Puerto Vallarta - On March 8th, the Open Water Selection event took place in front of the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, where athletes from different places of the country such as Baja California, Colima, Nayarit, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Estado de Mexico and Nuevo Leon competed. The categories of the competition included Child and Master.

Puerto Vallarta - Janice Chatterton, Founder of SPCAPV recently organized a lunch at the San Angel restaurant to present the new canine members of the Puerto Vallarta’s SPCA family that have incorporated to the organization and that will be available for any person that wishes to adopt or provide donations for the foundation.

The big day finally arrived; yesterday’s Made With Love competition took place at the Sheraton Bugambilias with a sunset that did perfect justice to Vallartenese nights, on the terrace right by the beach. All the competitors arrived full of excitement and enthusiasm, ready for the night’s challenge.

Wish you could travel to Oaxaca? Looking for that perfect gift? We especially love to purchase gifts on our travels, discovering something special we cannot find at home. The International Friendship Club (IFC) will host a sale of beautiful Oaxacan rugs and fine hand-loomed textiles presented by Zapotec Art at the IFC Clubhouse on Wednesday, March 12 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Current IFC members will receive a 20% discount on their purchases.

Zapotec Art is a family of craftsmen from Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico.  Alberto Contreras Vicente and his brothers are the fourth generation from the families of both their father and mother to be rug and textile weavers. Alberto tells me that his family has180 years of combined weaving experience!

Alberto’s father sent him to Puerto Vallarta when he was just 19 years old to open a shop to sell the family’s work. His brothers followed and they have been very successful because of the artistry and craftsmanship of their work and the fair prices they offer at their shop on I. Vallarta next to Elements in Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Alberto speaks very good English in addition to Zapotec and Spanish.

The family speaks the Zapotec language and Alberto says their designs are very traditional, being drawn from the Zapotec culture. Their designs all mean something about the life, sky, and the universe. Alberto noted that Zapotec culture is a very evolved cosmology An interesting fact about Oaxacan rugs that makes them easily distinguishable from Navaho rugs, for example, is that the design in a Oaxacan rug is identical on both sides. They use all natural dyes from plants, fruits, and insects and are not subject to fading.

The wool used by Zapotec Art in their rugs has a unique design and quality from the state of Oaxaca. The designs of the rugs are often representations of archeological sites in Oaxaca.

They also weave very fine cotton textiles such as tablecloths, placemats, napkins, table runners, decorative cushions, curtains, bags, rebosos, and cotton scarves. They have a wide selection available but also do custom work for both rugs and textiles.  For more information on Zapotec Art you can visit their website at zapotecart.com.  And please consider an IFC membership (join on March 12 and enjoy a nice discount on your purchase the same day!)

Please mark this sale date on your calendar.  You can visit the IFC website at ifcvallarta.com to discover the many benefits and discounts available to club members from local restaurants and businesses.

Pierre Trempe, Canadian founder of Made With Love, started this project after assisting a mixology event a few years back while working in the cosmetics industry; there he saw all the enthusiasm of passionate mixologists who put all their energy and creativity into their craft.

This annual event offers an art walk for visitors in order to continue to encourage the conservation of local species, especially the marine turtle and its habitat.

The Association for Environmental Unity with Mexico has celebrated its Art for Turtles event every year since 2004 in the hopes of encouraging the conservation of the marine turtle and its habitat in the Riviera Nayarit.

A group of some 50 volunteers headed by doctor Manuel Carlos Feliz, president of the association, collaborated in this nonprofit activity with artists and visitors.

“As human beings we have the responsibility of being the primary guardians of the planet, its species and all of nature. We need to act locally and think globally,” said Manuel Carlos.

The encounter took place on February 27th at the Bahía del Sol facilities near the Nuevo Vallarta turtle camp.

“People come, walk around and enjoy the music, the cuisine, the artisans and the artwork. The artists donate their work to the association so it can be sold and then apply those resources to fund our programs,” he added.

The association works together with the National Commission on Protected Areas (CONANP by its acronym in Spanish) and its National Program for the Protection of the Marine Turtle.

They also clean up beaches, visit schools to plant the seeds of conservation early on in the children and receive about 100 people daily and give them useful information about the impact of human beings on the marine turtles’ ecosystem.

Their main operations lie between the Ameca River and Bucerías. They extended an invitation to the local community as well as the local expats to be a part of this movement and add their efforts to better our planet.

