| | |  Vallarta Living | October 2009 
Out and About in Puerto Vallarta
 Twila Crawford - PVNN
October 30, 2009
| | Don't miss the 15th Annual Puerto Vallarta Gourmet Festival, November 12-22, 2009. | |
President Barack Obama declared a national emergency in the U.S. concerning the swine flu outbreak there. Enough vaccine is not presently available. His health chief can implement strategies as needed.
In Mexico, the Sanofi-Aventis Group will provide a million A/H1N1 flu vaccinations of the 20 million that will be purchased, according to Mexican President Felipe Calderon. By 2012, the vaccine will be commercially manufactured in Mexico with 25 million doses available, according to authorities.
Did you enjoy Hurricane Rick's large storm waves here? This writer walked in the rain as I have always loved to do. French toast never tasted better at Coco's, Pulpito 122, with the rain outside and the sounds of the ocean waves pounding the shore.
While walking, I tripped and fell on one of our "smooth" sidewalks. My scraped knee with an interesting design, had persons all week commenting and looking at my knee. And some readers empathized with last week's reporting of my being robbed by a criminal taxi driver and coming home to have my kitchen cabinets fall down in the middle of the night. My home is a mess with workmen around and having to put items anywhere and everywhere.
Home tours, sponsored by the International Friendship Club (IFC), get underway November 19, continuing through April 23. Ticket sales begin at 9:00 am on the tour day at Andale on the Bay, 513 Olas Altas. The bus to four homes departs at 10:30 am for a 3-hour tour. Proceeds go to help the IFC cleft palate program. For further information, call 322-222-5466 or email: ifcvallarta(at)gmail.com.
Ph.D writer and historian Dan Grippo will present two new lecture series on Fridays this season. Registration will open November 10 at the IFC offices, 9:00 am-1 pm. The first series includes iconic Mexican women such as Frida Kahlo and La Virgen de Guadalupe. An evening A&E biography of Frida also will be scheduled. Her feast day is December 12. The four January series will include world religions. For further information, call the IFC office at (322) 222-5466 or email: ifcvallarta(at)gmail.com.
A Hate Crimes Act in the U.S. includes protection for gays and lesbians now. It was passed in the name of Matthew Shepherd who was killed a few years ago in a hate crime. President Obama is expected to sign the bill. Some gays here report that especially at night, they sometimes experience unpleasant actions from some of the public. More disturbing are reported actions from some police, "rolling" some of these persons, taking valuables and money.
Oh, good grief! The season hasn't even started at Santa Barbara Theater, and we are being told in emails and verbally that spats already have developed. This seems to go on year after year. Owner Ann Marie Danimus is remodeling, sprucing up the restaurant and developing a new ticket system. She has the season mostly set up with plays and other activities.
We know Denver's popular and professional entertainer and actress Alex Ryer, who has her shows on the road, will be performing here in December. We hope some of the local entertainers, actors and helpers behave in a mature way this year. A lot of us would like to take in the plays and other entertainment this season. Also, the new theater being built near Ley's has a long way to go to completion.
Proposed Medicare in Mexico recently was featured in Time magazine. Other publications also have run articles.
Dr. Ricardo Fletes Corona, a researcher for the Colegio de Jalisco, along with Monica Vegas and Aleyda Bravo, talked recently, VIP reports, about the recent phenomenon of child abandonment. They explained factors of abandonment such as extreme poverty of parents, lack of programs for working mothers and disintegration of families. Soon many minors may end up in the streets, possibly leading to juvenile delinquency. Dr. Fletes appealed to persons to search for alternatives for these children and their future. Jhovanee Monge is editorial director of VIP.
Puerto Vallarta musician Graham Cook is in the U.S., recording a CD.
Restaurant reviewer Gary Beck, who recently was hospitalized here and in San Francisco, has returned to Vallarta for the season. We know Gary can't miss the Gourmet Festival November 12-22!
The Redneck Mothers band returns to Vallarta at El Gringo Loco, 403 Francisco I. Madero, on Saturday, November 14. The fun begins at 4 pm. The first anniversary of El Gringo Loco will be celebrated.
The Puerto Vallarta Art Walk is on Wednesdays now at Vallarta's galleries. Booklets about the galleries, including maps, are available at the tourism office on the main plaza and elsewhere around town. Click HERE to download and print the 2009-2010 ArtWalk map in PDF format.
Victor's Bar & Grill, Pino Suarez 232, has excellent food. The small cafe has the feel of a neighborhood hangout. Three tables and several bar chairs are available. The hamburgers, pizzas, chili dogs and other fare will have Victor expanding soon, I predict. Hours are noon - 10 pm. Tel: (322) 223-9424.
Popular Mama Dolores cafe is back at Olas Altas 534B, with Jeff Scott and Rob Hogeland as owners. Tel: (322) 223-5897.
Stop by El Sofa Cafe, V. Carranza 333, for sandwiches, salads and cookies you won't believe. I don't like peanut butter, but Amaranta's cookies are so good!
Paco Ruiz, primarily responsible for Puerto Vallarta being a gay destination, and founder nearly 20 years ago of Club Paco Paco, is gravely ill. Donations to help with medicines for Paco can be sent via Paypal to mark(at)gayguidevallarta.com. His partner of nearly 30 years works for Gay Guide Vallarta.
 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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