SATURDAY 22 FRIDAY 28 JUNE - 2013 ISSUE 244 - pvmcitypaper

ISSUE 244 

SATURDAY 22 JUNE - 2013 FRIDAY 28 

SATURDAY 22 

ISSUE 244 | JUNE - 2013 FRIDAY 28

If you’ve been meaning to find a little information on the region, 

but never quite got around to it, we hope that the following will help. 

Look at the map in this issue, you will note that PV (as the locals call 

it) is on the west coast of Mexico, in the middle of the Bay of Banderas, 

the largest bay in this country, that includes southern part of the state 

of Nayarit to the north and the northern part of Jalisco to the south. 

Thanks to its privileged location -sheltered by the Sierra Madre 

mountains- the Bay is well protected against the hurricanes spawned 

in the Pacific. Hurricane Kenna came close on October 25, 2002, 

but actually touched down in San Blas, Nayarit, some 200 miles 

north of PV. The town sits on the same parallel as the Hawaiian 

Islands, thus the similarities in the climate of the two destinations. 

AREA: 1,300 sq. kilometers 

POPULATION: Approx. 325,000 

inhabitants 

CLIMATE: Tropical, humid, with 

an average of 300 sunny days per year. 

The temperature averages 28 o C (82 o F) 

and the rainy season extends from late 

June to early October. 

FAUNA: Nearby Sierra Vallejo 

hosts a great variety of animal species 

such as iguana, guacamaya, deer, 

raccoon, etc. 

SANCTUARIES: Bahía de 

Banderas encloses two Marine 

National Parks - Los Arcos and the 

Marieta Islands - where diving is 

Index 

2 

Need to Know 

allowed under certain circumstances 

but fishing of any kind is prohibited. 

Every year, the Bay receives the visit 

of the humpback whales, dolphins and 

manta rays in the winter. During the 

summer, sea turtles, a protected species, 

arrive to its shores to lay their eggs. 

ECONOMY: Local economy is 

based mainly on tourism, construction 

and to a lesser degree, on agriculture, 

mainly tropical fruit such as mango, 

papaya, watermelon, pineapple, 

guanabana, cantaloupe and bananas. 

CURRENCY: The Mexican Peso is 

the legal currency in Mexico although 

Canadian and American dollars are 

widely accepted. 

BUSES: A system of urban buses 

with different routes. Current fare is 

$6.50 Pesos per ticket and passengers 

must purchase a new ticket every time 

they board another bus. There are no 

“transfers”. 

TAXIS: There are set rates within 

defined zones of the town. Do not enter 

a taxi without agreeing on the price with 

the driver FIRST. If you are staying in a 

hotel, you may want to check the rates 

usually posted in the lobby. Also, if you 

know which restaurant you want to go, 

do not let the driver change your mind. 

Many restaurateurs pay commissions to 

taxi drivers and you may end up paying 

more than you should, in a second-rate 

establishment! There are 2 kinds of taxi 

cabs: those at the airport and the maritime 

port are usually vans that can only be 

boarded there. They have pre-fixed rates 

per passenger. City cabs are yellow cars 

that charge by the ride, not by passenger. 

When you ask to go downtown, many 

drivers let you off at the beginning of the 

area, near Hidalgo Park. However, your 

fare covers the ENTIRE central area, so 

why walk 10 to 15 blocks to the main 

plaza, the Church or the flea market 

Pick up a free map, and insist on your full 

value from the driver! Note the number 

of your taxi in case of any problem, or 

if you forget something in the cab. Then 

your hotel or travel rep can help you 

check it out or lodge a complaint. 

TIME ZONE: The entire State of 

Jalisco is on Central Time, as is the 

southern part of the State of Nayarit 

- from San Blas in the north through 

to the Ameca River, i.e.: San Blas, 

San Pancho, Sayulita, Punta Mita, La 

Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Bucerías, Nuevo 

Vallarta, etc.) 

TELEPHONE CALLS: Always 

check on the cost of long distance 

calls from your hotel room. Some 

establishments charge as much as U.S. 

$7.00 per minute! 

CELL PHONES: Most cellular 

phones from the U.S. and Canada may 

be programmed for local use, through 

Telcel and IUSAcell, the local carriers. 

To dial cell to cell, use the prefix 322, 

then the seven digit number of the 

person you’re calling. Omit the prefix if 

dialling a land line. 

LOCAL CUSTOMS: Tipping 

is usually 10%-15% of the bill at 

restaurants and bars. Tip bellboys, taxis, 

waiters, maids, etc. depending on the 

service. Some businesses and offices 

close from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., reopening 

until 7 p.m. or later. In restaurants, it is 

considered poor manners to present the 

check before it is requested, so when 

you’re ready to leave, ask «La cuenta, 

por favor» and your bill will be delivered 

to you. 

MONEY EXCHANGE: Although 

you may have to wait in line for a few 

minutes, remember that the banks will 

give you a higher rate of exchange than 

the exchange booths (caja de cambio). 

Better yet, if you have a «bank card», 

withdraw funds from your account back 

home. Try to avoid exchanging money at 

your hotel. Traditionally, those offer the 

worst rates. 

WHAT TO DO: Even if your allinclusive 

hotel is everything you ever 

dreamed of, you should experience at 

least a little of all that Vallarta has to 

offer - it is truly a condensed version of 

all that is Mexican and existed before 

«Planned Tourist Resorts», such as 

Cancun, Los Cabos and Ixtapa, were 

developed. Millions have been spent to 

ensure that the original “small town” 

flavor is maintained downtown, in the 

Old Town and on the South Side. 

DRINKING WATER: The false 

belief that a Mexican vacation must 

inevitably lead to an encounter with 

Moctezuma’s revenge is just that: 

false. For the 21 st year in a row, Puerto 

Vallarta’s water has been awarded 

a certification of purity for human 

consumption. It is one of only two 

cities in Mexico that can boast of such 

accomplishment. True, the quality of 

the water tested at the purification plant 

varies greatly from what comes out of 

the tap at the other end. So do be careful. 

On the other hand, most large hotels 

have their own purification equipment 

and most restaurants use purified water. 

If you want to be doubly sure, you can 

pick up purified bottled water just about 

anywhere. 

EXPORTING PETS: Canadian and 

American tourists often fall in love with 

one of the many stray dogs and cats in 

Vallarta. Many would like to bring it 

back with them, but believe that the laws 

do not allow them to do so. Wrong. If 

you would like to bring a cat or a dog 

back home, call the local animal shelter 

for more info: 293-3690. 

LOCAL SIGHTSEEING: A good 

beginning would be to take one of the City 

Tours offered by the local tour agencies. 

Before boarding, make sure you have a 

map and take note of the places you want 

to return to. Then venture off the beaten 

path. Explore a little. Go farther than the 

tour bus takes you. And don’t worry - 

this is a safe place. 



Sound Off 3 

We know how much you’re missing 

your crossword puzzles and Sudoku, but 

as most of you have made it clear that 

you would rather not have to print out 

the games, and as we cannot make them 

“interactive”, we have something else to 

keep you busy for a little while. 

Have you looked at our cover If so, 

then you know already: It’s time for one 

of our silly contests again. This time, 

it’s not parrots, iguanas or oranges… It’s 

jackfruit, lots of them! 

You are all invited to see how many 

jackfruit you can find in Brenda’s photo on 

our cover. (This also gives us a good idea 

as to how many of our 15,000+ internet 

and Facebook followers really read us…) 

Look carefully, remember that some of 

the fruit are very little still, and some are 

partially hidden. 

Should we have any doubts regarding 

your answer, we will ask you to circle the 

fruit you found and send us that proof. 

The first reader to email us the correct 

answer will win a certificate for a dinner 

for two at one of the very best restaurants 

in Puerto Vallarta - redeemable any time 

between now and next April. 

Until then, have fun – and Good Luck! 

And if you want to find out a little 

more about this exotic fruit that grows so 

plentifully all around the Bay of Banderas, 

you can check it out in our Good Bites 

section in this issue… 

Allyna Vineberg 

Publisher / Editor 

avineberg@yahoo.com 

Dear Puerto Vallarta, 

the city with a soul, 

I initially came here for the beach and 

cold drinks, however, I have submitted 

to pure seduction and have fallen 

completely in love with you. From the 

breathtaking sunsets to the cobble stone 

calluses. 

The beauty and strength that lie within 

your people and streets is remarkable. 

The contentment of your children 

running and playing outdoors is 

regretfully foreign, along with the 

wealth of happiness on their faces. 

The sense of family around every 

corner is so inviting and admirable. 

I am humbled beyond measure. Your 

simplicity of life is overwhelming and 

contagious. 

To me, you are the heart of the Pacific. 

It saddens me to leave, but for you my 

majestic friend, I leave a piece of me. 

All my love, 

Jennifer 

Dear Editor, 

First of all I would like to say how 

much I love your website, especially 

Anna Reisman’s “She Said…”! 

Anything that brings me close to Puerto 

Vallarta is wonderful. 

My husband and I have been 

wandering around Puerto Vallarta on a 

wonderful two-week holiday. We have 

been impressed with the vast array 

of restaurants and cuisines available, 

ranging from the expensive to those 

more suited for the budget-conscious 

diner. 

However, the restaurant we were 

most impressed with has been the 

Planeta Vegetariano. They provide an 

all-you-can-eat buffet that changes 

daily, with a variety of wonderful and 

tasty vegetarian dishes at an extremely 

affordable price. 

The service is so friendly and the food 

so delicious that we found ourselves 

going back daily. They serve breakfast, 

lunch and dinner at 270 Iturbide. 

A Couple of Contented Canadian 

Tourists 



4 

Within PV 

Bomberos Benefit - Saturday, June 29 th 

Publisher / Editor: 

Allyna Vineberg 

avineberg@yahoo.com 

In this age where our heroes 

are sports stars, leading actors 

and rock idols, we have the 

opportunity to acknowledge and 

recognize the true unsung heroes: 

our Puerto Vallarta firemen and 

lifeguards who continue to keep 

residents and visitors protected 

and safe. 

How many times have you asked 

yourself, “Why are they doing 

that” Hardly glamorous, hardly 

well-paying, hardly noticed, they 

quietly never let us down, and ask 

for nothing. Their hearts are in 

the right place, and their sense of 

humility and humanity should be 

a lesson to us all. 

On Saturday evening, June 29 th , 

we have the opportunity to thank 

the 90 men and women of the 

Puerto Vallarta Fire Department 

by attending ‘Cena con Causa’ 

coordinated by DIF Puerto 

Vallarta. 

The fundraiser, beginning 

at 6:30 p.m., will feature a 

sumptuous buffet, live music, 

auction and special guests. The 

event will take place in the airconditioned 

Salon Jalisco at the 

Krystal Hotel & Resort. Tickets 

are just $300 pesos (approx $25) 

with funds allocated for training 

and equipment. 

