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June 28 - July 4, 2013 Free Issue 847

04 Chactun“NEW” MAYA CITY

Environment 8-POINT POLICY

Lorena OchoaGOLf’s GrEATEsT

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www.vallartatribune.comFriday June 28 - July 04 , 2013 2Welcome

Here is some advice to make your trip a little easier and more enjoyable.

TIME ZONE: The entire state of Jalisco is on Central Time, as is the southern part of the State of Nayarit starting from San Blas in the north.

BUSES: A system of urban buses with different routes can bring you from one end of the bay to the other and all the spots in between. Current fare is $6.50 pesos per ticket and passengers must purchase a new ticket every time they board another bus. The-re are no “transfers”.

TAXIS: There are set rates within defined zones of town. Do not enter a taxi without agreeing on the price with the driver first. Price is per trip not person.

MONEY EXCHANGE: Although you may have to wait

in line for a few minutes, banks will give you a higher rate of ex-change than the exchange booths (caja de cambio). You will need your passport.

Better yet, use your bank card to withdraw funds from any ATM machine. Note that ATM’s in the banks are the safest to use and generally charge lower fees.

DRINKING WATER: For the 17th year in a row, Puerto Vallarta’s water has been awar-ded a certification of purity for human consumption. The quality of the water tested at the purifica-tion plant varies greatly from what comes out of the tap at the other end. So do be careful. If you want to be doubly sure, you can pick up bottled water just about anywhere.

PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Fernando Gonzalez Corona

EDITOR Lic. Madeline [email protected]

SALESSylvie [email protected]

EDITORIAL BOARD Marcia BlondinRaymond C. Beaty Lois EllisonJohn & Christie Forget Landon Hollander Nancy Van Landingham Robina Oliver

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERMarcy Strear

DESIGNER Cynthia Estela Andrade G. [email protected]

Cover Photo “Cangrejos”Madeline Milne

Calling phones in Mexico can be tricky as it is different than in the US or Canada. There are diffe-rent codes you need to use de-pending if you are calling landli-nes or cellular phones and if they are local or long distance.Long-distance calls from within Mexico For national long-distance calls (within Mexico) the code is 01 plus the area code and phone number. For international long-distance calls, first dial 00, then the country code (for the U.S. and Canada the country code is 1, so you would dial 00 + 1 + area code + 7 digit number).Calling Cell Phones (from a land line)

If you are calling from a landline within the area code of the Mexi-can cell phone number dial 044, then the 10 digit number including area code. Outside of the area code (but still within Mexico) dial 045 and then the 10 digit phone number. Cell phone to cell phone only requires the 10 digit number.

Welcome to Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit

Phone CardsPhone cards (“tarjetas telefoni-cas”) for use in pay phones can be bought at newstands and in pharmacies in denominations of 30, 50 and 100 pesos. Pay phones do not accept coins. When buying a phone card for pay phone use, specify that you would like a “tar-jeta LADA,” because pre-paid cell phone cards are also sold in the same establishments.Calling Toll-Free NumbersSome toll free numbers work from Mexico to the US and Canada, but many do not. You need to dial a different prefix. To call the following toll free prefi-xes, dial as follows:800 numbersDial 001-880-then the number 866 numbers Dial 001-883-then the number 877 numbers Dial 001-882-then the number 888 numbers Dial 001-881-then the number

Vallarta Tribune is an activity and entertainment guide and merely publishes infor-mation as it is provided by the advertiser or event host.

We do not assume responsibility in errors or omissions other than to correct them as soon as they are made known to us regarding event schedules, locations and/or prices. In addition, we do not assume any responsibility for erroneous inclusion or exclusion of information except to take reasonable care to ensure accuracy, that permission has been obtained to use it, and to remove it as soon as is practical upon receiving your notification of error.

We recommend you always confirm prior to a t tending or vis i t ing an event or es tabl ishment . Weekly publication edited, printed and distributed by Ediciones y Publicaciones Siete Junio, SA de CV

Grupo Editorial Tribuna Calle 21 de Marzo # 1174 Col. Lomas del Coapinole Del. El Pitillal, Puerto Vallar-ta, Jalisco México CP 48290 Tel. (322) 226-0829, 226-0800 [email protected]

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Calling in Mexico

Municipal and Transit Police: 322.290.0507Fire Department: 322.223.9476Red Cross - Ambulance: 322.222.1533

CONSULATESAmerican ConsulateNuevo Vallarta: 322.222.006924 hrs Guadalajara: 333.268.2145

Immigration: 322.224.7719Consumer Protection: 01.800.468.8722

Tourism OfficesJalisco: 322.221.2676Nayarit: 322.297.1006

Canadian Consulate322.293.289424 hrs: 1.800.706.2900

Emergencies: 060 Red Cross: 065

EXPORTING PETS: Fall in love with the street dog outside your hotel or a puppy on the Male-con doesn’t mean they can’t come home with you. The process is fairly inexpensive and only takes a day or two. You need a certificate of health from a local vet among other things. The time of year that pets can tra-vel in the cargo section of the pla-ne may be your biggest challenge. For the most up-to-date information contact the Puerto Vallarta SPCA at [email protected].

COMMON SENSE: Just as you wouldn’t walk around your home-town drunk and beligerent, it is not acceptable to do that here. While Mexicans are a forgiving bunch, basic politeness is appreciated. For the guys, peeing in public is a major faux pas and if you are cau-ght, can get you tossed in jail or an expensive fine. Pay attention to your surroundings. Pay your bills. Be courteous. And have fun!

DRINKING AND DRIVING: First off – just don’t. The conse-quences are not worth it. Taxis are cheap and plentiful. Fines are as much as 10,000 pesos. You can be taken to jail and your ve-hicle impounded. There are many checkstops on the weekends and you will be asked to blow if they suspect you have been drinking.

LEGAL SYSTEM: Not knowing the law is not an valid excuse in Mexico or anywhere. If you find yourself caught in a legal situation be aware that guilt is presumed un-til your innocence can be proven.

This is a very difficult lesson to learn if you are visiting from the United States or Canada in par-ticular. Immediately contact your consulate for assistance.

For Up To Date

InformationVisit

VallartaTribune.com

www.vallartatribune.com Friday June 28 - July 04 , 20133Editorial

ABOGADO O PARTIDO SIN ABOGADOMendocino County HHSA/Social service

Family & Children´s DivisionPO Box 839 , Ukinh CA 95482

Teléfono 707-463-7990 Fax 707-463-7748Superior Court Of California

County of Mendocino100 Nort State St. Ukiah CA 95482

NOMBRE DEL CASO: Isabella Leigh RangelLA CITACION DE COMPARECERPUBLICADA POR EL DEPARTAMENTO DEBIENESTAR Y SUS INSTITUCIONES DELCODIGO ARTICULA 294 (F) (7) (A)NUMERO DE CASO: SCUK-JVSQ-12-16505-011. Para Arturo Vargas Rangel y cualquier otra persona que esta reclamando ser el padre de Isabella Leigh Rangel, nacida el 8 de diciembre del 2004 en Santa Rosa, California, EEUU.2. Habrá un junio de Departamento de Bienestar y sus Instituciones el 6 de agosto del 2013 a las 9:00 a.m. en el Departamento F localizado en la corte superior mencionada arriba.3. En el juicio, las recomendaciones de la trabajadora social serán consideradas por la corte.4. La trabajadora social va a recomendar que la niña este libre de la custodia legal de usted, para permitir que sea adoptada. si la corte sigue las recomendaciones, todos sus derechos paternales serán terminado.5. Usted tiene derecho a estar presente en este juicio y presentar evidencia, y tiene el derecho de ser representado por un abogado. Si no tiene un abogado y no tiene manera de pagarlo, será nombrado por la corte para usted.6. Si la corte termina sus derechos paternales, la orden podría ser final.7. La corte procederá con este juicio este usted presente o no.

Fecha: 5 de junio del 2013CARYN A. DOWNING. Empleada Provisional porPEGGY MELLO. Diputado

La Citación de Comparecer Publicada por el Departamento de Bienestar y sus Instituciones Del Código Articulo 366.26 será publicada en las Siguientes fechas: 10, 17 y 24 de junio y el 1 de Julio del 2013.

Promote Your Next Event Free calendar listings in the Vallarta Tribune

Dear Editor,Good morning,We are vacationing in Puer-

to Vallarta and picked up one of your Vallarta Tribunes and have enjoyed it so much! We have found several new things to do.

I have a question - since we are not going to be here on SAtur-day, which is the day of the Para-dise Community Centers Market, is there somewhere that we can see some of the sea glass jewel-ry of Torri? I collect sea glass on our travels and would love to see some of her jewelry.

I would appreciate any infor-mation you can give me.

Thank you!Edie and Bob Van Sprange

Hello Edie and Bob,Welcome to Vallarta! It’s a

shame you are leaving so soon. We found Torri at www.facebook.com/torribythesea and she sent us this message: Thanks for con-tacting me and letting me know. They can reach me on my cell at 322-192-8322 or contact me via email at [email protected]. I’d be happy to meet up with them and bring my jewelry for them to see.

Hopefully you get to meet up with Torri and that you’ve had a wonderful time in our city. Until next time. MM

With more than two do-zen worthy charity/non-profit organizations

in Vallarta who do you choose when you really want to help? And, with cash flow at its typical summer low, now what?! Easy answer: open your drawers, clo-sets and hearts and make a pile. Clean everything first then CON-SIGN them. You can turn your un-der-utilized clothing into cash for yourself or, better yet, donate the clothing to the charity account of your choice and help support so-meone in great need.

So how exactly, does consign-ment work? Take your bags and boxes to “Deja New” on Jacaran-das and sign owner Kathleen´s three-month contract. That will guarantee that 50% of all sales will go to you in cash –or- store credit. After the 90 days are done any and all “leftovers” will be either returned to you, or dona-ted to charity. Kathleen has over 14 charity accounts currently running in her store and, if your favorite one isn´t there you can create an account for the charity yourself with your clothing dona-tion. All Deja New´s unsellable

clothing is gifted weekly to the Thrift Store of Pasitos de Luz in Pitillal. Consider this your invita-tion to join us on a tour of Pasitos de Luz! We will meet next Wed-nesday morning, July 3rd in front of Deja New, Jacarandas 280. Call or email us for more infor-mation: 044 322 157 4965 [email protected] with your name and number of people coming with you. Pasitos de Luz provides rehabilitative care for children with severe development disabilities. We will end our tour with a visit to the Thrift Store so come prepared to shop!