To cite an example of how the conservation of the marine turtle benefits tourism, Manuel Carlos explained that jellyfish are a staple of the turtles’ diet; if the turtles are gone, the largest natural predator of these jellyfish disappears.

“The jellyfish burn swimmers and if there aren’t turtles around to eat them, people won’t be able to be in the water, which is what happens in the Mediterranean,” he said.

He also encouraged the community in general to contribute as much as possible to benefit both tourism in the Riviera Nayarit and its people.

For details and contact information click on www.amamexico.org.

This past Wednesday, we had the pleasure of interviewing Rafael Lagunas, who is proudly sponsored by Vallarta Today in the cocktail competition Made With Love.

In February the Culinary Lab was renamed in honor of her professional experience; the Chef was overjoyed and grateful for this recognition.

Credit must be given where credit is due, and the best time to pay homage to someone is during his or her lifetime. This was the thought that motivated the Universidad Tecnológica de Bahía de Banderas (UTBB) when it honored Chef Betty Vázquez’s professional trajectory.

From February 25th of the current year onward, the Culinary Lab of the UTBB will be named in honor of the Culinary Ambassador of the Riviera Nayarit. A native of Tepic—though her heart belongs to San Blas—Chef Betty was overjoyed and reenergized by the recognition.

“I’ve seen my name on my business cards, on my bills and written on envelopes, which were very welcomed when they arrived, but today, I’m honestly very moved,” she said. “I keep pinching myself and trying to wrap my head around the commitment that comes with this honor.”

With 32 years of experience under her belt, Betty Vázquez has been able to position herself among the top chefs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a voice audibly trembling with emotion, she shared her state of mind with those present.

“At first I was scared, I could have never imagined my name on a plaque,” she said. “Future generations are going to ask themselves, ‘Who was Betty Vázquez?” It’s an awesome responsibility.”

“My faith was renewed and so was my commitment on many levels; everything it’s taken to get here was worth it. When one is born one needs a new identity and to ensure that new life is recorded,” said the Chef.

There were several well-known representatives from diverse segments of society present at the event. José Gómez, chancellor of the UTBB and the host of the event, urged students to follow Betty’s example and become well-rounded professionals.

“It’s an honor to have Betty at the UTBB,” he told his students. “This is a success story based on sacrifice. There is definitely no easy button, you need to take advantage of the opportunities you’re offered so that your sacrifice strengthens your efforts and thus success comes as a welcome surprise; if you don’t, that success will go to someone else.”

The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau applauds the UTBB for the initiative of creating this recognition and especially commends Betty Vázquez for continuing to uphold the State of Nayarit, the Riviera Nayarit and Mexico in general. Congratulations!

Puerto Vallarta, one of Mexico’s most popular destinations because of its world-class infrastructure and authentic Mexican feeling, is preparing for the arrival of this year’s Spring Break.
 
Named the top 4th Spring Break destination in the world by US & World News Report, Puerto Vallarta’s spring break travel season starts on March 1 and specialists estimate that about 8,000 students from the US and Canada will be visiting the Pacific coast paradise in 2014, a thousand more than in 2013.
 
One of Mexico’s safest destinations, Puerto Vallarta, is not part of the US or Canadian Travel Alerts, instead stating that the city is safe. This is a sentiment agreed by travelers as this year the destination has received numerous consumer-awarded titles, among them “Most Romantic Mexican Destination” and “Favorite Mexican Beach” from the readers of About.com and “Trip Advisor’s Traveler’s Choice awards have chosen Puerto Vallarta as the #9 Beach Destination and the number one overall destination in Mexico.
 
 
AIR ACCESS
Puerto Vallarta’s Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) handled over 1.2 million passengers in 2012, with over 2,000 direct flights coming from the US and Canada (SECTUR). The airfield is capable of handling 40 takeoffs and landings per hour. The airport terminal has 16 active gates, with an additional six in a recently completed terminal extension project.

HOTEL INFRASTRUCTURE
The city’s hotel network offers 20,784 rooms, with well over half being 4-star-plus properties as well as historical boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts, private homes and condominiums
 
Puerto Vallarta is also home to an array of gay friendly properties. Gay travelers have the option of choosing from gay friendly resorts, hotels, lodges, bed and breakfasts and guest houses.
 
