June 29, 2008
“Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer.”
- Charles Tobias
-
Ah, yes. Nat King Cole sure taught us well… There is something most wondrous about having daylight at 9 o’clock in the evening. Sure, it’s not quite the White Nights of Saint Petersburg or Oslo, but still… Too bad it can’t last all summer long.
We finally got our first electrical thunderstorms, so beautiful. The very first one –on the first official day of summer- didn’t last that long, but the one three nights later was much more impressive. My puppy dog, the one we rescued at the beginning of the year, couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t let her up on the bed. Those were very loud thunder claps, and she was really scared. I guess she’ll just have to get used to them.
Did you notice the new lighting on the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe? Well, it’s not really new, considering that they made the change at the end of May, but to whomever did it: Congratulations! It looks wonderful.
Not so with the Hooters sign next to Los Arcos amphitheater. When, oh when, will they paint it over? The place has been shut down for months. Let them live long and prosper in the Peninsula mall, but get rid of that horror in Puerto Vallarta’s main square!
And what on earth is going on with our airlines? I just found out that US Airways is going to charge $2 for soda, coffee, juice, and even water.
The article in question states “Presumably tap water, which may or may not be contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria, will still be free.
The move is the latest way airlines are attempting to fight rapidly rising fuel prices in a disastrous economic climate. In recent months, the extra fees have come fast and furious. First came extra charges for your second piece of luggage, then came a charge for your first bag. That's not to mention extra fees for choosing your own seat, curbside check-in, booking using frequent flier miles, and the cost of the Santa Fe chicken sandwich.
The beverage fee is even more annoying than most, since you can no longer bring liquids through security at airports. You are really at the mercy of buying them on the plane, or at least buying them once you're in the terminal (which is doubtlessly no cheaper than on the plane). Alcoholic drinks will also go from $5 to $7. That's a lot for a can of Budweiser.
The fee goes into effect August 18, leaving plenty of time for the airlines to come up with other fees to nickel and dime their way to profitability. Can pay toilets be far behind?”
That is very depressing stuff, folks.
And then, as if all that were not enough, they’re messing around with the frequent flyer point programs too, increasing the number of points you need to fly from point A to point B (and back) while reducing the amount of time we have to use them. Not that it affects me much… I’m still fighting to get that credit card from Santander, the one that would enable me to get frequent flyer points. It’s only been two and a half years, so I shouldn’t complain, right?
I’ve also given up on trying to understand why the Tribune’s web site cannot be maintained up to date for longer than two weeks at a time.
A friend sent me an email with a .wmv suffix (a video clip) which she said I would enjoy. I tried to open it, only to receive a message that read “Windows Media Player encountered an unknown error.” So I clicked on “Help”. That one came up with “Windows Media Player Error Message Help - You've encountered an error message while using Windows Media Player. Additional information is not currently available for this error.” Hmmm…
About emails, a few years ago, I remember when our good friend T.J. submitted the following to one of the local bulletin boards online: “Pete, one of the Saturday Bird Watching gang down on the pier, a U.S. Postal employee, said he didn't understand our complaints about the postal service. He asked if anyone remembered when you could put a two-cent stamp on a letter and mail it, and it would arrive at its destination in two days. He claimed, "Nothin's changed, now you put a thirty-seven-cent stamp on a letter and it can take four to five weeks to arrive. But it's still only about a penny a day!" It was true then, and it still applies today. The more some things change, the more they remain the same! Many years ago, they had a race up in Canada where they put a letter in a mailbox in Nova Scotia or somewhere near there, out east, and gave a copy of the same to a “pony express”, both addressed to someone in Vancouver, B.C. You guessed it: the pony express beat the Canadian Postal system.
Here in our little not-quite-perfect paradise, there’s only a dozen or so postmen, the same amount they had a decade ago, despite the fact that the population has tripled in that period of time. We who live here just tell everyone not to bother sending mail… It seldom reaches us anyways. Heaven only knows where it ends up.
