Traditional
Mexican Foods and Celebrations for Semana Santa
Dino Deramee' -
BanderasNews.com
The weeks
surrounding Easter are the most important time of celebration of
the entire year in Mexico. Coastal cities like Puerto Vallarta
are packed during the two-week holiday period. (Photo:
PromoVision)
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico -
You've gotta love Mexico for how their people celebrate every
possible holiday to the fullest. Every occasion is an excuse to eat,
drink, decorate the town, and dance; and Semana Santa is the
biggest fiesta of them all
In
the United States and Canada we just celebrate Easter, and perhaps
go to church on Good Friday. In Mexico, the festivities are two
weeks long!
Since nearly 90% of Mexicans are
Catholic, the weeks surrounding Easter are the most important time
of celebration of the entire year. It is a time of release from the
sacrifices of Lent.
As with each Mexican holiday
season, certain food specialties began to appear in local markets
just before its onset. For the Lenten period, you'll typically find
very large dried shrimp for caldos (broths) and tortitas
(croquettes), perfect heads of cauliflower for tortitas de
coliflor (cauliflower croquettes), and seasonal romeritos
(sprigs of a wild plant that looks like rosemary and is used to make
many traditional lent dishes.)
Riviera Nayarit, Mexico - It
has been proven once again. The natural beauty found in Riviera
Nayarit provides the perfect backdrop for filming movies and TV
shows. Last month, another reality show, The Search for the
Hottest Girl in America, shot two episodes of the television
series in several of the destination's most picturesque locations.
One of the Riviera Nayarit
Convention and Visitors Bureau's (CVB) main objectives is to
encourage the production of movies and TV shows. Promoting the
region's attractions through PR efforts like this produce higher
returns - and is less expensive than purchasing publicity.
As a result of these efforts, GGW
Brands asked the CVB to support the Search for the Hottest Girl
in America two-episode shoot in some of the region's most
sought-after locations, including Sayulita, Punta de Mita and the
Marieta Islands.
Since February 2012, the reality
show has been aired on Thursday nights via HDNet, which focuses on a
high-income male audience. Girls Gone Wild, another show on
HDNet, is available in the US through major cable companies like
AT&T, U-verse, Charter, Comcast, DirectTV, Dish, Suddenlink and
Verizon Fios, among others.
In 2011, the CVB's PR department
organized 34 familiarization trips like this, involving 90
journalists. Derived from these trips, the journalists wrote
articles for international publications, which generated 290,104,103
media impacts, while the national media created 263,238,851 media
impacts.
"The Convention and Visitors Bureau
is confirming its commitment to work intensely to attract more
quality tourism to Mexico's Pacific Treasure, and to distribute it
throughout Nayarit to improve the quality of life of all our
People," said the President of the Riviera Nayarit CVB and of the
Bahía de Banderas Hotel and Motel Association, González Ortega.
The two episodes of "Search for the
Hottest Girl in America" that were shot in Riviera Nayarit last
month will air in the US on April 27 and May 3, respectively.
Owning a Gun in México
Last Update 26 January 2011
Gun rights and Ownership has stirred many a debate, here is an article
that clarifies the Mexican Law
In the last decade there have been
some changes in the gun laws of México. There may be more in the
future, so this article should be viewed as a general guide, not the
definitive word on the subject. The only place where you can get THE
word on gun ownership is from your nearest army base.
General
Mexico's gun laws are quite restrictive, and extremely harsh if you run
afoul of them.
