June 24, 2007

Puerto Vallarta’s Hospital Regional spokespersons are demanding an expansion in order to accommodate at least 40 additional beds. They claim that what this town needs desperately is a maternity hospital, because 80% of their beds are occupied by women who have given birth, while other patients are left waiting in the admissions or waiting rooms, or in the hallways.

I mention this because, though it is true, this is not the only place where such occurrences happen. Last week, Reuters published an article entitled “U.S. Hospitals Try to Pick Up the ER Pace” that read as follows: «It’s the sort of promotion you might expect from a pizza delivery chain, not a U.S. hospital system. Like the pizzeria that picks up the bill for taking too long … For those who do endure long waits, hospitals offer meal vouchers, baseball and movie passes and written apologies… In a 2006 report, the Institute said backlogs cause ambulances to be turned away from emergency departments once a minute on average and patients wait sometimes hours or even days for a bed. Last month a 43-year-old woman died in the waiting room of a Los Angeles-area hospital emergency department after a perforated bowel was not treated swiftly. “I’d say one quarter of the nation’s emergency rooms are doing this now,” said American Hospital Association spokesman Rick Wade. “Over the next five years you’ll see this pretty much everywhere except in the smallest hospitals.”

And this is no different from Canada, where health care is free, and the situation may be even worse. So I guess we who live here in “paradise” shouldn’t complain, when we consider the excellent care available at institutions such as AmeriMed, the Cornerstone, Medasist, the CMQ and San Javier. Now if the Red Cross could only get some $$$ to put all of their ambulances back on the road, we’d be truly blessed. Right now, they only have one or two in working order.
And talking about resources, I have to confess that I was never a «bingo person», but because of the people involved in the first even Celebrity Bingo night here, I figured I would attend.

Besides, raising funds for the R.I.S.E. children’s shelter is always a good thing. I had such a great time that I think I’m going to mark every Thursday throughout the summer as bingo night in my little agenda book. Except for Ida Slapter’s shows, I don’t remember having laughed so much at any event… Read JOY!’s review in this issue and think seriously about joining us on Thursday.

Among the attendee-players was Mr. Jim McCarthy. Now some of you who live here may remember that this gentleman is the founder of the Eagle's Wings Foundation here in PV. It all began 7 years ago, with his proposal to add a voluntary $6.50 US charge to the maintenance fee bills sent out to time share owners at Villa del Palmar and Villa del Mar. His idea was so well received that they raised somewhere around $100,000. US in voluntary contributions the very first year. Since then, other time share complexes have joined the Foundation and the moneys (around $1 Million US or more so far) are donated to a whole lot of non-profit organizations around town - including the Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza (R.I.S.E.) children's shelter.

Another local "celebrity", Tom Colvin, PV’s own music guru, was there too. Tom seldom writes about restaurants, but when he does, you can be sure that it’s a place that truly impressed him. A few months ago, he sent in a review on a new place called Encuentros – a pizza bar lounge. I heard a lot of good things about the place since then, but for one reason or another, I never got to sample it myself – until last week. What an absolutely delightful place! Soft lights, soft colors, loads of strategically-placed candles, soft, cool jazz-type music, and absolutely fabulous pizza! Now I understand why Tom didn’t want to tell us too much about the pizza… it’s truly unusual, and deeelicious. As it happened, after never having gone there, I ended up having dinner there twice in one week, just ‘cause that is where my son wanted to go for Father’s Day. I can’t blame him. Some thirty different types of original martinis, another thirty or so different, unusual cocktails, about ten different pizzas (one is plenty for one person), some truly tasty appetizers and two decadent desserts. As a matter of fact, on my second visit, I just ordered two appetizers for dinner. Drop in and see for yourself, owner Ari Tanur will take good care of you. Encuentros is at 312 Lazaro Cardenas, between Insurgentes and Constitucion, in the Romantic Zone on the south side of town. It opens at six and happy hour (2 for 1) is from 8 to 10!

I also had a delightful brunch with Jay Ailworth and his lovely wife, Laurie, at Eric Lenoir’s Paris Café on Pino Suarez corner of Aquiles Serdan (near the now-defunct Molino de Agua property). If the name sounds familiar, that’s because many of the photos gracing the Tribune’s covers lately were taken by Jay. We’d been meaning to get together for months but things being the way they are here, and the fact that the Ailworths live on the North Shore, it just hadn’t happened. Needless to say, I left with a bag full of Eric’s delightful croissants and pastries, after having enjoyed one of his always-perfect quiches.