I never cease to be amazed at the double standards –actually, I should say multiple standards- applied by the local authorities involved in construction sites around this town. Now it seems that they’ve been building a “temple” in the Versalles neighborhood, without permit. Although it was shut down by the Urban Planning Department, the developers simply took off the seals and just continued working… The residents, who are very much opposed to the concept, accused the Mayor and his henchmen of giving in to the “degree of influence and power” of the developers. (This was published in the Meridiano.) These are the same “henchmen” who have done everything in their power to delay the permit of my neighbor with the unpleasant lady next door who had his work site shut down a few weeks ago. Unlike the “power-full”, my neighbor is reluctant to simply rip off the seals. After all, he’s a gringo. So he’s just losing more and more of his hard-earned money with every day that goes by, as he has to keep on paying his workers.
Ah, yes, money! Did you hear that one of Claude Monet's paintings, "Le Bassin aux Nymphes", recently sold for 40.9 Million British Pounds (that’s $80.5 Million U.S. Dollars) at an auction in London? The previous record for a Monet sold at auction was $41.4 Million dollars for "Le Pont du chemin de fer a Argenteuil", established last month at a sale in New York. Sheesh! You could feed a small nation for heavens knows how long with that kind of money.
I have a good quote to leave you with this week: “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.”
Take good care of yourselves and of each other, dear readers. I wish a most Happy Canada Day and Happy 4th of July to all our North American readers. Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com
June 22, 2008
Did you happen to look around lately at the majestic mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental that embrace our beautiful Bay of Banderas? I ask this as I chuckle at the fact that once again, all of us who live here and have gotten to ‘know’ them, have been proven right. Ten days following the first real rains of the season, they have metamorphosed into the lush, verdant beauties we’ve come to love so much.
Ten days, that’s all it takes for Mother Nature to drink in the blessed rains that revive her from six months of dormancy, that help her blossom, so exuberantly. Even though I’ve been lucky enough to see it happen fourteen times now, it never ceases to amaze me. I just stand there, looking at them, admiring them, in awe. And I pray that some intelligent beings will appear to enact the laws and regulations needed to preserve them, to avoid any further damage at the hands of thoughtless, greedy developers.
On the clear nights between storms, the fireworks of the Marigalante are even brighter than usual. A couple of friends of ours who had never taken the evening cruise on that superb replica of one of Christopher Columbus’ ships, did, finally, after years of talking about it. The next day, they couldn’t stop talking about it… the fun, the music, the filet mignon and the jumbo shrimp and the wines… And I should tell you, these are two really picky gentlemen! It was all I could do not to tell them, “I told you so!”
We need to enjoy, folks. There’s just too much bad news around, and we cannot let it get us down. We need to do all we can to keep ourselves and our loved ones happy – and healthy.
Talking about which, according to an article that appeared last week in the Vallarta Opina, one of Puerto Vallarta’s top two dailies, the State’s public Health authorities have “strengthened” the measures they’re taking to combat the infamous dengue-carrying mosquito, with the “active participation” of volunteers and the local authorities – in order to involve the community in general. Words are all well and good, but they still haven’t managed to force the owners of a quasi-abandoned condominium project near my place, whose pool has been filled with stagnant water for over a year now, to drain that source of infestation. And this despite repeated requests. I wonder what one has to do to in order to get some sort of “active” response from all these eloquent authorities.
Still on health-related matters, did you catch that bit on the news last week, about the benefits of coffee? Well, it seems that the study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, shows that coffee lowers heart risk and overall death rate. “Drinking up to six cups of coffee a day may lower the overall odds of dying prematurely, mainly because it cuts the risk of dying from heart disease.” But the study found that heavy coffee drinking doesn't cut your chance of dying from cancer.
The study examines the relationship between coffee and mortality. It is based on the coffee drinking habits of 41,736 men and 86,216 women with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cancer. The men were followed for 18 years, the women for 24 years.
The results show that as coffee consumption increases, the overall risk of death decreases. The association is explained mostly by a decrease in CVD deaths. Women who drank two to three cups of coffee a day, for instance, had a 25% lower risk of dying from heart disease than non-drinkers. Hmmm… good to know for anyone who loves coffee as much as I do.
