Issue 898, June 20 - 26, 2014

Catch us online @ vallartatribune.com

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Local riding the bus

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June 20 - 26, 2014 Free Issue 898

Real Estate

Owning paradise

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Travel chiapas

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Photo credit: Agencia Reforma

VAMOS MÉXICO!

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Friday June 20 - 26, 2014 PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Fernando Gonzalez Corona Director DAVID ROJO sjcbcs@yahoo.com.mx Editor Lic. Madeline Milne mmilne@Vallartatribune.com Editorial Board Marcia Blondin Raymond C. Beaty Lois Ellison John & Christie Forget Landon Hollander Nancy Van Landingham Robina Oliver Sales Team FERNANDO AYALA salestribune@outlook.com Rebeca Castellón rebeca.castellonn@gmail.com Community Manager / Sales Julie Mongeau juliemongeau@gmail.com Designer Cynthia E. Andrade G. cisandra@vallartatribune.com cysandra@gmail.com Vallarta Tribune is an activity and entertainment guide and merely 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 soon 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. (322) 226-0829, 226-0800 editor@vallartatribune.com * www.vallartatribune.com * www.facebook.com/vallarta.tribune

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Welcome to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit

Here is some advice to make your trip a little easier and more enjoyable.

TIME ZONE: The entire state of Jalisco is on Central Time, as is the southern part of the State of Nayarit starting from San Blas in the north.

BUSES: A system of urban buses with different routes can bring you from one end of the bay to the other and all the spots in between. Current fare is $7.50 pesos per ticket and passengers must purchase a new ticket every time they board another bus. There are no “transfers”.

TAXIS: There are set rates within defined zones of town. Do not enter a taxi without agreeing on the price with the driver first. Price is per trip not person.

MONEY EXCHANGE: Although you may have to wait in line for a few minutes, banks will give you a higher rate of exchange than the exchange booths (caja de cambio). You will need your passport. Better yet, use your bank card to withdraw funds from any ATM machine. Note that ATM’s in the banks are the safest to use and generally charge lower fees.

DRINKING WATER: For the 17th year in a row, Puerto Vallarta’s water has been awarded a certification of purity for human consumption. The quality of the water tested at the purification plant varies greatly from what comes out of the tap at the other end. So do be careful. If you want to be doubly sure, you can pick up bottled water just about anywhere.

EXPORTING PETS: Fall in love with the street dog outside your hotel or a puppy on the Malecon doesn’t mean they can’t come home with you. The process is fairly inexpensive and only takes a day or two. You need a certificate of health from a local vet among other things. The time of year that pets can travel in the cargo section of the plane may be your biggest challenge.

For the most up-to-date information contact the Puerto Vallarta SPCA at spcapv@gmail.com.

COMMON SENSE: Just as you wouldn’t walk around your hometown drunk and beligerent, it is not acceptable to do that here. While Mexicans are a forgiving bunch, basic politeness is appreciated.

For the guys, peeing in public is a major faux pas and if you are caught, can get you tossed in jail or an expensive fine.

Pay attention to your surroundings. Pay your bills. Be courteous. And have fun!

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

Fines are as much as 10,000 pesos.

You can be taken to jail and your vehicle impounded. There are many checkstops on the weekends and you will be asked to blow if they suspect you have been drinking.

LEGAL SYSTEM: Not knowing the law is not an valid excuse in Mexico or anywhere. If you find yourself caught in a legal situation be aware that 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 in particular.

Immediately contact your consulate for assistance.

Calling in Mexico Calling phones in Mexico can be tricky as it is different than in the US or Canada. 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 (for the U.S. and Canada the 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, then the 10 digit number including area code. 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.

Phone Cards Phone cards (“tarjetas telefonicas”) for use in pay phones can be bought at newstands and in pharmacies in denominations of 30, 50 and 100 pesos. Pay phones do not accept coins. When buying a phone card for pay phone use, specify that you would like a “tarjeta LADA,” because pre-paid cell phone cards are also sold in the same establishments.

Calling Toll-Free Numbers Some toll free numbers work from Mexico to the US and Canada, but many do not.

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: 060 Red Cross: 065 Non-Emergency Police Immigration: 322.224.7719 322.290.0507 Consumer Protection: Fire Department: 01.800.468.8722 322.223.9476 Ambulance: 322.222.1533

Consulates American Consulate Nuevo Vallarta: 322.222.0069 24 hrs Guadalajara: 333.268.2145

Tourism Offices Jalisco: 322.221.2676 Nayarit: 322.297.1006

Canadian Consulate 322.293.2894 24 hrs: 1.800.706.2900

Editorial 03

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Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

Business Bites Mexico participated for the first time in the International Air Show (ILA) held in Berlin, Germany from May 20 through 25.

The Viva Aerobus airline commemorated the use of its first Airbus A320, which is part of the plan to expand its fleet with 52 planes, according to the airline’s CEO, Juan Carlos Zuazua.

Mexico is the leading producer of silver in the world for the fourth consecutive year. Production during 2013 rose to 169.7 million ounces.

Editor´s Note

Grupo Alsea acquired the Vips restaurant chain from Walmart.

The transaction was valued at almost 8.2 billion pesos.

Editor`s note

Mexico and Chile, considered the main producers of avocado in the world, will strengthen the industry with the implementation of a scientific-technological network, according to the International Cooperation Agency of Chile (AGCI).

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have safely returned from Cancun. It was tempting to stay, as the weather was quite a bit cooler with lower humidity and a near constant breeze off the ocean. But life isn’t all about sweaty backs, thighs, eyebrows.

That’s just the Canadian in me always talking about weather.

I actually stayed Akumal and it was gorgeous. I was there for work so Sunday was our only free day which we started the night before with a full-moon party.

Early-ish Sunday we headed to Tulum to the pyramids. As holders of residency visas we enjoyed the free access on Sunday for all residents. The site is beautifully maintained with lush grass and trees to provide relief from the sun. The highlight is the temple that is overlooking the beach below and the sharp aqua blue ocean that stretches on forever. I mentioned to my friend that the buildings are not as elaborately decorated as others I’ve seen to which he replied, “they might have been busy looking at something else.” It really is a breathtaking spot.

After that we did a quick once around the ho-hum town of Tulum and headed off to find a cenote.

A previous recommendation suggested Dos Ojos which was easy to find and only minutes from our hotel.

To know that this phenomenon

BBVA obtained important revenues in Mexico, calculated at approximately 453 million euros in just the first quarter of 2014.

It will continue to look for opportunities in other Latin American countries, especially Chile and Colombia.

only occurs in the small area of the world makes the experience so much more poignant.

To imagine the Mayan people experiencing these fresh water caves and to be there, where they would have stood, really binds you to this country and its storied history.

I went to Akumel to give a presentation on Canadians moving to Mexico for the AMPI International Conference. There were real estate players from all sides of Mexico, Brazil, Columbia and United States. Interesting presentations over two days solidified my belief that soon the floodgates of retirees and expats will open. There is much being done around Mexico to facilitate this migration including building Age in Place communities. Representatives from AMPI Cabo and Mazatlan were in attendance and unfortunately PV/Bay of Banderas was not. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the future of this country and

to meet some forward thinking developers who are building intelligent new product.

I didn’t hurry home but rather spent two cool days in Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque to be specific, exploring art galleries, museums and shops. Look for an article on this refreshing escape from humidity in the next couple weeks.

I’ve been out of town a week so I’m not up-to-speed on the local news on this past week but I see Bucerias has a new commemorative statue for the recently renovated plaza. I haven’t watched the World Cup even once so I’m ignorant on the goings on. Though not blind. I’ll do my best to watch the game on the 23rd but worry that at this point my not watching may be influencing the outcome.

(Vancouver Canucks never won a game I attended. Never.)

For all of you still in town, stay cool. See you in the veggie cooler at Costco.

about 60 cats and kittens and catching them to take to clinics.

Help is desperately needed to do both. Contact: shannon@ bestonproperties.com HOMES NEEDED: For the thousands of dogs and cats on the streets here and for dozens of healthy and beautiful dogs and cats at the Centro de Acopio, the city´s

Mexico is seeking closer ties with China, stated the Secretary of Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo during his tour of China. He said that China has the capacity to become one of the main foreign investors in Mexico in the future.

Health tourism in Mexico represented income of 2.847 billion dollars during 2013. Annual growth over the next three years is estimated at 7.3%.

According to the Bank of Mexico, income from international visitors in Mexico topped 4.436 million dollars in the first quarter of the year. This is an increase of 14.8% over the figure reached in the same period last year.

Madeline

Sterilization Clinics / PEACEAnimals JUNE / Free or by donation.

18-21 Pitillal (exact location tba) 25-28 La Cruz de Huancaxtle RIDES FOR RESCUE DOGS NEEDED: For Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Expenses for dogs paid for. Please contact robin. nobars@gmail if you can help.

SOS ISLAND CATS: There are basically only two people feeding

Mexico is the thirteenth largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the world, with a surface area of more than three million square kilometers, informed the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, INEGI).

no-kill pound. Open Monday-Saturday from 8 AM-2 PM. 293-3690.

The Acopio is now holding adoptions every Saturday from 11 AM-2 PM at Plaza Caracol (back end of building near McDonald´s entrance). www.peaceanimals.org

GOING TO CALGARY? We found one kind soul who volunteered to accompany one of our kittens to Calgary ~ we need one more. If you are—or know someone who is—traveling to Calgary in the next few weeks, please contact me. All vaccinations, traveling paperwork, soft-sided carrier and expenses will be covered. All you need to do is carry him on board at PVR and off the plane at the Calgary airport. His new mama will be waiting for him there.

Marilyn Khan exkhan@usfamily.net PuRR Project

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Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

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Colorado leaders head to Mexico, with business on their minds

By Ray Mark Rinaldi Denver Post

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f you want to do business in Mexico, there’s no better middleman than Gov. John Hickenlooper. As CEO of a state that measures its trade south of the border in the billions, he has ample clout to arrange the personal introductions known to facilitate deal-making among such close neighbors.

