Sunday, February 24, 2008

Feb. 23, 2008



This week, I must start with an apology to those readers who complained to me about the shortness of my column in the last issue of the Tribune. As mine is always the last to go in, I am subject to the number of articles, ads and news that need to published in any one particular issue.

To catch up on the items I wanted to share with you and couldn’t, here goes:Firstly, there was the meeting of HELP!, the organization that helped me acquire my dual citizenship last year (before the government changed the regulations governing such procedure).


The upstairs restaurant at Santa Barbara’s was full of folks who wanted to become Mexican citizens with dual citizenships, and to know more about such changes. From what I gathered, the main change enacted at the beginning of this year is that now you «have to have at least five consecutive years with an FM2, and you MUST speak and understand some Spanish - doesn’t have to be perfect, but enough to read or hold a light conversation,» according to Bonnie Sumlin, General Director of HELP! and the Colima -and Puerto Vallarta- guru in this matter.
If you missed the meeting and would like information, you can contact Bonnie at bonniehelpsinmexico@gmail.com or call Gary Howard or Ken Touchet at 221-5970 in Puerto Vallarta. They are the organization and Bonnie’s representative in this town. All that was on Sunday the 10th.

Over the last couple of weeks, to give our local readers an idea of the goings on in this town, here are some of the headlines that appeared in the Tribuna de la Bahía, our daily sister publication in Spanish:

- Residents complain about the construction of a building atop the small tunnel - temporarily shut down by the authorities.
- Residents complain about the Nima development in Marina Vallarta that want to build twice as high as their original permit allowed - Department of Urban Planning declares it illegal.
- The Marieta Islands are declared a «biosphere reserve».- Establishments along the Malecon pay up to $30,000. US Dollars per month in rent.
- The Puerto Park company sues the City for $2 Million Pesos for breaking the parking meter arrangement made with the previous administration.- The implementation of radar surveillance, breathalyzer tests, anti-graffiti operations and rise in bus fares you already know about.
- The Mayor is hoping for funds from the State to finish the highway linking Vallarta to Guadalajara (a 30-year dream of every subsequent city administration) and an additional 30-km bypass road to alleviate the traffic on the existing Libramiento.
- Mexico now ranked fourth in the world for pirating (CDs, movies, software, etc.) behind China, Russia and Italy.
- Drinking alcohol on the streets of Puerto Vallarta will be prohibited -and enforced- during the upcoming two-week Easter holidays. Business hours for shops selling alcohol will not be extended during that period.
- Motorcycle drivers fined for driving without helmets and/or licenses.
- New regulations approved to govern establishment signs and billboards. College of Architects and various Chambers demand regulation of image, not only of signs.
- Univa University demands solution to the city dump matter - still unresolved after years of discussion.
- 90% of street vendors with stalls sign relocation agreement with City Hall. Around 16 of them will be set up on Isla Cuale.
- Taxi drivers seek rate hike too. Airport taxis want a 6% increase.
- Department heads in charge of the "face lift" operation for the downtown area complain that the funds promised last year by the State of Jalisco and the Federal government to support their work …still hasn’t arrived.
- Construction sites in Amapas and Gaviotas temporarily shut down pending analysis of their permits, granted by the previous administration.
- Dangerous and illegal speed bumps to be investigated.

There you have it, greatly summarized of course. Personally, what concerns me the most is the possibility that the relocation of the vendors onto Isla Cuale is going to destroy the last surviving «park» in town. The question of speed bumps, on the other hand, has given me much laughter over the years. A colleague of mine wrote an article on it many years ago. It was always my intention to translate it and have it published in the Tribune because it was so well written, and so humorous, but it somehow got lost among the mountains of clippings all over the house. One day, I’m sure to find it and then I will do just that. I promise.

