New Beginnings Mexico is volunteering to help feed the less fortunate who live near the dump outside Puerto Vallarta.

"Pickers," men, women and young people, sort through the garbage hoping to find something to sell, use, or even eat.
In the Shadow of the Dump: New Beginnings in Puerto Vallarta

Every Tuesday and Thursday, volunteers come to help the New Beginnings foundation serve hamburgers or hot dogs to the families living near the dump. While the guys grill the burgers, the women chop onions and tomatoes for the salsa. Getting everything ready for the assembly line. It's an efficient process, developed to feed up to 140 people. This may be the only meat they get during the week.

Other volunteers bring games for the children to play while the food is cooking. This is sort of a picture version of Bingo using stones for chips.

After lunch, some of the children paint, and some paint each other!

Janet Stevenson is teaching the women at the dump to make jewelry so they can help support their families. Their creations are sold at the Farmer's Market and several other venues in Puerto Vallarta. The jewelry is organized and labeled so each woman receives payment for her handiwork.

Despite the heat, the volunteer crew works on finishing more homes. All houses built by New Beginnings now have concrete floors. No more living on mud during the rainy season.

A new community center for church services and classes is underway.

New Beginnings is always looking for volunteers to help with the construction and food services and also welcomes "intentional volunteers" such as doctors, dentists and teachers.

Sponsorships are available with a variety of options. Children and/or families may be sponsored. Specific aspects, such as medical requirements, may be sponsored. Donations provided for a sponsorship are directed to the sponsored individual or family.

For more information and to get involved, email Andy & Janet at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In the Shadow of the Dump

[readon1 url="http://pvangels.com/news/2754/in-the-shadow-of-the-dump-new-beginnings-in-puerto-vallarta"]Source:pvangels.com[/readon1]

A press release detailing the celebrities who had visited the area was sent out through the PR agency hired by the Riviera Nayarit CVB in the UK to help promote the Vallarta-Nayarit campaign; it lead to a preliminary count of over 11 million impressions.

Celebrities’ visits to the region were tapped by the public relations agency retained by the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in the UK to entice the British market and promote the Riviera Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta.

The press release sent out by the agency compiled a list of the stars that have visited the region and was published by five British media with followers in other European communities. Taking into consideration the number of unique monthly visitors of these sites we can estimate a preliminary figure of more than 11 million impressions.

These media publish topics such as travel, luxury, lifestyle, real estate, finance, technology, culture, gastronomy, etc. The list (with number of unique monthly visitors) includes: Female First (2,800,000), Luxury Travel Magazine (28,788), EIN News (2,056,659), Easier (11,964) and Veooz (6,355,847).

The agency’s work was made possible thanks to the funding extended by the Government of the State of Nayarit to the joint Vallarta-Nayarit campaign; the Riviera Nayarit CVB earmarked part of this budget to help promote the new flights from Manchester and the UK operated by wholesaler Thompson and TUI airlines.

The English market is vast and its healthy economy creates tourists with deep pockets. Celebrities are trendsetters and Europeans tend to follow their lead.

The list of personalities that have visited the area and have helped entice new visitors includes the Kardashian sisters, Jessica Simpson, Joe Jonas from the Jonas Brothers, Alessandra Ambrosio and Bella Thorne, among others.

Below please find a list of publications:

Famale First

Luxury Travel Magazine

World Ein News

Easier.

Veooz.

After being liberated in September 2013 with a satellite transmitter, “Nayar,” the Hawksbill sea turtle, began emitting signals between the Banderas Bay and San Blas until it returned this month, establishing the possibility that these turtles remain residents of their birth zone.

The Red Tortuguera, a civil association led by biologist Catherine Hart, obtained the results. These will serve to corroborate the sedentary lifestyle theory for this endangered species, thus helping to apply specific strategies for its conservation within the Riviera Nayarit.

There are approximately 500 female nesting Hawksbills in the Pacific Ocean, 20 of which have been detected near Nayarit. The species concentrates in this area thanks to its abundance of coral reefs.

“With this information we’ll be able to implement strategies to protect them from bycatch, whether it’s accidental or direct. This turtle is endangered and it’s worth more alive than whatever the black market would pay for it otherwise,” said Vicente Peña, a turtle protection camp technician who collaborates with the project.

Part of the ongoing strategies include talking with the fishing co-ops in the region and letting them know should they find any sea turtles—not just Hawksbills—they should report it to the pertinent authorities and receive a cash incentive for their awareness.