Little doubt, the 70-plus enterprising Coloradans joining his Biennial of the Americas Summit in Mexico City this week see the value. Mexico is already Colorado’s second-biggest international customer and, whether your aim is to export more Colorado potatoes or import more tuition-paying college students, the opportunities are growing.

U.S. interests in Mexico are surprisingly broad these days, and that is reflected in the summit’s roster of delegates, most paying $2,500 each — air and hotel not included — for what is essentially a 40-hour meeting.

Oil and gas folks, such as Anadarko Petroleum’s Brad Holly, are on the manifest, as are do-it-all management consultants, like Lee McIntire, executive chairman of CH2M Hill’s board. The state’s top law firms and investment companies are sending reps.

But there are also arts leaders,

such as Christoph Heinrich, who runs the Denver Art Museum; higher education types, like Colorado State University presidentTony Frank; and tourism entrepreneurs, like Bob Stinchcomb of Vail Resorts. Lots of people want to build relationships with Mexico’s growing numbers of economic and cultural players.

And in Mexico, relationships are key, said Gil Cisneros, president of the Denver-based Chamber of the Americas, which promotes north-south business connections.

Deals in Guadalajara and Juárez, he explains, don’t get completed over a quick meet-and-greet, and that can be hard for Americans to understand.

“In Mexico, they want to know who you are. They want to know your family. They want to know what you are about,” said Cisneros, who is attending the summit. Trade missions are essential, he believes.

For Colorado businesses, there is a lot at stake, and in this particular moment. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, who took office in December 2012, is pushing a $590 billion infrastructure overhaul, with a third of the investment coming from nongovernment interests at home and abroad.

At the same time, the government is transitioning toward a landmark privatization of its natio-

nalized energy company Pemex.

The moves hold financial promise for Colorado companies that specialize in oil production, transportation, education and the rapidly growing field of telecommunications. Both satellite and cable interests will be represented with Dish Network’s Stanton Dodge and Liberty Global’s Mike Fries in the Colorado delegation.

“As Mexico looks for more public-private partnerships, businesses here see an opportunity to do some of that work,” said Ken Lund, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. “Maybe not tomorrow or next week, but perhaps sooner than some might think.”

Still, it’s a get-to-know-you process, and that’s why the trade mission is flying under the banner of the Biennial of the Americas, Denver’s two-week celebration of art, culture and ideas that takes place every other summer. The biennial is run by a nonprofit that is underwritten by local corporations, like Liberty Global, and is widely thought of as a pet project of Hickenlooper’s.

The Mexico summit is borrowing that part of the biennial’s format as a way of getting U.S. delegates and their Mexican counterparts talking this week.

Clinica topics include “Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce Today” and

Gov. John Hickenlooper

“Balancing Energy Production and Environmental Protection.”

Using what is essentially a cultural festival as an icebreaker for discussions that could lead to everything from new jobs in Tijuana to exhibitions of Mexican painters in Denver art galleries falls in line with the greater goals of the biennial, which executive director Erin Trapp describes as more of “a philosophy” than a two-week party.

Still a relatively new event to

Pemex to modernize

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exican state-owned oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos said it will modernize its 10,900 service stations nationwide as it prepares for competitors to enter the market starting in 2018.

Pemex is “building a franchise of modern, strong, profitable and well-positioned service stations,” CEO Emilio Lozoya said Thursday at the inauguration of an annual petroleum retailers’ convention in the Caribbean city of Playa del Carmen.

He added that the company’s network of service stations, which

meet demand in a country with 25 million automobiles, must not only offer the highest-quality fuel but also top-of-the-line service to more demanding customers.

Last December’s energy overhaul, whose implementing legislation is currently being debated in Congress, allows private players into Mexico’s oil industry for the first time since it was nationalized in 1938. The modernization measures being considered include re-launching Pemex’s brand, improving the image of the company’s gas stations and

Explore Banderas Bay

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uerto Vallarta is located in the middle of Banderas Bay, one of the largest bays in Mexico at nearly 100km in length. It is bounded in the north by Punta de Mita and in the south by Cabo Corrientes.

It straddles the states of Jalisco and Nayarit, divided along the Ameca River.

The bay is home to many wonderful communities and an abundance of natural wonders.

In the winter and spring seasons

customer service, bringing new products to market and forging partnerships with leading companies. Some measures have already been implemented, including a training program that will eventually reach more than 26,000 managers, supervisors and sales staff, Lozoya said. Pemex sells a daily average of 771,000 barrels of gasoline on the domestic market, with 57 percent of the total coming from its network of six refineries nationwide and rest from imports.

Source: http://latino.foxnews. com/

you can witness the awe inspiring beauty of the humpback whales as they calve in the warm waters of the bay, in the summer you can experience the majesty of the sea turtles hatching and returning to their watery world.

The fall brings renewed vigour

Pemex Gas Pump

to the mountains and rivers with the fresh rains and revived vegetation. No matter when you visit, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit will share their wonders with you.

Here is a selection of some of the many things you can do while visiting us.

Denver, the biennial is trying to gain wider recognition and brand itself as a hub of innovative thinking across the hemisphere. Facilitating a meeting in its off year, where investors, educators, presidents, governors and others can explore ways to do business only strengthens its mission.

“For me, the biennial is a space for them to consider those things outside of the daily routine,” Trapp said.

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Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

Mexico wants to make inroads in new markets for tequila Mexico plans to “conquer new markets” with its national drink, tequila, with projections showing that China will be the liquor’s No. 2 importer in five years, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said. “If we all do our part, it is forecast that 10 million liters of tequila will be exported to China within five years,” the president said during the celebration Monday of the Tequila Regulatory Council’s 20th anniversary in Guadalajara.

Jalisco is the birthplace of tequila, the Mexican national beverage, which is made from the agave plant.

“The Chinese market would be the No. 2 export market,after just the U.S. (market),” the president said.

Mexico exported 70,000 bottles of 100 percent agave tequila to China in August 2013, when 15 producers of the liquor visited the Asian country on a trade mission, Peña Nieto said.

The federal government is working constantly with tequila producers to certify the beverage’s authenticity and protect the denomination of origin, which has been around for 50 years, the Mexican leader said. Mexico’s

tequila industry exported more than 150 million liters of the iconic liquor in 2013, “the highest figure in history,” Peña Nieto said.

“I want to recognize the success that the Tequila Regulatory Council has achieved in proudly developing this Mexican industry.

Today, Mexican tequila reaches 120 countries on all the continents,” Peña Nieto said.

The Tequila Regulatory Council bestowed its Eagle in Flight award on the president for his support for the industry.

Mexican Automobile Production and Exports hit record level

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utomobile production and exports in Mexico hit a record level in the January-April period, rising 5.8 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively, compared to the first four months of 2013, the Mexican Automotive Industry Association, or AMIA, said.

Passenger vehicle production and exports reached “their best historic level both in the month of April and year-to-date,” the AMIA said in a statement.

Automotive companies produced 1.02 million vehicles in the January-April period, of which “some 82.9 percent corresponded to units destined for the foreign market and the remaining 17.1 percent to the domestic market,” the industry association said.

Exports totaled 808,532 units, of which 70.6 percent were sent to the United States, 10.6 percent were exported to Latin American countries and 9.8 percent were sent to Canada and other regions in the world.

Domestic sales, however, remained sluggish at just 327,989 units in the first four months of the year, down 0.80 percent from the same period in 2013, the AMIA said.

Automakers sell both vehi-

The Riviera Nayarit Hosts the IX Pacific Alliance Summit

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he Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita and The St Regis Punta Mita Resort hosted 500 dignitaries and leaders from the political and economic spheres of Peru, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica and Mexico, as well as 150 members of the international media.

The Riviera Nayarit’s St. Regis Punta Mita Resort and Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita welcomed the IX Pacific Alliance Summit held among the countries of Colombia, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and Mexico on June 19-20.

The president of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, hosted presidents Juan Manuel Santos, from Colombia; Michelle Bachelet, from Chile; Ollanta Humala, from Peru; and Laura Chinchilla, from Costa Rica.

This meeting united over 500 digni-

taries and leaders from the political and economic spheres of these countries, as well as 150 members of the international media.

The Pacific Alliance is a multilateral mechanism that seeks the integration of this region of North and South America via the free movement of goods, services, capital and people.

With this summit the Riviera Nayarit continues to position itself as the host destination for important events on an international level. One other example is the 2nd Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons undertaken by the United Nations Organization, which took place during the month of February in the destination and included the participation of over 143 countries.

Jalisco opens new Park, Road

By Maurilio Soto t a symbolic re-opening ceremony on Monday for the rehabilitated and modernized metropolitan park “La Eucalera,” and the Santa Rosa-Ocotlán road in Ocotlán, Jalisco, President Enrique Peña Nieto said that he is committed to move and transform Mexico.

The president said that reforms written and passed in 2013 not only created inertia but provide a more solid platform for achieving economic growth in the long run.

He said that the previous, minimal level of development was insufficient.

“We have to remove everything underneath to avoid continuing on the same path,” said Peña Nieto. “For the past three decades development has been inadequate to create new employment opportunities.

We decided to take the path of change to ensure that Mexico grows at an accelerated rate.”

The president said that his administration is “steadily moving forward in the construction of the Mexico that we committed to.”

Presidential spokesman Eduardo Sánchez said that Peña Nieto will participate in the 11th session of the Pacific Alliance Council, on June 19 and 20, in Punta Mita, Nayarit.

The meeting will also be attended by the leaders of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, and Peru, Ollanta Humala, and by President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia.

The Pacific Alliance, founded in 2011 with the intention of promoting free trade and seeking regional integration, was created in collaboration

by Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. Costa Rica is in the process of joining the alliance.

