Qulture Restaurant, Bar and Artist Co-Op is a Lovely Surprise in The Emiliano Zapata Neighborhood Of Puerto Vallarta
We Talk with Artists Cassandra Shaw, Barbara Stenz and Claudette Johnston About This Unique Artist Retreat
How Do You Catch a Panga Ride From the Los Muertos Pier
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.
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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
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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 a very unique place right in the middle of the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood on the Southside of Puerto Vallarta. It’s a restaurant, a bar, an artist co-op, and it’s called Qulture. It was my first visit to Qulture, and definitely not going to be the last, and we are going to be talking with some of the artists there, Cassandra Shaw, Claudette Johnston and Barbara Stenz, we are going to the Los Muertos Pier to hook you up with a panga ride too, but before we get to all that, let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, the 19th of September, 2019.
Rainfall and Storm Watch
It’s hurricane season and Tropical storm Lorena turned hurricane dumped lots of rain on Puerto Vallarta as it churnd up the Mexican Pacific coast. The center of the storm passed through Puerto Vallarta between 9 Thursday morning till 9 at night, Thursday September 18th. There was virtually no wind in Puerto Vallarta, but they did get wind in Colima, Manzanillo, and I saw some photos of blown down banana trees, so watch the price of bananas. Just kidding. It’s pretty easy to blow over a banana plant, especially when the ground is soggy. I know, I have bananas in my back yard.
It’s been a very dry September so far, so the rain is welcome, it’s just that all at once is always an issue. The Mayor and city officials huddled yesterday making plans for heavy rains and flooding.
Angela up above Que Pasa with her weather station says up till yesterday, we were about 4 inches short of last year, but no longer with yesterday’s totals, we are ahead of last year’s totals of rain levels year to date at around 41 inches. That’s not counting what the tropical storm drops today and tomorrow so stay tuned and thanks again Angela!
Upcoming Visit and Meet and Greets
As I said a couple weeks ago, the countdown is on for my upcoming trip to paradise next month, so I’ll put out the word right now, we’ll have an open microphone podcast meet and greet at JR’s Meet and Greet
spot, Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse, Tuesday October 8th from 5:30 till 7:30, on the rooftop. I’ll have some Puerto Vallarta Travel Show t-shirts for the first of you who ask for one. First come first
serve. If you have a local business or Vallarta Charity you want to tell us about, it’s a great time to get the word out to all lovers of Puerto Vallarta, my listeners. So don’t be shy, come down on October 8th to Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse, at Lazaro Cardenas 245, in the romantic zone, and let’s talk. Tell me your Puerto Vallarta story. It’s always a great time.
Listener Wants to Know How I do the Show
And talking about my upcoming trip, I got an email from a guy named Martin who is actually a podcaster too. He won a trip to Puerto Vallarta on a radio station, and was looking for a podcast about Puerto Vallarta, and what do you know, he found this show. So, I’m going to have Martin on soon to hear about what he did on his prize vacation, but he had a question as to how I do my podcast. He writes….
About your workflow, do you have a bunch of pre-done podcasts ready for release?
I’m curious how you plan out your shows, when listening it sounds like you’re down there often, and then run around getting interviews while there, and compile them for release after. That would make for a fun way to get around while there.
Just listened to your story about your Spanish learning trip with the mushrooms…man…what an adventure that would have been..the whole thing, not just the high parts! I can only imagine…especially back then when the world was a different place, I’m not so sure you’d want to do the same type of trip these days!
Of course! Your show helps me relax and pretend I’m back there again…it’s a nice easy show to listen to. You also have a very relaxed sort of 70s/80s way of speaking, chill and laid back! ha ha
Talk soon!
Martin
So, Martin, I get this question a lot when I’m in town. Lots of locals think I live in Puerto Vallarta. Well, I wish. Maybe someday. You’ll be the first to know I’ll tell you that. But yes Martin, you are right. I come to town three times a year, for about 10 days a shot. I come the beginning of January, then sometime in May, and then again, the beginning or middle of October. Then, during the ten days I do just like you said, I run around and record interviews. I try to get 20 interviews each time, an average of 2 a day. Sometimes I strike out and get none. Other days I get 4. It all depends of how the stars align because it’s hard to get a commitment. Even for a half hour interview.
