Issue 906, August 15 - 21, 2014

Catch us online @ vallartatribune.com

06

News monsanto loses

14

August 15 - 21, 2014 Free Issue 906

Local

new co-op market

15

Travel AJIJIC

FR EE

G

U

ID

E

Photo Archive

welcome 02

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014 PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Fernando Gonzalez Corona Director DAVID ROJO sjcbcs@yahoo.com.mx Director noemi zamora noemi_zamora_reynoso@hotmail.com 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 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

www.vallartatribune.com

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.

Flowers of the Week

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.

by Sandra Cesca

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

Encyclia adenocaula

E

ncyclia adenocaula is found through much of western Mexico in the oak-pine forest habitat and was formerly common in the mountains just outside Puerto Vallarta. It now exists in the wild only on the most isolated mountain peaks where it is still relatively safe from orchid poachers.

In addition to appreciating the delightful color and form of this exquisite flower, be sure to take the time to smell its grape-like aroma.

It typically first blooms for us here at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens during beginning of May each year.

This is one of several orchids being responsibly grown by seed in the Vallarta Botanical Gardens’

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

orchid propagation laboratory for direct sale to the public. Remember, don’t buy orchids from street vendors!

They have been illegally collected from the wild and are contributing to the loss of our native plant diversity.

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

www.vallartatribune.com

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

SPCA of Puerto Vallarta

Editor´s Note

L

ast week while I was working from home I found myself procrastinating at every turn; doing laundry, sweeping floors, walking the dogs and ‘remembering’ things I couldn’t live without at the corner store. Through the course of my day I passed by a little terrier-mix dog tied up to a tree with a short piece of rope. No food. No water. owards the end of the day I couldn’t resist any longer and I went to say hello to this sad creature. As I bent down to give her a pet I saw 100’s of ticks on her tiny body. Her ears and face were nearly completely covered with these vile creatures.

At that moment I knew I couldn’t leave this little dog tied up and left to suffer.

I brought her home, kept her quarantined in my back patio and began the process of removing tick after tick after tick. By Monday she was tick free and Tuesday she went to the vet for a shave and a two week cycle of medicine to fight the infections that come

T

D with tick bites. All in all it cost me $230 pesos.

This morning as we went for a walk, Scruffy-Muffin-Face (as I’ve been calling her) ran ahead and when I caught up to her she was doing the happy dance on the doorstep of a fairly wellto-do house not far from where I had found her. Clearly this was her home. I knocked but, no one was home.

Now in the 5 days I’ve had SMF, I’ve found someone who will happily foster her (the power of Facebook) and when she is healthy enough, will be flown to Canada to live with her fur-ever family. But to know she has a family here is causing some dilemma for me.

Clearly they’ve let her suffer or

perhaps the family moved away and she was lost or abandoned.

I will try to find the answers but returning her to a family that would treat any animal this way is not in the cards.

What is amazing is the strong network of kindred spirits that we have here in Puerto Vallarta, and also across Mexico, that valiantly tries to rescue and improve the lives of creatures less fortunate.

Within the pages of the Tribune you will find information about two such organizations (PEACEAnimals and SPCA de PV) and a page dedicated to local charitable organizations that help society, be it the environment, people or animals. If you find yourself with some time please give some thought to volunteering to make a difference where you can.

In the coming weeks we will feature editorial on the many legitimate, charitable organizations that we have in the bay. If you have a favourite charity please let me know and we will try to feature them here.

Some pretty major things going on around town including the fundraiser for Corazon de Niñas, this Friday at Act II. If you haven’t gone yet, get to a production of Whose Line is it Anyway?

Held every Wednesday at Act II. This is a hilarious improve comedy that combines ribald humour with local innuendo. The 2 for 1 bar drinks and air conditioning makes it even better.

This weekend will be the first of many birthday celebrations I intend on enjoying. If you should see me out and about, feel free to buy me a drink!

Enjoy your week, Madeline

uring these summer months we are suffering from a shortage of donations but, of course, no shortage of dogs/cats in need of our help.

To use your credit card to make tax deductible donations through PayPal, go to our website www. spcapv.com/donate/.

Also you can simply go to our Facebook page (www.facebook. com/spcapv) to contribute to our cause by simply clicking on the DONATE button which allows you to help via PayPal or any credit card.

You can come and spend a rewarding afternoon cuddling the animals at Puerto Vallarta’s SPCA Sanctuary. Our dogs and cats are awaiting “forever homes” and your help is needed to jump start their socialization.

The goal is to get these animals adjusted and ready to interact in the real world.

The majority of the SPCA animals either come from extremely abusive situations or they have been abandoned. Your love and attention can make up for that sad history.

During your visit, you can interact with the animals and even take a dog (or two or three) for a walk. You can also play with the

animals, assist the vet or help with dinner time.

We have scheduled tours each week starting at noon. We ask everyone to meet in the Costco parking lot beside the large tree.

You can either caravan in your own vehicle or ride with us out to the Sanctuary (reservations necessary).

The length of the tour is at the discretion of our visitors and can be from two to four hours in length. Please contact Nicole Martin at nicole@cupocity.com to make a reservation.

To see all the animals available for adoption, visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/spcapv. Go to Photos where you will also find individual Albums for all the animals available as well as a bit of their history.

We have an urgent need for used towels and bedding you longer need!

Please contact us a spcapv@ gmail.com if you can help. Are you or someone you know returning from Puerto Vallarta to Canada and want to help us get more animals to fur-ever homes?

Please contact us if you can be a travel companion spcapv@ gmail.com.

PEACEAnimals Spay and Neuter Clinics

A

ll services provided for free or by donation. Schedule, including directions and other clinic information are always on website: www.peaceanimals.org

August 13-16 Mojoneras Take the Highway 200 heading north from the airport. Go on the lateral along the Corona Beer Storage and bottling plant (close to the Bus Station). At the end of the corner make a RIGHT. Drive to the end of the wide cobblestone street until you come to the SEAPAL sewer water treatment plant and make a LEFT. Soon after, you will come to a chicken shop and make a RIGHT on Jalisco St. Drive in for about 3 blocks until you find us in a corner at the Agencia Municipal.

August 20-23 La Bugambilia - TBA

NEWS 04

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

www.vallartatribune.com

Energy reform dissected: things you might want to know PROFECO suspends three Major Airlines ticket sale

O

n Saturday, August 9th.

PROFECO suspended three major airlines ticket sale nationwide due to communication irregularities.

The Federal Attorney of the Consumers Defense (PROFECO) suspended ticket sale for Magnicharters, VivaAerobus and United Airlines because they do not have ticket prices on display.

The Airlines will not be allowed to sell tickets for 15 days and must make this information public, or else they will have to pay a multimillion peso penalization fee.

The delegate of the Federal Agency, José Antonio Nevárez Cervera, stated that in a national

operative last Thursday Aeroméxico, Interjet and VivaAerobus were also suspended.

This is part of a Federal investigation, in which article 7 and 57 of the Mexican Constitution state that prices and exchange displayed to the public, rules that were not being followed by these Airlines.

Although they have been suspended from selling tickets, this is only valid inside the Airport, meaning ticket purchase is still available online or at travel agencies.

Source: http://sipse.com Originally posted on yucatantimes.com

Mexican tourism industry registers 10.9% rise in air arrivals

M

exico welcomed 6.9 million foreign tourists by air in the first half of 2014, up 10.9 percent from the 6.2 million visitors who arrived by air during the same period last year, the Tourism Secretariat said.

The United States, with 3.9 million visitors arriving by air, continues to be the top source of tourists for Mexico, the secretariat said, citing Integrated Migration Operations System, or SIOM, figures. Arrivals from the United States were up 13.1 percent from the first half of 2013, when 3.4 million visitors traveled to Mexico by air. Canada was the No. 2 source of visitors to Mexico in the January-June period, with 1.05 million arrivals, up 5.9 percent from the 998,563 arrivals registered during the first six months of 2013. Tourist arri-

vals from Britain totaled 204,878 in the first six months of this year, up 6.8 percent from the 191,855 registered in the same period in 2013. The number of visitors from emerging markets, such as Venezuela, China, Colombia and Brazil, trended higher during the first six months of this year, the secretariat said without providing figures.

Mexico welcomed 23.7 million tourists in 2013, making it the No. 2 travel destination in the Americas.

Tourism accounts for about 9 percent of Mexico’s gross domestic product (GDP) and ranks as the No. 3 source of foreign exchange, trailing only the oil industry and remittances.

The Mexican tourism industry directly employs about 2.5 million people.

Source: EFE

Explore Banderas Bay

P

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

F

or three months or more there has been a barrage of news stories in the Mexican media about energy reform, along with a few on Mexico News Daily.