Temporary gun import licenses for sporting purposes may be issued to
tourists, discussed below. Mexican law provides penalties of at least
five to as many as 30 years in prison for tourists who attempt to bring
a firearm, or even a single round of ammunition, into Mexico without
prior permission. In the past, the law was enforced harshly, even in
cases where the violation was accidental. In December 1998 the Mexican
Congress enacted legislation relaxing the law for first-time,
unintentional violations involving only a single gun. Now, first-timers
will be fined $1,000 dollars, but not imprisoned. The exemption does not
apply for prohibited guns -- any handgun above .380 in caliber, as well
as a wide variety of rifles
Ownership law
The Mexican Constitution says:
Article 10 - The inhabitants of the United Mexican States have the right
to possess arms in their residences for their security and legitimate
defense with the exception of those prohibited by federal law, and those
reserved for the exclusive use of the military. Federal law will
determine the cases, conditions, requisites, and places in which the
bearing of arms by inhabitants will be authorized.
“The inhabitants of the United Mexican States” means Mexican citizens
and, as defined in other laws, foreign citizens who hold a valid
immigration status beyond FMM.
Mexico's plan to drill deep
Gulf wells sets off alarms
Regulator charges that company
is unprepared for accidents
Two years after the worst
offshore oil spill in U.S. history, Mexico's state
oil company is about to test its hand at drilling at
extraordinary depths in the Gulf of Mexico.
If all goes as planned,
Petroleos de Mexico, known as Pemex, will deploy two
state-of-the-art drilling platforms in May to an
area just south of the maritime boundary with the
United States. One rig will sink a well in 9,514
feet of water, while another will drill in 8,316
feet of water, then deeper into the substrata….go
to original article
San Marcos National Fair,
Aguacalientes, Mexico
For 184 years the city of
Aguacalientes, capital of the state of Aguacalientes,
“the land of clear water, clear skies, fertile land,
and good people,” as stated in the motto on its coat
of arms. Has hosted what has come to be called the
Festival of Mexico. The San Marcos National Fair.
This year it will begin on April 20th and run until
May 13th. The party gets started with the coronation
of “Ana Cristina I”, the elected “queen”of the fair.
The inaugural race occurs on Sunday, the 22nd at the
eastern gate of the San Marcos Gardens.
The fair has several
expositions and highlights both a state of Mexico
and foreign nation. This year, the state of
Tamaulipas and the country of Japan are the stars of
the fair. There is also a pavilion for the Federal
District, as well as expositions highlighting
industry, arts and crafts and “Hidrocalidad”,
highlighting local goods. ….go
to original article
Discover Mexico's Semana Santa
and its specialty cuisine
(+ Pambazo recipe)
It is truly a beautiful time of
year to be in Mexico, important religious images are
displayed, altars are decorated at home and in the
streets, and flower decorations and palm crosses are
everywhere. Semana Santa (Holy Week) begins with
Domingo de Ramas (Palm Sunday) and lasts Easter
Sunday or Pascua. Since, according to the Vatican
Insider, nearly 90% of Mexicans are Catholic, Holy
Week is one of the important holidays, second only
to Christmas. It is also the end of the period of
sacrifices,
Lent, which began this year on Ash Wednesday,
February 22.
Food historian Jeffrey Pilcher,
in his book, Que Vivan Los Tamales, offers this
scene in Mexico from the 1800′s era memoirs of
Guillermo Prieto. “From Holy Thursday to Easter
Sunday throngs of people danced through the streets,
in a movable feast of popular cuisine. Thirsty
revelers guzzled aguas frescas, refreshing waters
flavored with pineapple, melon, tamarindo, and chia
seeds, dispensed by women from palm-frond and
flower-decorated stands”. ….go
to original article
Week of Gaffes Forces Rethink
for Mexico Candidate
The presidential candidate of
Mexico's governing party canceled a rally and called
an emergency meeting of her political team Thursday
after her first six days of campaigning were marred
by gaffes.
On March 30, Josefina Vasquez
Mota misspoke during a speech and said she planned
to "strengthen money laundering" if elected.
The next day, a campaign rally
had to be called off because of a nearby picket line
of striking airline workers — a cancellation her
staff blamed on poor planning.….go
to original article
Mexico's controversial gangster
ballads
The name of Aaron Lopez’s band
Los Astros del Cristo Rey — meaning the Stars of
Christ the King — drew inspiration from a towering
statue of Christ here in Mexico's conservative
Catholic heartland northwest of the liberal capital
city.
