Celebrating a Special Occasion or Event in Puerto Vallarta and Need a Cake? Richard at Sweet Treats By Rosie and Me Can Help
Richard at Sweet Treats by Rosie and Me Bakes, Decorates, and Delivers Cakes and Treats for All Occasions in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Plan to Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos on Isla Cuale at the Isla de Los Muertos Event
Listen to The Podcast
Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler, and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico.
That music you were just listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, 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.
Contact Information for Sweet Treats by Rosie and Me, Puerto Vallarta
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SweetTreatsbyRosieandme
This week you are in for a treat…a sweet treat that is, I’m going to introduce you to Richard Wright who bakes cakes, cookies and other sweet treats. His side gig is called Sweet Treats by Rosie and Me, and he can make a special occasion even more special with a cake that will….blow your sandals off. Many of us are coming to Vallarta to
celebrate a special occasion, how simple to order your special cake or sweet treat, before you even arrive in paradise. Pretty cool right? You will love Richard. We will visit with the folks planning the Dia de Los Muertos event on the Isla Cuale, the Isla de Los Muertos, but before we get to the Island and Richard, let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, the 12th of October, 2022.
Today is an important day in Vallarta. Although we have been celebrating this event for an entire year leading up to this day, today, October 12, marks the 100th anniversary of the famous church you see on all the travel brochures for Puerto Vallarta, it’s famous church.
From an article in The Banderas News….
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebrates 100 Years October 12
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico – Known around the world as the symbol of Puerto Vallarta, the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe will celebrate its 100th anniversary on Wednesday, October 12, 2022. Events and celebrations include religious services, a pilgrimage from the sports stadium to Los Arcos de Malecón, cultural and musical performances, and fireworks.
If you’ve visited Puerto Vallarta before, chances are you’ve visited the iconic Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Known as la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe to locals, this awe-inspiring parish is located just a block from the city’s famous Malecón and is one of the most recognized landmarks on Banderas Bay.
The Our Lady of Guadalupe Church has a long history. It took almost 84 years for the church to become the astounding Puerto Vallarta icon we all know and love today.
While the official start date of construction of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is considered to be October 12, 1921, initially there was a small rustic chapel built where the parish stands today.
In 1915, Father Francisco Ayala had the structure demolished and established plans to build a stronger foundation for the Catholic community. The first mass and official opening date was on October 12, 1921.
Though the parish had already begun holding mass and was a functioning religious pillar in the community, work halted completely in 1926 when a conflict between church and state escalated into the Cristero War, which ended in 1929. Works on the church restarted in 1930 with the dome, and by 1940 the building was finished, except for the main bell tower (finished in 1952) and the two smaller flanking towers.
The main tower above the belfry was finished in 1955, but the famous crown wasn’t placed on the tower until 1965. Under Father Luis Ramirez’s supervision, in 1987 the facade and the smaller lateral towers connecting to the belfry were finished to complete what we now know as the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
Though actually the result of different parish priests’ tastes and ideas, it could be argued that the church’s various building styles symbolize the different stages that Vallarta has gone through in its evolution from town to city. Upon visiting the church, you’ll can see and distinguish it’s neoclassical building style in the main chapel and renaissance style towers above.
The end result is surprisingly appealing and certainly makes for a beautiful and iconic landmark in Puerto Vallarta.
For more information about the church and its 100-year anniversary, visit the Parroquia de Guadalupe Vallarta website or Facebook page.
And I have a link to that very well written article from the Banderas News in the show notes.
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebrates 100 Years October 12
Happy 100th Birthday to the Iconic Church with the beautiful angelic crown, the jewel of Vallarta, la Inglesia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, and of course to the Paroquia de Guadalupe Vallarta. Felicidades….By the way, if you check out the album art for this episode, I immortalized the event by having our guest Richard serving up one of his famous birthday cakes to the door of the church. Check it out.
A couple of announcements…
Opening Day is the 14th at El Rio BBQ
The Marina Vallarta Market is Back
The Marina Market is coming back Thursday October 27th, the day after I arrive, I’ll have to go…if you haven’t been it’s huge. Lots of food booths, hot food, cold food, dried fruit
and lots of home and hand made goodies. Lots of shopping, clothes, jewelry, art and artisans. Live entertainment, and of course all the restaurants are hopping along the Marina. So, this is great news. I believe all the markets are now back in action for the high season.
