Vallarta Cares is an Organization Feeding the Hungry and More in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Formerly Vallarta Food Bank, Vallarta Cares Also Provides Basic Medical and Dental Services, Clean Water, English Classes and More to Qualifying Families and Individuals in Puerto Vallarta
Vallarta Cares Supports Local Vallarta and Cabo Corrientes Emergency Agencies With Tools to Save Lives
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Hello fellow travelers, welcome to 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, in fact my new home, and maybe even yours too and that’s 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 , we visit with friends of the show, and of Puerto Vallarta, a familiar couple, Jimmy Plouff and Frankie Victoria. You know them best from Vallarta Food Bank, but the Foodbank has a new name, it’s Vallarta Cares. They’ll explain the reason for the name change, and also fill us in on the amazing things they are doing for Pata Saladas in need.
Contact Information for Vallarta Cares
- Address: Rio Lerma 468, López Mateos Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco 48340, México
- Website: VallartaCares.org
- Donate: https://vallartacares.org/donations
- How to Help: https://vallartacares.org/more-ways-of-helping
- https://vallartacares.mychange.com/
Map:
Speaking of repeat guests and friends of the show we’ll have Edgar Rivas telling us about The Brewmaster’s Festival coming up this weekend Today and tomorrow, November 16th and 17th at Parque Hidalgo. He’ll be talking craft brews and beers. Food, music and special local cocktails. Edgar is always a lot of fun to talk with.
Contact Information For the 7th Edition of The Brewmasters Festival in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/festivalbrewmasterspv
We have lots of Vallarta news and more, so let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, the 16th of November 2024.
Our Airbnb Overlooking The Romantic Zone
Once again, I’m coming to you from the balcony of an Airbnb overlooking the Zona Romantica with views of the ocean and jungle. Random firework shows every night. I’ve seen 5 already this evening. We are above Casa Kimberly and The Iguana Restaurant. And we can hear the mariachis playing for the diners every night. It’s really lovely. It’s like an added bonus. You may hear some noises like dogs barking or street traffic, but so far, I’ve been able to filter out the background noise. Thanks to Reggie and others who let me know how the audio from the balcony sounded. Anyway, we are loving our Airbnb, and our host Lars, what a nice man. I’ll share the Airbnb link with all of you just as soon as I feel it’s safe to. Check out the pictures of the view, in the show notes in the meantime.
With Día de Los Muertos in the rearview mirror, high season is officially here, well, getting here. More tourists are arriving every day. Cruise ships sailing in and out 2-3 times a week. Canadians arriving by the planeloads to escape the snow and cold. Americans arriving from the upper reaches of the nation as winter is fast approaching, and soon, the Christmas Holidays will be upon us in Puerto Vallarta.
The giant Katrina is still standing on the Malecon, she got a doggie on a leash this year. It’s cute. She and all the smaller Katrinas are still on the Malecon, at least for now, so catch them if you can.
And while you are on the Malecon, in fact, all around town you will notice blue poles with a button you can push if you are in trouble. Panic buttons to make you feel safer. They are emergency response poles, called Totems. Like I said, they’re blue with the word “ALERTA” prominently displayed, along with a panic button. They have surveillance cameras and speakers too. Hummm…cameras and speakers. Anyway…if it gives you a warm feeling inside and makes you feel safer, it’s cool. I wonder how many drunk calls these folks manning the system will get. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
Vallarta City Council To Charge a Tax to Visitors For Tourism Infrastructure Funds
I said a few weeks ago that the new administration in Puerto Vallarta is facing money shortfalls and they’re looking for ways to fix that. One was to raise the water rates, which they did. They also are still thinking about raising property taxes on properties in the tourist zones. And now the news is spreading quickly about a proposed tourist tax of 270 pesos, or approximately $13.50 US, on foreign visitors. City officials expect to raise between 250-300 million pesos a year to fund the city’s tourism infrastructure and services with the tax. They met this week to discuss and fine tune the plan. I understand the tax doesn’t effect residents, just visitors. We’ll see how it all shakes out as far as the cost, and how they are planning on collecting the tax.
Interestingly enough, while researching the new tax in Vallarta, I stumbled upon the same story in Quintana Roo. It’s called VisiTAX, and it’s 224 pesos, a mandatory fee charged to visitors over the age of 4. You can pay the tax by going online at www.visitax.gob.mx or at kiosks around the airport. All foreign tourists are required to pay the tax, and the taxes are said to be going towards public services and new tourist attractions. So it seems that the new administration as looking at what they have been doing in Cancun, since 2020. We’ll talk about this more next week, after they finalize their plan.
