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The Sol,
providing news and information to the Jaltemba communities since
2003
Weather Rincón de Guayabitos
Holiday Weekend
Celebration-Mexican Style
T
As Mexico begins a four day holiday weekend, the highways are jammed
with families heading to the coast to celebrate. Schools and many
businesses are closed, lots of good food is being prepared for family
gatherings, and here in rural Jaltemba Bay area, several towns are
planning parades and evening events. Las Varas kicked off the holiday
festivities with a delightful parade midday Friday through the main
business area that ended at the Catholic church. After the flag bearer
came the mariachi band, talented ropers that skipped through the
twirling lariat, followed by lovely senoritas in traditional skirts
riding horses. Approximately 50 cabelleros, mounted cowboys, wore their
finest chaps and large Mexican sombreros. Several of the horses
performed intricate dance steps to the beat of the music as they pranced
along the avenidas adorned with the red, white, green paper streamers.
Viva Mexico!
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- From September 28 through October 18, 2012, an innovative
and creative exhibition of Frida Kahlo's works will be on
display at the Galerias Vallarta shopping mall. Using
cutting edge technology, the exhibition will recreate the
atmosphere of a museum in one of Puerto Vallarta's most
important commercial centers. Open to the public every
day from 11 am to 9 pm, the purpose of this exhibition is to
bring art and culture to the public and encourage them to
visit the museums that are such a big part of Mexico's
cultural and artistic heritage. Frida Kahlo is, without
doubt, one of the central art figures of our time. Plagued
by physical pain for most of her life, she has been
recognized nationally and internationally for the
originality and sincerity of her work, for her unique
personality, and for her marriage to Diego Rivera, one of
the most important painters of the twentieth century. In addition to a collection
of rare photographs of Frida Kahlo's life, the exhibition
will feature a small set of replicas of Frida Kahlo's iconic
paintings, allowing the viewer to dive into the world of
Kahlo, full of symbols that depict her pain, her deep love
of the artistic heritage of Mexico, and for the country
itself.
Día
de Independencia
Mexico Independence Day
September 16
by Dorothy Bell
Here on the eve of Independence Day
at 11 o’clock the president of the nation goes on the main balcony in
the National palace and rings the bell that Father Hidalgo rang over 200
years ago that started the struggle for independence from Spain. ( see
Grito de Delores)
The President the recites the Grito
de Delores.
Click here to read
the entire story
Grito
de Dolores
September 15 by
Dorothy Bell / Photos by Bill Bell
Mural by Jose Orozco in the palace of
the Governor in Guadalajara
This day celebrates the beginning of the
Struggle for Independence from Spain
Grito de Dolores
Nobel laureate, Diplomat Octavio Paz
"Each year on the fifteenth of September, at eleven o’
clock at night, we celebrate the fiesta of the Grito in all the plazas
in the Republic, and the excited crowds actually shout for a whole hour…
the better, perhaps, to remain silent for the rest of the year. All of
our anxious tensions express themselves in a phrase we use when anger,
joy or enthusiasm cause us to exalt our constitution as Mexicans: Viva
Mexico!”
Historical Context
Click here
to read the entire story
MEXICO NEWS HEADLINES THIS WEEK Peña open to
working with PAN President-elect
Enrique Peña Nieto said on Wednesday that he is committed to leading
an administration that will engage in dialog with all politicians
across the country with the goal of obtaining benefits for the
public. Peña Nieto held a
private meeting with National Action Party (PAN) President Gustavo
Madero and eight PAN governors who took the opportunity to recognize
Peña Nieto as the next president of Mexico. The
president-elect was accompanied by the leaders of his transition
team, Luis Videgaray Caso and Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong, and said
that this first meeting with PAN leaders reinforced his interest in
institutional collaboration and underscored the PAN’s political
maturity…..Go
to original article Veterinarians,
USDA still at odds on work in Mexico Despite an
uneventful visit Thursday to a new cattle inspection facility near
Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, the standoff continues between U.S. Department
of Agriculture officials and federal veterinarians, who don't want
to work across the border. “The bottom line
is nothing was resolved yesterday. The veterinarians don't feel any
more safe after going there than they did before,” a veterinarian
who asked not to be named said Friday. Citing fears of
drug violence in Nuevo Laredo and elsewhere along the border, the
Texas-based veterinarians have been balking at orders to staff the
new facility in Mexico, near the Columbia International Bridge…..Go
to original article Mexico City for
Tamales, Tortas and Tacos drove with me to
a bakery in Mexico City called La Espiga expecting to be
disappointed. Before leaving the city many years ago, he loved the
tamales that a man sold on the sidewalk in front of the bakery, and
he was hoping that maybe, just maybe, he could get those same
tamales at that spot now. We parked and
walked toward the bakery, shuffling between vendors selling fresh
juices, deep-fried quesadillas and corn slathered with mayonnaise.