By day, the name fits: the trio
sings "corridos," or ballads, about the region and
the Christ statue for visitors arriving at the
hilltop site. After hours, the group moonlights in
local bars and cantinas, singing about less Godly
topics: drug-cartel kingpins and their illegal
exploits.….go
to original article
Texas Opposes Giving River
Water To Mexico
Texas officials are opposing a
federal commission’s decision to give Mexico water
from the Rio Grande despite a historic drought that
has severely depleted Texas water resources.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner
Todd Staples and Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality Commissioner Carlos Rubinstein say they’re
challenging a decision by the International Boundary
and Water Commission (IBWC) to give Mexico water.
They said Wednesday that they’re asking President
Barack Obama to intervene.….go
to original article
Teen mothers account for
quarter of all births in Mexico
Mothers aged 14-19 account for
roughly 480,000, or 24 percent, of Mexico's 2
million annual births, authorities said.
The figures were provided by Alejandro Rosas Solis,
deputy director of sexual and reproductive health at
the health secretariat's National Center for Equity,
Gender and Reproductive Health.
"A teen pregnancy is considered high risk due to the
immaturity of the (adolescent's) body, which puts
them at risk of pre-eclampsia or haemorrhages,
conditions that are among the main causes of
maternal mortality," the expert said….go
to original article
US, Mexican leaders trade
warnings on gun violence
The explosion of drug-fueled
violence along Mexico's border with the United
States could harm relations between the two nations,
President Barack Obama said Monday; Mexico's leader
retorted that much of the problem of drugs and guns
begins on the U.S. side of the line.
In the thick of political
contests in both the United States and Mexico, Obama
and Mexican President Felipe Calderon traded
unusually direct claims about the cause and effect
of the drug violence that has consumed a swath of
northeastern Mexico. They were cordial and
complimentary to one another, but did not hide the
degree of worry on both sides about a six-year spasm
of violence that has killed more than 47,000 people.
"It can have a deteriorating
effect overall on the nature of our relationship,"
Obama said. "And that's something that we have to
pay attention to."….go
to original article
Navy will stay on streets: Peña
Nieto
On Wednesday, the Committed to
Mexico Alliance presidential candiate, Enrique Peña
Nieto, promised that the Navy will maintain
surveillance in Veracruz and, if necessary, in all
regions of the country, until security is
reestablished.
On the fifth day of the
presidential race, the priista visited the port of
Veracruz, where he held a press conference in a
restaurant, the Café de la Parroquia. There, Peña
Nieto signed his thirteenth campaign promise
regarding security, which states that if he wins the
July 1 elections, Mexico’s navy will continue to
maintain surveillance in the streets of Veracruz.….go
to original article
MEXICO NEWS Last WEEK
INEGI says extreme poverty has decreased 23 percent
President Felipe Calderón said on Thursday that extreme poverty and
inequality declined by 23 percent between 2000 and 2010.
The president’s speech was delayed for almost an hour because at 10:00
a.m., when the event was scheduled to begin, the auditorium was empty.
Event organizers postponed the speech until a few more seats were
filled. Calderón said that, thanks to his administration’s social
policy, more than 34 million people in poverty received economic and
food aid that improved their quality of life….go
here for complete article
Mexican-American vote in Mexico election hampered by apathy, hurdles
Fernando Fonseca shows his Mexican voter identification card at his
place of... ( Dan Honda )
Juan Castro is voting for two presidents this year: one for the United
States and another for Mexico.
"I'm not sure who I'm going to vote for," said the San Jose resident.
"To tell you the truth, the three main candidates who are running are
worthless, more of the same."
He's talking about the Mexican election. The three-month campaign for
Mexico's July 1 presidential and congressional election officially began
Friday.
