When friends from the US visit us here we delight in exposing them to Vallarta’s many wonderful attractions—swinging through the treetops on the Canopy excursion, swimming with the dolphins, forging rivers on the ATV tour, coasting along the Bay aboard the Rhythms of the Night ship, ambling through the lovely Botanical Gardens, and feeding the animals at the Mismaloya zoo, among countless others. Just as exciting are the host of potential dining experiences, one of which we are always eager to share—La Huerta.

Ideally situated on the banks of the Rio Cuale, one side of which is bordered by craggy cliffs, this open-air restaurant is a unique combination of rustic equanimity and neighborhood fiesta, particularly when the Mariachi’s make their appearance (usually around 2:00pm on Sundays), as part of the very popular Mongolian barbecue introduced on the menu some five years ago. Formerly an orchard (and hence the name), La Huerta offers a wonderful array of vegetation and fruit trees including papaya, pear, lemon, banana, coconut, mango and bamboo, which proprietors Jose (Chuy) and Alvera Garcia were intent upon retaining when they cleared the land twenty-eight years ago to make way for their home and ultimately the restaurant.

In addition to the kickback ambiance, we are fans of La Huerta because it offers a dining experience that is fun and out of the ordinary. Once seated, you will see a pair of matching cards each with two numbers, one indicating your table and the other your seat. After enjoying complimentary bean-filled corn tortillas, made while you watch, you take one of the aforementioned cards to the outdoor kitchen, where you select from fifteen ingredients, including broccoli, carrots, celery, cauliflower, onions, tomatoes, green peppers, pineapple, tangerines, jicama, potatoes, mushrooms, cooked noodles, beef and chicken all cut in bite-size pieces and ready for grilling. After shamelessly piling all into a bowl, douse your selection with one or more of four cooking sauces such as soy, or garlic and oil, and hand your custom made feast, along with your number, to one of several cooks who transform the ingredients into a steaming masterpiece while you enjoy the view and a libation back at your table. When your order is ready a friendly server, matching the card left behind at the kitchen with the one at your place, delivers a delectable, perfectly cooked one-dish meal.

Should you wish something other than the barbecue you may also order the mixed grill (chicken, ribs steak and chorizo), shrimp (breaded, garlic or diablo-style—at least a dozen per order), or ribs, but why mess with success? The all-you-care-to-eat barbecue is inarguably the best option if you love savory meals, customized to your own personal culinary preferences with lots of fresh healthy ingredients. Whatever your choice all meals on Sunday run $95 pesos, not including beverages, which are very reasonable.

La Huerta can easily serve 120 people, and has been known to accommodate twice that amount for private parties. Despite the seemingly cavernous accommodations the ambiance is warm and friendly. Regulars straddle the stools of the small sports bar, kitchen staff cheerfully prepare orders in full view of diners and other members of the Garcia family who help out at the restaurant lend an easy neighborhood feel away from the hustle and bustle of Centro.

Up until the new bridge was built a few years back, getting to La Huerta necessitated a four-wheel drive (or watercraft!) for negotiating the river. Now it is readily accessible by bus or car with lots of riverside parking available to those who choose to drive the picturesque route through colonias Buenos Aires and Paso Ancho, just five minutes off the Libramiento. After your meal wander the grounds and check out Chuy’s menagerie of wildlife—two dogs (and possibly a puppy or two), an amazing golden pheasant, Canadian and American geese kept for their eggs and other exotic feathered friends, who will soon have their own aviary for better customer viewing.

Although the Mongolian barbecue is only offered on Sundays (2:00pm to 4:00pm) a full menu of other options is available to patrons throughout the rest of the week--Mexican snacks, soups, and entrees as well as staples such as hamburgers, club sandwiches, ribs, chicken, fish, shrimp and cold beverages. Why not make a day of it by arranging a horseback riding trip with Chuy through the pristine jungle across the Cuale, culminating with an end-of-the-trail lunch/ dinner and a refreshing michelada ($20 pesos), or Margarita ($50 pesos). Word has it that a new menu is on the drawing board.