Getting back to Father’s Day… If you found yourself in an especially good mood that weekend, it may have been due where you were in relation to the prevailing winds. The PGR (federal authorities) burned two tons of that special grass (you know the kind I mean, Mary Jane) that weekend, stuff they had confiscated from the various drug dealers in town.

While I’m on sweet-smelling substances, our friend Pat Henry (who’s tangoing to her heart’s content in San Francisco as you read this) tells us that «There is a lady selling Avon from her house on the north side of Francisco Madero (between Aguacate and Jacarandas, 1-½ blocks east of Insurgentes). She is usually sitting just inside her door during the day, waiting for customers. There is a small sign on the door, but you may not notice it if you are walking east. I don’t have the street number. That is where I buy my Skin So Soft (as mosquito repellent), and it works!»

An observation I’ve been meaning to share with you for the last couple of weeks: After not having received our Telecable guide at all last month, we did get the June edition soon after the beginning of the month. I wanted to check out the channels, just to see what other changes they may have made, other that eliminating «my» SciFi channel… Well, guess what? There is no such list. Nowhere in the 96-page, glossy paper magazine! So if you’re a newcomer to Vallarta’s Telecable service, and you want to know what channel a particular station might be on … forget it!

Canada Day will be celebrated on its eve this year, that’s Saturday night, June 30th, at the No Name Café, as it has been for the last few years. That way, those who like to hoist a few or more will be able to sleep in the next day… It’s always loads of fun, plenty of good food, good music, and great raffle prizes! So if you’re a Canuck like me, or just friends of ours, please do join us! Lyne Benoit, our tireless Honorary Consul, always makes sure we have a great time.
Until then, don't forget Bingo night atthe Lazy Lizard on Thursday ...and maybe brunch at the Botanical Gardens on Sunday, after the Canada Day bash... Sounds like a good idea.

Whatever you do, I wish you all a wonderful week, and a most Happy Birthday, Canada! Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com

June 17, 2007

Rather than bore you with the non-events in my life over the past week, I thought I might give you a little insight into the reasons why we haven’t been publishing much "local news" per se over the last little while.

We usually leaf through the local Spanish language dailies for news that may interest locals and visitors to Ourtown. At times, like during election periods, there really isn’t much that falls into that category - a little like CNN has been recently, devoting hours and hours of coverage to that ditzy blonde heiress, as if nothing else happened or mattered in this world. But I digress. The point I wanted to make is that the local news lately has been so depressing that we haven’t found anything to share with our readers …apart from all the good deeds accomplished by Puerto Vallarta’s FOREIGN community - things we can all be very proud of indeed! New parks for the kiddies, funds for the NGOs helping street animals, underprivileged kids, and AIDS victims (please see Len’s account of the incredible Reveille concert elsewhere in this issue), among others.

Anyway, what I thought I would do is translate some of the headlines published in the aforementioned papers over the last couple of weeks. This should give you a good idea of what’s really going on -or not- in this little paradise of ours. Here goes:
"Jetties Exacerbate Beach Erosion Around the Bay", "Vallarta Victim of Investors' Corruption and Voracity", "Mayor Gets New $470,000. Peso Van", "80% of City Vehicles from Last Administration Not Roadworthy", "Snorkeling and Scuba Diving Tour Boats and Passengers Destroyed Coral Reefs", "Anarchy Due to Loopholes in Urban Develpment Plan", "Britney Spears Vacationing in Punta Mita", "Residents of Marina Vallarta Petition to Stop Nima Bay 11-Story Towers", "Repairs and Maintenance of Tunnel Completed", "City Gets 34 New Pick-up Trucks", "Legal Loopholes Prevent Protection of the Mountain", "Finally, Four Garbage Trucks to Be Purchased", "Federal Dep't of Nat'l Resources Blamed for Baby Orca Death", "Illegal Construction Around Guadalupe Church"... and so on. Got the idea?