"They're all career politicians. As far as parties, they're all the
same."…go
to original article
Loss of Siberian permafrost is worrying, scientists say
The world is close to reaching tipping points that will make it
irreversibly hotter, making this decade critical in efforts to contain
global warming, scientists warned on Monday.
Scientific estimates differ but the world’s temperature looks set to
rise by six degrees Celsius by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are
allowed to rise uncontrollably. As emissions grow, scientists say the
world is close to reaching thresholds beyond which the effects on the
global climate will be irreversible, such as the melting of polar ice
sheets and loss of rainforests….go
to original article
Man denied entry to US from Mexico to bury son, 10
A Mexican national said he has been barred from entering the United
States to bury his 10-year-old son, a U.S. citizen who died Tuesday in a
house fire in northeastern Pennsylvania that killed three other people.
Attorneys for Fidelmar "Fidel" Merlos-Lopez are trying to win
humanitarian parole so he can attend the funeral, but say U.S. Customs
and Border Protection has rebuffed their efforts.
Damien Lopez died in a Shenandoah row house along with his cousin, aunt
and 7-month-old half-brother. The funeral is set for Monday, with burial
the next day…..go
to original article
Peso has best rally since ’93 Mexico’s peso is posting its biggest quarterly rally on record, boosting
dollar-based returns on local bonds, as the quickening U.S. economic
expansion fuels demand for the Latin American country’s oil, cars and
cattle.
The peso has surged 9.3 percent to 12.7549 per dollar, erasing most of
last year’s 11.4 percent slide and topping gains in all other major
currencies. The rally, which has helped drive returns of 12.4 percent on
benchmark bonds in dollar terms, marks the peso’s best quarter since the
country reset the currency in 1993 after years of inflation over 10
percent. The Mexican bond returns compare with the average 4.5 percent
gain in emerging-market local debt this year, according to Bank of
America….go
to original article
The Museo Soumaya museum celebrated its 1st birthday with a new
exhibition
Three hundred and sixty five days after opening its doors to the Mexican
public – the Museo Soumaya, Plaza Clarso location, celebrated its first
birthday on Wednesday. However, instead of receiving gifts, the museum
has turned the tables by presenting its latest acquisition of 100
paintings and sculptures from Latin America, European and American
artists.
According to Alfonso Miranda Márquez, the director of the museum, the
pieces, which date from the 16th century to the 20th century, are not
part of a bulk purchase by the museum and the Carlos Slim Foundation but
were selected carefully by a team of art experts and curators to
complement the museum’s existing collection….go
to original article
Bob Dylan's Latest Album to Have A Mexican Influence Bob Dylan’s 35th album is in the works.
Although details are slim, multi-instrumentalist David Hidalgo, who
recently finished wrapping up recording sessions on the new album, hints
at a Mexican influence.
Speaking to the Aspen Times about his latest -- Hidalgo, who is
currently on tour with Grammy Award-winning Chicano rock band, Los Lobos
-- shared this much about the recording session….go
to original article
Pope in Guanajuato No big deal for the 84-year-old man who regularly addresses enormous
numbers of devoted adherents, both physically and symbolically through a
network of faith. Draped in the violet vestments of lent, he began, “In
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, the
grace and the love of Jesus Christ, which calls us to conversion, be
with you all.” His steady words echoed through a large network of
speakers and into the hearts of hundreds of thousands of the expectant
faithful gathered in Silao, Guanajuato’s Bicentennial Park under the
Sunday sun of March 25.
“And with your spirit!” The crowd didn’t need the help of electronics to
respond to their pope.
It was Benedict XVI’s first visit to Mexico as leader of the Roman
Catholic Church, and by most accounts he did an admirable job following
in the footsteps of his more-beloved predecessor, John Paul II. The
previous pope made five pastoral visits to Mexico, where he was always
received with enthusiasm and fervor....go
to original article
Fresh from a successful run as a member of the La Peñita
Players, Marion Rogers has now taken on a new challenge. She heads
up the group responsible for developing the educational component of
the Los Amigos de Jaltemba Recycling Program. Funded partly by a
donation from the La Peñita Players and partly by a grant from the
Del Norte Rotary Club, this component of the program is based on Los
Amigos’ belief that any plan to raise community awareness with
respect to the importance of recycling needs to start with the
youngest citizens of the community.