Mask Mandates Are Dropping Worldwide
It looks like the whole world all at once seems to be dropping their covid requirements, and in Mexico, Monday marked the day…here’s an article from El Universal dated yesterday October 11th, 2022…
Use of face masks is no longer mandatory: SSA The New Normality Committee points out that the Covid vaccine is not a condition for being able to work
The New Normality Committee, (doesn’t that sound creepy to you?) The New Normality Committee, made up of the Secretaries of Health (Ssa), Economy (SE), Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), and the IMSS, (They should throw In a couple of fortune tellers and brujas, don’t you think?) anyways, all these people who have previously proven themselves to be just so brilliant are in charge again, but this time they are giving us more rope…I mean hope, anyway, all these brilliant folks, the article goes on…established that the use of face masks will no longer be mandatory in work centers to national level, that vaccination against Covid-19 should not be a conditioning factor for people to carry out their work activities and they cannot be asked for a test. Almost two years after the implementation of the guidelines for the healthy continuity of economic activities in the face of Covid-19, the committee also suggests eliminating the use of sanitizing mats and sanitary filters.
In the case of the face mask, he pointed out that its use in closed or open spaces is no longer mandatory, only recommended; However, there are considerations where its use is suggested: “People who decided not to be vaccinated and as an immunocompromise are suggested to use face masks at all times, and in poorly ventilated workplaces with people who share the same physical place,” he specified. . However, specialists consider that these recommendations are inappropriate given the arrival of new seasonal respiratory viruses, strains of influenza and new variants of the coronavirus that have resulted in the abrupt escalation of infections in European countries. “We doctors are moving in the opposite direction to the government. Although we issue recommendations with scientific bases to protect the health of the population, they irresponsibly refute them,” said Dr. Héctor Rossete in an interview with EL UNIVERSAL.
He described as an unfortunate decision that the government insists on the eventual elimination of the use of face masks knowing the scope of the disease, because it anticipates that the influenza season will be difficult as a result of the effects that Covid left on the people who suffered from it. He explained that the risk of a new wave impacting the country due to the relaxation of sanitary measures is high due to the vulnerability of Mexicans in the face of the slow progress in vaccination.
The infectologist Alejandro Macías pointed out that although in the guidelines there are considerations where it is suggested to use face masks for people who decided not to get vaccinated, it is irresponsible to appeal to each person to continue with the measures of their own free will: “In first world countries they are still prolonged high waves of contagion despite the fact that its people have cooperated in the responsible management of precautionary measures. We have the case of Switzerland, where it was no longer used as an official decree, but today it is registering a serious rebound with the possibility of confinement,” the expert on influenza in Mexico told EL UNIVERSAL.
Both doctors call for sanity. They advise those who have stopped using face masks to do so again to avoid a new spike in infections “due to the known lack of responsibility in the management of the pandemic by the federal government.” Contrary to what the guidelines indicate for the healthy continuity of economic activities, they suggest avoiding closed or poorly ventilated spaces and keeping a healthy distance even in open places. They invite those who have not been vaccinated to apply the biological against Covid-19 and influenza to reduce the impact on mortality from respiratory viruses, even though the arrival of a new wave is imminent.
And I have a link to that article from yesterday’s El Universal in the shownotes.
https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/nacion/uso-de-cubrebocas-deja-de-ser-obligatorio-ssa
Very interesting. I wonder how long it will take for all this to trickle down throughout all 32 states in Mexico. And how long will it last?
When I was in town in August, I noticed how almost all at once, the taxistas stopped wearing the cobre-bocas. They never asked me to wear one, but then one day, nobody was wearing one.
The Uber drivers were requiring one still and the busses also required riders to wear masks. So, we’ll see how this new normal works out.
The US Has Wiki Leaks, Mexico Has Guacamaya Leaks
A few months ago, I was reporting on the Mexican President Lopez Obrador, suggesting that the US government pardon Julian Assange, the Australian born founder of Wikileaks, being held in a Prison in England, awaiting extradition to The United States for a mock trial in my and Obrador’s opinion. AMLO asked both the Orange man when he roamed the white house, and the current occupant of the White House to pardon Assange. Of course both ignored his requests, I mean, they plan to suicide him so I’m pretty sure that plea went in one ear and out the other…but now AMLO has his own hackers to deal with….you….it’s called Guacamaya Leaks….that’s right….
From the Record…online….
