When you are trying to improve your health and lose weight, there are certain foods that you should avoid.

Many of these foods are obviously unhealthy because they contain ingredients that are known to cause weight gain.

However, some other foods which are not so obviously linked to weight gain can nevertheless turn out to be just as bad for you.

These foods are deeply problematic, because most people do not know to avoid them and therefore end up consuming them much more often than they should. Here are 5 foods that you should never eat again:

1. White Bread

White bread is a staple in most pantries, but the truth is that it doesn’t have any nutritional value. White bread contains a lot of sugar and it doesn’t have the ability to keep you satisfied, so within a few hours you are likely to find yourself feeling hungry and reaching for snacks.

As a result of these factors, it is unsurprising that research on those who eat white bread shows a correlation between eating larger quantities of white bread and being more likely to gain unwanted weight over a period of 12 years. As it turns out, even breads that claim to be wheat could contain more sugar than grain and should often be avoided.

Ideally, you should replace your white bread with whole grain or whole wheat bread whenever possible, as whole wheat bread is positively good for your health.

For example, it is a source of gamma-oryzanol, which lowers cholesterol levels if consumed on a regular basis, and some studies even suggest that women who eat the largest amount of whole grains are around 40% less likely to develop breast cancer (when compared to women who eat the smallest amount of whole grains).

In addition, don’t forget that you can also substitute white bread on your sandwiches with lettuce leaves or whole grain tortillas.

2. Fried Foods

It is common knowledge that fried foods are not healthy and should be avoided whenever it is feasible.

In addition to causing you to pile on the pounds, these foods are of little nutritional value and can cause some serious health problems.

They are associated with higher cholesterol and higher blood pressure, both of which decrease your cardiovascular health and make you more likely to suffer from heart disease or strokes.

Fried foods can also upset the digestive system, leading to uncomfortable acid reflux, and potentially exacerbating the cramps or gas pains associated with irritable bowel syndrome.

Unfortunately, many people exclusively associate fried foods with the French fries, chicken nuggets, onion rings and burgers that you can buy at fast food restaurants. These people remain unaware that they may also be consuming unhealthy fried foods at home.

If you want to improve your health, you should never fry your meals in a pan on the stove or in a deep fat fryer. Instead, consider baking or broiling.

For example, you can oven-bake lean chicken breasts with a coating of herbs and spices, creating a delicious dinner that has very little fat content and provides you with plenty of protein. Meanwhile, red meat can be garnished with vinegar and minced garlic, and then broiled over coals.

Popular Examples of Fried Foods to Avoid

Some of the most common examples of fried foods that you should avoid include the following:

French fries

Anything that is fried, even vegetables, will be a source of trans fat and contain a potent cancer-causing substance called acrylamide.

While this chemical can be formed in many foods when they’re heated to a temperature above 120 degrees Celsius (i.e. 248 degrees Fahrenheit), French fries and potato chips are the biggest offenders.

It is often said that one French fry is worse for your health than one cigarette.

Deep fried chicken

While a mere 320 calories per thigh seems skimpy, remember that you’ll likely eat at least 3 (and perhaps even as many as 10). Since one thigh contains 25 grams of fat, eating deep fried chicken quickly leads to weight gain.

Further, let’s not forget Popcorn Chicken; just one serving contains a staggering 1,300 calories and 80 grams of fat (19 grams of which are saturated fat).

Fried chicken is even worse for you when you consider the fact that frying oil is very rarely changed.

Doughnuts

Doughnuts are fried, sugary, and almost always contain trans-fat as well as white flour. Store-bought doughnuts are made up of about 35% to 40% trans-fat, and an average doughnut contains about 200 to 300 calories (which are mostly from sugar) and few other nutrients.
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Furthermore, in the US, canola, soybean, and corn oils are made primarily from genetically engineered crops, which come with their own set of health risks.

3. Cream-based Salad Dressings

Salads have a reputation for being healthy, so many people turn to them when they are dieting and trying to eat more nutritious foods.

This is an excellent idea in many cases, as salads can be very nutritious and are often low in calories.

However, it is important to avoid making an unqualified claim that all salads are healthy; in reality, they can become quite bad for you when they are drenched in cream-based dressings.

Although these types of dressings add a lot of extra flavor to salads and can make a meal more enjoyable, it is crucial to remember that they contain a lot of fat and calories. In fact, there can be end up being be more calories in your salad dressing than in the rest of your entire salad, completely undermining your attempts to shed excess weight.

Worst types of cream based salad dressings

* Creamy and delicious, Ken’s Steakhouse Buttermilk Ranch dressing is popular as a salad topper and is often added to vegetables as well.

