John Benus is an American Who is Passionate About Cleaning up Trash in His New Home Town of Puerto Vallarta
John Created a Program Called Guerra Contra Basura Puerto Vallarta, The War Against Litter in Puerto Vallarta
Travel Advice For Those Visiting During The Pandemic
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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.
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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 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 your 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 get down and dirty. You will meet John Benus who will talk trash with us. He has a program in Puerto Vallarta called Guerra Contra La Basura, the war against Litter in Puerto Vallarta. According to John it’s “The only war where no one gets hurt and everybody wins”. But before we get to John, let’s see what’s happening in Puerto Vallarta tis week, the 20th of February, 2021.
Restrictions on Restaurants Lifted in Puerto Vallarta
Things have returned to normal on the ground at least for now in Puerto Vallarta. The restrictions requiring restaurants, bars, nightclubs and taco stands to close at 10 in the evening have been lifted. Bars can now stay open till 3 in the morning. Theaters are now open with limited occupancy. Masks are still required of course and proper health protocols are still being adhered to.
All they need are tourists and Salvador Estrada, my friend, the Candyman on the Malecon in a wheelchair sends me video clips of sunsets and the pirate ship shooting off fireworks, but he shows me how quiet the Malecon is at night and even during the day. Talk about beating the crowds.
Last week we talked about Canadians needing to check into a Covid 19 hotel at one of four points of entry into Canada, having to take a PCR test upon landing and then hanging out at a Covid 19 motel for up to 3 days while you wait for your results at a cost of up to $2,000 Canadian dollars. We were wondering if the courts would delay the planned start of the program, but it looks like the 22nd is the start date, as it turns out, it’s not as expensive to jail Canadians as first suspected by the prime minister, here is an article claiming the tab isn’t quite as steep for you Canadians who dare to escape the sub zero cold, and opt for some vitamin D, the natural kind, and vitamin T, tequila. And vitamin R and R which we all can use. Here’s the article from the CBC online…
Mandatory hotel quarantine rates far lower than $2,000 figure offered by government
Trudeau says officials working hard to ensure hotel booking service is up and running by Monday deadline
Jon Victor · The Canadian Press · Posted: Feb 19, 2021
The cost of the mandatory three-day hotel quarantine that goes into effect on Monday appears to be well below the $2,000-per-person price tag cited by officials when they announced the new program.
Nightly rates at the Alt Hotel Toronto Airport and the Sheraton Gateway Hotel at Toronto Pearson International Airport, two of the hotels named Friday as participants in the government quarantine program, start at $339 and $319, respectively, for a single person being quarantined, employees answering the phone at those hotels said.
Those rates include all costs associated with the quarantine, including food and security, the employees said.
At the Calgary Airport Marriott In-Terminal Hotel, the three-day quarantine stay for one person costs $1,272 plus tax. That includes food for three days and $75 for security, an employee said.
11 hotels approved
The federal government released Friday a list of 11 hotels where air travellers arriving in Canada can complete the mandatory quarantine period.
As of Monday, all air travellers returning from non-essential international trips will have to isolate in one of the approved facilities, at their own expense, for up to 72 hours while they await the results of a polymerase chain reaction test (commonly known as a PCR test) taken upon arrival.
Travellers must also produce negative COVID-19 results from tests taken 72 hours before boarding their flights to Canada.
Meanwhile here’s an article about how some Canadians plan to deal with the covid 19 motels…also from the CBC online…
How some Canadians plan to circumvent Ottawa’s new hotel quarantine requirement
No hotel stay required for travelers returning by land
Some Canadians abroad plan to change their route home and cross the border by land, instead of air, to bypass Canada’s pricey new hotel quarantine requirement.
“If I can avoid it, I’m going to do it,” said Brian Cross of Burlington, Ont., who is spending the winter with his wife, Anne, in Mesa, Ariz.
The couple originally planned to fly back to Canada in April. But that was before the federal government announced last week that, effective Monday, most air passengers entering Canada must take a COVID-19 test upon arrival and spend up to three days of their 14-day quarantine at a designated hotel to await their test results. (They can leave earlier if their results come back early.)