In the article published last Monday, the 18th, the local sub-Director of Transit was quoted as saying "The streets are saturated with speed bumps. Rather than representing safety, they symbolize anarchy on the roads. Most are not well installed or painted properly, nor are they duly announced, and they’re not approved by the authorities." Hallooo! Señor Sergio Davila goes on to state that drivers and pedestrians in this town are 50 years behind when it comes to cultura vial, the culture of driving. Hmmm…

Maybe if all those folks who drive too fast, with kids on their laps, talking on their cell phones, sometimes with three or four generations on the back of their gas-guzzling pick-up trucks, were stopped and seriously fined, they would learn faster, become a little more "cultured", driving speaking.

I am not going to drive out to the Botanical Gardens for the Noche de las Luminarias. I will take the bus like I did last year. It was so much fun! And there’s no doubt in my mind: that is the most beautiful stretch of road anywhere around the Bay of Banderas.

I did take one of my oh-so-rare leisurely, delightful drives out to Nuevo Vallarta to meet with the nice folks from the Yacht Club, the ones who organized the events that will be held on our bay this week. What an entertaining life they lead, coming into contact with fellow sailors from all over the world! Even though I’m not a sailor in any sense of the term, I think I just may call Vallarta Adventures to book a spot on one of the boats they’ll be using to take us landlubbers out there to watch the excitement.

(Notice: if you’re going to Home Depot, their access road is still closed, and no, they don’t tell you how to get to their parking lot. I guess they’re depending on our cultura vial…)

Talking about things beautiful, did you remember to look at the total eclipse of the full moon last Wednesday evening? Wow! It was really red, like in a science fiction movie, sandwiched between Saturn below and Regulus above. We’re not going to see another one like it for another two years. I just hope the total eclipse of the sun this August won’t be hidden to us by clouds.

And do make a point to go out to Plaza Hidalgo this week, before those lovely people from Oaxaca pack up and leave. I bought some beautiful items, and ate some yummy foods there. You can also see them prepare their famous chocolate mole from scratch! The tamales they make with it are amazing. As a matter of fact, I’ve gone back twice so far, and I intend to do it again. I also intend to go see those "Sassy Sixties", which I’ve been told is one fantastic show!

In the meantime, I hope to see you at Monday’s Bingo game. We’ve been having a good time there lately. Last week, I had to bring my "rescued" puppy with me so she wouldn’t eat any more of my books …or sofa. She behaved, most of the time.

I wish you all a wonderful week, filled with warm, sunny days and crisp, clear, starlit nights. And remember, if you want to remain up to date with the goings on in Vallarta, just log on to the Tribune's web site at www.vallartatribune.comTake care of yourselves and of each other. Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com
Addendum (not published in the Tribune): We are all very proud of our children and their accomplishments as adults. The latest source of pride came from our Editor's eldest, Leah, who organized a unique, international project for Valentine's Day. The goal was simple: spread love and kindness. How wonderful this world would be without hatred and wars! For you blog readers out there, you may want to check it out at http://valentinesmetta.blogspot.com God bless the children!

posted by Anna Reisman @ 12:18 PM 1 Comments

Feb. 16, 2008


They say that "when it rains, it pours". This was indeed the case in my life last week. It felt like a whirlwind of activity, from one event to another, one restaurant to another, relatives and friends and houseguests… and then it all stopped, for one day, before starting up all over again.

Before I forget, I want to thank each and every one of you (you know who you are) who complimented me through phone calls and emails on the cover photo of last week’s issue. I too was happy to see that it was used.

Once again, I’ve been told that "my" space has been reduced due to the amount of announcements that had to be published in this issue, but I do want to mention one important POSITIVE item: Last week, we received direct communication from the representative of the municipal Department of Culture, Sr. Wally Lobato, who promised to inform us AHEAD OF TIME of the events organized by his department. Now, I ask you - wouldn’t that be wonderful, for a change? I spoke directly with the gentleman. He seemed to understand our plight. I just hope that he fulfills his promise, unlike his predecessor, Sr. Izazaga, who also promised but never fulfilled… You will note that our Calendar of Events is much more informative this week.