If I could have one good double espresso every day, I would be a very happy camper indeed. On the other hand, it’s my fault if I don’t. I’m just too lazy to go through the hassle to use my espresso machine… Did you ever notice how absolutely delightful the youngsters working at the Starbucks locations are? All of them, so friendly, so polite, so nice and helpful. I tip my hat to the people who hired them.
I enjoy one particular blend of their coffee, but they were all out of it when I went in to the downtown location to buy some one night. One of the young ladies took it upon herself to call the Peninsula branch. They had some. She offered to pick up a couple of bags for me on her way to work the next day. Now I think that was super nice on her part, don’t you agree? She didn’t have to do that. We’ve been friends ever since.
I just don’t get the whole hoopla with that Kopi Luwak coffee from Indonesia, the one featured in “The Bucket List”, made from coffee berries which have been eaten by and passed through the digestive tract of the Asian Palm Civet. I’ve seen it at Starbucks, but I never checked to see how much it cost. Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling for between $120 and $600 USD per pound, mainly in Japan and the U.S. According to The Gospel According to Starbucks, only 1,000 pounds (450 kg) at most make it into the world market each year. It sells for $50.00 a cup… I think I’ll pass.
We all went out to celebrate Father’s Day at Café des Artistes ‘cause that is where this particular daddy wanted to go. Good choice! Though it’s not the kind of place we mere mortals frequent on a regular basis, it is very nice indeed to be waited upon in the manner of royalty. And the food… well, we all know about the food at this internationally-renowned dining establishment. Few are willing to treat their clientele to Valrhona grand chocolat and Illy espresso… Yet one more way to pamper ourselves, to enjoy life. At the risk of being a tad too repetitive: we need to do that, live as if today were our last. Just look around. We don’t even know what awaits us around the corner, never mind down the road.
About faraway places, the folks at the Tourism Promotion department have been in the news again. Seems that Boss Francisco Salas has been making an extra effort since last year to promote our town in Europe and South America. The latter I can understand. After all, they all speak Spanish except for the Brazilians, but Europe? Without any promotional material in French, Italian, or German? Oh, well.
My heart goes out to the folks along the mighty Mississippi River. They're not responsible for causing Mother Nature's wrath. Why doesn't she go after the culprits? Now there's a thought... Wouldn't that be great, if she only targeted those responsible for doing all that damage to her... Let’s just hope the rains don’t do too much damage around our little corner of the world.The Summer Solstice for 2008 has come and gone. Although our days will be getting shorter from now until December, our sunsets promise to be spectacular. So have fun, keep healthy and happy, and do take care of yourselves and of each other. Hasta luego.
pvmom04@yahoo.com
June 15, 2008
I believe that there’s a lot of truth in that saying, «Be careful what you wish for…», especially since I’ve been wishing for rain for the last few weeks. I just didn’t want it to rain for days on end. I guess I should have expressed my wish a little more clearly…
Like the rest of us who live here year ‘round, I was expecting the rains to start in the late afternoon, or during the night, with beautiful hot sunny days in between. Oh well, I’ll remember to be more careful next time (as if my wishes had any influence whatsoever on the climate around here…)
Remember that «mega canal» they were building -at an exorbitant cost- to catch the rainwater so it wouldn’t flood various areas of town, including Francisco Villa Avenue? The one that was going to solve all those problems once and for all? Well, it doesn’t work. The avenue was totally flooded, just as it has been for the last couple of decades, every time there’s a good rainfall.
At least everything is nice and clean all around, for the first time since last October. I’m not complaining. I just feel bad for those tourists who came here on holidays, expecting a week of fun in the sun.
There was a bit of good news among the endless bad ones. According to the Associated Press, «Internet providers Verizon, Sprint and Time Warner Cable have agreed to block access to child pornography and eliminate the material from their servers, New York’s attorney general said Tuesday. The companies also will pay $1.1 million to help fund efforts to remove the online child porn created and disseminated by users through their services, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said. The changes will affect customers nationwide (in the U.S.)» I hope other countries follow suit.