La Huerta Restaurant & Sports Bar
Felipe Ángeles 245, Colonia Paso Ancho
Sunday Mongolian barbecue (Reservations recommended)
10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. weekdays
222-0386

Upside:
Unique customized barbecue with fresh ingredients
Friendly down-home ambiance (perfect for groups and company)
Natural setting
Great prices ($10 pesos to $95) Bar Drinks ($20 to $50)
Abundant parking
Open all year

Downside:
Greasy totopas
Mixed grill meats a bit fatty and dry (on the day of our visit)
No desserts

The story of Rattan de Guadalajara begins with Don Alexander Cornejo’s mother, of German heritage, who knew how to weave rattan. She passed along her skills to her children. In 1930, Don Alexander and his wife, Carmen Martinez, began manufacturing rattan furniture in Mexico City. Because they put their heart and soul, and their experience, into their work, each piece of furniture was a work of art.

Today, their factory in Guadalajara employs more than 85 workers, weaving rattan and wicker made from natural fibers using the age-old techniques handed-down through the years. The factory imports fibers from Asia. Before weaving, the fibers must be steamed, making them moist and supple, enabling them to be woven by hand. The process also requires a wood frame onto which the fiber is wound and stretched. Later it is woven together and varnished to give it a protective finish. The last step is the upholstery. It is then packed and shipped to the final destination.

Although many people believe popular modern “classic designs” often called "retro" refer to the 40s and 50s, these designs are actually of European origin during the Victorian era, (1800 and 1850), when England, France and Holland all maintained colonies in Southeast Asia. When the people tried to decorate their colonial houses with the fine wooden European furniture typical of the period, they could not find the materials or craftsmen to make them.

For this reason, local wicker and rattan furniture designs, made of the very durable raw materials, (fibers from banana tree, water hyacinths, and crocus roots), became very popular.

All fibers are of the highest quality and are labeled “Manau Rattan”, indicating the fibers, found only in Indonesia, are denser and more compressed than second class fibers, and therefore heavier. While these fibers exist in Mexico, they are not of the same quality because the climate here is not as warm and humid as Southeast Asian countries.

Rattan de Guadalajara also works with hand-hammered forged iron, ionized aluminum, (an attractive finish which prevents deterioration from humidity or oxidization), wood, marble, tables and resins, handling the design of each piece of customized furniture, taking the greatest of care for the client’s needs, sometimes combining iron, rattan wicker, and aluminum.

Despite the popularity of current minimalist tendencies, clients continue to request unique furniture models made with labor-intensive man-made materials and techniques. Remarkably, Rattan de Guadalajara makes furniture in large-volume assembly or individual custom orders based on client specifications. Puerto Vallarta designer, Carmen Herrera, creates unique designs according to dimensions, style ideas, and fabric selections provided by clients. The design is sent to Guadalajara and the furniture is made. Delivery time is generally 30 to 45 days.

Speaking of the fabrics, Rattan de Guadalajara also handles brands like Sunbrella and Covington, recognized world-wide for their sun and humidity resistant acrylic fabrics that do not bleach like most cotton fabrics. For interior furnishings, Rattan de Guadalajara uses durable polyester and textiles handmade by local people from Uruapan, Michoacán.

With branches in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos, Rattan de Guadalajara has many major clients; hotel chains with locations throughout Mexico like: the Fairmont, Princess, Mayan Palace, Gran Velas, Melia, Paradise Village, and the Four Seasons. They have also provided Furnishings to national leaders including José López Portillo and the Shah of Iran during his exile in Mexico.

RATTAN DE GUADALAJARA
Plaza Marina, Suite E-34
Marina Vallarta
Mon-Sat 9:30am-8:00pm
Sun 10:00am-4:00pm
Tel. (322) 221-0144 and (322) 221-0145

Prices in pesos:
Havana Living-Room (3 pieces) $ 52,300
Havana Dining Room (Wood Table & 6 chairs) $34,500
Berlin Wicker Line (Chairs, Benches & Tables by volume) $2,000
Rattan Tropic Room (One Love Seat and 1 Arm-chairs) $7,000

The one of less is like calling to so taken and brought condom, an invention of the past today, demands our attention; to be viewed as any other commonly used device. To adapt is to accommodate, to accept new circumstances or conditions.

As human beings we have developed a multitude of ways of adapting and prolonging life. When vaccines were invented, there was much resistance to using them. Now it is completely normal.. We have already adapted and we now considered them essential. Our grandparents never imagined that their children could live longer than they would by wearing a pacemaker… Adaptation.

