In September, Mexican carrier VivaAerobus got permission from the U.S. Department of Transportation to launch service between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and three Mexican cities – Guadalajara, its home base of Monterrey and Cancun.

On Friday, it announced its startup plans for next year, with Guadalajara and Monterrey flights beginning March 28 and Cancun starting in July.

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of these two new services that represent a significant milestone in the development of our network across the United States,” VivaAerobus CEO Juan Carlos Zuazua said in the company’s announcement.

“In addition to providing low cost access for visitors from the U.S. to Monterrey and Guadalajara, Viva also offers flights from these cities to a range of outstanding destinations within Mexico,” he said. “Also, the Dallas/Fort Worth market is critical for business and these new services are a direct conduit to open new opportunities for trade and tourism which represent a huge opportunity for significant economic impact.”

Dallas/Fort Worth Airport CEO Sean Donohue said the carrier “represents a new option for DFW customers to travel to Mexico, and we’re happy to have them here at DFW Airport. VivaAerobus has been gaining in popularity and market share in Mexico, and we believe it will make a great partner for us and a great option for our Dallas/Fort Worth customers.”

It appears from its schedule that VivaAerobus will start out with three flights a week to Guadalajara on Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays, and two flights a week on Tuesday and Saturdays to Monterrey

The posted schedule is less ambitious than the expansion it presented to the U.S. Department of Transportation in its Sept. 11 application for route authority:

“Beginning in December 2014, vivaAerobus plans to operate: (1) four weekly nonstop roundtrip flights between Guadalajara and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas on a year-round basis; (2) four weekly nonstop roundtrip flights between Cancun and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas on a year round basis; (3) daily roundtrip flights between Monterrey and Dallas/Fort Worth,Texas on a year round basis; and (4) daily roundtrip flights between San Jose del Cabo and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas on a year round basis,” he said.

It will compete against American Airlines’ scheduled service on all three routes. American Airlines and subsidiary Envoy Air operate three flights with 330 seats each direction every day in the DFW-Guadalajara market. American has four flights with 536 seats a day to Monterrey, and five flights with 896 seats to Cancun.

Puerto Vallarta was ranked #2 in the "Most Popular Destinations in Mexico" category in the 2014 edition of TripAdvisor’s Traveller's Choice, an award based on the opinions of travelers worldwide.

TripAdvisor is the largest travel website in the world, which allows travelers to plan and enjoy the perfect trip. TripAdvisor provides advice from real travelers as well as a wide variety of travel choices. The TripAdvisor community reaches nearly 315 million users in 45 countries, and each month generates approximately 190 million reviews and opinions about over 4.4 million hotels, restaurants and attractions worldwide.

This is the third consecutive year that Puerto Vallarta is recognized by TripAdvisor’s Traveller's Choice Awards; since 2012 it has been recognized in categories like "Best Beach Destinations of the World" (2012), "Best Beaches in Mexico" (2012) and "Best Destinations in Mexico (2012 and 2013).

And Puerto Vallarta continues to add to its awards. In August 2014 it was also ranked No. 4 in the "Best Cities in Mexico, Central and South America" from the "World's Best Awards" published by the renowned U.S. magazine, Travel + Leisure.

These awards are in addition to the long list of awards that the city has received since 2001, proving that Puerto Vallarta is one the best beach destinations in Mexico today.

One of the attractions during the winter season in Puerto Vallarta is whale watching, where locals and tourists can enjoy special tours to observe these huge cetaceans in the wild, undoubtedly a great spectacle of nature that leaves beautiful memories for everyone who participates in this activity.

As part of the actions of Ecotourism Promotion and Sustainable Development in Banderas Bay, the ECOBAC Association (Ecology and Conservation of Whales, AC) again this year continues with the program of prevention, information, surveillance and monitoring of the humpback whale.

This program includes a tour of the bay in order to disseminate the Mexican standard that establishes guidelines and specifications for the development of whale watching activities and the conservation of their habitat. Passengers of tourist and private boats are encouraged to avoid harassing the whales and developing good navigation practices this season.

On the tours, flyers are distributed on the vessels with this information, and people are told of the presence of the offspring which are more vulnerable to being harassed by vessels.