“Nayar” will be returned to the ocean on Saturday, August 23rd at 6 p.m., this time without the satellite tracker, which was removed and will be sent for repairs in order to be re-used on a different Hawksbill turtle in the future.

The Red Tortuguera and La Tranquila Breath Taking Resort Punta Mita invite the general public to witness the liberation of Nayar. This will be followed by a liberation of Olive Ridley hatchlings on the same beach in Litibú.

The marking of Hawksbill turtles in the Riviera Nayarit was made possible thanks to the support of the Banderas Bay Hotel Association and the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau; both entities are concerned with the preservation of this species and paid for the satellite tracker last year.

 The ice bucket challenge is the latest internet craze, involving people pouring cold water over themselves and posting their videos online.

Photo Courtesy of Ada's sailing:Ada-Sailing

There is just something that captivates me about seeing whales. Maybe it is because these spectacular giants are about the size of a school bus with incredible strength and power. Or maybe it is because of the gentle way they surface, taking a massive breath of air and then submerging by simply slipping under the water as they seemingly wave their tail.

If you are lucky you will see them shoot out of the water appearing to stand on their tails, and after a short pause, they fall over sideways with an amazing crash, splashing a wall of water in all directions. Yes, I am hooked on whales.

My first whale-watching experience was in Monterey, California. It was a cloudy rainy day and the Pacific was pretty rough. Even so, the anticipation of seeing a whale for the first time was exhilarating. We did see a few just barely breaking the surface about 200 feet away from the boat. Although we were a little disappointed that we did not get closer to the whales, it created a desire to see more.

On a beautiful sunny day in the calm bay surrounded by the Hawaiian Islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai, we were again on a boat looking for the massive mammals. The excitement grew as people started to yell out a sighting at about 300 feet away. There were more and more sightings and then they were close, some within about 50 feet. Some came so close that the captain had to shut off the engines to prevent hurting the whales.

As they gently surfaced, we saw that some of them had their calves with them. It is estimated that 12,000 Humpback whales come to the Hawaiian waters to give birth and nurture their young. The whales generally stay from November until March before returning to the waters off of Alaska. There was even one whale that was sleeping with its tail sticking out of the water about five feet.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, sits on a huge bay where whales come to winter. We took our family out on a whale watching/snorkeling boat and it was another amazing experience to see these incredibly huge animals so near. At one point a whale headed for the boat; it submerged right under the front corner of the boat. I saw the whole whale go by at about 10 feet from where I stood. We probably saw 40 to 50 whales that day.

Even during the summer months there are whales in Alaska. On a recent cruise I watched a mother and her calf as she was teaching her calf to breach. I watched them for nearly 30 minutes as the ship slowly cruised in their same direction. I couldn’t stop watching to see what they would do next. There are specific whale watching excursions during the Alaska cruises.

At least one time in your life take the time to go see whales. To me it was an unforgettable experience. I wanted to just jump right in and swim with them — maybe next time.

Travel tip

Make sure to check for the best time of year to see whales at your destination. There are specific seasons when the whales are there and others when there are no whales. Now is the time to book winter whale watching destinations like Hawaii and Mexico.

Gary Sorensen is a Regional Manager for Morris Murdock Travel Email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

[readon1 url="http://www.thespectrum.com/story/life/2014/08/23/whale-time/14514137/"]Source:www.thespectrum.com[/readon1]

A substantial amount of home building materials given to families in Puerto Vallarta.

Unsung heroes and saviors, are among the many names that the public called the fire department for their service and dedication they give to their work.

This important academic encounter is taking place from August 20-24 with the participation of 2,600 students and 300 counselors, teachers and directors from 77 academies from 22 states within Mexico, as well as international guest speakers.

The Riviera Nayarit proves once again that it is a favorite host city for the scientific community as it prepares to receive the XIX National Pacific Summer Conference on Scientific and Technological Research, part of the Inter-Organization Program for the Enhancement of the Investigation and Post Graduate Studies of the Pacific, known locally as the Dolphin Program.

The event will take place from August 20-24 at the Hotel RIU Jalisco in Flamingos. This is the final phase of a six-week program that encompasses the Pacific Summer Conference on Scientific and Technological Research, where students will present 1,824 projects for analysis.

The Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit (UAN) is in charge of the general coordination with Rector Juan López Salazar, the president of the Honorable Technical Board and M.V.Z. Carlos Humberto Jiménez, General Coordinator, at the helm. Together, these two technical advisors will take on this admirable task, along with the priceless support of the National Scientific and Technological Advisory Board (Conacyt, by its acronym in Spanish.)