The Vallarta Art Walk is back. Every Wednesday from 6-10, you are encouraged to visit some 19 different galleries in the central historical area of town. Find sculptures, paintings, jewelry, ceramics. Just beautiful artwork in El Centro. Many of the galleries have treats for their visitors like wine or little bites. But it’s a great way to pass some time and to meet some incredible artists. I have a link to the Artwalk website where you can print up a map and discover the 19 different galleries. And speaking of art-walking, galleries in the Zona Romantica are also making their own art-walk for their side of town.
From the Banderas News…
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – This Friday, November 8, 2024, the heart of Puerto Vallarta’s Zona Romantica will light up with ARTE Zona Romantica, a bi-weekly cultural event blending art, music, and community. Running every other Friday from 6:00 to 9:00 pm through April 18, 2025, this lively gathering invites locals and visitors alike to explore a world of creativity in one of Puerto Vallarta’s most cherished districts.
Once known as the South Side Shuffle, ARTE Zona Romantica was created through the combined vision of artists, musicians, and dreamers who have made this part of town a haven for creative expression. With 19 participating galleries and studios, the event provides a unique way to stroll through the district, discovering art that reflects both local and global perspectives. Not to be mistaken for the Wednesday evening art walks, this event offers a distinct experience that celebrates the spirit of Zona Romantica’s eclectic community.
Galleria Dante, Puerto Vallarta’s largest art gallery, will mark the season’s start with a special “Meet the Artists” night, featuring talented creators like Jean Jacques Hudon, Luc Gauthier, Emilio Rama, Ana Tatya Neri, Gerald Gallant, Gustavo Lopez, and Cherie Sibley. Guests can enjoy complimentary cocktails while meeting these distinguished artists, whose works span diverse styles and inspirations.
After taking in the art, visitors can relax with wine and tapas at Di Vino Dante, an inviting wine bar perched above the gallery’s sculpture garden. Open Monday through Saturday from 1:00 to 10:00 pm, Di Vino Dante offers creative cuisine and cocktails making it a perfect spot to unwind.
Throughout the season, ARTE Zona Romantica will feature live music, performances, and refreshments, turning each Friday night into a celebration of artistic expression. In addition to popular spots like Cassandra Shaw Jewelry, Kathleen Carrillo Galleries, and Peyote People, the area also boasts a variety of nearby shops, restaurants, and smaller galleries that make this event a true community affair.
ARTE Zona Romantica is more than just an art walk; it’s an invitation to experience the creative pulse of Puerto Vallarta and to discover hidden treasures in one of its most beloved neighborhoods.
So yeah, Zona Romantica now has their own bi-weekly art walk. I have a link to the article and a map of the route and the participating galleries, in the show notes.
ARTE Zona Romantica: Art, Music & Community in Puerto Vallarta
Of course, all the markets are back in full swing. The Saturday market at Tile Park, the Thursday Marina Market, the La Cruz de Huanacaxtle one, all of them. I’ll look for, and post them in the show notes too.
Pickleball Courts at La Huerta BBQ
And all of your favorite bands are back on their schedules. La Huerta BBQ, formerly the El Rio BBQ has made a ton of improvements. A new stage area, new beautiful bathrooms, and get this, pickleball courts. I’ll have Jesus Garcia on in a week or two to talk about the changes.
Grand Opening of Le Bistro Jazz Café by Grupo La Palapa, Coming Soon
There’s lots of changes on Isla Cuale including the pending Grand Opening of Le Bistro Jazz Café. Stick your head in there, it’s drop dead gorgeous. I’ll be interviewing Sofia Boettner from Grupo La Palapa to tell us about the remodel job, go over the menus
and fill us in on all things Grupo La Palapa. It’s a big boost for the Isla Cuale, and a feather in the cap of Grupo La Palapa. I’ll have
Sofia on next week’s show, and stand by for some Facebook posts live from the restaurant when Sofia gives us a pre-opening tour.
Debbie and I had a wonderful opportunity to meet, and hobnob with a Vallarta, creators’ group.
Many of you know Ada and Stefan who have a YouTube Channel called Living Simply in Mexico, where they talk about, and walk you through life in Puerto Vallarta, among other things. They were on the show, many years ago in fact. Well, they invited Debbie and me for drinks and snacks at their casa in Gringo Gulch. Just down the street. At least for another month or two that
is. And there we met Brent Lane and his wife Laura. Brent does a show called CPS News with Jessy and Brent, among other projects. It’s an English language news show filmed in Puerto Vallarta. I’ll have Jessy and Brent on the show really soon by the way. Also, Audra Rickets with Naked Jaguar Tours who many of you have told me I need to have on the podcast was there too. And yes,
I’ll totally have Audra on the podcast too for sure. Well, there we were and out popped the camera and they Ada and Stefan filmed a clip of us all in their latest episode of their YouTube show. I’ll embed it in the show notes and be sure to subscribe to their channel if you haven’t already.