Tickets are available at the 

Fire Department located at 

565 Avenida Las Américas in 

Colonia Lázaro Cárdenas as 

well as volunteers in the Marina, 

Southside, Bucerías and Nuevo 

Vallarta. 

For more information, please 

contact Gary Green at 322 150- 

7214 or email him at gary@ 

andalesonthebay.com 

Contributors: 

Anna Reisman 

Joe Harrington 

Harriet Murray 

Stan Gabruk 

Giselle Belanger 

Krystal Frost 

PuRR Project 

Ronnie Bravo 

Gil Gevins 

Tommy Clarkson 

Luis Melgoza 

Cherie Verber 

Office: 223-1128 

Graphic Designer: 

Leo Robby R. R. 

Webmaster: 

PVMCITYPAPER Online Team 

Cover photo: 

“Jackfruit!” 

by Brenda Retzlaff 

www.facebook.com/BRPR.Marketing 

PV Mirror es una publicación semanal. 

Certificados de licitud de título y 

contenido en tramite. Prohibida la 

reproducción total o parcial de su 

contenido, imágenes y/o fotografías sin 

previa autorización por escrito del editor. 



Within PV 5 

Celebration of Canada’s 146 th Anniversary 

in Puerto Vallarta 

With the purpose of celebrating Canada’s 146 th anniversary 

and collecting donations for Los Mangos Public Library, the 

Consular Agency of Canada and Biblioteca Los Mangos are 

organizing two events for Canada Day this 1 st of July. 

The two events will be the exclusive presentation in Puerto 

Vallarta of the movie “CICLO” from Andrea Martinez Crowther 

and a BBQ celebration at the end of the presentation for all 

Canadians and their Mexican friends. 

The movie “CICLO” is the story of two brothers, Arturo 

and Gustavo Martínez who left their hometown of Pachuca, 

Hidalgo, on bicycles May 1 st , 1956, with only 100 dollars in 

their pockets and the desire to cross the continent. 

Eighty-two days later, they arrived in Toronto, not knowing 

that this feat would change the entire route of their lives, and 

of their family tree. The two brothers are the father and uncle 

of the movie’s Director, Andrea Martinez Crowther. Fifty-four 

years later, Arturo and Gustavo - now in their 70s - retrace 

the same path, in an exploration of memory, the cycle of life 

and the unavoidable passage of time. The movie is in Spanish 

and English but with subtitles only in Spanish. You can find 

information on the web page http://www.ciclofilm.com 

The movie will be presented on July First at Los Mangos 

Public Library at 1001 Avenida Francisco Villa, at 5:30 PM. 

Capacity is limited. The donation will be $ 20 pesos per person. 

Tickets will be available that same day at 4:30 PM. There will 

be tickets available starting June 17 at the Consular Agency 

of Canada, from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 

Consular Agency is located at Plaza Peninsula, for information 

you may call 293-0098/99. There will also be tickets available 

at the Biblioteca Los Mangos, for information, you may contact 

them at 224-9966/293-1957. 

At the end of the movie, there will be a celebration for Canada 

Day at the Library from 7 to 10 PM. Lyne Benoit Consular Agent 

of Canada and her guests will be waiting for you to celebrate 

Canada all together. 

Following the singing of the national of Canada and Mexico, 

there will be music, raffles, games, BBQ and beverages at a 

reasonable price. All the money collected from the sales will go 

to Biblioteca Los Mangos. 

Come to the movie and the “Fiesta”, or only to the movie, or 

only the BBQ, but do come and celebrate Canada day in Puerto 

Vallarta at the Biblioteca Los Mangos!! 

Suggested dress code is casual red and white in order to feel 

Canadian that evening. Biblioteca los Mangos is the only Public 

Library in Puerto Vallarta and lives on donations from the 

public. They offer more than 80,000 services every year to the 

population of the areas surrounding Puerto Vallarta. 



6 Within PV 

A New and Exciting 4 th of July Celebration 

Looking for something different and exciting 

to celebrate the 4 th of July in Puerto Vallarta The 

American Legion and the Navy League, with the 

blessing of the U.S. Consular Agency, have put 

together an event to remember. 

Included will be a trip aboard a Vallarta 

Adventures catamaran to witness the sunset over 

the Bay of Banderas before arriving to the south 

side beach resort of Las Caletas, the former home 

of Hollywood producer John Huston of “Night of 

the Iguana” fame. 

While at Las Caletas, dinner and drinks will 

be served before attending the much acclaimed 

“Rhythm of the Nights” indigenous show. The trip 

back to Vallarta will feature dancing, singing and 

an open bar. 

All of this for the discounted half price of 

only $620. Pesos per person. Please see the 

accompanying flyer for more details. 

You won’t want to miss this one. Everyone 

is invited – not just Americans, but Mexicans, 

Canadians and other nationalities - to celebrate the 

right to freedom from foreign domination - for all 

people. 

The 4 th of July goes hand-in-hand with Mexico’s 

celebration of Independence Day. We hope to see 

you all there! 

Come and celebrate the 4 th of July with us 

Enjoy the famous Vallarta Adventures tour – 

“Rhythms of the Night” in catamaran travel across 

Banderas Bay to Las Caletas (John Huston’s 

Hideaway) after appreciating the beautiful view of 

downtown Puerto Vallarta with its boardwalk and 

cathedral. 

At Las Caletas you will see a delightful pre- 

Hispanic show in a spectacular environment; 

enjoy an excellent buffet dinner accompanied by 

beer, white or red wine, AND a delicious dessert 

bar. On the return trip to Puerto Vallarta and 

Nuevo Vallarta have fun dancing and enjoy the 

after-party on our catamaran. The Special 50% 

Discount Price of $620 pesos includes: Open bar 

both on the ship and Las Caletas, buffet dinner, 

pre-Hispanic show, and catamaran ride. (Does 

not include tips). 

Date: Thursday, July 4 th , Time: Departure from 

Nuevo Vallarta, Vallarta Adventures – 6:30 p.m. 

(Check in at 6 p.m.) Departure Maritime Port 

Vallarta Cruise Ship Dock – 7 p.m. (Check in 

6:30 p.m.) Return to port will be approximately 

10:30 & 11 p.m. 

To confirm your participation, please follow the 

steps below: 

1) Pay $620. Pesos per person by direct deposit 

at Banorte Acct #0173489549-branch 1702, 

Name: Vallarta Adventures, SA C.V. 

2) Email Dennis Rike at drpost14pv@ 

gmail.com with the names of the participants 

corresponding with your deposit receipt. Expect 

an e-mail confirmation from Dennis that your 

reservation has been made. 

3) Bring the original deposit slip & the 

confirmation of your reservation with you on July 

4 th and report to Nuevo Vallarta at 5:30 p.m. or at 

the Cruise Ship Dock in Vallarta at 6:30 p.m. 

The original deposit receipt required for 

boarding! 

You can also purchase your tickets from any 

American Legion or Navy League member or 

contact Dennis Rike at (322) 138-8891 cell. 



Within PV 

7 

Cut your CFE electricity bill & Save big $$$ 

by 

JSUN MILLS 

Part 2 

In our last article (Issue # 242 – www. 

pvmcitypaper.com/download/242.pdf) we had an 

introductory discussion on how to cut your energy 

consumption and save lots of hard earned money 

for use on more interesting things in life. 

In continuing our “Top Ten List”, we present 

the next 5 recommendations to get you out of, and 

keep you out of the highest DAC electric rates in 

Mexico. 

1. If you have a swimming pool, it is likely that 

30-50% or more of your electric bill is directly 

related to your swimming pool pump. Make sure 

your swimming pool pump is on a timer. Now 

adjust that timer back to the minimum amount of 

hours possible without turning the water green. 

Yes, your pool guy will object but you are paying 

the CFE bill, not him. 3-4 hours is usually sufficient 

depending on the time of year, climate and amount 

of people who use the pool. 

2. Replace your swimming pool pump with a new 

energy efficient model. Modern, ultra-efficient pool 

pumps can easily save 80-90% on electrical use for 

pool filtering and pumping. Yes, they cost more 

up front, but they’re a great investment and worth 

every peso. 

3. Air Conditioners: First, you can simply raise 

up the temperature on thermostat a few degrees. 

Next, when adding or replacing air conditioners, be 

sure to purchase a model with the highest SEER 

rating possible (16-24). Many of the newer variable 

speed, inverter based air conditioners can save you 

30-80+% on your air conditioning bill. 

4. Think about the lovely water fountains and 

those outside garden lights that are often on all 

day and night long. Have timers, motion sensors or 

dusk-to-dawn sensors installed. 

5. Install a high quality eSun Energy Solar 

Electric Photovoltaic “PV” System to get you out 

of the highest electric tariff rates, especially the 

dreaded “DAC” rate. Invest In The Sun! 

Jsun Mills is a 12 year experienced veteran 

and renowned professional in the international 

photovoltaic industry. On the local level, he is 

an entrepreneur and owner of “eSun Energy”, 

Banderas Bay’s premier solar electric solutions 

provider. For more information on solar: www. 

esunenergy.com or (329) 296-5657. 



8 Within PV 

About the pets… 

From PuRR Project 

Shelter Update: We were 

recently contacted by Carol at PV 

Angels (www.pvangels.com) about 

a group of volunteers from Vida 

Vacations who wanted to spend a 

day volunteering. We threw our 

name into the hat and on June 10 th , 

a dozen enthusiastic locals showed 

up with 20 gallons of paint, brushes, 

rollers and cases of water (much 

needed as it was a steamy day), and 

they managed to paint the Nursery/ 

Maternity, Acclimation and Special 

Needs casitas inside and out before 

the paint ran out. They were from 

Mayan Resorts International Sales 

and they sent out 58 volunteers that 

day to the Banderas Bay Women’s 

Shelter, Pasitos de Luz and the 

Bucerías Senior Citizen Facility - as 

well as PuRR. The idea is to build 

team spirit while giving back to the 

community and we salute our paint 

team for giving their valuable time to 

PuRR Project! 

Group leader Ron Anderson wrote: 

“Thank you for your hospitality and 

support, and most of all… Thank you 

for the experience, we emphasize at 

our company that the best things in 

life are the great “experiences” we 

collect, not the “things” we collect.” 

We are currently INUNDATED 

with kittens! We’ve taken in over 75 

since February and currently have 

34 kittens and 3 mamas that we are 

desperately trying to find homes 

for… and have a list of people who 

have litters they need help with. At 

around $100 U.S. per kitten to test 

for Feline Leukemia/FIV, deworm, 

vaccinate, spay/neuter and feed 

special kitten food… you can do the 

math! Our limit policy is 15 kittens 

in the nursery and we are more than 

double that with no end in sight. The 

SPCA officially closed their cattery 

this week, so it puts even more 

pressure on the other feline rescue 

centers. We are hoping to start a 

second Adoption Booth on Saturdays 

at a great location and will let 

everyone know if it is approved. You 

can inquire about giving a home to 

a special kitty at adopt@purrproject. 

com 

In other news, we constructed a 

second outdoor covered litter box, 

but on the down side, we lost power 

twice last week and the electrician 

says we have some serious problems 

and may need to replace a lot of the 

old wiring and cut down tree limbs 

rubbing against a transformer, so we 

are going to get an estimate for that. 