On the local scene, a number of reports made me chuckle, sarcastically I admit. One headline read «Mexico to strengthen focus on Chinese market». The article goes on to say that Mexico hasn’t been able to benefit from this huge sector despite the fact that China has opened commercial and tourism exchanges with this country… At the inauguration ceremony for Aeromexico’s new Mexico City – Tijuana – Shanghai flight, the Mexican Ambassador to China stated that the Chinese spend more than Americans when they go on holidays, so the acquisition of visas for them has been facilitated. He added that the forecast is for a 200% to 300% increase in tourism from the third largest country in the world. A few dozen multiplied by 200 or 300% still doesn’t amount to much though.
And then there’s the matter of our (in)famous convention center. The call for tenders for operating the long awaited but highly controversial site is still pending, despite the fact that Sr. Luis Guillermo Martínez Mora, the State of Jalisco’s Secretary for Economic Promotion, had promised it by the end of May, 2008. Now they’re talking about August. In the meantime, the Governor stated that construction will definitely be finished by the end of October.
For their part, the various tourism sectors, local, state and national, warned that years are needed to promote a site such as this convention center, and not weeks or months like the authorities believe. They foresee a very slow start for its use.
In the meantime, the federal Department of Tourism is signing an agreement with an American company, 15 expert consultants in the realm of conventions, congresses and incentive tours. I guess time will tell.
JOY! tells us that «Mami’s Cucina Asiatica is doing a roaring trade for good reason.
The food is awesome and the most expensive thing on the menu is 60 pesos, most meals range between 30 and 50 pesos! I’ve just finished the best chicken teriyaki I’ve ever eaten! I’m so impressed with this sweet little restaurant in Plaza Romy that I’m using its free wireless to tell y’all about it. The place is owned by the lovely Lisa who is catering to the locals with everything from secret recipe shrimp tacos with homemade salsas to all kinds of Asian appetizers - AND she delivers to the Old Town area… Check it out, summer hours are 9 to 5.» Worth a try, don’t you think?
What else did I learn this week, that’s worth sharing? Well, I learned that idling burns about a half-mile worth of gas every minute, according to the California Energy Commission. That’s why hybrid cars shut down their gasoline engines whenever they stop, even for a moment. And that if you drive a more-or-less recent model car, with fuel injection, it is worth it to turn off your motor if you see that you’ll be stuck for a while in a traffic jam, or waiting for someone. With these vehicles, it is wrong to think that turning the motor on uses more fuel than if you let it idle. OK, that’s my bit about mechanics for now.
As far as «events» go, I’m glad that it’s a little calmer now. I only speak for myself of course. I’m fully aware that it’s not a good thing for local businesses, but hey, in all the years I’ve lived here, I’ve noted that the arrival of the «low season» always seems to come as a surprise to our Department of Tourism. Every year, they claim to be working hard to avoid its recurrence, but no one has seen any improvement to date. Who knows? Perhaps once all those 7,600+ condos are finished, bought and populated, things will get better. I sure hope so for the sake of all Vallartans who have invested their life’s earnings into a business here.
I was speaking to an old, dear friend of mine about that very topic, and others, recently. He asked me, «So if things get worse, the economy, the traffic, the violence, would you move away?» Of course not. Think about it. Where else could I see an Aztec dancer dressed in full regalia, walking along the Malecon, talking on his cell phone? Where else could I find myself stopped in traffic, waiting for the light to turn green, next to a pick-up truck filled with huge piñatas hanging in the back? Where else could I enjoy fireworks every night, shot off the replica of a 16th century pirate ship? And all our amazing restaurants… And finally, where else but in Puerto Vallarta could I find the people of Puerto Vallarta? Nope. I’m not leaving.
Before I forget, a big thank you to all my readers who sent me such nice comments about my blog, a.k.a. this column, especially while the Tribune was off line.
By the way, check out your favorite eating establishments, folks. Lots of them have special fixed-price summer menus, very reasonable, very delicious. Trio has reopened, so I think it’s time for me to pay them a visit. Maybe that’s where we’ll go to celebrate Father’s Day. I also have to check to see when the next annual «Duck Festival» is scheduled for…
I wish all the daddies out there a wonderful Father’s Day, and if you’re reading this after the fact, I hope it was wonderful. I leave you with a thought I received this week: "That wrong turn may have made you three minutes late, but it could also be the reason you weren’t involved in the accident that never happened. Think forest, not trees."