The enabling legislation, which has now been approved

by Congress, is made up of a complex set of bills that few will ever read, let alone understand.

Yet social media has been rife with statements and opinions that reflect widespread misunderstanding or downright ignorance.

So with that in mind, here are the top 20 things you might want to know about energy reform in Mexico, with thanks to Reporte Indigo.

1. Pemex loses its monopoly on the extraction of hydrocarbons, as the arena is opened to private investment. Anyone can compete by obtaining a licence.

2. Stealing electricity will be punished with fines from 637,000 to 3 million pesos.

3. Private firms that extract petroleum will pay 7.5% of their revenues if their contract price is less than US $48 per barrel.

4. The electricity subsidy will continue but only until tariffs drop, which is expected to happen when the market is opened to private investment.

5. As of January 2016 private and foreign-owned gas stations will be allowed. Subsidies will be removed although there will be targeted support programs.

6. Expropriation for the purpose of extracting hydrocarbons will not be permitted. Instead, firms will be able to obtain temporary occupation in exchange for paying rent over a fixed period. Land owners will receive between 0.5 and 2.5% of the income generated, 3% if it’s shale gas.

7. Economic stimulus will be given to firms that encourage the use of new technologies and environmental protection.

8. Contracts for expropriations made in the public interest will be revoked.

9. A new National Energy Control Center will be responsible for operating and supervising the electrical system.

10. Pemex and Federal Electrical Commission (CFE) board members will no longer be handpicked by the president, who will instead be able to propose members but the Senate will have the final say.

11. Pemex will pay taxes of 65%.

12. A Norwegian-style pension fund financed with petroleum revenues will be established next year.

13. The state will have the option

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

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.

of paying for contracts with cash or in kind, such as crude oil or natural gas.

14. The National Hydrocarbons Commission and Energy Regulation Commission will be decentralized from the Energy Secretariat.

15. The Petroleum Workers Union will keep its seats on the Pemex board.

16. An agency independent of the Environmental and Natural Resources Secretariat (Semarnat) will be created to oversee environmental protection in the hydrocarbons industry.

17. The price of liquid petroleum gas will be fixed by the market beginning January 2017.

18. Tender processes will be subject to public mechanisms including live transmission and Pemex and CFE will be obliged to keep public lists of their suppliers.

19. Firms awarded contracts for exploration and extraction will be required to submit plans for their activities to the authorities.

20. Pemex and CFE will be required to submit a financial report in July of each year. The Finance Secretariat will propose the amount of dividends they will pay to the government, and Congress will have the final say.

Source: Reporte Indigo (sp)

NEWS 05

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

Argentinian organic food program coming to Mexico

A

n organic agricultural program designed to provide food security to poor communities is being imported from Argentina. Established 20 years ago, Pro Huerta now includes more than 624,000 home gardens and 130,000 small farms, involving 3.5 million people in the program.

Seeds and even farm animals are provided to participants, along with training in organic agricultural principles. They grow healthy food that promotes a diverse and balanced diet.

“Today we have three and a half million small producers, some of whom have exceeded their own needs and sell the surplus . . . .” says the program’s director, Verónica Piñero.

Thanks to the program, small producers receive two kilos of seeds of all kinds twice a year, from leaf greens to tomatoes and

herbs. Sixty per cent of domestic food production in Argentina is provided by family-based agriculture.

Pro Huerta has already been exported to Haiti.

A delegation of technicians traveled to Mexico recently to begin a training program with technicians from the Agriculture Secretariat. Pro Huerta is introduced to communities by identifying leaders to put it in motion, and set up progressive training.

Information is shared throughout the country with a network of promoters.

Garden plots of 100 square metres are intended to supply fresh food to four or five people throughout the year. It was designed to address food shortages in areas with limited resources, but is also seen as a means of promoting a natural-foods diet http://mexiconewsdaily.com

Mexico has 40,000 free broadband sites

www.vallartatribune.com

Southwest starts Mexico flights

By Emily Foxhall

S

outhwest Airlines is offering fliers a new option for hopping internationally from one sunny location to another — that would be Orange County to Cabo San Lucas.

Southwest’s first flight to Mexico is scheduled to take off from John Wayne Airport at 12:05 p.m. Sunday.

It’s also the airline’s first international flight from the West Coast, Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said.

Sunday’s flight comes as part of a brand conversion after Southwest Airlines acquired AirTran Airways in 2011. AirTran has been making nonstop flights from Orange County to Mexico City and Cabo San Lucas/San Jose del Cabo since June 2012.

Dallas-based Southwest

began routes from Atlanta, Baltimore and Orlando, Fla., to Aruba, Jamaica and the Bahamas after an announcement in January that it planned to roll out international flights come summer. At the time, Southwest said it planned 96 destinations in six countries by the end of the year, including all the international stops served by AirTran.

“We knew that there was promise in Orange County to Mexico,” Hawkins said.

The daily Cabo flight will have six more seats than the AirTran service supplied — for a total of 143. The number of flights per day and time of takeoff will depend on the time of year and demand, Hawkins said.

The route will benefit from Southwest’s “bags fly free” and

no-change-fee policies, he added.

“It’s definitely an upgrade in terms of the power of the brand,” Hawkins said.

At midday Friday, rates for a one-way ticket on the first flight ranged from $201 for the Wanna Get Away option to $443 for a Business Select seat.

By comparison, a one-way ticket on a flight Sept. 7 costs between $147 and $443.

In July, John Wayne Airport lost service to Mexico when Interjet dropped flights to Mexico City and Guadalajara after less than two years. John Wayne’s other international service includes one flight a day on WestJet to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Southwest Airlines has been flying out of John Wayne Airport since May 1994.

Food Production: Mexico Wins World Food Prize México Conectado, or Mexico Connected, has the goal of delivering free Internet connectivity to 250,000 public sites during the six years of the current administration. Seven months into its launch, officials say they’ve achieved 40,000 sites; by the end of the year they anticipate the number rising to 65,000.

The broadband installations are being carried out in schools, health centers and public plazas, with signals delivered on existing telecommunications infrastructure where it exists, and by satellite in remote areas.

National coordination is being handled by the University of Guadalajara, which contracts in each state with a public university that has the capacity to identify possible locations.

Installations are progressing at the rate of one state per month, said the project manager.

Source: El Economista (esp)

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

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.

S

anjaya Rajaram (India, 1943) has won the 2014 World Food Prize for his contribution to the development of high-yield wheat.

Considered by many as the Nobel Prize for Agriculture, this award acknowledges those who have made major contributions to human development by improving the quality and availability of foodstuffs.

Sanjaya Rajaram, who is a naturalized Mexican citizen, will receive the prize on October 15,

2014, in Des Moines, Iowa. According to Kenneth Quinn, President of the World Food Prize, Rajaram’s revolutionary technologies “will go a long way to providing the world with more food and alleviating hunger.”

Quinn described Rajaram as “the world’s most knowledgeable scientist on wheat,” adding that “Doctor Rajaram will help feed millionsof people all over the world thanks to a lifetime of research.”

Since 1969, Rajaram has developed 480 varieties of disease

resistant wheat that can adapt to different weather conditions. His research has helped increase wheat production in 51 countries. Most of Rajaram’s research was conducted in Mexico, at the International Center for the Improvement of Corn and Wheat (Cimmyt).

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

news 06

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

www.vallartatribune.com

Sweet victory for Mexico beekeepers as Monsanto loses GM permit

Photograph: Arturo Rocha/Greenpeace

A

small group of beekeepers in Mexico has inflicted a blow on biotech giant Monsanto, which has halted the company’s ambitions to plant thousands of hectares of soybeans genetically modified to resist the company’s pesticide Roundup.

A district judge in the state of Yucatán last month overturned a permit issued to Monsanto by Mexico’s agriculture ministry, Sagarpa, and environmental protection agency, Semarnat, in June 2012 that allowed commercial planting of Roundup-ready soybeans.

The permit authorised Monsanto to plant its seeds in seven states, over more than 253,000 hectares (625,000 acres), despite protests from thousands of Mayan farmers and beekeepers, Greenpeace, the Mexican National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas and the National Institute of Ecology.

In withdrawing the permit, the judge was convinced by the scientific evidence presented about the threats posed by GM soy crops to honey production in the Yucatán peninsula, which includes Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatán states. Co-existence between honey production and GM soybeans is not possible, the judge ruled.

Mexico is the world’s six biggest producer and third largest exporter of honey. About 25,000 families on the Yucatán peninsula depend on honey production. This tropical region produces about 40% of the country’s honey, almost all of which is exported to the EU. This is not small change: in 2011, the EU imported $54m (£32m) worth of Mexican honey.