Fashions for Charity

Recent efforts to improve the ove-rall visual appeal of Puerto Vallarta have included the removal of non-compliant business signs, uniform exterior wall colour (white with red tile). Now the city has begun re-planting and replacing trees from meridians and gloriettas that are not in conducive growing areas. These plants are being replanted in other areas around the city in parks and other public spaces. Where trees have been removed, grasses, flowers, palms and other appro-priate vegetation is being planted.

I took a small road trip this week up to Sayulita solely for the purpose of photographing the land crabs. I took the time to clean and sort my

lenses, double checked the memory card was in its place and predictably failed to ensure the battery was changed. So I have some cute iphone photos…

Visitors to the beaches around Hierra Blanca and Sayulita du-ring the rainy season that find themselves walking through the jungle are likely to be surprised to find the jungle floor literally

teeming with thousands (sounds like millions) of purple-and-ye-llow and red land crabs. Crabs seem to be foraging everywhere in the leaf litter, wildly waving their claws and scurrying away at the slightest sign of danger. It’s pretty awesome.

You are the star of your own National Geographic special.

There are two species of land crabs in the area. The red ones are Gecarcinus lateralis and the more prolific dark purple yellowish are Gecarcinus quadratus. The red ones usually grow larger, the purple and yellow ones more nu-merous. Commonly called Mexi-can Land Crab, Halloween Crab, Mouthless Crab,or the Harlequin Land Crabthese little crustaceans only return to the ocean to repro-duce and spend the rest

of their days burrowed in the jungle, as much as 600 meters from shore. They have adapted to life on land so much so that they even drown in water and only take to the sea shore for releasing their larvae. Once the eggs are laid the adult crabs re-turn to the forest to molt, forage and hibernate.

Puerto Vallarta Replants

It’s a breathtaking sight, though eerie and off-putting for many, I’m sure. They make a clicking noise that could come straight from a horror movie soundtrack but their funny faces, frantic claw waving, and bright colours should be enough to en-sure anyone that these guys are relatively harmless. (Unless they overrun your house or fields, in which case they can be a real nuisance.) Having been raised on a steady diet of nature, I’m not one run at the sight of insects, crustaceans or bears and I find

these fellas very charming.Take a day and explore. The-

re are some excellent beaches around Sayulita that are near de-serted and perfect for getting clo-se to the land crabs. Bring your camera, water and decent jungle shoes. When you’ve got a port-folio of photos perfect for NG, head into Sayulita for some great fish tacos at Miguel’s Taco Stand on Calle Delphines. They’re my go to when I’m in town. Give me a call, maybe I’ll join you.

Madeline

www.vallartatribune.comFriday June 28 - July 04 , 2013 4News

WANT THE NEWS IN PUERTO VALLARTA? Visit vallartatribune.com

President Peña Nieto promotes an environmental policy to ensure a better quality of life

During the inauguration of National Environment Week, President Enrique

Peña Nieto presented the Na-tional Climate Change Strategy containing adaptation and miti-gation measures to counter the effects of global environmental issues. President Peña Nieto said that in order to care for the pla-net, our shared home and com-mon heritage, “It is essential that we adopt the Inclusive Green Growth paradigm,” as establis-hed in the National Development Plan 2013-2018.

Inclusive Green Growth is, “The great promise of a better fu-ture for humanity; it is the ability to grow and create wealth without damaging our environment or our natural heritage,” he added. The president stressed that the mea-sures contained in the National Climate Change Strategy are di-vided into eight areas of action:

The president said that Mexi-co is one of the 17 countries with the highest biodiversity in the world. “These abundant natu-ral resources are not only ours; they also belong to future gene-rations, and they deserve to be preserved and not lost through carelessness or negligence,” he explained.

He noted that Mexicans have assumed this enormous challen-ge for what it is: an environmental emergency.

He therefore insisted on the importance of green growth, “Which allows us to have a strong commitment to the envi-ronment and, in turn, improve the population’s quality of life.” Within this framework, he announced three important measures that meet this dual purpose:

“We will soon publish the Offi-cial Mexican Norm 163, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in new cars, as well as to increase the performance of their fuel.”

Furthermore, “The Environ-mental Quality Commission of the Metropolitan Areas in the Center of the Country to reduce air pollution and improve air qua-lity in the most populated region in our country.

Participants in this organi-zation will include Mexico City authorities together with those from the states of Hidalgo, Mexi-co, Morelos, Puebla and Tlaxcala as well as the government.”

And lastly, “The Nevado de Toluca National Park will be transformed into an area for the protection of flora and fauna to enhance the quality of life of the 23 million people who live in that region.

As a result of this change of status, the first in 77 years, the area will have a more compre-hensive preservation program, and actions will be promoted to protect its scenic beauty, use their natural resources sustaina-bly and restore their ecosystems, which are home to a rich biologi-cal diversity.”

The president pointed out that through the National Cli-mate Change Strategy and the operations concerned, “The go-vernment confirms its determi-nation to move the institutions, programs and mentality of the authorities and society forward in order to promote an environmen-tal policy with long-term vision.”

He recalled that in Mexico, due to its geographical location and diversity of climates, global warming has resulted in various natural phenomena, and in order to address these adverse effects, the country has taken a proactive stance in the country and assu-med a position of international leadership.

Nationally Mexic has the new General Law on Climate Change, which is truly cut-ting-edge legislation.

Four months ago, the Interse-cretarial Commission on Clima-te Change was created as well as the National Climate Chan-ge System, featuring a Council composed of experts, chaired by Mexican Nobel Laureate Dr. Ma-rio Molina.

Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources Juan José Guerra Abud said that a healthy environment is a consti-tutional right of Mexicans which translates into a binding respon-sibility for future generations and which, far from being a burden, should be seen as an opportu-nity to create jobs, added value and therefore, economic develo-pment and poverty alleviation.

He explained that the National Climate Change Strategy was developed with the participation

of academics, non-governmental environmental organizations and on the basis of nearly 13 000 opi-nions received from the general public.

It was also was enhanced and passed by both the Council for Climate Change, composed of 15 experts in the field, and the 13 government agencies comprising the Intersecretarial Commission.

For his part, Juan Carlos Be-lausteguigoitia, Secretary of the Board Climate Change, said that the strategy presented is objecti-ve, adheres to the law, is updated

with information from the latest results of climate science and based on sound economic princi-ples. He also declared that this is an important step towards imple-menting the Climate Change Act, since it offers short, medium and long term views, provides strate-gic axes for government action and encourages joint responsi-bility with society as a whole on mitigation and adaptation.

For Mexico’s entrepreneurs, the National Climate Change Strategy promoted by the gover-nment is undoubtedly the essen-tial path to sustainable develop-ment that will drive growth and help alleviate poverty, through more efficient use of the country’s natural resources.

This was expressed by the President of the Business Coor-

dinating Council (CCE), Gerardo Gutiérrez Candiani, who also noted that the National Clima-te Change Strategy must be an inclusive effort that will guide all sectors and activities in the tran-sition to a more efficient, low-car-bon economy with low greenhou-se gas emissions.

Originally published on presi-dencia.gob.mx

First: Reduce the vulnera-bility of Mexicans living at risk and strengthen their capacity to adapt to climate change.

Second: Reduce the vulne-rability of production systems and strategic infrastructure to weather contingencies.

Third: Promote the resilien-ce of ecosystems to the effects of climate change.

Fourth: Accelerate the energy transition towards clean energy sources.

Fifth: Reduce the intensity of energy consumption through effi-ciency and rationality schemes.

Sixth: Move toward sus-tainable city models, with in-telligent mobility systems, in-tegrated waste management and buildings with low carbon footprints.

Seventh: Promote better agricultural and forestry prac-tices, with schemes for Redu-cing Emissions from deforesta-tion and degradation.

Eighth: Reduce emissions from “short life” pollutants such as black carbon and methane, to improve the health and wel-fare of all.

“NATURAL RESOURCES ARE NOT ONLY OURS; THEY ALSO BELONG TO FUTURE GENERATIONS”

“THE NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY WILL BE A PILLAR OF THE COUNTRY’S INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT”~Juan Carlos Belausteguigoitia

www.vallartatribune.com Friday June 28 - July 04 , 20135

Vallarta Tribune Your best source for English news in the Bay of Banderas

Don’t get cloned! Protecting Your Money As is the case the world over; ATMS, Debit Cards and Credit Cards are cloned right here in our little town. It would appear every few months a new surge of ATM scams occurs and the chat groups become a volley in frus-tration and reason. If you been lucky enough to avoid cloning, excellent, but for many it is an unfortunate reality. In an effort to minimize the number of people being affected we have compiled some of the most logical of hel-pful tips.

1. Go LocalIf you are in town for a lon-

ger period of time or a frequent visitor you may want to consider opening a local account. As long as you have a valid visa (from tourist to resident) you are able to open an account. Many banks in the Bay offer excellent English language support including Ban-comer, Santander, Actinver and HSBC. Every bank has different account options and charges so it is wise to do your research.

2. Sister BanksMany US and Canadian Banks

have relationships with Mexican banks. This can save you on fees and will make dealing with any problems that arise easier to sort out. Be sure to ask your home branch about any associations they might have in Mexico.

3. Separate AccountsTransfer only what you need

and can stand to lose for a spe-cific amount of time and keep a separate debit for that account.

4. Be SmartUse ATMS that are inside re-

putable banks, with security sys-tems in place. The ATMS inside bars, convenience stores or ran-domly placed on the side of the road are not the safest options available.

5. Avoid ATMS AltogetherFor a small fee, usually per-

centage based, it is possible to Western Union yourself money from your bank. All you need is your passport to pick it up at any Western Union office.

News

During the first quarter of 2013, Pemex sent 104 mi-llion barrels of crude oil to the US market, for which it received 10.882 billion dollars, informed the US De-partment of Commerce.

Solartec, the solar cell manufacturer, will become the first Mexican company to export this type of pho-tovoltaic panel to the US.

Nokia received the support of 25 Mexican designers from Universidad Iberoamericana (UIA), who crea-ted innovative proposals for the Asha smartphone, particularly the 306 and 311 models.