Hasta luego.
pvmom04@yahoo.com
June 8, 2008
I believe that there’s a lot of truth in that saying, «Be careful what you wish for…», especially since I’ve been wishing for rain for the last few weeks. I just didn’t want it to rain for days on end. I guess I should have expressed my wish a little more clearly…
Like the rest of us who live here year ‘round, I was expecting the rains to start in the late afternoon, or during the night, with beautiful hot sunny days in between. Oh well, I’ll remember to be more careful next time (as if my wishes had any influence whatsoever on the climate around here…)
Remember that «mega canal» they were building -at an exorbitant cost- to catch the rainwater so it wouldn’t flood various areas of town, including Francisco Villa Avenue? The one that was going to solve all those problems once and for all? Well, it doesn’t work. The avenue was totally flooded, just as it has been for the last couple of decades, every time there’s a good rainfall.
At least everything is nice and clean all around, for the first time since last October. I’m not complaining. I just feel bad for those tourists who came here on holidays, expecting a week of fun in the sun.
There was a bit of good news among the endless bad ones. According to the Associated Press, «Internet providers Verizon, Sprint and Time Warner Cable have agreed to block access to child pornography and eliminate the material from their servers, New York’s attorney general said Tuesday. The companies also will pay $1.1 million to help fund efforts to remove the online child porn created and disseminated by users through their services, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said. The changes will affect customers nationwide (in the U.S.)» I hope other countries follow suit.
On the local scene, a number of reports made me chuckle, sarcastically I admit. One headline read «Mexico to strengthen focus on Chinese market». The article goes on to say that Mexico hasn’t been able to benefit from this huge sector despite the fact that China has opened commercial and tourism exchanges with this country… At the inauguration ceremony for Aeromexico’s new Mexico City – Tijuana – Shanghai flight, the Mexican Ambassador to China stated that the Chinese spend more than Americans when they go on holidays, so the acquisition of visas for them has been facilitated. He added that the forecast is for a 200% to 300% increase in tourism from the third largest country in the world. A few dozen multiplied by 200 or 300% still doesn’t amount to much though.
And then there’s the matter of our (in)famous convention center. The call for tenders for operating the long awaited but highly controversial site is still pending, despite the fact that Sr. Luis Guillermo Martínez Mora, the State of Jalisco’s Secretary for Economic Promotion, had promised it by the end of May, 2008. Now they’re talking about August. In the meantime, the Governor stated that construction will definitely be finished by the end of October.
For their part, the various tourism sectors, local, state and national, warned that years are needed to promote a site such as this convention center, and not weeks or months like the authorities believe. They foresee a very slow start for its use.
In the meantime, the federal Department of Tourism is signing an agreement with an American company, 15 expert consultants in the realm of conventions, congresses and incentive tours. I guess time will tell.
JOY! tells us that «Mami’s Cucina Asiatica is doing a roaring trade for good reason.
The food is awesome and the most expensive thing on the menu is 60 pesos, most meals range between 30 and 50 pesos! I’ve just finished the best chicken teriyaki I’ve ever eaten! I’m so impressed with this sweet little restaurant in Plaza Romy that I’m using its free wireless to tell y’all about it. The place is owned by the lovely Lisa who is catering to the locals with everything from secret recipe shrimp tacos with homemade salsas to all kinds of Asian appetizers - AND she delivers to the Old Town area… Check it out, summer hours are 9 to 5.» Worth a try, don’t you think?
What else did I learn this week, that’s worth sharing? Well, I learned that idling burns about a half-mile worth of gas every minute, according to the California Energy Commission. That’s why hybrid cars shut down their gasoline engines whenever they stop, even for a moment. And that if you drive a more-or-less recent model car, with fuel injection, it is worth it to turn off your motor if you see that you’ll be stuck for a while in a traffic jam, or waiting for someone. With these vehicles, it is wrong to think that turning the motor on uses more fuel than if you let it idle. OK, that’s my bit about mechanics for now.