Mexican president confirms ‘Guacamaya’ hack targeting regional militaries
Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed a widely reported cyberattack on Friday that leaked sensitive documents and emails from several militaries across Central and South America.
About two weeks ago, hackers with the environmental collective Guacamaya released troves of documents stolen from the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional in México, the Policía Nacional Civil in El Salvador, the Comando General de las Fuerzas Militares in Colombia, the Fuerza Armada in El Salvador and the Ejercito of Peru.
None of the agencies involved responded to requests for comment, but on Friday morning, López Obrador held a press conference where he not only confirmed the attack on Mexico’s army but said he received information about attacks on several other countries.
“I understand that this group has already done the same thing in other countries, I think in Colombia and in Chile. That is why I think that it is something that is being directed from abroad,” he said.
“Is it domestic? I doubt it. Someone informed me that they have done it in Guatemala, Colombia, Chile and El Salvador.”
In addition to confirming the hack, López Obrador addressed some of the revelations within the leak, criticizing a notable local journalist for reporting on a range of illnesses the president faced over the last year.
“Now, what is it that they make known? What is in the public domain, ‘he who owes nothing fears nothing.’ Yes, they are true, I am sick, I have various ailments,” he said, speaking at length about several health incidents he’s faced this year.
When contacted by The Record, representatives of Guacamaya criticized the way news outlets in Mexico are handling what was leaked, focusing on reports of López Obrador’s illness rather than larger questions of governance, corruption, and environmental damage.
“Honestly, we don’t like it and don’t approve of doing a TV program about the president’s health. It’s unnecessary, he’s plenty healthy enough to do his job and didn’t hide that he had COVID and problems before,” the group said.
The leak of data stolen from the Secretary of National Defense – known as Sedena – includes six terabytes of files with documents on the surveillance of U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, as well as transcripts and information on narco-criminal operations.
López Obrador said he was not afraid of damaging information resulting from the leaks, claiming that “everything has been said” and the government has nothing to hide.
“If we hid things, if we were promoting corruption, violating human rights, repressing the people, then yes, we would have to hide information,” he added.
For days, news outlets have breathlessly covered the stolen documents, which included thousands of emails illustrating the Mexican Army’s enormous control over López Obrador’s government, his range of health issues as well as disputes between leaders of the Army and Navy.
Guacamaya reportedly used ProxyShell — a collection of Microsoft vulnerabilities exploited frequently in 2021 — to gain access to the military systems.
Representatives of Guacamaya slammed news outlets for ignoring leaked documents on Tren Maya — a 1,525-kilometer intercity railway that will traverse the Yucatán Peninsula after construction is finished in 2024.
“They briefly mention that the leak contains documents on the Tren Maya, a megaproject opposed by many communities in its path, that would certainly be in the public interest to talk about,” a Guacamaya representative said.
(next week I’ll talk about Obrador’s pet project, the Tren Maya…) The article continues…
“But we follow ideals of Wikileaks, that information on institutions in power should be public.”
The group added that they have not leaked all of the files they stole from Sedena because “there is information in there that in the hands of narcos could put people at risk.”
“But still we decided to share it with any that we can verify are reputable journalists, whether we agree with their politics and like their reporting or not,” they said. “And unfortunately, those doing serious investigations take time, while those reporting tabloid gossip on the health of the president are fast to publish.”
……..
Guacamaya – the Mayan name for a macaw – has released several manifestos, arguing that their actions were due to the corruption of several Central and South American governments, as well as militaries and police forces.
The article from The Record, continues and I have a link to it in the show notes.
https://therecord.media/mexican-president-confirms-guacamaya-hack-targeting-regional-militaries/
So, what else was revealed in the Guacamaya Leaks… here’s a few…the hacked inforation revealed…
- That the National Guard is Dumping Ground for Corrupt Army Troops
- AMLO’s Secretary of the Interior and National Guard Linked to CJNG Cartel
- Military Sells Grenades, Information to Cartel
- And that the army wants to start an airline….
Oh, there’s more, and I’ll maybe talk about that next week…Stay tuned.
Note that AMLO in his discussion of the Guacamaya Leaks revelations in his Mananera the other day, expressed his suspicions of foreign government involvement in the leaking of these terabytes of his government’s secrets. Obrador is indeed a target of the World Economic Forum, the US and the EU for not falling in line with the Ukrainian money laundering scam currently happening in Europe. They’re calling him pro Putin and Pro Russia for not sending arms to the conflict and refusing to take sides. They even despise him for daring to draw up, and present a peace plan for the region calling him a Russian Stooge…. Seriously.
