9pm. When you hear their mournful flutes you know you’re in for a special treat. Be sure to stick around and leave them a generous tip as that is how they support themselves and their families back home. They also sell a few souvenir trinkets that have definite kitsch value.

Here are 10 fascinating facts you should know about the voladores (birdmen): 1. It is believed that the origin of the ritual occurrs in the region between Veracruz and Puebla, where the Totonaca culture is prevelant. Papantla is the town where the ritual became popular many years ago. There is evidence that ‘flying men’ rituals where practiced in many other parts of Mexico such as Jalisco and Nayarit, including at the Guachimontones site outside of Guadalajara.

2. The ‘Papantla Flyers’ is a prehis-

panic tradition used to invoke water during extended dry seasons; the brave men’s falling symbolizing the fall of raindrops from the sky.

3. Formerly the ritual began by choosing and cutting the tree from which they would take the flying post. Dances and prays were made to ask for permission and to give thanks.

4. The trunk should never touch the floor after it has been harvested. It was forbidden for women to touch it since it would be a symbol of bad omen (uhhh, come on guys…).

5. An essential part of the ritual is the tree trunk. But also important is the ‘steering wheel’ that will allow them to spin around the tree while descending. A stretcher is also placed and works as support for the Papantla Flyers.

6. This ceremony requires four brave men to fly from the top of the tree trunk and a leader to lead the ritual and dances.

7. As authentic birdmen, they must wear a peculiar hat with a crest that resembles the quetzal, a strickingly colourful bird found in the jungles around Veracruz. Sometimes they add small mirrors representing sunbeams. Voladores carry colored strips of fabric that represents the rainbow after the rain arrives. You’ll also find hand embroidered flowers on the chest and belt of their outfit, representing fertility of the soil. On their waist, they have velvet circles as the wings of the birds and their red pants evoke the blood of the birdmen ancestors.

8. During the ritual performance each Volador represents a cardinal point and the leader, the center of the earth. Each one must do 13 laps before touching the ground.

If we multiply 13 by 4 (number of flying men), the result is 52. The number of years of each solar cycle according to the ancient cultures, and weeks in a calendar year.

9. The leader has a risky and challenging task. He must play the traditional flute and

drum music while balancing at the top of the tree trunk.

10. The birdmen of Papantla and their colourful and unique ritual was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009 by UNESCO.

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Live Music Calendar

events

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)

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)

June 20 - 26 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Upcoming June Events 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

Adorable Dog in the Spotlight: BLAZE

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 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)

B

laze is a gorgeous and joyful dog. He is 5 to 6 years old, a Vizla mix weighing a tad over 50 pounds. He is a higher energy dog and is good around female dogs.

Mostly Blaze just wants to be with his people. He loves getting attention from his humans and prefers to play with his two-legged friends.

He doesn’t get along with felines,

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

however. He suffers an old fracture to his hip and knee but he walks fine and without a limp. However, he will probably need glucosamine supplements on a continual basis. Blaze has been neutered, dewormed and vaccinated. He is now ready for his forever home and we are accepting applications for his adoption at spcapv@gmail.com.

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games

June 20 - 26 , 2019 www.vallartatribune.com

Anglican Church Puerto Vallarta

Iglesia Anglicana Puerto Vallarta

Worldwide Anglican Communion Anglican Church in North America

Puerto Vallarta (322)-308-0022

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.