However, it is a pretty unhealthy pick that contains 180 calories and 280 milligrams of sodium per 2 tablespoons, encouraging weight gain and potentially impacting on heart healthy by raising blood pressure.

There are many healthier and tastier choices, such as Hidden Valley Fat-Free.

* Newman’s Own Italian Dressing is also a popular marinade. While it may be a better choice than a creamier topping, this dressing will definitely negate the health value of your salad.

Filled with 130 calories and 360mg of sodium, this tasty dressing isn’t worth the risk of gaining unhealthy fat.

* Known as a variant of Remoulade and Russian Dressing, the unhealthiest Thousand Island dressing is Ken’s Steakhouse with its shocking 300 milligrams of sodium and 13 grams of fat per 140-calorie serving.

Obviously, this dressing is another one that actually defeats the purpose of eating a salad in the first place. Try Kraft’s Fat-Free Thousand Island dressing instead; as well as being a tasty alternative, it is probably one of the healthiest additions to your salad.

* Last, but not the least, adding Marie’s Blue Cheese Dressing to a salad is a guaranteed way of spoiling your salad’s nutritional value. One serving contains 160 calories, 17 grams of fat, and 160 milligrams of sodium.

4. White Rice

Rice is a common ingredient in recipes, and it is also a popular side dish chosen to accompany meat dishes.

Most people simply assume that rice is healthy, but the nutritional value of rice is entirely dependent on the type of rice you choose.

Crucially, white rice is just like white bread; it can encourage your body to store excess fat that it doesn’t need and make it harder to lose weight. In addition, it has little nutritional value.

When it comes to choosing rice for a meal or a side dish, always opt for brown rice if you want to boost your overall health. Brown rice is full of fiber, vitamins and nutrients.

The high fiber content helps you to feel full and satisfied for longer (reducing your likelihood of overeating or reaching for a pack of cookies), and some studies also suggest that the plant lignans in brown rice can reduce your risk of developing heart disease (perhaps by combating arterial hardening).

However, the benefits don’t end here. Brown rice continues to be a popular subject of nutritional research, with experts currently exploring everything from a link to a reduction in asthma symptoms to the possibility that people who eat the most brown rice are less likely to develop cancer.

In sum, brown rice not only lacks the properties that link white rice to health risks, but it also contains a whole host of extra properties that are directly connected to health benefits.

5. High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener that is often found in popular sodas, processed foods, baked goods and pasta sauces.

There is heated debate about whether high fructose corn syrup is good or bad for your body, and the scientific community has yet to reach a consensus.

However, as it stands, there is certainly some compelling evidence that it can quickly cause you to gain extra weight and even stimulate an increased craving for sugar or sugary foods.

There are also justified concerns that overeating sugary foods and foods that are high in fructose corn syrup may even increase your risk of suffering from diabetes or developing other health problems. Due to the fact that high fructose corn syrup may increase triglyceride levels, it could also be linked to a higher likelihood of heart disease.

Try to avoid any processed sugars and opt for healthier dessert options such as fresh fruits and berries. When it comes to finding alternatives to sodas that contain high fructose corn syrup, you have a few different options.

You could opt for fruit juice or diet soda, but it is worth remembering that the former can be very high in sugar and that the latter is associated with its own set of health concerns. Water is always the healthiest choice, and it can be made more refreshing with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime.

[readon1 url="http://www.mydiet.com/5-foods-you-should-never-eat-again/7/"]Source:www.mydiet.com[/readon1]

The video promoting Riviera Nayarit begins with “I can’t get this place out of my mind…” It’s easy to understand why Visit Mexico would promote this beautiful state on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Riddled with gorgeous beaches and majestic mountains, a visit here is likely to stay with you for quite some time.

During my stay in Riviera Nayarit, I was invited to stay at the brand new all-inclusive resort, Iberostar Playa Mita. A chain based out of Spain, Iberostar owns ten hotels in Mexico, but this is their first offering on the Western coast. Iberostar, the 5-star “Premium Gold” destination,  offers deluxe family-friendly accommodations. Kids will love the ocean front beach, pool, splash park, playground, and youth activities. Parents can take advantage of drop off at the kids’ club, babysitting services, spa, gym, entertainment, and multiple options for dining and cocktails. Iberostar Playa Mita proves that family fun and luxury can coexist.

The journey from the airport in Puerto Vallarta to Iberostar Playa Mita gave hints of what lie ahead. The landscape is decorated with the Sierra Madre Mountains, palm trees, small towns, and the sea.