Watching calendar during the winter season 2014-2015:

If you participate in whale watching in Puerto Vallarta, consider these three basic rules:

We can all contribute to the care of whales so they will continue returning to Banderas Bay.

Learn more about the ECOBAC activities in favor of the protection and conservation of whales in Banderas Bay http://www.whalephoto.org/

I NEED YOUR HELP.

Today, at about 10:30AM, my Mother, her husband, and I were walking along Hwy 200 heading south.
  
Two males on a motorcycle drove by me justbefore the Paramount Condos, and ripped my backpack off my back 

The police have been notified.There were several valuable things in there.I just hope someone finds the backpack and some of the things in there or know any information about this incident
  
Please contact:  Rhonda  telephone number 222-8726.or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
any information will be greatly gratify

My backpack is black and has a yellow logo with NATIA written on the back.Any help is greatly appreciated.

Singles ages 50 to 80 often say to me, “I’m too old to meet somebody.” I tell them they are wrong. Today I share three stories of how couples in their mid-70s found love.

These stories were sent to me this week by subscribers to my weekly “On Life and Love After 50” online newsletter. The subscribers reside throughout the USA, Canada and in many foreign countries.

Zoe of Glastonbury, England, emailed: “The actress Dame Judi Dench turns 80 on Dec. 9. When Michael Williams, her beloved husband of 30 years, died in 2001, it never occurred to her to think of another man in her life.”

“But fate, in the guise of a few red squirrels, changed that. A neighbor, David Mills, has established the British Wildlife Center. He invited Dame Judi to the opening of a new accommodation for his red squirrels. Their relationship started from there. She was 76 and he was 68.”

“They are seen everywhere together but both lead busy lives and live in their separate homes. We aren’t all Judi Dench, of course, but she met the right man by doing just what you, Tom, always recommend to older singles—moving outside the comfort zone and doing something new. I doubt that Dame Judi had opening a home for red squirrels on her agenda as a stage set for romance.”

Another subscriber, Carm, 75, a Jackson, Mich., high school classmate of mine, spends six months each year living in Barra, Mexico, about four hours south of Puerto Vallarta. A year ago, a relationship he was involved in for several years ended.

Carm emailed, “I have a new (and last) girlfriend here in Barra. She’s recently widowed but we’ve known each other for seven years. She has lived here for 14 years. She’s originally from England but moved to Canada in her early 30s and has been in Mexico for 18 years. A year older than me and so fine.

“She has a house to sell, then we’re off to Italy for a month. When we return, we’ll be searching for a new town in Mexico to live—likely Oaxaca. I’m very happy.”

A third newsletter reader, Rich, also 75, described how he recently found love: “As a widower of three years, I attended a sketching and painting program in Northern Wisconsin in September. I met Rose, a widow my age, who is a watercolor artist, photographer, birder with a quick wit and a huge sense of humor.

“We found, as two active, upbeat persons, that we had many common interests and views which lead to a strong attraction. We accept each other as we find each other now, not comparing our current relationship to what we had with our spouses. Rose lives in Iowa while I am in the suburbs of Chicago, 300 miles apart.

“We split time between the two locations. We would never have met if we did not follow our artistic interests in a group setting. Rose is my love for the rest of my live. Happy does not begin to describe the joy we both feel.”

Is 75 too old to find love? No, as these three couples discovered. When people get out of the house and pursue outside interests, they dramatically improve their chances of finding romance. And as the band Pablo Cruise sang in the 1970s, “Love will find a way.”

[readon1 url="http://www.sanclementetimes.com/on-life-and-love-after-50-finding-love-after-75-is-possible/"]Source:www.sanclementetimes.com[/readon1] 

Everything began for about seven months ago, when the support of Beach cleaning was constituted by two groups that passed the words to the action, being the magnet to attract more groups than every month they are cleaning beaches of the Riviera Nayarit

The 15 groups and communities that the Office of Visitors and Conventions of Riviera Nayarit coordinates (OVC), have managed to gather more than 4 thousand black bags for the sweepings this 2014, diminishing therefore the environmental impact of the residues in beaches and the sea, besides improving the image of the same.

From the beginning the idea was promoted by OVC, because their ample benefits converge with the lineaments of different environmentalist organisms that are working in the region, such as Blue Flag or EarthCheck.

