Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Friends make life a lot more fun and the International Friendship Club (IFC) of Puerto Vallarta is a great place to make new friends, greet old ones and have fun at the same time.

What do you like to do? Learn? Volunteer? Play games? Eat, drink and socialize? You're in the right place if you're at IFC. Our clubhouse is located in Col. El Centro just above the HSBC bank at the corner of Libertad and Miramar streets and our office is open Monday - Friday from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm.

Our Spanish Classes are very popular and are held on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Four classes are held each day; each one lasts for an hour and is tailored to four levels of ability. These classifications are Intermediate 1 and 2, Advanced and Tourist Spanish. After class, why not go for a cup of coffee, lunch or a cerveza with the person sitting next to you and make a new friend, perhaps?

Bridge Classes will be starting on Monday 14th December. The classes are held every Monday morning from 9:00 am to Noon. You'll learn that being a "dummy" is quite honorable but if you're "doubled and vulnerable" you need to be particularly careful. Being able to play bridge is a great social skill to have and it opens all sorts of avenues for meeting new people and making new friends. As well as the bridge classes, there are games of "Social Bridge" that take place at IFC on Fridays between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm where you can practice your newly learned skills. These start on Friday 11th December.

Apparently this social bridge is thirsty work because our barman extraordinaire, Fred Forbes, opens the club's bar at 5:00 pm sharp each Friday afternoon and the club's Social Hour takes place. Come, say "Hello" and make some new friends. If you'd like to, you can complete your evening by going with the group to one of our preferred restaurants. Enjoy excellent company and a great dinner at our discounted rate.

For a one night stand, come to the IFC Christmas Party. It will be held at the San Lucas Restaurant on the corner of Insurgentes and Lazaro Cardenas on Thursday 17th December at 6:30 pm. Tickets are just $300 pesos.

Saturday mornings are busy, in a relaxed way, at the clubhouse. Mindful Meditation takes place from 9:15 to 10:15. This is followed by 45 minutes of Dharma Yoga.

Whether you are in town for a few days, the winter or a lifetime you'll find that another great way to meet new people is to take one of IFC's Home Tours. You will be driven in a comfortable, air-conditioned bus to four gorgeous houses in Puerto Vallarta, where you can admire spectacular views, see some of the wonderful art and sculptures in the homes and get some great home-decorating ideas. The tours, led by our knowledgeable and helpful docents, run on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and leave from the Sea Monkey Restaurant, at the foot of Aquiles Serdan, at 10:30. Tickets are available online at ToursForVallarta.com.

All of the income from the Home Tours is used by IFC to support a myriad of local charities and programs including our cleft palate program, the orphanages Corazón de Niña and Refugio Infantile Santa Esperanza (RISE), humanitarian and service organizations such as CANICA, SETAC, Biblioteca Los Mangos, Clinical Santa Barbara de Rehabilitacion, Pasitos de Luz, and The Salvation Army food kitchen. This good stuff happens because people like you volunteer a few hours of their time. We are always looking for volunteers.

If you'd like to join the other members of IFC in giving back to the community there are dozens of volunteer positions that need to be filled each year, including working on the Home Tours, serving on committees and teaching English to Mexicans.

Membership of the club is $350 pesos and gives many benefits including 10% or 15% discounts at our many preferred restaurants. Full details of IFC activities and membership can be found on the website: ifcvallarta.com.

Lots of people in PV enjoy time on the beach or around the pool, just relaxing. But if you'd like a break from that and would like to learn something new, help someone by giving your time and make some new friends at the same time the International Friendship Club will be pleased to help. Come on down!