SAN DIEGO — Americans planning to cross the border into Mexico may want to bring along some cash — or ‘pesos’ — because crossing the border could cost a fee.

U.S. citizens and other non-Mexican citizens who walk across the border to spend an extended period of time must now pay a fee for a permit, similar to a visa.

The fee is $28 to remain in the country for seven or more days.

The permit fee is part of a pilot program that currently only applies to people crossing on foot at both Otay and San Ysidro ports of entry. It could eventually be extended to vehicle lanes, Mexican officials said.

The new procedure will help Mexico keep better track of foreigners in the country and those who cross for work, Mexican immigration officials said.

But many see the fee as an inconvenience.

“We have enough things going down in Mexico to add another barrier or another excuse for not going into Mexico,” said Andres Mosqueira, who lives and works in San Diego but has family in Tijuana.

Others say the procedure is confusing and worry frequent crossers could get ripped off.

“If you’re staying more than seven days, you’re supposed to buy the permit. The confusion is that at the border, [officials] are not telling people that. They’re saying, ‘Oh you need to start buying a permit,’” said Mike Coburn, an American who lives in Mexico and crosses the border frequently.

Some Mexican businesses are not happy with the new fee.

“It doesn’t sound very smart,” a local businessman said. “The economy isn’t doing well and tourism is just starting to pick up and if you start charging people, well that won’t help.”

[readon1 url="http://fox5sandiego.com/2014/11/15/pilot-program-requires-americans-to-pay-to-cross-into-mexico"]Source:fox5sandiego.com[/readon1]

Bar owner Phil Hogan gets a cheeky snap with first lady Angelica Rivera Hurtado.

FORGET Obama. The man who turned down a date with the US President has gone one better in a meeting with the Mexican First Lady Angelica Rivera.

Jade Buddha co-owner Phil Hogan made headlines this week when he knocked back a much-sought after ticket to see the President speak at the University of Queensland because he couldn’t get a ticket for his wife.

But it seems the lucky bar owner has a magnetic pull — this afternoon he was paid a visit by Mexican First lady just hours after she arrived in Brisbane with her husband, President Enrique Peña Nieto. She stayed for more than two hours, with security closely watching over her.

Angelica Rivera spent more than two hours at Jade Buddha restaurant. Photographer: Liam Kidston

“We reckon she’s the most attractive delegate … she’s beautiful,” Mr Hogan said.

“Who needs Obama when the most attractive delegate has already graced us with her presence?”

President of Mexico Enrique Pena Nieto and first lady Angelica Rivera Hurtado at Brisbane Airport.

[readon1 url="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/jade-buddha-owner-phil-hogan-turns-down-date-with-obama-meets-mexicos-first-lady-angelica-rivera/story-fnmd7bxx-1227123825775?from=public_rss&nk=411f01f3eb9fe6c98b21840969e5f017"]Source:www.couriermail.com.au[/readon1]

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican officials say they will have to pay a Chinese-led consortium for costs incurred in filing the winning bid on a rail contract that the government later cancelled.

The government cancelled the contract on Nov. 6, just two days before Mexican media reported the president's wife was occupying a $7 million mansion registered in the name of a Mexican firm that formed part of the winning consortium.

Officials have said the decision was not related to concerns about the mansion, but was prompted by the need "to strengthen the absolute clarity, legitimacy and transparency" of the bidding process. The government said it would open a new round of bidding.

Communications and Transport Secretary Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said late Wednesday Mexico "will only have to pay the winning bidder's non-recoverable costs," but gave no estimate of how much that would be. Ruiz Esparza met with China Railway officials in China, as part of President Enrique Pena Nieto's visit there, to explain the decision.

According to a statement From Ruiz Esparza's office, "it was the legal moment to cancel the (contract) award with the fewest costs and risks," though critics said it would have been cheaper to re-think the bidding process earlier, when a total of 13 companies asked for — but were denied — more time to prepare bids.

Former Foreign Relations Secretary Jorge Castaneda wrote in a newspaper column Thursday that "we don't know the reasons for the government's costly errors; the regime doesn't share its secrets." (dropped word there)

The government has struggled to explain how first lady Angelica Rivera came to occupy a mansion registered in the name of a company that had also won extensive contracts from the State of Mexico while Enrique Pena Nieto was governor.

Presidential spokesman Eduardo Sanchez said the company had granted first lady a loan to buy the mansion, which she was paying off with money she made in her former career as an actress. Rivera already had a house on an adjoining lot that she had received from the nation's largest television network, Televisa, as part of her work with the broadcaster.