While science works miracles to find cures for an endless list of diseases, among them, those that are sexually transmitted, we must reconcile ourselves to current circumstances. It is a difficult situation for us because we have the capacity to reproduce beginning at adolescence right up to our senior years. In addition, we can mate at any time of the year; when our sexual interest is easily stimulated. The hormones that send sexual impulses don’t know anything about waiting rooms. They do their job; the rest is up to us.

Do you think that a young person will wait patiently until science says eureka! Here are the cures, the vaccines, the antidotes? No, they must “adapt” to what that same science offers in the interim: using condoms not to abandon love, but rather to enable us to continue touching one another, exploring our sexuality both conscientiously and with pleasure.

The time has come when Mexico must include, as a staple, those lifesaving “Love Gloves” without surprise or fear. They must become a common, almost routinely used item that will allow users to rest at ease from the ideas and fears that inhibit pleasurable sensations, and prevent erotic creativity reducing to a minimum expression of those sublime and indescribable moments.

For some years now, there have been shops specializing in the increasing variety of “rubbers”, but here in Puerto Vallarta, we have the only condom shop in the region; where our products are guaranteed by the Federal Office of the Consumer Judge Advocate General.

Dolores Velasco is proprietor of “The Condom House”. A woman preoccupied with “educating and assisting people so that with more use the product will become increasingly familiar and serve to prevent diseases and unwanted pregnancies”. “Lolita” has fought almost literally against all odds so that her business is seen “in a positive light”, respected and integrated into a society that, I insist, must “adapt” and accept that the use of condoms has become necessary everywhere in the world, so that a great number of people can enjoy a healthy sex life, regardless of their personal preferences.

“The Condom House” offers Mexican, Japanese, German and North American brands. You can find individual condoms from $6 pesos, to packages for $88 pesos; they are available with and without lubricant, with spermicide, and in various colors, transparent or opaque, and even fluorescent. They may be smooth textured (ring, studs); scented or flavored like vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, or banana; with special anatomical shapes; lengths, widths or sizes; thicker material (extra strength) or thinner (more sensitive).

Women’s condoms are also available made of polyurethane, oral condoms, latex gloves and finger cots; gels, flavored lubricants, edible thongs, prophylactic foams; massage oils, suntan oils, incense, caps and t-shirts with the Condom Shop logo; candles, sunglasses and even “pleasure honey”; bottles of “pheromones”. There are books on everything from sexual education published by the Secretariat of Education, others with gay themes or even Mexican cooking, architecture, decor and dictionaries. Ah! And something very important; leather “portacondoms” to keep your condoms in perfect condition and to ensure that nothing gets in the way of that magic moment.

The Condom House, in simple premises in the “Playa Bonita” area of Colonia Amapas. Since then they have had all types of customers, including whole families and women looking for birth control for their sons. We must get used to this kind of shop and the reality that young people should not be making love without protection.

“As both Freud and Jung have explained, most forms of crime and antisocial behavior can be traced back to some type of sexual frustration or dysfunction. Social harmony in general begins in bedroom” - Daniel Reid (North American writer).

The Condom House – Condonería
Malecón 164, Col. Amapas
(Below Hotel Playa del Sol – Zone: Playa Bonita)
Mon-Sat: 10:00am-6:00pm
Tel. 044 (322) 126-7722

Let’s say you feel like going out, but you don’t want to go to the beach, disco, fancy or typical restaurant, bar or cinema, nor the typical tourist hang outs. Then what?

Well, I invite you to enjoy a good Latin American song served with a beer, drink or coffee (and not the other way around) by some of the friendliest people in town and in a cozy little place, surprisingly quiet, considering it’s just one block away from Vallarta’s main avenue. You will not only feel at home, but you will also feel you’re now part of Vallarta, surrounded mostly by locals and loyal customers who know they will have a different experience each time they go there, full of real feeling, without formalities or “labels”.

Mario Blanco and Jaime Martinez opened this place thirteen years ago and it has kept its original concept since then: welcome all kinds of people with a friendly smile, a good song and a different kind of environment. Mario is now its owner, host, singer and he will delight you either with some good old and new songs by the most famous Mexican, Cuban, Spanish or Latin American composers or with one of his own compositions. The concept is called “Trova” and it includes all kinds of romantic songs in Spanish, from the 40s to date.

