An Interview with Tony Zarate, From Tony’s Please, Mexican Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta.
Dialing 911 and Ambulance Services in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta
Why Are There So Many Farmacias in Puerto Vallarta?
Meet Stefan, The Brisket Man
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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 listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta’s Oldest Restaurant on the famous Los Muertos Beach, and The El Dorado Restaurant and Beach Club right next door so you can enjoy that fantastic view of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors, or during the day in its grand splendor for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with our toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so, Puerto Vallarta my friends.
This week we are going to meet a Canadian Stefan Renault, from Montreal who opened up a food stand on Basillio Badillo where his specialty is smoked meats, and then I’m going to introduce you to Tony
Zarate from a long time Puerto Vallarta restaurant called Tony’s Please, but before we get to those fine people, let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, the 29th of March, 2019.
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Daylight Savings Time in Puerto Vallarta 2019, Sunday April 7th
Coming up next Sunday, April 7th, the time will change in Puerto Vallarta. Daylight savings time has finally made it to paradise so if you are in town, Spring forward Sunday April 7th.
The ceremony of the Voladores de Papantla
When you walk along the Malecon, you are bound to see these guys dressed up in native Indian
costumes, performing a ritual suspended from ropes by one leg, from a tall pole, spinning and dropping down, being lowered by the rope, back to the ground. All this while someone is playing a flute instrument. Who are these people and what is this ritual all about? Well it’s known as The Ritual of the Voladores.
Let me read from this TripSavy Mexico Guide…
The ceremony of the Voladores de Papantla is a cultural tradition of the Totonac people of Veracruz state. The tradition dates back to ancient times and has been passed down through the generations. The voladores, “fliers,” sometimes called hombres pajaro, “birdmen,” launch themselves from the top of a pole of up to 150 feet in height, and slowly descend circling the pole. It is a breathtaking spectacle performed at a great height.
The ritual begins with five men circling a tall pole. One of the men plays music with a flute and a small drum. They then climb the pole and position themselves on a small wooden rotating platform at the top. The man playing the music is called the caporal. He stands in the center, playing his flute and drum, and does a dance, facing each of the four cardinal directions in turn. This is one of the tensest moments for the audience, as he performs his dance standing at the top of a pole without a harness or any protection.
The platform begins to spin and the four voladores launch themselves off and begin rotating the pole upside down. They are attached by a rope around the waist, but they twist a leg in the rope to maintain an upside down position. The caporal remains at the top of the pole as the others descend. In their descent, each volador circles the pole 13 times—thirteen times for each of the four voladores, for a total of 52 rotations, representing the number of years in the Mesoamerican calendar cycle.
According to tradition, there was a severe drought in the Totonacapan area of Veracruz, and food and water became scarce, so a group of elders met to find a solution. They decided that a ceremony should be performed to ask the gods to return the rain and fertility to the soil.
They instructed some young men of the community to locate the tallest and straightest tree in the forest and bring it back to the village. So the young men set out to find the tallest tree. When they found it, they prayed and performed a ritual to the tree and then they cut it down and brought it back to the village. They stripped the tree of its leaves and branches, dug a hole to stand it upright, and blessed the site with ritual offerings.
Then they performed a ritual to the god Xipe Totec, god of agriculture and springtime, so that the rains would return and nurture the soil and their crops would flourish. The men adorned their bodies with feathers so that they would appear like birds, thereby attracting the god’s attention to their request. They climbed to the top of the trunk, and with vines wrapped around their waists, they secured themselves to the trunk and launched themselves off of it, spinning in circles around the trunk.
The Symbolism of the Voladores
The four voladores who descend to the ground represent the cardinal directions, and the caporal at the top of the pole represents the fifth direction (vertical), the center of the universe. The voladores perform in honor of the elements: sun, wind, earth, and water—thus honoring the earth, the passage of time and their place in the universe.
