Vida en Vallarta

Blog Cancelled

2010-09-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Sea Turtle Conservation Project

2010-09-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, first night out patrolling the beaches for sea turtle eggs...pretty cool. We basically just find nests, dig them up, and re-bury the eggs in the hatchery, where the eggs can be protected from predators, and then release the turtles back into the ocean when they hatch. There is so much wildlife at night that I've never seen before. Tonight, I saw some newly hatched baby sea turtles, adult female sea turtles laying their eggs, night herons hunting for crabs, raccoons looking for food (preferrably the eggs), and a hermit crab :)

Pictures below - not my own pictures, but this is pretty much what I saw....

My 6 month update

2010-09-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we've officially been here for 6 months now, and I've decided to do an update.

- Still LOVE the weather. Despite it being the humid and the rainy season right now, it's still so nice to never wear jeans, never need a scarf, and never even need a blanket to sleep with. However, it has been quite gloomy and cloudy lately, but still nothing compared to the SF "summer" of fog in the Richmond District. Can't wait for the sun to come back out!

- I have a job! The pay is crap compared to the US, but enough for us to live on here in Vallarta, about $20 a day, which is much better than the $4/day minimum wage here in the state of Jalisco. Edgar and I work together, and actually sit right next to each other every day... b/c we just dont see each other enough at home ;)

- I am also doing some volunteer work. I'm volunteering with the seas turtles, and volunteering with an English after school program for elementary kids. More info about that here and here.

- Omg, the food! I love the cheap eats around here. Reminds me of my obsession with the Woodland taco truck back in college, but here I'm even more spoiled with an abundance of tacos on practically every street corner! However, Rocko's did raise their prices, and I'm very upset about that. Hmph.

- Although I love the cuteness of the cobblestone roads, those, partnered with the loads of potholes this rainy season, have accelerated our need for new shocks on the car. Better start saving!

- and lastly, the abundance of animals here. I've seen sea turtles, dolphins, iguanas, crabs (in my house), and unfortunately, even cockroaches! Yuck! I had no idea they could fly!!!! Makes me miss the occassional spider in SF.

Hmmm...that's all I can think of right now, so there's my update. I miss my family and friends tons! but am definitely enjoying Vallarta as much as possible for the short time I am here :) Six more months, and we're back to the real world!

Fiesta Independencia

2010-09-19T02:50:00.000-07:00

So the 14th is El Charro Day. We had to work, so we had to miss that. Then the 15th is the party for the 16th - Independence Day. Unfortunately, we missed a lot of the party and El Grito on the 15th because, wouldn't you just know it, we got distracted by some yummy food. We watched el grito in Mexico City on the restaurant tv while we ate, and then headed over to the main plaza for more food, music and dancing. Lots of military security, but no problems that I heard of, just a few pat-downs, and confiscations of alcohol.

The next day, Independence Day, was HOT. We walked around through the food, music, and dancing, and took some pictures. Take a look!

You can't really tell from the picture, but this guy was making his horse dance around to the music, while he drank his beer.

I also have an awesome video of some drunkards dancing, but can't seem to upload it right now. I'll try again later...

Rain, rain, go away....

2010-09-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

The nightly rains and thunderstorms here have made our pretty beach not so pretty anymore. Here's the before:

and the after:

Major Bridge Collapses in Puerto Vallarta

2010-09-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

We were just driving over this bridge the other day, and about 12 hours later....it collapses!!!

Here is that story...

Two People Rescued After Bridge Collapse in Mexico

MEXICO CITY – The two occupants of a taxi were rescued early Tuesday after a bridge in western Mexico collapsed, authorities said.

The accident cut off the only access route to the Pacific coast resort town of Puerto Vallarta, located in Jalisco state, from the neighboring state of Nayarit.

Several eyewitnesses to the collapse told authorities of the presence of the taxi on the bridge, emergency services personnel in Jalisco told Efe.

The structure partially collapsed about 3 a.m. due to the erosion of its support pillars by the rise of the rain-swollen Ameca River.

The eyewitnesses also reported the presence of another vehicle on the span at the moment of the collapse and authorities are currently trying to either find it or rule out its presence by combing the area with helicopters.

The two people in the taxi were hospitalized, the sources added.

About 100 meters (328 feet) of the lane leading to Puerto Vallarta came down into the river, but the bridge has been completely closed, since authorities do not know if the rest of the structure will be able to resist the force of the surging water.

Thus, those who want to travel to Puerto Vallarta from Nayarit will have to detour through relatively nearby Costa Alegre, but that route – sources say – will take eight hours to traverse.