Guests must offer proof of reservation to pass through the gates, insuring maximum security. At reception, we were greeted with welcome cocktails in the resort’s stunning entranceway, before being whisked off to our ocean front rooms via golf cart.

The room offered a king bed and seat/daybed, perfect for a small family. The view from the private balcony of the ocean was magnificent and there were nice details, like a drying rack for wet bathing suits and dual capable outlets.

Wifi was spotty within the resort but worked like a charm in my room. Staying in my room was the problem…

Iberostar Playa Mita offers a multitude of activities including a variety of water sports from kayaking to windsurfing, a gorgeous infinity pool with a swim-up bar, fitness and dance classes, entertainment, spa services, gym, and a 9-hole Greg Norman-designed golf course. I started my trip right with a quick dip in the ocean before meeting for drinks at the hotel’s gorgeous rooftop bar, Sea Soul, before dinner.

My first full day in Mexico started with some exercises overlooking the ocean, followed by breakfast at the El Nopal buffet. The choices were overwhelming, with enough options to please any palate, including a variety of fresh tropical juices.

Mid-morning, our group met for a tour of the resort. We had a chance to check out all of the gorgeous views, special event spaces, intricate design details like thatched roofs, landscaped walkways, cozy resting spots.The kids splash park, playground, had me missing my family terribly! Luckily, there were non-stop fun activities to distract me from their absence.

After the waves proved to be too choppy for kayaking, we split up to enjoy the afternoon however we chose. I made a dash for the salsa lesson that was about to start and managed to drag half of my fellow travelers with me. They paid me back by nominating me to partner with the instructor. Too. Much. Fun.

Hot and sweaty from all that dancing, I took a dip in the pool and had cerveza at the swim up bar because, you know, it was there.

Before getting ready for happy hour and dinner, I made a pit stop at Spa Sensations for a fantastic pedicure. I may or may not have fallen asleep in the massage chair. I’ll never tell.

The crew met for drinks in the lobby and then enjoyed a delicious meal at the steakhouse called La Bahia. The evening ended with a fun show at the theater and a little dancing at the adjacent disco.

The following day, more new experiences awaited outside the resort. Thanks to the tourism board of Riviera Nayarit, we were treated to an amazing day exploring the area. We first took a short drive around Banderas Bay where we were picked up in small boat with a couple guides from Vallarta Adventures.

After transferring to a larger boat, we sped off for the Marietas Islands, while being prepped for a snorkeling excursion.

I was a bit nervous when our guide told us we’d be swimming though a cave to a hidden beach in the center of the island. Never one to pass up an opportunity for a new experience, I tossed my jitters aside and went for it.

Upon arriving at the island, we were instructed to hop off the boat after being given goggles, a life preserver, and flippers (which are much harder to maneuver than I had thought…) As a group we swam to the mouth of the cave, and I had my first opportunity to try out my snorkeling gear. It took a minute or two to get used to breathing to the tube but once I did I was stunned. The entire peaceful underwater world was there for my viewing and it was fascinating!

In single file, we swam through the cave to a small beach in the middle of the island. There were smaller tunnels throughout, which some of my braver travel-mates explored. Meanwhile, I soaked in the beauty of the island and spied on crabs hiding in the rocks. After traveling back through the cave, we were offered more time to snorkel and this time I saw beautiful brightly colored fish, schools of tiny fish swimming in unison, and beautiful underwater caves and rock formations. Just as we headed back the boat, I was stung by a jellyfish on my neck. Um… ouch!

I spent some of the boat time recovering from the pain while the rest of the group explored another island beach. When we returned to shore, we were treated to amazing Mexican seafood feast on the beach at Mariscos Tino’s, complete with a round of tamarind margaritas. Is there a word beyond delicious? I may need to invent one after that meal. Everything was seasoned and cooked to perfection. We were approached by several vendors during our lunch, offering their wares. It seemed somewhat unusual at first but a few of us ended up getting some steals, including me!

We headed to coastal fishing town Sayulita to soak in a little local culture.

Our first stop was to Galeria Tanana where we saw stunning artwork of the Huichol tribe, who are native to the area. Their artwork includes beautiful beadwork, embroidery, and intricate yarn paintings.

It was fascinating to watch this artist at work.

We made the short trip back to the resort after a little shopping to prepare for our final evening meal and one last sunset over the ocean.

I woke early enough on my last day to catch the sunrise over the mountains, determined to make the most of my last moments in paradise.