Don’t forget that PuRR has acquired 

its 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit Status!!!. 

Tax exempt receipts for US Dollar 

donations deposited in the U.S. are 

NOW available – www.purrproject. 

com/donate. 

Good Meows!! Great food 

& entertainment in the Marriott 

Gardens! 

Last month we reported on what 

a great success the International 

Altruism Festival was. We were 

recently invited to a final meeting to 

learn the results and receive our share 

of the profits, which were divided 

among the 23 non-profit charities 

who participated. With our share plus 

the individual donations and T-shirt 

sales that evening, the PuRR Project 

received almost $30,000 pesos. The 

money is ear-marked specifically for 

food and much needed vaccines and 

FIV/Leukemia testing kits. 

And guess what PuRR Project 

sold the most tickets to the event! 

Since this was our first time to be 

invited, we are very proud of that and 

want to thank everyone who bought 

their tickets from us, and especially 

those who bought blocks of tickets: 

Sharon & Marty Weber, Martyn 

Ravenhill, David Fitzgerald & Betty 

Neuman. Also a Muchas Gracias to 

our partner OHTLI Spa Marriott for 

their donation of over $10,000 pesos 

in Spa gifts for the raffle. 

THANKS! GRAZIE! MERCI! 

GRACIAS! 

Without the help of expert 

translators Luz Covarrubias-Garcia 

and her daughter Judy Covarrubias- 

Garcia, we would never be able 

to put out a newsletter in Spanish! 

It was their idea to do a regular 

newsletter and they helped set up the 

original program. Luz and Judy are 

both expert translators acknowledged 

by the Supreme Court of Justice of 

the State of Jalisco. If you’d like to 

get an estimate for a professional 

translation, you can contact them at 

balamalux@yahoo.com Now they 

take time out of their busy schedule 

each month to translate articles for 

PuRR! Meow! 

Also a Big MEOW to Judy 

Wolfinger who responded to last 

month’s newsletter by immediately 

sponsoring Mr. B.G. by Virtual 

Adoption! 

If you are not able to physically 

adopt a cat and take it home with you, 

but would like to help, you can also 

“virtually” adopt! You can either visit 

our PuRR Project shelter to select the 

cat you would like to virtually adopt, 

pick one of the beautiful residents 

pictured here, or we can select 

one for you. We will e-mail you 

periodic updates with photos of your 

“adopted” feline! 

You may want to consider the 

gift of virtual adoption for other cat 

lovers in your life, cost: $120 USD 

/ year (only $10 USD / month). And 

you can also contact Leighton at 

virtualadoption@purrproject.com 

- See more at: http://www. 

p u r r p r o j e c t . c o m / v i r t u a l - 

adoption/#sthash.GqgdrlpZ.dpuf 

For info on adopting dogs, go to 

www.spcapv.com or contact janice@ 

haciendasanangel.com or spcapv@ 

gmail.com 

For info on spay & neuter clinics, 

go to www.peacemexico.org Or 

check out this blog at: www.gretchenpeace-and-pv.blogspot.com 



Beyond PV 

Summer Solstice 2013 Midsummer begins June 21 

The longest day of 2013 is June 21 st , when the 

earth’s northern hemisphere reaches its point of greatest 

inclination to the Sun. The term ‘summer solstice’ 

generally refers to the exact moment in time when this 

occurs, but also to the day - which is also referred to as 

midsummer. The summer solstice was very important 

to many ancient cultures. 

While the cultural symbols associated with the 

summer solstice of course vary significantly between 

different cultures — the general themes that seem to 

have been associated with it are fertility, fire, celebration, 

healing, and magic. Many of the celebrations seem to 

have been accompanied by large bonfires (especially 

on shorelines), feasting, singing, dancing, and the 

gathering of medicinal/magic plants. 

The solstice was/is thought to be the time “when 

the forces of nature are at their most powerful, and the 

boundaries between the physical and spiritual worlds 

are thinnest.” The term used in modern times — solstice 

— is derived from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere 

(to stand still). 

Some of the other names that the summer solstice 

goes by are: Adonia, St. John’s Feast Day, Līgo, Liða, 

Midsommar, Ivan Kupala Day, Juhannus, Alban Hefin, 

Gŵyl Ganol yr Haf, Sankthans, Jaanipäev, Keskikesä, 

and Rasos. 

Those in many of the world’s more northerly regions 

will have the good fortune to celebrate the solstice with 

a full 24 hours of daylight. And even in regions that 

aren’t quite northern enough to get a full 24 hours of 

daylight, the extremely long twilights are quite nice. 

Mexico’s Mayan civilization understood the 

significance of the solstice - and a host of other 

astronomical facts as evidenced in their art and 

architecture. One of the best places to glimpse it is at 

Chichen Itza, their ancient center of science, culture, 

religion and trade. 

Chichen Itza’s most iconic feature is the Temple of 

Kukulcan, a 4-sided, step pyramid built with amazing 

mathematical precision. 91 stairs on each side of the 

pyramid climb 7 tiers to reach a single platform at the 

summit. When added together, this totals 365, or one 

stair for each day of the year. Additionally, there are 

precise astronomical alignments for the equinoxes, 

when day and night are exactly 12 hours each. Visitors 

can witness Kukulcan’s Descent, where a cast shadow 

simulates the great feathered serpent slithering toward 

the pyramid’s base. 

On June 21, the Temple of Kukulcan indicates the 

exact moment of the summer solstice when the sun 

hits the north and east sides of the pyramid and casts a 

shadow over the south and west sides. At this moment 

in time the effects of light and shadow on the surface of 

temple appear to split it in half. 

Chichen Itza is an approximately 2-hour drive from 

Cancun or Playa del Carmen. 

9 

Supermoon 2013 

on June 23 rd 

The biggest, brightest Moon of the 

year is almost here: June 23, 2013. 

What that means is that the Moon 

will be closer to the earth than at 

any other time during the year — in 

fact, the upcoming Super Moon will 

be the closest encounter between the 

Earth and the Moon until August 

2014. The Moon will reach its closest 

distance to the Earth at exactly 7:32 

am EDT (4:32 am PDT) on June 

23, but because it will be peaking in 

the early morning hours, both June 

22 and June 23 will put on similar 

shows. So either day will be a good 

opportunity to see the larger-andbrighter-than-normal 

Supermoon. 

This year the Supermoon will be 

up to 14% larger and 30% brighter 

than a typical Full Moon is. This 

is a result of the Moon reaching its 

perigree — the closest that it gets 

to the Earth during the course of 

its orbit. During perigree on June 

23 the Moon will be “only” about 

221,824 miles away, as compared to 

the 252,581 miles away that it is at 

its furthest distance from the Earth 

(apogee). The Moon will actually be 

at apogee only two weeks after the 

Supermoon, on July 7. 

Supermoons create stronger tides 

than typical Full Moons do, though 

nothing extreme. Of course, if 

such especially-high-tides happen 

to coincide with powerful storm 

systems, than significant flooding is 

a real possibility. 

Enjoy the show. 

(Source: planetsave.com) 



10 

The 7 Arts 

Grab Bag 

I’m back. When I was at the 

University of San Francisco, over a 

half century ago, my Jesuit teacher 

said, “No competent journalist starts 

a column with the word ‘I’, it is 

forbidden.” Anyway, as I stated, I’m 

back. Been out of commission for the 

past month as I had cataract surgery 

on my right eye. This meant the doc 

removed the lens from my glasses – 

still awaiting the new lens. I guess 

there’s a shortage out there. Without 

corrective help, I not only am myopic, 

but also unsteady so have hunkered 

done. But I’m to get the new glasses 

this week so decided, having missed 

writing the weekly movie review, to 

catch up on some of the recent film 

releases. 

But first, thanks to all who emailed 

me their ‘best wishes.’ And one 

person even sent a query asking if 

I died – which prompts me to dust 

off that old Mark Twain quote and 

plagiarize, “The news of my death has 

been greatly exaggerated.” 

by 

JOE HARRINGTON 

Before a few movie reviews, I 

remember Ester Williams. Haven’t 

done the trivia bit in a long time so: 

When was she born Where was 

she born How many gold medals 

did she win What studio made her 

a star What new word was coined 

to describe her movies What was 

her nickname Who did she costar 

most often with How good 

a swimmer was she What was her 

first feature film and who was her costar 

How many feature films did she 

make 

Here’s a list of recent releases of 

movies I have not seen: Man of Steel, 

After Earth, World Z War, This is the 

End, and Epic. Three out of five of 

those movies are about an imagined 

apocalypse. With the world teetering 

on a real apocalypse in the Middle East 

– with the whole region aligning for or 

against Assad – you’d think there was 

enough real end of the world possibility 

without having to make up one. 

Here is one quote involving each 

movie: 

Man of Steel. This received a 56% 

approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Christopher Orr, of Atlantic wrote: 

“There’s plenty to like in Snyder’s 

hectic, rowdy film. But by the time 

we reach the bludgeoning excesses of 

the last half-hour, it’s hard to shake the 

sense that this was an opportunity at 

least partially missed.” 

After Earth. Ouch, only 12%. 

Richard Roeper, Chicago-Sun Times, 

said, “As for plot, I guess recycling is 

still in vogue centuries from now.” 

World War Z. Breaking from my 

norm of quoting top critics I thought 

hearing from the actual person who 

produced the movie might be a nice 

change of pace. After watching the 

director’s cut, Paramount executive 

Marc Evans, president of production, 

said of his own film, “The ending of 

our movie doesn’t work. I believed in 

that moment we needed to reshoot the 

movie.” Double ouch. 

This is the End. 84%. Owen 

Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly, 

wrote, “You could sit through a year’s 

worth of Hollywood comedies and 

still not see anything that’s genuinely 

knock-your-socks-off audacious. 

But This Is the End truly is. It’s the 

wildest screen comedy in a long 

time, and also the smartest, the most 

fearlessly inspired, and the snort-outloud 

funniest.” 

Epic. 62%. Tom Russo, of the 

Boston Globe, said, “Certainly very 

pretty to look at, and has a general 

agreeability about it. But the movie 

would need to engage us far more 

powerfully for that hyperbolic title to 

fit.” 

Trivia answers: August 8, 1921. 

Inglewood, California. None, she 

was scheduled to compete in the 

Olympics in 1940, but World War 

II put the kibosh on that. Metro / 

Goldwyn / Mayer. Aqua-musical – 

which was a water version of Busby 

Berkley’s-type extravaganzas. 

Million Dollar Mermaid after 

one of her movies with the same 

name. Johnny Weissmuller. 