I am writing this on Valentine’s Day and I hope to celebrate it doing something relaxing - for a change, like a nice, relaxed, home cooked dinner at Mama Dolores’ Diner. I attended the amazing R.I.S.E. fundraising event. What I do not understand is that they ran out of food within one hour and 15 minutes of starting, something that happened at the Altruism Festival too. You would think that the excellent restaurants that participate in the event, donating so generously, would at least take the number of tickets sold (i.e.: the number of people slated to attend) into consideration when preparing their sample fare… My friend and I left hungry, so we went to the Peninsula for some … food.
In case you’re interested, the other restaurants we visited over the last while, apart from Azul 96 (see separate article in this issue), included Espresso’s on I. L. Vallarta (still the best calzone and linguini with clam sauce around), Mama D’s for brunch with Luc and Louise, Café Bohemio, the buffet at Hacienda Alemana Frankfurt (always a full house), Agave Grill and Teatro Limon (both to the absolute delight of our out-of-town visitors), and a newcomer, Marco’s "Beach House", obviously on the beach, between Fidencio’s and El Dorado on Los Muertos beach. What a find! Comfortable chaises, cool towels brought to you to refresh you, salads served in bowls large enough to feed a group and oh so fabulous, wraps and drinks and sandwiches, all with superb service… If you’re down that way, try it out!

That’s all the space I’ve got for now. Gotta get mentally ready for Len’s big bash tomorrow, and then the Noche de las Luminarias, the QuesaDivas, etc. etc. See you at Bingo on MONDAY! Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com

P.S.: I just realized that I've never posted the Tribune's online web site address, so for those of you who'd like to keep up to date with the goings on in Vallarta, just log on to www.vallartatribune.com Sorry about that!

posted by Anna Reisman @ 12:14 PM 0 Comments

Friday, February 8, 2008

Feb. 9, 2008


There are a number of different radio stations one can tune into in Puerto Vallarta, each with its own format, but when I’m driving around town, my favorite is Radio Cultural. Beautiful soothing, calming classical music to counteract the madness that has taken over this town’s traffic.

I swear, I have never seen as much traffic on the Libramiento as there has been over the last couple of months, since the «season» started. One time, the cars were backed up all the way from the Francisco Villa intersection …to the tunnel!

Getting back to the radio, imagine my surprise when I found myself listening to an ad promoting safe sex! Yessiree, you read right. Be smart, use condoms. Way to go, Radio Cultural! Until a few years ago, those were only available in certain drugstores, and people had to ask for them ‘cause they were not displayed. When one looks at the statistics of teenage pregnancies in this country…

I also noticed all the breathtakingly beautiful primavera trees blooming all over the place. Thank heavens for the few that are left, that haven’t been cut down in the night by some careless developer or a resident who was «tired of sweeping up the flowers that had fallen overnight» in front of their house…

I’ve had the pleasure of various house guests lately, some announced, some not. One couple of friends down here from cold and snowy Montreal asked me what I could suggest to them for an evening of entertainment. I recommended the Marigalante. They looked at me with that look, you know, the one that says «Really?» Yes, really. They went, and when they got home, they couldn’t stop talking about how much fun they had, how great the food was, the ship itself, the entertainment, etc. etc. Trust me, folks. If you haven’t taken their evening cruise yet, consider it seriously. The shows are great, the fireworks are right above you, you’ll love it - if you want to have fun, that is.