In front of the bakery, standing next to two large pots, was a woman
selling tamales….Go
to original article Mexico's
legendary Tarahumara runners in Steamboat for inaugural Run Rabbit
Run 100-mile race It's about their
livelihood. Here to race are
two Tarahumara legends — Arnulfo Quimare and Miguel Lara. Both are
expected to do well, if not win, Friday and Saturday's event. But
it's just as much about the five others who traveled with them —
four Copper Canyon tour guides and one American. The Copper Canyon
"is wild," said Dave Hensleigh, who grew up in Kansas and has been
leading trips for the past five years into the remote Mexican canyon
the Tarahumara call home. "It has canyons bigger than the Grand
Canyon. It doesn't take your breath away. It takes your soul away."
But now they're
here for Quimare and Lara. Quimare was featured in the best-selling
novel "Born to Run," which he hasn't read, and Lara is a confident
22-year-old who Hensleigh proclaims is the best distance runner in
the world….Go
to original article Mexico's media
monopoly vs. the people Televisa helped
elect the country's new president. Now it hears cries for the
breakup of its broadcast empire. On July 7, nearly
100,000 people forced their way down Reforma, one of Mexico City's
main avenues, gathering in front of the Angel of Independence, a
150-foot-tall monumentin a plaza in the city center. "People,
Listen! This is your fight!" they chanted. "Governing a country is
not [the same as] making a telenovela," one of the protest posters
announced. Mexico's election is over, but in the weeks following the
July 1 ballot count, demonstrators have takento the streets. They
are angry about the victory of Enrique Peña Nieto, a polarizing but
telegenic candidate who ran a campaign based on simple slogans such
as "You'll Earn More!" …..Go
to original article Tropical Storm
Kristy: Life-threatening surf for Mexico's Pacific coast Tropical Storm
Kristy was expected to create life-threatening surf and rip currents
of the coast of southern Baja California and southwest Mexico over
the next few days, the National Hurricane Center warned Friday. The NHC said
winds had weakened to 50 mph by Friday afternoon but still posed a
danger. Tropical storm-force winds extended about 140 miles from the
center. “Swells generated
by Kristy will affect portions of the coast of southwestern Mexico
and southern Baja California during the next day or two,” the NHC
notice said. “These swells are
likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,”
it added….Go
to original article Mexico
Ex-President Fox Urges US to Expand Partnership Former Mexican
President Vicente Fox says the U.S. should expand its partnership
with Mexico to promote business — or face being left behind by
China's emergence as the world's superpower. Fox spoke
Thursday morning at a news conference in Peoria, Ariz., saying
China's economy is forecast to emerge as the world's largest in a
decade or so. The Arizona
Republic reports (http://bit.ly/SiqfdR) he later gave a keynote
speech at an event aimed at promoting trade relations between
Arizona and Mexico….Go
to original article
MEXICO NEWS HEADLINES LAST WEEK
Mexico’s free trade policies attract heavy hitters
Mexico is quickly becoming a manufacturing and exporting
powerhouse.
As
President Felipe Calderón boasted in his sixth State of the
Nation Address on Monday, Mexico exports more manufactured goods
than all other Latin American and Caribbean countries put
together.
According to a report from the Mexican Auto Industry Association
(AMIA) published Thursday, Mexican auto production and exports
rose 10.8 percent last month compared to the same month in 2011.