Soriana, the Mexican supermarket chain, plans to invest 400 million dollars in the next four years in green energy co-generation projects.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the Belgian-Brazilian mul-tinational, finalized the purchase of the remaining 50% of the Mexican brewery Grupo Modelo, in an operation valued at 20.1 billion dollars.

The US clothing retailer, Gap, will open its first Ba-nana Republic store in Mexico in 2013, through its partnership with Distribuidora Liverpool.

Grupo Financiero Banorte is planning a share offer in Mexico, the US and certain markets abroad for up to 3 billion dollars.

Between January and April 2013, 4,356,713 foreign visitors arrived in Mexico by air, 6.3% more than in the same period of 2012, according to data by the National Immigration Institute (INM).

Mexico received 4.958 billion dollars in currency from international visitors during the first quarter of 2013, 6.6% more than in the same period in 2012, informed SECTUR and Banxico.

The Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) and the Tourism Promotion Council (CPTM) will inject more than 10 million dollars in one year to promote Puerto Va-llarta and Nayarit abroad as a unique product, given their shared natural beauties and world-class tou-rism infrastructure.

According to the World Bank (WB), Mexico’s eco-nomy will grow 3.3% in 2013 and will accelerate and reach 4% growth in 2014 and 2015, boosted by telecommunications reforms.

According to the US Census Bureau, Mexico will have a talent surplus of 5 million people by 2020, compared to the 17-million deficit globally.

Universidad Aeronáutica en Querétaro (UNAQ) will invest 1 billion pesos in expansion works to serve more than three times the students in 2020.

Mexico could become the fourth largest global auto parts manufacturer between 2018 and 2019, when production value exceeds 100 billion dollars, infor-med the National Auto Parts Industry (INA).

The Mexican government, through the Meso-Ameri-ca Project, will fund the construction of the Sixaola bi-national bridge, which will connect Costa Rica and Panama with a fifteen million-dollar investment -ten million from Mexico and the rest from Costa Rica.

BUSINESS GROWTH

TOURISM

Original By Kevin Brass

A recently announced ruling by the Internal Revenue Service could save U.S. citizens buying homes in Mexico thousands of dollars and endless headaches.

After lengthy discussions, the IRS formally acknowledged this month that fideicomiso--the Mexican land trusts foreigners must use to buy property along the coast--are not “trusts” under

IRS Offers Good News for Mexico Property Buyers

the definition of the U.S. tax code. The IRS explored three different scenarios for buying a residential property through a fideicomiso--buying with a U.S. limited liability company, using a C corporation or a direct in-dividual purchase. In all three scenarios the IRS concluded that Mexican trusts do not cons-titute the IRS’ definition of trust, KPMG reports.

Originally published on worldproper-

tychannel.com

www.vallartatribune.comFriday June 28 - July 04 , 2013 6News

Promote Your Next Event Free calendar listings in the Vallarta Tribune

The El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve and the Gran Desierto de Altar, located in the state of Sonora, were recently designated World Heritage sites by the United Nations Educatio-nal, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Mexico now has five natural World Heritage sites. The other four are: The Sian Ka’an Bios-phere Reserve; the El Vizcaino Whale Sanctuary, the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

In order for the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve and Gran Desierto de Altar to be given World Heritage status, their state of conservation was taken into account, together with their resource management scheme. The fact that it is home to over than a thousand species of flora and fau-na, making it the most biologically diverse desert in the world, was also considered. In addition, it is home to several endemic, endangered species, such as the Sonora pronghorn antelope, the desert tortoise or Gila monster, as well as birds, amphibians and freshwater fish.

This decision by UNESCO places Mexico in an important position regarding conservation and constitutes a significant acknowledgement of the work done by Mexicans regarding the protection of natural resources. Source: SEMARNAT

Chinese tourist arrivals to Mexi-co grew 35.1 percent in the first quarter of 2013 over the same period last year, the Tourism Se-cretariat said.

From January to April, “Mexico received 19,635 tourists coming from China,” the secretariat said.

The favorite destinations of Chinese visitors are Mexico City, Cancun, Tijuana, Guadalajara, Los Cabos, Monterrey and Puer-to Vallarta.

Recognizing this increase, Puerto Vallarta recently attended a travel fair in Vancouver, Cana-da to promote the destination to 100 travel agents that focus mainly on the Asian consumer market. Nearly 40% of Vancou-verites are of Asian descent and have significant buying power. It was noted that it is easier to

The first bi-national air termi-nal in the Americas will be built in Mexico in 2014, with

a 180 million-peso investment. It will connect Tijuana with San Diego and handle an estimated two million passengers annually.

The project was approved in March 2013 and intends to im-prove transportation for people traveling to Mexico while redu-cing traffic at San Diego and Los Angeles Airports.

The new pedestrian bridge for

First bi-national airport to be built in Mexicothe bi-national airport terminal will be ready in July 2014, accor-ding to Mexican authorities. The bridge will connect the actual International airport of Tijuana with a new cross-border terminal in Otay Mesa. The terminal is in-tended to be used exclusively by ticketed airline passengers who will pay a toll.

Development in Otay Mesa is being funded by Otay-Tijuana Ventures LLC, who are building the 45,000-square-foot terminal

and the access roads in Otay Mesa. Otay-Tijuana Ventures LLC, has been in negotiations with U.S. Customs and Border Protection over issues that inclu-de who would pay the salaries of federal officers assigned to the facility.

The complete project will in-clude public transportation to the area from San Diego, and is esti-mated to be finished by 2018.

El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve and Gran Desierto in Sonora declared World Heritage Site

China and Mexico build partnerships

travel from Vancouver to Puerto Vallarta than Tokyo or Shanghai.

Of all the tourists, 54 percent traveled to Mexico for recreatio-nal purposes, and in that group 69 percent bought package tours with everything included at four- and five-star hotels for vacations from five to seven days, spending an average of $2,000 to $4,000 during their stay.

The secretariat noted that Mexico “occupies second place in the world” in a classification of luxury destinations, something that is a great attraction for Chi-nese visitors, who “love shop-ping” and who particularly like the fact that it’s a tax-free destination.

The World Tourism Organization estimates that in 2015 some 100 million Chinese will travel abroad.

Chinese president Xi Jinping visited Mexico to promote investment ex-change between the two economies. The countries signed a series of agreements and memorandums of understanding on free trade, ener-gy, infrastructure, emerging industries, mining, commercial defense, science and technology, among other areas. One of the major benefits to Jalisco will be the increase in Tequila sales with a plan to export 10 million liters per year to China, equal to 100 million dollars, which could triple the number of jobs in the sector, informed the National Chamber of the Tequila Industry (CNIT).

Number of Chinese Visitors to Mexico Rises 35%

www.vallartatribune.com Friday June 28 - July 04 , 20137NEWS

REACH LOCALS AND VACTIONERS Advertise with Vallarta Tribune

by Marcia Blondin

This team of kids has grown from 17 to well over 40 youngsters who want a

cleaner neighborhood and a trash-free river. They have met at Que?Pasa, Aquiles Serdan 625 in Colonia Emiliano Zapata, every Saturday morning at 11:30 since 2010 to make a positive di-fference in our city.

Michael, owner of Que?Pasa, has made garbage a big deal to these children; instilling in them a tremendous sense of respect for our earth that will last them a lifetime. They, in turn, pass down that ecologically sound messa-ge to their brothers and sisters and often, their parents. Michael makes sure all the kids have trash bags (in suitable sizes!), la-tex gloves and an adult to keep them safe on their tour around the neighborhood picking up rub-bish.

When they return to Que?Pasa after their appointed rounds, Mi-chael treats them to hotdogs, chips and sodas. The kids also have their own wall in the bar co-vered with photographs of them at task – smiling, knowing they are doing a good thing and will be rewarded when they are done.

If any of you parents out the-re are wondering what to do with your kids when they get out of school for summer break, en-courage them to take part in this small beautification project every

The Trash Brigade

Saturday morning. If you aren´t up to actually joining them while they work, buy yourself a beer , have some lunch, play some pool and enjoy the ambiance of this local neighborhood bar until they are finished. Your children will be well chaperoned while you take a break; totally a win-win situation!

Another good thing to do: donate garbage bags or gloves, make it a habit to buy extras when you are grocery shopping. Cash donations to keep the kids in hotdogs are always appreciated.

See all of you soon in Que?Pasa!

Angela Bassett, visitsRiviera Nayarit

Actress Angela Bassett re-cently visited Riviera Nayarit, adding to a long list of stars that enjoy this magical getaway.

According to JuicyMagOn-line.com, the actress stayed at Villa La Estancia with her chil-dren, Slater and Bronwyn. They enjoyed both the beach and the pool. She was also spotted with Bronwyn having pedicure at Ta-tewari SPA.

Bassett was spending quali-ty time with her children before the premiere of FX’s American Horror Story third season, but it’s not the first time she has been spotted at Villa La Es-tancia Riviera Nayarit; she and her husband, actor, Courtney B. Vance previously spent Thanksgiving 2012 with their children there.

Inscription des Canadiens à lʼétranger Nous vous encourageons à utiliser le service dʼInscription des Canadiens à l’étranger si vous voyagez ou habitez au Mexique.

Nous pourrons ainsi communiquer avec vous dans le cas dʼune urgence à lʼétranger ou dʼune urgence familiale au Canada.

Inscrivez-vous en ligne à lʼadresse voyage.gc.ca/inscription ou par courriel, par télécopieur ou en personne.

Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec l’Agence consulaire du Canada à Puerto Vallarta :

Registration of Canadians Abroad We encourage you to sign up for the Registration of Canadians Abroad service if you are travelling or living in Mexico.

Registration enables us to reach you in case of an emergency abroad or inform you about a family emergency in Canada.

Sign up online at travel.gc.ca/register or register by mail, fax or in person.