Well, the rainy season has officially begun, about two weeks earlier than the traditional June 24th. Within a couple more days, a few more rains, probably by the time you read this, the little bit of vegetation that has survived the uncontrolled ravaging of the mountain sides, and the multiple caused by the too-much, too-late spraying against the dengue-carrying mosquitoes by the municipal authorities, using the wrong product, …will turn vivid green. (How’s that for a long, rambling sentence? I’m talking about the vegetation here, folks.) Maybe, just maybe, the new growth will hide some of the many scars we see on the hillsides…

Saturday, June 9th, was the night of the very first rain in the Romantic Zone on the south side of town. It had rained in Conchas Chinas a couple of days earlier. Within a half-hour or so of the first drops, around 8 p.m., the transformer at the bottom of our hill exploded. Our whole neighborhood was without power for 18 hours. I’ve always been told that food will keep for 24 hours in a refrigerator if it stays closed, so I didn’t open mine at all. I also disconnected all my electronic gadgets. Trying to get through to the CFE (our electricity provider) was an exercise in futility - until Sunday afternoon. I asked the young lady who finally did answer when she thought power would be reinstated in our part of town. Her answer was rather succinct: "When it is." Oh, OK. I guess I shouldn’t have asked. I really should know better after so many years.

Actually, to be honest, it was an unexpected event. When we first moved here, thirteen years ago, power failures and exploding transformers were regular occurrences from June to September. Over the years, the situation improved so much that I cannot recall any power failure at all over the past year or more.

There are lots of things happening this week, so do take advantage of them, dear readers. An unexpected and most welcomed Art Walk on Wednesday -the official start of summer-, a fun-filled Bingo night on Thursday (see Joy’s article), a Walk for Women’s Health on Sunday, and all those yummy restaurants offering us special prices! We should also have news for you regarding our annual celebration of Canada Day in next week’s issue…

Enjoy yourselves, enjoy the rain and the thunder and the lightning bolts dancing across the sky, but don’t forget your sunblock during the day! Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com

June 10, 2007

So much has been going on lately that I don’t know where to begin. As I write this, I have just returned from a meeting called by Sr. Abel Villa. This gentleman is a Vallartan, owner of the Buenaventura, Premier and Hacienda Buenaventura hotels in this town. He has been very active in PV’s cultural aspect, the preservation of the downtown area, and a most vociferous opponent of the mega towers being built at the mouth of the river, the Peninsula and the Gran Venetian. Now he’s taken on the Amapas - Conchas Chinas situation. It is everyone’s hope that the new administration will listen…
The meeting was attended by a couple of dozen Amapas residents, and a dog (who appeared just as interested in what Sr. Villa was saying as the rest of us). This gentleman who speaks for a group called the Business Council of Puerto Vallarta, in conjunction with the Coastal University Center (CUC) of the University of Guadalajara, intends to confront the Mayor with the urgency of the situation at a meeting set for next week, and politely present him with an ultimatum of sorts: either he attends to the matter immediately, or it will be made public to the national and international media. Sr. Villa also intends to garner the support of all the organizations in town, i.e.: the Hotel Association, Chamber of Commerce, restauranteurs, ecological groups, urban planning folks, etc. He is most passionate about this, unlike the “apathetic and sometimes scared” townspeople whom his group is attempting to rouse through radio and press announcements. I for one wish him success.

On that topic, Amapas resident Bill Holtz sent us an email that says it all:
Susan (Wiseman) and Anna,
I'm sure I speak for every present and future homeowner in the Amapas area when I say "thank you" for the work you're doing to try to rein in the chaos that is occurring in our area.
The time has come to form an organization to deal with the issues of our area and you have my full support.
Like most condo owners in the area, I'm only in P.V. a few months out of the year, my Spanish is limited, and I don't know who to turn to to express my concerns.
The developers are there only to make their quick money and they don't care about anything else.
First of all, the roads were not built to support the heavy trucks that are using Hortencias, Pulpito, Gardenias, and El Callejon de la Igualdad. They've turned the cobblestones into sand and crashes are occuring on a daily basis it seems. On a recent cab ride up Hortencias, the driver had to take me up in reverse, because there was no traction. These roads should have been prepared years ago before the first development started.
Secondly, with the increase in traffic along the highway, it's become much more dangerous to cross the highway and a pedestrian path is needed between Callejon de la Igualdad and Pulpito.
Thirdly and most importantly, a moratorium on future building needs to be put into place and inspections need to be increased on the ones that are going up now. Those who are putting workers’ and residents’ safety at stake must be penalized.
As for the damage to the environment, don't even get me started.
The destruction to the building that Colinas caused a few months back was outrageous and should never have happened!
As Gomer Pyle used to say: “Shame! Shame! Shame!”