There’s many in the west who’d love to see AMLO gone, and….if I were Obrador I’d definitely avoid hot tubs and small aircraft. Just to be safe.
I’ve been planning on talking about the Tren Maya for some time, we’ll cover it next week.
Mexico Has a New 20 Peso Coin
https://www.banxico.org.mx/banknotes-and-coins/20-peso-current-coin-belong.html
Look for a new coin in your change, it’s the 20 peso piece and it is a tribute to and in commemoration of the Bi-Centennial of the Mexican Navy.
The coin measures 30mm in diameter and has a interrupted milled edge, 12 sided so a smooth, then rough, smooth then rough edge, , so it’s easy to feel in your pocket or wallet.
The two-toned coin with a white copper-nickel-zinc alloy center, surrounded by a yellow-colored bronze with aluminum alloy ring. The coin weighs 12.67 grams, so, two of them and one, one peso coin equals 27.15 grams, just .85 grams shy of an ounce for all you drug addicts out there…and on one side is the national seal, the same one you see on the Mexican flag, the eagle with the snake in it’s mouth, in the white center, and Estados Unidos Mexicanos surrounding that in yellow metal. And do you remember from earlier how many states are in Mexico? 32, that’s right.
On the other side of the new 20-peso piece, in the center of the coin is the figure of Lieutenant José Antonio de Medina Miranda. On the left side, the schooner “Iguala”, and, below, the vessel “Patrulla Oceánica de Largo Alcance” (Long-range Ocean Patrol). On the right side, the micro text “TTE NAV ANTONIO DE MEDINA MIRANDA” (NAVAL LIEUTENANT ANTONIO DE MEDINA MIRANDA), and, to the left, the latent image of an anchor. In the upper outline, the legend “BICENTENARIO DE LA MARINA-ARMADA DE MÉXICO” (BICENTENNIAL OF THE MEXICAN NAVY). On the exergue, the denomination “$20” and the years “1821” and “2021”, and, to the right, the mint of Mexico’s Mint “M°”.
It’s a beautiful coin and I have a picture of it in the shownotes as well as an embedded video from the Bank of Mexico, describing the making and minting of the coin and it’s significance.
And in Vallarta the Mexican Navy is not only significant because it’s a port, but on the Malecon, right next door to the amphitheater at Los Arcos, the arches is the Naval Museum. And we’ve been to the Naval Museum with the show. I’ll also link that episode in the show notes. I have lots of pictures of the inside of the museum, but you really need to visit there. Especially on hot days. Admission is cheap and it’s a great way to spend an hour or so. Learn about Mexican Naval History. It’s fascinating.
By the way, did you know that at one time the Puerto Vallarta area had it’s own currency? I found this out from our friend, Uber driver Erik, told me about how his relatives were in the coin minting business when the area was known as Las Penas.
We’ll talk about that sometime, it’s fascinating.
Isla de Los Muertos November 2nd 2022
Día de los Muertos is fast approaching, and next week we will be talking all about the planned events, but if you’ve been listening for the last couple of weeks I’ve been talking about the event they are planning on The Isla Cuale. The folks at the Isla Cuale
Restoration Project are having the first annual Isla de Los Muertos event. And I was able to catch up with Greg Taruc, who is heading up the planning committee for the event. I
Isla Cuale Facebook Activities Page Click Here
Islacuale.org Website
talked with him by phone yesterday, and it just so happens that I recorded it, Imagine that, so, let’s go right now to Greg, who just had just wrapped up a planning meeting for the upcoming Isla Cuale event, over at Vallarta Factory, and me wishing I was there with him, but instead sitting at my desk in my studio in Southern California….let’s talk with Greg…
Contact Information For The Isla Cuale Activities Page on Facebook
Islacuale.org Website
Listen to The Podcast
Okay, thank you Greg. I have a picture of Greg in the show notes as well as the information for his cool new spot, Boba Loka in the show notes.
Contact For Boba Loka Puerto Vallarta
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobaLokaPV
- Instagram Boba Loka
- Address: Libertad 310, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Phone: +52 322 274 3696
Next week I’m having Kika Gomez and Ernesto Garrigos from the Vallarta Cultural Center. A lovely couple who are artists, and who are heavily involved with our buddy Guy Weeks, the guy who started the whole restoration project after hurricane Nora swamped the Island last August. And I’m also having two volunteers at Isla Cuale.org and the Isla Cuale Activities Facebook Group, Mitch Kushner, and Sunny Rossi on next week too.