The next edition of the December 13, will be the seventh and last one of these 2014. The newness is that the group of Hard Rock Hotel, will cling to the beach Boca de Tomates that is located between the limits of Nayarit and Jalisco.

This OVC congratulates by their adhesion to the project to the enterprise sector: Hard Rock Hotel, Mexico Surf, Dolphin Discovery and Instituto Harkness; and to the civil associations: Amigos de Bucerías, Vecinos de Playas de Bucerías, Manos a la Obra,Granito de Arena, Entre Amigos,Playa Ecological Platanitos, Association of Hotels and Motels of Compostela and Fundación Punta de Mita.

Also to the people who do not belong to any group and they do not need more than the will to help and to improve beaches of the region, for sample the community of Isla de Mexcaltitán. Of the 2015 it is a hopeful panorama, in which more groups Integrate themselves to this praiseworthy work.

For more information, commentaries or if you are interested in knowing the most thorough project, hours, points of contact or you want to propose your community to integrate itself to the Network of Beach
Cleaning of the Riviera Nayarit.

Contact: 2 97 25 16 ext. 108, with taste the OVC personnel the Riviera Nayarit will take care you.

[readon1 url="http://notivallarta.com/2014/12/11/red-de-limpieza-de-playas-cierra-el-ano-trabajando/"]Source:notivallarta.com[/readon1]

The youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Prize took the stage in Norway on Wednesday flashing a big grin as she held up the highly coveted prize.

But Malala Yousafzai’s shining moment was abruptly interrupted by an unannounced guest: a Mexican medical student carrying his country’s flag.

Yousafzai, the 17-year old Pakistani who received the prestigious award after she risked her life to fight for woman’s rights and child slavery in her country, looked on in confusion as the man rushed the stage dressed in black pants, a gray jacket and a camera hanging from his neck. The man, who has not been identified, was quickly detained by security in the building and escorted out of the ceremony.

While the lone protester's motive is unknown, there is speculation that he was trying to raise awareness for the 43 missing college students in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The unnamed medical student had earlier shaken Malala's hand in Oslo’s Grand Hotel, which is where she was staying, telling her how much he admired her.

“Please, Malala ... Talk about Mexico,” the man was heard telling her, Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang reported.

Norwegian officials have given little information about the Mexican medical student. Officials said he was seeking asylum in the Scandinavian country and he did not have a ticket to the Nobel Award ceremony. Police are now reviewing video surveillance to figure out how the man got into the heavily guarded ceremony.

“This person is now detained and we now working to find out what has happened,” Unni Waterhouse, a spokesman for the Oslo Police told local media. “We will come back with further information as soon as it is completed.”

By honoring this year's winners, the Norwegian Nobel Committee linked the peace award to conflicts between world religions and neigh-boring nuclear powers as well as drawing attention to children's rights.

The other awards — in medicine, physics, chemistry and literature — are set to be presented in Stockholm later Wednesday. The ceremonies are always held on Dec. 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel's death in 1896.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) announced today that it was named as One of the Best Places to Work in 2015 by Glassdoor, a career community that provides reviews of companies from current and previous employees. The airline placed 15th on the list, is the only airline to be recognized, and is the top-ranked Company within the travel industry to receive this award. This is the sixth consecutive year that Southwest Employee reviews have earned the carrier this distinction. Winners were chosen based entirely on company reviews submitted by Employees.

"We are proud to receive this recognition, and it's especially meaningful as it comes from our Employees," said Julie Weber, Vice President of People at Southwest Airlines. "We put our People first, and most of them feel that their job is a calling, rather than just a job. Our Employees are the best in the industry, and it is their hard work and passion that make Southwest one of the best places to work."

Glassdoor's list recognizes the 50 companies with the highest overall ranking based on reviews in 2014. The survey allows employees to provide anonymous reviews on the best reasons to work at the company, the downsides, and feedback for senior management. Employees rate their satisfaction with the company and the CEO, as well as workplace factors that include work/life balance, career opportunities, culture, communication, compensation and benefits, fairness and respect, employee morale, recognition and feedback, and Senior Leadership. A comprehensive list can be found at http://www.glassdoor.com/Best-Places-to-Work.

