An interview with Canadian expat Sylvie Scopazzo. A tour guide and Rock and Roller in Puerto Vallarta. Sylvie Runs Tours Du Jour Mexico. She does walks to the cross and many unusual guided tours and more.
Also meet Moises Guardado Jimenez, Owner of Senor Talavera, in Puerto Vallarta
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Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico.
That music you were just listing to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, The
El Dorado Restaurant, and at night for dinner The El Dorado transforms into the ever so romantic Vista Grill with those dramatic views of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors. Of course, at La Palapa you can enjoy that same view of the Los Muertos Pier all day long for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so Puerto Vallarta my friends!
This week, I have a very special interview with Sylvie Scopazzo, an expat From Canada who has a great story, but first, what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico March 14th, 2018.
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Don’t Forget Art Walk Puerto Vallarta
Every Wednesday in Puerto Vallarta, in the downtown area there is art walk, it goes from 6 till 10 PM.
It starts every year at the end of October and it goes through the end of May. There are 13 galleries participating and the way you do it, because it’s not a guided tour, it’s a self-guided tour and you get a mop, or you download it on your phone, but you can get the maps from participating galleries for free of course, then you start your self-guided tour of the galleries which will of course be open and happy to see you pass through, look at all the pretty art, maybe have a glass of wine or whatever the gallery might be serving the passersby, and you walk around the downtown streets of Puerto Vallarta, and get a chance to check out the art scene without standing out like a sore thumb. You will be expected to stop in and browse. Not to mention, make a purchase from one of these fine galleries. The walking isn’t too bad because most of these galleries are not up in the hilly section, so it’s pretty flat, but remember, some of you may be all tipsy and whatnot from the adult beverage sipping, so be careful. It will be dark.
If you want more information, just go to my show notes or to http://vallartaartwalk.com/
I have a link to the event as well as their Facebook page so check it out when you are in town. And remember to stop in to see Gary Thompson
of Galeria Pacifico, and tell him I said hello, and listen to that episode where I go along with Gary in his Malecon Sculpture Tour. Remember he is
doing a sunset tour too on Thursday evenings, so say hello, thank him for all his hard work, and maybe go on one of his tours where at the end, he asks for donation for Biblioteca Los Mangos. See all that in the show notes as well.
Today is a special day on my calendar, and it’s the day, 31 years ago that I asked my lovely wife Debbie, to marry me in Puerto Vallarta, at a restaurant called La Casita, on Panama. I’ve told the story before. I got on my knee, she said yes, she cried, we had a wonderful meal. You can read all about it on my PV stories page on the website. I have pictures I took last January of the place, that closed down in part, because they lost the killer view to condos. Oh well. Check out the pictures in the show notes and happy anniversary Debbie!
And speaking of Debbies, Last week, I had a wonderful conversation with Isabel Manore at Casa Isabel, and I needed some pictures of the Casa in the daytime, so I reached out to my buddy Debbie Murray from Canadia, cuz I know she has stayed at Casa Isabel, and her lovely daughter Tessa has a thing for the chef there. He is really cute. Anyway, I asked and she came to my rescue, and so did Isabel, so Thank you Debbie, Cheap Debbie, you are my hero! Check out the podcast and the pictures in the show notes for last week’s episode of the show if you haven’t already.
I have a note from listener Patti who writes… Hi Barry, First of all we really enjoy your podcasts. They were very helpful for our latest trip to PV. We have been going there for about 25 years now and just got back from our most recent trip. My husband had some sandals made at Huaracheria Fabiola. A place we highly recommend. Took about a week but it was worth the wait! We have made many friends over the years including 2 of yours Gary Beck and Carmen from El Arrayan. Next time you are down there, go to El Brujo which is on the South Side. Best bang for your buck. We are planning our next trip for February 2019, maybe we can catch a live podcast if you are there.
Take care,
Patti Duffey
Well Patti, We’ll see if we can get together in February. I would love to. And Huaracheria Fabiola is a great tip. Now they have ready made sandals there, but if you want custom made, they will do it. Just don’t rush them. Get there early in your trip and give them at least a week. But thanks Patti for all those tips. El Brujo has been there a long time and yeah, I need to stick my head, well my whole body into that place and check it out. Just add another eatery to my list. Thanks!
And speaking of tips, you know how to reach out to me. You go to the top of the page of my website and click on the contact us tab, and send me a message. It’s that easy.
Señor Talavera in Puerto Vallarta, México
And when I asked my listeners, and buddies on the Trip Advisor Forum who they wanted to hear from, I got many of course, but one I got was Moises Guardado Jimenez, and he runs a place called Senor Talavera, a shop you will find on the corner of the Encino Hotel at Hidalgo and Calle Encino, along the River Cuale. A lovely spot. You can spend hours looking up into the trees above the river there, spotting iguanas. It’s kinda fun. Anyway, I love this shop and I love Moises.