The bridge was the access route used “by all tourists” who visit the area, one local official said. EFE

Source: Latin American Herald Tribune - Two People Rescued After Bridge Collapse in Mexico

Grenade in PV Bar

2010-08-29T02:58:00.000-07:00

On the night of August 26, there was a grenade explosion in a Puerto Vallarta bar, that injured 16 patrons, including those in possession of the weapon. Here is the story, as reported by The Associated Press:

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico — Mexican authorities say at least 16 people have been injured by a grenade that exploded at a bar in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta.

Jalisco state prosecutors say five of the injured have been detained as part of the investigation. Four of those detained each lost a leg in the explosion before dawn Thursday.

Prosecutors say they are investigating whether one of the injured was carrying the grenade when it exploded.

Jalisco state has seen a wave of drug violence in recent months and the bloodshed has intesified since drug kingpin Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel was killed by soldiers earlier this month. Coronel, whose base was in Jalisco, was the No. 3 of the Sinaloa drug cartel.

But don't worry Mom, this is far from tourist-land, and according to local forums, this poses no danger to local expats who stear clear of such places.

Mexicana Airlines Files Bankruptcy

2010-08-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

I had originally booked a nonstop round-trip flight to CA months in advance, only to find out the night before my flight, that my plans had changed. Without any notification, Mexicana had cancelled my nonstop flights, and rescheduled my flight times and added layovers in Mexico City for both legs of my trip. I was not happy.....

UPDATE: Mexicana has ceased operations.

Day Trip - Sayulita

2010-07-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

About 30-40 minutes outside of Vallarta, is the pueblo of Sayulita. This isn't your typical small town in Mexico. Sayulita looks more like a Santa Cruz-Mexico combo, kind of a beautiful and lively mexican/gringo surfer town, I would say. Lots of gringos everywhere,, boutique swim shops I can't afford, fresh seafood, lots of dogs, and who knows how many surf shops and real estate tiendas.

I fell in love within five minutes....and I'm not the only one. We chit-chatted with a former New Englander who had moved to Sayulita seven years prior. He and his wife were on a 10 day trip to Sayulita (7 yrs ago), and after only three days, they purcahsed a home!!!

It looks like we may be spending a lot of time surfing (or learning to surf) here in Sayulita!

Mexico Meets San Francisco

2010-06-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Yummy Shrimp Tacos

2010-06-28T19:57:00.001-07:00

Sea Turtle!

2010-06-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

Sea Turtle laid her eggs on Playa Los Camarones

The Eco Police dude was holding the turtle in the above picture

The eggs. They are collected and placed in hatcheries and incubated, until they are hatched and released

Heading back into the ocean

Check out the Sea Turtle Conservation Project here in Vallarta for more info

Delta Airlines Loses Dog!

2010-06-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

This is my worst nightmare!

While visiting Puerto Vallarta, a young couple rescued a homeless dog, and decided to take it home with them. However, the dog never made the connecting flight, and was lost in Mexico City.

Read on HERE

Read the update HERE

Mexico Limits US Dollar Transactions

2010-06-22T11:05:00.001-07:00

In a step aimed at thwarting money laundering by drug cartels, the government of Mexico announced strict limits Tuesday on the deposit and exchange of U.S. dollars in banks, noting that the nation's economy is being flooded with illicit drug profits.

The money helps traffickers buy military-grade weapons used to kill tens of thousands of people and recruit small armies all over the country who battle rival gangs and government forces.

Failure to intercept the money has long been singled out as a major flaw in President Felipe Calderon's military-led offensive against the cartels.

In response, the government announced that it will limit individual bank account holders to deposits of $4,000 monthly in U.S. currency, while others without accounts will be allowed to exchange up to $1,500. Companies working along the border or in designated tourist areas can conduct bank transactions of up to $7,000 monthly...

Continue reading...

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-fg-mexico-dollar-20100616,0,2491591.story

Mexico Wants to Change Its Image

2010-06-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

President Felipe Calderón declared that his government is working on an integral publicity project to promote Mexico's image in every sphere, thereby boosting national tourism.

Read full article HERE

Home-made Chilaquiles

2010-06-20T23:56:00.000-07:00

Edgar made chilaquiles for breakfast today! So good!!!

World Cup @ Las Palomes

2010-06-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

Free margaritas for the Mexico v France World Cup game!

And Mexico beat France!!!!

PLUS, the food is delicious. Some items are a bit pricey ($38 peso corona - regular price) but great chilaquiles, tortilla soup, nachos, and omelettes!