As part of the regional integration initiative, the member states are working to “build, in a participatory and consensual manner, an area of deep economic integration and to move gradually toward the free circulation of goods, services, capital and persons.” Source: The News

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Workers assemble an automobile at a plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico. (Photo: EFE/File)

cles assembled in Mexico and models imported from subsidiaries in other countries to Mexican consumers.

The top selling brands in Mexico during the first four months of the year were Nissan, with 83,719 units; General Motors, with 61,752 units; and Volkswagen, with 61,752 units.

Automakers produced

Explore Banderas Bay Walking Tours Take a tour through Puerto Vallarta’s Historic Downtown to learn about this city’s rich history, famous people, architecture, and cultural and ecological heritage; all this on an easy to

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moderate two-hour stroll led by a certified guide.

Tours leave from the Municipal Tourism Office every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m and Saturdays at 9:00 a.m.

248,031 units in Mexico in April, a figure that was up 3.9 percent from the same month in 2013, while exports totaled 202,328 units, up 9 percent from April of last year, the AMIA said.

A total of 76,865 units were sold domestically in April, down 8 percent from the same month in 2013, the trade group concluded.

Shopping in the Zona Romantica – this charming neighbourhood is also called Old Town and is a popular residential area for expats and Mexican families. Along the main streets you will find shops galore, filled with wonderful authentic crafts, clothing,

jewelry, excellent restaurants, spas, theaters and more.

Vibrant and friendly, this area offers an excellent day or two (or more!) of exploring. Close to Los Muertos beach, consider ending your day with a sunset margarita at any of the many beachfront restaurants.

Sunsets on the Malecon Sitting on the edge of the Pacific Ocean never fails to give us a sunset each night. Grab a seat at any of the number of excellent bars and restaurants along the malecon, order your favourite cocktail and let it all slip away.

Once the sun has set, the

LOCAL 06

Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

Wanderings on Olas Altas

Paradise and Parenting

By Poncho Davalos alfonso@tropicasa.com

Leza Warkentin

Helpful information at Lázaro Cárdenas Park

Tale of a Terrible Mother hursday afternoon: 3:00pm - I’m probably a terrible mother to be so thrilled about the fact that both kids have sleepover parties tomorrow night. Someday I will look back and wish I hadn’t been happy about it. Because we’ll be old and alone. And they’ll never visit.

5:30 – Only a truly terrible mother has no clean clothes in the house. I actually considered sending my son’s swim shorts that he wore two years ago, threading an old shoelace through the waistband in place of the stretched elastic. The only toothpaste I could send would be the one without a lid that’s all rolled up and has dried chunks around the top. I can’t put this together in one night.

I think I’ll cancel.

5:31 - I would certainly be a terrible mother for wanting to cancel something that they’ve been looking forward to this much.

I can do this. Buckle down time.

Get to the laundry and the supermarket, momma.

10:59 – Whew! Done! Clean clothes, adorably tiny travel shampoos and toothpastes, everything is ready and next to the door!

11:00 – My husband just asked me if I want him to help pack the children’s backpacks.

11:07 –I should apologize to my husband. He may have a point about the sarcasm.

Friday afternoon : 3:00pm- Well, I guess they are at their parties now. I’m going to check my cell phone to see if they are ok.

3:01 - No one has written me a text. I wonder if that means some-

the surfers mecca of Nayarit.

A funky town with a wonderful protected beach, this laid-back town has a hippie vibe with the organic cafes and the yoga studios to prove it.

Visit the Huichol Cultural Centre for some wonderful hand-made beaded jewelry or grab a surf

lesson from one of the many vendors on the beach.

Cooking Classes – Recognized as one of the world’s leading cuisines, there are a number of great schools in the Puerto Vallarta area that will teach you how to master tortilla soup, enchiladas, salsas and more.

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H

ello girls and guys, I hope you’re our rainy season, always is nice to see our mountains every morning. Last week on my morning walks I noticed on Lazaro Cardenas Park is a government office that offer free legal services for foreigns and permanent residents. I decided to back later the same day; I had the opportunity to talk with Alexandra Gonzalez, she is the one in charge for that office.

She told me “ OAATRE’s missión is to give a public service provided by quality and proffesional, for the benefit of the tourist and part-time resident.

Their objectives are : Have a safer city, care for visitors and permanent residents, and I think one of the most important create mechanisms for coordination government and private companies. “ Last year they helped around 155 cases They response all complains in not more than 24 hours, The services they offer are: tourist and municipal information, support

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or general counsel, translation services, complains or allegations from private or public service, request for mediation services, help you to contact the embassy for your country.

They participate with the Canadian and US Consulate, CANIRAC, CANACO, Hotels and Motels Association, ACT LGBT and others.

Alexandra said, the major of Puerto Vallarta had the idea to create this office because he is conscious most of the population in town are from USA, Canada and the rest of the world. They try to make the process the easiest as possible they’re very conscious about the language barer.

Also they attend extreme cases If it’s required. Is important you know they don’t charge for any of these services, and they don’t accept any tip, they open sevendays a week from 9 am to 9 pm and in case you need to reach them please do : atencionaturistas@hotmail.com or 22 222 24 or If is an emergency please call 01-800-84-18-199. Or find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OAATRE or Twitter @ OAATRE Guys and girls see you around Olas Altas, have fun and enjoy the rain.

Explore Banderas Bay malecon comes alive with families out for a stroll, plenty of live entertainment and later in the night, the nightclubs beckon.

Sayulita – A short 45 minutes north of the Puerto Vallarta International Airport, Sayulita is

thing’s wrong? I wonder if I should call and check?

4:30 - Finally the moms have each texted me to say everything’s fine. I bet they wouldn’t tell me if things WEREN’T fine. Who would write to say that my kid has organized a lucha libre tournament in the living room? Maybe I should call. Or maybe that looks crazy.

5:00 - The house is too quiet.

As quiet as my phone.

5:01 – My husband and I just realized that we have a whole night to ourselves and we didn’t plan to go out. This must be what a panic attack feels like. Why didn’t we plan something epic?

What if we spend a whole night not enjoying ourselves?

5:30 – We are definitely going to go out. All night long, baby. I just need to shower and change, right after I relax a little and check my phone for messages.

Friday night: 7:00pm – My husband is just resting his eyes. I’m charging my phone because once when it was low on batteries I didn’t get any of my text messages and that might be what’s happening now.

9:00 – Seems a little late now to go out. Plus, neither of us has seen Kingdom of Heaven and it’s on Netflix. Also, I just found two individual sized tiramisus in the fridge, only one day past the expiration date! We’ll hook up the stereo and turn the volume up.

‘Cause that’s just how we roll.

10:00 – My husband has respectfully suggested that I stop checking my phone during the movie because then I ask him what’s going on every 13 minutes.

I can totally do that. Because the kids are fine.

12:15am – I have not checked my phone in 2 hours and 15 minutes. I am officially a mother who believes that her capable, independent children can manage without her constant hovering!

Plus, I fell asleep during the movie. Time for a normal, healthy check in!

12:16am.- One of the host moms has been trying to contact me for an hour and a half because my child is homesick and wants to come home.

I am undoubtedly a terrible mother.

Fresh seafood, abundant fruit and veggies and a sophisticated community make Vallarta a foodies dream destination. Look for a school that will take you to the markets or introduce you to the farmers and fishermen for a truly cultural experience.

Don’t want to cook? Try one of

LOCAL 07

Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

s the bus pulls up to the curb, my eyes are pulled up to a decal of Our Lady of Guadalupe that covers the top third of the bus windshield in holy blue and gold. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Our Lady catching a free ride on the bus either.

Sometimes, she sits on the back windows with her palms open, staring blankly at the cars and people she passes.

And in case you didn’t see her already, an old, faded 8 x 10 picture of Our Lady is probably taped inside the bus, somewhere overhead looking down in faded judgment at her captive passengers. She reminds me a little of my grade school principal Sister Assumpta Mary; only less angry.

For the record, Jesus likes to ride

shotgun, painted on the back of the driver’s seat with his heart exposed and wrapped in thorns.

Bus stops in Vallarta don’t have route maps and schedules posted.

All that information is squished into a list on the lower half of the passenger-side windshield (under Our Lady) in pale, white, hand-painted letters. The first time I took the bus, I stood on the sidewalk squinting frantically at these scrunched, foreign looking words trying to find my stop as the bus pulled up. I wasn’t quick enough and the bus passed by leaving me cursing as Our Lady looks down at me from the back window. It happened again with the next bus, and the one after that.

It costs 7.5 pesos to ride the bus (about sixty cents). There

are no tokens to buy, no magnetized passes to slide as you get on. The driver collects every fare by hand, issuing change out of an old, wooden money tray propped on a pole right next to the gearshift. Occasionally, there’s someone stationed by the money tray collecting fares as passengers get on, but my sense is that these people are not employees of the transit system at all, but friends of the driver. They lean against the windshield as the bus bounces along the cobble stone roads, issue change and chat with the driver. Then, eventually they jump off at their stop with a wave and a quick “Adios!” leaving the driver alone once more to count change while he drives.

And while it’s not typical, it’s also not unusual for the driver to make an unscheduled stop, say for a cup of coffee, or even a roasted chicken from one of the street vendors. He simply hops out leaving the bus running and traffic backing up, the occasional horn blaring impatiently from behind.

Inside the bus, Our Lady watches all the passengers daring them to complain as they wait until the driver hops back in with his cup of coffee, or sandwich (or chicken!)… and puts the bus in gear.

It is also not unusual during a bus ride for someone to step to the front of the bus, make an announcement in loud, rapid Spanish, and, literally, take over as we bump and bounce through town. Solo singers with (or without) a guitar, three-piece bands in traditional costume, drummers and pan flute players, even men/women selling herbs squeeze themselves into the aisle, committed to their mission no matter how crowded.

The next five minutes are loud, tense, and undeniable, until, at some point, the music stops, a hat is passed, and then they exit shouting, “Gracias para su paciencia!”

