An interview with the owner of Kaiser Maximilian Restaurant, Andreas Rupprechter. We talk about how he arrived in Puerto Vallarta from Austria, and the history and menu of one of Vallarta’s Most Popular Restaurants.

Also, Puerto Vallarta Celebrates their 100 year anniversary as a Municipality. Plus, an interview with Benjamin, the Shoeshine Man on The Malecon.

Listen to The Podcast

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 listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, The

El Dorado Beach Club, 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 our toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It was so romantic, it’s so, Puerto Vallarta my friends!

This week you will be meeting the prince and the pauper, Andreas Rupprechter  from one of my favorite places to eat in Puerto Vallarta, Kaiser Maximilian on the Southside on Olas Altas, and Benjamin who shine shoes on the Malecon, but first, there’s a lot happening in Puerto Vallarta, let’s see what’s happening this week, the 30^th of May, 2018.

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Puerto Vallarta Celebrates 100 Years

Tomorrow is the big day, the 100^th anniversary of the naming of the city, once known as El Carrizal and Las Peñas, to Puerto Vallarta.

So off to the Wiki Pages For a Little History. Just a bit of a Review for those who have followed the show from the beginning….

In 1918, the village of Las Penas was elevated to municipality status and renamed after former state governor Ignacio Vallarta. During the early years of the 20th century, most of Puerto Vallarta was owned by the Union en Cuale company, controlled by the American Alfred Geist. Geist sold land only in large plots at prices that were quite high for the time and otherwise leased the land on short term leases. To remedy this situation and to enable the new municipality to develop, the citizens petitioned the government for a land grant based on the new Mexican constitution’s provisions.

In 1921, the Local Agrarian Commission approved a grant of some 9,400 hectares (23,000 acres; 36 square miles), with the land to be expropriated from the Union en Cuale company. The grant was established as an ejido holding (a farming cooperative administered by the government). But legal squabbling over the size of the land grant, and the ejido status of the properties involved would stymie growth in Puerto Vallarta into the 1960s, as developers were reluctant to build anything too substantial on land for which one could not obtain clear title. (As we know, Ejido land is controlled by individuals who are given licenses to use it, but it could not be sold, subdivided or leased.)

Cristero War 1926-1929

I didn’t know this, but during the Cristero War, which took place between 1926 and 1929, Vallarta was twice taken over by Cristero forces (April 1927 and January 1928).

Now, to review, The Cristero War or Cristero Rebellion (1926–29), also known as La Cristiada [la kɾisˈtjaða], was a widespread struggle in many central-western Mexican states against the secularist, anti-Catholic and anti-clerical policies of the Mexican government. The rebellion was set off by enactment under President Plutarco Elías Calles of a statute to enforce the anti-clerical articles of the Mexican Constitution of 1917 (also known as the Calles Law). Calles sought to eliminate the power of the Catholic Church and organizations affiliated with it as an institution, and to also suppress popular religious celebrations in local communities.

The massive, popular rural uprising was tacitly supported by the Church hierarchy and was aided by urban Catholic support.

In the end, US Ambassador Dwight W. Morrow brokered negotiations between the Calles government and the Church. The government made some concessions, the Church withdrew its support for the Cristero fighters and the conflict ended in 1929.

It can be seen as a major event in the struggle between Church and State dating back to the 19th century with the War of Reform, but it can also be interpreted as the last major peasant uprising in Mexico following the end of the military phase of the Mexican Revolution in 1920.

The effects of the war on the Church were profound. Between 1926–34 at least 40 priests were killed There were 4,500 priests serving the people before the rebellion, but by 1934 there were only 334 licensed by the government to serve 15 million people. The rest of the priests had been eliminated by emigration, expulsion and assassination. By 1935, 17 Mexican states had no priests at all.

