Polly Tells Us How to Plan and Prepare for a Move to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Polly Tells Us About Auditioning For Parts at Local Theaters in Puerto Vallarta
Is Puerto Vallarta Safe for Single Women? Polly Says Yes and Tells Us Why
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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 your toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so, Puerto Vallarta my friends.
This week I’m going to introduce you to my friend Polly. Polly is from a small town in Arkansas, and she is going to give us tips on moving to paradise. She also has the greatest Puerto Vallarta story that you need to hear. But before I get to Polly, let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, the 22nd of June, 2021.
Rain is in The News
Rain and tropical depression report from Angela
Tropical storm Dolores came and went over the weekend. So far according to weather station measurements by Angela,
For the month of June we have approximately 6.37 inches of rain, and to year, 8.58 inches.
Compare that with last year where we had just 2.35 inches of rain in June, but by that time we had accumulated 11.20 inches of rain for the year. So we have had quite a bit of rain for June so far, but the drought continues, at least for now until those rivers and aquafers are recharged. Thank you Angela for the report.
New Protocols Approved For The Bahia
This report from The Vallarta Bay Times says covid restrictions are easing up in Puerto Vallarta….
Jalisco Salud Unanimously Approves New Protocols and Increased Capacities
The Board of Health unanimously approved adjustments and modifications to the sanitary protocols allowing an increase in the capacity and flow of people in shops, cultural spaces, sports, places of worship, places of recreation, and places of social celebrations.
Preventive measures will be kept in force such as: mandatory use of face masks, keeping a healthy distance, frequent hand washing, application of antibacterial gel, and continuing vaccinations.
These changes, said Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, are feasible due to the low rates of coronavirus infections, currently registering only 83 confirmed cases on average per day compared to more than 800 that were registered in June 2020. Hospitalizations have also greatly decreased, down to 8.3% bed occupancy, and positivity with only 2.9%. These numbers have kept Jalisco on a green light in recent weeks, reducing the spread of the pandemic in the state.
The adjustments in the state strategy against COVID-19 establish that:
CULTURAL SPACES: Cinemas, theaters, forums, museums, galleries, cultural centers, recreational and cultural activities, workshops and academies may increase their operating capacity from 50% to 75%.
RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES: Religious centers may increase their operating capacity from 50% to 75% of their capacity, except for massive religious celebrations that will be subject to approval by the Board of Health.
SPORTS SPACES: Soccer fields, water parks, gyms, sports clubs, physical activity academies and sports facilities will be able to increase their operating capacity from 50% to 75%.
EDUCATIONAL SPACES: Educational activities go from a period of suspension of face-to-face classes to a stage of academic accompaniment and face-to-face counseling in school campuses for the current school year 2020-2021. Progress will continue to be made in the process of preparing face-to-face classes for the next school year, including enacting rigorous sanitary protocols, and monitoring of the health status of students. Nurseries may now operate without age restriction.
SPACE OF COEXISTENCE: Urban forests, parks and public spaces will be able to increase their operating capacity from 50% to 75%. The holding of events in general may go from a capacity of 300 to 600 people, while the tourist or passenger train or bus may operate at 65% of its capacity.
EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS: Social events in closed spaces go from a flow of 200 to 300 people. Social events in open spaces go from 300 people (in density of 1 person for every 7m2) to 600 people.
Exhibition and convention centers should not have a capacity greater than 500 people every three hours, and a maximum of 2,000 visitors per day will be allowed in an area of no less than 4,000 square meters. In spaces greater than 10,000 square meters, the capacity of up to 3000 people simultaneously may occur, and up to 6,000 visitors per day.
Commercial and service establishments may go from 50% to 75% capacity.
Self-service, department, and retail stores go from 50% to 75% capacity.
Restaurants, cafes and food stalls go from 50% to 75% capacity.
Hotels and motels go from 66% to 80% of their operating capacity.
Bars and clubs go from 33% to 40% of their operating capacity.
Casinos go from 40% to 60% of their operating capacity.
The General Strategic Coordinator of Economic Growth and Development, Ajandro Guzmán Larralde, announced that in the decree it was also approved to extend the service in bars, restaurants, and meeting rooms for one hour.