Both homes were acquired before Pena Nieto took office in December 2012.

[readon1 url="http://news.yahoo.com/mexico-pay-china-firm-cancelled-bidding-183307131.html"]Source:news.yahoo.com[/readon1]

MEXICO CITY (AP) – The Mexican government said Friday that a quarter of the pre-Hispanic artifacts listed for sale in a Bonhams auction catalog are fakes and that it will take legal steps to win the return of the other, genuine artifacts.

Bonhams' New York auction scheduled for Wednesday includes about 155 sculptures, ceramic vessels and other artifacts from the Aztec, Mayan and other cultures.

Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History said Friday it had asked Bonhams to withdraw the pieces. It added it plans legal measures to recover the genuine ones.

The auction house referred questions on the catalog to a woman in St. Louis, who said she knew about only two pieces in the auction, both of which she said were from Guatemala.

The institute said its experts had studied the catalog and found a quarter of the items to be "recently made reproductions, that is, fakes."

"The rest are national heritage pieces," it said.

It said it has been working with Mexican prosecutors starting in mid-October to "implement the legal and diplomatic measures to recover" the artifacts.

Some of the pieces belong to the Scott and Stuart Gentling Collection, put together by two private collectors, and the provenance of many pieces is simply listed as "acquired prior to 1980."

Others are listed as having been purchased at public auctions in the past.

Under a 1972 law, Mexico prohibited the purchase and sale of archaeological pieces, but allowed some previously existing collections to remain in private hands if they were registered with the government.

Mexico has demanded the halt of auctions in the past, with mixed results.

In 2013, the Mexican government demanded that Sotheby's auction house and the French government halt the planned sale of 51 pre-Columbian artifacts that were part of 300-piece Barbier-Mueller Collection. The auction went ahead anyway.

[readon1 url="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/lifestyle/2014/11/08/mexico-demanding-return-pre-hispanic-artifacts-up-for-auction-in-new-york/"]Source:www.reuters.com[/readon1]

Mexico has revoked a $3.75 billion high-speed rail contract from a China-led consortium after its uncontested bid prompted an outcry from lawmakers, souring a state visit to Beijing next week by President Enrique Peña Nieto.

After the contract to build the link was awarded on Monday, opposition politicians accused the government of favoring the group led by China Railway Construction Corp Ltd (601186.SS), the sole bidder.

Mexico's Communications and Transport Ministry, which has defended the bidding process, said on Friday it expects to re-run the tender in late November under the same terms, and would keep it open for six months to enable all interested parties to participate.

"The president wants this project which is so important for Mexico to not be questioned, to have absolute clarity," Transport Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said. "We expect more participation from train makers in the new tender."

China Railway Construction can take part in the new tender and could be eligible for compensation since Mexico's government withdrew the contract, he added.

French engineering group Alstom SA (ALSO.PA) and Canada's Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO) said they would consider taking part in the new tender.

INVESTMENT FOCUS

Since Peña Nieto took office in late 2012, he has tried to forge closer ties with China after years of rivalry between the two countries seeking to supply the U.S. market.

Announcing the contract on Monday, Mexico's government said the 210-km (130-mile) line to connect Mexico City and the central city of Querétaro would cost an estimated 50.82 billion pesos ($3.74 billion), which includes the construction and five years of operations.

The proposal came with a 20-year, China government-backed credit to cover most of the project's value, at interest rates below those available even to Mexico's government.

News of the contract's cancellation helped to drag down stocks in Shanghai on Friday and it came as an embarrassment for Peña Nieto ahead of his trip to China.

He is also due to unveil a joint investment fund with China, which has so far invested a tiny fraction in Mexico of the billions of dollars it has spent in Latin America as a whole.

The fund could be worth up to $5 billion, officials say.

China's CSR Corp Limited and China Railway Construction, both involved in the bid, could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters. Chinese financial news magazine Caixin, however, reported that both companies said they were unaware of the news and surprised when contacted for confirmation.

Shares in China Railway Construction slid nearly 5 percent after the news in their biggest drop since June 2013.

MORE TIME

Opposition lawmakers on Thursday questioned Ruiz Esparza over the deal, accusing the government of providing information to help the Chinese-led consortium and its Mexican partners.

Senators asked how 16 companies had pulled out of the bidding on such a prestigious project. Javier Corral of the center-right National Action Party (PAN) accused the government of sharing information with the winning team ahead of time.