As
part of the initiative, Marion has scripted a puppet show about
recycling that students from Colegio Cervantes are performing in all
the primary schools (which cover grades 1 to 6) in the area. The
show is playing to rave reviews. A pelican has been
adopted as the mascot for the overall program, so the show features
the pelican and a rooster. The show lasts about 30 minutes and
involves active learning. Audience members are asked to respond to
questions by the puppets, and to record reasons for recycling; they
also are invited to “fill in the blanks” on a page of the song
lyrics. The show includes two songs which have been written to the
tune of two classic Mexican songs, “La Cucaracha” and “Jarabe
Tapatio” (more commonly known as “The Mexican Hat Dance”). One
song is about not wasting, and the advantages of recycling. The
other song instructs on how to recycle plastic bottles and other
advantages of caring for the environment.
As
the winter season winds down, this is an opportune time for Los Amigos
to provide a report to the community that we serve on what has been
accomplished in the past year – and what our plans are for the next one.
The year began with a change in name. After operating as Los Amigos de
La Peñita for a number of years, we changed our name to Los Amigos de
Jaltemba over the summer to reflect the fact that our members come from
all of the communities that make up the Jaltemba Bay area – and our
programs now cover the whole region as well.
The Plastics Recycling Program that Los Amigos first put in place in
2008 continues to gain momentum. We are now collecting an average of
4,000 kilos of plastics each month. We were fortunate enough to receive
a grant of $13,167 USD from the Del Norte Rotary Club. The lion’s share
of the money went to making more recycling baskets and our dedicated
team of volunteers produced a total of 316 new baskets which are being
used to expand the program - particularly to hotels and bungalows. We
have mounted an active campaign to get these businesses involved in
recycling. Workshops, hosted by Tony and Gayle Dixon, were held every
Saturday from mid-December until early March and they attracted a
cross-section of volunteers – both seasonal and permanent residents.
A major new element of our program was the establishment of a public
awareness campaign that focuses on keeping Jaltemba Bay beautiful though
recycling – and other measures. A key feature of the campaign was the
adoption of a mascot – a pelican. The new mascot, designed by David
Wallace, is the centerpiece of the educational campaign. Besides
appearing on the new baskets, Sydney Richmond has designing a stuffed
toy version that is being provided to schools to serve as a reward for
the classes that collect the most plastics. Marion Rogers has scripted a
puppet show about recycling, featuring the mascot, and written a couple
of songs that students from Colegio Cervantes are performing for the
primary schools in the area; the show is playing to rave reviews. A
contest is underway in the schools to give the new mascot a name. A
number of videos that can be used on local cable television are being
produced. The first one is complete and can be seen on the Los Amigos
website. As well as street banners and other promotional products aimed
at the general public are being produced.
Finding Margarita: The
Lady, Her Cocktail
The Margarita is
the most popular drink in the US, representing 18 percent of all
mixed drink sales. Over four million Margaritas are sold there
every day.
Mexico - They say when you have
lost something you should start looking where you last saw it.
However, in this case I think I should start at the beginning. I
have discovered when it comes to most mixed alcoholic beverages that
there is no agreement as to when a given mixed drink was born. It is
certainly possible that the ingredients are part of the reason for
this lack of solidarity among those who were the early imbibers.
The Margarita shares this early
confusion. Some say the Margarita was created in a bar south of
Tijuana by Carlos ‘Danny’ Herrera, whose obituary in 1992 states
that it was he who created the Margarita. Danny Herrera opened the
Rancho La Gloria restaurant just south of Tijuana in 1935 with his
wife.