Mr. Aleksandr Kurushev, president of the international organization ESTYES and coordinator for the Non-Formal European-Chinese Education Academy; Ho Chol Choi, Director of the Korean University; and other top representatives of institutions of higher learning from Colombia, Panama and Mexico will also be present at the event.

Guillermina Urbano Vidales, Director of the Superación Académica de la Dirección General de Educación Superior Universitaria de la Subsecretaría de Educación Superior, was also at the inaugural event.

Puerto Vallarta, among its colorful city streets, lush mountains, wide beaches and soft sand, hides a life full of modern and timeless traditions that make this city a tourist place to discover.

Puerto Vallarta is a festive city where concur religious, civic, cultural and sporting events.

September 12 Events

Of the most important religious celebrations are the Guadalupanas Events taking place from November 28 to December 12; from 1 December 1 in the morning we can observe the peregrinations of neighboring villages singing Happy Birthday to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Other important festivals are the flashy celebrations of Santa Cruz , held from April 27 to May 3, in the temple of the Holy Cross, among the curiosities of these festivals are the pilgrimages accompanied by musical bands, songs and offerings to the Holy Cruz.

Fiestas de Mayo ranging from 22 to 31 this month, find the anniversary of Puerto Vallarta , designation commemorates Puerto Vallarta as a city in 1968.

End of the year, the holidays December are held, and these events a special area called is conditioned Core Aurora , where rides, the village theater where you can enjoy different stagings related festivities are installed , arena and stands of various products.

National holidays with a unique twist and color of this amazing city, commemorating the day of Aviation celebrated the festival of Jazz in Vallarta that has become a tradition in this tourist spot.

Of the most prominent sports events are the National Sea Bass Fishing Tournament in September; the International Tournament Sailfish in November and Julio; the World Golf Championship in December; the women's tennis tournament in March.

Speaking of tradition, we can not forget the traditional food that can be enjoyed in Puerto Vallarta. You will find a variety of cuisine that has evolved over time and keeps a unique tradition of this beautiful city.

Traditional Tamales Puerto Vallarta

One of the local traditional dishes is "birria", its main ingredient is goat or lamb meat cooked in a spicy sauce with different spices like cumin, oregano and ginger, served with lime juice (the lime is a citrus variety of Mexico), onions and traditional tortillas.

Another traditional and local fare state Jalisco and the city of Puerto Vallarta, is the " Pozole " which has its own variation in this location. It is a stew of pork or chicken, seasoned with chile, corn burst includes specially since served is added lettuce, radishes and toast. It can be red or white. Other states can be green.

A favorite dish is part of Mexican culture since before the Conquest, and that Puerto Vallarta is one of the traditional dishes is the quintessential " Tamal ". The local version is prepared with a mass of white corn that is filled with savory or sweet, the most popular are red or green. All include a variable degree of chile. The dough is steamed or concina bath in corn husks.

We can not forget to mention a dish but is not native to Puerto Vallarta worth trying, The "Tortas ahogadas". Originals from Guadalajara, there is a saying that if you do not have tortas ahogadas, you have not been to Guadalajara. These are some tortas made ​​on a special bread called birote, these are stuffed pork into squares, then dipped in chili sauce, if you're not used to the itching, it will be very difficult to eat, yet often offered in varying degrees of spicy, so you can choose how much you want to bite the tortas ahogadas.

The destination has become all the rage on this popular vlogger’s social media accounts after he posted seven promotional videos about the Riviera Nayarit. Together they have garnered over 152 thousand visits on YouTube; and the number of followers on the @RivieraNayarit account on Twitter increased by 35% from June through July.

Popular vlogger AlanxelMundo finished production on the seven videos inspired by his visit to the Riviera Nayarit, which was organized by the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB); these posts helped to broadcast the destination across both party’s social media accounts.

The videos include “Dios bendiga a Sayulita!” (“God Bless Sayulita!”); “¡Una playa única en el mundo!” (“A Unique Beach on the Planet!”), in a salute to Hidden Beach; “¡Una mujer ejemplar!” (“An Exemplary Woman!”), in honor of Nicole Swedlow; “Rincón de Guayabitos”; “Una fruta que sabe a siete frutas” (“A Fruit That Tastes Like Seven Others”), referring to the yaca; “¡La mayor sorpresa que me han dado!” (“The Biggest Surprise Ever!”), about the Island of Mexcaltitán; plus the extra “Clases de cocina con Betty Vázquez” (“Cooking with Betty Vázquez”).

