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