“We have to have resilience for education and health. Today we all know how the virus is spread and we can all take action to prevent. Another important factor is that all treatment and medical care continue to advance, and we must continue with (both) the economy and social responsibility.”
And I have a link to that article from Vallarta Bay Times, lifted from the news release from Gobierno Del Estado de Jalisco, in the shownotes.
Buy a Sim Card, Give Up Your Fingerprints or Retina Scan
Here’s a disturbing development. Looks like Mexico wants more than just a drivers license for you to get a cell phone and sim card…Major privacy violations under the guise of…we just want to protect you …from Mexico News Daily…
Senate approves cell phone users registry that will collect biometric data
One opponent says new law is a ‘cocktail of constitutional violations’
Published on Wednesday, April 14, 2021
With the aim of reducing crimes facilitated by the use of cell phones, the federal Senate has approved the creation of a national registry of mobile phone users that will collect biometric data such as fingerprints and images of people’s irises.
Supported by most ruling party senators, the reform to the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law passed the upper house of Congress on Tuesday.
The reform, passed by the lower house last December, makes it mandatory for people to join the registry — which is expected to be created within three years — when they purchase a SIM card or acquire a new prepaid mobile telephone line.
The objective of the reform is to reduce the incidence of crimes such as extortion and kidnapping (including asking for ransom), which are often aided by the use of unregistered cell phones. Many crimes facilitated by the use of phones have been traced to Mexican prisons.
According to the reform, people purchasing a new SIM or seeking to activate a prepaid mobile phone will have to present ID, proof of address and one form of biometric identification. That could be their fingerprints, images of their irises or a range of facial features.
The failure to provide the required documents and data is punishable by the definitive cancellation of the telephone line in question and the imposition of a fine of almost 90,000 pesos (about US $4,500).
The reform states that the registry will remain confidential and people’s personal information will be protected by existing federal data protection laws, but those laws don’t make specific mention of biometric data.
Digital rights activists and opposition lawmakers were critical of the reform, especially the inclusion of biometric data.
Luis Fernando García, director of R3D, a digital rights defense network, said that existing laws to protect people’s data are “very bad,” adding that personal data is “systematically violated” in Mexico.
Miguel Ángel Mancera, leader of the Democratic Revolution Party in the Senate, said the creation of the registry would violate numerous sections of the constitution.
“[The reform] is a cocktail of constitutional violations,” he said, adding that it would affect a range of civil guarantees.
Mancera predicted that there will be a flood of injunction requests against the reform and expressed doubt that it will help to reduce crime.
Institutional Revolutionary Party Senator Claudia Ruiz Massieu said the obligation for cell phone users to hand over their biometric data is a violation of their fundamental rights, including their right to privacy. She also said the establishment of a national registry could lead to people being wrongly accused of a crime.
“The registry violates the [right to] the presumption of innocence … because if a telephone number is used to commit a crime, it presumes that the owner of the registered line is guilty; the user is left in [a state of] complete defenselessness,” Massieu said.
National Action Party Senator Xóchitl Gálvez claimed that the purpose of the registry is to keep an eye on the country’s more than 100 million cell phone users, although President López Obrador says that his government is not interested in spying on anyone.
“This project impinges on privacy and the protection of personal data and violates freedom of communication,” she said.
With the establishment of a national registry, the government would become a kind of “Big Brother,” Gálvez said, referring to the mascot of the omnipresent surveillance state in George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Independent Senator Emilio Álvarez Icaza said the establishment of a national registry of cell phone users is a hallmark of authoritarianism.
“It hinders the right to anonymous expression and facilitates the monitoring and control of the population in violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms,” he said.
“There are only 17 countries that have a registry of this nature, all of them authoritarian, all with regimes that violate human rights: China, Afghanistan, Venezuela, … [now] we’re going to include Mexico.”
López Obrador defended the plan, saying its purpose is to “look after” mobile phone users.
“It’s a matter of security,” he told reporters at his news conference on Wednesday, adding that telecommunications companies don’t like the idea because of the bureaucratic burden it places on them.
People already have to provide ID and biometric data such as fingerprints when signing up for other services such as banking, but the telecommunications companies are opposed to having to collect personal information because they think it will affect sales, López Obrador said.