Riding the bus is one of those unexpected pleasures I found when I moved here. Each ride becomes an opportunity for something new – even when I’m tired and uninterested. I have to admit, though, when I take a seat and see Our Lady’s never ending stare, I still break out in a cold sweat and can’t wait for detention to be over.

the Food Tours available. Eat like a local and for three hours you will enjoy everything from Tacos to Pozole.

Art Galleries – It is said there are more galleries per capita in Puerto Vallarta than any other place in Mexico. Many of these galleries are along the side

streets that run through Centro.

Stop at the Tourism Office in the Main Plaza for a map or take advantage of their free walking tour. Many galleries carry high quality local crafts, established Mexican and international artists and more.

Volunteer - There are many

wonderful organizations across the Bay that can use your help. Both time or money will be appreciated. On Sundays, the Brigada de Basura does a morning clean-up with the local children and then they all head to Que Pasa restaurant for breakfast, activities and friendship.

My Morning Commute

By Terry Connell

Riding the Bus with Our Lady

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www.vallartatribune.com

Tlcauches Rescued

By Gretchen DeWitt

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ESCUED: Seven more baby tlcauches (possums). Their mother was killed by children. Education is critical, and not just for children. A rescued single orphaned baby possum was added to this box. A friend of mine recently killed an adult possum in his garden, convinced it was a pest.

Possums are the only marsupials living in the Americas and are among the shortest-lived mammals for their size. In lab tests, the memory of possums surpasses that of cats, chicks, dogs, goats, pigs turtles and rats. They remember very well where to go for food, but don´t destroy crops or gardens. They scavenge for food in composts, garbage and up trees, using their

Ride the bus - Buses in Puerto Vallarta are an experience all their own.You can tell the general destination of the bus by what is written on the window. Costco, Sheraton, Centro, Mismaloya you can go just about anywhere in this city on the bus.

Only seven and a half pesos

long prehensile tails. At birth, the tiny babies are deaf and blind, with no real back legs. They do sort of a swimmers crawl to move from the mother´s pouch (remember the kangaroo) to her teats.

POSSUM PLAN: Marianna Barejo, who lives in Sayulita, will build a branch-lined kennel to keep baby possums safe from her cats. As tiny babies, they will be hand fed. When they begin to mature showing some yellowish hair, they will be fed from a distance. Four weeks after that, the possums will be released into the wild, where they will quickly adapt. Anticipated life span in the wild is less than two years. If you can help, Marianna needs donations of fruit, vegetables, cat kibble, etc.

Please contact her if you can help: lacasadefido@gmail.com

Charming tranquility in the mountains San Sebastian del Oeste, Jalisco

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his magical town was officially recognized as a Pueblo Magico in 2012.

Originally settled in 1605, this secluded 17th century mining town reached its peak of prosperity in the 1700s, when over 30,000 people inhabited the area.

Over the years, the town’s population fluctuated wildly as gold and silver were mined intermittently between the 1600’s and the 1930’s.

A historic town with a rich past, this once booming mining town was the second city in Mexico to get electricity. Although those gold rush years are long gone and settlers have since moved on, this beautiful mountain village of just 600 residents has kept its true colonial heritage.

A shining example of an ancient Mexican village and well known for its corn and cattle trade, San Sebastian is now cultivating coffee and agave in its lush mountainsides. It was also home to Hollywood celebrities and today is a haven for Guadalajarans and Puerto Vallartans looking for tranquil nature and a respite from the summer heat.

The white and red buildings, cobblestone roads, stone bridges and stunning mountain vistas transport visitors to a time before iphones and flatscreen tv’s. But don’t worry, there is wifi in the town plaza and at most of the restaurants and hotels.

The town continues to grow with the inauguration of the new business association. There are approximately ten hotels and twenty restaurants. Freshly prepared meals made from local ingredients, flaky pastries from the Italian bakery and warm, rich

cups of coffee will give you the energy to spend the day exploring the town and surrounding hills and a couple raicillas will mellow you out after a long day.

How to Get There From Puerto Vallarta take Highway 70 north past the airport.

Watch for signs but as long as you stay straight you can’t get lost.

The trip takes about an hour and a half. It’s 60kms of often single lane highway that winds through the farmland of the Ameca Valley, through the jungles, to the sierras of pine and oak forests at about 1,500 meters above sea level.

The air can be a little thin but it’s humidity free which is a blessing in the summer heat.

Enjoy the culinary tradition of this destination, offering treats such as huitlacoche stewed with onions and spices, or mixed platters that include a stuffed chili pepper, gordita, machaca and nance flavoured aguas frescas.

And you can’t ignore the “chocorraiz”, a chocolate drink with “Raicilla” (a local moonshine) and, for desert, enjoy peaches with rompope and cinnamon.

Above all, take advantage of nature’s generosity, offering guavas, lemons, plantains, oranges, peaches, arrayan and “faisan” berries.

To truly enjoy the local fruits visit now.

Los Arcos del Sol

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ver 200 years old, the hotel Los Arcos de Sol stands stately over the town centre.

Started over 40 years ago as a hotel by Señora Soledad Garcia, the hotel guests would ask for prepared meals and so the restaurant began to flourish. Using the family recipes from Grandma Soledad, today you can enjoy traditional favourites such as Chicken in Almond sauce, Chicken Pipian, Arrachera and more all served with handmade tortillas. The bar at Los Arcos de Sol offers all kinds of beverages including the popular café Olla made with locally produced coffee, tequila and raicilla from the surrounding towns. Located overlooking the plaza, the patio area of the restaurant is a great place to watch the goings on in the little town. Manger of Los Arcos de Sol, Jesus Aguirre, invites everyone to visit San Sebastian and relax in this delightful mountain town.

If you want to spend the night, the hotel offers ten rooms ranging from $150 pesos per person to $450 pesos a night for a double room with television. You can enjoy a delicious breakfast at the restaurant to begin your day starting at 9am and finish with an early dinner at 5pm.

High in the mountains, only one hour from Puerto Vallarta, San Sebastiรกn offers a different experience.

Cool mountain air, tranquil nature and historical charm await you.

LOCAL 11

Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

Flowers of the Week

www.vallartatribune.com

by Sandra Cesca

Orchid Tree Árbol de Orquídea (Spanish) Bauhinia sp.

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amels Foot (from shape of leaves); Kachnar Tree in India. An ornamental growing to 40 feet, it often is mistaken for the Amapas Tree (Tabebuia rosae) when in full bloom. This tree is important in the healing practices of Ayurvedic medicine. Bark extract is used to cure asthma and ulcers; the buds and roots for digestive problems; the leaves as flavoring in Indian foods. The flowers attract hummingbirds.

This plant is one of over 200 found in Sandra’s new colorcoded guidebook, Tropical Plant Walks of Puerto Vallarta.

Available now at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens’ gift shop www.vbgardens.org, Page in the Sun Bookstore and from Sandra at the Paradise Community Center Farmer’s Market on Saturdays.

Information on her many walking tours can be found at: www.escaperoutevallarta.com.

VALLARTA SHOPPING DIRECTORY The only complete guide for Vallarta´s best galleries, boutiques, spas, restaurants and more. vallartashoppingdirectory.blogspot.mx

Basilio Badillo 269 A Puerto Vallarta, Jal Mon - Sat 4-11 pm (322) 223 3734 From USA or Canada 1-269-282-9550 info.divinodante@gmail.com www.divinodante.com

MEN AND WOMEN’S JEWELRY AND ACCESORIES. CASSANDRA SHAW JEWELRY 223 9734 BASILIO BADILLO 276 OLD TOWN OPEN DAILY

Nacho Daddy Mexico is the place in Puerto Vallarta where American, Canadian and European ex-pats and tourists across the globe gather to drink, eat, dance, listen to great music,watch football and having a rip-roaring good time.

287 Basilio Badillo in old town 322 223 0838 www.nachodaddymexico.com

REAL ESTATE 14

Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

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How much of paradise do you want to own?

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deed for your fraction, whether that be 1/12 (4 week rotating fractional) or 1/24 (2 week guaranteed holiday season), meaning that your fractional purchase is yours for life as part of your estate. Like full ownership, your fraction is an asset that you can sell, rent or leave in a will as you please, and like any property purchase your investment can appreciate.

elcome to the wonderful world of luxury deeded full and fractional property ownership in Puerto Vallarta, where making a reservation is a thing of the past and real estate matches your lifestyle.

With Signature Residences at Garza Blanca you can own as little as a month for as long as a lifetime, investing in genuine luxury equity that is yours to sell, rent or enjoy as you wish.

Worry-Free Ownership

Luxury Resort Real Estate

Signature Residences at Garza Blanca leads the way in luxury resort real estate in Puerto Vallarta, offering a range of palatial 2 and 3 bedroom residences and spectacular penthouses for sale. Each property guarantees stunning ocean views, elegantly proportioned interiors and access to superb five star resort facilities including one of Banderas Bay’s most beautiful white sandy beaches: With a limited number of deeded

Signature Residences at Garza Blanca - an elite edition for the most discerning real estate buyer in Puerto Vallarta

full and fractional properties on the market, Garza Blanca Signature Residences is poised

for exclusive clientele seeking luxury, class and a touch of magic - are you ready to join us?

Sites Marina

El Tigre Villa For Sale Located on the 10th Tee

Why Own in Paradise?

Investing in a luxury residence located on the premises of a five star resort is the perfect compromise between the responsibility of owning a second home and the convenience of staying in a hotel. You can live the lifestyle of an elite guest in one of Puerto Vallarta’s most luxurious resorts secure in the knowledge that you have made a tangible investment both financially and experientially. Imagine all the services of a hotel at a push of a button with unlimited access to the resort’s spectacular pools, spa, gym, tennis courts and world class gourmet restaurants.

With the added advantage of being able to rent your villa when you are not there or take advantage of Garza Blanca’s optional property management services, full and fractional ownership in paradise is an opportunity with many benefits.