Blanco y Negro is right behind Blockbuster, on the opposite corner of 8 Tostadas Restaurant and one block from Subway. It opens from 8:00pm to 2:00am and Mario starts singing between 10:30 and 11:00pm. Prices are quite reasonable and you don’t have to pay a cover or anything like that. Your coffee will be served with some delicious chocolate cookies and beers, with peanuts.

Warning: Once you try it, it will become a habit but don’t worry, it’s quite healthy.

BLANCO Y NEGRO
Corner of Lucerna and Niza
Hotel Zone
Tel. (322) 293-2556
Mon-Sat 8:00pm-2:00am

It was the year 1950 and Hotel Paraíso celebrated its opening with an art show with works by Ramon Barragan, Joaquin Rodriguez Pedroza and Esteban Ramirez Güereño –being him the creator of the crown on Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church, our city’s main icon. Ten years of silence marked the prologue for Manuel Lepe’s appearance in the early 60s, starting with him a time in which both the practice of visual arts and its market have had an exponential growth. In this decade appeared Daniel Lechon, Manuel Martinez, Starr Fojaco and Ricardo Troncoso.

Javier Niño is, without a doubt, the living creator representative of Vallarta's current art creation. He appeared firmly at the beginning of the 70s. Invited by Lepe, he took part of the first “Art Garden”, installed in Aquiles Serdan Park, along with Lepe, Manuel Martinez, Armando Lozano and Paco de la Peña, as well as appearing in a popular TV show dedicated to promote Vallarta and broadcasted nation wide. First level exhibitions took place in Manuel Lepe’s Gallery, where Niño shared honors with Manuel Felguerez, Pedro and Rafael Coronel and Jose Luis Cuevas. Documents from those days show also the art activities from the wonderful painter Daniel Inchaurregui, Jose Marca, Jesus Tellosa, Juan Pueblo, Regino Carrillo, Digur Weber, Rusell Davis, Lucy Chipley, Cathy Von Rohr and Marta Gilbert. The sculptor Armando Lozano showed the work of Alejandro Colunga, from Guadalajar, at the gallery he had just opened.

In 1978, The Department of Fine Arts from Jalisco started promoting activities of our city’s art and culture, with Jorge Souza Jauffred as their delegate. According to such iniciative, Vallarta's trusteeship offered the business spaces on the eastern side of Cuale River’s Island for the art and culture workshops from the same Department. Then, Tomas Arizmendi’s Folkloric Dance Workshop; Alberto Fabian’s Theater Workshop; Jorge Souza’s Literature Workshop and Javier Niño’s Painting one, with Manuel Martinez, Jose Marca, Kathy Huet, Juan Pueblo, Antonio Garcia and Pedro Vazquez’s help, started. There were also new spaces for Art Work exhibition opened at Hidalgo Park, Los Arcos’ Plaza and Cuale River, with work by Jesus Peinado, Roberto Bermejo, Pio Nancy, Dr. Ayotl, Elena Murguia, Carlos Murguia and Pico Resendiz.

The unexpected growth Vallarta’s art market and, consequently, the opening of new galleries and new creators from the 80s to date, makes it impossible –for this so short article- to give a detail listing of the main characters. We emphasize the outstanding presence of Ada Colorina, Ramiz Barquet, Francisco San Miguel, Meg Munro, Bill Megraill, Rogelio Diaz, Jaime Ximenez, Martina Goldberg and Rodrigo Lepe in the 80s, as well as, during the last fifteen years, the activities of Cecilia Bohorquez, Edgar Martinez, Fernando Sanchez, Sergio Martinez, Hania Leñero, Miguel Perez, Sheila Devine and Cathy Von Rhor.

Some of these are group tours, with either one or two people per vehicle or you may go ahead and rent your own ATV to see where the roads lead you.

The best way to go is with a group, as the guides know the best places and trails for adrenalin filled fun. Some depart in the city, where you drive on the main roads for a short time until you reach the dusty trails. Once off the main roads, you are in the start of the lush jungle, where you pass by ranches and homes, rivers and valleys, possibly up to a waterfall. Get ready to zigzag rivers and cross through mud puddles, and don’t forget, wear old clothes and shoes, such as items that you can throw away afterwards, or that you don’t mind getting stained.