In that same episode they walk you step by step from Los Muertos Beach to La Playita, a lovely restaurant in Conchas Chinas. Among other things. They have some Dia de Los Muertos parade action in the video too, so have a look if you haven’t already. It’s in the show notes.
Dengue in Puerto Vallarta
Dengue is in the news. Seems like a lot of it is going around here. Jalisco leads the country with a total of 16,000 this year.
I even had an interviewee call me to cancel our appointment for an interview because he came down with it.
It’s good to remember that the dengue carrying mosquito is more of a daytime feeder. Just be aware and use mosquito repellant. It’s also best to use the local Off brand repellant. Use it when you go on hikes in the jungle, at the Botanical Garden, the river. Those kinds of places. And remember that mosquitos appear generally at dawn and dusk. Just be aware.
The US Dollar Improves Against the Peso
The dollar has been strengthening throughout the last part of the year, and it went over 20 pesos to the dollar for the first time as far as I can remember, for as long as I’ve been doing this podcast. In fact, today it’s 20.34 pesos to the dollar. Time to buy a house. Right?
Speaking of that, and about what it’s like to be living here in Vallarta. It’s kinda weird, and a little strange, but when I used to visit a few times a year, the conversations with Uber drivers and Taxisitas were different. They’ve always asked questions like do you live here or are you on vacation. But now I kind of feel like I need to apologize for living here or maybe just tell a fib and say I live in Los Angeles.
I don’t know if it’s just me being overly sensitive to the struggles of the everyday Pata Salada who’s just trying to make ends meet and paying higher rents due to guys like me moving in, or what. I don’t know if I’m imagining a slight bit of resentment coming from these drivers, or if I’m just over-reacting. My wife thinks I’m overreacting. I hope so.
I’m going to talk more about our move when I can, in a couple of weeks.
I have more to tell you about what’s happening in our neighborhood in El Cero, the neighborhood above Gringo Gulch. But before that, I want to have our friend Edgar Rivas tell you about what’s happening this weekend, today and tomorrow, the 16th and 17th of November, at Parque Hidalgo. Edgar is having one of his great events, it’s a craft beer festival in Parque Hidalgo. It’s the Brew Master’s festival, in Puerto Vallarta, Take it away Edgar!
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Contact Information For the 7th Edition of The Brewmasters Festival in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/festivalbrewmasterspv
Thank you so much Edgar. Now, I want to clarify for you that when Edgar was talking about the Brewery up in Playa Grande,
above Pitillal, Edgar referred to the brewers as brothers, but actually, they are a brother and sister team. You see, in Spanish, when you refer to your children, it’s hijos, even if there are hijas, or girls. So that may have caused some confusion.
Anyway, get thee over to Parque Hidalgo this weekend today and tomorrow, and eat, drink lots of beer, and be merry. Check out the links, in the show notes.
We Like 1000 Caguamas in Cinco de Diciembre
Speaking of beer and eating, Debbie and I found a really nice place for a beer and ceviche. It’s called 1000 Caguamas. They sell those big bottles of liter plus sized beers, known as caguamas. Named after a lager head sea turtle. They have 18 different, mostly Mexican beers on their menu at 1000 Caguamas. It’s on the roof of a three-story building in Cinco de Diciembre. No
elevator. Sorry. It’s next door to Ley’s grocery store on the corner of Uruguay and Avenida Mexico, and the aguachili is delicious. They also make a shrimp salad stuffed avocado that is very tasty. It’s just a chill spot to hang and watch the bustling town below with a peek-a-boo view of the bay. Chill music as well. It’s a younger crowd I gotta say. Probably has something to do with the 3 floor climb. And don’t get too effed up. You don’t want to fall down the stairs.
Contact Information for 1000 Caguamas Restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Address: Uruguay 162, esq. Av. México 48350 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
- Phone: 322 405 5218
- Website: https://www.1000caguamas.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1000CaguamasVallarta/?_rdr
Speaking of stairs, we live in a place with lots of stairs. It’s 200 stairs from sea level to our street, and then at least 50 more to our front door. We have been getting a lot of stair stepping in for sure. We live off of Emiliano Carranza near Iturbide. And it’s one of the streets you can take to get up to the cross. We see lots of healthy looking people walking uo there in the mornings when it’s cooler. We call them cross walkers. Well, we always take the stairs down, it’s just the up the 200 stairs thing that still has us taking a taxi at least once a day. And over the last few days, when we would take the taxi home, we noticed a neighborhood project taking place.