Deeded Fractional Ownership

The Best Price $/m2 in El Tigre Fully Furnished 4 Beds 4.5 Baths This stunning home includes maids quarters, stunning kitchen and majestic living room that looks on to a glorious pool and outdoor entertainment area. Enjoy magnificent golf course and heavenly views from this divine residence. If you are looking for a Million dollar home, but not the price, this is your only option.

www.remaxinpv.com

While it is easy to recognize the advantages and responsibilities of full second home ownership, many of us confuse the benefits of fractional deeded ownership with timeshare and residence club membership.

As an owner of a fractional asset at Garza Blanca Signature Residences, you possess the

The additional benefits of deeded fractional ownership are many, with the main being that you do not have to worry about anything, you turn up during your scheduled fraction and enjoy a fabulous vacation in your own vacation home - no reservations, no double booking, no fuss. Your fractional maintenance fees cover everything, including administrative costs, cleaning, maintenance, a furniture fund, water, electric and gas.

You live like a VIP guest in your own home. Indeed, fractional ownership is even simpler than renting, and unlike renting, your money does not go down the black hole of the landlord’s pocket - you are your own landlord!

Am I a Perfect Candidate for Fractional Ownership in Puerto Vallarta?

If you adore Puerto Vallarta and love the fact that you experience something new each time you arrive, then fractional could be just the investment you are looking for. Returning home each year to your very own residence by the sea is a luxury many only dream of.

Among the candidates who would benefit most from fractional ownership are those who want to purchase overseas but can only visit once or twice a year, those who want to try before they commit to full ownership or those who can afford to buy a cheaper apartment in full but really want to own something more luxurious.

Oftentimes, you may be able to afford to buy full ownership but want to avoid any concerns about renting your property while you are not able to use it.

travel 15

www.vallartatribune.com

Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

Postcards from Chiapas

When you Go

Greetings from the Land of the Maya

By Anita Draycott

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hiapas, Mexico’s southernmost state, is home to several indigenous groups descended from the Maya, two of the largest being the Tzotzils and Tzeltals who inhabit highland villages surrounding San Cristobal.

Colonial Charmer: San Cristobal San Cristobal de las Casas, capital of Chiapas until 1892, is still considered the cultural capital of the state. The Cathedral dominates the tree-lined zocalo (main plaza). Built during the 16th and 17th centuries and restored in the 1920s, the mustard yellow and white facade blends Baroque, Moorish and indigenous influences.

This being one of Mexico’s poorest regions and the headquarters of the 1994 Zapatista rebellion, I was expecting dirt roads and basic services. Imagine my surprise to find not only one of Mexico’s best-preserved Spanish colonial towns but also a sophisticated vibe with luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants, cafes and fabulous shopping. There aren’t many North American tourists here but the French, Germans and Italians have definitely discovered the cobblestone streets of San Cristobal, aptly designated as one of Mexico’s Magic Towns.

San Juan Chamula: A Church Like no Other Today we visited a small village near San Cristobal called San Juan Chamula. The Mayans here have resisted the Catholic religion and many other practices that the rest of the world has adapted. The church is unlike anything I have ever seen. Unfortunately, I don’t have any interior photos because they forbid gringos from taking shots inside the church. (You can be jailed!).

However, let me try to paint a word picture.

The floor is strewn with fresh cedar boughs. There are no pews; instead Mayan men, women and children kneel down on the floor and set up individual altars (based on what their shaman has instructed). He/she advises how many candles and what colours.

So imagine this cedar-strewn floor covered in thousands of burning candles. Other items for their altar offerings include Coca Cola or

Fanta (the belief is that the carbonation dispels bad spirits in the form of burps), eggs and live chickens. If a person has a psychological problem, the shaman says various prayers and passes a live chicken over the patient. Then she/he quietly breaks the fowl’s neck. (It goes home for a ceremonial dinner.) Meanwhile, the priest and his followers circulate around the church playing the accordion and various stringed instruments.

The air is pungent with copal incense mixed with the smell of fresh flowers. The other key offering is posh, a potent liquor made from distilled corn mash. A few worshippers flambéed their candle offerings with posh and I feared the whole place would go up in flames.

Tourists must pay a nominal sum ($2) to enter the church.

Once you’re in they basically ignore you while going about their rituals. This is a very sacred place and these people are intensely devoted.

Mayan Medicine & Bio Piracy Today our guide, Robert, took us to the Mayan Medicine Museum just outside of town.

Inside there’s a fascinating video that shows the role of a midwife during a traditional Mayan birth.

Outside they grow myriad medicinal plants. Rumour has it that employees of pharmaceutical companies came here under false pretenses and tried to steal medicinal plants that they would then clone and patent.

I was fascinated by the “pharmacy,” where you can purchase natural remedies for what ails you.

A cardboard hand-printed sign indicates what ingredients heal particular symptoms. For example, pulverized wild tobacco, garlic and limestone are supposed to protect people against envy, bad winds and nausea. I not sure about that but the little vial of cold sore liquid that I purchased for a few pesos worked like a charm for me.

Forever Amber Chiapas is the third largest producer of amber on the planet.

If you covet some new baubles this is the place to buy. Many experts consider the amber from Chiapas the most beautiful due to the great variety of colours, including rare reds, cognacs, greens and pinks. Some jewelry shops in town called themselves amber museums but the real one

is located in the former Merced convent. Buyer beware: take the tour to avoid purchasing fake plastic or glass. Amber is not a mineral but an ancient fossilized plant resin from a Guapinol tree.

Authentic amber is light and warm to the touch; counterfeit amber is heavy and cold. A reputable store will have an ultra violet light so you can test. If the amber glows green under the light, it’s real.

The second floor of the museum houses an impressive collection, including two specimens with rare inclusions, one with a scorpion trapped inside; the other imprisons a tiny lizard. There’s even a miniature marimba made of golden amber.

Market Day with Marta Today I met Chiapas’s celebrity chef, Marta Zepeda who runs a terrific boutique hotel and restaurant in the centre of town called Tierra y Cielo. She took me to municipal food market a few blocks from the Santa Domingo Church.

This is the social and commercial hub for the indigenous groups from the surrounding villages. What a feast for the senses! Stalls overflow with piles of mangos, tomatoes, beans, corn, herbs, chilies and flowers.

Mayan grandmothers dressed in intricately woven and embroidered shawls, blouses and

skirts wrangle live chickens and turkeys. The aroma of organically grown Chiapas coffee tantalizes.

Tazcalate, another beverage unique to Chiapas, is made with ground toasted corn, chocolate, cinnamon, achiote and sugar.

Back in her kitchen at Tierra y Cielo, chef Marta whipped up her signature dessert, a torte made with the staples of Mexican cooking (corn, chilies, squash and beans). Later Marta took me on a tour of San Cristobal to visit some of her favourite “foodie” shops. Carajillo sells and serves the best coffee. Intervino offers a huge selection of Mexican vino from the Baja and the unique Pechuga Mescal containing spices, fruit and vapour of raw chicken breast! At La Vina de Bacco each glass you order comes with small tapas. Pox is a posheria selling fermented sugar cane and corn that is distilled and infused with various flavours of raspberry, peach, cinnamon and plum. Super souvenirs.

Looms and Local Life San Lorenzo Zinacantan, a Tzotzil community next to Chamula, is famous for its textile handicrafts. We visited Catalina and her family who make their living by opening their home to tourists. Catalina was busy weaving a colourful tapestry on a primitive back-strap loom. I

Robert Murphy, who works for Viajes Chiapas is a fantastic guide. Murphy’s uncle was the bishop of the San Cristobal diocese and he grew up in the bishop’s house. His mom is Mexican and his dad is American so he speaks both languages fluently. As a kid, Murphy accompanied his uncle to many of the Mayan villages.

He is a veritable font of knowledge about Mayan customs and the lay of the land in Chiapas. www.viajeschiapas.com; info@viajeschiapas.com I stayed at Bo, a contemporary boutique hotel near the centre of San Cristobal.

The spacious rooms are built around a central garden court with beckoning sitting areas. Food is excellent, especially the breakfasts.

As I mentioned before, you won’t be roughing it in San Cristobal; the bar has more kinds of Champagne and Cognac than you’d find in a Vancouver hot spot. The service is personal and professional. www.hotelbo.mx

bought a tablecloth and a shawl and we sampled some hot-off-thecomal tortillas made from scratch by her daughter. Trust me, there is no comparison between a storebought tortilla and one that’s been hand ground and cooked over hot coals.

Calling all Nature Lovers Chiapas is a stellar destination for adventure travellers and eco-tourists. About 120km south of San Cristobal, El Chiflon is a series of waterfalls and pools created by the Río San Vicente. A pathway leads along the river and extends around the base of the dramatic uppermost 70 m Velo de Novia (Bride’s Veil) waterfall.

Bring your swimsuit for a dip in the pools or be brave and take the zip line across the falls. El Chiflon also has comfortable cabanas you can rent for the night.

The Lagunas de Montebello National Park is another nature lover’s region in the far south of Chiapas where you’ll find more than 50 scenic lakes surrounded by pine and oak forests. The minerals, plus the reflection of the sun, give the lakes remarkable hues that range from turquoise to emerald to violet to blue to deep green.

TRAVEL 16

Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

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Food of the Mayan World

By Ramiro Lopez

The River Chiapas

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espite European colonization and culinary evangelization, Chiapas still maintains most of its Mayan roots. Located on the southern border of Mexico with Guatemala, where the green tropical jungle meets the purest blue sky and creates the most beautiful nature scenes. Chiapas is part of the vibrant remaining Mayan World and its cuisine is the result of the fusion of civilizations such as the Olmec and the Maya, however, this merger expands to include the Chiapas, Chol, Lacandon, Mames, Chamula, Tojolabales, Tzotzil, Tzeltal, Zoque and Chontal cultures.