Some of the off road adventures include a stop at a restaurant for a drink (non-alcoholic) and a snack or sandwich, maybe even a refreshing swim in the river if the conditions are good. Heading back to Vallarta after the adventure, the guides will slow things down so you can look around, or they may lead you down a different road for a completely new perspective of “hidden” Vallarta.

More Info: Most tours have goggles, bandanas (to keep from eating dust!) and a helmet. You should also wear an SPF to prevent sunburn. You will need to sign a release form in case of accident. You must bring your drivers license and a major credit card.

Tour Companies:
Pathfinders: 222-1895
Departs at 9am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm. Prices from 550 pesos to 650 pesos and does not include food or beverages.

Mud Rats: 222-3802
Departs 8:30am, 9:00am, 1:30pm and 2:00pm. Prices from 750 pesos to 950 pesos. Includes bottles of water. If you can prove you are a resident of Puerto Vallarta, they will give you a 25% discount.

For more information on off-road adventures and discount tickets, visit www.vallartaonline.com

The second choice, for the experienced or the daring is the ankle jump; with only one cord around the ankle and a harness around the waist for extra safety. This is a more spectacular choice, as you dive head first towards the ocean.

To bungee jump, you must fulfill the following requirements: No previous or known cardiac disease, no bone afflictions, diabetes or hypertension. You must be sober, (no alcohol) and you must sign a letter of release and acceptance.

I recommend that before jumping, you are 100% sure you want to do it, because once you pay, there is no going back!

Ready to feel the rush? After you are harnessed in the position you have chosen, the operators will check over all of the equipment and perform a safety check. Once you have been given the “OK” you are free to fly!

PACIFIC BUNJEE
Road to Mismaloya, after the Hotel Presidente
Open all days from 10am to 6pm
Price: 610 pesos per jump

Not only has Zsuba livened up the Malecón of Marina Vallarta but it’s also refashioned its menu. The furniture was repositioned and the inside sushi bar will now feature a sports screen for those hot sporting events. Meanwhile, the main restaurant continues to offer a classy minimalist environment with fare that will tip your taste buds.

Manager Gerardo Villanueva comes to Zsuba with ten years of experience in hotels and restaurants, knowledge he puts to good use at this Marina hangout. Located right on the marina, with a view of the yachts and sailboats that ply the coast and the bay, seating is outside during high season while low season offers air-conditioned comfort.

Once you’re seated, try one of the deluxe martinis, seemingly appropriate. The order of crab meat ravioli comes with three, so share among your friends, they are scrumptious. Other taste treats are the goat cheese with pink pepper and balsamic-Dijon vinaigrette. The beef carpaccio is marinated in rosemary vinaigrette with capers and parmesan cheese. Don’t think about passing on salad, you must try the spinach and brie salad, a real treat for the palate.

This extensive menu features seafood, chicken and meat, so choose your entrée carefully. Huachinango (red snapper), a local favorite, comes in an almond meunière with grilled banana over wild rice. Benedict is a favorite of mine, so if you lean towards that, try the chicken breast Benedictine, served with prosciutto, rissole potato and vegetables in a Hollandaise sauce. Meat lovers will waver between the beef filet Chemita, named after the chef who “invented” it, and the rib-eye steak with a three-chile sauce.

If you can manage dessert, think delights such as puff pastry with saffron cream, a version of brandy-flambéed bananas; a hot, caramelly-crêpe stuffed with pear and apple; a cold goat cheese cake with raspberry sauce; or red fruits jubilee flambéed over vanilla ice cream. You can’t pass up a demitasse of espresso or cappuccino, or maybe an aperitif.

ZSUBA PRIME RIB HOUSE & SUSHI ROOM
Paseo de la Marina 245, Marina Vallarta
Tue-sun 6:30pm-12:00am
Sushi Room: Tue-sun 12:00pm-12:00am
Tel. (322) 221-0669

Prices in pesos:
Martini: $75
Glass of wine $50-$60
Ravioli: $85
Spinach and brie salad: $95
Red snapper: $175
Chemita fillet: $170
Desserts: $70

UPSIDE: Classy and sophisticated for a special night on the town
DOWNSIDE: The sushi room is filled with the characteristic scent of seafood, which can result bothering.