I had an amazing time. Just as the video I referenced at the start of this post promised, I can’t get Riviera Nayarit out of my mind. I can’t wait to go back with my family. I know they will love the scenery, activities, and culture as much as I did. Iberostar Playa Mita is gorgeous resort and the customer service was impeccable.
But you know what made my trip truly special?

New friends!

Riviera Nayarit, Mexico

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1. Life is an adventure. There is a big world out there to explore. Seeing it on TV or in the movies is one thing. Getting out and experiencing it is totally different. You can watch a TV special about a person walking down a jungle trail and seeing a python in a tree, or, you can walk down a jungle trail and see the python yourself. The first experience you will forget tomorrow; the second you will remember for a lifetime.

“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”  Helen Keller

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”  Jawaharlal Nehru

“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” Pat Conroy

2. We all need to escape on occasion. Life can be hectic. We get lost in our day-to-day existence. Traveling breaks the chain. It recharges our batteries. Even planning a trip eases the tedium by giving us something to dream about.

“One of the gladdest moments of human life is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the leaden weight of routine, the cloak of many cares and the slavery of home, man feels once more happy.”  Richard Burton

3. Travel challenges and changes our understanding of the world. Not only do we learn about other places and other cultures, we learn more about our own. When I returned from serving for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa, I realized that even my father had a slightly different culture than mine. He had been raised in a different time, had different experiences, and even had different beliefs. There was much I could learn from him, just as I did from the Kpelle people of Liberia.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”  Mark Twain

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”  St. Augustine

 “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.”  G.K. Chesterton

4. Travel can also change how we view ourselves and how we perceive the world around us. For 20 years of my life, I took people on hundred mile backpack trips. Few of these people had ever backpacked 100 miles and some had never backpacked at all. The sheer physical challenge of hiking up and over mountains for nine days while dealing with weather, insects and wildlife created an adventure they would never forget. For many, it was a life-altering event. It changed their perspective of who they were and what they could accomplish. Any journey can change how you view yourself and the world… but you have to be open to learn from the experience.

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” Martin Buber

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”  Henry Miller

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.”  Bill Bryson

5. Great beauty exists in the world. Whether it is a towering redwood on the northern coast of California or a towering cathedral in Florence, beauty is found wherever you wander. It can be as small as a raindrop on a flower, or as large as a waterfall cascading into Milford Sound, New Zealand. One doesn’t have to travel thousands of miles to find this beauty, however. It waits outside your door. Be like Bilbo Baggins: grab your pack and go charging after Gandalf. Treasures beyond your imagination await you.

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”  Andre Gide

“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.”  Frank Herbert

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by.” Robert Frost

[readon1 url="http://wandering-through-time-and-place.me/five-reasons-to-travel/"]Source:wandering-through-time-and-place.me [/readon1]

A presentation on the destination—accompanied by the delightful dishes of Chef Betty Vázquez—was offered to 40 domestic media.

As part of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) intense public relations efforts the organization recently offered a press conference to the top media in Mexico City.

The highlight of the event was an exquisite meal prepared by the Riviera Nayarit’s culinary ambassador, Chef Betty Vázquez. Forty of the city’s best media attended the event, guaranteeing ample domestic coverage.

The event took place in mid-May at the Estoril restaurant in Mexico City, where the Riviera Nayarit CVB announced the results from 2013 and gave them updates for 2014 for Mexico’s Pacific Treasure.

Among the attendees specializing in tourism were: El Souvenir, Boletín Turístico, Travel + Leisure, Travesías, Travel & News and National Geographic Traveler, just to mention a few.

The business papers included: Alto Nivel, CNN Expansión, Mundo Ejecutivo, Newsweek, and NEO. Among the culinary magazines: Turismo Gourmet, Food & Travel, El Gourmet, Saborearte and El Conocedor.

The always important social and lifestyle magazines included: Life & Style, Maxwell, Orange Grupo Editorial, Deep, Esquire, GQ, Time Out, Robb Report, Amura and Hotbook.

There were also general information media present, including: Publimetro, Reforma, El Universal, El Economista and Excelsior.

At the end of the event, the reporters were satisfied with the quantity and the quality of the information provided. They were also quick to congratulate Betty Vázquez for the delightful dishes she offered during the meal.

The press conference generated short-term results in many of the country’s media, thanks to the hundreds of thousands of impressions created by the joint circulation of the 40 media that were present.

These public relations efforts are all part of the focused positioning strategy for the brand on a domestic level, as Mexico delivers the highest number of visitors to the Riviera Nayarit.

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO — A plastic bottle recycler that employed 200 inmates at a prison in western Mexico has been forced out of business in the wake of state and municipal elections.