Centuries ago, it is said that Tlaxcaltecas who came to colonize this land called it Chiapas: Chi: chia (1) and a-ā-pan; river, which would make one think that chia was grown on the banks of the rivers. Besides chia, and items such as pumpkin seeds, corn, beans, peppers, pineapple and a great variety of mangoes, such as the Ataulfo. Named after the man

who created the fruit tree grafts the first trees still remain near the city of Tapachula. Chiapias’s culinary pantry is enriched by such endemic products as chipilin, red chili Simojovel, “caimito” (star apple) the shuti (river snail), rambutan, native plums, soursop, papausa (2) and cashew, among other ingredients.

Route of Coffee and Tamal in Soconusco This time I decided to start my journey at the farthest point of our country, but which is now very close to my heart. And so, without further ado, after a long but entertaining road trip I was finally in the streets of Tapachula (Pearl Soconusco) region, a very hot place, where women do not wear makeup because of the torrents of rain, but no matter what they are “chulas” (pretty), like their city.

Happily, I met a “chula” who told me with great passion about the sorts of herbs you can find there; the nightshade and chipilin: “in former times it was looked down

on to eat it, because it meant that you had nothing else to eat, since it grew in the wild”.

The chipilin is an essential ingredient in the diet of the locals she told me; “It is traditional to eat it in tamales wrapped in banana leaves, and the most recent recipe is chipilin in flour tortillas.”

This aromatic herb is used in the classic and popular tamales also containing chicken, cheese and sometimes slices of poblano peppers. Equally popular are bean “camagua” tamales; this bean is peculiarly sweet and its large size contrasts with the small tamale, wrapped in banana leaf. During my exploration I discovered that in Chiapas they have a “Tamale Route” which I decided to follow during this tour. To accompany the tamale, nothing is better than the world famous coffee of the Soconusco region, that in Tapachula is called ‘water sock’, since it is steeped through a network resembling this lowly garment. In Huixtla, about 45 kms. of Tapachula, food is varied and exotic.

People consume iguana and casquito turtle, either preferred in a type of mole sauce, or stewed, and of course in tamales.

Sea of Food. Land of Tamales.

Chiapas is the only state in the Mayan World with access to the Pacific Ocean, and it is reflected in its diversity of sea food in their menu. With Puerto Chiapas lying on the coast, the

shellfish obviously should not be missed, as well as fish like macabil (grouper) and chumul (snook) consumed in fish cakes, sea food salads, dumplings, tacos and tamales. In the northern coast of Chiapas, at the Boca de Cielo Beach, mullet is prepared roasted, baked or in Chaya Leaf, they also fry fish roe and serve it with slices of lemon. Towards Tonala, deep in the forest, there is not fresh seafood, so they have found other ways to enjoy it with “turulas” a stew of dried shrimp and tomatoes. Interstingly, that the name they know the people from Tonalá is “Turulos”. Of course they prepare tamales with dried shrimp and they call it “guacanes”.

In Chiapa de Corzo, 30 minutes away from Tuxtla, during January they have a celebration known as Comida Grande (Great Meal). It is said that everything located here is great, and the proof of this is the great Sumidero Canyon. There is one place on the “Malecon”, facing towards the canyon pier, where you can try all manner of regional delights, including tamales.

Pozol or Pozole in Tuxtla Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital city of Chiapas, is considered one of the 10 best cities in which to live, and the cuisine is one of the richest in Mexico. There, they have an expression that says; “In Tuxtla there is not a single family that does not have one member who has been a musician and another who cannot make tamales.” The first assertion could be true, there

are many “marimba” players in the city and their sounds combined with the aroma of the coffee and made me feel in a completely different dimension.

I was installed in the cafeteria San Carlos (recommended as the best in the city). I was already working on discovering the truth of the second statement. Beginning with the chaya leaf tamale stuffed with beans, I then continued with the chambray one; a mixture of pork with cinnamon, fried banana, almonds and raisins that give a little sweet flavor to it, and finally I ended with the classic sweet corn tamale as a dessert, which is called “picte”, accompanied with cream and cheese.

The corn, with its origins in the Mayan World, is used in the tamales as well as in the tortillas, faithfully accompanying the black beans that are customary in the region. Here, however, corn is not just drunk in “atole” with tamales.

Their typical drink here is “pozol” (don´t confuse with pozole), made from maize (white) and cacao (dark) with sugar.

Twelve o´clock is known as the time of “pozol” and virtually the entire city turns to where it is sold, to soothe itself from the heat. The best place to try it is the market, 5 de Mayo, where the “tascalate” is also found, made from ground corn, cacao, “achiote”, sugar, cinnamon and pinion.

Tuxtleca is not just the adjective to name the woman from Tuxtla Gutierrez, it´s also how they call the beef cooked with lemon (ceviche style).

San Cristobal de Las Casas: Don´t play the Sax, eat it!

Continuing the Tamale Route I arrived to San Cristobal de las Casas, crowning the Sierra de Chuchumatanes with its splendor and beauty. It is one

TRAVEL 17

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of the most beautiful cities in the Americas, and holds the title of Magic Town, but for many years had the not-so-pleasant name “Villaviciosa” (vicious village), perhaps due to the strong grades of alcohol consumed here: come and find out! What I found was the tamale smeared with saffron, cooked with the root of the plant that gives it a unique color and flavor. Another inevitable is the Toro Pinto, which includes wholegrain beans. And finally the tamale ball (filled with beef and pork ribs marinated in pepper and tomato).

Nearby Comitán is characterized by having a rich cuisine, from the common to the exotic, like the Nucú, a species of ant eaten toasted or fried, and why not try your luck with the sax (edible worms which look bad but taste good, brought from Huitihupan). I also suggest the Comiteco, a spirit made based on the distillation of pulque, considered a cousin of Mescal, but after some shots the brotherhood increases.

In the region of the Lacandon jungle there are dishes with undoubted indigenous roots as Shuti with chaya leaves and corn masa, Chilmol Duck (duck in spicy tomato sauce), venison salad, and sweated fish .For good digestion, there is nothing like the “chichi”, which is a fermented drink made of corn and cane sugar, or the Balché also prepared from corn and other grains.

Chiapas is a place with enormous natural wealth, and unfortunately the distribution of material wealth has always been imbalanced there, causing a breeding ground for armed struggles seeking to protect the rights of its indigenous people, who did not stop being our brothers.

Despite the fact that the characteristics of its people make us feel

we’ve really crossed a border, we must not forget that Chiapas is still Mexico. It is time to leave and get ready for the road with a serving of Chiapas tamales, wrapped in a classic banana leaf, a lunch conveniently suited for travel.

LEARN MORE. 1. Chia: flowering plant in the mint family, native to Mexico and Guatemala. It was cultivated by the Aztec in pre-Columbian times it was as important as maize as a food crop. It´s nutritious value makes of chia seeds one of the best seeds in the planet.

2. Papausa: found after the rains in May, has pink or white wedges and a sweet flavor.

Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

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RIVIERA NAYARIT 18

Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

Fun on the Riviera Nayarit

By Cat Morgan www.rivieranayaritfun.com

H

OLA ! For this week’s edition of Fun on the Riviera Nayarit, I thought I would touch a couple of Riviera Nayarit pueblos for events and news. I thought this time of the season would be slowing down a bit - it is not so! There is plenty of activity going on! Many folks are staying here longer, or all year around. And, amazingly enough, we are already past hurricane Christina, hurricane # 3; we sure do have an early start on the rains with plenty more to come our way with an El Nino year. The jungles surrounding my casa have already come alive with many different shades of green. NICE! Bucerias What can one say about the new plaza? Well, one positive aspect is the new statue of El Buzo (the diver) was brought to the plaza last Sunday and unveiled to the public on Father’s Day. “El Buzo” was created in a joint project by sculptors Octavio Gonzalez Gutierrex and Luis Armando Solorio.

Bucerias, like most westcoast communi-

ties, was a fishing town at its inception in the early twentieth century. The name Bucerias translates to “divers” in Spanish; harkening back to the town’s beginning when a great deal of the people supplemented their incomes diving the shallows of the Banderas Bay for oysters.

Other positive Bucerias Plaza news: Owner of Los Arroyos Verdes “Lupercia Dipp” has donated trees for the new plaza, making more shade for vendors and folks enjoying the area.

Thank You! 2nd Punta de Mita Beach Festival Everyone had so much fun last year that the St. Regis Punta Mita Resort will once again be the host for the Punta Mita Beach Festival on July 17-20, 2014. Activities include races, fine cuisine and cocktails, live music and more.

Three night packages start at $1290.00 USD in an ocean front room (plus tax and service charges) or you can get day passes starting at $80.00 and going up to $495.00 USD.

San Pancho Turtle News Frank Smith heads up the turtle Project Grupo Ecologico de la Costa Verde, A.C. in San Pancho. This non profit organization depends on volunteers and donations every year to help save the turtle population and continue to help populate the several turtle species. They are quite busy this time of year getting the nursuries ready for the season ahead. It’s the beginning of the turtle laying season, and three turtles have already come onto the playa laying eggs. The volunteers are out every morning before 4 am to watch, collect and protect the turtles and eggs from poachers.

God bless all of you for all you do!

Contact Frank (information below), or Joslin Carson, his main “Turtle Worker” on their Face book page, “San Pancho Turtles” for more information on how you can help out.

Hola Volunteers, Supporters and Readers The 2015 nesting season officially begins on June 1st, and for once we’re nearly ready. The total number of nests recorded (the 2014 season) came to 1,190, while the total hatchling released topped 90,100.

My forty-five day trip to California seemed like a six month adventure, enjoying the company of great friends, fascinatingly beautiful country of hot springs, from the Sierra Madre to the Coastal Redwoods.

Aside from blowing a head gasket on the way back to

Mexico, the only other bad news came when I crossed the border and discovered that I would not be able to keep my Honda CR-V in México after July 7th, 2015, the date that I became a permanent immigrant, the reason, simply because the Honda was made Japan.

If anyone down here is interested in trading a US plated vehicle for a Nayarit plate vehicle, let me know, but the Honda must be driven out of México before July 7th, 2015.