OUTDOORS
Puerto Vallarta is a sports lover’s paradise offering an endless array of outdoor adventures under the warm Mexican sun. Water sports enthusiasts can choose from every imaginable activity from snorkeling and scuba diving to kayaking, sailing, water skiing, and surfing. The abundant marine life in the warm Pacific waters of Banderas Bay are known to be a fisherman’s paradise offering some of the best deep sea sports fishing around. Those in search of harder adventure can go mountain bike riding, opt for a jeep safari or go horseback riding in challenging terrains. There are also soft adventure tours of the jungle surrounding Puerto Vallarta from canopy tours to eco hikes. And, of course, all of the more traditional sports including tennis and world-class golf are also on offer.
 
Following is a list of some of the more popular activities to be enjoyed in Puerto Vallarta.
 
A Day in a Traditional Mexican Ranch: Ranches offer tours on horseback, by motorbike or hikes through surrounding ecosystems.
 
Las Caletas Beach Las Caletas is a secluded paradise, with a spectacular backdrop of the Sierra Madre Mountains, beautiful beaches, and even a tropical reef.
 
Los Arcos National Marine Park Famous for its 1600 foot underwater cliff “Devil’s Drop,”  this protected park consists of towering rock arches, caves, tunnels, and reefs full of marine animals.
 
Yelapa & Majahuitas The small fishing villages of Yelapa and Majahuitas are two relaxing and unspoiled paradises that allow visitors to come in close contact with wildlife inhabiting the hills of the jungle.
 
El Salado Mangrove Estuary The Estero del Salado lagoon is a paradise for birdwatchers; a beautiful expanse of white mangle, palm trees, mosses, ferns, and fauna.
 
San Sebastian This remote village has retained the charm of colonial Mexico while offering an impressive array of modern amenities and expansive views.  
 
Swimming with Dolphins Enjoy a day full of fun and plenty of adventure, entertainment and nature.Swimming with dolphins in Vallarta.  After a dolphin swim, take advantage of the day to enjoy 10 water slides, a fresh ride along the river, and dolphin and sea lion shows.
 
Canopy Tours: Canopy tours are an exciting way to see and learn about the varied tropical flora and fauna of the rainforest surrounding Puerto Vallarta.  The adrenaline mounts as one rides from treetop to treetop, hovering over the canopy of the lush vegetation of the Sierra Madre Mountains.
 
NIGHLIFE
Although Puerto Vallarta is known for its breathtaking views, gastronomy and culture, it also has a vibrant night scene. In the heart of Vallarta, along the stretch of the Malecón, there are restaurants, live music venues, bars and nightclubs offering something for everyone!
 
Performing Arts & Cultural Events
Puerto Vallarta's gallery community gathers in the downtown area to present weekly art walks where new exhibits are presented, featured artists are in attendance, and complimentary cocktails are served.
 
Fiesta Nights
The major hotels in Puerto Vallarta feature fiestas for tourists. They consist of open bar parties, Mexican buffet dinners, and live entertainment (mariachi bands, etc).
 
Night Clubs & Dancing
Puerto Vallarta has many late-night venues and nightclubs, each offering their own unique music, drinks, ambience and décor. Most nightspots are located along Calle Ignacio L. Vallarta. Along this 3-block stretch, visitors may find a sports bar, live music and gay dance clubs.
 
The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18. Most bars serve alcohol until 2am while dance clubs will stay open for two more hours. The night scene usually starts around 11pm and most clubs don’t have a strict dress code. Depending on the establishment, there will be a cover charge ranging from 100-400 pesos.
 
Straight Bars
El Malecon neighborhood is the most frequented bar and clubbing area. This area includes such hangouts as Mandala, the Zoo and La Vaquita are located near each other on Diaz Ordaz Street.
 
Live Music
The restaurant-bar La Bodeguita del Medio has live Cuban and salsa music performances and La Dulce Vita Italian restaurant features a jazz band. La Chata, River Cafe and No Way Jose restaurants have live musicians and BeboTero and Paradise Burger each host live rock band performances regularly.
 
Gay Bars
Vallarta has a vibrant gay community with a wide variety of clubs and nightlife options, including special bay cruises and evening excursions.
Puerto Vallarta’s gay nightlife scene congregates on the South Side Zona Romantica area. There are many gay friendly night clubs, bars, discos, cantinas, lounges and party venues located relatively close to each other. Check out www.dianastours.com and gayvallartabarhopping.com

The singer/songwriter’s boyfriend surprised her with a beautiful engagement ring in Punta de Mita in the Riviera Nayarit according to the picture she posted herself on her Twitter account.

After rumors began about a secret wedding, actors Leighton Meester and Adam Brody confirmed their stay on Valentine’s Day at the St Regis Punta Mita Resorts was actually to celebrate their honeymoon.