As far as «events» go, I’m glad that it’s a little calmer now. I only speak for myself of course. I’m fully aware that it’s not a good thing for local businesses, but hey, in all the years I’ve lived here, I’ve noted that the arrival of the «low season» always seems to come as a surprise to our Department of Tourism. Every year, they claim to be working hard to avoid its recurrence, but no one has seen any improvement to date. Who knows? Perhaps once all those 7,600+ condos are finished, bought and populated, things will get better. I sure hope so for the sake of all Vallartans who have invested their life’s earnings into a business here.
I was speaking to an old, dear friend of mine about that very topic, and others, recently. He asked me, «So if things get worse, the economy, the traffic, the violence, would you move away?» Of course not. Think about it. Where else could I see an Aztec dancer dressed in full regalia, walking along the Malecon, talking on his cell phone? Where else could I find myself stopped in traffic, waiting for the light to turn green, next to a pick-up truck filled with huge piñatas hanging in the back? Where else could I enjoy fireworks every night, shot off the replica of a 16th century pirate ship? And all our amazing restaurants… And finally, where else but in Puerto Vallarta could I find the people of Puerto Vallarta? Nope. I’m not leaving.
Before I forget, a big thank you to all my readers who sent me such nice comments about my blog, a.k.a. this column, especially while the Tribune was off line.
By the way, check out your favorite eating establishments, folks. Lots of them have special fixed-price summer menus, very reasonable, very delicious. Trio has reopened, so I think it’s time for me to pay them a visit. Maybe that’s where we’ll go to celebrate Father’s Day. I also have to check to see when the next annual «Duck Festival» is scheduled for…
I wish all the daddies out there a wonderful Father’s Day, and if you’re reading this after the fact, I hope it was wonderful. I leave you with a thought I received this week: "That wrong turn may have made you three minutes late, but it could also be the reason you weren’t involved in the accident that never happened. Think forest, not trees." Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com
May 31st, 2008
There certainly was no shortage of local news this past week. I don’t know which was more important, the explosion in El Pitillal or the “settling of accounts” in two of the outlying colonias. I know nothing about the latter other than the articles that appeared in the local papers, but I sure know all about the explosion. As I had to attend a meeting at the offices of the Tribune – way past El Pitillal, out in Lomas del Coapinole, where civilization meets the Sierra Madre Mountains - I was one of the thousands of people stuck for what seemed forever in bumper to bumper traffic.
As I reached the main square there, I realized why the congestion, and like everyone else, could not believe the destruction I witnessed. It looked as if the place had been hit by an earthquake way above the usual 5 point something this town is used to. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll get off the subject. I just feel so bad for the gentleman who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time – and lost his life. My condolences to his family and friends.
On a positive note: it has been reported that the PV Fire Department will receive two ambulances of its own. Now, that would be a most welcome improvement. It has also been reported that a mega rainwater canal is being built to supposedly avoid the annual floods that occur as soon as we get a big rainstorm, especially in places like the infamous Francisco Villa Boulevard. The project is said to cost some $45 Million Pesos. The huge headline read “Adios to floods!” Forgive me for my skepticism … I’ll keep that front page –just in case- until I see the result with my own eyes.
On the south side of town where I live, it’s the opposite. All too quiet. As my friends and I continued our eating tour of the establishments participating in our annual “Restaurant Week(s)”, we wondered at the surprisingly small number of people we saw at some of the places we visited. They weren’t kidding when they were telling us how unusually slow the month of May has been. And yet, others were full to capacity all the time, i.e.: Archie’s Wok, Trio, Vitea, Teatro Limon, and of course, Café des Artistes! (The latter definitely deserves a double WOW!) We are truly blessed in this little town of ours. The quality of the restaurants we have is equal to any gastronomically-renowned cosmopolitan city that may come to mind.
On a very personal note, I was quite disappointed with Paco Renteria’s concert. Like most if not all the hundreds of folks gathered at Los Arcos Amphitheater, I was there to see HIM, to hear HIM play. Instead, he let the members of his group play solo while he only performed a couple of numbers where his talent could be appreciated and admired. On the other hand, after the all-too-short performance, he told me that they had put on a couple of concerts the previous days at some event for ambassadors out in Nayarit, and that they did so well that they were invited to come back very soon. I’m looking forward to a “real” concert, a two-hour deal, next time around. What talent this artist has! The good thing was that the rains held off until the end of Paco’s turn. Not much of a first rain it was, but still, better than nothing.