For more information, contact the Consular Agency of Canada in Puerto Vallarta:

Plaza Peninsula, Local Sub F Boulevard Francisco Medina Ascencio 2485

Zona Hotelera Norte, 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México

' 52 (322) 293-0098 / 293-0099 | 7 52 (322) 293-2894 | * [email protected]

On June 29th attend the ‘Cena con Causa’ coordinated by DIF Puerto Vallarta in support of the firefighters and lifeguards who work tirelessly to protect our citizens and visitors. Funds raised will support training and equipment. Join the 90 person strong team and celebrate the efforts of these important com-munity members. The benefit Bu-

ffet Dinner will include live music, and an auction with great items up for bid. Starting at 6:30 pm at the Krystal Hotel and Resort, tic-kets are $300 pesos. Tickets are available at the Fire Department located at Avenida Las Américas 565 in Colonia Lázaro Cárdenas as well as from volunteers on the Southside, in the Marina, Buce-rías and Nuevo Vallarta. For more information, contact Gary Green at 322-150-7214 or email gary(at)anda-lesonthebay.com.

Cena con Causa to Benefit Vallarta Firefighters

www.vallartatribune.comFriday June 28 - July 04 , 2013 8

FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION Visit vallartatribune.com

Myles Wallingford, Investours Intern

Pyramids

By Leza [email protected]

Paradise and Parenting

So we went for dinner at the home of some friends the other day. Our children

went happily with their children to play, and we went happily to the terrace. All was well until we heard some shrieking. Once it became clear that the shrieker did not belong to me, I went back to my chat while the shrieker’s dad went to deal with the problem.

When he returned, things were much quieter, with just some muffled snuffling and hic-cupping in the background. The dad’s expression was one I was familiar with. You know the one: that smile just for guests, meant to convey a casual, oh-those-cra-zy-kids-again sort of sentiment, while inside one is wondering what sort of diabolical conse-quence could possibly match the chagrin you are currently feeling. He sort of sighed, and then com-plimented me on my column in the Tribune. I was impressed by the effective diversionary tactic, but then he asked “But next week could you answer a question I have?” Sure, I answered, wonde-ring where this was going. “Why do kids do things like bite their siblings, and then can’t seem to give you any type of rational rea-son for doing it?”

This is a question that we all have at some point or another, or, in my case, at many points or another. As a matter of fact, if I had a peso for every time I have asked myself some form of this question, I would easily have enough money to build a special room for just me, designed to muffle my screams. There was the time that I wondered idly, over the course of two hours, whe-re the dog was, and then found her locked in the bathroom with a blue stripe painted down her back. There was another time when I found the contents of my spice rack emptied into a large mixing bowl, combined with vi-negar, water, and chocolate milk. And then there is every time that

one of them asks me to close my eyes for a second.

But I AM going to try to an-swer this question, because the dad who asked it is a good friend, he makes a mean veggie burger, and we always get dessert when we go to their house.

Preschool teachers are fami-liar with the term “self-regulation”, because it is notably not well in-tegrated into the skill set of most preschool age children. Self-regu-lation refers to several complicated processes that allow children to appropriately respond to their en-vironment (Bronson, 2000).

In other words, when children throw down every time their si-blings call them “potato heads” they are not showing self-regu-lation skills. When they continue to play, apparently deaf to your desperate entreaties, threats and finally bribes, when they are al-ready late for school and you are late for your very interesting work meeting, this is a lack of self-re-gulation.

This may sound counter-pro-ductive to you, but really the best way to teach self-regulation is to provide children with opportuni-ties to make decisions.

This helps them learn how to govern their own behavior and feel as though they are in char-ge (while we are still pulling the strings like the evil puppet mas-

ters we are). So if you really need to get to that meeting (do you really?) ask your child to de-cide if he/she would like to pick up the blocks or the books first.

Another way to introduce self-regulation is by anticipating pro-blem situations. If your children tend to get aggressive with each other when company shows up, have them help plan what activi-ties they’ll invite their friends to play when they get there.

Give them reminders and cues to help them transition. Preschool teachers are great at this, and always remind children that it’s time to clean up with an overly cheerful, fun song that would drive most adults straight to the liquor cabinet, but tends to work well with young children and early childhood educators.

These are valuable tools for the future, my friends. Let’s face it; years down the road do we want to hear that they are pulling straight A’s in college or that they are being taught to drink home-made gin from different types of used plumbing apparatus?

As for me, I am currently drawing up blueprints for that adult time-out room I mentioned earlier. Let me know if you have some good sound-proofing tips.

Learning to RegulateProductivity seems to only happen at night on the roof of my hotel. It’s late and the

wind is low you can hear the wa-ves crash with much more clarity. My fellow interns and I sit in a cir-cle drinking beer while and filling our the hours with talk about how we’re going to help people.

I can think of no better place to work, or who better people would want to work with.

Three months ago my entire experience started with the sim-ple click of a mouse. And now it’s ending, at least for me, but not before getting to know fourteen drastically different minds.

People are like stray dogs. You can never fully know the entirety of who they are, what they know, or what they’ve been through. To that extent, every person I’ve come to work with is a stray dog. Along the way we pick up bits and pieces of each one another’s’ li-ves and pasts, drives and laughs.

It’s a game. Like a pyramid we build up our perceptions of one another- from what we like ea-ting for breakfast to our opinions thoughts on cultural imperialism.

We all make these pyramids, all the time. We do it with our cowor-kers, friends, even our family.

But I find myself especiallyMy amusement amused by it now that I’m here. at this phenome-non simply comes from environ-ment in which I now find myself.

The paradise-like country of Mexico is the perfect place to learn about other human beings, where they are extracted from daily routines and relatively free of the stresses that “our” society often bringsentails.

I wonder sometimes if it’s truly possible to know another person in their entirety. The same way all that you know of your waitress is the brief time that you she spends at your table with her, all people know of you is the brief moments they experience you, and you are always changing, hi-ding, revealing, evolving.

At a bar in Sayulita one the other night, it hit me during an uncoordinated attempt at salsa dancing, it hit me that in the same way I’m moving with this person, right now is the same way I could also be dancinge with a seven billion other people on this earth. Even if we only spent 10 seconds interacting with everybody alive, it would still take us over 2000 years to get to barely know every person.

So I guess all we can do is just keep moving, just keep meeting and dancing, and try to leave everyone happier than when they first met you.

ED NOTE: And with those par-ting words, Myles leaves Inves-tours where he has been interning for the past month and heads to new lands. Thank you to Alex for sharing your thoughts with the re-aders of the Vallarta Tribune.

LOCALS


By Sue Keevil pvseadive.com

PV Sea Dive

REACH LOCALS AND VACTIONERS Advertise with Vallarta Tribune

By Erin Staleyoldtownfm.com

TOYS

As if diving is not enough fun on its own, we have underwater toys to play

with. This week, I have been loo-king at buying some sea scoo-ters. These are James Bond style toys that are a lot of fun. They are battery powered and can reach speeds of up to 4.8kl/h.

This may not seem fast, but underwater, it feels very quick. You simply hold onto the hand-les, adjust the speed, and steer it wherever you want to go.

As you don´t have to use your fins, you don´t use as much air, so you can get a longer dive and see more of an area. I once dived around an island in Egypt using one, and while everyone else got a quarter of the way around the island, I lapped them! I stopped to look at nothing, simply enjo-ying the scenery as it whizzed by and laughed too much at the stupidity of what I was doing. An-yone who has dived with me will tell you, I am slow as a snail and look into everything, so for me it was a real change.

When I teach the deep diving course, I never dive without my toy that is designed for 2 year olds. It is made of plastic and is hollow box with various shapes on all sides. Inside are 8 different shapes with each one going into the corresponding hole. I have seen smart people struggle for over a minute trying to put the wrong shapes into the wrong holes while they are laughing. I like to video this as no one be-lieves me when I tell them how long it took them. Adults have no problem putting the shapes in the holes on the surface in less than ten seconds, but at 100 feet, things get a little bit silly.

Narcosis usually occurs

around 100 feet, otherwise ca-lled the Martini effect. Jacques Cousteau called it this as he says every thirty-three feet you

descend is the equivalent of ha-ving a Martini, so at 100 feet, you are well on your way to having a good night out! The effects usua-lly wear off when you ascend to less than 90 feet, but it´s not an exacting science. Some people don´t get narcosis, or narked, and some people get narked ea-sily. I am in the later group, but no one seems to know why. It is not something you can develop a tolerance too, and we ensure you have had the correct training so that you how to deal with it.

Something I always have in my pocket when I dive is my Ac-tion Man diver. I like to get him out to show people their body po-sition in the water, and my man is an easy way of showing people what to do without having the abi-lity of speech.

I have an underwater Frisbee too for the pool. It´s comple-tely neutrally buoyant and when people play with it they stop thinking about buoyancy and it seems to just come naturally. I also have underwater rockets, but they sinks if you don´t catch them quickly enough, so this is another shallow pool toy.

Underwater toys don´t need to be expensive to be fun. A good old fashioned egg and spoon race is a great way to entertain kids and adults alike. The impor-tant thing is get out in the water and have fun!

Celebrating Mexico’s Culture

Every Saturday we celebra-te the many cultures of our Old Town Farmers’ Market

– Tianguis Cultural community. This week we are honoring our host country and its talented arti-sans and skillful producers.

One such artisan is Néstor de Jesús Villaseñor García who honors his heritage with hand-made Pre-Hispanic musical ins-truments.

“My instruments represent an important part of our culture,” says García who has been fas-hioning his original pre-Hispanic instruments for over 30 years. The sounds are soothing, remi-niscent of a time long ago. Not only is García a talented instru-ment maker, but he is a teacher and skilled musician.

As a teacher at the Instituto Cultural Cuale for over 20 years, García has been sharing his love of music with students from all over the Banderas Bay area. He plays the harp and pan flu-tes as a member of Tajin, a local

duo. Take home the comforting sounds of Tajin’s repertoire by purchasing a CD from García at the Market. And while you’re having the CD signed, be sure to select your very own hand-crafted, pre-Hispanic instrument. Both make an ideal gift for music lovers of all ages.

The celebration of Mexico continues with freshly roasted peanuts and peanut products from Cacahuate Carlos. Owned by Carlos Valdivia and Lisa Gil-roy, Cacahuate Carlos is built on a longstanding family tradition. Having moved to Vallarta, Valdi-via met Canadian, Lisa Gilroy in 2008. The two fell in love, and soon found themselves roasting small batches of peanuts to sell at the Market and at local candy stores and restaurants.

“We use old family recipes and organic ingredients to make our quality products,” says Gilroy who is quick to note that Cacahuate Carlos is free from pesticides, chemicals and oils. Market shop-

pers rave about the variety of fla-vors and come back time and time again to get their favorites.