Travellers must foot the bill for their stay, which could cost upwards of $2,000, according to the government.
But the hotel quarantine rule doesn’t apply to travellers entering Canada by land, inspiring some like Cross to revise their plans.
“Common sense says, well, let’s do the path of least resistance, right? If I can save 4,000 bucks, why wouldn’t I do it?” he said, estimating the total hotel bill for two people. If the hotel quarantine rule is still in effect when Cross, 63, and Anne, 61, return home in April, he said they plan to fly to Buffalo instead of Toronto. Then they’ll take a cab to the Rainbow Bridge land border crossing at Niagara Falls, N.Y., and walk across the border to Niagara Falls, Ont.
Cross said a couple of friends have agreed to drive his car to the Canadian side of the border and leave it there for him.
“We’ll just pick it up and drive home,” he said.
Cross and his wife will still have to adhere to other new measures designed to curb the spread of COVID-19. As of this week, land travellers must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test at the border and, starting Monday, must take another test on arrival and a third near the end of their 14-day quarantine.
But there will be no hotel stay, which Cross argues is unfair to people flying home.
So it’s getting cheaper by the minute for you Canadians to be naughty and dare to vacation during a pandemic. And it’s only been a week!
And I have a link to that article in the shownotes…
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-land-border-hotel-quarantine-government-travel-1.5917382
Mermaid Queen Going Out of Business
Sad news from Robina Oliver, she is hanging up the bathing suits business and having a going out of business sale. She is having a liquidation sale let me read…our final Liquidation Sale through end of March, all regularly priced items are %30 off with CASH. Items previously reduced are an additional %20 off with CASH. Please understand these discounts do NOT apply to credit card sales.
Monday to Thursday 11am to 4pm, Friday by appointment.
Juarez 174, Centro, Puerto Vallarta
If you are in town make an appointment and buy some swim wear. It’s almost free.
Arte Viviente Has Moved
Arte Viviente is an artist co-op that has the most remarkable collection of locally made art, jewelery, clothing…all sorts of beauty. They are now at the corner of Libertad and Matamoros in Centro Vallarta. A great spot and a lovely building.
When I was I town I had dinner at Coco Tropical with Marcia Blondin, my dear friend who writes for the PV Mirror, she writes a weekly column called From Here. Marsha is
beautiful and smart and knows a lot about what’s going on in town which is why I always have at least one meal with her every visit. She told me they were getting kicked out of their old building at Arte Viviente, and had found a place to move to, and asked me if I wanted to see it and we walked over there after dinner and it really is a perfect place for that co-op. Make sure you go inside. They have all the coolest artists in town right there in one spot.
I have an interview with Marcia in the que, hers was one of those I got back when I got my lost backpack returned to me last month. I need to update it with this move I have a feeling.
Plans to Return to Puerto Vallarta For The 4th Time During The Pandemic
I solidified my plans to come back to Vallarta and I will be back May 8th through the 18th.
I got a killer deal through Airbnb at one of my favorite places across the street from Menos Place on Calle Honduras and Bolivia. 10 nights $256.76 total so like $25 a night and round trip air from Los Angeles for $244, for a whopping total of $500.76 for air and room. You can’t stay home for cheaper. Of course that doesn’t include food, transportation, drink, weed….you get the picture…but wow…really affordable.
Texas Freeze Stalls Puerto Vallarta Busses and More
So, in Puerto Vallarta, there’s a fuel shortage. A propane and natural gas shortage as well as rotating blackouts throughout Jalisco and Mexico, and it’s all intertwined with the situation in Texas.
Texas had a 200 year snow storm, and I hope you listeners in Texas are doing okay because I know you are freezing down there.
And your Senator, hightails it down to Mexico for fun in the sun with his family. Thank god he chose Cancun over Puerto Vallarta, that’s all I got to say.