The original performers of the Voladores ceremony would have worn costumes made of real feathers, representing eagles, owls, crows, parrots, and quetzal birds, but nowadays the voladores wear bright colored costumes that recall the brightly colored birds, and the rays of the sun.
The costume of the voladores consists a white shirt and red pants trimmed in bright colors with a yellow fringe. On their heads, the voladores wear a handkerchief, over which they place a round hat with a multicolored tuft representing the head of a bird. They wear a colorful sash shaped as two semi-circles over the right shoulder, over the chest and the back, which represent the wings of the birds. The voladores wear black leather boots with a heel.
So there you have it, the next time you see these Voladores, you will know the whole scoop.
I have a link to the article in the Shownotes of course!
https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-ritual-of-the-voladores-1588862
Listener Email
I get excited when I get mail and I got an email from Listener Cheryl. I love Cheryl, she is always sending me great ideas plus, she introduced me to Jose, the Most Honest Bandito on the beach! Cheryl writes…
Still loving your podcast! So fun and informative.
Couple things…I would like to know about the proliferation of pharmacies in PV. So many on each block. Are they government owned or privately owned? Why do you have to have prescriptions at Farmacia Guadalajara and Benavides and not some of the others? Do the doctors condone buying at pharmacies other than GDL or Benavides? Why?
Also, how do you call 911 from a US or Canadian cell phone? Do the operators speak English? What else do we need to know when calling them for an emergency? Do they use GPS to locate people? Or if we have an insurance plan that covers ambulance service, should they be contacted first?
Thanks, and keep up the good and valuable work.
Cheryl Stewart
Okay Cheryl, both great questions. And that 911 question I can’t believe we haven’t talked about that at all, so let’s go. Let’s talk farmacias first.
Why are There So Many Pharmacies in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico?
I reached out to one of my trusted Pharmacists in Puerto Vallarta, and here’s what he had to say….
Hola Barry
Good to hear from you. You bring a couple of interesting questions. The long answer would include the history of Mexico. I’ll try for the short answer.
Traditionally Farmacias in Mexico have been on the first line of health care . Dr’s and clinics and hospitals have often had limited availability. The Mexican Pharmaceutical industry flourished due to these and other circumstances throughout the country and provided economical medications. Then the pharmaceutical companies early on developed efficient wholesaling to private Farmacias. Another key factor enabling the establishment of Farmacias is the fact that most are dispatching Farmacias and do not require compounding chemists. Hence the proliferation of Farmacias .
Tourist areas like Puerto Vallarta have even greater numbers of Farmacias due to the prices generally being so
much less than in first world economies.
The Farmacia Guadalajara and other large chain stores operate under the same licenses as all Farmacias. Some Farmacias opt out of some licenses dealing with the more restricted substances.
Many more medications are over the counter in Mexico than in other countries and don’t require a prescription. Psychotropics and antibiotics are among those which legally require one.
If you find a Farmacia that sells you a medication without a prescription while another Farmacia requires a script for the same medicine….you can be sure the one requiring the script does not want to take any risks.
Govt Farmacias can be found in some govt clinics and hospitals…the rest are private businesses.
Dr’s who prefer one Farmacia over another may have a financial arrangement with that Farmacia.
So, Barry I think these address most of your listeners concerns. I hope it’ll be useful to you.
Hope to see you on your next visit.
Your friendly Vallarta Pharmacist.
Okay That’s the long and short of the pharmacy question.
Is There a 911 System in Puerto Vallarta, and Can You Dial From Your US or Canadian Phone?
Now, 911. Yes, they have 911, in fact they have had one since 2017, and every year it gets better thank goodness.
Let’s go over those questions one more time…
How do you call 911 from a US or Canadian cell phone?