Anyway, I take the interviews home with me and make a schedule for release of the interview segments based on the flow of the show. Or if the subject needs the information out quickly, or on a certain date. I also like to alternate restaurants with other subjects so I rarely do two restaurant episodes back to back if I can help it. Then, I hit all the Vallarta news outlets to see what’s happening the coming week and I’ll report on it. I’m subscribed to many Spanish language online newspapers, so I’ll sometimes add a national news story in. Mexican History is fascinating to me, so I’ll throw that in from time to time. Then I get to the interview which is prerecorded. So, I record myself at home in my studio, then edit the pre-recorded interviews, taking out the pauses and the screw-ups, mostly mine and the dumb stuff I say. Then I splice it all together, run it through filters and levelators, add the intro music and outro music, upload it to my media host, type up my blog-post upload the pictures, add the links. The whole thing takes about 6 hours total each week to produce. And I love it of course. It forces me to go out and do what I urge all of you to do. To leave the comfort of my hotel room or Airbnb, or resort, and do something. Get on a bus, take an Uber, take a panga ride, go to Mayto, head up the Cuale. Release baby sea turtles. So, I love doing these podcasts because there’s so much to learn, and to share about this place, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. So, thanks Martin, I’ll have you on the show soon my fellow podcaster.
In the middle of Septihombre
We are in the middle of September, or Septihombre as the call it locally. Septi meaning September, and Hombre meaning Hungry. It’s the time of year when many of the restaurants are closed for time off, renovations, vacations, and the folks who work these places have no income during this time so it’s hungry time. Keep your eyes open for petty theft this time of year. Be aware.
Capture of Hidalgo and The Wells of Bajan
Last week we talked about the Mexican Revolution, and I promised to follow up with a couple of fun facts surrounding The capture and death of Father Miguel Hidalgo y Castilla.
We talked about Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, the wife of the Magistrate of the town of Queretaro, who started a book club that ultimately was the birthplace of the Mexican Revolution.
I talked about the priest Miguel Hidalgo de Castillo, and about his famous proclamation he made in the city of Dolores in the early morning hours of September 16th, 1810, where he urged his countrymen to take arms up against the Spanish and purge them from Mexico.
And I talked about what happened to Hidalgo and his fellow conspirators, and their heads. But if you haven’t listened to that episode, check out last weeks show where we interview Conner Watts from Los Muertos Brewing and that couple on the bus from Patagonia to Alaska? You will hear that story, but last week I told you I would tell the story of the capture of the revolutionary patriots, and the Mexican Benedict Arnold was instrumental in capturing them.
The Benedict Arnold was named Ignacio Elizondo, and I’ll read from the Wikipages here where we’ll get to Ignacio Elizando…
Hidalgo, who had no military experience, was named by his followers as captain general of the revolutionary army. Allende was second in command with the rank of lieutenant general. The rebel army under Hidalgo enjoyed early successes but was decisively defeated by the royalist army supporting Spanish rule on January 17, 1811 in the Battle of Calderón Bridge near Guadalajara. Along with the remnants of the rebel army, Allende, Aldama and Hidalgo, and others fled northward with the goal of getting to the United States and hoping that they would receive military and financial support from the U.S.[1] The military leaders blamed Hidalgo for the loss at Calderon Bridge, forced him to resign his command, and threatened to execute him if he resisted. Thereafter, Hidalgo was effectively a prisoner of Allende and the rebel army.[2]
Meanwhile, another rebel general, José Mariano Jiménéz, was leading a separate army of 7,000 men from San Luis Potosi toward Saltillo. A royalist force of 700 men chose to defect to Jiménez rather than fight and on January 8, 1811 he entered the city of Saltillo. Jiménez sent out parts of his army to take control of several northern cities, including Parras, Monterrey, and Monclova. To command in Monclova, Jiménez dispatched Pedro de Aranda, 73 years old and a heavy drinker of alcohol. In Monclova, Aranda chose a retired militia officer, Ignacio Elizondo, to take charge of royalist prisoners. Elizondo was converted to the royalist cause by his prisoners, He was asked to continue to pretend he supported the rebels to gain intelligence about the plans of Allende and Hidalgo.[3] The royalist sympathizers in Monclova included a group of large landowners of the region led by José Melchor Sanchez Navarro.[4]
The remnants of the retreating rebel army under Allende and Aldama joined Jiménez in Saltillo on February 24. Hidalgo arrived with a rear guard on March 4 or 5.[5] As royalist armies were advancing on Saltillo, the rebels made plans to continue their flight toward the United States. The principal route to the U.S. was through Monclova and the best source of water en route to Monclova was the Wells of Baján.[6]
The royalist sympathizers in Monclova sent two prominent citizens as spies to Saltillo to ascertain the plans of the rebels. The spies won the confidence of Allende and the other leaders and volunteered to guide the rebels to Texas. They told Allende that Elizondo would meet them the Wells of Baján and escort them to Monclova. In Monclova, the royalists seized key points in the city, capturing the inebriated Aranda, the rebel commander in the city, and blocking all roads out of Monclova to prevent the news that they had taken control from reaching Allende and Hidalgo. Elizondo, his adherence to the royalists unsuspected by the rebels, was sent with 150 men to the Wells of Bajan to capture the rebel leaders.[7]