But senator Cruz isn’t the problem, it’s the Texas Governor Abbot who ordered exports of all natural gas and gas byproducts produced in Texas to stop immediately, and to be redirected to the Texans who were affected by the loss of alternate energy sources. The wind turbines froze and solar was stunted. So, they fired up some power plants to supplement the electricity for the grid to get energy to the prople in Texas, but this caught Mexico totally by surprise because Mexico depends on that natural gas from the US, mostly from Texas for its survival. 80 percent of the natural gas CFE needs to power up her power plants comes from the US. In the meantime currently Mexico has fired up some coal burning electricity plants to fill in the gap till the order expires and the order is expected to last another day till the 21st of February, then the natural gas should begin again to flow into Mexico, but boy, it shows how a weather event like the one you had in Texas really has a global impact.
Busses are not running at full capacity due to the natural gas shortage in Puerto Vallarta as a result. Of the 200 busses serving the city, 25% were sidelined, 50 of them last Thursday, and they have resorted to firing up some of the older diesel fueled ones in mothballs up to fill in the gap. On top of that restaurants and residents are having difficulty finding propane anywhere in town. Kinda like last year…only different circumstances.
It’s a small world ain’t it?
What’s So Special About a Puerto Vallarta Sunset?
There’s nothing like a Puerto Vallarta sunset. It’s unlike any other. I live in Southern California and just minutes from the beach so I get great sunsets here all the time. But they just are not like Vallarta sunsets. They aren’t as intense or colorful. Do you know why?
It’s air pollution. It’s smoke in the atmosphere. Although most of us don’t see this, about 80% of all rural Mexicans, or about 27 million people living in Mexico depend on wood to fire their stoves for cooking, to heat their homes and perform other household tasks.
That dependency on firewood leads not only to deforestation, but much of that cooking is done indoors, where ventilation is very poor, and people, especially women and children are exposed to wood burning smoke every day for hours at a time. For some, it’s like having a two pack a day cigarette habit without pesky high. These ladies are making tortillas and doing the daily chores. If you’ve ever been in one of these rural Mexican homes, and I have, you would know what I’m talking about. Soot on the walls, smoke working it’s way out of a hole in the roof or a chimney or other openings like windows, or openings where windows should be or through spaces between the wooden slats of a primitively built casa.
Next week I’ll tell you about a group who came in to a town in Michoacán Mexico, a town called Purépecha, and they set up 4,000 of these special stoves, They are called Patsari Brick ovens. They did a study of health and air quality after bringing these stoves in and it’s quite interesting, we’ll talk about it next week.
Anyway, when natural gas and propane are in tight supply along the bay, you get the reddest sunsets I got to tell you.
AMLO’s Mañaneras
Last week I promised you I’d tell you a little bit about AMLO…I told you that if you were interested in learning a little Spanish you should listen to one of his daily news conferences. They are called Mañaneras, and I mentioned that Mexican and American Politics have become similar with leaders pointing fingers at big tec and the media as being bullies and unfair…..Let me read some portions from this article from Slate online describing Obrador and his daily briefings
From Slate online… BY LAURA MARTÍNEZ
JAN 28, 2021
Every weekday, Andrés Manuel López Obrador hosts a notorious 7 a.m. press briefing, which is broadcast live on public television and streamed on a dedicated YouTube channel as well as directly on the president’s official website. The event, which takes place at Mexico City’s National Palace and is attended by a few dozen reporters, is known as la mañanera, which is also Mexican lingo for “a morning sexual encounter.” But unlike real-life mañaneras, these can go on for up to three hours—and are usually far from gratifying.
The article continues…
Nobody knows for sure how many people watch la mañanera on a daily basis, but the president’s office estimates it’s somewhere around 10 million people. More important than how many people watch it live, though, is that much like Donald Trump’s tweets (remember those?), AMLO’s morning show sets the nation’s agenda for the day. His announcements and claims reverberate on social media, dominating each news cycle until it’s time for the next show to air. As of Friday Jan. 22, , the 67-year-old president who only took office on Dec. 1, 2018, had held a whopping 543 mañaneras. AMLO’s mastery of media is an underappreciated part of his political success, playing to a similar, populist anti-elitist beat as Trump did, though at a lower, less narcissistic volume.
AMLO had chastised Mark Zuckerberg for shutting down Donald Trump’s Facebook account after the assault on the Capitol. The Mexican president called the Facebook chief “arrogant and self-important” and said private companies shouldn’t be in the business of censoring opinions.” He went as far as to compare censorship on social media to the Spanish Inquisition.