Mr. Holtz, I could not have put it more succinctly myself.
And on the matter of condos, an article was published in the Tribuna de la Bahía today, Wednesday, June 6th, stating that there were no permits whatsoever in the records at City Hall for the construction of yet another condominium complex where the Posada Rio Cuale sits. Hmmm… so then, why so many rumors?

I had a business partner here for a while, who did not speak or read Spanish. Every day, when I would pick up the daily papers, he would ask me, “So what’s in the funny papers today?” In retrospect, he was right. As our friend Barry once said, “Puerto Vallarta? You either laugh or you leave.” Truer words were never spoken - until the events of the past year or so. When our safety and that of our residences are questioned, physically speaking, it is no longer a laughing matter.

But getting back to the laughable… Tuesday, June 5th, was celebrated as the Day of the Environment. There were conferences and seminars and cocktail parties and the whole shebang, organized for the authorities and the renowned speakers they invited. Turns out that our Mayor addressed the audience to express his intention to acquire Puerto Vallarta’s accreditation as a “Green Destination” - as defined by the Federal Department of Natural Resources (Semarnat). He added that the goal was a difficult one to attain… 15 Mexican towns have applied for it, and only Aguascalientes has acquired it. I read that and wondered… with the thousands of trees cut down over the last couple of years to make way for parking garages, widened streets (in Nuevo Vallarta) and high towers, plus the public transportation problem that hasn’t been solved to date, the one causing the noise and air pollution, etc., etc… Who is he kidding?

Here’s an important date for you to mark down in your agenda, friends: Sunday, June 24th. At 8:30 a.m. on that day, everyone is invited to Take A Walk. The $50. Peso inscription fee will go towards setting up a shelter for battered women in Vallarta – something that is missing and direly needed here. For that donation, you will receive a beautiful T-Shirt and other little goodies, and you’ll feel a whole lot better at the end of The Walk. We will give you more information in next week’s issue of the Tribune, but if you can’t wait, you can get it by calling 293-5348 or 222-8621.

On that positive note, I will leave you, and wish you all a most enjoyable week. Do take care of yourselves, and of your less fortunate neighbor. Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com

June 3, 2007

There have been all sorts of whisperings in the grapevine of Puerto Vallarta this week. I’d like to share some of them with you.

The first deals with the closing of the Posada Rio Cuale Hotel. The coffee and ice cream shop on the corner is closed and has moved. The old building will be torn down within the next few weeks and a new condo building will take its place. Five stories, 22 condos, shops on the ground floor, pool, underground parking, etc.

Our friend T. J.’s reaction: “What is amazing is that half of the condos are already sold.”

It is also rumored that José Luis, the owner of the beloved Le Gourmet Restaurant that used to be there, with its beautiful flowering trees and little swimming pool, might have his son open a gourmet place in the new building to be erected on that site. His son is currently studying in a culinary college, so that bodes well.

Also murmuring in the grapevine: seems that Sr. Frog’s is moving from its South Side location to where Planet Hollywood, and then The Rex, were located. Loads of workmen doing lots of work over there. I just hope that place isn’t “jinxed” like so many others in this town. Mind you, with all the bucks backing the Sr. Frog’s folks, they could probably overcome whatever hex Arnold Schwartzenegger and his partners may have left on the place.

At the risk of turning this issue of the Tribune into an ode to Jenny McGill, I do want to tell you that I finally had the honor of meeting this grand lady, and get a copy of her book, of course.
Now I should mention that since I started working with the Tribune, soon to be ten years, I’ve been reading very little. In what I like to call my “other life”, I was an avid reader. That is no more. By the end of the day, I just want to sit in front of the idiot box and watch my favorite CSI and Law & Order programs.

That changed this week. I figured I would just glance through Jenny’s book while having lunch the other day. Well, that intention went out the window really quickly. It is what critics like to call a “page turner”, at least for me. I found myself laughing out loud. And I didn’t watched TV for days as I only had a couple of hours free, and just had to allot them to reading. If you have lived here for years, or if you want to know a little about how Vallarta used to be, and you haven’t picked up a copy of this absolutely delightful read yet, don’t delay. Just drop in to either of the two Book Store locations. Tom carries it, and I guarantee it: You’re sure to love it.
Did you notice how the hugs and kisses have proliferated all over town lately? I’m referring to those ubiquitous OXXO stores of course (my girlfriend is the one who thought the letters stood for hugs and kisses…) They’ve popped up like mushrooms everywhere. Reminds me of when the dépanneurs appeared in Montreal and, like the Seven Elevens in the U.S., multiplied overnight like those metal wire hangers used to do in our cupboards, until there seemed to be one on every street corner. Uggh!