“The new authorities found the project not in their interests,” co-founder Octavio Victal García told Plastics News by email April 22.

However, Victal, who founded Tecnopenales SA de CV with his father in 2009, said he has formed a partnership with extruder and thermoformer Site Plásticos SA de CV, of Guadalajara, where the company will be re-launched.
“We will finish installing the equipment [in Guadalajara] in a couple of weeks,” he added. “Site has top-of-the -line PTI non dry extrusion technology which will fit perfectly with our recycling capabilities.”

Victal did not say whether the Tecnopenales name will be retained and he could not be reached for further comment.

He and his father, Octavio Victal Senior, a heart surgeon, invested several million dollars in setting up the company at the Centro Integral de Justicia Regional Puerto Vallarta, one of five penitentiaries in the western state of Jalisco.

The company bought commingled bales with PET, polypropylene and high density polyethylene bottles and was processing 40 tons of mixed bales every month in 2012.
By then it was a $1 million-plus business which Victal believed to be unique in Latin America

[readon1 url="http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20140519/NEWS/140519915/plastic-bottle-recycler-in-mexico-shuts-down"]Source:www.plasticsnews.com [/readon1]

Regional Preparatory Students of Puerto Vallarta participate in the extracurricular program called "Virtual Mom", which aims to raise awareness among students about early motherhood, which involves physical and psychological process involved and even the expenses this creates.

Thus voluntary students who participate must care for a virtual baby for five days, which should be fed as often as required, change the diaper, and other care that a newborn needs; the baby can not be left at home, so that young people take time from their class schedules to care.

The director of the Regional Preparatory, Armando Soltero Macías, said the "Virtual Mom" program originates from the detection of a lack of commitment, interference and responsibility of each family in the case of teenage pregnancy students.

"We are concerned about the pregnancy of the students which had regularly been between seven and 10 cases a year. Now after implementation of the program, there has only been one."

In some cases, the students experience the program individually but they may also share the responsibility with their partner.

The virtual baby cries when it is hungry, has colic or needs to sleep. It is also necessary to feed and change the diapers and also to hold the baby when needed. Actions of a real baby are simulated and the young women are put on a wrist sensor which identifies that the virtual baby is with its "mom."

This program is divided into four stages: physically simulating pregnancy, living with a doll that records the attentions of the alleged mother, attending a live birth, as well as participation in various papers on the management of responsible sexuality.

 Process

The dynamic is that the student who voluntarily enroll in the program to experience various activities and situations a woman in gestation and duties as a mother when the baby is born.

In the first step, the student is placed in a device shaped apron weighing nine to 13 kilos, which also allows direct recreation, during five days of so-called "shame attacks" increased pressure on bladder and even changing positions when seat and walking.

Subsequently, the participant attends a virtual pregnancy royal birth in Vallarta Regional Hospital, which "takes a second impression of what is the process and the difficulties of labor."

During the third phase, the student takes over the doll representing a four months baby. She has to live and serve the needs that it requires 24 hours a day.

This is a list of myths that sometimes run around people who have never actually been to Mexico and have formed this “image” of this country based on what they see on the news or movies, some of them are actually funny but some others are very serious, I hope you can enjoy them:

1- In Mexico everyone dresses wearing a “charro hat” and a “zarape” (Mexican poncho) around their shoulders.

Absolutely false, these is now part of the “culture” attire and people only wear it at special events or parades.

2- Other than the beach towns, Mexico is a deserted country with cactuses and empty fields, that is why people migrate to the US.

False, Mexico has all kinds of terrain, from deserts to mountain formations, lakes, rivers; you can almost find any type of landscape.

3- Everyone watches bull fights on the weekends.

This is one of cultural legacies from the Spaniards and it is still featured on some of the major cities but for the majority of Mexicans it is considered animal cruelty and people are working hard to have them banned.

4- All the houses are hacienda style and tiled roofs.

False, some of the houses are still made on that style but for the majority of people they are too expensive to build so most of the construction is done using concrete, steel and glass.

5- Mexicans eat tortillas with everything.

True, most Mexicans would have Tortillas at home and most of the dishes prepared at home can be served with tortillas.

6- Mexicans eat Tamales, Tacos and Burritos all the time.

False, these are traditional dishes that Mexicans enjoy once in a while but they cook different dishes daily to feed their families.  Just like Americans don’t eat hamburgers or hot dogs every day or Japanese people don’t eat sushi every day, Mexicans don’t eat tacos every day.

7- Crime has increased in Mexico and is very unsafe for tourists.