I contacted Pamela Thompson Web of Healthcare Services PV, and she said, “Though no one wants to think that they will have an emergency here, it happens – and often. It makes everything much easier for you, your family and friends if information is in place ahead of time
First, she confirmed that you can dial 911 from your US or Canadian cell phone while you are in Puerto Vallarta or Nuevo, and you will be connected to the local 911 dispatch for either Jalisco or Nayarit.
Do the operators speak English?
As far as do the operators speak English, no, most of them do not.
What else do we need to know when calling them for an emergency?
The word in Spanish for ambulance is “ambulancia” so if you say ambulance, the operator will understand.
Because most don’t speak English, you need at least to be able to tell them where you are in Spanish or at
the very least, know where you are in English. That means you need to have a plan for when something, when some kind of emergency happens. You should know where you are and learn how to say where you are in Spanish along with a cross street and a landmark. Pam says don’t say by the OXXO or by the palapa, or speaking of Farmacias, the farmacia. Be precise.
Do they use GPS to locate people?
Yes, the private ambulance companies use GPS, but the 911 public system does not.
And, if we have an insurance plan that covers ambulance service, should they be contacted first?
The answer is no, don’t try to contact the insurance carrier first. Have a plan. You should have a couple of
private ambulance company phone numbers handy on your cell phone just in case of emergencies. And Pam gave me two private Ambulance companies and phone numbers for your phone, and I have them in the show notes one is Aura Ambulancias 322-209-0622 and the other is IMR Ambulancias 322-111-0231. Both have trained EMTs. And the numbers are in the shownotes.
Many of you are full time residents or here for many months at a time and Pam has important tips for you. We have spoken about these with her in a previous episode so if you haven’t heard that show, just type in Healthcare Services PV in the search bar on my website www.puertovallartatravelshow.com and you will find it, or I have a link to the episode in the shownotes, so listen if you haven’t already. Here’s her sage advice…
No matter what your age, your health issues, your financial condition, your marital status, or your country of origin, there are a number of things you simply SHOULD NOT put off doing:
- Compile a comprehensive list of emergency contacts, both local and international—names, emails, phone numbers, relationship to you. Keep this list updated and give a copy to a trusted friend or neighbor.
- Compile a list of your meds by name and dosage and contact info for all your doctor(s), both local and international. List your blood type, any allergies, and include a copy of your insurance information. Keep the list updated and give a copy to a trusted friend or neighbor.
- If you have pets, designate a trusted friend to care for them if you are unable to do so—and let that friend know they are your designated care-giver. Compile a list of these care-givers, their contact info, your vet’s name and contact info, any meds your pets are taking, and any other necessary things to know about your babies.
- Make sure that a trusted friend has access to your home. Some condos ask that owners provide door keys; if you are incapacitated, it’s important that someone can enter to assist you. The police are not allowed to do so until a court order has been issued—do you really want to wait that long? If you live alone, make a pact with a friend to check on each other regularly.
- If you’re a homeowner, make a copy of the first few pages of your escritura and add this to your emergency file.
- Designate a place in your home to keep all these lists—a drawer, a file cabinet, a closet shelf—and tell someone where that place is. But don’t just put these documents on a shelf and forget about them—update them regularly. Outdated information is as useless as no information at all.
- Register with your consulate. In an emergency, they will have your back.
To register with the US Consulate: https://step.state.gov/step/
To register with the Canadian Consulate: http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration
- Keep this info under a magnet on your refrigerator—they speak English:
Ambulancias Aura – 322-209 0622
Ask them to call Pam Thompson to advise where to transport you. She can also arrange for the physician(s) to be ready and waiting at the hospital.
- Keep Pam Thompson’s phone number (322-107-7007) in your speed dial and her email (pamela@healthcareresourcespv.com) in your email contacts. Pam should be your first call in an emergency.
Contact her now and ask about her PLUS Plan—lots of good discounts on medical procedures and they keep a comprehensive medical record on you, invaluable in an emergency.
The Bottom Line:
Get all your information together,
Keep it updated, and for goodness sake, tell someone where it is!