I read that the weekly flights from England have started up again. I remember some eight nine years ago, when there were regular flights from England, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. And then little by little, they all but stopped, thanks to the indifference of our local Tourism Office. The airport authorities did a survey and published some statistics this past week too. Things haven’t changed much over the last few years. Americans still make up the majority, at some 58%, followed by Mexicans at around 29% (which includes a small percentage of Europeans transferring in Mexico City) and Canadians at 12%. Do the math. Doesn’t represent many from the rest of the world, does it? Anyways, I’m glad for the flights from London and Manchester. Welcome to all Brits!
And on matters of import and importations, I understand that more and more internationally-renowned shops are opening up at Galerias Vallarta, and that there will be seven additional movie screens opening up there too, around the end of the year. Among the names being bandied about: Restaurante Sirloin Stockade, Paul & Shark, The Linen Club, Pepe Jeans London, etc.
I received a lovely invitation to attend the unveiling of a new statue on the extension of the Malecon. It is of San Pascual Baylon, the patron of cooks and chefs around the world. Even though the ceremony will be followed by a dinner for the press, catered by none other than Vitea (in front of which the statue will be placed), Trio, Los Xitomates and Café des Artistes, I doubt that I will be able to attend as it conflicts with the last night of “Restaurant Week(s)”. So I figured you might be interested in a bit of trivia about this Saint. Here goes:
San Pascual Bayon was born on the 16th of May, 1540, in the town of Torrehermosa, a tiny village in the province of Zaragoza, Spain.
As an adult, he was a shepherd who became a Franciscan lay brother. He served his fellow Franciscans in various capacities and monasteries as shepherd, gardener, porter, and cook. Since childhood he had developed a deep sense of the presence of God and was particularly devoted to the Eucharist. San Pascual was known for his administrations to the poor and for his many miraculous cures.
Today, San Pascual is chiefly known as a patron of the kitchen in token of his work as a cook. In religious art, he is shown dressed in the brown robes of a Franciscan, kneeling in a kitchen while in rapt contemplation of the Eucharistic host suspended mid-air in a monstrance.
In New Mexico his image has become a ubiquitous element of “Santa Fe-inspired” décor. San Pascual is patron of shepherds, cooks, and Eucharistic Congresses and associations. His feast day is May 17.
As I write this, I still have plans to go to the River Café, Barrio Sur and Daiquiri Dick’s, in addition to the National Fireworks Competition, and making time to see Ironman, Indiana Jones and the Chronicles of Narnia somewhere in between. And there are so many other long-awaited movies coming up this summer… I just wish they hadn’t closed down the Cine Bahia theater. It was so conveniently located for us “southern” dwellers. Oh my… so much to do, so much to see, and so little time… Getting back to the topic of food –before I forget- more good news: the State of Jalisco is passing new regulations to ban the sale of sodas and chips in the public schools. Great news! Nothing sadder than to see a little one who’s way overweight due to inactivity and an overload of tortillas…
Well, that’s enough for now. I wish you all a lovely week (hoping for some real evening electrical thunderstorms) and maybe you can start thinking about what you’re going to get Dad for his big day. It’s coming up real fast! Boy, how time flies when you’re having fun… Hasta luego.
May 24, 2008
We often read about purse grabbers and muggers (unfortunately), but thank goodness, the large majority of us is never witness to nor involved in such events. Last week turned out to be different for me. Not only did I actually witness such an event, but it turned out to be one that warranted full-page coverage in various local dailies. I must admit that I was too stunned to “enjoy” all the excitement at the time.
It all started when I had to go to Plaza Caracol in an Nth attempt to cash a check at Bancomer. I drove into the parking lot, took a ticket, parked the car and walked over to the bank. No luck – again. The line of people waiting to be attended to wound its way around the cordons, filled the bank, and spilled over to the sidewalk outside. No way. I don’t have time for that. So I walked back to the car and drove towards the exit. When I reached the booth, I handed my ticket along with a 10-peso coin to the young lady inside …and that’s when everything stopped.