Details: Try Zsuba when you want to go out for dinner in a tasteful, refined atmosphere where the cuisine is top-notch gourmet. Bet you can’t go just once!

The good taverns are those where the appetizers are as good as the wine. This is the case at Taberna San Pascual. This small place offers seating for 21 persons. It is made up of two rooms: the first one with the bar and a television for sports events. The second, at the back end, offers three tables for four persons each and a showcase with the makings for tapas.

The name is in honor to San Pascual Bailón, the holy patron of cooks, to whom it is prayed: "San Pascual Bailon, tiza mi fogón" (San Pascual Bailón, inspire my kitchen). A wooden figurine of him, in a niche next to the bar, welcomes the guests.

The specialty of the house is the Spanish-style sangría served with ice and available in two sizes. One must be careful with the sangría, as it can sneak up on you. Saturdays, the bartender, originally from Venezuela, prepares a typical beverage from his region: the Guarapita, made from a base of pineapple and fermented maracuyá and mixed with rum, gin, and vodka. Contrary to tradition and adapting it to local palates, the beverage is served slightly fermented.

Seventeen different tapas and appetizers are offered. From cold tapas stuffed with imported meats, such as Iberian chorizo real ($40) or Spanish manchego cheese ($50) up to the most traditional, such as the Spanish Tortilla ($18), ideal to accompany with paprika, basil and tomato sauces. Also count on hot tapas such as Patatas bravas (brave potatos) ($15), Chistorra (spicy sausage) with tomato ($20) or if you have a craving for beans, Fabada ($25) garnished with sausage and bacon. In addition, they offer an exclusive appetizer: marinated salmon with avocado ($35)

If you are accompanied, you might suggest several orders brought to the center of the table to be shared. If not, be prepared, everyone will want to pick off the plate of the other. The secret of the tapas is in sharing.

TABERNA SAN PASCUAL
Corona 176, Downtown
Tel. (322) 223-9371
Tue-Sun 6:00pm-12:00pm

UPSIDE: The tapas to accompany a drink.
DOWNSIDE: The size of the place makes it difficult to sit in groups of more than four persons.

Prices in pesos:
Pitcher of sangria: $80 (small) $110 (large)
Guarapita: $25
Spanish Wines (glass): $25
Spanish Wines (bottle): $150-$270
Stuffed Peppers of tuna or cod: $25
Mushrooms al ajillo: $18
Octopus ala gallega: $25
Roasted Peppers: $25

The only thing that prevents me from enjoying the beach as much as I’d like too is my job, so most of my beach time happens after the sun goes down. When I am looking for a little more than a starlit night at Playa Los Muertos, there is the Sunset Club (formerly Havana Moon) at the Hotel Mayan Palace, Marina Vallarta.

The first thing you notice is the abundance of intimate seating areas. The couches are filled with pillows, and, try as you might, it is impossible to resist the urge to lie down. If you prefer, there are lounge chairs facing the ocean and ample seating at the bar area. The music is an eclectic variety of lounge, played at a volume that still allows you to hear the crashing surf. The lights are dim and candles are scattered around. Ceiling fans help keep things from getting too hot.

Within minutes of sitting down on one of the oversized white couches a waitress arrived to take our order. She promptly returned with the drinks and some much appreciated peanuts. The sarong clad waitress was attentive without being intrusive, and we were never without anything we wanted. Unfortunately, closing time came earlier than we would have liked and it was time to move on.

If work keeps you from going to the beach, or if you want to continue your day there, Sunset Club will accommodate your desires. The best part about going to the beach at night: you don’t need to put on sunscreen!

SUNSET CLUB
Hotel Mayan Palace
Paseo de la Marina Sur 220
Marina Vallarta
Tel. (322) 226-6000
Mon-Fri 1:00pm-11:00pm
Sat-Sun 1:00pm-1:00am

UPSIDE: Relaxed place to lounge on the beach, afternoon or night, on super comfortable oversized couches.
DOWNSIDE: They close early, at 11:00pm during the week and 1:00am on weekends.

Prices in pesos
Beer: $30
Margarita: $52
Soft Drink: $22

The alignment of the body, relaxation, alignment of the posture, muscular balance and rehabilitation, finally, a body flexible, strong and healthy. All of this can be achieved through the Pilates technique, a word, a concept that, perhaps, you have been hearing in the last years, specifically because of the fame that Pilates has acquired between notable personalities, who have opted to practice it and the results are visible to the naked eye. Now you will understand why this method goes beyond from just a beautiful body.