So this is the week of love, the month of love. We’ve received all sorts of interesting notes lately, many shops and restaurants are going all out to make this Valentine’s Day an unforgettable one for our visitors, and for the locals too. Galeria Vallarta is offering some beautiful authentic amber jewelry from Chiapas, heart earrings, necklaces with heart pendants, abalone jewelry in heart shapes, and so on. A good place to visit for that last minute gift.
A few years ago, my colleague Liana - the Tribune’s Irreverent Chef - published a special menu for Valentine’s Day. I happened upon it as I was going through some archives and I thought it might interest some of you. Aphrodisiac Valentine’s Day Menu: Appetizer: Oysters on the Half Shell, with Lime and Pomegranate Mignonette, Salad: Cold Steamed Asparagus Spears wrapped in Prosciutto with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette and Diced Roma Tomatoes, Main Dish: Big Shrimp, Grilled and served with Basil Garlic Butter, Side Dishes: Steamed Baby Zucchini Truffle Risotto, Dessert: Banana split (Vanilla Ice Cream, Bananas, Chocolate Sauce and Fresh Strawberries). Liana assured our readers that «This menu has been specially designed to encourage loving feelings in mind and body. Good luck, and Happy Valentine’s Day! May it be filled with fabulous food and sensual delights.»

While I was going through those archives, I also came across an article that appeared three years ago. The heading read «Patronato Formed to Preserve Vallarta’s Historical Center» with the following text: «An important step in preserving the image of Puerto Vallarta as a typical pueblo was taken with the formation of the Patronato which includes prestigious community leaders dedicated to this task. This group will be able to receive federal and municipal funds in addition to local donations for beautification, tourist booths, directional signs, lighting, architectural planning etc. and will have the power to enforce existing regulations or create new ones when necessary. Problems with buses, traffic, pollution, circulation of tourists, parking, preservation of historic buildings etc. will be worked on.» Well, they’re still «working on it» from what I see, but I still don’t understand who or why anyone would grant a building permit to the owners of «Mandala» on the Malecon. Can anyone out there explain to me how this huge, ultra-modern white structure fits into the image of the typical Mexican pueblito? And what’s the story with Hooters? Are they finally, finally going to take down that godawful sign above the place that shows up in all the photos taken by tourists who want to show the main square and Los Arcos Amphitheater to their friends? Now, THAT would be a good thing!

Have a fabulous week, dear readers. Give love and you will receive it back, multifold. Happy Valentine’s Day and hasta luego! pvmom04@yahoo.com

posted by Anna Reisman @ 11:33 AM 1 Comments

Feb. 2, 2008


I have the pleasure of a new -unexpected but most welcome- house guest these weeks, one who loves walking around town, discovery all sorts of little tidbits I don’t have the time to do myself. But I learn from his experience, and that’s always a good thing.

One of the rather more surreal ones he told me about involved the Blockbuster store on Basilio Badillo. As all TV aficionados know, we are all affected by the lack of new episodes in our favorite TV shows, due to the ongoing writers’ strike. And if we want to spend a quiet evening at home watching something different -and at the same time, interesting- on the boob toob, we head for Blockbuster. Which is what he did. (At this point, I should mention that he had never gone into any video store in PV.)

He asked the attendant where the «English section» was. To his surprise, the answer was, given rather rudely, «There is none. Everything is in Spanish.» So he left, somewhat dejected, came home and told me of his experience. Which makes me wonder… does the branch manager know that this is what his employee is telling visitors and tourists who don’t know any better, who don’t know that all the movies on DVDs usually give you a choice of languages, and sometimes more than just English and Spanish, depending on where the movie was made? Does the manager know how many potential customers he’s lost due to his employee’s ignorance? Just asking…

We have friends who live up in Amapas, accessible through the Callejon de la Igualdad. I went up there last week, with my houseguest, because he wanted to see those friends’ condo. The views of the bay from up there are breathtaking! But… I got to see -and feel- the condition of that road (see the Letter from Readers) - if we can call it a road. My little 7-year old Tracker, with its 4-wheel drive feature can handle anything, but I admit that I had doubts for a few moments there… and my doubts also relate to the upper part of Pulpito and Hortencia: What will happen to the folks who will be buying all those truly expensive, ultra luxurious condos up there when they all arrive with their cars? I hope they all know not to come with low-to-the-ground vehicles without 4-wheel drive. I’m not a civil engineer, but for the life of me, I cannot figure out how they will ever fix those roads.