Together these videos have had over 152 thousand views on YouTube, where Alanxelmundo has over 71,800 subscribers. The audiovisual productions as well as other marketing activities resulted in an increase of 35% in Twitter followers on the @RivieraNayarit account.

A few days after the launch of the videos there were already 38 mentions of @RivieraNayarit on the @AlanxelMundo Twitter account, where he has more than 28,200 followers. The @RivieraNayarit account was the most mentioned, and the #RivieraNayarit hashtag was among the top ten used.

The videos showed over 100 views on the destination’s Twitter account, which helped increase the click count by 70% between June and July.

These numbers have triggered a large amount of publicity, generating a high ROI compared to the initial investment in helping Alan accomplish his travel.

Today, the videos keep trending on social media; the more content on the Riviera Nayarit, the higher the viralization of the destination. Leaders such as Alan create these trends.

Alan also published a note on his webpage, where he gave away souvenirs from the Riviera Nayarit to subscribers who answered a series of simple questions.

Click to enjoy the AlanxelMundo’s videos on YouTube:

““¡Una playa única en el mundo!” (“A Unique Beach on the Planet!”)
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“¡Una mujer ejemplar!” (“An Exemplary Woman!”)
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“Rincón de Guayabitos”
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.“¡Una fruta que sabe a siete frutas!”(“A Fruit That Tastes Like Seven Others”)
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““Clases de cocina con Betty Vázquez” (“Cooking with Betty Vázquez”)
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“Les traigo regalos de Riviera Nayarit” (“I Bring You Gifts From The Riviera Nayarit”)

The latest campaign from the Riviera Nayarit CVB is underway: this one seeks to reinforce the identification of its citizens with their destination, conceptualizing knowledge and putting it into practice in a comprehensive and organic manner.

The Riviera Nayarit CVB is ready to launch their latest campaign, Mi Riviera, Mi Destino (My Riviera, My Destination), on Monday, August 18th in order to promote tourism and environmental values, as well as reinforce locals’ identification with their destination. When the tourism product improves, the quality of life of its inhabitants improves as well.

“We’re looking to reinforce the population’s identification with the area, we want them to feel the Riviera Nayarit belongs to them, whether they were born here or have come to live here,” stated Liliana Lara Guzmán, Marketing Manager for the Rivera Nayarit CVB. “We want them to be proud of their natural surroundings, of their traditions and their customs, because this is what sets us apart as a destination in the eyes of the visitor.”

The idea is to achieve a sustainable development in harmony with the community, thus creating natural brand ambassadors and promoters for the Riviera Nayarit. “This is a region with authentic micro-destinations, each one with its own identity; we want to embrace this identity and put it on display,” explained Lara Guzmán.

Before the campaign was launched the Riviera Nayarit CVB had already put into place activities to incentivize the community and the tourism industry workers. For example, the coordination of beach cleanups began in June with only two non-profits on board; today nearly 10 micro-destinations have joined in this monthly effort. The hotels have begun to do the same with their own beach areas.

The CVB has also held various seminars including topics such as: Motivation, Image and Productivity; Administration of Temporary Shelters; Leadership Abilities and Responsibilities; Client Satisfaction; Quality of Service; Professional Ethics; Comprehensive Communication; and Hotel Management Associates Degrees among members of the Hotel Association, reaching a total of 623 people since June.

Seminars for taxi drivers will begin in September and October and will include: Ecology and the Environment; Knowledge of the Tourism Product; Quality of Service; plus Basic, Intermediate and Advanced English courses.

This model domestic campaign will be broadcast via the mass media as well as social media channels, and will filter through the Riviera Nayarit CVBs activities.

With the cooperation of the three levels of government, the non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the civil associations (non-profits), the business community and society in general it will be possible to create a change that favors the people of Nayarit.

Kim Kardashian is now tragically losing sleep over her bikini photos. She put her infamous curves on display once again Monday, thanks to reputable photographer Kim Kardashian.

This time the 33-year-old selfie queen is in Mexico, and just wants to sleep, but her addiction to revealing photos of herself in a bikini takes no vacations. She pleaded in her caption, desperately asking to please “Let me sleep!!!!”

C’mon, photographer who she likely pays a ridiculous amount to take photos of her rump in tiny bikinis! Let Kim sleep

[readon1 url="http://dailycaller.com/2014/08/18/kim-kardashian-is-all-bottom-once-again-photos/"]Source:dailycaller.com[/readon1]