This week, Audi, a subsidy of Volkswagen, announced it will
invest nearly $2 billion to build a automobile manufacturing
plant in San José Chiapa, Puebla. The carmaker plans to open the
factory next year and start rolling out vehicles by 2016.
According to Audi, Mexico was chosen over a dozen potential
locations….Go
to original article
China trainers boost Mexico Olympic diving to another level
A
decade ago, Mexico decided to import 50 Chinese coaches to teach
athletes about 'giving 100%.' Diving is just one example of
China making inroads in Mexico.
The first time
Mexico's star Olympic diver Paola Espinosa met her Chinese
coach, it was more than language that put them on opposite sides
of the springboard.
Mexico Holds Suspect in Death of U.S. Border Officer
The Mexican federal police announced Friday that they had
arrested a suspect in the killing of a United States Border
Patrol agent, Brian A. Terry, whose death is at the center of
the scandal over a botched United States gun-smuggling
investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious.
The suspect, Jesús Leonel Sánchez Meza, is one of the five men
charged with killing Mr. Terry in December 2010 during a
shootout in Arizona near the Mexico border. One is on trial in
Arizona and the other three remain fugitives. Mr. Sánchez was
arrested Thursday in Sonora State….Go
to original article
Ex-Mexico leader immune from lawsuit over the 1997 killings of
45 people
Former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo should be immune from a
lawsuit filed in Connecticut over the 1997 killings of 45 people
in a Mexican village, the U.S. State Department said in a court
filing.
Zedillo, who is now an international studies professor at Yale
University, had argued that his status as a former national
leader gave him immunity from the lawsuit. He has denied the
allegations that he bears responsibility for the massacre by
paramilitary groups in Acteal, in the southern state of Chiapas.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they expect the State Department
opinion will prevent the lawsuit from proceeding. They said in a
statement that they hope nevertheless to have raised public
awareness of "underlying wrongs."
A
State Department legal adviser, Harold Hongju Koh, wrote in a
letter Friday that Zedillo is entitled to immunity because the
lawsuit centers on actions taken in his capacity as president.
He noted also that the Mexican government had requested a
determination of immunity….Go
to original article
Tourism attracts jobs, prosperity
The people of Veracruz are convinced that increased tourism will
bring jobs and prosperity to the state, Governor Javier Duarte
de Ochoa said on Wednesday after inaugurating the 2012 Adventure
Tourism Fair (Atmex) in Catemaco.
Surrounded by artisans and traditional musicians, Duarte de
Ochoa, alongside Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara Manzo, said
that Atmex is an opportunity for businesses and local
politicians to learn more about how adventure tourism can boost
economic and social development throughout Veracruz and Mexico.
After visiting with exhibitors from Brazil, Canada, the United
States, Japan, Peru, Poland and other regions of Mexico, the
governor said that the festival marks the first time that so
many buyers and sellers of adventure tourism products and
services have come together in one place.
Duarte de Ochoa went on to point out the beauty of Catemaco and
the sounding nature reserves, saying that the area’s charm makes
it the “ideal place for this fair.”….Go
to original article
Deportees to Mexico's Tamaulipas preyed upon by gangs
Not even a church-run shelter is safe for migrants sent back to
a dangerous region of Mexico by the United States. Viewed as
rich targets, the deportees are vulnerable to kidnapping — and
worse.
They stuck together, walking slowly on busted sidewalks,
approaching corners warily. They hurried past smoky taco stands
and fleabag hotels. Nobody strayed.
GM’s OnStar to Expand Into Mexico After China Growth
General Motors Co. (GM), after introducing OnStar in China in
2009, is expanding the in-car communication service into Mexico
next year as it looks to add more markets in the future.
The expansion is the first move by OnStar’s new leader, Mary
Chan, hired in May from Dell Inc. (DELL) She is the second
executive hired by Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson to remake
the automaker’s subscription service that provides accident
alerts, navigation and other driver assistance. …Go
to original article
Mexico: What keeps drug traffickers 'in the game?'
Mexico's drug trade employs an estimated 500,000 people. A new
study explores factors – like addressing drug addiction – that
can lead traffickers to exit the drug trade, and how to
encourage more to follow.