For those of you who are not familiar with that part of town, these roads are only one lane wide, with ravines on one side and buildings on the other. So how will they do it without cutting off those people’s means of access for weeks on end? And if and when such repairs are accomplished, what will happen when a vehicle going uphill comes up against another coming downhill, and there are no «passing places» like they have in Scotland? I have no answers, and neither does anyone else I’ve asked.

Marcia, our friend and fellow contributor, wrote to me to tell me that she had met a young man from Spain this past week who said he papers the walls of his room with the covers of the Vallarta Tribune. She went on to write that it was «Quite a tribute to your photos!» That’s very sweet, but not all the photos that grace the covers of this publication were taken by yours truly. Far from it. And this week’s issue is a perfect example of that. It was sent to our editor by a reader - just like you. So, if you have some of those photos that you consider «special», send them in. You never know. The kudos may go to you, and your work may very well embellish this young man’s walls too.

Can you believe it? This is the first time ever that the Tribune holds FIFTY-SIX pages for your enjoyment! And no one can find the paper in the Romantic Zone on the south side of town… I wish I had an explanation, but I don’t. I haven’t been able to figure out their distribution system for the last few months.

And with all those pages, I’ve still managed to run out of space. I can't even tell you how fabulous a time we all had at the recent Dog Show. There were a zillion folks out there, and as many breeds of dogs, from teeny tiny Chihuahuas and Yorkies to great big mastiffs. (Just take a look at the photos in this issue.)So… until next time, take care of yourselves and of each other, and don’t forget to check out the calendar of events for this week! It’s packed with great stuff. Hasta luego.
pvmom04@yahoo.com

posted by Anna Reisman @ 11:28 AM 0 Comments

Jan. 26, 2008




It was quite a day, Sunday the 20th. Everyone was talking football, football, football …and cold!

I did a little research on my own, and found that the coldest game in NFL history was not the 1967 NFL title game at Lambeau Field when the Packers beat Dallas 21-17 in the Ice Bowl. It was minus 13 that day and the wind chill factor was estimated at minus 48. In fact, in the 1981 AFC championship game, while the temperature was minus-9, the wind chill plunged to minus-59 at Cincinnati as the Bengals beat San Diego 27-7. BRRRRRR!!!!!

Personally, I’ve been experiencing my own feelings of cold, relative though they may be. I realize that my body has become so accustomed to the tropical climate down here, having lived here for so long, that I no longer cope very well with temperatures lower than 20oC. When I was young(er), I used to think that anything over 0oC meant spring. Like all my fellow Montrealers, I used to set aside the winter coats and go out into that «balmy» weather wearing nothing but a T-shirt or sweatshirt. But that was then and this is now. I see all the tourists - a.k.a. snowbirds - walking around in short shorts and sandals in the evening, and I shiver.

I don’t get direct sun in my place, a fact that has always served me well, especially in the summer time. Folks would complain about the heat, while it was always nice and cool in the house. Now it’s the other way around. The continuous «colder» days and nights have permeated the walls, and now it’s «cold» all the time. But no, I will NOT go looking for firewood to light in the fireplace in our living room, which has been hidden by our TV and entire sound system for the last 14 years. The only purpose it has ever served, besides being very decorative, is as a refuge for my cats whenever the dogs decide to chase them.

I guess I should have a serious talk with myself and remind myself what 35 below feels like, in order to feel warm again. And thank the heavens that I don’t live up in the states of Sonora or Sinaloa, or even Guadalajara for that matter. There, in the big city capital of the state of Jalisco, the mercury hasn’t risen much above 5oC at night.
Last week, I found out that Mega could be charged and sentenced to a prison term as well as a hefty fine for selling me some lovely, small elephant plants (Beaucarnea gracilis). I learned that trading in those plants, as well as the Sago Palm (Cycas revolute) I bought for $1,800. Pesos (!!!) at the nursery on Francisco Villa, has been classified as a crime by Mexico’s Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). Who knew? Oh, and it is also illegal to sell the Pachycereus weberi. All three have been reclassified as species in danger of extinction in the wild. Should we advise the nice owners of the local nurseries that they’re all trafficking in illegal plants?