Ruiz Esparza denied the accusations, but barely an hour later, the government said it would revoke the contract.

Senator Francisco Burquez, a PAN legislator who had attacked the deal, said he believed the about-face was due to domestic political pressure and media reports that noted Mexican winners of the bid were friends of Peña Nieto, but not outside intervention.

"I don't see anything beyond this," he told Reuters, calling the cancellation a major victory for transparency in Mexico.

Germany's Siemens AG (SIEGn.DE) and Bombardier were among the companies to express an interest in the project, which is meant to move 27,000 passengers daily from Queretaro at speeds of up to 300 km per hour (186 mph).

Siemens' Mexico rail chief told Reuters last month that the company, along with Bombardier and Alstom, had asked for more time to prepare a bid, a request he said was denied by the Transport Ministry.

An Alstom spokeswoman said the group would consider a tender relaunch, but would need six to eight months to draw up an offer. Bombardier spokesman Marc Laforge said the company would look into it "with interest."

Siemens declined to comment.

(Additional reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez in Mexico City, Samuel Shen in Shanghai, Natalie Huet in Paris, Georgina Prodhan in Berlin and Allison Martell in Toronto; editing by Clara Ferreira Marques, Kieran Murray and G Crosse)

[readon1 url="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/07/us-mexico-china-railways-idUSKBN0IR0FB20141107"]Source:www.reuters.com[/readon1]

Mexican aviation workers protest at Mexico City's International Airport on November 4, 2014. (Photo: teleSUR)

Aviation workers say if an agreement with the United States is reached without proper regulations, it will lead to the disappearance of the national airlines.

Thousands of workers from Mexico's aviation trade unions and students of aviation schools took to the streets and terminal 2 of Mexico City's International Airport to demand the government stop the negotiations of a bilateral agreement with the United States that will allow U.S. carriers to operate without restrictions in Mexico's airspace.

According to the Federation of Air Sector (FEDSSA), if the agreement is reached without proper regulations, it will lead to the disappearance of the national airlines. More than 10 domestic carriers have disappeared in Mexico in the past decade, including the country's oldest airline Mexicana de Aviacion in 2010.

The negotiations are scheduled to take place this week, however protesters demanded they be delayed until "there is an aviation policy capable of ensuring equal competition and anti-monopoly immunity granted by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to the Mexican airlines."

Demonstrators also signed a letter in which they demanded the Ministry of Communications and Transport guarantee - during the negotiations with the United States- the “fundamental principles of a state public policy.” They also asked for a “gradual and reciprocal policy” that will allow Mexican airlines to gradually liberalize their air routes to other countries.

DOT has statutory authority to approve and immunize alliances between airlines to fly on international routes.

“The anti-monopoly immunity will allow Mexican airlines in alliance with the U.S, Europe or other countries, to coordinate their schedules and aircraft to operate on the same network and have the same operation at airports. They would also be able to advertise and market their products and services jointly, but only as soon as they have obtained the approval of the competition authorities in the countries where they operate,” the letter said.

The organizers of the protest will present the letter to the Senate, together with a joint document by the two main opposition parties, Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and the National Action Party. They urge the government of Enrique Peña Nieto reconsider the adoption of a policy that opens up Mexican airspace.

[readon1 url="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Mexican-Airlines-Reject-Opening-up-Airspace-to-US-20141104-0056.html"]Source:www.telesurtv.net[/readon1]

The Prince of Wales found himself up a creek without a paddle when he visited a floating farm on the first day of the royal tour of Mexico.

Instead of sitting in the flat-bottomed boat of the farm on the outskirts of Mexico City, Prince Charles and a few members of his entourage had to stand precariously as they were punted across the water.

Charles laughed as the boat sailed across the murky waters to the floating farm, called a Chinampa, waving his arms up and down as he enjoyed the wobbly experience.

Without a paddle: Prince Charles sees the funny side of rocking the boat as he is punted across to a
floating farm in Mexico

Rock the boat: Charles waved his arms around, pretending to rock the boat as the Prince sailed
across to a floating farm

The royal couple also met with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto and his wife Angelica Rivera for an official ceremony at the National Palace.

Earlier today Camilla was left in tears of laughter after being shown a photo album. Exactly what the album contained is unknown, although it is likely that the images showed Prince Charles during one of his earlier visits to Mexico.

The Duchess, who is famous for her sense of humour, was left chuckling after seeing her husband's attempt at a Mexican pasty - made during a visit to Real del Monte's pasty museum.