Controlling the day’s narrative is the point of AMLO’s show. Claiming the mainstream media often ignores or misrepresents the truth, he has effectively used what is ostensibly a press event to instead bypass the traditional media’s gatekeeping. Just like Trump used to do on Twitter, AMLO uses the mañaneras to personally confront or denounce his enemies, namely the “power mafia” and “the posh media” (or prensa fifí as he likes to call it). The marathon sessions are packed with sympathetic journalists, essentially pro-AMLO YouTubers who cheer him on when taking on the more establishment members of the media sprinkled throughout the audience. And the president is masterful at dodging tough questions when they do make an appearance, launching long-winding monologues that often trail off without a point. And he never fails to blame his corrupt predecessors as the source of most of the country’s problems.
Whether he’s talking about censorship, vaccinations, or national security, AMLO never seems to lose his cool. He speaks v-e-r-y slowly, as your Spanish 1 high school teacher might have, using a warm, low, tentative voice. Foreign correspondents have told me they found his Spanish very easy to understand, and I can see why. It feels like a word a minute. He can take forever to finish a sentence, which is especially infuriating when the sentences can be long, airy monologues about morality, honesty, or fighting corruption. He uses colloquial language and plenty of refrains to better reach ordinary people.
I found it very interesting that when Obrador took the two weeks off doing his Mañaneras, he had his Secretary of the Interior Dr. Olga Sanchez Cordero step in to do them, and she had the same speech pattern as he does. It was like hearing a female version of Obrador, Just shorter, like 45 minutes insteas of 2 or 3 hours. N… I don’t listen to the whole three hours…you kidding me? I have a life. I have houses to sell.
Let’s get to our interview…shall we?
Guerra Contra La Basura Puerto Vallarta
One of the things my wife notices when she comes with me to Puerto Vallarta is the trash. It really bothers her. It’s one of the things she tells me keeps her from wanting to move here.
Well, one day I got an email followed up by a phone call from a guy in Vallarta who said he was given my information by someone at the city, and told to contact me, and I would get the word out about his project. And his name is John Benus, and John has begun a project in Puerto Vallarta, one that he has done before, so he’s replicating it in Vallarta, and it’s called The Guerra Contra Basura, or the war against litter.
Now I has planned to go up to Talpa de Allende this last trip, but my many trips to El Tuito and Mayto put an end to those plans, but this guy, John, will tell you the best way to get there, where to stay and more.
So let’s go right now, back to a table in the middle of one of my favorite hangout places in Puerto Vallarta, Nacho Daddy….that’s right, last week I had Jimmy on at Nacho Daddy and this week I have John…Let’s talk trash with John Benus, and La Guerra Contra Basura…The war against Litter in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico…
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Thank you John. I have pictures, links and John’s phone number in the shownotes as well as links to all the great sponsors. If you want to sponsor this project or volunteer, go to
the shownotes.
John also has a hiking and backroad adventure club that I have a link to, and he has written a couple of articles about Talpa de Allende, getting there, what to do during a 3 day stay…where to stay, eat, drink and get good, inexpensive transportation. It’s an article he wrote for Vallarta Today and I have in in the shownotes. You can find it in the blog and podcast tab at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com. Look for the Guerra Contra Basura, the war against trash in the shownotes.
Speaking of inexpensive transportation….did you hear what John lives on monthly? Did he say $600 US? Wow! Now that is another episode isn’t it?
Join John’s Puerto Vallarta Hiking & Backroad Adventures Club.
http://www.Meetup.com/PVBackroadAdventures
Contact Information For John Benus and Guerra Contra Basura Puerto Vallarta
John Benus
GUERRA CONTRA LA BASURA/Puerto Vallarta
Creator & Director
- 415-331-0100 USA
- 388-105-0786 Mexico
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.
Thank you so much to John Benus and his fight against trash. La Guerra Contra Basura. I have links and contact information for John as well as pictures of John’s projects both in Vallarta, and in Talpa de Allende. Get involved. Donate money or time to this very interesting project.
And if you are interested in taking that Van to Talpa and Mascota, check out that info in the shownotes.