Glassdoor is a job and career community for employees and recruiters to gain first-hand insight to companies with more than six million reviews and millions of job opportunities. The site was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Sausalito, Calif.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 44th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by nearly 46,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually. Southwest and wholly owned subsidiary AirTran Airways operate more than 3,400 flights a day, serving 93 destinations across the United States and five additional countries. Subject to government approvals, service to San Jose, Costa Rica, begins in March 2015, and service to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, begins in June 2015.

Based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent data, Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded. The Company operates the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world, a majority of which is equipped with satellite-based WiFi providing gate to gate connectivity while over the United States. That connectivity enables Customers to use their personal devices to access streaming music provided by Beats Music, or to view video on-demand movies and television shows, as well as nearly 20 channels of free, live TV compliments of DISH. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer Bags Fly Free® (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply), and there are never change fees, although fare differences might apply. In September 2014, the airline proudly unveiled Heart, a new aircraft livery, airport experience, and logo, showcasing the dedication of Southwest Employees to connect Customers with what's important in their lives.

From its first flights on June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of Transportation as "The Southwest Effect," a lowering of fares and increase in passenger traffic wherever the carrier serves. With 41 consecutive years of profitability, Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. The 2013 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found at Southwest.com/citizenship.
Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines

It's a great time to get your AIR BAND back together, or do your own solo lip sync... either way, 5 people are going end up with Band Access pass kits (4 tickets each)! This is HUGE! Maybe you will be rockin' the weekend with JEFFERSON STARSHIP, FOGHAT, CHEAP TRICK, KANSAS and many more! details: http://s.heyo.com/214aea

Kaleidoscopio, a program airing on the Proyecto 40 television station, prepared some short films on the Riviera Nayarit to beam into their followers in over 10 million homes in Mexico. They also took shots of the most beautiful vistas in the destination as openers for their general programming.

The Mexican tourist has historically occupied the top spot in number of visitors to the region, which means maintaining the destination’s presence and positioning in the domestic market is a priority with the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). Thus, the press trip arranged with Proyecto 40.

The production team for Kaleidoscopio, a popular program hosted by Vivian Silverstein, visited the destination in October to film and later produce two short films on the Riviera Nayarit to be aired in November. They also took a series of shots to be used in the production of openers, closers and bumpers for other shows.

The Capitals of the Riviera Nayarit were the protagonists of this trip that included a stop in Sayulita where they focused on surfing and in San Pancho they filmed a turtle liberation event. These made up the first film.

The second was shot at the Marina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle where they also included takes of Bucerías, focusing on the Huichol culture, the gastronomy and the services offered by the most modern Marina in Mexico.

The ample reach of Proyecto 40 via open analog and digital signals, as well as on pay TV, extends to 10 million homes, which equals 38 million viewers.

Its principal coverage extends along the northern border with the United States, the area of the Gulf of Mexico and the interior of the country. This area includes states that have historically sent a high number of visitors to the destination, including Jalisco, Estado de México, Mexico City, Nuevo León, Guanajuato and Chihuahua, just to name a few.

Their viewers are primarily male and female young adults between the ages of 25 and 45. This strategy seeks to strengthen the destination’s presence in the aforementioned sectors.

Through Kaleidoscopio, Proyecto 40 offers their viewers a variety of documentaries on differing topics. Click here to see those filmed in the Riviera Nayarit:

http://www.proyecto40.com/programa/kaleidoscopio/galeria/2014-11-12-14-40/kaleidoscopio-desde-la-riviera-nayarit/.

http://www.proyecto40.com/programa/kaleidoscopio/nota/2014-11-05-14-53/liberacion-de-tortugas-san-francisco--riviera-nayarit/.

If you live in southern California you know that tamales are a Christmas tradition, and being of Hispanic origin is not a prerequisite. During the holidays, homemade tamales are highly coveted; you’ll find families ordering tamales from Mexican restaurants (we ordered ours from Las Barcas, a local neighborhood family-owned restaurant) or from some other inside connection established through a friend or co-worker who knows a family that makes tamales to sell during the holidays.

Naturally, including the art of tamale-making had to be part of my series on preserving traditions through cooking and thanks to Aracely, aka Daytripping Mom, I was able to experience it first-hand.