Fresh from a successful four-day tour of Colombia, Camilla and husband Prince Charles were making their first stop on the Mexican leg of their journey in a town famous for its links with Cornwall.

Hola Volunteers, Volunteers, Supporters and Readers ~

October’s surprise:  Despite hurricane Norbert’s waves that all but destroyed the beach nursery, we managed to produce over 11,500 hatchlings, a survival rate of 63%. It seems that nests over a week-old before the waves arrived produced about 80%, while nests that were less than a week-old produced less than 40%. Aside from Norbert damage, dozens of other nests were dug up by a white German shepherd dog that punched several holes through the fence while larvae killed hundreds of others hatchlings inside the nests. Most of the 11,504 surviving hatchlings should be female according to hatching temperatures.

Total nests recorded by the end of October came to 1,151. Of this number, 835 nests were placed in the box nursery and so far producing over 43,259 hatchlings at 85.6% survival rate. The beach nursery received 199 nests and produced 11,504 hatchlings at 63%. The 52 nests relocated to a safer location have not all hatched but the early nests are producing at 87% and 27 nests that were left in their natural state on the beach are also producing at about 87%. The poachers made off with 36 nests or .031%. Total hatchlings released came to about 60,700 by the end of October.

The sundown release of hatchlings in front of town will begin as soon as beach temperatures become too cold to release at the normal hours of between 10:00pm and 4:30am. Hatchlings are cold-blooded and if placed on a cold beach (say, in late November at midnight) they would quickly become the temperature of the sand, around 60°F. At that point, the hatchlings would not be able to move or would move so slowly that crabs and dogs could easily nab them.

October volunteers: Joslin, Starlie and Summer Bertrand, Sophie Subira, all from the USA. Simon Baker from England. Zach Wilson from Australia. Manuel Murrieta from Mexico. Tim Lang, Linda Sorter and Jaya Keating have returned home. Good job team. Well done!

Weather-wise: Daytime temperatures were between the low 90°s and the low 80°s while night time temps were mostly in the 70°s. No outstanding weather events except some high waves from two hurricanes, light winds and a few clouds. Total rainfall for October was 4.15 inches, total for the year is 37.87 inches. The outlet to the lagoon is still snaking its way to the sea making it unsafe for volunteers to cross. Tropical storm Vance, although weak, should arrive in our area Monday/Tuesday, but at this point it is taking the same path hurricane Kenna did on October 10-26, 2002.

In this newsletter we try to summarize the important feature of our marine turtle program, and its major events, since its last publication. There is also a Facebook page which reports on the day to day volunteers activities as well as many photographs. We recommend you use the project's email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. regarding important issues dealing with our policies, procedures, technical methods, donations, fundraising, and all volunteer enlistment issues and accommodation, so that we may respond to your communication in an efficient and timely manner.

We had been working overtime to publish the 2015 Homeowners Directory before the end of the month but on October 29th, three toner cartridges failed at once so all printing is delayed until new cartridges arrive from the US around November 7th.

Due to the rising costs of operating our Marine Turtle Program, especially fuel for the dune buggy up to 13.22 pesos/lt., utilities and the cost of producing the directory (printer, paper, toner, toner cartridges), it would be greatly appreciated if you could please pay an increased amount for this year's directory. Thank you very much.

Town and Country-wise: Tourists and snowbirds are now returning into the eager, open arms of the town's merchants. Welcome back! Community crews have cleaned the streets, sidewalks and trimmed vegetation along the main street while other crews have removed tons of debris along the beach several times. Gasoline is about US $3.87 a gallon while the peso at the end of the month was 13.25 per US dollar.

For over five years we have been fighting a losing battle with the dune buggy’s entire front end; suspension system, wheel hubs and brakes. Driving it today is like driving blindfolded across the badlands without a steering wheel. Except for three failed transmissions (all under warrantee) the rest of the buggy has held up well with very few additional problems (fingers crossed and knock on wood!).

Again, we would like to thank all those who sent donations via PayPal. To date we’ve received about $1,240 dollars at a time when we needed it the most. We thank those very much for your generous contributions in trying to save the world: Robert Hepburn, Billie G. Taylor Coaching Services, Brian Culligan, Lawrence Luttrell, Mary Wilson, Natariga Panyawatcharakun, Ronald Walsh, Catherine Losee, Janis Cloutier, and Doug Adams. Please keep the donations coming.