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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About The War Against Litter in Puerto Vallarta
The “WAR AGAINST LITTER” in Vallarta has begun!
“The only war where no one gets hurt and everybody wins”
The purpose of this campaign is to make people aware and be responsible to keep our city clean. Volunteers will help clean up the litter and also collect signatures of almost 150,000 residents who agree not to throw trash or garbage into our streets, beaches, rivers and vacant lots.
The campaign has several phases, starting with the signatures of residents of all ages who wish to support the campaign. About 15 volunteers will be assigned, per colonial, to do the actual clean up plus collect signatures. They will also hand out flyers to residents informing them of the need to put the trash and garbage in the appropriate containers.
The goal is to create an educational campaign that will continue throughout 2021 and beyond explaining to local residents plus public and private school students the purpose and need to keep the Vallarta clean. An animated video is being created where birds, turtles, fish and land animals will give a message of how we are destroying and polluting their habitats plus explain what we as humans can do to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for them and us.
The animated video will also explain the time it takes for the litter to be absorbed by the earth, such as paper, which takes 1 year, glass takes over 4 thousands of years, aluminum cans 200 to 500 years, plastic bottles take 500 to1,000 years.
To begin the recycling process, there will be 3 specially designed containers placed in residential zones and tourist areas. These containers will be of hard plastic, very resistant to the climatic conditions and the sun, and will be of different colors like blue for glass, red for aluminum and green for paper, food wrappings and food scraps.
Each container will have 40 kilos of cement at the bottom that will prevent theft plus remain stable. Above the cement will be 8 holes that will allow the drainage of rain water and cleaning by power washing.
Also something very important. They will also be dog, cat and rat proof as well. On the outside of each container will be words in Spanish and English indicating what kind of trash should be placed in the container. The funding of these containers will be by the local residents and businesses who will be the watch dogs to ensure that they are not abused.
This campaign “War Against Litter” is being coordinated by the creator & director, John Benus, an American, who currently resides in Vallarta.
The project has been endorsed by the municipal government of Puerto Vallarta,in cooperation with Armando Ibarria, Director of Servicios Publicos, Susana Rodriguez Mejia, Director of Tourism of Playa de Puerto Vallarta and many local organizations. Sponsorship to finance the campaign came from Vallarta Shores Beach Hotel, real estate companies such as Timothy, Coldwell Banker, and Elengorn, local businesses like Comex, Print PV, plus La Palapa and La Langosta Feliz restaurants.
If you’d like to participate as a volunteer, sponsor or contributor to help make Puerto Vallarta a cleaner & healthier place to live, work & visit, please contact John at 388-105-0786.
John’s Talpa 3 Day Adventure
For Those Interested in Touring and Staying in Talpa De Allende, from Puerto Vallarta, This Guide is Full of Great Information
Adventure to Talpa de Allende
by John Benus
First, I’d like to know how many of you have ever been to Talpa? Here’s what I found that will enable you to experience the real culture and flavors of Jalisco. Just 3 hours by car or 3.5 hours bus you can be in another world without traffic lights, stop signs, no condos or buildings over 3 stories plus cowboys riding down the cobble stone streets. Talpa is a “Pueblo Magico”, that means a historical town, according to the Mexican Government.
Here’s my suggestions for a weekend get a way in Talpa de Allende. The weather this time of year is 75 F days and 55 F at night so bring a jacket or sweater. First make a reservation at the newest 4 star Dona Francisca Hotel 388-385-0549 or my favorite moderate priced Hotel Real Posada 388-385-0616 managed by Erma & Jessie, who speak English.
Getting there in 3 hours & 15 minutes is easy via a 7-14 passenger clean van for only 200 pesos pp. Call Lanutran at 388-101-0052 to make a reservation and pick up locations. Via private car it’s 2.5 hours.
Off to Talpa de Allende
Day 1 On the road to Talpa, there’s a must stop, just before you cross the “El Progreso” San Sebastian Bridge. It’s Carmen’s Bakery for some freshly baked muffins and coffee. They’re open weekdays (closed on Tuesdays) 7 am- 3 pm, Friday, Saturdays & Sundays 6 am-Noon. Both Carmen, the owner and Jesus speak English. They often sell out so you might call ahead at 322-132-0620.