The concerns are multiple.

Roundup-ready crops – soybeans, corn, canola, sugar beets, cotton and alfalfa – have been manipulated to be resistant to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup.

Greenpeace activists and Mayans form a human chain to spell out the words ‘ma ogm’, which translates as ‘no gmo’ (genetically modified organisms).

Some argue that glyphosate poses a risk to human and animal health, a claim that Monsanto and other agribusinesses reject.

In addition to health risks, environmental damage to soil, water and bee colonies – which are dwindling fast – have been attributed glyphosate use, threatening food and water security across the globe.

GM crops could devastate the important European export market for Mexican beekeepers, where the sale of honey containing pollen derived from GM crops has been restricted since a landmark decision in 2011 by the European court of justice.

The ruling barred honey derived from a GM crop unapproved for human consumption – which includes some soy and other animal feeds – from sale in the EU. Honey with more than 0.9% of GM pollen (from an approved GM food) must be labelled as containing GM ingredients

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

and cannot be marketed as an organic product. Some countries, including Germany, reject honey that contains any GM pollen.

A small study conducted in Campeche, where about 10,000 hectares of GM soybeans were planted after the permit was approved in 2012, found GM pollen in some honey samples destined for the European market. This, say the authors, threatens the local honey industry and contradicts the position taken by Sagarpa and industry groups that soybeans are not visited or pollinated by bees searching for food because they can self-pollinate.

The Monsanto ruling was commended by the respected national newspaper La Jornada, which accused the Mexican government of ignoring widespread concerns over GM and forcing those opponents to fight it out in court with powerful multinational companies. The government’s stated ambition of elimina-

ting hunger is incompatible with its decisions to increasingly allow multinational companies such as Monsanto to introduce GM crops, the paper’s editorial concluded.

Central to the ruling was the Mexican constitution, specifically the government’s obligation to fully consult indigenous communities before making any major decision about what happens, including what is grown, on their territory.

The judge ordered planting to stop and gave Sagarpa six months to carry out full and proper consultations with indigenous farmers – which it should have done before the permit was granted in 2012.

It was this same omission that led to an almost identical ruling by a district judge in Campeche in March 2014.

These two judgments have set a precedent that will help farmers, campaigners and environmentalists take local legal action against the rollout of GM soy and corn,

which the federal government is sanctioning without consultation and against experts’ advice.

But this is a high-stakes game to play, in which indigenous communities are being forced to fight their own government and multinational corporations with multimillion-dollar legal departments, simply to have their constitutional rights honoured and protect their traditional ways of farming and living.

So while a third victory in Chiapas, where a similar case is pending, could soon follow, this is almost certainly only round one. Monsanto will probably appeal against the decision to a higher court.

The North American Free Trade Agreement, criticised by some for crippling small-scale Mexican farming, is not on the side of the beekeepers. This David and Goliath battle is about so much more than honey.

Source: axisoflogic.com

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.

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 August 15 - 21, 2014

PEACE Animals

www.vallartatribune.com

Which country consumes the most soft drinks?

By Gretchen DeWitt

After passing many street dogs, we arrived at the clinic shortly before 9 AM, where volunteers were helping Dr. Poly unload the mobile clinic (Poli´s horse trailer).

By 10 AM, there were only eleven registered pets, probably due to the ayutamiento not having distributed flyers. So I did what I love to do most at the clinics – went out to look for pets.

After walking several blocks, passing a dozen or so dogs in the street with no collars nor owners nearby, I came to a yard with cats and dogs in it.

The owner wanted all of them sterilized, so I went back to the clinic, put two cat kennels in my car and picked up small dogs and five cats and kittens plus two of the man´s granddaughters.

PEACEAnimals.org

D

ue to road work, the detour directions to the clinic in el Progreso sounded complicated I asked Frank Ohly, steadfast volunteer, if I could meet him somewhere and follow him to the clinic. Frank suggested the Oxxo (equivalent to U.S. 7-11) around the corner from the defunct bull ring, which is close to the cruise ship terminals.

At 8:15 AM, Frank dismounted from his red and black BMW motorcycle as I pulled up, saying he needed to buy a Coca-Cola. I laughed, as I had read an article about the “Coca-Colization” of México the night before.

México consumes more soft drinks than anywhere in the world.

México´s obesity rate of over 32.8 has surpassed that of the U.S., which stands at 31.8. 70% of Mexicans are considered to be overweight. Diabetes is the number one cause of death in México.

There are hundreds of CocaCola logos in and around Puerto Vallarta.

When I visited Chiapas, the southernmost and poorest state of Mexico, Coca-Cola´s presence was evident, even in the former church of San Juan de Chamula.

Inside, adults and children were swigging large bottles of Coke or a drink called “ponch,” which is a mixture of Coke and rum and something else.

Great belching, which the people believe rids them of evil spirits, follows. In many parts of Mexico, Coke is often more accessible and less costly than water. Children are being given Coca-Cola as a breakfast drink.

It´s even put in baby bottles for infants.

To read more about Coca-Cola in Mexico: http://english.periodismohumano. com/2013/03/05/the-coca-colization-of-mexico-the-spark-ofobesity/

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

Darling girls helped bring in 14 cats and dogs in El Progreso When I drove the young girls back, they asked me to pick up their friend´s pets. In a large dirt back yard filled with shade trees were five puppies, their mama and her teen-age son.

The puppies were loaded with ticks, mostly wedged between their toes, and were bloated with worms. I asked if any of the puppies were for adoption, but the family wanted to keep all of them. The young girls were darling. They wanted so much to help and stayed to watch surgeries and pre-op. They also promised to bring more people to the clinics on Thursday, and with great smiles, blew kisses to me as I drove away.

Sterilizations at El Progreso Clinic

I followed Frank due east through detours, muddy roads and along an enormous expanse

of green pressed up against the foothills of the Sierras, which looked pale purple in the morning.

The clinic took place around the corner from the local tortillería in the former DIF building.

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.

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

Female dogs: 40 Male dogs: 18 Female cats: 22 Male cats: 13 TOTAL: 93 plus pregnancies terminated for 1 cat with 3 fetuses; 1 dog with 10 fetuses; 1 dog with 8 fetuses.

This clinic was made possible by a generous grant from humane society international.

local 08

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

www.vallartatribune.com

Paradise and Parenting Leza Warkentin

I Miss Daddy More than You Do

H

ave you ever traveled alone with your children? If you have, then you will understand what I’m about to say: I am so terribly sorry for anything negative that I’ve ever said, or thought, or thought to say about my husband’s parenting style. Anything he has ever done that I haven’t agreed with is certainly better than me trying to deal with it alone.

Right now we are at my parents’ house and they are ringing the doorbell and running away. I can’t tell them to stop because they run faster than I do. If my husband were here he’d catch them quickly and Do Something Fun with them.

I’m hiding in my dad’s study and writing about it.

Being with family is better than being alone, because they help you. They tell your kids what to

do, or not to do, just as they would their own.

This is mainly because your children are related to them by blood, and thus are capable of shaming them in front of others.

The downside to family time is that your siblings and parents can then get a good idea of just where you are going wrong as a mother, and can enjoy observing you deal with the same aggravating attitudes that you yourself had as a child.

My children are good kids. I need to make that clear. But we are out of routine, pushing the outer limits of our bedtimes, and moving between the hospitality of my best friend, my brother and my parents in order to spread the mayhem around fairly.

That means that they are often confused about where they are, as

I found out when we were at the playground across the street from my mom’s and dad’s house. My son went back to the house and a little girl at the playground said, “That’s Derek’s house.” I smiled at the little girl and said, “You mean JAKE’S house (my dad’s name)” and she said “No, that’s Derek’s”.

I turned around and realized that my son was exiting the home of some person named Derek, a neighbor two doors down. He was embarrassed, but probably less so than the last time we were here and he ended up running around the yard of someone down the street, shouting “LEZA WARKENTINNNN” in a disoriented panic.

If anything goes wrong, like when my son fell through the only miniscule opening in the trampoline netting and landed directly onto his

back, I look around for someone responsible to come and take care of this child who is breathing in an odd and fish-like manner.

If my daughter is not in my direct line of vision, perhaps playing at the park with her cousin, I will eventually begin to absently wonder when someone plans to go and get that girl. When I try to get just One Thing finished and they invariably need something desperately at that second I will think, “Surely I am not the only one they can ask?”

In these moments, I realize again that I’m the one that people will probably expect to be in

charge. I also realize that my husband might want me to make sure I return the children to him in as few pieces as can be managed.