His family claims that he invented
the drink around 1938 for one of his customers; a showgirl and
sometime actress who called herself Marjorie King. According to this
story Marjorie was allergic to all booze except tequila. Marjorie?
Margarita? Hmmmm... have you ever heard of someone allergic to all
alcohol except one? Preference maybe, but allergies? I cannot give
this story much credence.
One could argue, and some have,
that the Margarita is simply a tequila Side-car (with lime instead
of lemon), a cocktail that had been in circulation for at least a
decade prior to the Margarita’s ascent in popularity.
Representing Quintana Roo Governor Roberto Borge
Angulo at the National Governors’ Conference’s (Conago) Tourism
Committee, State Secretary of Tourism Juan Carlos González Hernández
proposed a 10-point strategy to improve the tourism sector, to achieve
the goals established in the National Tourism Agreement, and to make
tourism the driving force behind the country’s efforts to become the
seventh-largest economy in the world by 2020.
Borge Angulo is the president of the Conago’s
Tourism Committee, which met on Wednesday.
The governor’s proposals called for an “open-skies”
policy for tourist destinations to increase the number of airline
flights and ease visa restrictions for countries with strong potential
tourism markets for Mexico and for broadening of the scope of the
“Magical Towns” and “Colonial Cities” programs….go
to original article
Mexico City mulls bullfighting ban
A commission of the Legislative Assembly of Mexico
City approved a bill that would ban bullfights in the Mexican capital.
Three of the panel's members endorsed the measure, while two others
abstained and a sixth member walked out before the vote.
It will be up to the full assembly to decide whether the proposal
becomes law.
The lawmakers who abstained said that banning bullfights would mean
closing down a source of employment for a segment of the population…go
to original article
Greenpeace protests toxic pollution of Mexican
waters
Environmental watchdog Greenpeace denounced on
World Water Day the pollution of rivers and other surface waters in
Mexico and asked the government to establish a policy of zero dumping of
toxic substances by 2020.
A group of activists Thursday displayed at Juanacatlan Falls, in the
western state of Jalisco, banners with the message "Mexican rivers,
toxic rivers", on grounds that more than 70 percent of the nation's
surface waters are highly contaminated….go
to original article
Harking back to a less sophisticated time, small family circuses live a
nomadic life driving on the rural serpentine, two lane highways
throughout Mexico, pitching their tents in dusty fields in small towns.
It used to be a BIG event: something out-of-the-ordinary, excitement for
the sleepy, isolated villages that welcomed any entertainment besides
walking down main street on a Saturday night. But in the age of
satellite TV and internet, the traveling circus pales compared to the
high tech movies now available right at home. Presently, the once
glamorous life of a circus performer is just a lot of hard work to
barely make ends
meet. This
original ‘reality’ entertainment is a dying art.
But
the circus tradition still touches audiences: to young children even an
ordinary llama, camel or monkey is a delight. This week La Penita was
home for not just the Continental Circus but the Ponderosa de Venezuela
Circus. The audience was mostly families or grandparents with
children-look at the anticipation in the girls’ eyes (left photo) as
they waited in line to attend a recent circus performance While an
adult sees a threadbare, home-made costume, a child sees the glamorous
outfit of a real-life Barbie doll. The children cried “Ohhhhh!” as the
acrobats performed overhead amid the spotlights-it was Spiderman live!
While a pony might be ordinary if grazing in a field, tricked out with
feathers in its halter, bathed in colored spotlights and accompanied by
upbeat music with a handler in sequins, it is a magical creature. The
slap-stick antics of the clowns needed no translation- it’s comical in
any language. A modern act, two cousins who ride motorcycle in the
Globo de la Muerta (Globe of Death) defy gravity as they flip
upside-down within a metal cage on growing machines.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico -
Snowbirds will soon be packing up and heading to destinations north
of the Mexican border for the hot and humid summer season. This is
an annual ritual for some, but for many the process is a new one -
and now is the time to make sure your home or condominium in Puerto
Vallarta, Mexico will remain sound and secure while you are away.