I’m going to end here for this week. I’ve been invited to “cover” the Full Moon Feast at our stupendous Botanical Gardens. Can’t wait! And I still have a couple of restaurants to visit - while I can afford the special “Restaurant Week” prices. By the way, if you haven’t been to Bruce’s Back Alley yet, you’re in for a treat! He’s had so much success with his $145.- and $245.-Peso specials that he’s decided to continue offering these menus throughout the summer, changing them every couple of weeks. I understand that the Tribune will publish his menus every week. Way to go, Bruce!

I wish you all a most enjoyable week, and I hope to see you all at the Tucson Gay Men’s Concert on Wednesday. I hope they also perform some numbers a cappella (sp?)… I just love that type of singing. Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com

May 27, 2007

I want to thank all the young (and older) gentlemen whose comments have been tickling the cockles of this grandmother’s heart over the last couple of months. Ever since I started doing a mid-week paper distribution route for the Tribune, a number of these fine folks have pointed to me, telling their companions: “That’s the sexiest paper boy in town,” watching me dump a pile of papers on the table closest to the curb. Bless you all! I think I’m starting to enjoy this paper route business…

So the other day, while doing my “paper route” (no, I don’t do it on a bicycle), I noticed something that made me laugh out loud although I was alone in the car. The vehicle in front of me had obviously been repainted, and the painters must have taken off the letters to do their job… except that when they put them back, the car was now a “Twon and Country”. Sweet. And then there’s all those Jalisco license plates that start with “JEW”. I know that those will make me smile for years to come.

Exactly four years ago, Sr. Alcaraz, then General Manager of El Rosita and El Pescador hotels (he may still be today…), stated that it was “indispensable that Vallarta undergo a total re-engineering in order to salvage the main attraction that gave birth to this tourist destination.” He stressed that “we have not managed to instill this awareness of the fact that the visual image of the central zone of Puerto Vallarta is worth a great deal; that the tourist comes to this town not only to enjoy the facilities of his hotel… We have neglected our “house”, business interests have prevailed and the deterioration of its visual image is something that must be stopped immediately.” Here we are, four years later, and the same statements are still being made because nothing has changed in the interim. Even the state department of Jalisco is losing patience. In a statement made last week, it warned our municipal authorities that if they don’t settle the dump question right away, the state will withdraw its financial support.

Getting back to visual images, how is it that every time the good folks at Toys for Tots and/or the Navy League or some other non-profit, fund-raising organization composed of foreigners, do something wonderful for the community (in this case, I’m referring to the two children’s playgrounds they donated recently to some low income neighborhoods), the event is reported in the local Spanish dailies with headlines like “DIF donates playground to children in the XYZ neighborhood”? Hallooo? With the respect due to it for what it DOES accomplish, what did the DIF do in these particular cases - other than send a representative to pose for photos?
A company called Livtopia is sponsoring a seminar entitled “Insiders' Property Secrets Weekend” in mid-June. Participants will be lodged -free- for 3 nights at the beautiful Fiesta American Hotel. Among the topics the various expert speakers will be dealing with are:
“- Buy and move into a beach front property that would cost millions in the US or Canada. Say goodbye to winter once and for all.

- Learn about mountain properties, desert oases, and perfect city condos in addition to those on the world's most pristine beaches.
- Escape almost all of your tax burden—we'll show you how—while putting your retirement income toward solid returns” (You can check it out at http://www.livtopia.com/seminars/insider_property_secrets.html)

Now what I’m wondering is … Will the expert hired to speak about beach front and mountain properties tell the audience THE TRUTH? Hmmm…

In the meantime, one of the omnipresent news in the local papers lately has been the snafu caused by the “too little too late” land and air fumigation undertaken by the city to eradicate the dreaded dengue-carrying mosquito. It appears that the flora, i.e.: all the trees, shrubs, flowers, etc., around the entire bay is now plagued by no less than seven different types of fungi that are slowly destroying it. The remedy is simple: spray everything with dishwater-soapy water, every 5 days. That’s all. But many folks don’t read and don’t listen to the radio, so they’re just pruning their trees to the trunk, or cutting them down entirely. Geez! On the positive side, there are still some primavera trees laden with their stupendous bright yellow blossoms, right at the northern entrance to the downtown area. What beauty!