False, crime has increased as the government has tighten up on drug lords but for the most part it involves criminals fighting each other and the tourism  rarely has anything to do with this situation.

Puerto Vallarta is one of the friendliest places in the word, full of activities and culture.  Please contacts if you have any question or concern about the area.  We will be happy to help answer your questions and help you organize a vacation week full of great activities and tours for the whole family.

[readon1 url="http://bestpuertovallartatours.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/top-myths-about-mexico/"]Source:bestpuertovallartatours.wordpress.com[/readon1]

Nearly 450 inmates required medical attention in an episode of food poisoning at a maximum security prison in western Mexico, Jalisco state authorities said.

"None of the (affected inmates) is in serious condition, nor did any require medical transfer," the state public safety office said.

Officials did not mention the name of the prison, but media accounts identified the facility as Puente Grande.

Doctors and paramedics from the Jalisco health department and the municipal fire rescue services in Guadalajara and Tlaquepaque assisted the prison medical staff in treating the inmates for vomiting and diarrhea.

[readon1 url="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2014/05/26/hundreds-inmates-suffer-food-poisoning-at-mexican-prison/"]Source:latino.foxnews.com[/readon1]

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico — I was recently invited to visit Puerto Vallarta with some other writers to see an important sailing regatta and visit a wine show, two subjects of great interest to me.

I owned too many sailboats, including one I lived on in Antigua before moving to Napa Valley. I also was once a contributing editor to Sail magazine.

Of course, I also write about wine all the time.

But let’s be honest: The big draw was Puerto Vallarta itself. I hadn’t been there in almost 30 years, but I remember it as a slightly sleepy fishing town, smaller than Napa and made famous when Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton hung out there when he was making John Huston’s “Night of the Iguana.”

They didn’t have to ask me twice.

An ideal location

The airport in Puerto Vallarta is close to town. We stayed in the Westin, a luxury resort on the beach across from Marina Vallarta, a 500-slip marina surrounded by hotels, condos and a boardwalk with a variety of shops, galleries and restaurants.

It’s close to Puerto Vallarta’s busy cruise port — we saw giant cruise ships arrive and depart daily, always blowing their horns to make sure we noticed.

The Westin has two large pools, a beach bar and a beach restaurant amid palm trees and other symbols of the tropics.

My room was on the ninth floor, with great views and a covered balcony. The first thing I did when I arrived was to turn off the air conditioning, which wasn’t needed.

Joining the group

There we met the other writers, four guys from New York, another from San Francisco and an American woman who lived in Oaxaca; she was married to a Mexican man. We also met our tour guide, also from New York though his family was from Colombia.

That night, we enjoyed a luxury meal at the Westin’s outdoor restaurant, though, like most of our other meals, it didn’t reflect much of the local cuisine.

We had numerous margaritas during the week, each one more exotic than the last. Coming from Napa, I also noted little emphasis on wine, although the Chilean wine was good and reasonable.

The next morning, we had breakfast at the sumptuous buffet at the Westin, where I had to shoo a small bird off my table. The buffet had plenty of local foods, but also pancakes and bagels for those who’d like home transported to the exotic lands they visit.

Most of the writers departed for a swim with dolphins and sea lions, but I have mixed feelings about that, so I opted to explore the neighborhood. The others loved the dolphin experience.

We didn’t have time to try other adventure sports, but the area is famous for scuba diving, parasailing, mountain climbing, zip lines, sailing and horseback riding.

We had lunch in the attractive Velas Vallarta nearby, though the buffet in Andrea was what you’d find in any resort anywhere.

I asked our host about this, and he explained that this was a luxury tour — many of the guests wrote for upscale publications — and we were getting luxury food.

It turns out there are also street food tours; I broke away from the schedule to try some later.

The Vallarta Wine Fest

We attended the Vallarta Wine Fest, which was three long tables, each with a dozen wines from Spain, Italy or Chile, with a few excellent wines from Baja California’s Guadalupe Valley. These were accompanied by Costco serving appetizers, talks about wine and food demonstrations.

A school fundraiser in Napa would blow it away, but admittedly, Mexico hasn’t developed much of a wine culture.

That evening was a delight as we traveled to a hillside restaurant, Vista Grill, for cocktails overlooking the bay, and I realized how the area had changed in 30 years.

The city now has a population of almost a quarter of a million, and high-rise hotels ring the bay north of Puerto Vallarta in Nayarit state (Puerto Vallarta is in Jalisco).