With her medley team, she set the 

record for the 300-yard relay at 

the L.A. Athletic Club in 1939 – she 

was also National AAU champion 

in the 100-meter freestyle, with a 

record-breaking time of one minute 9 

seconds. By age 16, Williams had won 

three U.S. National championships 

in breaststroke and freestyle, so the 

answer to that question is – she was 

a very good swimmer. Her first film 

was Andy Hardy’s Double Life with 

Mickey Rooney. Twenty-seven 

feature films. 

Joe is an internationally published 

author and a documentary film maker. 

He can be reached with suggestions 

or criticism at JoeMovieMadness@ 

YAhoo.com. Artwork by Bob Crabb. 



Vallarta Voices 11 

by 

Have you walked around lately 

Anywhere around the bay If yes, 

then chances are that you must 

have seen all the fallen mangoes on 

the ground and smelled the strong 

heady scent emanating from those 

the birds have already attacked. It’s 

mango time at these latitudes and 

they’re everywhere. 

Meanwhile, the ones 

at the markets are just 

sitting there, getting 

increasingly wrinkled 

with every day that goes 

by… Not surprising, 

considering that it’s 

so much easier, and 

cheaper, to pick them 

directly off the trees –or 

the street- than to go to 

the market and have to 

pay for them. 

We went to Los 

Mangos Public Library 

last weekend for the 

CONComics show. 

My oh my, I don’t 

remember the last time 

I saw so many hundreds 

of teenagers in one 

place, with lots of Goths 

- dressed all in black despite the heat, 

and lots of pale blue and fluorescent 

pink hair too. (Am I dating myself) 

In fact, I admire and enjoy Anime art, 

I just don’t try to look like one of its 

famous characters… 

Our visit wasn’t very long lasting, 

too many in too small a space on too 

hot a day. So we left, but not without 

“harvesting” a half dozen beautiful 

mangoes off the sidewalk. Yummm! 

Made me think… Urban agriculture 

and food should be big issues in PV, 

yet I see all these mangoes rotting 

on the ground all around, sometimes 

ANNA REISMAN 

in lots that have been vacant for 

years… The same happens north 

of the Ameca River, where all the 

mango groves are located. It’s a lost 

opportunity to get fresh produce to 

people who often can’t afford to buy 

it, and lost revenue for the growers 

who could easily process and/or 

freeze that fruit for 

resale. En fin, ni modo. 

The guanabana tree 

growing out of my 

compost pile is starting 

to look like the jackfruit 

tree on our cover this 

week. I’ve already 

cleaned some out to 

have au naturel, gave 

some away, made sorbet 

out of a couple… So if 

you happen to be on the 

south side and would 

like some, just email 

me! My freezer’s not 

big enough for so many 

containers of sorbet. 

More nature-related 

good news on my home 

front: my Plumeria 

are in bloom …for the 

first time! No wonder 

those perfumed flowers are used for 

Hawaiian leis. They smell heavenly. 

In a totally different category of 

news, I finally got my second equipal 

stool, one year and one week after I 

delivered two of them to a fellow to 

repair. Viva Vallarta! 

An old colleague of mine, Noemi 

Zamora, wrote an article this past 

week in the Tribuna de la Bahía 

dealing with the breakdown of the 

“automatic” payment machines at 

PV’s international airport. A whole 

lot of customers were purportedly 

unable to pay for their parking as 

both machines were out of order. 

(And anyway, why is it that there are 

only two machines, one at either end 

of the huge airport) Why don’t they 

have them fixed once and for all 

They do have a multi-million dollar 

budget to work with. And no, they 

still have not accepted my offer to 

gift them a big wall clock …still on 

sale at Costco. 

And while I’m still on machines, this 

time on the topic of the “skimming” 

(a word I recently learned from our 

friend T.J.) going on at local ATMs, 

Cindy duChateau wrote on Gary 

Beck’s Yahoo! group: “CI Banco has 

contact information on their website: 

Unidad Especializada de Consultas 

y Reclamaciones (UNE) [Specialized 

Unit of Inquiries and Complaints] 

Email: atencionaclientes@cibanco. 

com Telephone: (555) 340-0999 or 

01 800 999-8080. 

Whether contacting them will help 

or not, we all know there will be no 

help from the branch manager here. 

I would like to encourage every one 

of us to send them an email and/or 

call them to advise them they have 

a serious problem with their ATM 

machine cloning cards on Olas Altas. 

Possibly someone will take the 

initiative to investigate.” 

Thank you, Cindy! I for one will 

follow your suggestion. And I think 

that all of us who’ve had our debit 

cards “skimmed”, compromised, 

cloned, etc., should all do that. 

I had the opportunity () to drive 

through the tunnels a few times this 

past week, so I noticed that they’ve 

laid sod over the yellow tarp above 

their entrances, but the lower half is 

already all dry. I guess they hoped 

there would be rain to help them take 

root in the tarp and the earthen hills 

beneath it… 

It shouldn’t be long now. The 

Summer Solstice is this week and the 

rains (traditionally) start soon after. 

It’ll do the town good, less dust, 

less humidity, less clothes sticking 

to us… Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’ll 

take the sweating (a.k.a. deep body 

skin cleansing) over the cold every 

time, and I do love our warm rain 

– just as long as it doesn’t flood our 

house. 

So, as I wait for it, I’ll be counting 

the jackfruit on our cover. The lady 

who “owns” that tree located on 

Aquiles Serdan between I. L. Vallarta 

and Los Mercados told me that they’ll 

be ready at the end of July, beginning 

of August. And she’ll be the one 

cleaning them, thank goodness! It is 

my pleasure to pay for that delicious 

fruit treat rather than ruin my kitchen 

knives forever. 

Take care, get yourself one of 

those “cool scarves” this Saturday 

at the Paradise Community Center 

market (they work!), keep well and 

stay coooool! Hasta la proxima vez. 

sheis@ymail.com 



12 

Good Bites 

Been there… 

“La Esquina de Los 

Caprichos” [The Corner of 

Whims] – “…family restaurant, 

authentic Spanish cuisine 

catered to by its dedicated and 

passionate owners from Spain… 

casual and relaxed ambiance… 

the most exquisite delicacies: 

tapas! Beef carpaccio, calamari, 

garlic shrimp, sausage au red 

wine, tuna croquettes, salmon 

from the grill, etc.… like a rainbow of flavors…” Up the hill downtown 

at 402 Miramar corner of Iturbide. Usually open for breakfast, lunch & 

dinner, Mon. to Sat. Tel.: 222-0911. Cell: (322) 141-0232. 

Coco’s Kitchen – “… 

enchanting, romantic 

atmosphere, welcoming, calm 

and relaxing no matter where you 

sit… some of the best breakfast / 

brunches in town… eclectic and 

appealing dinner menu… dishes 

to pamper the palates of the most 

discerning diners... succulent 

homemade desserts, and the 

espresso is perfect too.” 

D’z Route 66 – “…without doubt the most fun place… soda bar, photos 

of the 50’s, 45 rpm records, memorabilia …and the best music – especially 

if you’re a Baby Boomer… familiar items like burgers (humungous), hot 

dogs & pizzas, chicken wings & strips, finger-lickin’ good ribs, Philly 

Cheese Steak & traditional Club sandwiches, Root Beer floats, shakes, 

banana splits, sundaes, etc… Even passers-by stop to listen and sing along 

to the music!” 

Hacienda Alemana 

Frankfurt - “A beautiful openair 

garden setting... portions 

are huge... the Apfelstrudel 

rated an “A”... authentic 

good and hearty German fare 

at reasonable prices in an 

unexpectedly delightful little 

tropical oasis of peace and 

serenity. Different specials 

nearly every day.” 

Hacienda San Angel 

- “…breathtakingly 

beautiful, a visual 

treat… the 180 o view is 

absolutely spectacular… 

The menu is not 

extensive, but every 

item has obviously 

been selected with great 

care. Service is superb, 

attentive and subdued, 

the atmosphere is 

elegant, yet comfortable, 

making the guests feel 

as if they are dining in a wealthy, close friend’s hacienda of yesteryear.” 

336 Miramar, 222-2692. 

Teatro Limon – “A Theatrical Event indeed… quick-witted, talented 

Canadian Chef Bruce Byng prepares succulent 3- or 5-course dinners 

for a dining room full of people – single-handed …pleasing everyone… 

classy yet affordable …unique in PV… no set menu to speak of - always 

superb!” 

Trio – “Rich woods, frescoes reminiscent of Tuscany and trompe 

l’oeil details, comfortable upholstered chairs, crisp white tablecloths 

and napkins, glistening tableware, and the most mouth-watering aromas 

wafting by as the courteous, efficient wait staff comes in carrying one 

succulent dish after another… The Mediterranean fare and décor of this 

Five Star Diamond Award winner stand alone in Vallarta.” 

Vietnam Express – “…extensive menu with many heartier dishes, 

but phở and its variations are the main attraction… none of the heartier 

dishes are over 80 pesos: curry beef on rice, grilled chicken, pork chop 

or shrimp - with salad on rice or with vermicelli and fish sauce, etc. Of 

course, there are Imperial rolls …and phở!” 31 de octubre # 135, tel.: 

222-5018. 

ViteA Oceanfront Bistro – “… superb worldwide reputation 

… always full, some of the best people watching in town, with an 

unobstructed view of the bay beyond … lovely, European-style, elegant 

yet bistro-like … portions are generous, service is truly irreproachable; 

the bar is fully stocked, the desserts are decadent, and the coffees superb. 

The panoramic view of the Bay of Banderas is breathtakingly beautiful, 

and the prices are always reasonable.” 



Good Bites 13 

JACKFRUIT 

The jackfruit (Artocarpus 

heterophyllus) is an enormous 

fruit found mainly in tropical areas 

with monsoon-type rains, native to 

southwestern India, Bangladesh, 

Philippines and Sri Lanka. The English 

name jackfruit - one of many - derives 

from Portuguese jaca, which is derived 

from Malayalam chakka. In Mexico 

and South American countries, it is also 

called jaka, pronounced like jacket. It is 

the largest tree borne fruit in the world, 

reaching up to 36 kgs in weight, up to 

90 cm long and 50 cm in diameter. The 

young branches of the jackfruit contain 

humid white latex which can be useful 

to make birdlime easy. The tree leaves 

are oval shaped and deep in green 

colour, sleek and grow in clusters. 

The fruit are frequently sliced and sold 

raw. The seeds can be boiled or roasted 

and are said to taste like chestnuts. 

Jackfruit is commonly available around 

the end of July to early September 

around the Bay of Banderas. 

Once the jackfruit’s huge prickly 

outside is cracked open, you will 

find pods or “arils” inside. Regularly 

referred to as seeds, these arils are 

actually fleshy coverings over the true 

seeds or pits, which are round and dark 

like chestnuts. These yellow arils need 

no cooking or other preparation except 

removing the seeds. They are a delicious 

fruit, tasting like a mix of banana and 

pineapple. Just eat as is, mix into fruit 

salads or whirl into fruit beverages. 

The seeds are perishable and should 

be immediately removed from the arils, 

rinsed and dried quickly. They should 

be kept only a few days before cooking. 