Capture Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
On March 17, 1811, Generals Allende, Jiménez, and Aldama, Padre Hidalgo, and more than 1,000 soldiers of the rebel army departed Saltillo to march north to Monclova. The caravan was strung out on the road over a distance of 24 kilometres (15 mi). An advance guard led the convoy, followed by more than 20 horse-drawn carriages transporting the rebel leaders. Following the carriages was a mule train with loads of supplies and silver bullion. Next came caissons of artillery, cumbersome ox-drawn carts carrying munitions, and, finally, the bulk of the soldiers and a rearguard. On the evening of March 20, the rebels camped 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the Wells of Baján.[8][9]
At dawn on March 21 a courier arrived with a letter for Jiménez ensuring the unsuspecting rebel general that Elizondo and his soldiers were waiting for them at the Wells of Baján and would welcome the arrival of the rebel army. The courier suggested to Jimenez that, due to shortages of water, the convoy arrive at Baján in stages to allow time for the wells to recharge after each draw down of water. He also suggested that the leaders arrive first so that they could continue rapidly on toward Monclova. Jimenez accepted the suggestion and the convoy set out that morning toward Baján without scouts or outriders and arrived at the Wells of Baján piecemeal.[10]
Elizondo greeted the rebel leaders with an honor guard. He led the carriages behind a nearby hill not visible from the remainder of the rebel convoy. There, his men demanded the surrender of the rebel leaders. Padre Hidalgo, on horseback, drew a pistol but was restrained from firing by a royalist soldier. Allende and Jimenez were in the fifth carriage, and Allende opened fire. In the return fire Allende’s son and several rebel soldiers were killed. The royalists tied the hands of the rebel leaders and their escorts and escorted them to a makeshift prison camp. This process of capturing elements of the rebel army continued all day long. As each new element arrived they were taken captive by Elizondo’s men. By the end of the day the royalists had 893 prisoners and had killed about 40 of the royalists who resisted. The rear guard was the only contingent in the rebel army which sensed the danger and escaped capture.[11][12]
The next day Elizondo divided the prisoners into three groups: the leaders of the rebels including Padre Hidalgo; captured rebel clergymen, and the common soldiers. All prisoners were taken to Monclova first and the lesser offenders remained there for trial. Ten captured clergymen were taken to Durango and 27 military leaders and Hidalgo were taken to Chihuahua for trial.[13]
Trial and executions
Allende, Aldama, and Jiménez were tried and found guilty in May 1811 and executed by firing squads and decapitated on July 26, 1811,[14] Another leader, Mariano Abasolo, escaped execution due to his public denouncement of the insurgent cause and the intervention of his wife, María Manuela Rojas Taboada, whose family had connections with aristocrats of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.[15] He was instead sentenced to life in prison in the Santa Catalina Castle at Cádiz, Spain, where he died of pulmonary tuberculosis April 14, 1816.[16] Hidalgo was tried by the Mexican Inquisition by the bishop of Durango, Francisco Gabriel de Olivares, for an official defrocking and excommunication on 27 July 1811. He was then tried by a military court that found him guilty of treason and he was executed on July 30, 1811. There are many theories about how he was executed, the most famous that he was killed by firing squad and then decapitated on July 30 at 7:00 in the morning.[17]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wells_of_Baj%C3%A1n
What Happened to Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez?
I’ll read from an article in revolvy.com
Eventually, the role that Ortiz de Domínguez and her husband played in the conspiracy was uncovered. They were imprisoned separately. She was sent to the monastery of Santa Clara, in Querétaro, and then to Mexico City to stand trial. Despite her husband’s efforts as her lawyer, she was found guilty and placed in reclusion in the monastery of Santa Teresa. Due to her rebellious character, she was soon transferred to the convent of Santa Catalina de Sena. Ortiz de Domínguez was released in 1817, under an oath that she would refrain from supporting the rebellion.
Post-Independence
After the war of independence in 1822, Mexican Emperor Agustín de Iturbide offered Ortiz de Domínguez the role of lady-in-waiting for his wife, Ana María de Huarte y Muñiz. However, Ortiz de Domínguez believed the establishment of a Mexican Empire, instead of a Republic, was against the ideals she had fought for during the revolutionary period, and she refused the honor. In 1823, she was designated a “woman of honor” by the empress, a tribute which she also denounced.
During the late years of her life, Ortiz de Domínguez was involved with several radical political groups. She always refused any reward from her involvement in the independence movement arguing that she was only doing her duty as a patriot.
Ortiz de Domínguez died in 1829, in Mexico City. She was originally buried in the convent of Santa Catalina de Sena, but later her remains were moved to Querétaro. The government of Querétaro declared her “Benemérita del Estado”.
https://www.revolvy.com/page/Josefa-Ortiz-de-Dom%C3%ADnguez?smv=737063&cr=1
And let this be a warning to all of you….if your spouse asks to start a book club….tell them no.