After passing through Mascota your next stop is Talpa where you can visit the Cruz de Romero lookout for a birds eye view of the town and valley. After checking into your hotel, have lunch at the Molino Rojo Restaurant 388-385-0262. It’s just one block from the Main Plaza & Cathedral. The owner, Lupita, not only speaks English, but also lived many years in San Francisco. My favorite dishes are the shrimp cocktail or chili relleno. Next visit the Guadalupe Cathedral. Next stop before you get to Gaeta Pizza that is across from the back of the church, there’s a narrow street called Oaxaca, that has over 20 murals painted on the walls. Now take time to relax at your hotel. Just before sunset go to the Burrita Restaurant & Bar for a perfect view overlooking the plaza. Call ahead to Ivan, the manager and reserve my favorite table. 388-385-1126. The lights on the church go on about 8:15 pm.
Day 2 For breakfast, have an omelet at the El Patio Restaurant on the Calle Independencia, the main street.388-688-0187 It’s just 4 blocks from the main plaza. Efran, who speaks English, will take your order.
Today’s your opportunity to experience the Visencio Clay Brick Factory, one of the oldest clay brick factories in Jalisco. Operated by the Visencio family for 4 generations. It’s located just 15 minutes from downtown on the road to Ocotes. It’s easy to spot. Look for the stacks of bricks and firewood for the baking process. Go to the second entrance and ask for Juan or Luis ,who’ll show you where to park. Remember making these bricks is very labor intensive, so just observe and allow them to continue working. Best to arrive between 9 am – 10 am (closed Sundays) to experience how they use horses to mix the secret ingredients of mud, horse dong and shredded dry cane or corn stalks. You can observe the entire process in one hour. Bring a bottle of tequila or 6 pack as a thank you. Now head back to Talpa for some handicrafts or souvenir T- Shirts at the Mercado Principal next to the Main Plaza. Ask for “Pancho” in stall #51 and check out his leather smart phone holders. Just one block away are two places I recommend. The first is the El Milagro Taffy Factory located at Calle Juarez & 23 de Julio, you can see the entire process from the fruit to finished sweets. They’re open Monday – Saturday 8 am -7 pm. Ask for Flavio or Ivan.
Next door to them is the Ocampo Sandal Factory that’s open daily 9 am-7 pm. All the sandals are hand made by Arturo & his son. If you like a quick mid day snack go to the Gaeta Pizza Restaurant next to the Cathedral for the best pizza in Talpa.388-385-1306 Eloy, the owner, speaks English. My favorite is the vegie pizza with extra avacado. A medium is enough for two people. If you’d like to have a special dinner experience, I’d recommend the Casa Allende Restaurant in front of the Main Plaza. Open 7 pm-10 pm.388-101-7443. The pasta shrimp is the best I’ve ever had. To walk off your dinner plus have another unforgettable experience take a 15 minute walk to the Gallegos Family Horse Shoe Factory located across from the only gas station in Talpa. An alternative is to take a taxi for 50 pesos and walk back to your hotel. The workers making the horse shoes start about 9 pm and finish at 2 am. Just knock on the gate and Juan, Jose or Victor will let you in. This is labor intensive and dangerous work, so be a good observer. Buy a set of 4 shoes for 70 pesos to share some luck with friends.
Day 3 After breakfast at the Molino Rojo Restaurant, for those of you who’d like to take a moderate hike for an hour, have a taxi take you or drive to the trail head of the Camino de Las Nueces at the end of Calle Ramon Corona. Take a little bug spray if you hike with shorts & short sleeves. It’s a great way to get in touch with nature plus experience panoramic views of Talpa and the surrounding farmland. You can walk back to town, but first stop at the La Costa Restaurant
388-385-1489. It’s 2 blocks down hill on Calle Ramon Corona from the trailhead. A cold beer and maybe a light lunch or taco de marlin is in order. Maria, the owner, can make some suggestions. From the restaurant it’s just 30 minute walk downhill to the Main Plaza or she can call a 50 peso taxi. After a hot shower it may be time to head back to Puerto Vallarta. You now can say YES, we’ve been to Talpa.