Frank D. Smith, Director
Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, A.C.
Telephone: (311) 258-4100

[readon1 url="http://pvangels.com/news/2963/san-pancho-and-turtle-news-from-costa-verde-ecological-group"]Source:pvangels.com[/readon1]

Whale Watching Season opening was just announced to open on December 8,2014 for officially permitted tour providers The announcement was a little earlier than expected so we called the two biggest tour operators to confirm. While the opening is not the peak of the season the most likely arrivals will be off the Punta de Mita and Marietas Islands area on the north end of the bay.

As the water cools the population will be more scattered around inside the bay itself.

Please make sure to choose a boat that has the rules and has permits. Quality tours will have marine biologists or well trained experts on board and respect the rules.

Tours can be half or full day. Boats include choices of sailboats,inflatables, power catamarans(big and small and the popular pangas that leave La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and Punta de Mita itself(hourly rate charters). Full day trips include snorkeling,optional PADI diving,food drinks,snorkeling and two levels for sun protection.

The Highland Park Sister Cities Foundation will sponsor a series of lectures on domestic violence in one of its Sister Cities: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Judge David Delgado, formerly of the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and Richard Wolfe, a Chicago attorney and vice-president of the Highland Park Sister Cities Foundation, will present the symposia to police officials, social workers, emergency room personnel, lawyers and law students.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A years-long exploration of a tunnel sealed almost 2,000 years ago at the ancient city of Teotihuacan yielded thousands of relics and the discovery of three chambers that could hold more important finds, Mexican archaeologists said Wednesday.

Project leader Sergio Gomez said researchers recently reached the end of the 340-foot (103-meter) tunnel after meticulously working their way down its length, collecting relics from seeds to pottery to animal bones.

A large offering found near the entrance to the chambers, some 59 feet (18 meters) below the Temple of the Plumed Serpent, suggests they could be the tombs of the city's elite.

"Because this is one of the most sacred places in all Teotihuacan, we believe that it could have been used for the rulers to ... acquire divine endowment allowing them to rule on the surface," Gomez said.

Unlike at other pre-Columbian ruins in Mexico, archaeologists have never found any remains believed to belong to Teotihuacan's rulers. Such a discovery could help shine light on the leadership structure of the city, including whether rule was hereditary.

"We have not lost hope of finding that, and if they are there, they must be from someone very, very important," Gomez said.

So far Gomez's team has excavated only about 2 feet (60 centimeters) into the chambers. A full exploration will take at least another year.

Initial studies by the National Institute of Anthropology and History show the tunnel functioned until around A.D. 250, when it was closed off.

Teotihuacan long dominated central Mexico and had its apex between 100 B.C. and A.D. 750. It is believed to have been home to more than 100,000 people, but was abandoned before the rise of the Aztecs in the 14th century.

Today it is an important archaeological site on the outskirts of Mexico City and a major tourist draw known for its broad avenues and massive pyramids.

[readon1 url="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/30/mexico-archeologists-tunnel_n_6075694.html"]Source:www.huffingtonpost.com[/readon1]

Tropical Depression 21-E has formed over the eastern Pacific Ocean and will pose a threat to Mexico.

The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center is keeping a close eye on the tropical depression, located several hundred miles south-southeast of Acapulco.

This depression is expected to strengthen into the basin's next tropical storm, taking on the name of Vance.

Further strengthening will occur through this weekend as the tropical cyclone remains over the warm waters of the eastern Pacific and in an environment that lacks disruptive wind shear, which can shred apart tropical systems as evident with Tropical Cyclone Nilofar.
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The system is likely to strengthen into a hurricane by Sunday.

Through this weekend, what will become Vance will pose hazards only to shipping interests as it stays well south of mainland Mexico.

That will change next week as a turn to the north, then northeast is expected. The Mexican states of southern Baja California Sur, Sinaloa and Jalisco are being put on alert for a potential landfalling Vance around Tuesday of next week.

Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta lie within this zone.

While Vance will likely be past its peak intensity when it comes onshore, it should still bring a danger of flooding rain, mudslides, damaging winds and pounding surf.

Residents and visitors to Manzanillo should also keep a close eye on this developing system. A sharper turn to the northeast could put the city and its state of Colima in its path.

However, even if Vance remains to the north, Manzanillo would still face rough surf and potential downpours.

The impacts from Vance may not stop when it reaches the coast. Its heavy rain may get drawn across northern Mexico and into the U.S. states of Texas and New Mexico.

All residents and visitors in western Mexico should continue to check back with AccuWeather.com as Vance takes shape and more precise details on its impacts unfold.

Meteorologist Eric Leister contributed to this story.