Generally they are parboiled for 5 

minutes, then roasted in a pan with a 

little oil, or in the oven. 

The seeds have around 135 kcal / 

100 gms. It is a rich source of complex 

carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamins 

like vitamin A, C, certain B vitamins, 

and minerals like calcium, zinc, and 

phosphorous with high nutrition benefit 

in a seed. 

Jackfruit seeds contain lignans, 

isoflavones, saponins, that are called 

phytonutrients and their health benefits 

are wide-ranging from anti-cancer 

to antihypertensive, anti-ageing, 

antioxidant, anti-ulcer, etc. 

Boiled jackfruit seeds are very tasty and 

nutritious snacks to eat. They taste like 

chestnuts, may be boiled or roasted and 

eaten, or boiled and preserved in syrup - 

like chestnuts. 

The jackfruit tree is a very large 

evergreen known as ‘Artocarpus 

Heterophylla’. Botanically, the jackfruit 

tree is one of the most popular and most 

important fruit of India, a little after the 

mango and the plantain varieties. 

The tree has a solid crown of dark 

green leaves and the fruit hang from the 

branches, from the trunk and even on 

the roots of older trees. They look like 

massive and unattractive vermin. 

The leaves of the jackfruit tree grow in 

close clusters at the ends of the branchlets 

alternating each other. 

The Chinese consider jackfruit pulp and 

seeds tonic, cooling and nutritious, and to 

be “useful in overcoming the influence of 

alcohol on the system.” The seed starch 

is given to relieve biliousness and the 

roasted seeds are regarded as aphrodisiac. 

The ash of jackfruit leaves, burned with 

corn and coconut shells, is used alone or 

mixed with coconut oil to heal ulcers. The 

dried latex yields artostenone, convertible 

to artosterone, a compound with marked 

androgenic action. Mixed with vinegar, 

the latex promotes healing of abscesses, 

snakebite and glandular swellings. The 

root is a remedy for skin diseases and 

asthma. An extract of the root is taken in 

cases of fever and diarrhea. The bark is 

made into poultices. Heated leaves are 

placed on wounds. 

(Ref.: www.clovegarden.com and www.fruitsinfo.com) 



14 

Legal Matters 

Ask Luis 

Dear Luis: Thank you for all 

your info re: foreign plated vehicles 

imported under T.I.P.s I’m sure that 

most of us have had ample time to 

get over the “How does this affect 

me” phase. 

But what about the “What 

now” phase How will this be 

implemented I know that things 

often move slowly in Mexico 

but when can we expect to see 

enforcement Are we going to 

wake up one morning to find a kind 

of Automotive Rapture with most 

of the foreign cars simply gone 

Will non-compliant cars simply be 

confiscated on the spot or will they 

be given a “Get out of Dodge by 

sundown” order 

Dear Tom: Inland, non-compliant 

cars are confiscated on the spot and 

the offenders, particularly if they 

are Mexican citizens, are charged 

with smuggling. Authorities seem 

to be more lenient with expats, but 

not always and not everywhere; in 

whose case, non-compliant vehicles 

are confiscated regularly if driven 

away from the border. 

As I’ve mentioned before, law 

enforcement throughout Banderas 

Bay has been extremely derelict in 

enforcing laws regarding foreignplated 

vehicles, I don’t expect this 

to change any time soon. I don’t 

think it’ll be like in, say, Virginia 

Beach, where every year the cops 

unlawfully enter private driveways 

to fine those who didn’t renew their 

city stickers within the deadline. 

However, this is just my opinion; 

by 

LUIS MELGOZA 

this and a a couple bucks will buy 

you a cup of coffee. 

Dear Luis: We renew our FM3s 

for three years this January. Until 

last year we had valid Colorado 

plates on our car, but this year we 

decided not to renew. My concern 

is that the insurance company might 

not cover us if we have an accident. 

Is the TIP sticker valid in lieu of 

current registration 

Dear Valentina: No. The TIP 

sticker is not a registration. In fact, 

the TIP is void if your car has expired 

foreign tags and registration. Not 

only most insurance companies will 

decline coverage for an unregistered 

vehicle, but if you were to drive 

inland your car may be confiscated. 

Also, are you positive that you 

have FM3s issued in January, 2013 

for three years Please double 

check what your immigration 

cards actually say, most probably 

“Residente Temporal”, or even 

“Residente Permanente”, and not 

“No Inmigrante”. 

Dear Luis: My wife and I 

just received our “Residente 

Permanente” status. We have a 

beach house and an apartment. We 

do not rent out the house and don’t 

ever intend to. 

Your most recent article indicated 

that we should file a Tax Notice 

with the Mexican Government even 

though we do not have any income 

generated in Mexico. Is that in 

fact correct and if so, could we just 

submit a copy of our US Tax return 

or is there a separate Mexican tax 

form required 

Dear Michael:. All your foreign 

unearned income (i.e. pension plans, 

annuities, social security, etc.) is 

exempt from taxation in Mexico. 

If you only have foreign unearned 

income, you neither have to apply 

for a Mexican Tax ID, nor report 

your foreign unearned income to 

Mexico. 

You mention that you don’t rent 

and don’t intend to rent your beach 

house. How about your apartment 

If you perceive any income from it, 

wherever in the world and however 

it might be paid, you must apply 

for a Mexican Tax ID, report that 

income and pay taxes on it. 

I’ve run into a few local 

accountants who improperly advise 

their clients not to comply with the 

law because the chances of being 

caught are slim to none. While this 

may be true, these accountants are 

knowingly advising their clientele 

to commit tax fraud; the fact 

that a crime is committed under 

professional advice would not get 

their clients off the hook if caught - 

as unlikely as that might be. 

Dear Luis: Two years ago I hired 

a contractor to build an extension 

to my house; he asked for $5,000 

dollars to get a permit paying 

someone off in City Hall. I paid, 

but now city inspectors gave me 

notice that the extension is illegal 

and I have to pay a huge fine or the 

city will condemn and demolish it. I 

think my contractor scammed me. Is 

there anything I can do 

Dear Reader: You should pay the 

fine if you don’t want your extension 

demolished. 

Whether your contractor paid 

someone off, or kept the money, 

by pursuing legal action against 

him you’d be confessing to a crime 

committed by you. 

Send me your questions to 

askluis@pvgeeks.com Although 

I try, I am not able to answer each 

message privately due to the volume 

of mail I receive. I will identify 

you by your first name only in my 

response here, unless you tell me 

that you wish to remain anonymous. 

Should you need personal attention, 

please call me at (322) 164-4049 

to schedule a private consultation. 

For breaking news, follow me on 

Twitter @pvgeeks 

Luis Melgoza is a former PRI 

(Mexico’s ruling party) Head 

Counsel and Legal Adviser to 

the Mexican Congress. Although 

retired from the legal profession, 

he is a highly respected consultant 

for both the foreign and Mexican 

communities in Puerto Vallarta, 

and he provides professionally 

certified commercial and residential 

computer and networks solutions 

locally through his company, 

PVGeeks. You can reach Luis at 

lumel@pvgeeks.com 



Real Estate 15 

by: HARRIET MURRAY 

The Hidden Side of Real Estate 

Steven Levitt is known as a rogue economist who explores the hidden 

side of everything. His 6-year old book, “Freakonomics,” describes how 

real estate agents give them themselves better deals when they sell their own 

homes. He also dissects the effect of the internet, narrowing the information 

gap between experts and consumers. 

Information is a beacon, a deterrent, depending on who wields it and how. 

Information is so powerful that the assumption of it can have a sobering 

effect, even if information does not exist. Why do we believe a new car 

driven off a lot loses its value Is this because if we try to resell it shortly 

after buying it, a potential buyer will assume that something is wrong with 

it It is common for one party to a transaction to have better information 

than the other party. Economists know this as information asymmetry. We 

believe in a capitalist society that an expert knows more than someone else, 

usually the consumer. The internet has made great inroads into information 

asymmetry everywhere. Even if a lot of information is out of date or 

incorrect, the internet is efficient at shifting information from those who 

have it to those who do not. But the danger is still that someone with more 

information can be to your detriment. Experts can exert the unspoken 

leverage of fear. 

Selling your home: Your home is normally the single largest financial 

transaction in your life, and you are probably not a real estate agent. You 

probably have an emotional attachment to your home. 

Your fear can be that you will sell the home for far less than it is worth, 

or that you will not be able to sell it at all. You may be afraid of setting the 

price too low or setting it too high. 

You expect the real estate agent to find the right price. 

She is the one with the information and experience on inventory, sales 

trends, and perhaps, has interested buyers. Levitt believes we have to be 

aware that we may be influenced poorly by an expert whom we think has more 

information than we do. One of Levitt’s studies uses his economics focus on 

the difference in sales prices of homes of real estate agents themselves and 

houses they sold for their clients. His study found that an agent keeps her 

house on the market an average of ten extra days, waiting for a better price. 

She sells it for over 3 percent more than her clients’ houses. Is this an abuse 

of information with a keen understanding of incentives The agent makes a 

small percentage selling a client’s home compared to her own. 

A common mistake a listing agent can make to cost the seller money is 

by statements such as, “My seller is willing to sell this house for a lot less 

than you might think.” This can destroy the belief that the listed price has 

anything to do with reality of the market. The buyer begins to think that the 

listed price must have been way off and unrealistic. The assumption from 

this information is that the buyer can get a much lower price because the 

seller’s agent himself said he could. 

When the lower price is offered, perhaps lower than what the buyer may 

have offered before the conversation, the agent does not make much of a 

difference in commission. The seller never even knows what more he could 

have gotten and who cost him this money. 

The danger lies in that this expert in asymmetrical information can 

persuade the homeowner to take less while at the same time letting potential 

buyers believe that the listed price is too high. 

Levitt uses an example that your doctor suggests you have angioplasty, 

even though research at the time suggests this procedure does little to 

prevent heart attacks. We, as the public and his patient are not likely to think 

the doctor is using his informational advantage to make a few thousand 

dollars for himself or the doctor he refers. But a doctor may have the same 

economic incentives as a mutual fund manager, a real estate agent, or a car 

salesman. We need to inform ourselves on subjects important to us and to 

use the internet for research and to form questions to ask our experts. We 

need to take out of the equation the fear of not knowing what to do. Experts 

need to be interviewed after you have done some research on your own. This 

is as true for real estate agents, lenders, contractors, inspectors, as it is for 

doctors, lawyers, priests. 

This article is based upon legal opinions, current practices and my personal 

experiences, and Steven Levitt’s book “Freakonomics.” I recommend that each 

potential buyer or seller of real estate conduct his own due diligence and review. 

Harriet Murray can be contacted at harriet@casasandvillas.com 



16 

Hi-Tech 

Guarantee… What’s in a name... 

I thought I’d touch on an item 

that people often forget about when 

buying a new computer - the warranty. 