• Flavored peanuts: sweet, salty, spicy and garlic • Natural peanut butter (crunchy and smooth)• Chocolate peanut butter • Peanut butter cookies• Peanut brittle• Peanut butter fudge• Peanuts in the shell

“We love to share the peanut-growing process with our custo-mers,” says Gilroy. “We love our customers and selling our peanu-ts is just icing on the cake.”

To pick up your favorite pea-nut products, stop by Cacahuate Carlos this Saturday.

Join us in celebration this Sa-turday at the Old Town Farmers’ Market – Tianguis Cultural. Loca-ted along Basilio Badillo between Olas Altas and Pino Suarez, the summer Market is open 9:30 am to 2 pm until the last Saturday in July. For more information, visit www.oldtownfm.com.

LOCALS


BanderasBay

Initiative

By Maria Zamorawww.bbini.org

The only English paper in the Airport Reach more tourists with the Vallarta Tribune

This isParadise...

By Marcia Blondin [email protected]

Experience conservation

Studies in psychology have su-ggested that spending our mo-ney on experiences, rather than material possessions leads to greater and longer lasting hap-piness. In the many years I have lived in Puerto Vallarta, the beau-tiful Banderas Bay has given me some amazing experiences and happy, long-lasting memories. Several of my most cherished memories come from community service activities I have partici-pated in. People taking an acti-ve role in their communities can reap, not only the benefits of the results obtained, but also the be-nefits of participating in the expe-rience.

One of these treasured me-mories is available to all visitors and residents of the Banderas Bay from the months of June to November, during the Olive Ridley turtle nesting season. My friends and I spent an entire night walking along a stretch of beach, helping the camp technicians monitor the beach for nests and females coming up to lay their eggs. It is a wonderful means to experience the beach in a di-fferent way. Without the sun and gaggle of gulls and people the beach is a different beast at night than it is during the day.

Most of us know about the releasing of the turtle hatchlings which are carried out in various turtle camps and hotels around town. Few of us however, quite realize the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to make these camps work; I think we are missing out.

Volunteers and managers at the camps patrol the beaches during the night, preventing the poaching of nests and turtles alike. They gather the eggs and replant them in a protected nur-sery which keeps predators and poachers at bay. Upon hatching, the newborns are released into the sea around sunset, a time which decreases the likelihood of

predation by birds.The biologists and technicians

could always use an extra hand and I think we can all use a new experience every once in a while. There are many different camps throughout the region. Don’t pos-tpone your visit this year.

Red Tortuguera, A.C. is a non-profit organization which consists of a network of turtle camps and researchers in Jalisco and Naya-rit looking to unite their efforts in

sea-turtle conservation. You can visit their site at www.redtortu-guera.org or on Facebook as: Red Tortuguera A.C. On their site you will find profiles to 10 different turtle camps, each offering a di-fferent experience and character. They learn from each other and support each other, increasing the impact of their work and strengthening ties in our commu-nity across the Banderas Bay.

If you wake up to pouring rain Sa-turday morning don´t even think about not going shopping! We at the Paradise Community Center have you covered at the Co-op Market; our huge palapa roof will keep you dry and not dodging big tropical raindrops.

Lively music and lots of cei-ling fans will have you humming along, sampling and gathering food for the coming week and fin-ding very cool gift items if you are travelling to foreign lands.

Check Fernando´s stock of organically grown coffees from Chiapas, Veracruz and San Se-bastian. Yes, he has decaf and yes, Fernando will grind up your beans for you.

James has a new flock of mermaid prison dolls. Gor-geous all!

Peter has added sensational pastrami sandwiches on (his own) rye bread served with co-leslaw and spicy dills. Have a chocolate croissant if you leave space for dessert!

Phillip and Brenda are ma-king their magic clay into gaily painted “Tequila Heels”. These decorative high – and I mean high!- heels detach themselves and become tequila shot glas-ses! I keep hinting to include a bottle of Don Julio to encourage sales but so far no luck…

From Oaxaca, new patch work-type bedspreads and round embroidered (and zippered) pi-llow covers have arrived. Veroni-ca and Oscar have all their lovely handbags on sale for 30% off!

What do African designs, Ma-rilyn Monroe, tools, chilies, cup-cakes and lobsters have in com-mon? Find all of these and more on Bill´s newest cooling ties.

Enrique the Gorgeous has been adding to his collection of watercolor paintings he has for sale next to his stun-ning photographs.

Three-layered cappuccino brownies and cranberry scones are going fast from Todd and Lolita´s Saturday Co-op table.

Chef Miguel Angel Calic from “Cook in Vallarta” is offering Caesar salad with dressing as well as complete frozen dinners to take home.

Get your tickets for only $300 pesos and attend the dinner and show at the Krystal June 29th and help support Vallarta´s bra-ve firefighters. ¡Viva!

I have mentioned Benita´s fa-bulous sandals in the past. She has branched out and is making the most darling booties for new-borns.

Of course all booties are dar-ling and tiny but these are in the shape of high top sneakers, taxi cabs and trucks. Way past “cute”!

Until the grand opening of “Fashions for Charity” here at the Paradise Community Center in November, you are welcome to drop off donations to Marcia du-ring Market hours – 9 am to 1 pm every Saturday or at Deja New, Jacarandas 280.

Have a great week everybody and stay dry!

LOCALS


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Archaeologists have found an ancient Maya city that remained hidden for cen-

turies in the rain forests of eas-tern Mexico, a discovery in a re-mote nature reserve they hope will yield clues about how the ci-vilization collapsed around 1,000 years ago.

The team, led by Ivan Sprajc, associate professor at the Slove-nian Academy of Sciences and Arts, found 15 pyramids — inclu-ding one that stands 23 metres tall — ball courts, plazas and tall, sculpted stone shafts called ste-lae. They named the city Chac-tun, meaning “Red Rock” or “Lar-ge Rock.” Sprajc said it was likely slightly less populous than the large ancient Maya city of Tikal in Guatemala, and could have been home to as many as 30,000 or 40,000 people, though further research is necessary to make a more precise estimate.

Chactun likely had its heyday during the late Classic period of Maya civilization between 600 and 900 A.D., Sprajc said.

The team’s research was ap-proved by the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and His-tory and funded by the National Geographic Society and two Eu-ropean companies.

Sprajc said the site — which covers 22 hectares and lies 120

Ancient Maya city found in Mexican nature reserveChactun may yield clues about civilization’s collapse

kilometres due west of Chetumal — is one of the largest found in the Yucatan’s central lowlands. The nearest settlement to the ruins is the small town of Xpujil, around 25 kilometres away.

“The whole site is covered by the jungle,” he said in Spanish.

While the site was unknown to the academic community, Sprajc found evidence that other people had been to the site as recently as 20 or 30 years ago, but not since.

“Lumberjacks and gum extractors were certainly al-ready there, becau-se we saw cuts on the trees,” Sprajc said. “What happe-ned is they never told anyone.”

Clues in aerial photographsWhile reviewing aerial pho-

tographs taken by the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity 15 years ago to monitor the nature reser-

ve, Sprajc and his team saw su-ggestions of ruins and marked the coordinates.

Researchers visited the site after seeing traces of it in aerial photographs taken 15 years ago to monitor the nature reserve. They then spent three weeks clearing a 16-km path through the jungle to reach the site. After mapping the site for six weeks and documenting the monu-ments, they blocked the path be-fore leaving to prevent access.

The presence of multiple ball game courts is an indication that Chactun was a very important city, Sprajc said. It was likely abandoned around the year 1,000, probably due to demogra-phic pressure, climate change, wars and rebellions. He hopes the find could shed new light on relations between different re-gions of the Maya empire during that period. The Maya civilization was one of the most advanced in the pre-Columbian Americas

and ruled over large swaths of the Yucatan, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras at its height. Tikal, which was first mapped by ar-chaeologists in the late 19th cen-tury, had a population estimated at up to 90,000. In December, 2012, thousands of people trave-led to the Yucatan to celebrate a new cycle in the Maya calendar amidst fears that the Maya had actually predicted that Dec. 21 would mark the end of the world.

TRAVEL


PROMOTE YOUR NExT EVENT Free calendar listings in the Vallarta Tribune

Theobroma cacao beans were roasted, fermented then ground to a powder

by pre-Olmec people in Meso-america, with evidence it was made mainly into beverages. Then experts found traces of chemical substances (markers for chocolate) on fragments of plates uncovered at the Paso del Macho archaeological site in the Yucatan, Mexico, demonstrating that culture about 2,500 years ago influenced the modern Mexi-can cuisine. Markers were found on flat vessels used for serving in other ways than a beverage. Pre-Hispanic Maya may have eaten foods with cacao sauce similar to mole, extending the roots of Mexi-can cuisine and the importance of chocolate further back into the past than previously thought. Historians had long thought ca-cao beans and pods were mainly used as a beverage, made either by crushing the beans andmixing them with liquids or fermenting the pulp of the beans in the pod.

Such a drink was believed to have been reserved for the elite class. Chocolate played a signifi-cant role in both Maya and Aztec royal and religious events. Cacao seeds were offered to the gods and chocolate drinks were ser-ved during sacred ceremonies. The Maya carved images of ca-cao pods on many of their stone temple walls. The Aztecs called their prized cocoa bean drink “chocolatl”.

In the 1500’s, the Spanish explorers/conquerors learned about cocoa from the Aztecs and brought it to Europe where it was enjoyed by the privileged who added refined sugar for usa-ge in sweets and desserts. Cor-tés presented the Spanish King, Charles V with cocoa beans. The bitter beverage was blended with sugar or honey and often vani-lla, cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves. The results were coveted and reserved for the Spanish nobi-lity. Chocolate was a secret that Spain managed to keep from the rest of the world for nearly 100 years. Popularity spread through the European royal courts and by the 1600’s, it was widely enjoyed by the wealthy, remaining too ex-pensive for commoners.

For hundreds of years, the chocolate-making process re-

History of Chocolate (Cacao), as we know itBy Gary R. Beck

mained unchanged. When the In-dustrial Revolution arrived, many changes occurred that brought this sweetened candy fame. In 1730, mechanical steam engine mills were created squeezing out cocoa butter, which in turn helped to create hard chocolate making it affordable to most Eu-ropeans. Chocolate production became faster and easier once the steam engine was invented. North America’s first chocolate factory opened in the United Sta-tes in 1756.