And I further understand just how much he does and how much I have taken that for granted.

I’ll never ever, ever take him for granted ever again if he could just be teleported here right now to stop the doorbell-ringing prank.

Well. I’m pretty sure I’ll try, anyway.

But, honey, just know this for certain: in 10 more days, I will let you use your own parenting style all you want, because I am going to the spa.

the names of the streets which are named for Central and South American countries. Once past Calle 31st de Octobre, Juarez becomes Colombia and the streets named Argentina, Venezuela, Brasil and Republica de Chile give the area the aura of other lands.

Visitors and residents alike have ample opportunities for shopping in the typical tiendas

or Ley’s Grocery is close by with a plethora of grocery, home and automotive items.

Numerous restaurants offer both traditional Mexican and world cuisine. For those seeking bars and discos, the malecon in El Centro is just a short walk away.

Real estate is less expensive than the Zona Romantica and El Centro (Gringo Gulch) because the area is still going through

a slow but gentrifying process.

There are great opportunities for condominiums with spectacular views in the low $ 200,000 USD. Many expats are buying and either renovating or razing the current edifice and building anew.

Many other investment opportunities and/or fixer uppers are available, but buyers in this area must like rusticity and diversity as roosters dominate the dawn.

The Zona Romantica

Kathleen Phelps

Colonia Cinco de Deciembre: Vallarta’s new “it” neighborhood

S

nuggled up the mountain east of El Centro and next to Gringo Gulch and Lazaro Cardenas is Colonia Cinco de Deciembre. Many consider this colonia to be the new “it” neighborhood in Puerto Vallarta. Just a short, but steep, walk up the mountain from the beach and malecon, this truly Mexican neighborhood offers the buyer or renter more space for less money than the Zona Romantica and less noise than El Centro.

Although the steep walk can be

arduous, the tired will be gratified with spectacular views of the Bay of Banderas. The ocean breezes lessen the need for air conditioning during the summer months.

Being on the side of the mountain has many advantages. Some nights residents are surprised to see fireworks displays at either one or both Los Muertos Pier and the Sheraton Bugambillias.

Colonia Cinco de Deciembre was the first neighborhood to be developed after El Centro. This colonia is very recognizable by

LOCAL 09

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

Wanderings on Olas Altas

Thanks

By Poncho Davalos alfonso@tropicasa.com

By Terry Connell

A

very good friend of mine, during a time of intense personal growth and self-reflection, came to the horrifying conclusion that he spent much, if not all, of his life being selfish. He decided that in order to balance the equation of 40+ years as self-involved ingrate, he would sit down and write “Thank You” for every day of his life. As he considered his plan, it occurred to him that writing the words down wasn’t enough – it was too much like a grade school punishment.

In order to make this task actually mean something, he needed to share this newfound sense of gratitude with the world around him – set it in motion and generate some ripples in the pond.

So, the first phase of my friend’s project was to write “Thank You” over 16,000 times – on little stickers. This alone took over three months of effort. He said there were times when he was writing than he’d think about his past, his friends, family, different memories long buried under an adult’s responsibilities. More than once, he broke down in to gut wrenching tears; sorry for the way he’d lived, and how he’d treated people. Every sticker, every letter he wrote, literally created a space of appreciation and understanding his life was missing.

Phase two involved distributing the stickers all over town. He walked by old places of employment, old girlfriends’ homes, bars and restaurants, parks and bookstores, planting thank you stickers on door jams and mailboxes.

Sometimes, he’d just walk down a street and place a sticker on every parking meter he passed; wondering, hoping, people would see them and take a moment – if only to consider how and why the words appeared in front of them.

Once, an elderly woman watched my friend tagging a row of telephone poles, and when he explained his project, she asked for a few stickers, saying she wanted to help. As he ripped three or four off a sheet for he, she reached out and grabbed three full sheets out of his hand saying, “I know a few people who could use a little time giving thanks.”

I smiled and walked away, wondering if she was talking about me.

Terry Connell is a licensed acupuncturist and yoga teacher practicing in Old Town, Vallarta (www.eastmeetseast.net). In his spare time he walks his dog and reads and writes. His first book, “Slaves to the Rhythm” was a Cowley Literary Award Finalist (www.terryconnell.net).

www.vallartatribune.com

Meeting Edgar Trevino; the guy behind the show

D

uring Vallarta Pride 2014 I had the chance to meet new people around the Romantic Zone including Edgar Trevino ( a.k.a Que Detalle ), ambassador for Vallarta Pride.

Edgar performs every weekend at Paco’s. Some of you have likely had the chance to see him performing there or at Los Arcos every year during the march against homophobia.

I met with him to learn more about his career. Edgar is originally from Matamoros, a city in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas.

After he finished his school he decided to move to Mexico City to study as an actor at the Andres Soler Academy, one of the most well know schools in Mexico for acting. Edgar then moved to Puerto Vallarta to work with Atemoztly Ballet producing presentations at various hotels.

Over the years he was the delegate to supervise the productions and one night the MC at Paco’s was fired and they asked him to be the replacement and to this day he is still on that stage.

Edgar is not just a performer; he is an actor, he has his own company and writes his own shows. Edgar told me, “ I’ve been honoured to represent Mexico in

El Salvador, Guatemala, Chile, Argentina, and Cuba with shows and also promoting my alternative style of music. I know I’m not a singer, as such, but I do my best - let’s say the show is a complement.”

If you been in Paco’s I’m sure you heard his expression while on stage ‘Que Detalle!’ meaning ‘what detail!’ “It’s a part of my life, I think is with the excitement of how I say it, obviously I have to be very careful when I say it, it has to be in the right moment to have a good timing.”

Personally I saw his monologue, Como ser gay y no morir

en el intent which in English is roughly translated - How to be gay and not die trying. Edgar decided to do this monologue because Mexico is a country with a lot of homophobia and he told me that he belives the artists are always ready to point when the society makes mistakes. The show based on five different stories; 5 true stories about different guys who died because of homophobia.

Edgar feels proud to be himself, mentioning that, “I did everything I want in my life.” He has his own popular channel on youtube with more than 40,000 visits. He started it because he wanted to be more accessible to the public. “I am not a singer and I don’t pretend to be one, but it’s a complement in my career.”

Edgar dreams to be as famous as Astrid Haddad ( well-known Mexican actress and performance artist) or Francis, (the first gay Mexican performer). If you don’t know them search their videos on youtube. Both styles are different but Edgar loves Astrid’s costumes; they are so original and full of colour. He appreciates the respect that Francis has in the community around Mexico and, the connection that he had with the public.

Stay tuned, because his upcoming projects include a CD, a calendar, more videos and four new shows in the first part of 2015.

For now, don’t miss the chance to have fun and see the premiere of his new video, Soy Edgar Trevino / I’m Edgar Trevino, on August 30th at Paco’s. According to the teaser it will be incredible!

Guys and girls see you around Olas Altas!

RETIREMENT 10

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

www.vallartatribune.com

Baby boomers are seeking to reside near the beach and Riviera Nayarit meets their demand. Bucerias, San Pancho, Sayulita, Lo de Marcos and Punta Mita are where most American and Canadian retirees buy property

North American retirees prefer coastal towns D

uring the past six years, the economic benefit that Americans and Canadian retirees, known as “baby boomers”, leave behind has been an estimated 450 million pesos.

These residents are between the ages of 50 and 60 years who have chosen a place in Riviera Nayarit to live and invest.

According to Rodrigo Pérez Hernández, Secretary of Tourism of Nayarit, six years ago the brand Riviera Nayarit was established which has lead the municipality of Bahía de Banderas as a destination full of sun and beaches, in which visitors of Canada and the United States have chosen not only for vacation but, to settle and invest.

It is estimated that to date, the economic benefit is 450 million

pesos. However, it is noted that by 2017, the state government believes international campaigns undertaken by the brand of Riviera Nayarit, aimed at luxury tourism and "baby boomers", the economic impact will reach 900 million pesos.

Hernández reported that the generation of Americans and Canadians born between 1946 and 1964, called "baby boomers" who have retired or are in the process of doing so, find in Mexico and Nayarit, ideal places to spend their days off and invest.

According to government records, between the months of November and March, more than 30 thousand "baby boomers" visit Nayarit for vacation, with expenditures surpassing one thousand

five hundred dollars per person, per month. The greatest interest to this sector is the towns of Sayulita, San Pancho, Guayabitos, Punta Mita, Bucerias, San Blas, and Nuevo Vallarta.

Regarding real estate, Rodrigo Pérez highlighted that demand in the purchase of land is presented in Bucerias, San Pancho, Sayulita, Lo de Marcos, Guayabitos and Punta Mita.