Also,I found it interesting, being a Los Angelino myself, that the end of the Cristero War affected emigration to the US. “In the aftermath of their defeat, many of the Cristeros—by some estimates as much as 5 percent of Mexico’s population—fled to America [i.e. the United States]. Many of them made their way to Los Angeles, where they found a protector in John Joseph Cantwell, the bishop of what was then the Los Angeles-San Diego diocese. “Under Archbishop Cantwell’s sponsorship the Cristero refugees became a substantial community in Los Angeles, California, in 1934 staging a parade some 40,000 strong through the city. Imagine that!

So where was I?  How did I get off on this tangent, oh yeah, back to Vallarta History right?

So, during the Cristero War, which took place between 1926 and 1929, Vallarta was twice taken over by Cristero forces. Once in April 1927 and again in January 1928).

After it was recaptured for a second time, the national government stationed a small garrison there under Major Ángel Ocampo. The garrison was stationed near the mouth of the Cuale River and was responsible for planting many of the palms that now line the beaches near the mouth of the Cuale River. Planted to help limit beach erosion during heavy rains in October 1928. One casualty of the skirmishes was local pastor Padre Ayala who was exiled to Guadalajara for his role in fomenting the local revolt. He died there in 1943, though his remains were returned 10 years later to Puerto Vallarta, and interred in the main parish church of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristero_War

So back to Vallarta History…boy that was a deep rabbit hole, sheesh, …as mining activities in the Sierra waned in the early years of the 20th century, Puerto Vallarta and the agricultural valley to the north of the city became important destinations for those leaving the Sierra towns and looking for a place to settle. Many of those who arrived had family members already living in Puerto Vallarta, and the pattern of migration that ensued turned the town into a collection of more or less extended families, giving it the cohesion of a typical Sierra town.

 

A couple of dates for firsts here in Vallarta, The first airplane service arrived in 1932, with electrical service on a small scale arriving about the same time. The first suspension bridge over the Cuale went up in 1933. The city’s first plumbing system was started in 1939. In 1942, Puerto Vallarta was finally connected by road to Compostela, Nay. Until then the only access to Puerto Vallarta was by sea, air, or by mule trails to the sierra towns. Also, in 1942, in the New York-based magazine Modern Mexico the first advertisement for a Puerto Vallarta vacation appeared, sponsored by the Air Transport Company of Jalisco. By 1945, the company was landing DC-3s in Puerto Vallarta (carrying 21 passengers).

In 1956, the Mascota mule trail was replaced by a packed dirt road. In 1958, 24-hour electrical generation arrived. A new airport arrived in 1962 connecting Puerto Vallarta with Los Angeles via Mazatlán, and the Mexican Aviation Company began offering package trips.

By the early 1960s, the population had started to spread beyond the Centro and Gringo Gulch, and the Colonias of 5 Diciembre (north of the Centro) and Emiliano Zapata (south of the Cuale River) began to grow.

American director John Huston filmed his 1964 movie The Night of the Iguana in Mismaloya, a small town just south of Puerto Vallarta. During the filming, the US media gave extensive coverage to Elizabeth Taylor’s extramarital affair with Richard Burton, as well as covering the frequent fighting between Huston and the film’s four stars. The subsequent publicity helped put Puerto Vallarta on the map for US tourists.

The Mexican federal government resolved century-old property disputes of land that had communal status, land the federal government had appropriated from the Union en Cuale mining company to be parceled out as communal farms. The land’s communal (ejido) status had stifled development in the town for much of the 20th century. A significant transition of communal lands into private ownership within present Puerto Vallarta city limits took place in 1973 with the establishment of the Vallarta Land Trust (Fideicomiso) to oversee selling government land into private hands, and using the sales revenue to develop the City’s infrastructure.

And the rest is history my friends.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Vallarta

So What is Happening in Puerto Vallarta for this 100 Year Celebration?

Well, entertainment on stage on the Malecon with..

• Bomba Estéreo en Concierto Wednesday at 10
• Pepe Aguilar en Concierto Thursday the 31^st at 11
• Fireworks at 1:30
• SONIDO SATANÁS cumbia (Guadalajara) / 1:30 am.

Fun, fireworks and party Mexican Style. Nice!!!