A real Puerto Vallarta experience

Dinner was a highlight of the trip. It was at La Palapa (a palapa is an open-sided building with a thatched roof). It was right on the water near the newly renovated Los Muertos Pier, which boasts a large sculpture like a sail.

La Palapa has been there so long that Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, who were married to other people then, hung out in the restaurant. It displays old photographs of the area that show the dramatic change — but the restaurant remains.

The food was excellent,and plenty was authentically Puerto Vallartan, mostly seafood like the tortilla soup and grilled dorado (mahi-mahi) I enjoyed.

Watching a sailboat race

The next day was the race day. The regatta was part of the important Mexican Ocean Racing Circuit, also called MEXORC Copa Corum, and it coincided with Mexico’s Fleet Week and the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Yacht Race with 25 highly competitive boats.

The local races involved many other boats competing during the week in many classes.

We boarded a large spectator boat to head out to watch the races, traveling up to large Bandera Bay in front of the large resorts along the Riviera Nayarit.

Most of the guests were Mexican journalists and their families, all very friendly.

We enjoyed traditional margaritas (tequila comes from Jalisco) and local Pacifico beer (Corona is for tourists!) and little food, so everyone was happy.

We did have a mountain of excellent guacamole and the local ceviche, which is made of ground fish, not the chunks we are used to.

They also served pico de gallo (rooster’s beak), which isn’t what we call pico de gallo here, which they call salsa Mexicana. It’s pieces of jicama, cucumber and other fruits and vegetables sprinkled with lime juice and ground chili.

While waiting for the races to begin — there’s always a lot of waiting in sailboat races — our boat cut the anchor line of one of the marker buoys. The captain wasn’t very popular with the race committee that had to reset the mark.

Finally, the race began. These were traditional sailboats, not super-fast multihulls like those in the recent America’s Cup, but in spite of jokes about how boring a sailboat race is, it was exciting to see the crews jostle for space around the markers and pop their chutes (spinnakers), a glorious sight with the bright colors, some Mexican flags.

As we were returning, we got a distress call, and headed back to rescue a small inflatable boat that had run out of gas. The cute girls in bikinis seemed to enjoy being rescued as much as crewmembers did.

That night we had drinks with the racers, then dinner at Porto Bello, an Italian-Mexican restaurant with a menu that would be familiar in Omaha.

Seeing more of town

Rising on the steep cliff is what will be Mantamar resort. The developers are gutting and renovating an old apartment building and adding parking and other amenities. It will offer shared ownership, ideal for people who like to spend some time in Puerto Vallarta each year.

Friday night we had dinner at Café des Artistes, a renowned multilevel French-Mexican-ish restaurant with trees and plants growing in the upper stories open to the sky (it rains mostly during the summer!). Much of the food was innovative, combining French techniques with local ingredients as is popular here.

Saturday was another day to watch the races, but most of us elected to tour the town. It’s very inviting, clean and filled with shops and restaurants ranging from tacky T-shirts and tacos to fine jewelry and gourmet food.

We watched local children practicing their dancing, the impressive cathedral and of course walked along the Malecon, the walkway along the sea. It was shaded by palm trees, with sculpture, especially of seahorses, the town symbol, and dolphins.

There’s a pleasant walkway on Cuale Island in the river in the center of the city, and I grabbed lunch there — a local beer, aquachile of scallop (spicy ceviche), a seafood taco and a Pacifico.

The older parts of the city are lovely and perfect for exploring. Cars are discouraged; the city has an excellent and cheap bus service, but taxis are cheap, too.

That night, we had cocktails and appetizers at La Leche, a restaurant decorated in white inside with milk jugs lining the walls. We met the interesting owner and I must admit I would have loved to dine there, but we joined the racing crowd for a festive banquet.

Along with the speeches and awards, we saw demonstrations by local folk dancers, an amazing site. We sometimes get dancers here from that region; they’re worth watching.

A friendly place to visit

Would-be tourists to Mexico sometimes worry about safety, but from all I can tell, Puerto Vallarta hasn’t been infected with the problems that have affected some parts of Mexico. It gets lively at night, but not dangerous.

In fact, I’ve rarely been to a place where the people seemed so friendly and welcoming. Instead of resenting tourists, they seem to appreciate that we’re visiting them and helping them make a living.

If I were planning a visit on my own, I’d find a nice small hotel downtown where I could walk to everything, and eat seafood for my whole visit. It would be an enchanting and affordable vacation, but I know that many people do like the luxury and convenience of resorts, and Puerto Vallarta has plenty of those, too.

