Out and About in Puerto Vallarta
 Twila Crawford - PVNN
| | Len and his wonderful co-host, Ciergio Gonzales of Pinnacle Properties, kept the crowd entertained at this year's Becas Ball. | |
Last week, the International Friendship Club (IFC) community room was packed with expatriates full of questions regarding regulations for expatriates' participation in volunteer work in Puerto Vallarta and in Mexico, generally.
U.S. Consular Agent Kelly Trainer coordinated the two-and-one-half-hour meeting with Puerto Vallarta local Immigration Delegate, Lic. Alejandro Sandoval and his assistants. Click HERE for full story.
I hope to have my visa in hand after six trips to date to Immigration. Some others have experienced the same thing this year. For me, traveling when the visa came due has presented challenges.
While at Immigration, I was thrilled to see Kathy Simis, who has been living in La Paz, building a boat there. Kathy, her husband, Allen Wyatt, a retired pilot, and their two small sons are sailing to Polynesia and Southeast Asia.
We wish them happy travels. Kathy and I were to help out at the city dump with meals at Thanksgiving a few years back. We got lost on Thanksgiving Day, and I wrote an article about our misadventure with a photo of her adorable first son.
Be alert, please. "Pick pockets," apparently in groups, are working the buses... and probably elsewhere in this area. I know several persons who have had wallets taken recently as they boarded or de-boarded buses.
Did you feel the earthquake any number of persons have mentioned to me? In the middle of the night last week, I guess. So much activity in the area where I live that it would take a real shaker to get us to notice.
At least 150 local small- and medium-size businesses have closed since December. The National Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Services (Canaco Servytur) has asked state authorities to provide local business owners with credit lines in this faltering economy. The president, Maximiliano Lomeli Cisneros, says, "The biggest concern in the bureaucracy." There are 100 requirements for a business in Mexico.
The new Banderas Bay ClasiCoral Singing Ensemble of 15 singers performs a bi-lingual program of international music at 8 pm on March 25 at the Instituto Pierre Faure, Camino a Boca de Tomates 180, north Vallarta, and at 8:30 pm on March 27 at the Church of Guadalupe at the central plaza. Nick Salmans is the music director. For further information, email Nisa Salmans at NVSally(at)aol.com. Salmans also will conduct the Vallarta Chamber Orchestra this Sunday at 8 pm at the American School in the Marina Vallarta. The program features a full-length symphony by Beethoven.
The Mexican Chocolate, Coffee and Vanilla Festival is March 10-16 at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens, south of town. Tel: (322) 223-6182.
The Becas Crystal Ball was sold out this year, with a waiting list. The decorations were stunning, and the gift bags by Larry Sheldon have wonderful items to use. We had lovely persons at our table.
Jesus Alberto Reyes, El Tuito, recently finished university and now is general manager at the Vallarta Botanical Gardens for super executive director Bob Price. Jesus is enthusiastic about the Gardens' future possibilities.
Most of us can't keep up with one house. Lovely Leah Martin oversees four homes of her's and her husband's - around the world, no less. Her husband, Kirk, currently works in Quitar. One of the homes is in Vallarta, and Leah spends several weeks a year here. Vallarta's Peter Gray was remembered. Most important concerning Becas, is help with education of Vallarta area children. Click HERE to learn more.
This writer, being a woman, a journalist, and a financial watcher, really appreciated articles in the Mirror last week by Nacho Cadena, Jonathan Dobrer (By the way, The Washington Post with its coverage of politics, will survive in some form - already putting it into effect,) and Francisco Suarez Savin. The Mirror was packed last week with excellent topics and writings.
Well, with all that is happening and may be keeping us stressed, maybe some good ol' comfort food is in order. The macaroni and cheese from The Deli, V. Carranza 311-B, may just hit the spot. It is rich and substantial. Give it a try.
 An award-winning journalist, Twila Crawford lives in Puerto Vallarta, where, in addition to contributing articles to BanderasNews, the PV Mirror and other local publications, she writes Out and About in Puerto Vallarta, an informative column that offers inside information about who, what, why, where and when it's happening around Banderas Bay.
Click HERE to read more articles by Twila Crawford. |
Vallarta Weddings
Vallarta Living | March 2009 
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us