A
new academic investigation looks at understudied but important
elements of Mexico’s security challenge: the factors that lead
drug traffickers to exit the violent trade, and how to encourage
more to follow suit.
The study is called “Getting out of the Game: Desistance from
Drug Trafficking,” and was written by Howard Campbell and Tobin
Hansen, professors at the University of Texas El Paso and Oregon
State University, respectively. Based on interviews with dozens
of former drug traffickers in El Paso and neighboring Juarez,
the authors sought to examine what keeps a given trafficker in a
life of crime, providing insight into how to facilitate such a
transition.
Unemployed youth in Mexico, known as “ni-nis” because they
neither work nor are they in school (in Spanish, “ni estudian ni
trabajan"), number some 8 million, and serve as fertile ground
for gangs in need of gunmen, lookouts, and retail drug vendors.
Many of the social proposals to target organized crime has
focused on how to reduce this number, and therefore reduce the
number of bodies interested in working for the the nation’s
various drug trafficking organizations….Go
to original article
School gun leads Mexican police to arsenal
A
boy who took a gun to school inadvertently helped Mexican police
find a large cache of weapons believed to belong to drug
traffickers, officials say.
The arsenal included military uniforms and armored vehicles as
well as thousands of rounds of ammunition, the BBC reported.
Police were alerted after students told school authorities they
saw the gun in the bag of a 9-year-old classmate. The gun, which
the report said was loaded, was confiscated.
Police raided the boy's home in Hermosillo, where the arsenal
was found.
Among the weapons were an AR-15, 13,000 rounds of ammunition,
pistols and assault rifles, police said.
Bulletproof vests and two money-counting machines also were
found.
A
woman thought to be the boy's mother was arrested at the scene
but a man managed to escape.,,,Go
to original article
Mariachi School Opening in Mexico
City
A Mexican cultural center says it
is opening the country's first school dedicated to mariachi
music.
Mariachi performing has
traditionally been something that is passed down through
families. School director Leticia Soto Flores says there is an
increasing demand for mariachi instruction.
Go to original article
Traditional Las Varas: Pure Mexico
© Tara A. Spears
Just a pleasant 15 minute ride through native jungle and
farmlands north of the Jaltemba Bay area is a glimpse into true
Mexican lifestyle without the tourist hype. The unpretentious
town of Las Varas exudes pride throughout its clean, cobbled
streets with its simple buildings and extensive array of family
run stores. Since this is a traditional Mexican town that does
not cater to tourism, be prepared to brush up on your Spanish in
order to interact with the merchants. As is the case in other
Riviera Nayarit villages, Las Varas originally was part of the
extensive Jaltemba hacienda and became an independent town in
the early 1930s. The much traveled highway 200 bisects the
town, with the main business and residential areas fanning out
around it. 
Mexico Independence Day is
celebrated throughout Mexico but the largest party is in Mexico City at
the main city square known as the Zocalo. Many people attend dressed in
the colors of the flag or in costume such as Charros and
women as China Poblanas, or indigenous dresses.
“The war began as a protest against the abuses of the metropolis and the
Spanish bureaucracy, but it was also, and primarily, a protest against
the great native landholders.”
The
Grito de Delores – the cry of Delores – was originally given by Father
Miguel Hidalgo in the town of Delores Guanajuato the morning of
September 16th. He rang the church bell to gather the people of the
town. On the steps of the church, with a banner of the Virgin of
Guadalupe, Hidalgo gave a rousing sermon that enraged the crowd of
parishioners.
For the seven men who trekked from Mexico's remote Copper Canyon to
get to Summit Lake outside Steamboat Springs, the inaugural Run
Rabbit Run 100-miler is more than just about running.
Ma Jin had a totally different approach to diving, Espinosa
recalled.
"As Mexicans, we do a lot from the heart," Espinosa said. Ma, on
the other hand, was all about technique, precision and strength.
"She had another culture, different customs."
The year of that first encounter was 2005, and over time
Espinosa leaped from being one of Mexico's many good divers to a
world champion ranked among the top five female divers on the
planet…..go
to original article
Deported from Southern California the night before, the 20 men
had gotten a few hours of fitful sleep at the bus station of
this lawless border city. Now they just wanted to get out of
town.