Malecon Entertainment

2010-06-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

These guys climb to the top of this ladder/pole and then hang upside down from a rope, and rotate in circles back down to the ground.

Fotos

2010-06-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Evening stroll on the beach...

Borracho?

2010-06-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Old Town Farmer's Market

2010-06-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Visited the Old Town Farmer's Market this Saturday morning. It's open every Saturday from 10 AM - 1 PM, from November through July. Located a few blocks up from Los Muertos Beach at the Paradise Community Center, Pulpito #127, Colonia Emiliano Zapata.

Fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, plants, preserves, coffee, organic products, diabetic and gluten free baked goods, and crafts are all for sale at the Farmer's Market every Saturday morning.

World Cup has begun!

2010-06-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

It's begun!

Schedule @ http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/index.html

Angry Crabs

2010-06-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

These lil guys wandered up from the beach last night.

Gorditas @ Sorianna

2010-06-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

Gotta have these delicious Gorditas at the Sorianna grocery store "food court." Edgar and I are OBSESSED with these gorditas, but have finally cut back to eating them only once a week, instead of our obsessive 5 times a week. I just love the dry chicharron with beans - mmm mmm mmmm......

There are several Sorianna stores in Vallart - this one is in Pitillal @
Ave. Francisco Villa 1642, Col. Ex. Hacienda el Pitillal near Cinépolis movie theater.

All items on the menu are between $8-9 pesos, and drinks are $10 pesos. Today we both ate there and shared a soda, for $75 pesos - cheap and delicious!

Feeding the Hungry

2010-06-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

We fed a homeless dog today :)

There are so many homeless dogs here, but this one comes by often, and I've named her "Mama." She scarfed the food and water, and went on her way. probably to rummage through the corner trash for more food scraps :(

Exchanging Money

2010-06-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

Of course you will need to exchange money while you are here, especially for those who come to Vallarta for just a vacation. Here's the 411:

Banks will not exchange your money.

Airports are the WORST place to exchange money, with hotels being next in line.

There are lots of money exchange booths littered around downtown. These will give a better rate than the hotels and airport, but still not the best.

What is the best exchange rate you ask? COSCTO! Who would've thought, right? Now they won't actually exchange all your money, but you can pay with dollars and get your change in pesos. This means you can buy a $1 churro with a $100 US dollar bill and get the change in pesos at the best exchange rate in town!

For those living here for an extended period of time, it's best to set up a bank account so you don't have to do to costco so often :)

I saw a Sea Turtle!

2010-06-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

First sea turtle I've ever seen actually! It was burrowing a hole on the beach, but I sadly did not have my camera.

There is an earnest effort to protect sea turtles & their eggs in Vallarta. Props to the hotels and condo communities that are helping make this happen:

CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort
The Westin Resort & Spa, Vacation Internationale Hotel
Playas Gemelas Condominiums
Presidente InterContinental Hotel

Check out http://www.vallartanature.org/seaturtles.html for more info.

Diet-Ring Infomercial

2010-06-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

Feed the Children Vallarta (formerly Children of the Dump)

2010-06-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

Local program dedicated to feeding and educating kids in Vallarta

"In 1998 more than 80 families lived and worked in the Puerto Vallarta municipal dump, a towering garbage heap in one of the poorest neighborhoods. These families had no access to running water or sanitation and worst of all; the children did not attend school. Instead they spent their days with their families foraging through the garbage for useful items to sell to support their meager existence.

Twelve years later, thanks to the efforts of organizations like Feed the Children Vallarta and its partner, Perdon Y Amistad, and the City government, things have changed for the children. There are no more families living in the dump and while a few still live in shanties made of found materials, most of the children are able to attend school."

To volunteer or donate to this program, visit http://www.feedthechildrenvallarta.com

Weather Girls in Mexico

2010-06-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

Casual Friday?

Las Películas

2010-04-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

In San Francisco, it costs anywhere from $10-$17 dollars per person to see a movie at the movie theater. Crazy, I know! So I was pleasantly surprised to find out that movies cost between $32-$50 pesos per person here in Puerto Vallarta - Yes, that means less than $5 US dollars!. AND most of the movies are in English with Spanish subtitles, so if you're not a fluent Spanish-speaker yet, no worries!

Wednesdays are the cheapest, and obviously my favorite, days to see a movie at any of the three movie theaters:

Cinépolis (the cheapest Wednesdays)
Cinemark @ Plaza Caracoal
MMCinemas @ the mall near Walmart

Movie times, locations, etc: http://www.vallartaonline.com/cinema/by-theather/for-today/sort-ByOpening/theather-all

The Circus is in town!

