Issue 461 | Saturday 9 to Friday 15 | September 2017 2
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Issue 461 | Saturday 9 to Friday 15 | September 2017 2 You are here, finally! the lobby. Also, if you know which and your bill will be delivered to you. restaurant you want to go, do not let MONEY EXCHANGE: Banks will give We wish you a warm the driver change your mind. Many you a higher rate of exchange than restaurateurs pay commissions to the exchange booths (caja de cambio), taxi drivers and you may end up though not all offer exchange services to paying more than you should, in a foreigners. Better yet, if you have a “bank second-rate establishment! There card”, withdraw funds from your account are 2 kinds of taxi cabs: those at the back home. Try to avoid exchanging airport and the maritime port are money at your hotel. Traditionally, those usually vans that can only be boar- offer the worst rates. ded there. They have pre-fixed rates WHAT TO DO: Even if your all-inclusive per passenger. City cabs are yellow hotel is everything you ever dreamed of, If you’ve been meaning to find a little information cars that charge by the ride, not by you should experience at least a little of on the region, but never quite got around to it, we hope that the following passenger. When you ask to go downtown, all that Vallarta has to offer - it is truly a will help. If you look at the maps on this page, you will note that PV (as the many drivers let you off at the beginning of condensed version of all that is Mexican locals call it) is on the west coast of Mexico, smack in the middle of the Bay of the area, near Hidalgo Park. However, your and existed before «Planned Tourist Banderas - one of the largest bays in this country - which includes southern fare covers the ENTIRE central area, so why Resorts», such as Cancun, Los Cabos and part of the state of Nayarit to the north and the northern part of Jalisco to walk 10 to 15 blocks to the main plaza, the Ixtapa, were developed. Millions have been the south. Thanks to its privileged location -sheltered by the Sierra Madre Church or the flea market? Pick up a free spent to ensure that the original “small mountains- the Bay is well protected against the hurricanes spawned in the map, and insist on your full value from the town” flavor is maintained downtown, in Pacific. Hurricane Kenna did come close on October 25, 2002, but actually driver! Note the number of your taxi in case the Old Town and on the South Side. touched down in San Blas, Nayarit, some 200 kms north of PV. of any problem, or if you forget something DRINKING WATER: The false belief that a The town sits on the same parallel as the Hawaiian Islands, in the cab. Then your hotel or travel rep can Mexican vacation must inevitably lead to an thus the similarities in the climate of the two destinations. help you check it out or lodge a complaint. encounter with Moctezuma’s revenge is just TIME ZONE: The entire State of Jalisco that: false. For the 21st year in a row, Puerto AREA: 1,300 sq. kilometers SANCTUARIES: Bahía de Banderas en- is on Central Time, as is the area of the Sta- Vallarta’s water has been awarded a certifi- POPULATION: 325,000 inhabitants closes two Marine National Parks - Los Ar- te of Nayarit from Lo de Marcos in the nor- cation of purity for human consumption. It CLIMATE: Tropical, humid, with an avera- cos and the Marieta Islands - where diving is th to the Ameca River, i.e.: Nuevo Vallarta, is one of only two cities in Mexico that can ge of 300 sunny days per year. The tempera- allowed under certain circumstances but fi- Bucerías, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Sayuli- boast of such accomplishment. True, the ture averages 28oC (82oF) and the rainy sea- shing of any kind is prohibited. Every year, the ta, San Pancho, Punta Mita, etc. North of quality of the water tested at the purification son extends from late June to early October. Bay receives the visit of the humpback wha- Lo De Marcos, Guayabitos, La Peñita, San plant varies greatly from what comes out of FAUNA: Nearby Sierra Vallejo hosts les, dolphins and manta rays in the winter. Blas, etc. are on Mountain Time, i.e.: one the tap at the other end. So do be careful. a great variety of animal species such as During the summer, sea turtles, a protected hour behind PV time. On the other hand, most large hotels have iguana, guacamaya, deer, raccoon, etc. species, arrive to its shores to lay their eggs. TELEPHONE CALLS: Always check on their own purification equipment and most ECONOMY: Local economy is based the cost of long distance calls from