We know in great detail the warranty 

and extended warranty available 

on a new car. But when it comes to 

a new computer, I think people are 

just excited to get the beast home and 

see how fast it is compared to their 

old museum-ready computer. They 

forget to ask about basic warranty and 

extended warranties. 

All name brand computers and 

computers built by reputable dealers 

should give a 1-year warranty. 

Compaq, HP, Sony, and all the big 

names here in Mexico have a standard 

1-year parts and labor warranty. HP 

even has on-site warranty for some 

models. On-site warranty is where the 

tech comes to you! 

If you check on the websites of the 

brand name computer manufacturers 

under warranties, you’ll find an 

average of 6 pages of fine print. 

Buried deep in there is a line that 

EVERYONE should be aware of: “IF 

CUSTOMER’S DATA IS ALTERED 

OR LOST DUE TO ANY TROUBLE, 

FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION 

OF THE HARDWARE OR 

OTHER STORAGE 

DEVICES AND THE 

DATA CANNOT BE 

RECOVERED; THE 

MANUFACTURER 

SHALL NOT BE 

LIABLE FOR ANY 

DAMAGE OR LOSS OF DATA, 

OR ANY OTHER DAMAGE 

RESULTING THEREFROM.” 

There it is... your data. The 

manufacturer will not be responsible 

for your Aunt Mary’s 75 th birthday 

party pictures, or that copy of your 

2011 tax return. As always, it’s best to 

do regular back-ups. 

In a worst case scenario, if your 

computer doesn’t start up at all, take 

it to a repair shop before sending it in 

for warranty. They can back up your 

data for you and save those photos of 

Aunt Mary. 

Now here’s a hidden gem… 

extended warranties. A lot of people 

don’t think to get this. We always 

recommend it to our customers. 

Especially for laptops! The average 

cost of an extra 2-years warranty (for 

a total of 3 years) is around $150. US. 

To put that in perspective, if you 

lose the motherboard or screen on a 

laptop after the 1 year mark, and you 

don’t have the extended warranty, 

it’ll run you $300. - $400/ US to have 

that fixed. The extended warranty is 

sooooo worth it. If purchasing a laptop 

in the US, ask how the international 

warranty works. It doesn’t help you 

here in Vallarta, if Sony or Toshiba 

won’t honor their warranty when 

you have a problem 

“while abroad”. 

NEVER buy a 

BestBuy or a retail 

stores’ warranty. They 

just re-sell you the 

HP or Sony extended 

warranty with a 150% mark-up on 

it. Always get the extended warranty 

with the manufacturer. 

Now as far as warranties for 

monitors go, many people will be 

surprised to learn that the warranties 

for monitors are often different than 

for the PC. This is where it really pays 

to buy name brand. LG, Samsung, HP, 

Dell, Acer all have 3-year warranties 

on most of their models of monitors. 

LG and Samsung also have local 

warranty shops as well, so you 

won’t need to send the sick monitor 

to Guadalajara or Mexico City. 

ALWAYS keep a copy of your factura 

for warranty purposes. 

One note about the fine print of 

monitor warranties. Just because you 

may have a bad pixel (color dot on 

the screen) it does not necessarily fall 

into the warranty category. Standard 

industry practice is that you must 

have 5 bad pixels in order for it to be 

a warranty issue. 

You’ll see some unknown brands 

of dirt cheap LCD monitors out there. 

BEWARE! Ask about the warranty!! 

I’ve asked about some I’ve seen in 

stores and they only had 6-months 

warranty!! (If you can find the 

manufacturer when you need them) If 

a company doesn’t have faith in their 

product… why should you If the 

price seems too good to be true... it 

probably is!! 

That’s all my time for now. See you 

again next week... Until then, 

Remember: only safe Internet! 

Ron can be found at CANMEX 

Computers. Sales, Repairs, 

Networking, Wi-Fi, Hardware 

upgrades, Graphic Design, Data 

Recovery, House-calls available. 

www.RonnieBravo.com, Cellular 

044-322-157-0688 or just email to 

CanMex@Gmail.com 



Gil Gevins’ Page 17 

At Lucy’s Cucu Cabana, business 

was kind slow that morning. So with 

little to do, I allowed my mind to 

wander hither and yon, searching 

for ways to improve sales. In short 

order, I hit upon a scheme so brilliant 

it would win me the Nobel Prize for 

False Advertising. Grabbing my trusty 

magic marker (which had gotten me 

into more trouble than an unlicensed 

gun), I quickly lettered out a sign and 

hung it in the window. 

The sign read: FREE GIFT 

COUNSELING, and the idea was to 

attract into the store potential shoppers 

who were at a loss as to what to buy 

for Aunt Bertha or Uncle Harry. 

Then, drawing upon my vast reservoir 

of experience, I would aid them in 

selecting the most expensive gift 

possible. 

No sooner had the ink dried on my 

makeshift sign, than into the shop 

there walked my first customer. He 

was a nice looking middle-aged man, 

who made a beeline for our elegant 

and reasonably priced collection of 

silver earrings. Picking a pair from the 

display, he approached my desk, his 

face a mask of indecision. 

“I saw your sign in the window,” 

he said uncertainly. “The free gift 

counseling…” 

“Of course,” I said affably, “how can 

I help you” 

“Well,” the man said, fingering 

the pair of earrings, “it’s my wife’s 

birthday, and I was thinking of buying 

her these. What do you think” 

“What do I think of you buying a pair 

of five-dollar earrings for your wife’s 

birthday” I asked, my eyebrows 

arching in mock horror. 

“Well, yes.” 

The Cheap Husband 

by GIL GEVINS 

www.gilgevins.com 

“My name is Beto,” I said, extending 

my hand. 

“Ernie Lyle,” the man said, giving 

my hand a rather limp squeeze. 

“Listen, Ernie,” I said earnestly, “I 

don’t think a five dollar pair of earrings 

is going to cut it.” 

“Why not” 

“Well, to answer that question 

adequately, I’ll need some data. Please 

pull up that exquisitely hand-carved, 

hand-painted chair, and take a seat.” 

Ernie, his mild-mannered features 

awash with gratitude, dutifully sat 

down. Reaching into a drawer I 

pulled out a clipboard, upon which I’d 

affixed the instruction manual for my 

telephone answering machine. 

“Ernie, I’m going to ask you a few 

questions, to help me get the lay of the 

land, as it were. You don’t mind” 

“No, of course not.” 

“All right,” I began, pretending to 

peruse the instruction manual, “your 

wife’s approximate age” 

“Oh, about fifty.” 

“Her height” 

“Five foot, four.” 

“Her weight” 

“Hard to say. It’s kind of a state 

secret, if you know what I mean. She 

won’t even get on the bathroom scale 

unless she knows I’m in the next 

county.” 

“I see,” I said thoughtfully. “Well, 

let me ask you this: would she look 

better if she weighed ten pounds more, 

or ten pounds less” 

“Less, definitely less,” Ernie said 

emphatically. 

“Her favorite color” 

“Purple,” he replied promptly. 

“Everything is purple.” 

“Her sexual preference” 

“Sexual…what do you mean She’s 

my wife!” 

While Ernie and I had been chatting, 

a trio of women shoppers entered the 

store, and as they moved about ogling 

the merchandise, I could see their ears 

perk up. 

“Well, it’s a complex world we 

live in today, Ernie, and there’s not 

much left we can take for granted. So, 

would you say she has any lesbian 

tendencies” 

“Of course not!” 

“All right,” I went on, staring intently 

at the instructions for recording your 

message, “how many times would you 

say, on the average, you and your wife 

have relations each week” 

Ernie regarded me wordlessly, 

with an expression of extreme 

consternation. 

“All right, I’ll rephrase the question: 

how many times a month” 

Ernie, his face frozen in granite, still 

refused to comment. 

“Okay, how many times a year” 

“What does this,” Ernie demanded, 

“have to do with what kind of gift I 

should buy my wife” 

“Everything, Ernie,” I replied with 

professional detachment. “That five 

dollar pair of earrings you’re holding 

in your hand - you might get away with 

giving them to a young bride who is 

madly in love, and whose only desire 

is, well - desire. But, in this instance I 

think we need to consult a chart I’ve 

created which correlates the frequency 

of marital relations with how much 

money a man needs to spend on a 

birthday present for his wife.” 

Glancing at the instructions for 

accessing your messages remotely, I 

said, “In your case, Ernie, I think we 

may be talking about a hundred-dollar 

bracelet. At least.” 

While Ernie’s face was collapsing 

with shock, I could see all three 

women shoppers nodding their heads 

vigorously in agreement. 

“I won’t go over fifty dollars,” he 

said emphatically. “And the lack of… 

relations… isn’t all my fault.” 

“It rarely is,” I said consolingly. 

“But…” 

At that moment Oscar, my favorite 

time-share promoter, burst into the 

shop on the verge of apoplexy. 

“Take that sign down!” he 

commanded me. “Oscar, you know 

you’re not allowed in here,” I said. “I 

thought we had an agreement.” 

“That sign--you can’t hang it there!” 

he shouted. “We give the free gifts 

around here. You have to sell them. 

You don’t have a permit for free gifts. 

We do—it’s our business!” 

“Hold on, Oscar, you’ve got it all 

wrong. We’re not giving away gifts, 

we’re…” 

“Oh no Then what does that sign 

say” 

“It says,” I explained patiently, 

“‘Free Gift Counseling’. As in, giving 

a consultation.” 

“What does that mean” Oscar asked 

suspiciously. 

“I’ll give you an example, Oscar. 

Let’s say you have an accident and 

break your arm—no, your neck--let’s 

say you break your neck. So you go to 

the doctor…” 

“Hey, are you threatening me” 

Oscar snarled. 

“And the doctor takes an x-ray and 

gives you a consultation. That’s what 

I’m doing, giving free consultations-- 

not free gifts. Giving free gifts is your 

department.” 

“Okay,” Oscar said, “as long as you 

agree. I’ll go back to my puesto now.” 

“Thank God.” 

“What’d you say” 

Returning my attention to Ernie, 

I said, “Look, Ernie, I think I have a 

way you can spend only fifty dollars 

and still avoid having your mashed 

potatoes poisoned.” 

“What’s that” he asked doubtfully. 

“I’ll sell you a beautiful thirty dollar 

pair of earrings, and then, for only 

twenty dollars more, I’ll throw in half 

a dozen capsules of generic Viagra. 

What do you say” 

Ernie stared at the ground, thinking 

about it long and hard. Finally he 

looked up and said, “I’ll take the 

hundred dollar bracelet.” 

Gil Gevins is the author of four 

hilarious books, including the classic, 

PUERTO VALLARTA ON 49 BRAIN 

CELLS A DAY, and his new LOL novel, 

SLIME AND PUNISHMENT. All Gil’s 

books are available on Amazon and 

Amazon KINDLE. 



18 

Nature’s World 

Planting Roots in Mexico 

by 

TOMMY CLARKSON 

Flame Tree 

This absolute stunner goes by 

some other names as well. In 

Spanish, it is sometimes called 

the Arbol de Fuego - Tree of Fire. 

