| | |  Vallarta Living | June 2009 
Out and About in Puerto Vallarta
 Twila Crawford - PVNN
June 20, 2009
| | Last week, owner Heidi Padilla invited a group of us to enjoy brunch at el patio de mi casa, Miramar #420 in downtown Puerto Vallarta. Tel: (322) 223-4595 | |
I love this community... where obviously something has gone awry... and I keep asking myself questions. So what are your questions? Puerto Vallarta, I think, has to expand beyond tourism. Mexico will continue to make news for various reasons... not always good for tourism.
Private and government funds will be needed, perhaps not readily available right now. Thinking and planning ahead, however, are important. Nearly every town of any size in the U.S. has what is usually called an industrial park. I am sure I have seen some in Mexico. Land is purchased, usually by the local government, for as an example, manufacturing (large or small) companies and technological companies. Of course, it will take a long time.
It was done with the Los Mangos Public Library with Mexicans and North Americans working together, and now as of October, we will have a privately funded performance arts center. How many times have many of us said, "We need an arts center?" We hope it works out. And we hope action is taken by government and private individuals in different ways to get Puerto Vallarta back on its feet.
Poet, author and painter Karen Blomain of Puerto Vallarta and Scranton, PA, has a new book, Hard Bargain, a collection of her poetry, out, and it is receiving considerable attention. Please view her website: KarenBlomain.com.
Another poet and artist, Marcia Wolf, is moving from here to San Miguel de Allende. She already has been invited to read her poetry there and will participate in planning their writers' conference in 2010. Her book, Frictions Becoming Pearl: A Slow Awareness, is on Amazon.com. Copies also are available at The Book Store in Plaza Caracol.
Cafe and boutique owner Heidi Padilla, invited a group of us to enjoy brunch at el patio de mi casa, Miramar #420 in downtown Puerto Vallarta. Not only can she prepare food, she is an architect as well. Chefs Dolores Brittingham and Seth Cloutman, BanderasNews's talented Denise Derameé who moved back from her computer for once to join us, other media representatives, Gretchen DeWitt from PEACE, neighbors and friends had a delightful time over delicious food. el patio de mi casa is open from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm for breakfast and lunch. Heidi emphasizes local fresh food and is part of the Slow Food Group here. Tel: (322) 223-4595.
Speaking of self-proclaimed devilish Seth Cloutman, I was at his multi-course meal with pig's feet (forget the fancy French name) he wrote about last week. It was tasty... until I knew its identity, and I was not alone, I am sure. My mother cooked rabbit or tongue... and then after dinner, let us as children know what we ate. My stomach with my imagination of a furry bunny, let alone an animal's tongue, did not do well.
A huge bright green lizard was on my terrace one day when I arrived home. I managed to shoo it over to the neighbors' property! This reminds me of a friend awhile back who was trapped in her home by a hissing and possibly biting dinosaur-type lizard, or whatever it is called, that stayed for a couple of hours. Some of you must have such stories!
There is a lot of talk around of commercial buildings being purchased with what is known as drug money. Then money laundering... and other things... go on. The same for some small businesses that have popped up recently. My Mexican friends know exactly what is going on. In tough times, these are the kind of things that go on for sure. Hope the government doesn't let this town go the way of some other towns in Mexico.
Do you like the hand gels around in some stores? I do, not just for us, but for the employees. I took food to an older couple participating in the indigenous fair at Hidalgo Park. I expected nothing... but the woman insisted I take one of her colorful bags. You simply accept... from a lovely woman.
Two teenage boys were sitting on steps I take to go uphill to my home. They wouldn't move. I teetered on the edge of the sidewalk when some loose cement sent me tumbling down on the cobblestone street. I ended up with a black eye and scrapes on my face and on my legs. The youths stayed momentarily and then hurried away. I just had some dental work done, too, so I was hurting for a couple of days! Speaking of dental work, Dr. Martin Guillen is an excellent dentist, as many of you know. I also appreciate his communication skills... and he's charming.
I turned to CNN and was thrilled to see a CNN Hero I know. Ethiopian Lidia Schaffer built a school for 1500 students in her community by selling her home and her car in Washington, DC, with financial help from her clients and Ethiopian friends in Washington. She made so many of our fingernails and toenails beautiful. Yes, she is a manicurist and pedicurist. She was motivated to help when a youngster from her community was killed by a hyena while walking for hours and many, many miles to attend a school. If you would like to know about this beautiful, beautiful woman, click HERE.
Many of us are coming to love Amapas Sunset Restaurant and Beach Club on the south side. The inside is beautifully decorated with brown wood and black materials. On the beach are sofas and comfortable chairs I love. It is fun to watch the fishermen, pelicans, sea birds, bobbing boats and the sunsets at Los Muertos Beach Pier. I have had excellent salads and omelettes. The staff is well trained and friendly. A lot of wines are available including a seldom-found-here rose, white Zinfandel Beringer. It is a great place to hang out.
 An award-winning journalist, Twila Crawford lives in Puerto Vallarta, where, in addition to contributing articles to BanderasNews, the PV Mirror 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. |
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