The cost of land varies, depending on the site.

Undeveloped pristine beaches can be as low as 200 pesos a square meter; while in places like Punta Mita, one of the world's most exclusive areas, the square meter could have a cost exceeding eight thousand dollars.The stay of seniors to Nayarit has brought not only

money, "they are very open people and relate easily to the community.

They have supported schools, art galleries, training, cultural development, and are involved in environmental issues.”

Pérez Hernández pointed that one of the forward thinking programs regarding "baby boomers" is the consolidation of medical tourism in the Riviera Nayarit, "Mexican investors are concluding projects of specialized clinics, and medical centers, due to increased demand."

Nayarit expects to attract retired American and Canadians, "to come and spend their surgeries and recovery period oceanfront, also increasing the number of sites for rest and relaxation"; whereby the joint advertising

campaigns, Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, in the United States and Canada will be strengthened, "he said.

Just How Many Baby Boomers?

Data from the Census Bureau of the United States (United States Census Bureau) show that in this country, at least 41 million people are retiring and two million are an active market for Mexico. The "Baby Boomers" generation has been identified as potential for tourism and real estate markets, by their characteristics, as they have a good economic position, are seeking sites, services and investment, that reflects their desire to remain active and youthful.

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

Vallarta Shopping Directory News

T

he Vallarta Shopping Directory is the best and most complete guide on the internet where new visitors and residents can find the top dining and shopping spots in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

There are 19 pages of categories such as boutiques, jewelry stores, handicraft shops, art galleries, cafes, restaurants, beauty shops and spas, organic and specialty food, tours and travel agencies, boutique hotels, real estate offices, florists, sportswear, services, opticians, interior décor, leather goods, glassware, tile, bars and entertainment.

Each listing contains the logo of the business, address, contact information, link to their website and Facebook pages, a description and photos of their products and services.

Since the directory is always kept up to date you won´t waste time searching for businesses that

www.nachodaddymexico.com

have closed or moved away.

A good idea is to keep a copy on your computer desktop for quick reference for telephone numbers and hours that businesses are open, and to find new places that have just opened. Go to http://vallartashoppingdirectory. blogspot.com and browse through

the pages.

There is also a Facebook page connected to the direct o r y — w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / vallartashoppingdirectory.

If you would like your business to be included in this online directory please email puertovallartashoppingguide@gmail.comfor

more information, and if you would like to have an ad like those below for Elements of Design, Galleria Dante, Cassandra Shaw, Galeria Vallarta, Colibri, Nacho Daddy, Faith Colletiva, Bumerang, Patricia Gawle Arte, DiVino Dante, Vallarta Food tours and Los Bambinos you can contact

juliemongeau@gmail.com for more information about their very reasonable prices.

This page is exclusively for members of the Vallarta shopping directory. Remember the Vallarta Tribune is the only English newspaper distributed both in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.

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

Banderas Bay Butterfies

by Moralea Milne

Tiger Mimic-White (Dismorphia amphione)

I

photographed this butterfly in the mountains of Oaxaca but this species (actually the subspecies lupita) is recorded from the Mismaloya area.

Tiger Mimic-Whites are medium sized butterflies (77mm or 3in) in the Pieridae family.

Pieridaes are small to medium sized butterflies that are often referred to as whites and yellows, and most of them are, overall, white, yellow or orange, with some black marking on their top forewing tips. However, there are exceptions to every rule.

The Tiger Mimic-White belong to a cohort of species whose coloration and patterning mimic other distasteful or toxic species, as a form of protection from predators. In the case of Tiger Mimic-Whites, they appear similar to the Tigerwings (Mechanitis lysimnia) which are unpalatable to birds and predators.

This type of protection is called Batesian mimicry. Another of the attributes of Pieridae is that they have conical shaped eggs with vertical ribs that they lay on their host plants, either legumes, or plants in the mustard family. Tiger Mimic-Whites use nitrogen-fixing legumes in the Inga genus, trees that are commonly used in coffee and cacao plantations for shade.

I found this species in a forested area, so you might need to take that long delayed trip into the mountains in order to find this gem, and that’s not such a bad thing as the heat and humidity climb!

CO-OP NEW MARKET 14

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

New Market Co-op

by Marcia Blondin newmarketcoopvallarta@gmail.com

W

eek number two, double in number as far as vendors go and as happens every full moon, on Saturday morning everyone slept in; except us, of course. Lisa Love displayed her intricate designs in miniature that are going in to Casa Kimberley. She starts work immediately in Elizabeth Taylor’s former house and will return to Market in the fall but it was kind of you to come, Lisa, and show us your superb tile work. Good luck with the huge project.

Alicia returned with her brightly colored dresses and tops and daughter Yazmin brought her intricate and gorgeous jewelry designs that not only match her mom’s prints but can be worn with so many different outfits.

Speaking of clothes - Yolanda has been designing bikinis all week. I can only dimly remember wearing them, however, Yolanda has more age-appropriate one pieces for sale! (She poohpoohed my turtleneck design option). Barbara Peters has been busy designing new tops to add to her hand painted clothing line Art to Wear. Everything light and cool and breezy for our steamy summers.

Bill Kelly - if you know him even a little bit - understand his acute fascination with Day of the Dead. He finds, and produces tee-shits and aprons with dancing skeletons, creepy, bony mariachi and all manner of things gloriously dead. Oh, and then there is his high heel shoe fetish which he is content (thank you...) to wear adorning his clothes and not his feet, yet. His masks are incredible and truly have to be seen in brilliant sunlight to truly appreciate the amount of work gone into each one. Prices are surprisingly reasonable for such unique pieces of art.

As I was setting up my table, a gentleman having breakfast at Coco’s fell in love with my tablecloth so I sold it to him making do with a two meter long piece of purple silk to take its place. I also have a few very sexy men’s leather goods: a couple of ‘murses’, cell phone protectors and more.

New silk collars, always, and some vintage pieces of jewelry.

Beeswax votive candles - you can buy them one-at-a-time, a six pack or a dozen. And some interesting beach-chair-candle holders. You have to see them!

On to food....the incredible Artisan breads available from Lorene - sourdough, cinnamon buns, strudels...wonderful and Week Three heralds the return of Mark Hughes our beloved Brit and maker of fine pies both sweet and savoury.

There, even used the proper spelling, Mark! Welcome, old chum. Mark Peters continues to explore the world of smoking good meats, fish and chicken and is making fresh cheeses, dips and age-reversing, tasty treats. I wanted that dip smeared everywhere but he insisted I eat it instead.

And don’t forget Mark’s pickled beets and different types of pickles. Yummy.

And Krystal Frost brought her Organic Select comestibles to Market. Krystal is one of the most knowledgeable people in Vallarta to ask questions about nutritious food - how to shop, what to look for, what to avoid, how to grow it (she’s a very pretty farmer!), from oils to tinctures, lotions and creams she makes them all and is keenly aware of precisely how and where everything she sells had its origins. So, if you want to buy truly organic food then come to our New Market every Saturday and buy with assurance that nothing has been genetically modified.

Thanks go from all of us to Coco and her staff for making us feel comfortable and more than welcome in your beautiful cool garden.

For now that is all that’s new from Market this week. Please join us every Saturday at Coco’s Kitchen, Pulpito 122 from 9 am to 1 pm. We are across the street from the being-renovated-aswe-speak Paradise Community Center in Old Town Puerto Vallarta.

www.vallartatribune.com

TRAVEL - AJIJIC 15

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

www.vallartatribune.com

My Life In Vallarta

By Lois Ellison loell87@yahoo.com

Three Weeks at the Lake

S

pending three weeks at a 5000 foot elevation during the peak of summer heat in Vallarta and in the midst of a big construction project on our house sounded like a good idea.

As it turned out, like most things in life, it was a mixed bag.

Ajijic sits on the north shore of Lake Chapala, about 30 miles from Guadalajara.

At 50 miles long, Lake Chapala is Mexico’s largest fresh water lake. Surrounded by mountains, the scenery is nothing short of spectacular.

Unfortunately, numerous factors have adversely affected the water level over the past several years, creating a rather swampy lakeside and leaving the piers in Ajijic and nearby Chapala high and dry. The low water level also contributes to swarms of small bugs known as bobos that form very annoying clouds all around you as you walk around or sit on the patio.

We were told this just a seasonal thing. Little comfort if

this is the season of your visit.

In the center of town, often referred to as The Village, you will find the church and a chapel, the town square, numerous shops and restaurants and the very busy Lake Chapala Society where the ex-pat community meets for classes and social activities.

The architecture is colorful and interesting.

Ajijic boasts one of the largest ex-pat communities in Mexico so many of the businesses in this town of about 15,000 are owned by foreigners.