Back in October, 1999, the U.S. issued an advisory to Americans to be careful when traveling to Cancun due to the high incidence of crime in that Caribbean resort. They are calling Cancun "dangerous and insecure", comparing it to Libya and Afghanistan, and adding: "besides being a tourist paradise, it has turned into a drug paradise". Internet sites aimed at "Spring Breakers" advertise: "Go to Cancun, because it is the only place in the world where everything is permitted... If you want to get high, just take a taxi and the driver will supply you with whatever you want, from grass to heroin." (Apro) Sound familiar? Thank goodness, both Canadians and Americans are intelligent enough to discern the difference between Mexico and Afghanistan - aside from the climate of course.

In case any of you locals are as upset as my friends and I are with the cable company’s decision to eliminate the KTLA and SciFi channels from its line-up - with no prior notice, the number to call to complain is 226-7799. They have now re-instated KTLA, but if you call anyways, you may want to ask them why they replaced the SciFi channel with a TBS which is not only redundant as it already exists, but this one has no sound …

My friends and I have gotten to some of the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week 2007, Vista Grill being the most recent - excellent, if I may say so myself… and with a great Brazilian duo providing the music too! Maybe not Astrid Gilberto, but just as good to my ears.

This is your once-a-year chance to dine in those special restaurants whose usual prices didn’t quite fit into your budget… Get to as many as you can - they’re all great! For more information and menus, please visit www.virtualvallarta.com/restaurantweek I just hope I can find time to visit a few more before the “Week” ends …and to go see some of the good movies in town before they’re taken away - like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Last King of Scotland.
As you may know, May 31st is Puerto Vallarta’s double anniversary (see the “Special Frame” in this issue). One of the nice events included in the celebrations is the ceremony held at Los Arcos Amphitheater where seven individuals or organizations are awarded the Vallarta Prize gold medal. In the past, our friend Ron Walker of the PV Ecological Group received such an award.

This year, among the recipients, we noted “New Life Mexico” which will receive the medal for Social Assistance, and artist Pedro Tello whose photographs have graced our covers on a number of occasions. You can all get to meet this talented young man and see his work under the bridge, on the island, right near The River Café. Congratulations to all the recipients!
And here is some interesting news that we received too late to publish in the news section -or “Local Pages”- of this week’s issue: the President of Mexico is going to be here to celebrate El Día de la Marina (Navy Day). He will be inaugurating the new pier and attending the re-inaugurating the Naval Museum. The local Port Authorities will be holding an Expo-Mar, an exhibit open to the public from now until Monday, June 4th, with an exhibit of all types of military vehicles including helicopters, amphibians, tanks, etc. that we are all invited to visit - free. The entrance to the site is located across the street from Sam’s Club / WalMart.

That’s all the space I have for now, so I’ll just close by wishing you a truly enjoyable week. Make the most of it - there’s so much to see and do! Just don’t forget your UVA-UVB sun block, it’s getting fierce out there. Take care of yourself and of each other, dear readers. Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com

May 20, 2007

The phone call came on Tuesday afternoon, one of the two worst (i.e.: most rushed, harried, etc.) days of the week for me, Wednesday being the other. It was from Susan Wiseman, owner of Casa Los Arcos, a stupendous guest house in the now (in)famous Amapas area. You may recall that that is where entire sections of a few villas came sliding down the hill a few weeks ago due to some not quite kosher excavation work being done on an adjacent development. She asked me to attend a meeting with the Mayor and the City Council the next morning - yes, Wednesday - at 10:30 a.m. A whole bunch of people concerned about their well-being and the future of their homes would be there.

I accepted, for various reasons, but mostly because, as some of you may recall, I have been personally affected by the lack of follow-up on the part of the previous administration with regard to illegal constructions that were shut down (clausuradas) and ordered to be demolished. Needless to say, they are all still there, years later, now causing financial losses to other neighbors of mine.