Also if you listened last week you heard from Jim Demetro, and he and his daughter Christina Demetro will be unveiling their new sculpture, the Fishermen, at 7:30 in the evening, on the Malecon, at Manuel Dieguez between Langostinos and the Hotel Playa Los Arcos. Afterwards, they will have a reception at the Galeria Demetro on Lazaro Cardenas.

I have the information in the show notes for this episode.

Should Expats and Foreigners in Mexico get involved in political and Civil Matters?

Last week I was talking about Efforts to legalize pot I n Mexico ala California and Colorado, and I talked about the nationwide marches in

support of changing the law in Mexico. I broached the subject of whether or not it would be a good idea for a foreigner to protest or demonstrate in Mexico. Whether or not you would be inviting an invitation to leave the country if you did so.  So, I did a little research, and found this article in The Yucatan Times dated July 11, 2016. It’s titled,

Should expats in Mexico get involved in political and civil matters? And it reads…

There are many issues expats are very passionate about, and there was a time, we were willing to put ourselves in a position of discomfort to defend, placate and protect. However, the level of distress attained when standing up for ones’ beliefs should be taken into very serious consideration when visiting foreign soils, including Mexico of course.

 Mexico does not look fondly upon visitors involving themselves in political and civil matters. If ones’ curiosity goes beyond this basic blog, one can check out the Mexican Constitution but in short, it addresses certain activities by saying: “The Federal Executive shall have the exclusive power to compel any foreigner whose remaining he may deem inexpedient to abandon the national territory immediately and without the necessity of previous legal action.” “Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country.”

 There are those who believe they are protected by the Constitution due to their permanent immigrant status, which simply isn’t the case. The Mexican Constitution also makes it very clear that “Mexicans shall have priority over foreigners under equality of circumstances for all classes of concessions…” So, if you have any notions about suing your landlord, employer or anyone you feel you have a bone to pick with, enter into your debate with the knowledge that s/he will most likely be awarded the meat of the bone, if they are Mexican by birth and you are not. Participating in protests for animals and causes seems like such a noble thing to do, but it can get you a heap of unwanted attention.

Making statements about politicians, protesting the treatment of animals, getting involved in labor disputes are all precarious pastimes for some Expats living in Mexico and there have been many who have left with a one-way ticket and stories to tell.

 In 2015 more than 2000 Americans were deported from Mexico. Many of these cases involved people who had lived in the country for extended periods of time, even years. Any small incident and the authorities ask for one’s travel documents and identification, and if they don’t prove current data allowing one to be in the country, one will be lucky to have time to pack a bag. A good warning to the wise is to make sure one’s visas are up to date, keep one’s opinion to oneself and obey all the laws, no matter how emotional the situation.

Should expats in Mexico get involved in political and civil matters?

So, let’s read article 33 of the Mexican Constitution

Article 33

“The Federal Executive shall have the exclusive power to compel any foreigner whose remaining he may deem inexpedient to abandon the national

territory immediately and without the necessity of previous legal action.” It also states: “Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country.”

There are many who disagree with this interpretation of the law like this guy, who writes…

 Because of a legacy of US intervention in Mexican affairs, Mexico enacted the legislation Article 33 guarantees foreigners all the same rights that attach to Mexican citizens–including freedom of expression. Thus, some Mexican jurists interpret Article 33’s prohibition on political activity strictly as applicable only to illegal voting or to party proselytism. All other political involvement, according to this interpretation, would be legal.

But then there’s this article

Foreigners Cannot Engage in Political Activity

The Mexican Constitution states very clearly that “Foreigners shall not in any way involve themselves in the political matters of the country” This is emphatically interpreted to mean that foreigners do not have the right to vote, run for public office, or participate in any political event, rally or demonstration. Additionally, foreigners should stay away from all political activity including any kind of demonstration or protest even if you think it is seemingly on-political. Engaging in these kinds of activities is a good way to be asked to leave the country.

https://www.bajabound.com/before/legal/rights.php

Then I called my friend and friend of the show, Felix Zarate, Our Abogado, our legal eagle on call, and I asked him about the law and what he thought about foreigners protesting or demonstrating in Mexico, and here’s what he said…

Be careful, if you are protesting with a group of Mexicans, and it’s not political, you should be okay. He said don’t be the leader of a group. A follower, but not a leader. That’s not to say that there aren’t silent partners out there who are not citizens, maybe even pulling strings, but if you are a foreigner, don’t get involved in politics.