Weather-wise, daytime temperatures mostly in the mid to high 80°s, nighttime temps in the low to mid 70°s. Mid-day humidity was as expected around 70% and higher at times.

The first three bolts of lightning arrived on the morning of June 1st, while the total rainfall for the year came to one inch. On May 22nd, the first tropical storm of the season, Amanda, built itself into a category 4 hurricane. She drifted 500 miles in the direction of San Pancho before it dissolved into a harmless mass of clouds on the 29th.

It was eighteen years ago that the 1996-97 el Niño event destroyed over 77% of our beach nursery nests. With this disaster fresh in our minds, we are just a little nervous due to the increasing speculation that an el Niño event may once again return in 2014-15. Unfortunately, there is little we can do to counteract its effects except placing as many nests within the box nursery as

possible. The 1996-97 el Niño created three months of rain (little lightning or sun.)

Volunteer-wise: Joslin, Starlie and Summer Bertrand, US - Lisa Fisher, Canada - and Manuel Murrieta from México. The first five seasonal volunteers will arrive around mid-June.

Town and country wise, the gas station, sewer plant and the reconstruction of the town’s intersection is still lays-away plan, although the station’s sign is lit up at night, and shelves and equipment are being installed in the store. Work on the polo facility is moving ahead at a brisk pace.

When I returned to San Pancho I found the town the same way as when I left, minus most of the tourists and snowbirds that had fled the heat.

The lagoon had stretched itself out to nearly the center of town, but is slowly receding now. For some reason there are few surface plants, what little there is, is mostly Hyacinth. The pesos is about 12.6 per dollar, regular gasoline is now 3.90 per gallon.

Frank D. Smith Director, Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, A.C. http://www.project-tortuga.org Tel. 311-258-4100

Cat Morgan is owner and founder of the RivieaNayaritFun. com Regional Network. If you have any questions, comments or Riviera Nayarit news please send an email to Cat@RivieraNayaritFun.com

SPORTS 19

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Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

Random thoughts from the Tribune Sports desk

By Joel Hansen

I

write this column on Wednesdays. So that means I am writing this as my beloved Holland struggles against Australia in the first half of their Group B match. The game is a draw at 1-1 and Australia is outplaying the Dutch. I have loved Dutch soccer my whole life, but because of this love, I have suffered some horrible disappointment. The Dutch are one of the most entertaining teams in football; they tease you with their individual talent and the entertaining attacking style they play. But, over the years I have come to realize that as a national side they are cursed. They show you so much that gives you hope, like in the last World Cup, where they were the class of the tournament. Then in the final they lost their focus and played an unbelievably stupid brand of rough, violent football versus Spain that cost them their first World Cup. As usual it was the curse of the Dutch.

Last week in Tulum I watched the Dutch versus Spain with the Spanish owners of the very development I was staying at and in the middle of negotiating a deal with.

Through the first half of the match the game was evenly played and Spain actually took the lead on a penalty kick. My hosts were in great spirits, singing, laughing and chiding me for their good fortune.

Of course the second half was a different story. The Dutch attacked the heart of the Spanish

defense and Robbens and Van Persie proved too much for the Spaniards. As the goals began to pile up for Holland the mood around me began to change. The plates of Spanish tapas that had been flowing so freely in the first half began to dry up. The rich, vibrant Spanish wine that had been so freely splashed into my glass was replaced by luke-warm cans of Tecate Light as each Dutch goal came.

By goal four I realized I was the only one still cheering, the mood was dejected; the suspicious eyes of Spaniards were on me. When the fifth goal came, I felt everyone in the room staring at me with open hostility as if it was somehow my fault that Arjen Robbens had scored again, as if it was me who had sent him in alone against the Spanish keeper.

Internally I was in a state of panic, these people were my clients, and we were working on a new contract. Could it all be going wrong because of the Dutch and total football?

“Well that one didn’t turn out like I thought.” I offered meekly to my hosts. “I guess we can head back to your office and wrap up the contract, nothing really left to see here,” as I looked down at my bright orange Holland team jersey.

Why did I wear this?

“I think we are done for the day Señor Hansen, perhaps we can meet tomorrow if there is time.” my

host replied as he stood up and left without the traditional hug and handshake.

My head spun, could this really be happening? I had waited four years for Holland to get revenge on Spain and now what should be an amazing day of victory was turning into a terrible day of tragedy. As I slunk back to my room to change out of my jersey and back into a shirt and tie I began to feel as if my love of Dutch football would be my undoing in the negotiation of this contract. My host seemed genuinely upset with me.

Now everywhere I looked, the staff who had seemed so friendly to me now avoided my eyes; had the boss said something? Issued an order over the walkie-talkies to give the stink eye to the bearded Canadian in the ill-fi-

tting Holland jersey. I waved hello to the women who cleaned my room and had always left me a chocolate, she pretended not to see me. As I walked past the pool, a rowdy volleyball game was taking place between pasty Brits and a group of Canadians led by the whistle blowing Events guy. As I passed, the ball splashed down and soaked my now cursed Dutch jersey.

Did I notice a glimmer in the eye of the Events kid as he weakly apologized to me? Was my love of Dutch football behind this? Was it the curse? This amazing resort that had seemed so friendly and opulent only about 90 minutes ago now seemed foreboding and unwelcoming. I slapped at a mosquito as it bit my neck, what the heck? I never got bit before, damn you Holland!

As I trudged up the staircase to my room I pulled my room card out of my soaked khakis and inserted it into the door....nothing, my card didn’t work. I felt panic grip me, had they kicked me out? Was the Dutch curse real? I felt weak, I returned to the lobby and stubbed my toe on the front deck. Hard.

The front desk staff all pretended to not hear me or see me, they acted like they were busy with other clients.

I began to sweat, not the normal hot in the tropics kind of sweat, the cold, my boss is going to kill me for screwing up this contract for rooting for the Dutch when I was in meetings with a Spanish developer kind of sweats. I felt my phone buzz

as an email came in. I thought I might pass out, how had a soccer game done this? I wasn’t even Dutch and now their sexy brand of football had turned my life upside down, got me kicked out of my hotel and most likely fired.

The grand lobby was spinning. I tried to read the email. It was from the developer. I could hardly make out what it said through my watery eyes… something, something, something… the contract looks good. Bring the final document tomorrow and we can sign-off…

The ringing in my ears began to subside, the rooms spins slowed, the concierge asked me if he could help me reprogram my room key and I realized that the curse of the Dutch may finally be lifting.

As I type this last line a kid named Memphis Depay has just scored for Holland putting them back in the lead against a very spirited team from Australia. If this holds up they will have two wins heading into the match with Chile. It’s a long ways to go, but I think this could be the year the curse is lifted.

And just to be sure I am watching all games locked in my office where both my love of Dutch football and my slightly snug, bright orange jersey do not offend.

My trip to Tulum last week interrupted my lessons at the Spanish Experience Center here in Puerto Vallarta, had I gone to my lessons instead, I might have learned “Se guardará silencio culero Canadiense”.

You can find them at www. spanishexperiencecenter.com

CHARITIES 20

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Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

Non-Profit and Charitable Organizations For visitors to Puerto Vallarta who wish to support the less privileged in our paradise, this is a list of some of the many organizations that could benefit from such kind gestures. If you would like your organization recognized here, please email details to editor@vallartatribune.com.

Acción En La Cruz: aid residents of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle by providing provisions in exchange for community services performed. www.landon5120. wix.com/accionenlacruz Alcoholics Anonymous: In English Puerto Vallarta Alanon Club - Basilio Badillo 329 www.recoverpv.com Amazing Grace Missions Assisting families in Majisterio & Progreso with necessities and job training and English. Children’s programs also. Tax-deductible in USA & Canada.

Contact slw2014nv@gmail.com American Legion Post 14: raises resources and manpower to improve facilities needing building maintenance www.americanlegion14.org Asilo San Juan Diego Home for the Elderly - Contact: Lupita Sanchez Covarrubias 222-1257 or malupita88@ hotmail.com or www.mexonline.com\ asilosanjuandiego.htm Asociación Down - Assistance to persons with Down’s Syndrome – Contact: Ana Catalina Eisenring at 224-9577.

Banderas Bay Women’s Shelter - Safe shelter for women & children victims of domestic violence. www.compassionforthefamily.org Becas Vallarta, A.C. – Provides scholarships to high school and university students. Tax-deductible in Mexico and USA. Polly Vicars at (322) 223-1371 or Buri Gray at (322) 221-5285. www. puerto-vallarta.com/amf Bucerias Bilingual Community Center: Supporting families, seniors in Bucerias. www.buceriasbilingualcommunitycenter.org Casa Hogar - A shelter for orphaned, abandoned, disadvantaged or vulnerable children. Luz Aurora Arredondo at 221-1908, Rita Millan (322) 141-6974. casamaximocornejo@gmail.com Centro Comunitario SETAC-GLBT – Services the GLBT community, including treatment and referrals, education, English classes, HIV testing and counseling. Paco Arjona 224-1974 or paco@ setac.com.mx Clinica de Rehabilitación Santa

Barbara - Rehabilitation of the handicapped. Contact: Laura Lopez Portillo Rodriguez at 224-2754.

COLINA Spay and Neuter Clinic - Free and by-donation sterilization clinic in Old Town. Only open Sundays, Contact: cez@rogers.com or 322-104-6609 CompassionNet Impact – Transforming the lives of people living in chronic poverty. Job creation, education, emergency food, medicine & clothing.

Tax-deductible. Cell: (322) 133-7263 or ric@4compassion.org Cruz Roja (Red Cross) - Handles hospital and emergency service in Vallarta. It is the only facility that is authorized to offer assistance to injured people on the street. Contact: 222-1533, 222-4973 Desayunos para los Niños de Vallarta A.C. Feeding programs, education programs, day care centers for single mothers. 22 343 11 or 22 225 72 FB/desayunosninosvallarta Discapacitados de Vallarta, A.C. (DIVAC) association of handicapped individuals dedicated to helping one another. Ivan Applegate at 221-5153.