Still on the «trafficking» theme - another friend came to spend a few days in Vallarta last week. The one thing she wanted to take back to Montreal was one of those beautiful talavera ceramic sinks they create at Mundo de Azulejos, but was always afraid to do on her past visits - despite my assurances that it would be ok, they only cost around $50-60 dollars and they’re really easy to transport as they are surprisingly lightweight. Well this time, she finally did it! Afterwards, it was all she could talk about, her beautiful new bathroom sink, all the time right up to her departure. She left a very happy camper indeed.

For those of you who are the slightest bit interested in my continuing saga with the credit card department at Santander, I have news. Since the last time I wrote about it, I have received no less than two credit cards from them, both of them wrong. Not the one I’ve been requesting for the last two years. And they even had the chutzpah to send me a bill for «handling» the first one, even though it was never activated, and even though I did not have it in my possession as I had returned it to the bank. So I called the 800 number on the bill to clarify the situation. I ended up talking to a very nice young lady who assured me that she would cancel the charge, and would I please fax her a receipt of my salary slip so she could raise my limit to the appropriate one needed for the Santander Mexicana credit card (which entitles its bearer to accumulate frequent flyer points). I did. A couple of days later, I received another credit card in the mail, delivered to my home. I showed the fellow my ID, signed a receipt form, and opened the envelope. Wrong card. Again. I called the 800 number, again, but I was told that my rep only worked the afternoon shift, from 2 to 8 p.m. (I didn’t want to start retelling my sad saga again, from the beginning, to yet another rep…) The next day, I called at 4 p.m., to find out that my rep only worked the morning shift and that, besides, they couldn’t attend to anyone anyways because their «system was down».

Later on, I had to go to Rizo’s to pick up a few things, and get some money out of their ATM from my Canadian account. For the first time ever (in my case), that ATM screwed up. It issued me a receipt for a $5,000.-Peso withdrawal - but no money. When I went to tell Miss Tina about it, everyone in her office protested, «You CANNOT withdraw more than $4,000. Pesos per day, señora!» «Of course you can,» I replied, «I’ve been doing it for years.» «Impossible! We have a memo here from the bank, telling us that no one can withdraw more than $4,000. Pesos.» I wondered whether I should tell them that the message that comes on to the screen of the ATM clearly states that one can withdraw up to $5,000. Pesos per transaction, but I thought it better not to. Now I’ll just have to call my bank and ask them to fix the booboo.

Did I mention that ever since I got a ticket for parking in a no parking zone on Venustiano Carranza across from the Benito Juarez parking garage, cars have been parking there, in the very same spot, every day, and not a single one has ever gotten a ticket that I know of? I drive by there every day, and every time it makes me wonder what Murphy had against me on that fateful day…

And talking about cars and such, did you notice the traffic on the Libramiento during the recent holiday period? I’ve never seen anything like it. The line of cars reached from the traffic light at Francisco Villa …all the way back to the tunnel! Can you imagine what it’s going to be like when all the folks buying those multi-million dollar condos in the towers being built around the bay and up the mountain sides will move into them, with the cars they will bring with them, with which they will drive around? No wonder so many are moving to points north and south of town.

I have to get ready for the 4th Annual Dog Show now. By the time you read this, it’ll all be over but the doggie treats. It is such a fun event! I’m really looking forward to it. I’d also like to catch some of the shows at the Santa Barbara Theater before they close. Too much to see and do, too little time…Have a great week, prepare yourselves for February - the Month of Love -and St. Valentine's Day- by taking good care of yourselves and of each other. Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com

posted by Anna Reisman @ 11:23 AM 0 Comments