Then I spoke with another friend Alfonso, and he said, “In the constitution article 33 prohibits foreigners from protesting BUT it’s in regards only to some form like overthrow of the local state or federal GOV.. articles singed under United Nations and human rights commission protects free speech and right to protest any other issues as long as it has nothing to do with overthrow of GOV,, so YES you can go join a protest for animals, gay, environmental, trash ETC  .. BUT NO POLITICAL protest and only then the only person that can expel a foreigner is the President of Mexico or Secretario de Gobernacion technically secretary of state and next in line to gov Mexico.”

So there, you now have it from all sides. What should you do? You figure it out yourself. I’ve just given you the info, you use it as you wish. No Mas!

Listener Email

I got an email from listener Sonia and she writes…

Hello Barry,

I will be traveling to PV with my boyfriend this June for a wedding. It’s a short trip, June 1-4, but we’d like to see/do as much as possible.

We will be staying at Garza Blanca Resort, close to Mismaloya. In order to take in everything PV, we opted out of the all inclusive deal at the resort. That said, we will be relying heavily on public transportation to get food and get to destinations outside the resort (Malecón, Mirador Cerro de la Cruz). What time do buses start/stop offering rides? Also, we’d like to take an Uber from the  airport to the resort. Where is the best place to request Uber near the airport?

Hope to hear from you soon! Love the blog, podcast, and websites you’ve provided!

Saludos,

Sonia

Okay so Sonia,

Thanks for listening to the podcast and reading the website.

Having just returned from PV, be ready for heat and humidity. Cotton clothing is a necessity.

Okay, let’s see what I can do to answer your questions.

Airport and Uber: How much luggage do you have and how fit are you?

To take an Uber from the airport, you will need to get off the property. Walk out of the terminal, and hang a left, following the sidewalk to the street, under the bridge or on the street side of the OXXO. That’s where the Uber will pick you up. It should cost you about 175-200 pesos.

You may opt to cross the bridge and take a yellow cab for about 250 pesos.

Garza Blanca is about halfway between PV and Mismaloya. They will try to get you to attend a timeshare presentation during your stay. Do yourselves a favor and politely decline. Nuff said about that.

The resort straddles the highway 200, and a bus stop is right outside the hotel. You will be looking for an orange and white bus that says Mismaloya–Boca on it. 7.5 pesos. You get the same bus back to the resort right where it drops you off, at Basilio Badillo and Constitution. Tell the driver when you get on going back,  Garza Blanca. Buses run from approximately 7 AM till about 9 or 10. After that, take an uber or yellow cab. From that corner, you can walk anywhere in town. Down to the

Malecon, or up and down the streets on the Southside. The walk to the cross is straight up Aldama. you can get a ride in a cab from the Malecon.

Make sure you have breakfast one morning at La Palapa. Get there before noon and get a table on the sand. Wear bug spray on your legs. Order the killer crab cake eggs benedict. OMG.

Don’t miss the taco stands and another great breakfast, chilaquiles Verdes con Pollo at Serrano’s, where you can see the great work in tile park, or more beach dining at Cuates y Cuetes.

Make sure you call your bank before you come and let them know you will be using your debit card for cash withdrawals. Follow my tips about that. You will be paying for everything in pesos.

Also, don’t miss behind the Garza Blanca is a trailhead to the Cascades. This time of year, it’s probably a trickle due to no rain since October but ask at the desk of the resort where the trail is, and if there is a waterfall to see. There are different levels and the higher you go, the more strenuous the hike, as in straight up.  I have a link to the cascades attached. Also, wear bug spray here if you take the hike. A necessity.

https://goo.gl/maps/Srq45sBTmdk

Print out JR’s Maps, and let me know if you need any other tips.