Families At The Dump: Supporting families living in the landfill or garbage dump thru education and sustainable opportunities. www.familiesatthedump. org or 297-7425 Fundacion Punta de Mita LDG. Ana Lilia Medina Varas de Valdés. ana@fundacionpuntademita.org Tel. (329) 291 5053 www.fundacionpuntademita.org Grupo Ecológico de PuertoVallarta: Arq. Luz del Carmen Pérez Alvarez cayro_13@ hotmail.com grupoecologico.com Friends of PV Animals Volunteers working to enhance the lives of shelter animals. For info and donations visit friendsofpvanimals.com Horizonte de Paz: Shelter for men of all ages who are troubled with alcohol & drug addiction. Donato Schimizzi: 322 199 9523 or Roberto: 281 0644 dschimizzi@yahoo.com La Brigada de la Basur:a A weekly meeting of neighborhood children to clean Vallarta Streets. Contact Que?Pasa 223-4006 Mexico Ministries & Mission, Inc. raises funds to the poor in Vallarta.

Contact Fr. Jack+ 044 322 229-1129 christchurchbythesea.org

Navy League - assists in the transportation of donated medical supplies from the U.S., organizes work groups to paint and repair facilities, and operates the local Toys for Tots program. www. vallartanavyleague.org.

ADORABLE DOG IN THE SPOTLIGHT...PIPER

New Life Mexico - Challenging Child Poverty with health and education programs. Philippa Vernon pvp@newlifemexico.com Paraíso Felino AC Refuge and Adoption Centre for cats and kittens in the Bay of Banderas. Luis Donaldo Cel. (322) 120-4092 Pasitos de Luz - substitute home for low income children with any type of handicap, offers rehabilitation services and special support to their families.

299-4146. pasitosdeluz.org PEACEAnimals - Free mobile spay/ neuter clinic operating 48 weeks a year, primarily in Puerto Vallarta. Tax-deductible. peaceanimals.org Pro Biblioteca de Vallarta - Raises funds for Los Mangos Public Library.

Tax-deductible Ricardo Murrieta at 224-9966 or Jimmie Ellis at 222-1478.

Proyecto Pitillal, “Busca un Amigo” Association created by underprivileged mothers of paralyzed children. Contact: 299-4495.

Puerto Vallarta Garden Club: Beautify and protecting the environment. vallartagardenclub.com PuRR Project - A no-kill cat shelter, a natural un-caged environment. www. purrproject.com Refugio Infantil Santa EsperanzaShelter for Children. Tax-deductible. ccshf.ca

This poor little sweetheart was rescued darting in and out of traffic; behind her she dragged a rope tied to her neck. After a near-miss with a bus, one of our volunteers scooped her up and took her to the sanctuary before anything serious happened. Piper is approximately two years old, a Terrier mix, weighing 5 kilos or 11 pounds.

She has the sweetest disposition and is truly deserving of a safe fur-ever home. Please contact us at spcapv@ gmail.com.

Roma’s Kids - Educate the children of the Volcanes and surrounding area: Math, English and computer programs a priority. 100% goes to the kids. kids. romamexico.com The International Friendship Club (IFC) - Supports the Cleft Palate Surgery Program & families in need.

322-222-5466. ifcvallarta.com. ifcvallarta@gmail.com.

Toys for Tots Vallarta - Distributes toys and constructs playgrounds for Puerto Vallarta area during the Christmas holiday period. Jerry Lafferty 322 221 6156 or Lourdes Bizarro lourdes. bizarro@marriotthotels.com.

Vallarta Saludable (Healthy) – Healthy living through organics, stevias, cooking workshops, serums reversing dialysis and reality show. NAOTF.org Suzy Chaffee suzynativevoices@aol.com

CLASSIFIEDS 21

Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

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IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS OFF

Emergency Phone Numbers Havre No.111 Col. Versalles Fluent Englis Spoken

The police station or the fire department is 060. For Non-Emergency calls, dial (322) 290-0507 for the Police Dep & (322) 224-7701 for the Fire Department.

Ambulance Services Red Cross Ambulance: 222-1533 Global Ambulance: 226-1014

Hospitals Ameri-Med Hospital: 226-2080 Cornerstone Hospital: 224-9400 San Javier Hospital: 226-1010 Medasist Hospital: 223-0444 C.M.Q. Hospital: 223-1919 I.M.S.S. Hospital: 224-3838 Regional Hospital: 224-4000

Other Important Phone Numbers

Pulpito 116, Emilano Zapata, 322 1275513

LIVE MUSIC VENUES Please be sure to contact the venue to confirm all events.

Café Roma Encino 287 Centro Mon-Sun 10:pm -3:00 am Beboteros Diaz Ordaz 565 Malecon 322.113.0099 Benito’s Paninoteca Bar Nima Bay, Local 12, “Marina Vallarta” 322.209.0287 El Patio de mi Casa Guerrero 311 esq.

Matamoros 322.222.0743 Encore Lazaro Cardenas51, Bucerias 329.298.0140 La Bodeguita Del Medio Paseo Diaz Ordaz 858, Malecon” 322.223.1583 Tu-Sun 9:30-2:00 am Murphy’s Irish Pub Morelos 484 Altos 1, Centro

La Palapa Pulpito#103, Playa los Muertos” 322.222.5225 Las Adelitas Av. Fluvial Vallarta 234 322.293.7778 / 22.113.0373

Vallarta´s only English newspaper

ADVERTISE HERE FOR ONLY $ 250 / WK

Nacho Daddy

287 Basilio Badillo nachodaddymexico.com Philo’s Delfin15, La Cruz de Huanacaxle”329.295.5068 Thu-Sat 8:30 pm Que? Pasa Aquiles Serdan 625, Col Emiliano Zapata 322.223.4006 The River Café Isla del Rio Cuale Local4 Centro 322.223.0788 Vitea Libertad Edificio Malecon 2, Centro” 322.222.8703

PICK UP YOUR COPY OF THE TRIBUNE AT TOURISM OFFICES SATURDAY MARKET A PAGE IN THE SUN FREDY TUCAN´S PANCAKE HOUSE CONSULATE OFFICES YO-YO MO´S MARINA RIVIERA NAYARIT

American Consulate: (322)222-0069 or 01-333-268-2145 Canadian Consulate: (322) 293-0098 Motor Vehicle Dept: 224-8484 Consumer Protection (PROFECO): 225-0000 Immigration Office: 221-1380 National Telegraph: 224-7970 Electric Company (CFE): 071 Water Company (SEAPAL): 223-1516 Municipal Services: 223-2500 Tourist Protection: 223-2500 Ministerio Publico: 222-1762 Animal Protection: 221-0078 Wake-Up Service: 031

Emergency Phone for Sayulita Dial 066 from any standard land line. Dial 080 from Mexican cell phones. To report suspicious activity in Sayulita, please dial 045-322-141-5994.

Emergency Numbers for Bucerias & La Cruz Numbers for the Police Department in case of emergency are 291-0049 and 291-0666.

Emergency number: 066 Police, Bucerias & La Cruz: 298-1020 Civil Protection (Fire, Ambulance): 291-0295 Ambulance, Santa Rosa Clinic: 298-0157

Friday June 20 - 26, 2014

SUDOKU easy

BRAIN TEASERS 22

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Challenge your brain! Sudoku is easy to play and the rules are simple. Fill in the blanks so that each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 grids contain only one of each of the numbers 1 through 9.

medium

Number Blocks

hard

Word Search

What’s a number block you ask?

The numbers in each row add up to the totals to the right. The numbers in each column add up to the totals along the bottom. The diagonal lines also add up the totals to the right. Some of the numbers are missing. Try to fill in the missing numbers between 0 and 12.

Can you find the hidden names? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards. ANN BAXTER, AUDREY HEPBURN, AVA GARDNER, BETTE DAVIS, CAROLE LOMBARD, GLORIA SWANSON, GRETA GARBO, HEDY LAMARR, INGRID BERGMAN, JANE RUSSELL, JANE WYMAN, JEAN HARLOW, JEAN SIMMONS, JOAN CRAWFORD, JUDY GARLAND,LANA TURNER, LAUREN BACALL, MARILYN MONROE, MERLE OBERON, MYRNA LOY, RITA HAYWORTH, VERONICA LAKE,VIRGINIA MAYO, VIVIEN LEIGH.

1. Loan - Pool - Great White 2. Clog - Pump - Flat 3. Rain - Fur - Trench 4. Silver - Tin - Nickel 5. Coffee - Oil - Air 6. Tulip - Lamp - Onion 7. Saturn - Dirty Shirt Collars - Newleyweds 8. Date - Cook - Phone 9. Spock - Suess - Phil 10. Fire - Soda – Safe

Commonym 7 Answers 1. sharks 2. shoes 3. coats 4. metals 5. filters 6. they have bulbs 7. they have rings 8. books 9. doctors 10. crackers

What’s a commonym you ask? A commonyms is group of words that have a common trait in the three words/items listed.

For example: thewords; A car - A tree - An elephant.. they all have trunks. These will make you think!

Wuzzle 7 Answers 1. Cry all the way to the bank 2. The stakes are high 3. That’s too bad 4. Eyes in the back of my head 5. Miniskirt 6. All in All

Commonym

Wuzzles

What’s a wuzzle you ask? A wuzzle is a saying/phrase that is made up of a display of words, in an interesting way.The object is to try to figure out the well-known saying, person, place, or thing that each wuzzle is meant to represent.

TIZOC COMIDA MEXICANA

Authentic Mexican Food!

Seafood & Steaks Mention this ad for ONE GUACAMOLE per table with dinner

Olas Altas 474 , Romantic Zone Reservations 222 8382

Francisco I Madero # 202, corner Pino Suarez, Emiliano Zapata Olas Altas Reservations 222 6593 www.latiavallarta.com e-mail latiavallarta@hotmail.com