Back to City Hall, there were about 24 of us. We waited for over an hour because the Council session was taking longer than originally foreseen. Finally, we were invited to go in and extra chairs were quickly set up for all the «foreigners». I don’t know when the last time was that such a large group was allowed to sit in on a City Council meeting. For my part, I had never stepped foot in the Council Chamber, and let me tell you: it’s quite impressive. Very large, well-planned, with a U-shaped table in the middle at the head of which sits the Mayor, and an extra row of tables along one side of the U, for the press. Laptop computers and tape recorders all around. The Mayor introduced the topic, expressed the Council’s concern with it, and then invited the head of one particular department (can’t recall which) to make his audio-visual presentation.

The young man showed a slide show of 15 separate cases of construction violations up in the Amapas area (see separate article in this issue), complete with photos showing some truly scary places. Again and again, he warned of the potential damage that can occur once the rains start.
Afterwards, PAN Councilman Preciado (of the party in opposition to the ruling PRI) was invited to read his proposals, among which was a request that there be a State audit of all the construction permits granted by the former mayor. When he finished, a PRI councilman expressed his disaccord, softly, as if trying to assuage the entire affair. He couldn’t see why such matters had to be handled outside of the city’s legal jurisdiction… after all, Vallarta is an independent, autonomous city… why wash our dirty laundry in public?... an objective investigative committee could be set up right here to conduct the audit… etc. etc. Makes us think, doesn’t it? What did surprise me somewhat was the Mayor’s behavior during the speeches. He appeared more interested in chatting with the gentlemen seated on either side of him, smiling, even chuckling at times. Like everybody else living here, or contemplating moving down here to this constantly shrinking "paradise", I certainly hope the pleasant young man with the dazzling, dimpled smile doesn’t approach this situation lightly. After all, his predecessor is now going to face serious legal proceedings now that the State has accepted to go ahead with the lawsuit brought against him by Vallarta’s Hotel and Motel Association, for illegal changes in the zoning laws, corruption, abuse of power, etc.

Whoa! I’m sorry if my contribution this week is more serious than usual, but these are facts that everyone should be aware of. The local papers, on both sides of the party line, are replete with articles warning against the potential "Acapulco-nization" of our town. Let’s hope that we never reach that point. It destroyed what used to be THE vacation spot in Mexico. I wouldn’t want it to happen in Vallarta.

While we were waiting outside the Council Chamber, I noticed Mr. David Izazaga. He used to be our Director at the Tribune many years ago. Today, he’s the head of the municipal Department of Culture. I went over to greet him, and I reprimanded him (gently of course) for the fact that we had not received a single notice from his department about the events it’s been organizing. So guess what? We now have a real, up-to-date calendar of events! You see, some good came out of the seemingly interminable wait…

And on a lighter note, we received a lovely email from Mary Ellis in which she wrote: "I must say, the photos on the front of the Tribune lately are incredible! It is worth getting the paper just to look at the cover."

On behalf of all the incredible photographers who have submitted their work for publication on our covers, I thank you!

I am also leaving some space here for a beautiful photo of the Tibetan monks, this one sent to us by JOY!

Until next time, have a wonderful week and long Memorial Day weekend, don’t forget your UVA-UVB sunscreen, and take good care of yourselves. Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com

May 13, 2007

Driving around this town has become quite an adventure lately. True, the “low season” may have begun, but I must say I haven’t noticed any reduction whatsoever in the number of folks walking around …nor in the number of buses and taxis clogging our streets. As I was returning to the south side after our weekly meeting at the Tribune’s “new” facilities -out where civilization stops and the Sierra Madre begins- the cars going northwest along the Libramiento by-pass road were backed up all the way to the next traffic light by the gas station. I can’t recall ever having seen that, but I have a feeling we’ll be seeing it more and more often once all those condos are purchased and folks move in, each with a car or two.

And there are the giant cranes, construction sites, and vacant, razed, flattened lots waiting to be built upon - all over the place. There is construction noise everywhere you go. And the local papers are filled with truly unsettling articles with regard to the future of our little paradise… the wanton destruction of the hillsides, dire warnings about potentially fatal landslides once the rains begin, the alleged wrongdoings of the previous city administration, lawsuits being instituted against a number of its higher ups, etc., etc.