The invention of the cocoa press in 1828 greatly improved the quality of chocolate. The first chocolate bars were produced in England in 1847. By 1875, Lon-don chocolate houses became the to-be-seen meeting places where society sipped this new liquid luxury. Not long after the revolution, companies began ad-vertising this new invention to sell a wide variety of chocolate treats seen today.

Milk chocolate was invented in Switzerland in 1876. Although chocolate was popular with Eu-ropeans, chocolate production in the United States rapidly excee-ded Europe’s. When new machi-nes were produced, people be-gan experiencing and consuming chocolate worldwide in large quantities.

But devastation of tropical fo-rests is of grave concern: cocoa trees thrive in the shade of towe-ring, equatorial rain forests. While these forests dwindle in size and the demand for chocolate increa-ses, scientists are studying how to manage cocoa farms, thus preserving the environment.

Although cocoa is originally from the Americas, today Wes-tern Africa produces almost two-thirds of the world’s cocoa.

FOOD

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.Charles M. Schulz



So, you’ve read the first two articles in the Tribune on how to choose the perfect

school for your child. You know what to look for and you are re-ady to make those first phone calls. You call the school and ask for an appointment to see the school.

What now?It’s important that you get all

the school’s literature so that you can check for the things on the priority list I’ve been writing about in the other two articles. I recommend that you get you pick up the literature and check the schools’ websites before you actually step onto a campus so that you know what questions still need answering. But it’s critical to go and visit the school campus to get a feel for the physical fa-cilities. There’s so much you can learn about a school community when you actually walk around and look inside classrooms.

The School Visit

American School of Puerto Vallartawww.aspv.edu.mx/Phone: (52) 322-221-1525Email: [email protected] 129, Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco 48354

British American Schoolwww.britishvallarta.mxPhone: Primaria:(322) 22-456-14 ; 22-493-54 y 22-410-11Secundaria y Preparatoria:(322) 22-505-62 y 29-330-99Pavo Real 171 48328 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Instituto Tepeyacwww.institutotepeyac.edu.mxPhone: (322) 226-6430 al 48 y (322) 293-7953Av. Manuel Lepe 181, Parque Las Palmas, C.P. 48317, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.

Instituto SPAC (ISPAC)www.institutospac.com/Phone: 322 2263660 Manantial # 157 Col. Ojo de Agua. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco 48328

Colegio Anglo AmericanoPhone: 322 224-8766Viena 89 Díaz Ordaz, 48300 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Harkness Institute (high school only)www.harknessinstitute.orgPHONE: 322-297-0603Av. Paseo de los cocoteros No. 67 Nuevo Vallarta, CP:63732. EMAIL: [email protected]

Here are a few key questions to ask on your visit:

• What is the school’s philosophy and/or mission statement?• What extracurricular activities are offered?• How does this school monitor and help children reach the curri-culum standards?• What is the school’s discipline policy?• What accreditation does this school hold?• What hiring requirements do you have for teachers?• How is technology used to help children reach their potential?• What emphasis does this school place on the arts in education?• What kinds of library resources are available?• How does this school help students with difficulties in learning?• How does this school help students whose first language is not English/Spanish?• What entrance requirements do the students need to meet?

I checked some websites and found a great resource for the school visit at www.greatschools.org. They had some great focus questions and tips for the school visit. When visiting, you should look for cheerful classrooms with sufficient space for the number of students, with student work dis-played.

Teachers in classrooms should be enthusiastic and en-gaged, asking questions and discussing with groups of stu-dents. Students should seem interested and positive. Check to see how students behave as they move from class to class or at recess. Request that you meet the principals. They should be knowledgeable, confident and comfortable around the students they encounter on campus. Look around at the school grounds. Are they well maintained with facilities in good repair? Above all, be sure they look safe and secure.

Of course, price may also be important to you, so don’t forget

(as if you would!) to ask for a complete price list for your child’s age level. In any private school you will find there are many extra costs you may not be expecting, such as an often hefty registra-tion cost, materials fees, uniform costs, and book fees.

So here we are at last, at a list of a few of the schools you may want to contact. These are just a few of the well-known private schools in Puerto Vallarta, most of which have been open for many years. A couple of schools on this list are relatively new, but with schools in other major Mexi-can cities. Choose carefully, ask questions, and visit those that re-ally stand out once you see their literature and websites.

And remember that almost all vital educational, social and inte-llectual skills children will need in college and adult life are learned long before college, in elemen-tary and secondary school. Use this Tribune series as a guide to make the best decision for your children. They are worth it!

Tepeyac Institute

Leza Warkentin

Private Schools

EDUCATION



By Cat Morganwww.rivieranayaritfun.com

Fun onthe Riviera

Nayarit

NOW HIRING Newspaper Advertising Sales PositionMale or Female Full timeBilingualExcellent presentation

Send curriuclum [email protected]

Dinner Event Keeps People Employed and Streets Clean

The group Gente Trabajan-do or “people working,” is a non-profit volunteer organi-

zation that has banded together with people from all over Mexico. Their mission is to help people without jobs support themselves in times of need. As most volun-teer organizations, they rely on donations for funding, and with the low season coming, they anti-cipated a forthcoming lack of jobs in the Sayulita area to help keep desperate times at bay, Gente Trabajando coordinator Michael Alejandro Castro or “Alex,” teamed up with Sayulimpia and merged the two, creating an all-star clean up crew to keep people employed and streets clean! Alex says, We find work for people in need. Of-ten times they have children and no source of income. We like to be able to help good people who have the desire to work and want to do work with a purpose and make a difference. Working with Sayulimpia really brings us smi-les and gives the feeling of impor-tance and accomplishment.

Alex and the crew, being prag-matic about jobs in the low sea-son, threw a fundraiser atChoco Banana to raise money for clea-ning supplies. The event featu-

Sayulita Life

red scrumptious chile rellenos and juices made and served by the clean-up crew! When asked about what the funds will go towards, Alex replied,

Well we pay the rent for all of our volunteers, and sometimes they come from states far away so that is very important to secu-re. We also pay a small stipend for basic food necessities and such, but this event is primarily to buy cleaning supplies so that our volunteers can find jobs cleaning in peoples’ houses in Sayulita. We would like to come by to clean pools, yards, kitchens, floors, whatever needed. We also want to give a big thanks to Grupo Pro Sayulita for helping us along and to Tracie from Chocobanana for letting us use her space. We want everyone to know that we are very trusted by Grupo Pro as well as the Sayulita municipality and promise to uphold our reputation while cleaning your houses.

The dinner event brought many donations and Sayulita re-sidents together, and turned into a nice social outing. To continue to support the community, please contact Michael Alejandro Castro “Alex” at 322-200-5144 and have his lovely volunteers come clean your casa!

Originally published on El Sayulero.com

Exploring La Peñita

The small beach town of La Peñita de Jaltemba in Bahia Jaltemba is a per-

fect example of authentic Mexico. This practical, down-to-earth fis-hing town is bustling with activity and a population of over 7,000 friendly people, always willing to lend a hand. Located about 30 minutes north of Sayulita on Highway 200, along the Rivie-ra Nayarit, La Peñita is an RV traveler’s dream with several RV parks and affordable vacation rentals, such as charming Bed & Breakfasts and small hotels. In an effort to boost tourism and attract more folks to the beach areas, the town is building a new malecon.

Before it became a tourist town, years ago in 1938, a 7,700 hectare parcel of land was esta-blished by the government as the Ejido de La Peñita (communal land shared by the community) consisting 154 ejido members. In 1958, an additional 4,948 hecta-res and 49 members were added to the ejido, although some resi-dents already had their own small fields of beans, corn, chiles, and tomatoes. Before the ocean’s abundant fish supply at the La

Peñita beach was identified as a source of fishing income, the area had – and still has – plen-tiful fruit orchards of pineapples, bananas, mangos, guanabana and other native fruits.

Several years later, in 1963, Highway 200 was built which im-proved access between Bahia Jaltemba Bay, Compostela, Puerto Vallarta, and all the pue-blos in between. Today, La Pe-ñita is the primary service town for the neighboring tourist town of Rincon de Guayabitos to the south, where most go for the beach scene.

La Peñita provides practical services, such as banks, grocery and vegetable markets, public utilities, the post office and li-brary. In fact, the two towns are so close that there’s a convenient shuttle service (Rincón – La Pe-ñita – Rincón) between the two towns at the corner of La Avenida and Highway 200 in La Peñita. There is also a foot bridge if you feel like walking.

The busy but short main ave-nue is delightfully presented with palm trees and benches in a center median where people visit while going about their business.

This is the place to find almost anything, from food markets, fur-niture shops, clothing and shoe stores to tourist shops, street vendors, restaurants and bars at lower pricing than the northern pueblos.

At the end of La Avenida to the left is a charming town squa-re (zócalo) with a nice church, large shade trees, and benches. This is also the entry point to La Peñita’s Tianguis (open-air market) held every Thursday all year around, with vendors selling traditional Mexican arts and cra-fts, clothes, shoes, food, vegeta-bles, housewares, hardware, and much more.

This active little town is filled with passionate people that support its development and is the hub of a few service clubs in the area:

• Jaltemba Bay Rotary Club (Club Rotario), a business organization that supports ethical business practices.

• Los Amigos de La Peñita, a community service organization that advocates for town residents and those in nearby communities.

• JEEP (Jaltemba Equine Edu-cation Project (J.E.E.P) George Leavitt, founder. This foundation was started when George res-cued a small herd of horses that were starving to death. He now unites special horses with special needs children and more! He can be reached at the La Peñita Los Compadres Resort.

See you on the Riviera Nayarit!

For more information on the Riviera Nayarit, visit RivieraNa-yaritFun.com

Owner of RivieraNayaritFun Regional Network, Cat can be reached at [email protected]

RIVIERA NAYARIT


Please be sure to contact the venue to confirm all events.