“… This is for the safety of the people, it’s not selling peanuts. It’s selling a [SIM] card to have communication and which can be used for extortion, kidnapping [or] to commit crimes. … It’s completely a matter of security for the protection of Mexicans.”
The president added that people shouldn’t have any concerns about providing their personal and biometric data for inclusion in the registry.
“… We’re never going to carry out actions of espionage against anyone,” he said.
Source: El Universal (sp), Animal Político (sp), Milenio (sp)
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/senate-approves-biometric-cell-phone-users-registry/
And I have a link to that article in the show notes….what do you think?
Actually, we will be talking cell phones with our next guest so let’s get to her right now…
My Interview With Polly
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I met Polly on a beach actually. Over at the Ramadas north of the airport. The line of flat roofed palapas serving the most authentic Puerto Vallarta style seafood to a mostly local crowd. I did an episode about the ramadas if you haven’t heard it you can go to a link in the shownotes. My buddy Robina set up an interview with Sabino Ron, at Sabino Ron’s
Ramada. She had a caravan of friends come down with her and it was a blast! Huge amounts of pescado serendiado were being consumed, beer, cocktails, it was a great day. And one of the partiers was Polly.
And I’m into theater and my ears perked up when I found there were actual thespians in our midst. So, we talked briefly about their current projects. Talked about the different venues. Small talk. I met people I had only known till then, as Facebook friends and now they were all there in the flesh. It was a wonderful day capped off by a great interview
with Sabino Ron. All thanks to my friend the mermaid queen Robina. By the way, even though the swimsuit shop is gone, Robina still makes sales calls. Look her up or I’ll hook you up. She still has nice inventory in the latest pre covid styles. Anyway…
And over the many trips I have made since, I have the pleasure of getting together with an ever-growing list of people I’ve met doing these interviews, and since I’m usually in Vallarta without my wife, I have to eat by myself a lot. So I try to grab a friend to talk with for at least one of these meals, and I always ask Polly, if she’s in town of course, if she wants to join me.
The last time I was in town I asked her if she would come on the show and she said she would have to think about it. It seems I also put her to sleep when she listens…go figure. So it took a bit of convincing I must admit.
But I told her that I’ve been getting emails from single females who want to hear from other single females about moving to paradise. To Puerto Vallarta. And knowing Polly, she has some great practical advice to give not only to females, but to you single and married folks guys and gals who are interested in either moving full time to Puerto Vallarta, or staying for an extended period in Puerto Vallarta.
Polly has a great story to tell. About a feisty female from a small town in Arkansas, and her firm desire to make a go at her new life, on her terms, in a little big town on the Mexican Riveria, let’s meet Polly, tripping the light fantastic in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico…
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Polly’s Suggestions
Telephones:
- Bring an Unlocked Phone and Buy a Plan in Mexico
- Have a back-up battery pack/charger
Things to Bring With You Hard to Find in Puerto Vallarta
- Bras/Lacy Breathable
- Good Deodorant
- Velveeta Cheese
- Firestick
- Prepaid Reloadable Money Cards
Polly’s Favorite Places to Eat in Puerto Vallarta
- Breakfast in The Middle Restaurant Stall at The Emiliano Zapata Market
- Best Steak. Frida’s
- Best Drinks…Frida’s great house tequila
- Barracuda For a Sunset
- Oysters Under the Bridge on Playa Los Muertos
- Best Coffee…Memories House Coffee
Follow Polly’s Character…Bety Jun Harper on Facebook
Follow Bety Jun Harper on FB Click Here
All right Polly. Thank you so much for your story and all your great information. Polly will be helping me get together some strong smart ladies who have come down to paradise and are making it and enjoying it. And soon, will be telling you how you too, can make it in Mexico. Great tips, excellent ideas for you and me. I’m looking forward to this Polly.
I have pictures of Polly and her stage productions in the show notes as well as links to her favorite places she likes to eat. Well, except for the oysters under the bridge…although I bet they have a Facebook page somewhere.
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 Polly. Thanks for all your great information. I can’t wait to have you back on the show with more of your buddies. Stay tuned…
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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