Despite the contemporary feel of the foreign owned shops, you will find an authentically Mexican flavor as you wander the narrow cobblestone streets, stepping aside to let the caballeros pass by on their horses.

You can easily explore all that Ajijic has to offer over the course of a couple of days.

At lakeside you’ll discover the Malecon, which is only about ½ mile long. It is nice for walking but you won’t find shops or restau-

rants, just a park for children and some exercise machines.

A couple of businesses on the pier and a once grand restaurant along the Malecon stand sadly abandoned.

On Wednesday mornings there is a great tianguis near the center of town.

As you wander through it, endless booths will beckon to you offering a cornucopia of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Try some locally grown honey or meats, breads and fish. New and used clothing and books, handmade crafts and just about anything else you can think of are also available.

If you are used to Vallarta restaurant prices, you’ll be amazed in Ajijic.

There is a wide variety of choices, including Italian, Argentinian, international, Thai, Chinese, and of course traditional Mexican.

Menu items and a good selection of wines are all priced well below those in Vallarta.

But don’t expect to have any late night activities.

We left one restaurant at 9:00 p.m. and, despite two phone calls from the owner, no taxi ever came to get us. Finally the owner offered to have a waiter drive us.

Depending on where you stay during your visit, getting around may be a challenge.

The many towns along the north shore of the lake are connected by a two lane “highway”, with numerous topes (speed bumps) and traffic signals where needed. Even in the low

season, traffic can be quite heavy.

It must be a nightmare in the high season.

There are a few side roads but be prepared for very narrow one way streets.

You really won’t gain any time using them but the ride is more interesting.

Running parallel to the highway for much of the distance is a ciclopista, or bike path, that is shared by cyclists and pedestrians.

Many of the locals use it to commute by bike so depending on the time of day, it can be hazardous to use for walking.

There are plenty of buses however so if you don’t have a car, you will still be able to see all of Ajijic and the neighboring towns If you’re thinking there isn’t too much to do in Ajijic, you’re right.

Next time I’ll share some suggestions for branching out.

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

CUISINE 16

www.vallartatribune.com

I

f you want to take advantage of summer’s harvest, we suggest simple sautéed asparagus wrapped in Spanish Serrano ham or opting for a black bean and corn salad. Or maybe stretch your dollar by making a spicy red pepper pasta that can really feed a crowd. No matter which of these summer sides you choose, people will be begging you for the recipe!

These simple recipes are courtesy of The Latin Kitchen.

Serrano Wrapped Asparagus Spicy Red Pepper Pasta Salad

Sometimes all you need is a pair of simple but delicious ingredients to make a spectacular dish. Bright, fresh asparagus is wrapped in Serrano ham and sautéed until crisp, making a quick and easy side that is bursting with flavour.

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 1 ½ Pounds asparagus ½ Pound serrano ham *salt and pepper to taste Step 1 Add olive oil to sauté pan on medium-high heat.

Step 2 Peel asparagus and cut off tough, dry ends. Set aside.

Step 3 Cut each slice of Serrano in thirds, lengthwise.

Step 4 Wrap each asparagus spear diagonally with a strip of Serrano.

Step 5 Pan fry asparagus until ham is crisp and asparagus is bright green.

Step 6 Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Black Bean & Corn Salad

14 Ounces can of black beans, rinsed and drained 2 cups frozen corn kernels 1 small red pepper, seeded and chopped 1/2 red onion, chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, half a palm full 2 teaspoons hot sauce 1 lime, juiced 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil * salt and pepper to taste Step 1 Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Step 2 Let stand at least 15 minutes for corn to fully defrost and flavors to combine, then toss and serve.

Step 3 The frozen corn will help keep all the ingredients for this easy salad chilled as it defrosts so there’s no need to refrigerate!

Spicy Red Pepper Pasta Salad, a mix of fresh roasted red peppers, whole wheat penne, avocado and corn in a dressing of fresh minced habanero is colourful, fresh and ready, and an easy side dish for any luncheon. ½ pound whole wheat penne pasta 2 sweet red peppers, halved and deseeded ½ habanero, deseeded and minced 1 avocado, diced 1 cup corn 1 ½ tablespoons Olive Oil 1 teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon cayenne * Salt and pepper, to taste Step 1 Preheat oven to 425ºF. Step 2 Brush sweet red peppers on both sides using 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.

Step 3 Place on baking sheet and bake skin side down for about 15 minutes, until lightly charred.

Step 4 Cook pasta according to manufacturer’s directions. Strain and set aside.

Step 5 In a small bowl add olive oil, habanero, cayenne and smoked paprika. Set aside.

Step 6 In a large bowl add pasta, corn, fresh roasted red peppers and avocado. Add dressing and mix to coat thoroughly.

Step 7 Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

REAL ESTATE 17

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

www.vallartatribune.com

Let’s Hear from You: First Person Expat Interviews

By Fabien Madesclaire Fabien@g3mex.com

I

t’s always great to hear from another person who’s fallen in love with the Puerto Vallarta lifestyle! This week we sat down with Kathleen Phelps, a real estate agent, originally from Southern Illinois. She enthusiastically spoke with us about what led her to Mexico from her home in Washington, DC.

Tell us a little about what brought you to Mexico.

It was about 7 years ago—I had a very successful career as a real estate agent in Washington, D.C. One day as I was off to meet a friend I stepped off the curb, to cross the street. The light was in my favor but a young man came out of nowhere in his BMW and hit me. My foot was totally caught up in his car. It was terrible. He was 18, had just graduated from high school, and wasn’t paying any attention at all. Maybe he was on his cell phone, or something, who knows. Anyway, it totally changed my life. After a number of surgeries, and almost two years in bed and in wheelchairs, I could barely walk. In fact, the doctors told me that I would never walk normally again, climb stairs or drive.

My life fell apart. I couldn’t work, I lost my condo, which was in a beautiful spot overlooking the National Mall. I was forced to live in a friend’s basement with my three cats. I’d totally lost hope and didn’t know what to do. Fortunately, a friend encouraged me to consider moving to Ajijic by Lake Chapala. I visited first, to make sure that there was public transportation and that it was affordable, considering my financial situation. I then went back to D.C. packed up my stuff and the three cats and moved into a comfortable little rental in Ajijic.

After my move I was having some difficulty with my foot, and was told by some locals that an excellent orthopedic specialist made a weekly visit to Ajijic, so I made an appointment. He x-rayed

my foot and said that with a minor procedure I would be walking normally in a short period of time, and amazingly enough that’s exactly what happened! It transformed my life! After two years of suffering, and losing hope that anything would change, I was able to walk normally again!

In the U.S. my medical procedures had cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. In Guadalajara, the surgery only cost $1750 USD! I’m now convinced that medical care in Mexico is comparable, if not better than in the United States—and it’s certainly much more affordable!

Did you like living inAjijic?

The community is very different from the scene in Puerto Vallarta.

It’s much more couples oriented, so if you’re single you might feel a little out of place. The climate is wonderful and the scene is beautiful, but it was just too quiet for me.

Being a person who doesn’t like to just sit around, I became very involved in the Music Appreciation Society there. As President, I had a lot of responsibility and really enjoyed bringing musicians from around North America and Mexico to perform. I love music—especially opera. In Washington D.C. I regularly attended performances at the Kennedy Center, so I was able to bring a fabulous opera group for one of our performances.

When did you move to Puerto Vallarta?

In December of 2013. The energy here is much different.

It’s harder to break into the social scene in Ajijic. Here the community is very mixed and open.

What part of town do you live in?

Cinco de Diciembre. The neighborhood is interesting, and it’s close to a lot of things.

Are you going

to stay in Mexico?

I can live here very comfortably on my income, which would be impossible in Washington, D.C. I have a lot of friends up North who are very biased and talk to me about all of the horrible things that they hear about Mexico, but that hasn’t been my experience at all.

As a single woman I feel very safe here. In fact, last year I traveled alone all throughout southern Mexico by bus and never had any problems.

I’d always wanted to do that, and went to some amazing places in and around Chiapas, Oaxaca and Mexico City.

The only thing that I would do differently next time is to not make as many hotel reservations. I was very American about it and made reservations well in advance of my trip, not realizing that the buses traveled overnight so many of the hotel rooms were unnecessary.

Luckily, with the help of my trusty computer I could rearrangement my reservations.

Are you currently working here?

Yes, I just started working with Prudential Real Estate here. It’s quite amazing. The doctors in the US had told me that real estate was not something that I could do since I couldn’t walk well, climb steps or drive. The doctor here in Mexico really gave me a new lease on life!

What is your opinion of the real estate market here?