Summer temperatures in the Banderas
Bay region average around 94 degrees, and with very high humidity
this creates an intense environment for a myriad of property issues
that warrant some extra precautions. It is a good idea to get your
villa or condo prepped to avoid harrowing consequences due to
inadequate planning upon your return.
Don't wait until the last minute to
get ready for the annual migration, you should give yourself one to
two weeks to properly prepare and Summer proof your winter home.
Here's a checklist of things to
consider before leaving your Bay of Banderas home for the summer.
All these suggestions may be used or just a few of them. Some people
do everything right and still return to storm or water damage. You
really cannot control Mother Nature.
Mexican
sandwiches have expanded to all sorts of fillings and techniques
that leave some of our proud American sandwiches trailing in the
evolutionary chain.
Mexico
- Thinking the Mexican sandwich is limited to the widely known torta
is like the medieval belief that the earth is flat. Not only is it
dead wrong, there are whole other Dagwood worlds to explore out
there.
Mexican sandwiches
have expanded to all sorts of fillings and techniques that leave
some of our proud American sandwiches trailing in the evolutionary
chain. Here are five you should eat, and these are just the
beginning.
The Torta
The torta is a popular Mexican
sandwich which can be found at most any restaurant or street vendor
in Mexico. The sandwich is built by slicing open an encased chorizo
sausage (or your choice of meat), and emptying out the crumbled meat
on the grill.
Dorothy Bell makes recomendations on Facebook for those that want to
fast track Nogales to PV
Nogales to PV - Zipping Down the Coast
We don’t like to do this. Normally we like to smell
the roses. However if you are quickly zipping down to PV or Riviera
Nayarit, I suggest the following:
Preparation
1) Have all your papers and correct documents ready
for immigration and vehicle permits.
2) Get your insurance online. Get a quote from us
click here We offer great quality insurance at a reasonable price.
You can buy it just before you leave.
3) Buy a Guia Roji Road atlas before you cross over
the border. It is the best map for Mexico.
4) Have pesos for the trip down. You need gas,
tolls, hotel and food,
5) Have a cooler on hand so you can buy drinks and
snacks for travel. While we love eating in restaurants along the way,
but if you do not know the town or city you could spend a lot of time
searching for a restaurant. It will also take up valuable daylight time
to get served. You will want to have a breakfast and lunch for your
first day and purchase breakfast and lunch for day 2 in Navojoa or
Mochis.
6) Be ready to cross the border early. Take the
truck crossing - Mariposa crossing – as it is easy - takes RVs and has
way less confusing traffic. It is open at 6 am.
For more go to the complete article on Page 3
Travel and Travel Buddies
Tourism Secretary
Announces 'Atlas Turístico de México'
Callu George -
BanderasNews.com
The interactive
atlas will provide a abundance of information on travel
destinations at the national level, with maps, photos, and
information about the main attractions at each destination.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico –
Authorities in Mexico plan to launch an online destination tool
called the Atlas Turístico de México, an interactive website
featuring the country’s 85 main tourist destinations and information
to help visitors plan their travels to every corner of the country.
During this week's Tianguis Turístico
México 2012 tourism fair in Puerto Vallarta, Tourism Secretary
Gloria Guevara told listeners that "the interactive atlas will
provide a abundance of information on travel destinations at the
national level, with maps, photos, and information about the main
attractions at each destination."
Some of the things the online atlas
will include will be information on Mexico's 13,617 hotels, 198,538
restaurants, more than 5,000 travel agencies, 70 airports, 106 bus
terminals, 117 museums, 184 archaeological sites, 31 World Heritage
Sites, as well as many other support services for the tourist
industry.
"The data will serve as a national
inventory of all of our tourist assets," Guevara said.