your restaurants use purified water. If you want to Index mainly on tourism, construction and to a hotel room. Some establishments charge be doubly sure, you can pick up purified bo- lesser degree, on agriculture, mainly tro- as much as U.S. $7.00 per minute! ttled water just about anywhere. pical fruit such as mango, papaya, water- CELL PHONES: Most cellular phones EXPORTING PETS: Canadian and Ame- melon, pineapple, guanabana, cantaloupe from the U.S. and Canada may be pro- rican tourists often fall in love with one of and bananas. grammed for local use, through Telcel and the many stray dogs and cats in Vallarta. CURRENCY: The Mexican Peso is the le- IUSAcell, the local carriers. To dial cell to Many would like to bring it back with them, gal currency in Mexico although Canadian cell, use the prefix 322, then the seven digit but believe that the laws do not allow and American dollars are widely accepted. number of the person you’re calling. Omit them to do so. Wrong. If you would like to BUSES: A system of urban buses with the prefix if dialling a land line. bring a cat or a dog back home, call the lo- different routes. Current fare is $7.50 Pesos LOCAL CUSTOMS: Tipping is usually cal animal shelter for more info: 293-3690. per ticket and passengers must purchase 10%-15% of the bill at restaurants and bars. LOCAL SIGHTSEEING: A good begin- a new ticket every time they board another Tip bellboys, taxis, waiters, maids, etc. de- ning would be to take one of the City Tours bus. There are no “transfers”. pending on the service. Some busines- offered by the local tour agencies. Before TAXIS: There are set rates within defined ses and offices close from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., boarding, make sure you have a map and zones of the town. Do not enter a taxi wi- reopening until 7 p.m. or later. In restaurants, take note of the places you want to return thout agreeing on the price with the driver it is considered poor manners to present the to. Then venture off the beaten path. Explo- FIRST. If you are staying in a hotel, you may check before it is requested, so when you’re re a little. Go farther than the tour bus takes want to check the rates usually posted in ready to leave, ask «La cuenta, por favor» you. And don’t worry - this is a safe place. Contributors: Graphic Designer: PV Mirror es una publicación semanal. Certificados de licitud de título y contenido en tramite. Prohibida la reproducción Anna Reisman / Joe Harrington Leo Robby R.R. total o parcial de su contenido, imágenes y/o fotografías Publisher / Editor: Krystal Frost / Giselle Belanger Cover Photo: sin previa autorización por escrito del editor. Allyna Vineberg Ronnie Bravo / Tommy Clarkson “Viva la Note: To Advertisers & Contributors and those [email protected] Independencia!” with public interest announcements, Stan Gabruk / Harriet Murray the deadline for publication is: Office & Sales: 223-1128 Archive Webmaster: pvmcitypaper.com / Online Team 2:00 pm on Monday of the An Important Notice: The PVMIRROR wants your views and comments. Please send them by e-mail to: [email protected] week prior to publication. 250 words max, full name, street or e-mail address and/or tel. number for verification purposes only. If you do not want your name published, we will respect your wishes. Letters & articles become the property of the PVMIRROR and may be edited and/or condensed for publication. The articles in this publication are provided for the purpose of entertainment and information only. The PV Mirror City Paper does not accept any responsibility or liability for the content of the articles on this site or reliance by any person on the site’s contents. Any reliance placed on such information is therefore strictly at such person’s own risk. 3 September – the patriotic month September is a time of celebration and tribute to the indomitable spirit of the Mexican people. Flags, parades, and music festivals pay homage to the historical events and heroes that led ¡Viva México! to the formation of modern Mexico. The month begins with the President’s all of the locals who happened to be It wasn’t until years later that annual State of the Union address in the market on that day. From the Hidalgo’s efforts were acknowledged from Mexico City, followed by the pulpit, he announced his intention to and he was recognized as a patriotic commemoration of two significant strike for independence and pleaded hero. Modern Mexico celebrates 19th century political events that form with the people of Dolores to join the date of his revolutionary speech a four-day weekend this year.