And in Mexico, Costa Rica and 

parts of Central America it is often 

referred to as Malinche. This was 

the name of an Indian girl who 

was said to be so beautiful that she 

persuaded Hernan Cortez to spare 

her people from extermination by 

his conquistadors. 

Metaphorically speaking, if 

you’d like to light a fire of bright 

color in your garden, this might be 

the tree for you! In fact, Robert 

Lee Riffle – whom I consider to 

have been the preeminent tropical 

botanist – wrote in his classic 

tome, “The Tropical Look”, “It 

Delonix regia 

Family: Leguminosae or Fabaceae 

(Also known as: Flamboyant Tree, Royal Poinciana, 

Peacock Flower and Mexican Flame Tree.) 

is the world’s most beautiful 

flowering tree.” That just about 

properly sizes it up! 

There are a dozen or so different 

trees called the Flame Tree with 

all of them being stunningly 

beautiful. Those most seen here 

in Mexico, are the Delonix regia 

which requires ample space and 

full sun to reach its umbrellashaped 

(often wider than its 

height) mature stature of 18 

meters. 

The genus name is derived from 

the Greek words delos (meaning 

conspicuous), and onyx, meaning 

claw, referring to the appearance 

of the spectacular flowers. For 

those into genealogy, it is related 

to the Tamarind and Mimosa Tree! 

This spectacular, tropical, shade 

tree has a smooth, gray colored 

bark. Its feathery, fern-like leaves 

are evergreen if watered year 

around but will drop off if the tree 

becomes parched during the dry 

season. Appearing with its new 

leaves are masses of brilliantly 

vivid, five-petaled flowers that 

range from red / vermilion / 

orange / yellow to a pale apricot 

in color. 

As one of the most colorful trees 

in the world, the Flame Tree puts 

on a riotous floral show during 

a protracted spring and summer 

timeframe. These flowers are 

large, with four, spoon-shaped, 

solid colored, petals up to 8 cm 

long, and a fifth upright petal 

called the standard, which is 

slightly larger and is spotted with 

yellow and/or white. 

This tree flowers best in areas 

that have two distinct seasons. 

Following its blooms come long, 

flattened, leathery dark brown/ 

black seed pods, 60 cm long and 

5 cm wide. These seed pods 

are used in the Caribbean as a 

percussion instrument known 

as the “shak-shak” or maraca. 

Those noise-making, individual 

seeds inside these pods are small, 

weighing around 0.4 gram. 

Beyond noise, in these islands the 

pods are also, sometimes, used as 

fuel for fires. 

The compound, doubly pinnate 

leaves have a feathery appearance 

and are a characteristic light, 

bright green. Each leaf is 30- 

50 cm long and has 20 to 40 pairs 

of primary leaflets or pinnae on it, 

with each of these further divided 

into 10-20 pairs of secondary 

leaflets or pinnules. A malleable 

sort, this tree can tolerate 

aggressive pruning and be kept 

rather small. 

It is fast growing, at about 1½ 

meters (5 ft) per year, tolerant 

of a wide range of well drained 

soils, likes full sun and tolerates 

salty conditions. But it is best to 

provide protection from strong 

winds and they don’t like living 

on an openly exposed beach. If 

the tree does not receive regular 

and deep waterings, it forms large 

surface roots which, actually, only 

add to its attractiveness! 

The native habitat of Delonix 

regia was, purportedly, unknown 

until the 1930s, when it was 

“rediscovered” in that land of 

so many magnificently different 

plants – the island nation of 

Madagascar. 



Nature’s World 19 

Its flowers are large, with four spoon-shaped, solid colored, scarlet-red 

or orange-red petals and a fifth upright petal called the standard, 

which is slightly larger and is spotted with yellow and/or white. 

Well named, the riot of brilliant red flowers of the 

Flame Tree are a delight to see. 

“There is something almost indescribable, protecting, yet massive, dark 

and yet vibrant… and, of course, flamboyant. Nothing in the tropical 

landscape is more beautiful.” - Robert Lee Riffle 

It is now widely grown 

throughout the Caribbean (where 

the locals simply call the tree 

“flamboyant”), Africa, the Canary 

Islands, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong 

Kong and in Southern China. 

Because of the flower’s 

brilliance, and so many growing 

naturally in the area, the Puerto 

Rican town of Penuelas has been 

nicknamed “The Valley of the 

Flames”; in Vietnam, this tree is 

called “Phượng vỹ”, or Phoenix’s 

Tail; and in Miami there is an 

annual festival to celebrate the 

flowering of the Flame Tree. 

A few negatives are that as 

a result of its shallow, widespreading 

roots, underplantings 

generally do not work; its roots 

can cause problems for building 

foundations, walls and sidewalks; 

its large woody pods and brittle 

branches can get broken off in the 

wind; and the seedlings that come 

up around the tree base can be a 

bit of a nuisance – but I still like 

‘em! 

So, in simple summation, if 

you’ve the space, this would make 

a superlative – and spectacular - 

addition to your gardens! 

In Manzanillo, visit Ola 

Brisa Gardens, Tommy and 

Patty’s verdant, multi-terraced 

tropical paradise nestled on a 

hill overlooking the magnificent 

vista of Santiago Bay. Leisurely 

meander its curved, paved 

path, experiencing, first hand, a 

delicious array of palms, plants 

and flowers from all over the 

world. Or, e-mail questions to 

him at olabrisa@gmail.com 



20 

Health Matters 

We are always in awe of the amount 

of pain medication advertised in the 

U.S. television ads… we wonder why 

everyone is in so much pain 

Chronic pain is a common condition 

impacting millions, one-third of whom 

describe their pain as severe and 

“disabling”. Pain is usually brought 

on by inflammation and it is our 

body telling us there is an imbalance 

somewhere and needs to be addressed. 

It happens that most of my clients 

Body & Sol 

by KRYSTAL FROST 

organic-select@hotmail.com 

Acupuncture for chronic pain 

- Part One - 

are affected with one sort or another 

of chronic pain. In the course of 

treatments, the following stands out 

as ways you can mitigate, control and 

general take charge of pain. 

One such option is acupuncture, 

which can be an effective option for 

a number of health problems, but 

pain in particular. 

In a recent analysis published in 

the Archives of Internal Medicine, 

researchers concluded that acupuncture 

has a definite effect in reducing chronic 

pain, such as back pain and headaches 

– more so than standard pain treatment. 

Clear and robust effects of 

acupuncture 

The researchers also went the extra 

mile by retrieving the raw data on selfreported 

pain. By standardizing the 

various study participants’ responses, 

they were able to more accurately 

assess and compare them as a whole. 

The team discovered a “clear and 

robust” effect of acupuncture in the 

treatment of: Back pain, Joint pain 

such as hips, knees and shoulders, 

Neck pain, Osteoarthritis, and 

Headache. 

On a scale of 0 to 100, participants 

who started out with a pain rating of 60 

experienced an average 30 point drop 

(a 50 percent reduction) in response 

to the real acupuncture treatments 

(using needles); a 25 point drop when 

receiving sham acupuncture; and a 

mere 17 point drop when receiving 

“standard pain care” that did not 

include acupuncture. 

“The effects of acupuncture are 

statistically significant and different 

from those of sham or placebo 

treatments... So we conclude that 

the effects aren’t due merely to the 

placebo effect.” 

(Asians have been practicing 

acupuncture for more 5,000 years… ya 

think they had a placebo effect) 

What is Acupuncture 

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese 

medical practice with roots that go 

back thousands of years. According 

to the Eastern mindset, your body is 

a cohesive unit, or whole – a complex 

system where everything within it 

is inter-connected, and where each 

part affects all other parts. A major 

component is the acceptance of an 

invisible flow of chi (or ki). This chi can 

be translated as “energy” or “life force,” 

which circulates through meridians in 

your body much like electricity lines in 

your home. When energetic blocks or 

deficiencies occur within a meridian, 

the energy pools or stagnates, causing 

pain, inflammation and an imbalance 

is created that causes a ripple effect of 

physical symptoms. Needles inserted 

into certain points along the meridians 

can stimulate sluggish chi, disperse 

blocks, or otherwise manipulate the 

flow of energy. 

In essence, lack of balance within 

this bio-energetic system (pain) – 

which also includes blood flow and 

nutrients – is the precursor to all 

illness. Your body exhibits symptoms 

when suffering from inner disease and 

if it is not rebalanced, these symptoms 

may lead to acute or chronic illnesses 

of all kinds. 

The main difference between 

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), 

contrary to Western allopathic 

industrialized medicine, TCM does 

not treat symptoms, but rather seeks 

to find the origin of the imbalance 

that produced the symptoms in the 

first place. Another major difference 

is that acupuncture, which is part of 

TCM, is remarkably safe with few, if 

any, negative side effects, so it certainly 

doesn’t hurt to try. 

Traditionally, acupuncture is used 

to treat all kinds of health problems. 

In many Asian cultures, you see an 

acupuncturist in the same way you’d 

see a primary care physician here 

in the West, and in some U.S. states, 

acupuncturists are in fact considered 

primary health care physicians. Still, 

many Westerners have been slow 

to grasp this type of holistic view, 

where your body is perceived as being 

perfectly capable of self-correction 

and healing without drug intervention. 

Scientists are still at a loss to explain 

why acupuncture works, but for those 

who get relief or healing, the mechanics 

may not be of great importance. 

Next week, we will deal with 

Alternative Pain Treatments. Stay 

tuned! 

Krystal Frost is a long time resident of 

Puerto Vallarta. Graduate of University 

of Guadalajara, and specialized 

in cosmetic acupuncture at Bastyr 

University in Washington State. She is 

the owner of Body & Sol for over 15 

years where she practices traditional 

Chinese medicine, acupuncture, massage 

therapy, yoga, meditation and nutritional 

counseling. She has created healing 

programs for individuals, retreats and 

spas. Questions and comments may be 

directed to organic-select@hotmail.com 



Health Matters 21 

Boundaries 

by GISELLE BELANGER 

RN, LCSW 

Why do we need them 

We need boundaries in order to recover 

from the effects of relationships with 

abusive, addicted, or compulsive people. We 

need others to know where our boundaries 

are and that we are serious about them. Then 

we need to change our behavior accordingly, 

reinforcing the boundary with action. 

All too often we say we want one thing and 

we do another. Many people live trapped in 

the idea that there are stuck with no way out. 

Until we say “no” or “enough is enough” 

why should the other person stop the way 

they are treating us We must stop blaming 

others for what they do to us and realize it 

is what we allow them to do to us!! We must 

believe we have a choice and then take action 

to align with what we want and the way we 

want to be treated. 

(NOTE: I am not referring to threatening 

circumstances in which the person is truly 

trapped and being victimized. Instead, I 

am referring to everyday relationships and 

interactions with others.) 

Setting limits does not mean intolerance 

or selfishness. It means refusing to allow 

ourselves to be harmed; emotionally, 

mentally, or physically. It means accepting 

responsibility for our own beliefs, feelings, 

and actions. This means learning to take care 

of ourselves. Setting boundaries begins our 

recovery process. 