Puerto Vallarta Old Town Map

Have fun!!!!

Speaking of letters and emails, I have a listener who is taking me to task about the report I gave a few weeks back about Carbon monoxide and alarms and such. But I don’t have time to address that today, maybe next week for sure.

Okay, let’s get to the interviews.

Listen to The Interviews

Benjamin The Shoeshine Man on The Malecon in Puerto Vallarta

One afternoon, I was walking along the Malecon, not too far from the bridge when I heard someone singing to me. I look up, and I see this guy, with three others, sitting on the seawall with their backs to the ocean, facing me, all sitting behind a card table set up with Mexican handicrafts. I

walked up, hoping to get some interesting audio, and I got a total surprise. Let’s meet the shoeshine guy on the Malecon, Benjamin.

So, for the simple and the not so simple people of Vallarta, the Mountains are the place to be. Did you hear that wistfulness in Benjamin’s voice when he talks about living off the land up in San Sebastian? A simple guy, who has no home. Lives on the streets, shining shoes for a living. Look for him on the Malecon. I have pictures of him, and a picture of his shoe shine box. What a nice guy!

Next up, we go in a totally different direction, from shoe shine man to a true prince.

Kaiser Maximilian Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

 

Listen to The Interview

 

Back in January I had an interview with Federico Casco, Freddy of the famous Olas Altas Farmacia, and I asked him what his favorite place to have dinner, and he said, across the street at Kaiser Maximilian, they have the best food. He told me his favorite, the short rib, and I was pretty hungry, so after I left Freddy, I crossed the street, and walked right into Kaiser Maximilian. I had never been there for dinner, just desert outside a couple of times, but this was my first time inside. I was alone, so I choose a table for 2, and had a delightful meal, the short rib. But it was very difficult to choose, just because everything looked so good. And I was looking around and getting even more confused as plates of food passed by me to the tables to the right and left.

After dinner, and after I paid for the meal, I asked the owner Andreas if he would talk with me about his place, and I was delighted he said yes. He always seemed like a reserved and quiet kind of guy, so I was really happy.  I arranged to return later in the week, with recorder in hand, and I set up in the back of Kaiser Maximilian so let’s go right now to Olas Altas Located on the street level of the Playa Los Arcos Hotel on the Southside of Puerto Vallarta, and let’s have a conversation with the very interesting Andreas Rupprechter.

Thank you, Andreas! You know, he really takes care of his clients, and his staff too. The service is always top notch, and the food, like I said before, so good. I have links to the website, their Facebook Page, their phone number and a map to show you where to find them. Just look for the Playa Los Arcos Hotel, in the Olas Altas side, not the beach side, and you will see it.

Suggestions From Andreas

Favorite Getaways

• Las Animas
• Yelapa
• Quimixto
• San Sebastian
• Mascota
• Guadalajara

Favorite Restaurants

Breakfast

• Fredy’s Tucan
• Kaiser Maximilian
• Daiquiri Dicks

Lunch

• Ocho Tostadas Near the Stadium
• La Palapa

Dinner

• Vista Grill

 

• Reservations Opentable Kaiser Maximilian

• Reservations at Kaiser Maximilian

• Kaiser Maximilian Website

• Kaiser Maximilian Menu

• Kaiser Maximilian Facebook

 

 Okay, 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 Andreas Rupprechter thank you for inviting us into your restaurant Kaiser Maximilian. Remember them next time you come to Puerto Vallarta, they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 6 days a week, until late, and remember they are closed on Sundays. Check them out if not for a meal, but for a tasty desert seated outside on Olas Altas, sidewalk café style with sweets, coffee or a nice adult beverage. Really a great experience. I have pictures of the restaurant, of the food, and of Andreas, and Benjamin, let’s not forget Benjamin the shoeshine man. I have pictures of him and his friends on the Malecon, in the show notes, so check them out. Say hello to him next time you see him. He’ll get a kick out of that. All right 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!