2010-04-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

Fotos

2010-04-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Went on a walk and took some photos...

La Dolce Vita

2010-04-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love this restaurant? Tourists and locals alike wait in line every night for this delicious Italian restaurant. One of my favorite Italian restaurants in any city. It's pretty authentic Italian cuisine, (not your Olive Garden variety), and very tasty. But the true test of it's quality will come when my Italian family comes to visit ;)

Located on the Malecon:

Feliz Dia de Pascua!

2010-04-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

Semana Santa = crowded

2010-04-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

Wow! there are a lot of people here this week! Yep, it's Semana Santa, the week before Easter when Mexican schools are closed. It seems Puerto Vallarta is a pretty popular spot for travelers to hit up the beaches. How many people? I've read that this is the "peak occupancy" time for Puerto Vallarta and the population of 300,000+ doubles, according to one estimate.

Apparently, not only Vallarta is effected. We chit-chatted with a local in Punta de Mita (about 30 minutes North) who noted that the popular surf beach near his home was more crowded than usual. Typically a very tranquil beach, there wasn't one tree's shade unoccupied by visitors that day. Still, the "crowds" at Punta de Mita were no comparison to those on the beaches of Vallarta.

Por la noche, the crowds moved to the malecon (the popular downtown boardwalk littered with bars, restaurants, etc). The main avenue along the malecon was closed to vehicular traffic, allowing pedestrians to flood the sidewalks and cobblestone street. We decided to join in on the fun with a date to a delicious Italian restaurant along the malecon, with a great view of all the fun to be had around us.

Pictures to come...

Fotos

2010-04-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Correos de Mexico

2010-03-31T22:20:00.000-07:00

The mail system is sloooooow here. It takes about a month to recieve mail from California :(

Los perros are fiesty

2010-03-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Our dog, Harley, is super-friendly with other dogs. She simply wants to play play play! Despite numerous run-ins with unfriendly, aggressive, or vicious dogs, she doesn't seem to understand why they just don't want to play with her. Her defense skills are still a work in progress, needless to say.

During our road trip from San Francisco, we stopped in San Carlos. The hotel we stayed at was "dog-friendly" ... supposedly. What this actually meant was that they allow dogs on the premises, including a pack of 5 wild/stray dogs they called their own. Before knowing this pertinent information, I let Harley out of the car and walked her to a grassy area on the premises to use el baño. In the distance, I could hear the faint barking of dogs. It seemed to get louder and louder. By the time I realized the dogs were sprinting towards us, Harley was running for her life back to the car, with my two legs trying to keep up with her four. Scary, but nothing happened. Luckily, the dogs were afraid of humans and stopped short of reaching the car. We left the next morining.

During the remainder of the road trip, we stopped through several different towns, each with their fair share of stray dogs. Typically Harley hangs her head out the window as we drive, but we soon learned this to be an invitation for the dogs to chase our car. I believe it was three different occasions when a stray dog (or two or three or four) would chase the car, as we fumbled to pull Harley inside, roll up the windows, navigate through the speed bumps and pot holes, and drive away as fast as possible.

Fortunately, we are now in Puerto Vallarta, and there are few stray dogs by comparison. Most have owners and are on leashes, but some are still very aggressive. Last week we had to save Harley from an atttempted chihuahua attack. A few days later it was someone's off-leash mut, about her same size.

What does Harley do when these dogs are chasing our car, or a chihuahua tries to attack her in the street? She just stares at them with her confused face. "Why don't you wanna play with me?" she seems to say. Poor girl needs to learn some self-defense. ASAP!

Vallarta Adventures & Mexican Navy Rescue Whales

2010-03-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/blog/2010/2/mother-and-baby-whale-rescued-in-bay-of-banderas

Harley

2010-03-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

Harley having fun in Vallarta...

Moving to Puerto Vallarta

2010-03-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

We decided to drive...ugh

After visiting Puerto Vallarta for a week-long vacation, my boyfriend and I decided to move here. We said our sad goodbyes to family and friends, packed up the car and the dog, and drove over two THOUSAND miles to what we now call "paradise."

The best part so far is of course...the weather! Originally from San Francisco, California, we were used to our frequent cold and foggy days. But what was considered a GORGEOUS day in San Francisco, where everyone flocks to the beaches, is an every day here. We love it!

We have been living here for a short while now, and I already have so much to tell! I'll continue to update with all of our new experiences, thoughts, and recommendations, as we settle in to life as mexican residents in one of the most popular tourist cities in the country.