Okay, Let’s get to the interviews, shall we?
Hiring a Panga From Los Muertos Pier in Puerto Vallarta
It’s said that to really see Vallarta, you need to see it from the water. You need to get out on the bay. Well, how do you get a ride on a Panga from Los Muertos Pier? You walk up on the pier and look for my buddy Carlos Hernandez, that’s what you do.
Let’s go right now to el Muelle, the pier, the Los Muertos Pier and meet Captain Carlos Hernandez.
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Thanks Carlos. I have a picture of Carlos as well as his business card, so go to the show-notes, and check out his contact info, or just take a short walk on a pier, and look for him. It’s really easy to get a ride for a couple of hours for like, $70 US. Split it with another couple or up to 6 people, and it’s cheap! Treat your panga guy well. A tip or a beer or both never hurts.
Contact Information For Carlos The Panga Man
Qulture Restaurant, Bar and Artist Co-Op in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Okay, next we go into the Emiliano Zapata neighborhood and to a really cool spot called Qulture. Now we’ve heard from several guests about Qulture Restaurant, Bar and Artist co-op, but I hadn’t been inside.
I always seemed to hit it on the day they were closed. But I got a message last time I was in town, and he asked me, if he could set up a bunch of interviews at Qulture, would I be interested, and I said of course! So, he did, and invited me over to see the place.
Contact Information for Qulture Restaurant Bar and Artist Co-Op
- Address: Venustiano Carranza 466 Emiliano Zapata, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco 48380
- Website: http://www.qulturepv.com/
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/qulturepv/
- Telephone: +52 322 688 6944
The building used to be a Mexican style hotel; rooms built around a central courtyard. In the courtyard is the restaurant and bar.
The kitchen is open to the diners so they can see the food being prepared, and the large service section is
painted with and incredible Adrian Takano mural. I have pictures of that and a video. And in the middle of the restaurant is a remarkable circular bar, with the most amazing mosaic tile work, done by the brother of Natasha Moraga, Daniel. It’s unbelievable, and I also have a picture of it in the show notes. I’ll also post some pictures of the bar and the restaurant serving bar on the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show Facebook page this week, so you will also find the pics there.
As you sit and enjoy a beverage, or a fine meal, you sit in this beautiful courtyard area with soft music
playing. There’s art everywhere. You can look up from your seat and see all the rooms, artist retreats and studios and workshops. It’s really a very magical place. I really loved it there.
I interviewed three people, actually 5, but I’m playing the interviews right now for three of the five. The other two will come at a later date. Not too much later. So, Let’s go right now to Venustiano Carranza
466, in the romantic zone of Puerto Vallarta, and let’s hear from the ladies today, first we have Claudette
Johnston from C. Johnston Designs, then another artist Barbara Stenz, and then someone else, another artist who’s been on the show before and that’s Cassandra Shaw. I’ll be running these interviews one after another without any stops or breaks…so here goes!
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Contact Information for Claudette Johnston C. Johnston Designs
Website: http://www.c-johnstondesign.com/Home/
Okay. Thank you ladies! That was quite a treat. What a good time! I have pictures and of these artists work in the shownotes and links to get you to their websites. I have a special thank you to my buddy Jamie Burton 
Chamberlin for putting this all together and hooking me up with these talented artists. And by the way, I said there were 5 interviews total remember? Well one of them is Jamie and I’m going to have him on later when we get together in October, but I had a great interview with Heda Lettuce. Hedda was a riot, and as soon as I can clean up the questionable language, Hedda will be on the show in a week or two, and it’s really funny.
Contact Information for Barbara Stenz Art
Website: Barbara Stenz Art
So, to wrap up this showcase on Qulture Restaurant, Bar and Artist co-op, let me say I give this place 5 stars 5 crowns, 5 coronas right. They have great food and drink, atmosphere and ambiance. It’s a treat for the eyes, the ears and the pallet. Go there. You will thank me 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.
Contact Information for Cassandra Shaw
Cassandra Shaw Jewelry: https://www.facebook.com/cassandrashawjewelry/
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.
Thanks to Captain Carlos Hernandez, go to the Los Muertos Pier and ask for him. He’ll set you up in a
panga. I have his picture and contact information in the shownotes, and thanks to the artists at Qulture, Claudette Johnston from C. Johnston Designs, artist Barbara Stenz, and Cassandra Shaw of course. I have all their contact information and some of their work in the shownotes. Thanks to the folks at Qulture who made me feel so welcome. Please make a point of going there the next time you are in town.. Thank you so much Jamie Chamberlain for setting up the entire interview for me. I owe you big time buddy. Visit Jamie at the Black Dahlia Films and the Red Room 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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