Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Recently we were informed of a disgruntled tourist in Puerto Vallarta who was very unhappy regarding being shortchanged at a convenience store. Seems the wife sent the husband for avocadoes, beer and water with a 500 peso note and he came back with 50 pesos. Some things just don’t add up and this was one of those times. Apparently he did something North Americans are accustomed to, considering he was being helpful to the cashier. He gave her an extra two pesos to round up the amount, supposedly making it easier for her to count back. Problem is… this is not an exercise that’s been adapted for the peso.

Until the Oil Crisis in the late 70’s, the peso was one of the most secure currencies in all of Latin America. Capital flight destabilized the peso for many years to come when Mexico defaulted on its external debt in 1982. President Carlos Salinas adopted a strategy called the “Stability and Economic Growth Pact” and on January 1, 1993, a new currency was introduced. The new peso Nuevo Peso in noted on each bill with MXN, whereas the old peso, which became immediately obsolete, was MXP.

One new peso was equal to 1000 of the old peso and it took Mexicans a while to make that adjustment. Tourists remained baffled for a much longer period of time; in fact, many people still have a difficult time making sense of the exchange rate.

Perhaps due to devaluation and constant fluctuations, cashiers have never bothered to learn how to count money back and therefore, visitors are less inclined to expect it.

However, we have a word of advice. When you hand over your money, regardless of the denomination or amount of change you offer, consider where you are standing. At the COUNTER, right? As defined in the dictionary it is a long flat-topped fixture in a store or bank across which business is conducted with customers. Do your counting there, before you walk away.

Mistakes can be made anywhere and instead of abruptly assuming dishonesty, we believe a much better approach is to make a constant habit of counting one’s change before one leaves the counter. An understanding of the exchange is also very useful. Before you go on your holiday to any foreign country, study the local currency and do your best to know how it compares to your own, so that you aren’t creating constant quandaries whenever you need to make a purchase. Don’t change your money in the airport or your home bank. Wait until you are in Puerto Vallarta or your chosen destination; we recommend using the ATM machines, as you are assured of getting the most recent daily rate. ATM’s at banks are the safest.

Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with a strategic location in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta in the Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Because the Puerto Vallarta area has varying neighborhood personalities, we practice localized real estate. We believe neighborhood knowledge is a top factor in solid sales, and we know our communities well.

We enable our clients to realize their vision for the future. We understand and plan for their concerns and are dedicated to transforming those concerns to peace of mind and joy.

Our philosophy of transparency, integrity, and professionalism imbues our culture with a tangible sense of purpose and results in the length and depth of the quality relationships we enjoy. We believe buying or selling a home is first and foremost about people. Of course we have the latest technology, marketing tools, statistics and research, but a successful real estate transaction really comes down to people. Connecting the right buyers to sellers or investors our professional agents structure solid transactions with successful solid outcomes. We believe in collaboration by connecting people in ways that bring satisfaction and success.

When you combine extensive local knowledge and our long standing reputation for honesty and sound judgment, you have an unbeatable resource at your disposal. You have Timothy Real Estate Group, a constant leader in Puerto Vallarta real estate.

You Can Vote from Here (FVAP)

On July 4, millions of overseas citizens, Service members and their families will celebrate U.S. Independence Day — all over the world. Among the many freedoms citizens enjoy is the right to vote from wherever they are.

During this election year, Americans living away from their voting residence can easily make absentee voting part of their Fourth of July festivities — with resources from the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP).

“Registering and requesting a ballot is a great way for Service members and overseas citizens to celebrate July 4th,” FVAP Director Matt Boehmer said. “The holiday is a perfect reminder that Americans anywhere have the freedom to vote, and FVAP.gov has everything they need to do so.”

From June 27 to July 5, FVAP will observe the holiday by holding Armed Forces Voters Week and Overseas Citizens Voters Week with support from the Military Services and State Department. During the week, U.S. military installations, embassies, consulates and overseas citizens groups offer voter registration opportunities as part of holiday celebrations. FVAP recommends voters register to vote and request an absentee ballot by Aug. 1 to ensure they can participate in the General Election on Nov. 8.

The voting rights of the millions of U.S. citizens living overseas, as well as Service members and their eligible family, are protected by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). About 75 percent of the 1.3 million Service members are eligible to vote absentee through the UOCAVA process since they are stationed away from their voting residence and polling place.

The first step for overseas citizens and Service members to vote absentee is filling out and sending in a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) — the registration and ballot request form accepted by all states and territories — available at FVAP.gov. The sooner voters register and request their ballot, the greater the likelihood they can successfully vote. That’s because ballots must be sent back before individual state deadlines, which vary.

Voters can visit FVAP.gov for their state’s specific voter registration and ballot request deadlines, as well as information on completing their FPCA. Voters can fill out the form by hand or use the online assistant before they print, sign and send the FPCA to their election office.

For additional information, visit FVAP.gov, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 1-800-438-VOTE (8683).

Federal Voting Assistance Program

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is a Department of Defense (DoD) organization that works to ensure Service members, their eligible family members, and overseas citizens are aware of their right to vote and have the tools and resources to successfully do so — from anywhere in the world.

FVAP assists voters through partnerships with the Military Services, Department of State, Department of Justice, and election officials from the 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. State and local governments administer U.S. elections, including those for federal offices. FVAP supports state and local election officials by providing absentee voting information, materials, training and guidance.

Voters can contact FVAP's call center at 1-800-438-VOTE (8683), DSN 425-1584 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Toll-free phone numbers from 67 countries are listed at FVAP.gov. Find FVAP on Facebook and follow on Twitter.