The Riviera Nayarit continues to be the darling of international celebrities! After confirming their secret wedding, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody also confirmed they were in the Riviera Nayarit to celebrate their honeymoon.
 
The news about their nuptials began as a rumor earlier in the week, just after Valentine’s Day.
 
The couple that had been dating for a year and had already announced their engagement in November of 2013 ended up marrying in secret.
 
Just this past Thursday, February 20th, The O.C. actor himself confirmed the wedding when he answered with a simple “yes” when queried.

No other details have been published about the wedding, all that’s known is that it took place on the 14th of February and their stay was from February 12 – 15 at the Hotel St Regis Punta Mita Resorts. Basically, the trip was all about celebrating their new nuptials.
 
Leighton, 27, and Adam, 34, have managed to keep their relationship out of the media spotlight and the arena of public opinion, so it’s only natural they had a secret wedding and registered in the hotel under the name Oliver Stone.
 
The ex Gossip Girl star and Brody worked together in the 2011 movie, The Oranges.  
 
Thus the Riviera Nayarit continues to consolidate as a luxury destination for movie stars, music moguls and all manner of international celebrities.

The International Friendship Club (IFC) has offered Spanish classes several days a week for many years. The classes are very popular with expats and foreign visitors spending a few winter months in Vallarta. Now a new language program is underway which offers free English classes to financially challenged members of the Mexican community.

IFC president Dan Grippo was discussing this idea last spring with friend and fellow IFC member Dan Adams when Adams mentioned that he and another volunteer, Terry Prill, had been teaching just such a class at a local church. They decided that the IFC would be the perfect home for such a program this season and after much planning and recruiting, the program has been successfully launched.

The intensive class runs for 10 weeks, three afternoons a week, until late March and is filled to capacity this season. Most of the Mexican students are adults who need English for the jobs and the course focuses on basics and practical, conversational English. The goal is to help students get comfortable with vocabulary, verbs, and basic sentence structure. Some students have a very limited knowledge of English, and for many this is their first opportunity to study it.  

Only two students of the originally 25 who were accepted have dropped out. I sat in on the class on a recent Tuesday and indeed, there were 23 enthusiastic students present. Dan Adams said, "The students were notified of the class through contacts with members of the IFC.  Some of the members recommended students for the class, and some of the students themselves contacted us in Spanish.  We considered their needs in learning English, and as it turned out, we accepted pretty much every student who applied up until a few days before the first class."

There is no charge for the class.  The IFC provides all the materials and Dan and Terry are both generously volunteering their time and talent.  They ask only that the students make a commitment to attend all the classes.  So far, attendance has been amazing, beyond their expectations.  And the feedback Dan and Terry have received from the students has been very rewarding.  

IFC president Dan Grippo said, "This program is very dear to my own heart, a longtime dream come true, and I am grateful to Dan and Terry for being willing to step forward and dedicate many hours to making it a reality."

Dan and Terry keep the energy level high and upbeat in the class and do a great job of inspiring the students, keeping them interested so that they enjoy what they are learning. Terry says, "We do end up laughing a bit as my 'Spanglish' and Dan's hesitant, but-much-better-than-mine Spanish, gets them helping us too. We try to make it feel a bit reciprocal which gives them a hand in the class helping us improve our Spanish."

Dan Adams has a BA in Communication Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  For more than 30 years, he was a television news journalist / reporter in Northern California. The last 28 years of his career he worked for the ABC affiliate in Sacramento, until he retired and moved to PV in 2008.

Terry Prill was a marketing executive with Target Corporation for 30 years. Her teaching experience was picked up teaching basic English last year at a local church and her career experience gave her many opportunities to hone her public speaking and teaching skills in the workplace.

At this time dates have been set for next season's classes but it is expected this will become an ongoing program.  Dan and Terry said that they are very pleased that the IFC has such a nice facility for this class. They feel the investment in these students will "pay itself forward" not only for these students but for the IFC as well.  They would like to thank Dan Grippo, Josué Santiago, and Fred Forbes for helping them get up and running so smoothly. For more information on the English Outreach program please email IFC member Dan Adam as This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The International Friendship Club is a registered charitable organization in Mexico listed as Club Internacional de la Amistad de Puerto Vallarta A.C.  It is located at the northeast corner of the Rio Cuale Bridge above the HSBC Bank, Colonia El Centro, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, 48300. Phone: 322-222-5466. Website: ifcvallarta.com. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..