By setting clear boundaries, we begin to 

take back our lives from being controlled 

by other people’s thoughts, feelings, and 

problems. We are no longer controlled by 

their expectations of us. We claim ownership 

and responsibility for ourselves. We recover 

our “self”. 

What are they and how do 

I learn to set them 

Boundaries are not limits we set on other 

people’s behaviors or actions. We have no 

control over them. We can only control 

ourselves and how will we react or what we 

will tolerate. 1) We set them to control or limit 

our own behavior. And we set them to limit 

other people’s behavior towards us. 2) We 

need to have consequences if they cross our 

boundaries. 3) Boundaries must be clear and 

specific. Consider the subtle but very important 

difference in the following statements: “Don’t 

you ever talk to me like that again” which 

is trying to control someone else’s behavior, 

versus, “If you ever talk to me like that again, 

I will hang up, or walk out or…”. This clearly 

states what you will do if…. 

It’s not a boundary if you can’t enforce it ! 

Ask yourself, “Do people respect the 

boundaries I set” and “Do I respect other 

people’s boundaries” If the answer is “no”, 

the next question is “Why not” What were 

you taught growing up that encouraged or 

allowed a lack of respect for boundaries 

What message are you sending to other people 

that they do not take your boundary seriously 

If people aren’t respecting your boundaries, 

what have you done in the past to indicate that 

it’s okay to ignore or defy them One thing 

is for sure, you did not enforce them with 

consequences. 

Have you made threats and then not followed 

through How many times do you threaten 

to leave a relationship and then not leave at 

all or leave and go back after a few days or a 

week Do you lessen the degree of severity 

of the original consequence How many 

times has someone successfully manipulated 

you into lessening the limit, for example, an 

adolescent’s curfew hour or permission to go 

somewhere Do you draw the line in the sand 

or in cement If someone keeps crossing the 

line, do you keep backing up 

How can you enforce your boundaries 

You must believe in your right to set and 

enforce it. Many people will try to manipulate 

you and get you to back down. Be clear. If 

there is a way for them to misinterpret it, they 

will find a way. Creatively come up with ways 

to enforce the boundary. “I will only help you 

for 15 minutes” and then set an alarm, and 

when it rings, stop and get up. 

This is as much for you as it is for them. You 

must do what you say you are going to do! NO 

empty threats. 

You must learn to say “NO”!! Learn to say 

“no, I can’t”, “I don’t want to”, “not now”, etc. 

When your reaction changes, so will the 

other person’s actions. They have grown very 

accustomed to counting on certain predictable 

reactions and attitudes from you. You must 

catch them off guard, knock them off-balance, 

“move the rug under their feet” as my therapist 

used to say. How many times have you heard 

someone say “oh, she doesn’t really mean it” or 

‘he always lets me off the hook” or “I never get 

in trouble”. 

Boundaries come from speaking our truth 

They require that we say the hard stuff and 

align with and step into our power. We cannot 

worry if the other person wants to hear it or not. 

We must speak our truth. In order to do this we 

must have or develop a) Self-awareness, b) Selflove, 

c) Honest communication. 

In order to achieve this we must: 1) Know 

how we feel: Knowing what we feel helps us 

determine what we like or don’t, or what we 

need. It helps guide our ability to determine if a 

boundary needs to be set. Emotional awareness 

is key to setting boundaries. 2) Dependency 

on people: as long as we are afraid of being 

abandoned, we will tolerate very inconsiderate, 

often abusive treatment from others in order to 

keep them from leaving. We must learn to be 

okay being alone and not need someone else 

to complete us. 3) Not understanding limits: 

If you do not understand you have a choice or 

have the right to say no, for example, then you 

will not believe you have the right to set limits. 

We need to know what our rights are in order to 

have or receive them. 4) Low self-esteem: if we 

do not believe we deserve better treatment how 

can we expect anyone else to When we love 

and appreciate ourselves, we give and receive 

respectful treatment. 5) Shame: if it is okay to 

be who we are, our limits will be okay too. 

Remember, “The harder it is to set a 

boundary, the more important the boundary 

is”!! (pg. 36, The New Codependency, by 

Melody Beattie) 

Giselle Belanger, RN, LCSW (psychotherapist) is 

available for appointments in person, by phone, or by 

skype webcam. Contact info: NEW!! ggbelangerpv@ 

gmail.com Mex cell: 044 (322) 138-9552 or US cell: 

(312) 914-5203. 



22 

Fish Tales 

Sharp drop in water temps, 

Striped Marlin return, Jacks also 

Written by 

STAN GABRUK 

of Master Baiter´s Sportfishing and Tackle 

The air is warm, the humidity 

is way up and all of a sudden 

these cold currents show up out 

of nowhere! That’s right, amigos, 

just when you think it’s going to 

be a great day fishing, the water 

gauge shows water temperatures 

that are hitting a chilly 75 o ! As 

a result, Black and Blue Marlin 

have moved out of the area for 

the moment, that’s the down 

side. The up side: Striped Marlin 

are back in the area and they’re 

good sized, running 300 lbs., 

but you won’t see them occupy 

the same areas as Black Marlin 

with their preferences in water 

temperatures being at different 

levels. Having said that, the 

fishing is great, but you may have 

a mixture of winter and summer 

species fighting for your bait! 

Midway through June, heading 

straight into July, this drastic 

change in water temperatures is 

weird to say the least. Because 

of this we’re seeing Red Snapper 

increase in big numbers all around 

the bay. The biggest signal water 

temperatures dropped is the 

presence of Jack Crevalle again 

around the Marieta Islands, El 

Moro and in the bay. All of a 

sudden, Sierra Mackerel are 

thinning out, Needle fish are not 

being seen, let alone caught. Yet 

there are Dorado off the point 

of Punta Mita. If this all sounds 

confusing, especially if you have 

to suggest a location to target, 

it can make your head spin. For 

now what would ¨I¨ expect 

Well, my crystal ball is cracked 

and my ability to predict the 

future is greatly diminished, but 

I do predict fun times ahead, that 

is if you get out to where the fish 

¨are¨. 

If you were looking for 

midsized Yellowfin Football 

Tuna, then you’re in luck! Yelapa 

and the surrounding area is seeing 

40-lb Yellowfin Tuna Footballs. 

Great sized, great fighters and 

they’re great tasting. If you have 

a 4-hour trip scheduled, make 

sure you’re not on the ¨looper¨ 

charter to nowhere! If renting 

a boat for 4 to 6 hours, make 

sure the company will get you 

directly to the Yelapa side of the 

bay. Those charging cheap prices 

are doing a loop from Conchas 

Chinas to the Marina area. There 

are no fish in this area for now 

so you’d just be throwing your 

money away, amigos. But if you 

find your way into the actual bay, 

there are Red Snapper schooling, 

and Robalo are collecting at the 

river mouths as we are starting 

to see some mountain rains bring 

organic food into the bay. Sierra 

Mackerel in the warm areas, Jack 

Crevalle in the cold currents and 

a host of other possibilities. 

The Marieta Islands are in the 

middle of these cold currents. As 

a result there are Jack Crevalle 

running up to 40 lbs., Dorado in 

the 30-lb range, a slight chance 

at a Rooster fish, Sailfish are in 

the area, better around El Moro. 

The area is alive with all sorts of 

possibilities, you will catch fish 

if you head out to the Marieta 

Islands, my crystal ball has 

spoken! 



Fish Tales 23 

Just a smidge north of the 

Marieta Islands you have the 

area in front of Punta Mita. The 

rocky shoreline is threatening 

to those who venture too close. 

But for those who know where 

to go, these rocky areas are a 

wealth of fish. Off Punta Mita is 

a favorite area for commercial 

fisherman to set up buoys that 

will be underwater and invisible 

unless you understand what the 

marker looks like. But if you find 

a buoy, the Dorado are running 

in the 30-lb range. Sailfish are 

normally off the point about ten 

miles, sometimes closer. Red 

Snapper, Pompano, Amber Jack, 

they’re all there, the only thing 

missing is you. 

Corbeteña and El Banco have 

had a strange week. With the 

cooler water temperatures we 

are seeing Striped Marlin but no 

Blue or Black Marlin which were 

thick at both of these locations 

last week! So goes fishing, things 

can change faster than a Texas 

weather report! 

Water is clean, blue and 

inviting, just cold. There are still 

Sailfish to 85 lbs., Striped Marlin 

as mentioned to 350 lbs. or so. 

Cubera Snapper for the bottom 

fishing guys or the jiggers. For 

now, Yellowfin are MIA, who 

knows where they went, but 

for this exact moment, the Tres 

Marias Islands would be your 

best option for Yellowfin Tuna. If 

heading out a 100 miles one way 

is a nice boat ride to go fishing, 

then you’ll be fine. If this is your 

idea of hell, then I suggest fishing 

within the bay… Hahahaha. 

For now, we normally know 

what to expect. But with these 

swirling currents, then chilly 

water coming in, anything is 

possible, unpredictable. One 

thing for sure: we have fish and 

you will have a great day on the 

water. The only real question is 

which fish are going to show. 

For now I suggest the Marietta 

Islands and enjoy your day. Don’t 

get fixed on one species and 

you’ll have some arm-burning 

action you’ll never forget. All in 

all the fishing is not yet what we 

expect for summer months, but 

we’re still early in the fishing 

season which means things will 

improve - as they always do. 

Once the seasonal rains begin 

we’ll have the ¨Trash Line¨ of 

organic materials like leaves, 

seeds, roots, fruit, you name it. 

The Dorado, Rooster fish and 

frankly any fish in the bay will 

feed on this line of organic stuff. 

When this happens, summer 

fishing will take a turn for the 

better making short day fishing 

trips worth every peso. Rainy 

season is just a few weeks away, 

so be patient if you’re a local 

living in Puerto Vallarta, summer 

is almost here! 

Until next time don’t forget to 

kiss your fish and remember: at 

Master Baiter’s Sportfishing 

& Tackle “We Won’t Jerk You 

Around!” 

Master Baiter’s has changed 

locations in Marina Vallarta 

and are now near Victors Café 

Tecuba. Look for me at the least 

traveled end of Marina Vallarta 

and I will be there in my new 

place. Email your questions to me 

at: CatchFish@MasterBaiters. 

com.mx Web page: www. 

MasterBaiters.com.mx, Local 

Phone at: (044) 322 779-7571 

or if roaming: 011 521 322 

779-7571 (this is my cell phone 

directly until the shop phone 

is working Facebook: http:// 

www.facebook.com/pages/ 

Master-Baiters-Sportfishing- 

Tackle/88817121325 The 

trade name Master Baiter’s 

® Sportfishing and Tackle is 

protected under trade mark law 

and is the sole property of Stan 

Gabruk. 



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SATURDAY 22 FRIDAY 28 JUNE - 2013 ISSUE 244 - pvmcitypaper

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