I feel that the practices are more regulated in Puerto Vallarta, but that’s just my opinion. I’m currently finding out about the market. I think that the last few years have been slow, but I really see a lot of potential. I’m also in the process of putting together a blog to tap into the Washington, D.C. market, since I have so many connections there.

I recently read a statistic that there are 10,000 people a day turning 65 in the U.S.! That is amazing and really shows how

promising the retiree market is or can be for beautiful and affordable places in Mexico.

So you would recommend moving to Mexico?

Yes, after my challenges in the past, I really feel that living in Mexico is a gift. You can find something to be grateful for every day. I like the familial bonding and values here. All of my friends up North are primarily interested in buying the newest luxury item, whereas life down here life is much simpler and less materialistic.

You can check Kathleen’s website at www.kathleenphelpsrealtor.com Are you an expat, and do you have a story to tell? If so, please contact us a G3MEX Real Estate Group, and set up a time to be interviewed. Our helpful staff is always available. The office number is: 322-209-0832 or you can contact us via email at: info@ g3mex.com. Or check our website out at: www.g3mex.com

RIVIERA NAYARIT 18

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

By: Stacey Elkins

Sayulita Auxiliary Lifeguard Program

T

he Sayulita Auxiliary Lifeguard Program has recently appointed a new Beach Coordinator, Oswaldo Vallejo. In this position, Vallejo will work directly with Pro Sayulita, Firefighters Crossing Borders (FFCB) and the Bahia de Banderas Civil Protection y Bomberos to help meet the need for lifeguards and water rescue in Sayulita, as well as manage the

Auxiliary Lifeguard Program.

Brian Singleton, Regional Repesentative for FFCB, touches on the history of this program, “FFCB facilitated the creation of a Unified Community approach to improve emergency services in Bahia de Banderas. In Sayulita, we’ve been working with Pro Sayulita and Protection Civil y Bomberos to improve fire rescue and emergency medical services in the area.

Improving Surf Rescue capabilities and beach safety has been a major focus for a number of years. Protection Civil’s creation of an Auxiliary Lifeguard Program is a result of those efforts. FFCB will continue supporting the Auxiliary Lifeguards as they work to protect the beaches of Sayulita.”

As Beach Coordinator, Vallejo has already recruited 21 volunteer lifeguards. Of these people, many of them are surfers and regularly spend a large amount of time at the beach.“We have a lot of tourists that come to Sayulita and they want to

Vallarta-Nayarit brand shows success

I

n a private meeting with state authorities and representatives from the tourism industry it was confirmed that approximately 100 thousand seats have been recovered and the upturn in number of international arrivals exceeded that of other beach destinations in the country, thanks to the current joint campaign for Vallarta-Nayarit.

The head of the Mexico Tourism Board (MTB), Rodolfo López Negrete, announced on Thursday, August 7, during a private meeting with the tourism secretaries of Nayarit and Jalisco, Rodrigo Pérez and Enrique Ramos, respectively, along with the Joint Committee and representatives from the hotel and tourism industries of Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit, the figures and percentages that prove the Vallarta-Nayarit joint campaign was a success during 2013-2014 and endorsed its validity for 2014-2015.

López Negrete assured those present that the joining of these two destinations was right on the mark and expressed gratitude for the multilateral collaboration that took place in order to obtain the results.

He also urged those present to “continue with this program, which was born of a long term vision. It must be maintained, investing the necessary resources for years to come.”

After the crisis of 2008, over 400 thousand seats were lost, which gravely impacted the destination. Rodolfo López confirmed 100 thousand of these had been recovered; the goal of the destinations is to repeat or even exceed these numbers by June 2015.

One of the most relevant pieces of information offered was the upturn in foreign visitors arriving at the Vallarta-Nayarit International Airport during the first quarter of 2014, reaching 18.5%, and exceeding the numbers for Los Cabos and Cancún-Riviera Maya.

The average occupancy rate for Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit is around 67% during the year, with upticks that exceed 90% during the high season. “Generally, this is a very healthy occupancy rate for a destination and all of the hotels and businesses are benefiting from this; that’s what it’s all about: the generation of collective well-being and additional jobs,” added López Negrete.

The initial investment operating this joint campaign for 2013-2014 was over $11 million USD, with an injection of capital from the Federation, the states, the destinations and the partners involved.

Besides this budgeted resource, the MTB applied an additional $8 million USD to extend its impact across the Americas and Europe.

enjoy themselves and feel safe in the water. It’s our priority to help keep Sayulita safe for both tourists and locals,” said Vallejo.

Several of the volunteers have already attended a CPR training course. A second class will be scheduled for the remaining volunteers.

In October, they will attend a water rescue training course, which will include new members of the Auxiliary Lifeguard Programs from Sayulita, Punta Mita, Bucerias and San Pancho. This training will be under the guidance of lead instructor, Adam Finer, the Bucerias Coordinator who has been working with FFCB’s surf instructors here and in Cabo. The first week of December, FFCB’s will be providing additional firefighter and water rescue training.

FFCB will be hosting the first annual Sayulita Lifeguard Competition on Friday, December 5th.

This competition between Sayulita, Punta Mita, Bucerias and San Pancho will include individual events and team events to help

motivate volunteers to practice their skills. The competition will wrap up with a BBQ sponsored by Pro Sayulita to thank all of the trainers and volunteers for all their hard work.

“The goal is to have all beaches up and functional by November 1st,”according to Singleton.

Donations are needed to help

www.vallartatribune.com

purchase the following equipment: uniforms, rescue fins, buoys, whistles, first aid kits, radios and a jet ski to help assist with water rescue. If you would like to help, please make a donation to Pro Sayulita and indicate that the donation is to be used towards the Auxiliary Lifeguard Program.

The Riviera Nayarit: One of the World’s “101 Incredible Places”

T

he Marietas Islands continue to cause a stir around the world: this time Condé Nast Traveler included them in two posts on exceptional places. One was an entire article dedicated to the islands and the other placed them among the 13 most curious destinations in Mexico.

The iconic islands of Nayarit were designated as one of the world’s “101 Incredible Places” in an article written by Matías Callone published on July 30th, titled “An Inland Beach (Hidden Within an Island) in Mexico.”

“We’re not talking the typical beach or an expanse of sand facing the sea in the ‘traditional sense,’” writes the author. “In this blog we like to showcase places that are a bit more original and unusual. In Mexico or more precisely, in the Marietas Islands, there’s another hidden beach that’s quite lovely. It’s a place that’s accessible, but only after some adventure.”

In the same section of the “101 Incredible Places” there’s another article called “13 Unusual Spots in Mexico You Might Not Know Even Existed.” The Playa Escondida, or Hidden Beach, appears in second place on this list of amazing places.

“This beach (called the Hidden Beach) is one of the attrac-

tions that lure hundreds of visitors each week to the Marietas Islands. These small, uninhabited but protected islets are located across the coast of Punta de Mita, in Nayarit, and can only be reached via authorized tours,” he

describes.

It’s important to note what Condé Nast writes about the Marietas Islands regarding its status as a Biosphere Reserve by recommending visitors access them only via authorized tours.

EVENTS 19

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

Top Things to do in Puerto Vallarta

www.vallartatribune.com

Perceptions

of Art

By Marcia Blondin marciavallarta@gmail.com

T T

here is plenty of great things to do in this charming town including heading to the beach for a day of relaxing. While you’re in town you can enjoy dozens of great beaches, plenty of tours on land and sea, amazing world-class dining with plenty of local and international fare to choose from, amazing shopping straight from the vendors, markets or the upscale shops and galleries and after sunset, the nightlife comes alive with bars and nightclubs open until 3am or later.

Here’s a list of Top 10 almost free sightseeing & activities in town.

1. Stroll the Malecon (boardwalk) 2. Visit the award winning Vallarta Botanical Gardens 3. Explore the Romantic Zone 4. Pet baby tigers and monkys at the Vallarta Zoo 5. Buy cheap sunglasses at the Isla Río Cuale Market 6. Relax in Mismaloya 7. Tour the Naval Historical Museum 8. Cruise around Marina Vallarta 9. Hike from Boca de Tomatlan to Los Animas 10. Ride the buses through the different neighbourhoods

he biggest, the best, loudest and without question THE most important party of the summer takes place this Friday night at Act II Entertainment with all the money raised going to support the young women at Corazon de Nina.

A diverse line-up of entertainers include the Texas Embassy Band from Nacho Daddy's, Puerto Vallarta Men's Choir, the kids from Alas, the incredible Joan Houston, the dreamy Jose Maria Caudillo, beautiful Adriana Quinto and that's only a part of who is going to be there for the Summer Music Fest.