Contact Information For The Isla Cuale Activities
Page on Facebook
Islacuale.org Website
And I’m really excited about trying out my newest podcasting tool which is blowing my mind. Usually when I have a Spanish speaker on the show, I pot down our Spanish conversation in the audio, and overlay my voice, translating in English so you can understand. This new took uses AI, to take my translated text, which I write out from Spanish to English, and I can choose from several female voices to create the voice overlay. And get this….I sent a 45 minute sample of me, speaking like I do every week for my podcast, and this tool can take my written word, and actually mimic my voice. I type a sentence and it generates the audio of me speaking. It’s an amazing tool. It’s actually pretty scary when you think of what someone with bad intentions can do with this tool, right? I mean nothing’s real anymore. There is a learning curve for this. I’ve been audio editing using Audacity, an open source tool I’ve been using for over 7 years, so I know all the tricks with that software, but now I’m teaching myself this to use this to create the next episode, and next week, I hope to have the newest podcasting tool working properly. If it works, which I have every reason to believe I can, I have two other interviews in the can that I’ve been waiting to publish, till I find a tool like this so this can be a real game changer.
Okay, let’s get to today’s interview, shall we?
Our special guest …
Richard Michael Wright of Sweet Treats by Rosie and Me
Contact Information for Sweet Treats by Rosie and Me, Puerto Vallarta
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SweetTreatsbyRosieandme
I first heard of Richard when I saw him on Facebook, posting about his cakes and treats during the pandemic. I followed him on the Facebook and watched as week by week, he improved his cake decorating techniques, making prettier, more complex and colorful cakes as the months passed by.
Now when we travel, it’s often to celebrate a special occasion. An anniversary, a birthday, a wedding, a milestone in life. Wouldn’t be cool to have a beautiful cake to mark the occasion, delivered right to your hotel, your condo, your special event place? That would be cool right?
Well, Richard can help you with that. So let’s go to a little bakery in the romantic zone, Litten Brod Bakery, Lazaro Cardenas 311, in the Emiliano Zapate neighborhood of Puerto Vallarta and let’s meet Richard Michael Wright, of Sweet Treats By Rosie and Me….
Listen to The Podcast
Thank you Richard. Those brownies were so good…I can honestly say, the best I’ve ever tasted in my life good. That kind of good.
Contact Information for Sweet Treats by Rosie and Me, Puerto Vallarta
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SweetTreatsbyRosieandme
Suggestions From Richard For Fun in Puerto Vallarta
Breakfast:
- Menos Place: https://www.facebook.com/menosplace/
- Get a Day pass at the Hotel Buenaventura Grand in Cinco de Diciembre https://www.hotelbuenaventura.com.mx/special-offers/day-pass
Lunch:
- Restaurant San Lucas: https://www.facebook.com/sanlucasvallarta/
Day Trips
- Take a trip to the Zoo in Mismaloya
- Day Trip: Sayulita…Avoid during weekends
- 3 Day Trip: Guadalajara
Good Gyms in Puerto Vallarta
- Body Gym 2 Puerto Vallarta in Colonia Emiliano Zapata
- The Big Apple Gym Puerto Vallarta in Olas Altas
- Vallarta Fitness Galerias Mall, Puerto Vallarta
I have links to Richard’s Facebook page where he has all his contact information, I have pictures of some of his delicious and beautiful treats, in the show notes, and what about
his recommendation for a day pass at the Buenaventura? I’m definitely doing that when my wife and I come down in just a couple of weeks. Thanks for that great tip Richard and thanks for sharing with us amigo.
Okay, that should do it for today…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 follow share with a lover of Puerto Vallarta or give me a good review wherever or however you happen to be listening. 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 to Greg Taruc, from the Isla Cuale restoration group for letting us in on the upcoming Isla de Los Muertos event on the 2nd of November. Make sure to get over there if you are in town. And check out Greg’s new Bubble tea place Boba Loca on Calle Libertad. And thank you to my buddy Richard Wright of Sweet Treats by Rosie and Me. Find him on Facebook, I have links and pictures in the show notes where you can find them at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.
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.
Listen to The Podcast