Puerto Vallarta!
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PUERTO VALLARTA CITY PAPER ISSUE 182 SATURDAY 14 ABRIL, 2012 FRIDAY 20 SATURDAY 14 APRIL, 2012 FRIDAY 20 considered poor manners to present the 2 Need to Know 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. If you’ve been meaning to find a little information on the region, WHAT TO DO: Even if your all- but never quite got around to it, we hope that the following will help. inclusive hotel is everything you ever Look at the map in this issue, you will note that PV (as the locals call dreamed of, you should experience at it) is on the west coast of Mexico, in the middle of the Bay of Banderas, least a little of all that Vallarta has to cabs: those at the airport and the maritime offer - it is truly a condensed version of the largest bay in this country, that includes southern part of the state port are usually vans that can only be all that is Mexican and existed before of Nayarit to the north and the northern part of Jalisco to the south. boarded there. They have pre-fixed rates «Planned Tourist Resorts», such as Thanks to its privileged location -sheltered by the Sierra Madre per passenger. City cabs are yellow cars Cancun, Los Cabos and Ixtapa, were mountains- the Bay is well protected against the hurricanes spawned that charge by the ride, not by passenger. developed. Millions have been spent to When you ask to go downtown, many in the Pacific. Hurricane Kenna came close on October 25, 2002, ensure that the original “small town” drivers let you off at the beginning of the but actually touched down in San Blas, Nayarit, some 200 miles flavor is maintained downtown, in the area, near Hidalgo Park. However, your north of PV. The town sits on the same parallel as the Hawaiian Old Town and on the South Side. Islands, thus the similarities in the climate of the two destinations. fare covers the ENTIRE central area, so why walk 10 to 15 blocks to the main DRINKING WATER: The false plaza, the Church or the flea market? belief that a Mexican vacation must AREA: 1,300 sq. kilometers allowed under certain circumstances Pick up a free map, and insist on your full inevitably lead to an encounter with but fishing of any kind is prohibited. value from the driver! Note the number Moctezuma’s revenge is just that: POPULATION: Approx. 325,000 Every year, the Bay receives the visit of your taxi in case of any problem, or false. For the 17th year in a row, Puerto inhabitants of the humpback whales, dolphins and if you forget something in the cab. Then Vallarta’s water has been awarded CLIMATE: Tropical, humid, with manta rays in the winter. During the your hotel or travel rep can help you a certification of purity for human an average of 300 sunny days per year. summer, sea turtles, a protected species, check it out or lodge a complaint. consumption. It is one of only two o o cities in Mexico that can boast of such The temperature averages 28 C (82 F) arrive to its shores to lay their eggs. TIME ZONE: The entire State of accomplishment. True, the quality of and the rainy season extends from late Jalisco is on Central Time, as is the ECONOMY: Local economy is the water tested at the purification plant June to early October. southern part of the State of Nayarit based mainly on tourism, construction varies greatly from what comes out of - from San Blas in the north through FAUNA: Nearby Sierra Vallejo and to a lesser degree, on agriculture, the tap at the other end. So do be careful. to the Ameca River, i.e.: San Blas, hosts a great variety of animal species mainly tropical fruit such as mango, On the other hand, most large hotels San Pancho, Sayulita, Punta Mita, La such as iguana, guacamaya, deer, papaya, watermelon, pineapple, have their own purification equipment Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Bucerías, Nuevo raccoon, etc. guanabana, cantaloupe and bananas. and most restaurants use purified water. Vallarta, etc.) SANCTUARIES: Bahía de CURRENCY: The Mexican Peso is If you want to be doubly sure, you can Banderas encloses two Marine the legal currency in Mexico although TELEPHONE CALLS: Always pick up purified bottled water just about National Parks - Los Arcos and the Canadian and American dollars are check on the cost of long distance anywhere. calls from your hotel room. Some Marieta Islands - where diving is widely accepted. EXPORTING PETS: Canadian and establishments charge as much as U.S. BUSES: A system of urban buses American tourists often fall in love with $7.00 per minute! with different routes. Current fare is one of the many stray dogs and cats in $6.50 Pesos per ticket and passengers CELL PHONES: Most cellular Vallarta. Many would like to bring it must purchase a new ticket every time phones from the U.S. and Canada may back with them, but believe that the laws they board another bus. There are no be programmed for local use, through do not allow them to do so. Wrong. If “transfers”. Telcel and IUSAcell, the local carriers. you would like to bring a cat or a dog To dial cell to cell, use the prefix 322, back home, call the local animal shelter TAXIS: There are set rates within then the seven digit number of the for more info: 293-3690. defined zones of the town. Do not enter person you’re calling. Omit the prefix if a taxi without agreeing on the price with LOCAL SIGHTSEEING: A good dialling a land line. the driver FIRST. If you are staying in a beginning would be to take one of the City hotel, you may want to check the rates LOCAL CUSTOMS: Tipping Tours offered by the local tour agencies. usually posted in the lobby. Also, if you is usually 10%-15% of the bill at Before boarding, make sure you have a know which restaurant you want to go, restaurants and bars. Tip bellboys, taxis, map and take note of the places you want do not let the driver change your mind. waiters, maids, etc. depending on the to return to. Then venture off the beaten Many restaurateurs pay commissions to service. Taking a siesta is a Mexican path. Explore a little. Go farther than the taxi drivers and you may end up paying tradition. Some businesses and offices tour bus takes you. And don’t worry - more than you should, in a second-rate close from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., reopening this is a safe place. establishment! There are 2 kinds of taxi until 7 p.m. or later. In restaurants, it is 2 SATURDAY 14 APRIL, 2012 FRIDAY 20 Sound Off 3 The nine years I spent with SMC was the best volunteer experience of my life. Your Comments So why a Gay Men’s Chorus instead [email protected] an Everybody Chorus? Because we have a purpose beyond entertaining folks. We hope to reach out to the scared, closeted child who thinks they Dear Editor, are alone in the world and perhaps make a dent in the gay kids’ suicide I am very disappointed to see from your rate in Mexico. We hope to soften the th issue of 7 April that “Puerto Vallarta attitude of families who stop speaking Men’s Chorus is calling on local gay men to their gay children or put them out to join us”. Gays and lesbians have fought on the street. Other gay choruses for many years against discrimination and, in many places, have, justifiably, won have story after story about how they the right to be fully accepted in society. changed lives. We hope to do the same Now, in Puerto Vallarta, the gay men are in Mexico. attempting to form a men’s chorus that, So sing with us or come to our concert apparently, is open only to gay men. in December and see what we are all This seems to be a clear case of about. discrimination against straight men who would like to sing in a chorus but cannot Joyce Ericson do so because of their sexual orientation. The straight woman helping So much for equal rights! to found PVMC. John Warren Dear John, As volunteer coordinator [of the PVMC] I am proud to be part of About our cover… forming a gay men’s chorus in PV. They can be found all over the world: Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, The amazing photo on this issue’s NYC, Ottawa… Is a gay chorus cover was graciously lent to us by exclusionary? Yes, most are. Would www.MyOwnConcierge.com.mx a Baptist choir include Catholics? My Own Concierge’s team specializes Should gringo girls sing in Mexican in assisting visitors with everything mariachi bands? Probably not. their hearts and minds desire. From finding the perfect vacation villa or On the other hand, inclusion is nice boutique hotel, to planning exciting too, but the Puerto Vallarta Men’s private tours and adventures, reserving Chorus is being formed as primarily that special dinner reservation, a Gay Men’s Chorus.