Out and About in Puerto Vallarta
 Twila Crawford - PVNN
A New York City feel was on Leona Vicario and Guadalupe Sanchez on opening night of Arte Contemporaneo ´08 with music, art, white tents with cocktails and hors d´ouvres, Vallartans, photographers and Los Angeles-based artists moving about on the street and in the nearby galleries. Many of the artists had exhibited at the Whitney in New York City. Pilar Perez was director of the several-day event of exhibitions, panels and social gatherings.
Omar Alonso is back at his galeria after travels, and it was so wonderful to see him again, greeting everyone at this special event.
Another New York City feel is upstairs at Ritmos Beach Cafe that Tony Tune is developing as a nightspot for music and dining. Great care and detail have been taken for excellent sound, lighting and setting with the sound of the surf outside. Tony, record producer Blaine Selkirk and a number of musicians helped develop the sound and atmosphere. Musicians play from 8-11 pm, tel: (322) 222-1371. For further information, go to RitmosCafe.com.
Music reviewer Tom Colvin and I enjoyed listening to and talking to Jess and Alyssa of Sayulita who were performing with well-known Oscar Terrazas upstairs at Ritmos Beach Cafe. They perform unique music on keyboard and bass with vocals. Many songs are original compositions. They perform in Sayulita at Leonardo´s and Don Pedro´s and in Bucerias at Shamrock. This couple - Jess, a university graduate in molecular biology and music, and Alyssa with a university degree in architecture/engineering, trained in classical piano - praise the community of musicians, artists and dancers at Sayulita. They said Sayulita now has 35 restaurants, a number offering performance opportunities. The couple can be reached at lyss_adams(at)yahoo.com, tel: (322) 135-1061. And the chef for Ritmos Beach Cafe, both at the palapa and upstairs, prepared beautiful, tasty fish and chicken dishes for us.
The just-opened terrace level at the former Tequila´s features Restauranti La Destilerca, serving Mexican food. The restaurants also are in Cancun and Mexico City. Hours are 1 pm-midnight, tel: 222-3159.
Final restaurants we visited with our food writer friend, Gary Beck, during Restaurant Week included The Blue Shrimp - you might want to try clam chowder with crunchy sweet potato, jumbo shrimp with orange-caper sauce, and lemon pie with guava sauce; Daiquiri Dick´s - scented gazpacho lemongrass, napoleon with mahi-mahi, shrimp, grilled zucchini and saffron sauce, and ancho chile - scented chocolate creme; and The River Cafe - cherry tomato tart with olives and goat cheese, beef medallions with panela cheese, chambray potatoes and peach sauce, and apple burrito with amaretto sauce and vanilla ice cream. Others joined us, including Tribune columnists, for some wild conversation and lots of laughs. We enjoyed musicians Beverly and Willow while dining at The River Cafe.
Healthcare Resources´ Pamela Thompson is needing help with some projects this summer. If you can give some time, let her know at pmt15(at)hotmail.com
Some persons in Oregon seem to be coming to the forefront concerning Mexico prison-confined Rebecca Roth. For further information, go to FreeRebecca.org. An Oregonian newspaper columnist, Margie Boule, also has written a couple of articles.
Former U.S. consular agent and author Jenny McGill´s well-received book, Drama and Diplomacy, now is available to order on Amazon.com. The second edition of Jenny´s book, with an updated chapter, will be out soon. She also is working on another book. Howard and she have returned to Talpa but will join us again next high season in Vallarta. Such lovely persons.
I´ve kept Tom Barrett at The Book Store at Plaza Caracol, tel: 224-1872, busy finding books and information I need for research and writing. He´s very helpful. Thanks, Tom.
Now when you need a little something as an accessory, you can go to Cartier in Plaza Peninsula!
Vallarta and the area during the past couple of weeks have had a spate of murders, shootings, robberies, always it seems, some kind of assaults, home invasions and car break-ins. A Wisconsin resident was murdered here when a stranger was in the residence. A Mexican resident was murdered in a robbery of a business. The Spanish-language media usually carry this information and have had large headlines, including photos, on these matters. The time, if not in some neighborhoods already, probably has come for neighborhood watch groups and programs that are so effective in U.S. neighborhoods, both suburban and urban. It takes an organizer neighbor in your neighborhood to get it together. I´ve known of night patrols to try to prevent theft and other crimes.
Mayor Bravo called together drug investigation agencies for planning. Stops and searches have been being made concerning vehicles from Boca to Nayarit. This undoubtedly is part of President Calderon´s declared war on drug activity all around Mexico. It definitely is not "just" a "situation" on the border, which also includes the unsolved deaths of hundreds of women.
As if you don´t have enough on your minds, also be aware and alert - if you are in mountainous areas - of dangerous Africanized bees. For more information, go to RanchoPint.com.
 An award-winning journalist, Twila Crawford lives in Puerto Vallarta, where, in addition to contributing articles to BanderasNews, the Vallarta Tribune and other local publications, she writes Out and About in Puerto Vallarta, an informative column that offers inside information about who, what, why, where and when it's happening around Banderas Bay.
Click HERE to read more articles by Twila Crawford. |
Vallarta Weddings
Vallarta Living | June 2008 
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