"Any national or international
tourist is going to be able to enter the web site and find the
Routes of Mexico, the locations of the 52 Magic Towns (small towns
or villages in Mexico with historic or cultural significance), the
the Mayan World Route, packages tied to the Mundo Mayo celebrations
that are happening later this year, and the Treasures of Mexico
Program that has had so much success," Guevara stated.
Guevara added that the atlas will be
live later this month in English and Spanish via a link on
VisitMexico.com, and in a second phase, plans to include these sites
of interest on Google Maps. The atlas will also be available as a
downloadable app for iPhones and iPads
Cliff, The
Wine Guy on:
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Cabernet Sauvignon
(Cab for short) earned its prominence
and popularity due to the renowned red wines of the Bordeau Region of
France. Interestingly, while the Cabernet
Sauvignon grape is an important
constituent ofFrench
Bordeau’s most wine ofthatregion is actually
an artful blend ofCab, Merlot, and Cab Franc.
Today the Cab
grape is cultivated in most
warmer climates
ofthe world. Most notably,
California and
Washington
in the USA, Central Valleys of Chile, Argentina, Australia and South
Africa.
Less expensive
Cabs ($5.00 to $20.00 range) are normally
fairly soft, mediumbodied and very fruity (Black Currant). Due to the tannic nature
of the Cab grape, these wines are usually blended with Merlot or Syrah.
Both soften the wine and to make
it “Market Ready” sooner.
In the USA
and Canada, the line between a motel and a hotel is sometimes
blurry. This is not the case in México; here they are distinctly
different. Hotels frequently do not have secure parking; motels
always do. Hotels us
ually
cost more than motels, sometimes much more. Hotels often have
restaurants, motels almost never do. Many motels can be found on
the highway near a town or city, while hotels are usually
located near the city center. But the big difference is in the
purpose of each.
Some background: In México it is common for two, three, or even
four generations to share the same house, sometimes even the
same bedroom. In such a situation, it is difficult for a couple
to find a private time to be intimate. Motels provide a place
for couples to get together when they have no other place to do
so. They are not brothels.
The proper
name of these establishments is Motel de Paso, but the
more common name is just motel. It always will have a covered
garage attached to each unit. The cover may be a regular garage
door or it may be a heavy canvas curtain. The facility is
complete walled off from the outside except for a single
entrance/exit which is staffed 24/7. This combination provides
very good security for your car. Units are typically not rented
in 24 hour blocks like hotels, but rather in shorter blocks --
anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. Some of them are rather plain and
not very expensive, some are truly elegant and priced
accordingly. Prices typically range from US$15 to $25, more for
an up-scale place.
We finally find parking along
a street some three blocks from the town square in Jala Jalisco- a small
city with under 10,000 inhabitants - well off the tourist radar in
between the coastal resort of Puerto Vallarta and the second largest
City in Mexico – Guadalajara. It took us 1 1/2 hours to drive from the
coast – the traffic was lighter than we expected for the drive into the
interior from the coast on Good Friday – one of the major events within
the most celebrated holidays in Mexico – Semana Santa – Holy Week.
Jala (pronounced Hala) is well known
for
its Passion play – the reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
This is Jala’s claim to fame; the only other tourist draw being the
Ceboruco Volcano an 18 km ride away.
As we parked the car, we spotted “Roman centurions”
on horseback with golden helmets and swords dressed in red smocks and we
quickly made our way to the main square anticipating the drama we were
promiced.
Much to our surprise there was a carnival
atmosphere awaiting us. Children’s rides, trampolines, Jungle Gyms
encircled the square. There were home- made games of chance including a
roughly hewed routlette wheel. Young men were throwing balls, shooting
air guns and tossing rings for stuffed animals and other prizes.
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See up to date postings on your Favorite Mexican Holiday spot 
meet. This
original ‘reality’ entertainment is a dying art.
for
its Passion play – the reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
This is Jala’s claim to fame; the only other tourist draw being the
Ceboruco Volcano an 18 km ride away. 