People were running, screaming, past me. The robbers separated as they exited the lot; one went straight while the other turned towards the highway. The one who ran straight looked back, realized how many people were running after him, and threw the backpack he had stolen off someone onto the ground. The other one disappeared.
All the while, the young lady was petrified, still holding my ticket in her hand, her mouth gaping open. Once the first robber had been apprehended about a block up, she started breathing again. And then she turned to a companion who was in the booth with her, to express her emotions, her excitement, her fear, at what she had just witnessed. After a while, she remembered that she still had my ticket in her hand, gave me two pesos change, and I drove out.
The next day, the papers reported the incident. Turns out that there was around $ 20,000. US Dollars in pesos in the backpack those boys had stolen off a certain Luis Alberto Ayón, who had just left the bank.
Not only had they robbed the money, but they had also forced poor Señor Ayón to remove his shoes and his pants – at gunpoint - prior to taking his backpack! That explained why there was a semi-nude man running among the security guards and the other folks… This is one time we can say that “all’s well that ends well”.
While still on the topic of criminals… There was another fatal incident involving a Canadian tourist, this time in the resort town of Cabo San Lucas in Baja California. I guess that will clinch it as far as Canadian tourism to Mexico goes. After all, there was a tragedy in Cancun two years ago, then another in Acapulco a year ago, then one in Puerto Vallarta this past winter, and now the one in Cabo San Lucas. Now the Canadian authorities can scare their citizens from visiting Mexico, simply stating that such acts of violence (four to be exact) are commonplace because, after all, they happen from one end of the country to the other…
On to “lighter” matters, can anyone out there tell me what the story is with the lights they installed on the extension of the Malecon, on the south side? Those things have the intensity of searchlights, the kind they use to look for survivors in the black of night out on the open sea. At first, it was so dark there once the sun had set that residents complained for years to the authorities. The posts were there, but without lights. Now they’ve gone to the other extreme. If you haven’t done so recently, take a walk down there one night. You will be “blinded by the light” … literally.
I also received another interesting tidbit from one of our readers. It appears that taking photographs anywhere near or in the Costco store is VERBOTEN! (That’s “prohibited” for those of you who are not familiar with the German word.) No kidding. This young man had gone out to take pictures of trees around town. Walking along the Fluvial boulevard-promenade, he got to Costco, where he wanted to take a photo of the tree in the parking lot. Oh, no! A security guard promptly approached him to inform him that this was not allowed. He seriously thought the guard would confiscate his camera, or at least make him erase the photo …but he didn’t. So here’s the “illegally-taken” photo of the tree, for all to admire. If anyone can find some secret code in it, please do let us know. We’ll send in the Mexican equivalent of the CIA, FBI, CSIS, or whatever, to investigate.
In case you’re interested, so far my friends and I have visited Barcelona Tapas, Tikul, Hacienda Alemana Frankfurt, and La Palapa to enjoy the “Restaurant Week(s)” offerings. All excellent, without exception. Still on the list: Boca Bento, Alfredo di Roma, Daiquiri Dick’s, the River Café and of course, Café des Artistes. By the time it’s all over, I’ll be surprised if we haven’t all gained a few pounds here and there.
(I would like to extend my very best, sincere wishes to Mike and Debbi Egan of Banana Cantina. Mike is very ill, and they’ve had to close the restaurant until further notice.)
For the time being, I’m just looking forward to the Paco Rentería concert. We’ll have to miss this year’s edition of the Altruism Festival that falls at the same time, but with all the amazing food around town, it was an easy choice to make. By the time you read this, it will be all over but the memories. I’m also looking forward to the fireworks this Friday. That’s going to be some show! I understand they’re going to build a castillo some 12 meters high. That’s around 36 feet, the highest ever built in Puerto Vallarta!
That’s all for now, folks. If you’d like a yummy, furry four-legged companion, please don’t forget the adoption days at the animal shelter on Thursdays and at Los Mangos Library on Saturdays!
I wish you all a wonderful week. Have lots of fun, take in as many events as you can, and don’t forget your sun block! Hasta luego.
pvmom04@yahoo.com
I’m sorry I have no power to put the Tribune back online, but if you want to read my blather, it is online, at www.shesaid-7.blogspot.com