La Bodeguita Del MedioPaseo Diaz Ordaz 858, Malecon” 322.223.1583 Tues-Sun 9:30 2:00 am

El Jardin del Pulpo Coral 66, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle” 329.295.507110:30 am 12.30 pm

La PalapaPulpito#103, Playa los Muertos” 322.222.5225 Mon-Sun 8:00am 1:00pm

Benito’s Paninoteca Bar Nima Bay, Local 12, Marina Vallarta” 322.209.0287 El Patio de mi Casa Guerrero 311 esq. Matamoros 322.222.0743

Encore Lazaro Cardenas51, Bucerias329.298.0140 Wed-Mon 9:00 am 10:00 pm

The River Café Isla del Rio Cuale Local4 Centro 322.223.0788 Vitea Libertad Edificio Malecon 2, Centro” 322.222.8703

El Rio BBQ Bar Felipe Angeles 245 Col Paso Ancho 322.184.1200 Tue-Sun 11:00 am 7:00pm

LIVE MUSIC VENUES


PVSPCA ADORABLE

DOG IN THE SPOTLIGHT...BELLA

Bella is a beautiful Weima-raner mix and approximately a year old. Typical for these poor street dogs, she had been inju-red after being hit by a car and was taken in by a kind woman who cared for her during her recovery period. Unfortunately the woman was unable to keep Bella and brought her to us. She has one of the sweetest temperaments and just loves everyone. The Weimaraner is known for being easily traina-ble, friendly and an obedient member of the family. At 12 ki-los and basically full grown she

will be on the petite side for a Weimaraner. Please contact us at [email protected].

Las AdelitasAv. Fluvial Vallarta 234 322.293.7778

Beboteros Diaz Ordaz 565 Malecon 322.113.0099

Café Roma Encino 287 Centro Mon-Sun 10:pm -3:00 am

Murphy’s Irish Pub Morelos 484 Altos 1, Centro 322.113.0373

Philo’s Delfin15, La Cruz de Huanacaxle”329.295.5068 Thu-Sat 8:30 pm

Barcelona Tapas Matamoros esq 31 de Octubre Centro 322.223.0831 El Dorado Pulpito # 102, Playa los Muertos”322.222.4124 Que? Pasa Aquiles Serdan 625, Col Emiliano Zapata 322.223.4006

Trio Guerrero 264 Centro 322.222.2196 Mon-Sat 7:30 pm

EVENTS

Curry and Classics Bohemiaviva at India Gate

I have eaten at the sister In-dia Gate restaurant in Van-couver many, many years

ago and loved it, and last week I finally made a trip to India Gate, Puerto Vallarta to review their Wednesday night live entertainment.

Fully expecting eerie horns, finger cymbals and lots of veils I wasn´t sure what to make of the small stage set with two stools and an electric acoustic gui-tar. At 9pm a stunning blond dressed in electric blue sat in front of one mike while her partner picked up the guitar and the two began to sing. Ancient India instantly vanished and was replaced by some of the sweetest and truest harmonies I have heard in a long while.

Andrea and Luis, both Argentinians, have worked together professionally for only two years but their voi-ces were honed to perfection. Luis´s polished guitar accom-paniment was just as it should be - an accompaniment – lea-ving their voices beautifully becoming their main instru-ment. The volume was set exactly right – loud enough to hear and not overriding the quiet dinner conversations in the restaurant.

Andrea and Luis, forma-lly known as “Bohemiaviva Music Experience” chose an eclectic mix of songs from Sade to Santana and perfor-med them all with panache and great style. I loved that one song melted into the next without a break creating an uninterrupted flow of melody.

Bohemiaviva will perform every Wednesday all sum-mer long at 9pm at India Gate downtown on Allen-de. The restaurant is very comfortable and welcoming. Do enjoy Luis and Andrea´s show and don´t forget to nib-ble on some Veggie Pakora.

By Marcia Blondin


For visitors to Puerto Vallarta who wish to do a good deed for the less privileged in our paradise, this is a list of some of the many organizations that could benefit from such kind gestures. If you would like your organization recognized here, please email details to editor @vallartatribune.com

American Legion Post 14: contribu-tes to the community through fund raising and providing resources and manpower to improve Day Cares, Senior Homes, Schools for the Disabled and Deaf, Public Schools in rural areas and other private institutions needing building maintenance www.americanlegion14.org

Asilo San Juan Diego home for the el-derly - Contact: Lupita Sanchez Covarrubias Tel. 222-1257 or [email protected] or visit the website www.mexonline.com\asi-losanjuandiego.htm

Asociación Down - The Foundation for assistance to persons with Down’s Syndrome – Contact: Ana Catalina Eisen-ring at 224-9577.

Banderas Bay Women’s Shelter - Safe shelter for women & children victims of domestic violence. Enables women to become financially independent through jobs, education and non-interest micro loans, professional counseling for them & their children. www.compassionforthefa-mily.org

Becas Vallarta, A.C. – provides scho-larships to approximately 300 high school and university students. Donations are tax-deductible in Mexico and the USA. Polly Vicars at (322) 223-1371 or Buri Gray at (322) 221-5285. www.puerto-va-llarta.com/amf

Bucerias Bilingual Community Cen-ter Support local families in Bucerias. 16 de Septiembre at calle Matamoros www.buceriasbilingualcommunitycenter.org

Casa Hogar - a shelter dedicated to improving the lives of orphaned, aban-doned, disadvantaged or vulnerable chil-dren.- Contact: Luz Aurora Arredondo at 221-1908, Rita Millan (322) 141-6974. [email protected]

Non-Profit and Charitable OrganizationsCentro Comunitario SETAC-GLBT

- provides essential services to the GLBT community, including physical & mental health treatment and referrals, education & recreation, free AA meetings, English classes, HIV testing and counseling. Paco Arjona 224-1974 or [email protected]

Clinica de Rehabilitación Santa Barbara - Rehabilitation of the handicap-ped. Contact: Laura Lopez Portillo Rodri-guez at 224-2754.

CompassionNet Impact - forms stra-tegic partnerships & initiates programs that provide opportunities for people living in chronic poverty to transform their own li-ves. Bookmobile, homes, jobs creation, loans, English & computer classes, emer-gency food, medicine & clothing, etc. Tax-deductible in Canada & the U.S. Cell: (322) 133-7263. [email protected]

Cruz Roja (Red Cross) - handles hos-pital and emergency service in Vallarta. It is the only facility that is authorized to offer assistance to injured people on the street, transport them to their facility or other ones indicated by the injured person. Contact: 222-1533, 222-4973

Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) A municipal service, part of the fe-deral System of Family Services that as-sists not only in times of emergency, but also with ongoing education, health, and training programs for the whole family. Contact City Hall 222-0058

Discapacitados de Vallarta, A.C. (DIVAC) association of handicapped indi-viduals dedicated to helping one another. - Contact: Ivan Applegate at 221-5153.

GrupoEcològico de Puerto Vallarta – Contact: R.C. Walker at 222-0897, [email protected]

The International Friendship Club (IFC) - a registered charitable organiza-tion in Mexico listed as Club Internacio-nal de la Amistad de Puerto Vallarta A.C. The IFC supports the Cleft Palate Surgery Program & families in need. Funds are rai-sed through Membership & Home Tours. - Contact:322-222-5466. www.ifcvallarta.com. [email protected].

Navy League - Meets and greets vi-siting Naval vessels from all nations, as-sists in the transportation of donated me-dical supplies from the U.S., organizes work groups to paint and repair schools and other public/charitable facilities, and operates the local Toys for Tots program. Contacts: Bill Clark at 222 3616 or Jerry Lafferty at 221 6156. www.vallartana-vyleague.org.

New Life Mexico - a British Cha-rity working in Mexico. Challenging Child Poverty with Health and Education Programmes. Contact: [email protected]

Pasitos de Luz (Mamas Unidas por la Rehabilitación de sus Hijos) - substitute home for low income children with any type of handicap, offers rehabilitation ser-vices and special support to their families. 299-4146. www.pasitosdeluz.org

Pro Biblioteca de Vallarta - raises fundsfor Los Mangos Public Library. Tax-deductible receipts for Mexico and USA. Contacts: Ricardo Murrieta at 224-9966 or Jimmie Ellis at 222-1478.

Proyecto Pitillal, “Busca un Amigo” - association created by underprivileged mothers of paralyzed children who need society’s help. Contact: 299-4495.

Puerto Vallarta Garden Club: Beau-tify and protecting the environment. Open to all: Mtgs held at Paradise Community Center, third Thursday every month at 11am from October to May.

www.vallartagardenclub.com

PuRR Project - a no-kill cat shelter with approx. 250 resident felines living in a natural environment, un-caged, kittens in the Kitten Nursery, on-site clinic with daily veterinarian services. www.purrproject.com

Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza Shelter for children. Donations are tax-deductible in Canada and the U.S. Con-tact: Madre Mari at 222-7857 or Sudy Coy at 222-5765. www.ccshf.ca

Roma’s Kids - educate the children of the Volcanes and surrounding area, to provide them with the skills necessary to become employable by the major industry here in Puerto Vallarta – tourism: math, English and computer programs a priority. 100% goes to the kids. www.kids.roma-mexico.com

Toys for Tots Vallarta - is a non-profit organization that is celebrating 15 years in Puerto Vallarta. Distributes toys and cons-tructs playgrounds for less-advantaged kids in the Puerto Vallarta area during the Christmas holiday period. Contact: Jerry Lafferty 322 221 6156 or Lourdes Bizarro [email protected].

SPCA PV – provides private vet costs for rescued animals, volunteers to create & maintain a data base of adoptions, to walk dogs at the foster home, Casita de Guadalupe, foster homes for dogs & cats, trap & release program for feral cats, etc. www.spcapv.com

Un MañanaBrillante (A Brighter To-morrow) - partnership of Americans and Canadians to support the ColegioMexi-coAmericano. Contact: Margi Baughman [email protected] or David Bender [email protected]

Vallarta Botanical Gardens - To build Mexico’s greatest botanical, rwesearch & education of plant life, city beautification programs, bird watching, etc. Donations to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens are tax deductible in the USA. Contact: 223-6182 or [email protected].


PHILANTROPY


I have made some bad choices in life. I assume everyone has. Now if you are reading this,

then odds are that you are here in PV either on vacation or full time so we both got that one right.

Some were financial and some were of the heart, some effected my family, some effected my ca-reer, some were based on bad advice from friends or family, some from strangers and some simply because I was young and dumb.

Fortunately for me none of these bad choices ever landed me in any real trouble. I have a clean criminal record I am so-mewhat buoyant financially, I have a healthy, happy family that I like to think loves me.