Nearly 20 years ago ACMC-Granite Falls family medicine physician Dr. Darrell Carter took his family on a tropical winter getaway. Over the next several years he and his wife—and sometimes his family—traveled to Acapulco, Cancun and Puerto Vallarta.

This beautiful destination has hosted great films as it has endless natural attractions, which make it a very desirable spot to visit. Here are the 10 films that probably you didn’t know they were filmed here:

The new signage offers locals and visitors information regarding the biodiversity of native birds along four different routes: the San Pancho estuary, the Ahuacatal Las Calabazas stream, Las Clavellinas and the Capomo trail.

24-year-old patient gets new organ in operation at federal employees' hospital

Puerto Vallarta performed very well for the first quarter of 2016 for hotel occupancy and total airport and cruise ship passengers registered for 2015.

Eight separate medical, academic, tech, sports and cultural meetings and conventions will be taking place in the Destination’s hotels between May and August, generating approximately 8,500 attendees.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.- Study finds just 60 of the porpoises left, down from 97 in 2014

The vaquita marina, a porpoise found only in Mexican waters, is headed for extinction according to the latest estimate of their numbers.

The International Commission for the Recovery of the Vaquita and Semarnat, the Environment Secretariat, used acoustic devices to identify surviving vaquitas in the Sea of Cortés between September and December last year. The results were released yesterday: they found 60.

That figure is down from the 97 identified in 2014, which triggered a 1-billion-peso federal program primarily designed to pay fishermen not to fish. The vaquita has been a victim of the shrimp and totoaba fisheries, showing up as bycatch in gillnets.

The totoaba is also an endangered species but its swim bladder is a delicacy in China, and fetches a good price — as much as US $5,000 in the U.S.

Omar Vidal of the Mexico office of the World Wildlife Fund believes there are fewer vaquitas than the 60 counted in the survey. He told The Associated Press he believes the porpoise can be saved but “this is clearly our last chance.”

He said the Mexican, U.S. and Chinese governments need to take urgent and coordinated action to stop the illegal fishing, trafficking and consumption of totoaba products, and called on Mexico to ban all fishing in the upper Sea of Cortés, home to the vaquita.

Illegal fishing is believed to have continued despite funds allocated from the billion-peso program to pay for monitoring vaquita habitat. The program, initiated just over a year ago, has also been criticized for distributing unequally the compensation payments to fishermen.

-Alejandro Olivera of the Center for Biological Diversity said most of the 2,700 fishermen received $220 to $40 a month but some got as much as $63,000.

Persistence and perseverance continue to pay off with this truly huge event thanks to the groups involved in the cleanups.

Just one month shy of the two-year mark, the Riviera Nayarit’s Beach Cleanup Network (BCN) will celebrate its 24th event on Saturday, May 14, 2016 in over 15 villages along the coast of Nayarit, from Nuevo Vallarta all the way to the Isla de Mexcaltitán. Over 500 people will come together in coordination with the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) to clean up the beaches and beyond.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.- On Sunday, Vallarta Pride starts its activities in the International AIDS Sunset Candlelight Memorial, an event sponsored by SETAC, linking Puerto Vallarta with marches around the world in memory of the AIDS victims. We invite you to join the march, dressed in white and with a candle, to remember, celebrate, honor the world and demand a sustainable response to AIDS.

Time: 8:00pm to 9:30pm
Location: From Lazaro Cardenas Park to Los Arcos, downtown

Confirm your attendance at our event on Facebook here

Download the complete Vallarta Pride 2016 calendar of events in English | Español

About the Memorial

The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, coordinated by the Global Network of People living with HIV is one of the world’s oldest and largest grassroots mobilization campaigns for HIV awareness in the world. Started in 1983, the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial takes place every third Sunday in May and is led by a coalition of some 1,200 community organizations in 115 countries.

About Vallarta Pride

Recognized internationally as a LGBTTIQ mecca, Puerto Vallarta is ready to receive domestic and international gay visitors, creating a sophisticated culture, sheltered by a vibrant local community that is constantly evolving. This heritage was adopted by the Vallarta PRIDE Organizing Committee in order to work together with public and private partners, putting our city on the world stage of the yearly LGBTTIQ celebrations.

Vallarta PRIDE works towards a future without discrimination so that we all have equal rights before the law. We believe we can achieve this through the LGBTTIQ events we organize to inspire, to commemorate and celebrate our community.

For more information, please visit the website or the official Facebook page

Steve and Robin at SPCA Puerto Vallarta (PVCA)

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.- We are so pleased to announce that Steve Dale, renowned certified animal behavior consultant and friend to the SPCA here in Puerto Vallarta, has accepted an invitation to join our organization. Steve Dale has been appointed to the post of Advisory Board Member of the U.S. arm of our organization, Prevent Cruelty to Animals aka PVCA Animal Rescue.

Steve has been a great friend to the SPCA for a number of years, having been guest speaker two consecutive years at our annual fundraiser. He has been instrumental in spreading the word about our rescue efforts and in particular our sanctuary on his blog, in various publications and during his syndicated radio show increasing our visibility within the United States.

Join us in welcoming Steve to our family.

Steve Dale, CABC (certified animal behavior consultant), over the past few decades has reached more pet owners than any other pet journalist in America.

He is the host of two nationally syndicated radio shows, "Steve Dale’s Pet World" and "The Pet Minute" (together heard on over 100 radio stations, syndicated Black Dog Radio Productions, since 2005). He’s also a special contributor at WGN Radio, Chicago and program host, "Steve Dale’s Pet World" (since 1997), and he formerly hosted nationally broadcast Animal Planet Radio.

More of Steve’s curriculum vitae can be located on his blog and be sure to find him on Facebook

This content was submitted by a member of the community. We'd like to hear from you, too! To share stories, photos, video or events for our calendar, please send them here.