So, there you have it Farmacias and Emergencies and the 911 system.
Links and all the info, right there in the show-notes.
Great questions Cheryl and I hope to see you and your husband in May. I can’t wait to get back to paradise.
Let’s get to the interviews.
The Brisket Man in Puerto Vallarta
The last time I was in Vallarta I did a double take as I walked up Basillio Badillo, among the Mexican street vendors with their souvenir stands along the little primary school there, there was a Caucasian dude,
selling brisket sandwiches of all things. It was kinda weird to see a non Mexican at a food stand, but there he is, and he is a really busy guy, his name is Stefan Renault and he is from
Montreal Canada and I got to tell you, his food is really good. Really good. So let’s go right now, to Basillio
Badillo, across the street from and let’s meet Stefan Renault, the Brisket Man of Basillio Badillo.
Okay, I have pictures of the great sandwiches that Stefan is making as well as a map, in the show-notes, so next time you are in town, check out Stefan’s sandwiches.
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Tony’s Please Mexican Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
I have been trying to get Tony Zarate from a restaurant called Tony’s Please, on the show for a while now,
just had a hard time cornering him just because he is a very busy guy, a hard-working man who took over the family business with his brother Oscar, and they run this pretty, very welcoming restaurant in the
Emiliano Zapata neighborhood. Now Tony didn’t know that I was going to record him when I sat down, and he really didn’t want me to interview him in English because, well, he was afraid his English wasn’t good enough. But I think he did really good.
I reached out to my buddy Gary Beck who wrote the Puerto Vallarta Restaurant Guide, I will read from the guide….The description of Tony’s Please.
Contact Information for Tony’s Please Restaurant
- Address: Lázaro Cárdenas 440, Zona Romántica, Emiliano Zapata
- Phone: 322-109-4644
- Website: http://tonysrestaurant.restaurantwebexperts.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Tex-Mex-Restaurant/Tonys-Please-429535453788422/
Map
Tony’s Please Lázaro Cárdenas 440 near Jacarandas OT/SS.
322-109-4644 CP
4-11pm; high season 4:30-11pm Closed Sunday.
Tony’s son Antonio Zarate, mom and brother Oscar serve an eclectic international menu: garlic egg or avocado soup, garlic or fried frogs’ legs, tenderloin tips, shrimp or chicken crêpes, chicken livers, chile relleno, enchiladas Suisa, chicken tetrazzini, filet mignon or pepper steak, Mexican plate, fajitas, fish fillet with cream shrimp sauce or Veracruzana. Father owned the 1960’s-80’s original on Encino near Río Cuale, which was a huge local favorite complete with pool table, rowdy customers and long lines. Many of the same offerings with some of the same cooks. A/C, no CC.
By the way, Gary’s Guide is a great item to add to your Vallarta essential reading and it’s only 6 USD,
And you just email Gary for a copy. He accepts PayPal and you can get him at garyrbeck1@yahoo.com for today’s document. Thanks Gary for that information, and for filling me in on some of the history of Tony’s Please.
So, let’s go right now to Lázaro Cárdenas 440, in the Emiliano Zapate Neighborhood Of Puerto Vallarta, and let’s meet the man himself, Tony Zarate, from Tony’s Please.
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Tony is shy, and soft-spoken, but he really loves his clients, and he and his brother Oscar, and the whole
family love their clients, and if you need some love, some real good Mexican food, you need to visit Tony’s Please, and I have pictures of his place, a map to take you to his front door, and links to everything in the show notes, so check it out and go and tell Tony that you heard him on The Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. He will get a kick out of it for sure.
Okay that should do it for this week.
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.
And thank you to Stefan Renault, check out his smoked meats and have a brisket sandwich. You will agree, it’s the bomb, and thanks to Tony Zarate, Check out the great food, value and service at Tony’s Please, he will make you feel like you are part of his family. Really.
And 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!
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