None of my bad choices will ever compare to the ones former New England Patriot tight end Aaron Hernandez has made. His tragically bad decisions have left a man dead, a daughter without a father, wife without a husband and a promising career in tatters.

Putting aside the most ob-vious fact that a man is dead, his actions have resulted in being charged with a murder, losing his endorsement deals, being cut by


By Madeline Milne

When you think jet skis, do you think hot babes with

long sun bleached hair and men with strong, shirtless, upper-bodies? Get me on the back of one and the vi-sual is much different. That didn’t stop me from feeling like I was staring in my very own Mountain Dew commer-cial when I rode my first jet ski ever last week in Misma-loya.

Last week, friends of ours Gail Fuller and Rodrigo Gar-cia, invited us to the grand opening party to celebrate their new ownership of the Making Waves Jet Ski Ren-tals in Playa Mismaloya. Excellent food, a couple of Cielo Rojos and a spin or two along the coast and around Los Arcos with Dolphin sightings made for a won-derful Sunday funday. Check out the photos of the beauti-ful people on facebook.com/MakingWavesVallarta

Jet Skis make you skinnier and more exciting

Picture by local photographer Graham Mattock www.Mattock.com

“Uplifting, inspiring, role models”

his team and voiding a new con-tract worth over 40 million dollars.

Like I said, bad choices.

I love sports because it is an escape, it is something to focus on and rally around and take my mind off of everyday things, a place where Barry Sanders or Cal Ripken can be a hero and an inspiration.

It gives me hope that even at thirty-nine my curveball might actually start curving and I fi-nally make it to the “bigs” or my golf game will suddenly improve twenty-five strokes and I will qua-lify for my PGA card.

I always dislike when real life tragedy enters the sports arena and I am always disappointed when it does. But for every Her-nandez, Rae Carruth, or Barry Bonds, a guy who makes the wrong choice, there is an Orr, a Sanders, a Ripken or a Gretzky, a guy who can inspire you and make you believe.

Now, just in case there hap-pens to be a major league scout out there reading this column I play for the Mighty Marineros in the Liga de Softball de Puerto Vallarta at Agustin Flores Con-treras Municipal Sports Stadium. Ask any local, they can give you the directions, they will tell you it’s just across from the Sheraton.

Barry Bonds

By Joel Hansen

SPORTS


Ochoa’s Guadalajara Golf TrailMexico’s second largest city has plenty of excellent golf facilities where you can play in the soft-spike steps of Ochoa herself at some of her favourite local courses.Guadalajara Country ClubOchoa’s home turf is ranked as one of the best private clubs in Mexico. Non-members may play at certain times, but don’t hold your breath. http://www.gcc.com.mexEl Cielo Country ClubCielo means heaven in Spanish and this new 6,763-yard tract, per-ched 500 metres above Guadalajara, lives up to its name.www.elcielocc.comEl Rio Country ClubLocated about an hour from Guadalajara this challenging Jack Nic-klaus Signature course takes maximum advantage of steep valleys and canyons. After your round, head to the nearby town of Tequila for a tour and tasting of Mexico’s national tipple.www.elrio.com.mxAtlas Country ClubThis semi-private gem is designed by Joe Finger. The course and clubhouse facilities rival any top-shelf golf club anywhere in the world www.atlascountry.com

Where to Stay Villa Ganz, a colonial mansion and member of Mexico Boutique Hotels, was once the home of Lorena’s grandparents. There are ten suites furnished with fine antiques and a private garden with outdoor fireplace. www.mexicoboutiquehotels.com/villaganz

Favourite food? Torta. It’s a huge two-handed Mexican sandwich filled with meat and smothered in salsa. And chocolate is a joy.Person (dead or alive) you most admire? I don’t have one. I think you can learn from all sorts of people.Proudest moment. When Pedro was born.One regret? One shouldn’t regret things but instead learn from them. We can always do better but I am happy

Promote Your Next Event Visit vallartatribune.com

Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa led the pack in Women’s World Golf

Rankings up until she surpri-sed the golf world with the an-nouncement of her retirement on April 23, 2010 after marrying Aeromexico executive, Andres Conesa. Ochoa explained that she wanted to get out of com-petitive golf in order to devote time to her new husband and start a family. True to her words, she delivered Pedro Conesa Ochoa, a bouncing baby boy on December 8, 2011.

In a country where golf is enjoyed played by only the wealthy, she still enjoys “rock star” status from her loyal fans in all echelons—from politi-cians to taxi drivers. In 2001, President Vicente Fox presen-ted her with Mexico’s highest athletic accolade, the National Sports Award.

But fame never went to Ochoa’s head. She remains approachable and stays close to her roots. Back in her days on tour she would actually cook breakfast for the mainte-nance staff.

We caught up with the dyna-mic, 30-year old in between practice sessions at the Bos-que Real Country Club, near Mexico City. If you could hear the noise in the background, it would be the babbling baby Pedro. Tell me about your decision to leave competitive golf and your life these days.

It was not a rash decision. I knew two years before I reti-red that it was the right thing to do. I had discussed my plans with my husband, family and coach, Rafael. It was the natural thing for me to do. I am enjoying my new life. I still practice golf but not as much as I used to. Now I have more time to relax and sleep. Pedro keeps me busy; sometimes

LorenaOchoaBy Anita Draycott

Mexico’s golf dyna-mo chats about life after the tour, being a mom, her academy and philanthropic works he watches me practice on the

driving range. Every other wee-kend we have Andres’ children: Andres, 16; Isabel, 13; Marines 9. They aren’t really interested in golf but we play tennis and soc-cer. It’s fun.

How and when did you get in-volved in golf?

I started when I was five years old thanks to my dad. Our house was beside the Guadalajara Country Club so it was easy for me to play after school. I have always been competitive so I began entering tournaments when I was six. Tell me about the Lorena Ochoa Foundation.

Mexico is very important for me and I feel proud to represent my country. Being an example for children in Mexico is a huge res-ponsibility and I try to do my best. I would like to influence kids to believe in themselves and their dreams and for that reason I star-ted my Lorena Ochoa Foundation. The main objective is to give an education to under-privileged kids at La Barranca elementary school in Guadalajara, my hometown. We currently have 350 kids enro-lled from grades one to nine. It’s a great program and the families get involved. For example, the moms do the cooking. I really consider education a key to success. I understand that duffers like myself now can learn to play golf the Ochoa way?

Yes. The Ochoa Golf Academy by Rafael Alarcón (the name of my personal coach) is a golf school where children and adults can learn using my own techniques with specially trained coaches. The flagship academy is at Turtle Dunes at the Fairmont Princess in Acapulco. Tell me about growing up in Guadalajara. Where did you like to hang out?

Growing up there was fantastic. I love waterskiing on Lake Chapa-la, fishing at our beach house or going for a hike in the mountains near Tapalpa.

What are your favourite golf courses?

There are many wonderful cour-ses throughout Mexico. Puerto Vallarta and Punta Mita have great golf, so does the Cancun and Playa del Carmen area. My favourite is the Guadalajara Cou-ntry Club in my hometown where I’ve always played. Other golfers such as Annika So-renstam and Greg Norman have become very entrepreneurial with careers in clothing and golf course design, even wine.

Do you have such plans?

I will continue to be very active in promoting golf in my country. I will devote more time and energy to my Foundation and Academies.

Do you have any fond memo-ries of Canada?

Canada is a really nice country with beautiful scenery. There are lots of Canadians living around Guadalajara. I have a great me-mory of winning the CN Cana-dian Women’s Open at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, which was my next tournament after my victory at the British Open in 2007. I loved skiing with friends in Whistler. Tell me about your long rela-tionship with your coach.

Rafael Alarcón is an important part of my career and success. He was with me since the begin-ning. Now, we still work together and make visits to the Turtle Du-nes Academy in Acapulco. I miss not seeing him on a daily basis but we’re both happy. He can rest a bit more. And so can I! When I’m in Guadalajara we try to have lunch and catch up. What are your plans for the im-mediate future?

I intend to stay very active. I would like to put my name on some golf course designs. I have a book coming out this summer on my years in the LPGA. No. I won’t tell you the title; it’s a sur-prise. I’d like to have a least one more child as company for Pedro. A sister would be nice.

with my achievements. I’ve tried hard and played hard.

Favourite place? Home in Guadalajara.Indulgence or weakness? We all have them but I’m not going to tell.Your dream foursome (inclu-ding you)? A quality day with my family: my sister, my dad and my husband.Your best golf shot ever? I don’t remember one in parti-cular, but it was a great feeling walking off the 18th hole at the Women’s British Open in 2007.

SPORTS

Quick Shots


Challenge your brain! Sudoku is easy to play and the rules are simple. Fill in the blanks so that each row, each column, and each of the nine 3x3 grids contain only one of each of the numbers 1 through 9.SUDOKU

easy medium hard

ACROBATICSome other words of four letters or more containing the hub letter R: airt, aria, boar, brat, brit, cart, coir, crab, crib, riot, rota, taro, tori, trio, abort, actor, aorta, atria, bract, carat, carob, circa, cobra, orbit, raita, ratio, riata, tabor, taira, tiara, aortic, rabato, acrobat, carioca.

BEAUTIFULSome other words of four letters or more containing the hub letter B: abet, able, abut, bail, bait, bale, bate, beat, beau, belt, beta, bile, bite, blae (Scot), blue, flab, flub, tabi, tuba, tube, beaut, befit, bleat, built, fable, table, tubal, albeit, albite, fibula, tubful, tubule.

HUB-WOrDs How many words can you make from the letters in the wheel? Each word must contain the hub letter R. Can you find a 9-letter word and at least 20 other words of five letters or more avoiding proper nouns?

How many words can you make from the letters in the wheel? Each word must contain the hub letter B. Can you find a 9-letter word and at least 20 other words of five letters or more avoiding proper nouns?

GONE FISHINGCan you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, Vertical or diagonal, forwards

or backwards.Anchovy, barracuda, bass, bream, carp, catfish, Chub, dogfish, flounder, goldfish, grou-

per, guppy, Hake, halibut, herring, jellyfish, krill, lamprey, Marlin, minnow, mullet, perch, pike, piranha, roach, Salmon, sardine, seahorse, shark, snapper, sole, Stickleback, stin-gray, sturgeon, swordfish, trout, Tuna, tunny.

BRAIN TEASERS

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