On either side of this narrow street, they had those long plastic tables set up, and they were making these what looked like head dresses in an assembly line…So the next morning I walked down to the little tienda where they had their tables set up the night before, the Abarotes Store. Abarotes translates to groceries, by the way. And I asked the nice little lady what they were making, and she said they were making penachos for the upcoming processions, coming up December 1st through the 12th.
She explained that every barrio has a chance to participate in the religious ceremonies, the processions in honor of Our Lady de Guadalupe. I said penachos? What’s a penacho? So, I whipped out my trusty cell phone and did the google, and discovered a very interesting subject that I’ll share with you before we get to Frankie and Jimmy at Vallarta Cares.
The penacho they are referring to is a unique feathered headdress. The Penacho de Moctezuma. And the penacho has a storied past, and a controversial present.
It was given to Hernan Cortez, along with dozens of other artifacts as a gift by Moctezuma II, and Cortez, as a thank you, held him hostage and forced him to govern from his palace. That’s another rabbit hole I need to take you into. But I do digress. Back to the penacho.
Anyway, it eventually ended up in Austria.
And here’s the story…well, part of the story.
From Yucatan Magazine
Mexico demands return of the crown of Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II
By Carlos Rosado van der Gracht
February 11, 2022
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has called for Austria to repatriate the artifact known as “el Penacho de Moctezuma.”
El Penacho de Moctezuma, or Moctezuma’s headdress, is a featherwork crown that tradition holds belonged to Moctezuma II, the Aztec emperor at the time of the Spanish conquest.
The headdress itself is made from green quetzal feathers and is sewn with gold detailing.
In the 16th century, the famous headdress was taken to Europe as a war trophy of sorts and has resided in Vienna’s museum of ethnography since the early 19th century.
The fact that the relic is still abroad remains a contentious issue.
“The Austrians have the penacho illegally, and what is worse, they have not even wanted to loan it to us for temporary display. This is extremely unjust and selfish,” said President López Obrador during one of his early morning press conferences earlier this week.
Given the cultural and historical significance of this artifact, several Mexican governments have attempted to recover the feathered crown, but have ultimately been turned down.
The Austrian government has cited the difficulty of moving the famous headdress without damaging it as one of the reasons behind their refusal to return it to Mexico.
But several Austrian lawmakers now argue that it is about time for their country to return the relic, as the technology surely exists to do it safely.
This news has been welcomed by the Mexican government, though no plans for the repatriation of the artifact have been announced.
The Lopez Obrador government said that during its tenure, over 6,000 Pre Columbian archaeological artifacts have already been returned to Mexico.
The diplomatic skirmish between Mexico and Austria comes at a time when controversy continues to grow around the auction of pre-Hispanic artifacts abroad.
Several of the pieces up for auction later this week in Paris are expected to reach prices in the tens of thousands of euros.”
So very interesting. The Penacho is beautiful. I have a link to that article from Yucatan Magazine, in the show notes.
Mexico demands return of the crown of Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II
So what do you think? I think there’s no way they can’t ship that penacho with all the technology we have at our hands, don’t you?
And what does the Penacho de Moctezuma have to do with the Processions Celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe? We’ll find out next week.
Let’s get to Jimmy and Frankie at Vallarta Cares.
Vallarta Cares, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
If you have followed the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show for any length of time, then you know these two friends of mine. We first visited Jimmy and Frankie at their restaurant in Lopez Mateos, the Tunnel Road BBQ. Then when Covid hit, they went to work helping feed hungry, desperate Vallartenses by creating Vallarta Food Bank. We’ve been to the Vallarta Food Bank a couple of times to catch up and to watch them grow into a foodbank and more, and now, they have a new name. Vallarta Cares.
So let’s go right now to Calle Rio Lerma in Colonia Lopez Mateos, and let’s have a chat with our friends Frankie Victoria and Jimmy Plouff, with Vallarta Cares, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
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Thank you Jimmy and Frankie. It’s amazing to see, and hear about all you do for the community. It just blows me away. You two really care about Vallarta. I guess that’s why it’s a good name. Vallarta Cares.
I have all the links in the show notes to make it easy to get to their websites and many ways to give money and or time to this fine organization. Vallarta Cares.
Contact Information for Vallarta Cares
- Address: Rio Lerma 468, López Mateos Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco 48340, México
- Website: VallartaCares.org
- Donate: https://vallartacares.org/donations
- How to Help: https://vallartacares.org/more-ways-of-helping
- https://vallartacares.mychange.com/
Map:
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 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 Edgar Rivas with the Brewmasters Festival. Get out there to Parque Hidalgo this Saturday and Sunday and have some brews. It’s always a good time when Edgar throws a party. And think you so much to Frankie and Jimmy at Vallarta Cares. I have links in the show notes to hook you up with them. Thanks again Frankie and Jimmy, for what you do for your community.
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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