Among other Mexican folk art, masks, and other items, Moises specializes in Talavera ceramics from the Hernandez Family.
Just as a little background, Moises actually started in the hospitality business, as a waiter in restaurants in Guadalajara, and other cities including here in Puerto Vallarta at La Dulce Vida. He
worked there for about 6 months, then landed a job at Pacific Jewelry on the Malecon, then, in 2003, he saw a help wanted sign at a shop on the corner of Hidalgo and Encino, La Talavera, and went to work there. After 3 years, he felt it was time to move on, to find a managerial position with another place, but the owner said to him, Moises, stick around for one more week. Give it one more week, and I will have a plan for you. So Moises gave it another week, and the owner proposed a partnership. So in 2006, Moises became a business owner. From waiter to businessman. Nice! He is in charge of all the operations there. He restocks, does the buying, he pays the bills, hires the help, he runs the place with his silent partner, and he has a wonderful business. If you look at the reviews of this place, you will see that he really knows how to please his clientele. You can see the hospitality business training come out with each interaction and transaction. He isn’t pushy, he doesn’t jack up the price and bargain, he has a fixed price system that you will see when you go there.
So what is Talavera?
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I have all the contact information including a map for Moises and Senor Talavera, so check out his shop, and see if you don’t agree, he is the greatest!
Contact Information For Senor Talavera in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Encino 275 B, Puerto Vallarta, México
- +52 322 223 0925
- Join The Senor Talavera Facebook Group
- Senior Talavera Facebook Page
I truly have a greater respect and understanding of this truly beautiful artform. People go nutso collecting these and I can see why. Check out the photos I have of Senor Talavera in the show notes.
Sylvie Scopazzo of Tours du Jour Mexico, in Puerto Vallarta
My next guest is Sylvie Scopazzo. As I told you earlier, many people have reached out to me to get Sylvie on the show to introduce to you. The first one was JR. From the very beginning he said get Sylvie. Well, I didn’t know Sylvie. You ask her I told him. Then I got emails like this one… from Deana……
I’ll add: Sylvie who is a jack of all trades. She has lived in Vallarta for over 20 years. Is in a band called the Zippers who perform at el Rio, Incanto, Por Favor and private venues. Discovered and organizes tours up to the cross on a weekly basis. Studied for her tour guide license. Loves to share her city with vast knowledge of years’ experience of living there. She also organizes LOCA (women only) gatherings and hiking/outdoor field trips and has volunteered on her own to raise money to support needy causes in Vallarta and earthquake victims in other cities. Speaks excellent Spanish.
Hi Barry…. I’ll add some more for Sylvie. She also performs at Captain Dons, takes in stray dogs and adopted one of her own, belongs to a big (don’t know what you call it) “motorcycle biking group,” attends and participates in “all things Vallarta” (ie: fund-raisers for organizations and people in need, support and participation in parades & social gatherings for the city, and is an “all around positive person.”
Barry, now you have more info to add to the mix when you interview Sylvie Scopazzo.
Oh, and she came to Vallarta, sight-unseen from Canada (like I said) 20 years ago and has never looked back. She’s a Vallartanese now!
Okay Deana, I’m not sure I need to say more.
Let’s go right now to a balcony off the offices of Vallarta Co-work, not too far from Moises along the Rio Cuale, in Puerto Vallarta Mexico, and meet Sylvie Scopazzo, From Tours Du Jour, Mexico, The Zippers, and a whole bunch of other stuff here we go…
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Thank you Sylvie! What a treasure. Now I told you I would be introducing you to the people I think you should know, and people you can trust, that’s Sylvie.
If you are looking for a good time while you are in Vallarta, then stalk her. No really, go see the Zippers, I have contact info for them so you can see where they are playing, and they are always playing somewhere. Also I have the information for Tours du Jour Mexico and all you need, is her info, to have a great Vallarta experience.
Contact Information For Sylvie Scopazzo Tours
- Tours du Jour Mexico Contact Information
- Ladies Outdoor Club Adventures P.V. – L.O.C.A.
- JR’s Live Music Board The Zippers
That should do it for this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show.
Next week, stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more. Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message.
And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. Don’t forget his maps, his DIY tours and his revitalized Happy Hour Board. I have links to all of those in the show notes.
And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven’t been to my website, you really need to have a look there. I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven’t already all-right? All right.
So, thanks to Moises from Senor Talavera, and to you Sylvie Scopazzo, you are one of a kind. We all love you here in Vallarta! I have all her contact information for her in the shownotes at www.pueretovallartatravelshow.com. Check out the photos of her adventures, her tours, her band. Contact her when you are planning your next Puerto Vallarta Adventure. And hey, thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!