The fun starts at 6 pm with appetizers and tequila shots with Ms Mikki Prost doing the honors.... possibly crooning a little Patsy Cline along the way. The gang from Whose Line is it Anyway will be onstage to make you laugh (hysterically!), a production number from El Me Mintio and yet another

dazzling slice of the Serendipity Cafe ensemble from Alas, Escuela de Canto, will be sure to delight.

Serendipity closed last Sunday... regular school is looming and the kids have to get back to 'normal' but watch for them Friday night and enjoy. Besides outstanding entertainment there will be silent auctions, raffles, bottles of tequila to be given away and if there is anyone left on their feet at the end of the evening, move into Encore and fire up some "Classy-oke" until whenever the Fat Lady Sings.

I heard that the three schools that the girls attend are now going to start charging tuition so that new expense piled up with uniforms, books, pencils and backpacks has placed an enormous burden on Corazon de Nina - the ONLY safe place these girls can live. It is the only refuge in this city for girls over 12 that are at risk.

Going back to school expenses

are daunting enough but the daily running of the house - food, transportation, laundry, maintenance, electricity, water, doctor visits and more still have to be covered. With that said, know that your $200 peso contribution that includes a welcome shot of tequila, appetizers and all the entertainment goes in its entirety to Corazon de Nina. Each and every entertainer is donating their talent - it is going to be an exceptional night.

Don't forget Whose Line is it Anyway? every Wednesday night in the (ice cold) Red Room. A few weeks back I mentioned in this column that I hoped the troupe would eventually add more Vallarta content.

Did they ever! Last week was insanely funny and the numbers are picking up as well as more and more Vallartenses are finding out about this show and it's good to have a place to go every Wednesday night and truly chill out!

When I left the theatre last week, laughter followed me all the way down the stairs and into the street.

The audience lingered and retold funny lines (many they themselves wrote for the cast) again and again over cocktails. To the corner the sound of laughter followed me; how cool is that?

We will see you Friday, August 15, 6 pm at Act II Entertainment.

Be there.

Upcoming Events AUGUST 15th Music Fest to Benefit Corazón de Niña On Friday, August 15th at 6:00 pm, the ACT II Entertainment complex is hosting an exciting evening of music, entertainment, fun and friendship to benefit Casa Hogar Corazón de Niña.

Entertainment, plus appetizers and a welcome tequila shot, can be yours for a donation of $200 pesos. Special VIP tickets are also available for a donation of $1000 pesos, which includes reserved premium seating, a bottle of tequila, and an “anytime seat” to any performance at ACT II STAGES. Proceeds will benefit Corazón de Niña, a local non-profit children’s shelter dedicated to providing housing, education, food, medical care and love to young girls who have been removed from their homes due to unstable living conditions.

Rather than housing girls in an institutional setting, Corazón de Niña provides a real home with house parents. Counseling, education and longterm support are priorities of the home. It is the only home for girls over the age of 12 in Puerto Vallarta.

With the start of a new school year just around the corner, Corazón de Niña has over 20 kids to outfit for back-to-school. With your help, we can send these girls back to class looking and feeling their very best!

AUGUST 13th Special Huichol Art Auction The Asociacion Restaurantera Riviera Nayarit and Aruna Piruski, co-owner of the Octopus’s Garden (Jardin del Pulpo) have organized an auction of all the Huichol art from the galeria, to benefit Wayland Combes Wright to help offset the medical costs that have been, and will continue to be incurred.

The Huichols are indigenous to Nayarit, and the Galeria at Octopus’s Garden is one of the largest collections in the area.

This special event is scheduled to run from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM on Wednesday August 13th at The Octopus’s Garden on calle Coral in La Cruz. Several of the Asociacion restaurants will be sampling their food, there will be dancing, displays, raffles and specials in addition to the auctions. There is NO cover charge.

AUGUST 24th Los Mangos Library Summer Fundraiser On Sunday, August 24th from 12-8 pm, Villa Mandarinas will host a Summer benefit for the Puerto Vallarta Public Library, Biblioteca Los Mangos. Spend the day enjoying one of the most spectacular oceanfront villas on Vallarta’s south shore. You can enjoy the villa’s three swimming pools, kayaks, snorkeling gear and pool tables, as well

as live Brazilian music and a fashion show. Refreshment stations will be set up around the property, serving ceviche, chicken salads, vegetarian dishes and desserts, along with a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

All proceeds help support the many programs available at Los Mangos Public Library, which is not “just a place for books,” but a true community cultural center.

The library belongs to this community, and depends solely on donations to keep it up and running, so grab your friends and come out to enjoy an extraordinary day of fabulous food, friendship and fun in the sun - all for a great cause.

Tickets, available at the library and Cassandra Shaw’s Jewelry on Basilio Badillo, cost just $100 pesos, which is credited toward the food and beverage during the event.

August 30 - 31st Vallarta Volkswagen Club Festival The Vallarta Volkswagen Club will showcase over 150 classic and newer, show-quality, VWs at the Riviera Nayarit VW Festival and exhibition, to be held at Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle on August 30th and 31st. The Volkswagen Fest is an event for VW lovers and those who love restored cars.

In addition to the VW car exhibit there will also be several different activities that promise fun for the family at the La Cruz Marina.

BRAIN TEASERS 20

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

SUDOKU easy

www.vallartatribune.com

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? A number block is group of numbers formed in a block. 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.

EXPLORERS Can you find the hidden explorers? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards. ALBATROSS, BUDGIE, BUZZARD, CANARY, CORMORANT, CRANE, CROW, DOVE, EAGLE, EMU, FINCH, FLAMINGO, HAWK, HERON, JACKDAW, KESTREL, KOOKABURRA, LAPWING, LARK, NIGHTINGALE, OSTRICH, OWL, PARROT, PENGUIN, PIGEON, QUAIL, RAVEN, ROBIN, SANDPIPER, SEAGULL, SPARROW, STORK, SWALLOW, TERN, TOUCAN, VULTURE.

Commonym 1 1. A Ball - A Fish - A Cold 2. A Ball - A Salad - A Coin 3. A Cork - A Question - A Balloon 4. A Bottle - A Baseball Player - A Mushroom 5. A Bell - Mouth - A Shoe 6. A Tug of War - The Nightly News - A Boat 7. Seventeen - Time - People 8. A Basketball Court - A Highway - A Bowling Alley 9. Fog A Jack - A Body Builder 10. A Hockey Game - A Restaurant - A Bank

Commonym 1 Answers 1. they are caught 2. they are tossed 3. they are popped 4. they have caps 5. they have tongues 6. they have anchors 7. they are magazines 8. they have lanes 9. they lift 10. they have checks

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 15 Answers 1. Keeping You Out of Trouble 2. Foreign Movie 3. A Little Rough Around the Edges 4. Too Little, Too Late 5. Double Your Money Back 6. Start of Something Big

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.

CHARITIES 21

www.vallartatribune.com

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

Non-Profit and Charitable Organizations F or 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.

victims of domestic violence. www.compassionforthefamily.org

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

Bucerias Bilingual Community Center: Supporting families, seniors in Bucerias. www.buceriasbilingualcommunitycenter.org

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

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

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 SETACGLBT – 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

ADORABLE DOG IN THE SPOTLIGHT...JADE

Jade’s story is such a heartbreaker. One of our volunteers found this tiny puppy sitting on the road beside a lifeless dog. It was Jade’s mother. She had been hit by a car and died at the scene. Little Jade was observed just sitting beside her mom, almost expecting her to get up, not knowing she was also in danger of being hit by traffic. Well she is safe now with us at the sanctuary, but surely deserves her own fur-ever home. Jade is about 8 months old, is a Doberman Pinscher mix weighing 38.5 pounds. She is just a sweetheart. Please contact us at spcapv@gmail.com.

Corazon de Nina A safe, loving, home-environment for 20+ girls rescued from high-risk situations. Donations & volunteers always welcome! Totally self-funded. www.corazondenina.mx abundancia@corazondenina.mx

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 Friends of PV Animals Volunteers working to enhance the lives of shelter animals. For info and donations visit friendsofpvanimals.com Grupo Ecológico de Puerto Vallarta: Arq. Luz del Carmen Pérez Alvarez cayro_13@hotmail.com grupoecologico.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.

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 Esperanza- Shelter for Children. Tax-deductible. ccshf.ca 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 22

Friday August 15 - 21, 2014

www.vallartatribune.com

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

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

PLACE YOUR AD HERE

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

LIVE MUSIC VENUES

Vallarta´s only English newspaper

ADVERTISE HERE FOR ONLY $ 250 PESOS / WK

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

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 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