I blame that destruction of the local natural habitat for the uninvited visitor who came to my house a couple of nights ago. I should explain: like so many in Vallarta, my place is wide open, all around. I am used to seeing birds, iguanas, cute little field mice, frogs, geckoes and tiny snakes. As a matter of fact, when I had guests staying with us in March, they were a little taken aback to find an iguana comfortably snuggled on a jacket they had left on the dresser in the guest room… But, I must admit, as much as I respect most living creatures, tlacuaches are definitely among my least liked local wildlife.

According to the research I did after first seeing one of these creatures, many years ago, as it was walking around in my bedroom in the middle of the night, «the tlacuache (from the Náhuatl word tlacualzin) is Mexico’s only marsupial (an opossum) … one of the few animals that have remained unchanged since they first appeared on the planet approximately 60 million years ago (when mammals first began to settle the earth). Tlacuaches have somehow managed to survive human encroachment... They have been almost as successful as rats and mice in adapting to life near man since they are omnivorous animals that feed on anything, including fruits, insects, man’s garbage, small reptiles, amphibians, eggs, and normal-sized chickens. They are frequently seen in cities, inside garbage cans, on fences, in sewers, etc. They can also live in houses, cupboards, closets, under beds, etc.»

Well, this particular visitor wasn’t sitting on any fence. It was perched on my kitchen counter, very content, eating my cats’ food, while these latter were looking up at it from the floor, wondering what on earth it was. Looking at it, I thought, where were these creatures when good looks were being given out at the dawn of creation?

After taking its picture to share with you, I tried to shoo it away –and out- with a broom. Not very successfully. Finally, I remembered something from my dog training days, something about asserting one’s alpha status. So I roared at it. It bared its teeth at me, but it did scurry off the counter. On the floor, it was cornered by Alex, my old dog, so it played dead –as opossums are known to do- in the middle of my dining room. But I knew that trick, so I just swept it out. The broom finally did what it what designed to do. On one hand, I miss my Rottie. Had she been around, the tlacuache would never have made it into the house. On the other, I’m glad it wasn’t …exterminated. Before I forget: I want to sincerely thank all of you who sent me such beautiful messages of condolence on my 100-lb. «puppy»’s untimely passing.

Getting back to cars and driving, I received an email from an American friend of mine who must have me on her list of general contacts. It read as follows:
«Don’t pump gas on May 15th. In April 1997, there was a «gas out» conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight. On May 15th, 2007, all internet users are to not go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices… This would take $2,292,000,000. (that’s almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil company’s pockets - in just one day. So please, do not go to the gas station on May 15th and let’s try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one day.» The boycott has been advertised all over the American networks, so I’m sure that lots of folks are aware of it, and I know that if I were American living in the States, I would definitely follow the suggestion. I wonder if enough folks will do it for it to have an effect. It could work.

Meanwhile, the Canadian networks are pressuring that country's Foreign Affairs Department to issue a warning against vacationing in "Mexico"! Because of 3 separate incidents that occurred over the last year and a half, in Cancun and Acapulco, the entire country should be castigated... Have they learned that trick from CNN? Has no one even looked at a map of Mexico to realize that those two resorts do not an entire country make? If we attributed the slight decrease in tourism over this last «high season» to the new passport regulations in effect in the U.S., well we ain't seen nothin' yet! The next day, there was a news item about a little girl who had been kidnapped in Portugal. My heart goes out to her parents, but should people stop going there for their holidays too?

I also saw a special on the decrease in the number of hummingbirds along the west coast of North America. It seems that the survival of those amazing little flyers is as important as that of bees and frogs. A decrease in their numbers augurs very badly for man, the planet’s worst predator. And all because of wanton destruction of these creatures’ habitat, with total disregard and impunity towards our environment.

The Dalai Lama bemoans what we’re doing. If you’re interested, I highly recommend you attend the “Environmental Purification” ceremony his Tibetan Monks will perform on Tuesday on the Isla Cuale. I have seen these monks’ performances the last couple of times they visited PV. Impressive to say the least!

In the weeks to come, I might be able to tell you all about my visit to Los Arbolitos, Dolcetto, Ztai, Azul 96, and Cilantro’s (a most pleasant surprise). Restaurant Week should be great! In the meantime, I’m just going to enjoy the Krispy Kreme donuts my cousin brought down for me…The days are getting hot, but the nights are still cool, perfect for sleeping. So have a wonderful time, enjoy yourselves, and keep well. Hasta luego. pvmom04@yahoo.com