[readon1 url="http://www.napalife.com/"]Source:www.napalife.com[/readon1][readon1 url="http://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/a-delightful-visit-to-puerto-vallarta/article_124200a5-2810-5e85-bf54-0feb293bdf0f.html"]Source:napavalleyregister.com[/readon1]

Puerto Vallarta

Mexican culture is a hugely diverse domain that encompasses vast differences in identity. The variety of influences throughout Mexican history, from the ancient Mayan civilization to the domineering European presence, has come to shape and define the enthralling country it is today.

The culture in Mexico is a product of the process of blending of indigenous practices and traditions with the Spanish colonial presence that impacted so heavily on all walks of life. There has been a constant struggle for Mexican people throughout history to define and promote Mexican identity. However, with so much political instability, wars with America and France, and colonial occupation, Mexican society has often struggled to form a cohesive identity.

As such Mexican art and literature has had somewhat of a tumultuous history too. There is an extensive array of beautifully preserved Mayan and Aztec buildings and many of their traditions have been upheld. However, with the effects of colonization, much of Mexican literature borrowed techniques and ideas from Europe. It wasn't until the post-revolutionary period that the arts in Mexico started to develop its own unique characteristics, and they soon evolved producing some of the most celebrated figures in international art and literature.

Whether it's the inspirational Frida Kahlo or the charm of Mariachi music that you want to know more about, this section will provide you with fascinating information into the complicated world of Mexican culture.

[readon1 url="http://www.donquijote.org/culture/mexico/"]Source:www.donquijote.org[/readon1]

We all know Punta Mita is paradise on earth, and two of the things we most enjoy here are: sunsets and the ocean, and even better if the sunsets involves an ocean view! Thinking of this Punta Mita Expeditions has created a new experience for all those who would like to enjoy Punta Mita from a different perspective. With their new Sunset SUP Sessions, you’ll have a unique view of Punta Mita at this magical time of the day.

Their Sunset SUP Sessions at St. Regis is a 1 hour activity ideal for enjoying with family and friends. You can either surf the calm waters of Punta Mita shore or simply sit down, relax and contemplate the breathtaking sunset. Tempting, no?

You’ll have wonderful  memories to take back home.

We also suggest to close the experience with a ice cold beer or a soft drink at The St. Regis’ Sea Breeze Beach, definitely  the best way to finish up a day on the beach!

For more information, prices and reservations, please contact the Ocean Activities Coordinator in any of their three locations: Residents’ Beach Club, The St. Regis’ Beach Club and the Outdoor Activities Center, located adjacent to the Punta Mita Real Estate Center at 329 291 6649 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

[readon1 url="http://livepuntamita.com/sunset-sup-sessions-at-st-regis-a-unique-view-of-punta-mita/"]Source:livepuntamita.com [/readon1]

Over the past week, a colorful mural has come to life in the parking lot that runs adjacent to the main road into Punta de Mita. The project was conceived by local resident and interior designer Katherine Nidermaier, who brought together the community – artists, kids, volunteers and donors — to help beautify our town, while sending a message of creativity and awareness of keeping our streets and beaches free of trash. Here is one volunteer’s story:

I was a collaborator and helper in most of the mural project, and I think it is an awesome idea to beautify the community and send awareness to the people that see it, that we have to save our oceans and not throw trash. The project was about one week long , so it was a long process even months before painting, and I really want to thank everyone that collaborated and helped. Especially the artists that wrote the message down so the people that pass by can see it.

The day the artists came and started painting I was really excited to meet them, and of everything in general about this. Throughout the first day there were many kids participating: people selling food and drinks, parents helping, and people coming by — even if only to admire the hard work — which gave me a huge smile. The  kids were painting, drawing, making masks and helping with the painting of the mural. It was amazing to see them smile and have fun to such a small event with their families.

I really hope this mural not only inspires people to be creative and show their talents, but also to be aware that if we keep trowing our trash in public, we will destroy the home that more than 7 billion people live in. It is horrible and sad to see trash thrown on the streets and in the ocean. The fact that people start to realize this through such a small gesture like this project, is truly amazing.

The more people start to help and think about this, the faster we can  save our home.

I got a chance to talk to two of the artists that did most of the painting, and as I like to say, beautify this area. One of them was a lady by the name of Mara Diaz Digilio.  I have to say that she really inspired me to be myself and be creative more often. The other artist goes by the name of Misael Ivan Lopez. He really did amaze me with his concentration and determination to do this large mural.

To end this off I want to thank Kathy Nidermaier, who organized this project.

[readon1 url="http://livepuntamita.com/helping-hands-in-the-punta-de-mita-mural-project/"]Source:livepuntamita.com [/readon1]