The tradition of tamales dates back to Meso-American times when, long before the Spaniards arrived, Mesoamericans believed that God crafted humans from corn. “Quite literally, corn was their substance of life.” An excerpt from a Seattle PI article states:

Because corn was so important, preciously wrapped tamales became a part of ritual offerings, a human stand-in, of sorts. “When the conquistadors came, and human sacrifice was no longer acceptable, they used tamales as a substitute, placing little bundles of corn as offerings,” says Alarcón.

To this day, the most sacred occasions in Mexico — baptisms, first communions, and special wedding anniversaries — are still marked with the ritual of tamale making.

Enter Josefina Vega, Aracely’s mom, who makes 200-300 tamales every Christmas. She carries on the tradition of beginning at midnight on Christmas eve and working until 4 or 5 a.m. making the masa, slow-cooking the meat, soaking the corn husks, and assembling the tamales. Aracely added that, besides making tamales, the other tradition is having a tired and cranky mother on Christmas Day :-) Nonetheless, she is learning to make tamales and other Latin dishes so her family can appreciate the foods of their heritage.

Tamale fillings vary by region (as do the wrappers and masa); savory fillings from shrimp to a rich, dark mole to sweet fillings of fruit such as pineapple and raisins. Josefina is from Sinaloa in northern Mexico where they use more vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Probably the most common filling is pork with pasilla chiles. Today, Josefina was making spicy pork tamales, with jalapeno peppers adding the heat – I don’t know about you, but I love spicy! Not hot, just a little kick that fills your mouth and is soothed by a gulp of icy cold beverage.

But I digress… The meat mixed with pasilla chiles, cumin, oregano, garlic and onion and is slow-cooked in the oven for several hours. While the meat is cooking, prepare the masa and soak the corn husks in water until they are soft.

Organization is the other key to tamale success. Before starting the actual assembly, the fillings should be ready to go, leaf wrappers and ties (if you use them) should be soaked and cleaned, and a steamer should be prepared. Steam the tamales for 30 – 45 minutes depending on size and thickness.

Enjoy them as they are or I like them topped with a mango salsa alongside a green salad for a fresh twist.

The best tamales are made from fresh unprepared masa and corn husks purchased at Latin markets. Traditionally masa is mixed with lard, but Josefina uses soybean oil and olive oil rather than animal fat because its a healthier alternative and she is diabetic. The substitution can result in the masa being a little drier and less fluffy. Garlic, onion, and water from the cooked meat is added to the masa for flavor. Josefina doesn’t have a recipe but if you would like try your hand at making tamales, here is one. Perfecting a dough (masa) that will be fluffy, not leaden, when it is steamed is the trickiest part of tamale making and, just like anything else, takes practice

Protesting against new Mexican fees and rules placed upon the imports of used cars from the United States, Mexican demonstrators stalled and blocked traffic near at least four heavily crossed entry points along the United States' southern border.

According to Reuters, the Veterans International Bridge between Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros, Mexico remained, due to the demonstrations, closed until Monday evening.

The cargo lanes at the port of entry between Calexico and Mexicali remained closed until about 8 p.m.
The traffic at the Otay Mesa entry point in San Diego was finally clearing at around 7:30 p.m., where crowds of protesters had started to gather in demonstration since around 10:20 a.m. and eventually grew to a throng of several hundred people.

In the end, hundreds of fully loaded trucks were unable to cross in order to make deliveries to Tijuana maquiladora factories or even to stock grocery shelves.

The protests were expected, and the U.S. State Department sent out a message on Sunday that warned U.S. citizens of “significantly delayed crossing times and of the potential closure of many of the points of entry between the United States and Mexico due to multiple protests," U-T San Diego reports.

According to the Associated Press, Mexico imported more than 640,000 used cars from the U.S. for resale in 2013, while selling about 1 million Mexican-made cars, a number that has remained consistent for about four or five years now.

Alfonso Esquer, the Tijuana spokesman for the Mexican trucking chamber CANACAR, called the situation “a huge problem,” U-T San Diego Reports. He said that about 3,000 southbound trucks cross daily through Otay Mesa, and of this amount, 2,000 are loaded trucks and 1,000 cross the border empty in order to pick up products in Mexico and take them to San Diego.

[readon1 url="http://www.latinpost.com/articles/27411/20141209/mexico-news-mexican-protesters-block-major-border-entry-points-response.htm"]Source:www.latinpost.com[/readon1]