"We were moving as one, like a ball," said Rodrigo Barragon, 35,
formerly a construction worker in Los Angeles. "But when I
looked back, the ball had a tail."
Five men were following them. Up ahead, three vehicles screeched
to a stop, blocking their way down Avenida Washington. The
migrants scattered, tearing through streets and alleyways,
clutching small bags that held their belongings….Go
to original article
ppreciating
the architecture of the older buildings around the lovely town
plaza. Besides the architecture, there is a Community Museum that
showcases local artifact such as pottery, fossils and
other antiques.
The town has a branch of IMSS-the Mexican health care services;
several other government offices; a Bancomer bank; and the area CFE
station. A wonderful selection of shoe stores, tile, hardware,
tire, agri-business supply and several well equipped automotive
shops round out the goods available in town. As there are three
fabric stores, numerous grocery and meat markets, be sure to come
prepared to carry all you purchases. Best of all, the prices are
lower than in La Penita, besides a larger selection. Las Varas holds
a tianguis (outdoor market) every Friday on the west side of the
highway. There are numerous loncheras and taco carts throughout the
main shopping area to keep up your energy while sightseeing and
shopping. In all the years that I have visited Las Varas, I’ve never
been approached by vendors to buy souvenirs or silver; I can shop
just the same as the local people, which I find relaxing. This is a
hardworking community, so I’ve never seen loiters and it’s probably
why there is so little litter in the streets. I perceive Las Varas
as a solid family enclave; there are simple bungalows and hotels for
visitors to stay overnight.
Jaltemba Sol
Publishers honored as "Real Heroes of Mexico" by Mexico Report
The 2012 Real Heroes of
Mexico Announced!
Finally, the day has arrived! I can check this off my bucket
list now, as an author of my first book. Well, more like editor
– but keep in mind this labor of love was edited mostly at 3 or
4am most mornings over the last few months.
I have to tell you, I loved every second of this process,
learning about all of the amazing efforts going on in Mexico.
Many of these stories brought me to tears, with all of the
triumphant champions for Mexico, battling press, delivering
babies, rescuing animals, feeding the hungry, and people’s
commitment to caring and loving Mexico so much – its people,
culture and traditions.
These entries were so special, so full of humanity, I spent the
last few months creating a book, a memento in order to celebrate
each hero and their service.
Without further delay, The MEXICO Report proudly presents to
you, the 2012 Real Heroes of Mexico. To see it larger, click on
‘view full screen’ below. If you feel inclined, treat your
coffee table to one of three available versions. Enjoy!
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New Mini-bank Coming to La Penita
Tara A. Spears
All summer long locals have speculated about which type of business is going in at the corner of the La Penita main avenida and lateral road. No more guessing: the sign went up a couple of day ago. Although still under construction inside, the manager says that the bank, with two cashiers and one loan officer, will open mid September. There will be no exterior ATM but he explained (though a translator) that foreigners can use their charge cards and debit cards at the tellers. “Perhaps in the future we will have an inside ATM machine,” he said. Since that machine will be accessible only during regular business hours, it is less likely to be compromised than other area ATM machines.
Martin and Isabel Torres:
Los Ayala Tapaceria,
Tara A. Spears
One of Jaltemba Bay’s little known tradesmen is the talented and hard working Torres husband /wife duo, Martin and Isabel. Together they operate the only professional upholstery shop between Tepic and Puerto Vallarta. With more than 28 years experience in upholstery work, they provide outstanding quality work at affordable prices.
In addition, Martin comes to your house to pick up items and give the estimate besides delivering the finished product in one to five days. Tired of that faded sofa? No problem- with the large selection of fabrics at his shop, Martin can have the sofa looking better than new. Even more exciting for those of us living in this high humidity, heavy salt content tropical paradise, The Tapaceria carries true water resistant Sunbrella fabrics, which are perfect for outside shade covers or patio furniture cushions. Martin is also an expert at making auto and boat seats, installing vehicle carpeting, and canopies.
lick here to read the entire story