What is Pilates?

It is a form of exercise focused on improving flexibility and muscle strengthening, without causing bulkiness or stress, to balance the body and, the same as with yoga, energize muscles. Sometimes, it is also has effects on an emotional level.

“The science, the art and the coordinated development of the body, mind and spirit, through natural movements, under strict control of the conscience,” thus Pilates is so defined by its creator Joseph Pilates, when creating the technique based on the physical and mental preparation more than 80 years ago. The first apparatus he conceived: an adapted hospital bed.

Normally the sessions take place in studios with sufficient space (they utilize from six to seven special machines); while the floor exercises are more common and are the ones most offered in gyms, for toning.

It is necessary to explain that Pilates is not forceful movements, nor resistance, but of exercises of tension and stretching of extremities, where the force originates from the abdomen and the torso. Each movement has a specific function. To avoid injuries to muscles and joints, during the class you are on your back, seated, kneeling, or in an inclined position.

The results are noticeable in the short term and exhausting sessions are not necessary. Pilates also burns calories, but if you want to loose weight, it is necessary to maintain an appropriate diet and get aerobic exercise in addition.

Pilates can be practiced by men and women of all ages, from 15 years to 65 or more; thanks to it, the flexibility can last until old age.

ADVICES FOR PRACTICING PILATES:

1.- Wear comfortable and loose clothing that allows for the proper execution of the movements.
2.- Practicing Pilates is recommended daily or at least three times a week.
3.- Learn to breathe correctly, depending on the movement.
4.- If you have been injured, this is an excellent rehabilitation technique.
5.- Sessions should be taught by professional Pilates instructors, who have special certification and training.
6.- After having a baby, it is a suitable method for re-firming the parts of the body that need it most.
7.- If you are looking for a firm, toned, and stylish figure, Pilates is the best option.

PILATES
Mtra. Nora Covarrubias: Mar 8:30am jue 9:00am -- Mar, jue y vie 7:00pm
Mtra. Dolores Noriega: Mie 9:00am-10:00am
Gold’s Gym, Pablo Picasso S/N
Plaza las Glorias, Zona Hotelera
Tel. (322) 225-6671

La Valentina, with ten years of experience, brings its unique flavor of Mexico to the Bay of Banderas. Originally from Mexico City, La Valentina boasts restaurants in Monterrey, Ixtapa, and Miami, USA. Their downtown location here in Puerto Vallarta is enviable, on Morelos between Allende and Pipila. All of the recipes for their authentic Mexican dishes were created by noted Mexican women chefs, including Lula Beltrán, Martha Chapa, and Susana Palazuelos.

The restaurant is two stories, very spacious with high ceilings. The upstairs balcony lets the cool breezes in, and along with the ceiling fans you can stay cool. In the evenings patrons can enjoy a drink downstairs, before or after adjourning upstairs for dinner. The restaurant is large and can accommodate well over 150 people between the two floors. The walls are decorated with large and bright prints, the most notable being the moon and the sun. The glistening silver moon on a blue background is in front of the ladies room and the shining red and orange sun indicated the men’s room. The floor is accented with elaborate stone designs.

The wait staff is knowledgeable about the menu and despite saying that “everything on the menu is our specialty”, the waiter will suggest and explain items on the menu if you are having trouble making a decision.

For the indecisive or those that want a little nibble of everything, there is the combination appetizer plate, including Salbutes Itzama (a puffy tortilla cup filled with marinated chicken), taquitos de camarón, quesadillas with blue corn tortillas, and tacos de chilorio Sinaloense.

There are a variety of salads on the menu, from traditional lettuce to exotic shrimp and seafood. The ensalada de camarones Tlacotalpan, with shrimp and potato flavored with lime is very refreshing on a warm afternoon. La Valentina also offers a raw bar with king crab, lobster, oysters, shrimp, and clams at market price. Hot buttered bread accompanies the soups and salads.

For the main course choose among a wide variety of chicken, fish and beef entrees, including USDA choice cuts of beef prepared on the grill. You can have a Molcajete (fresh salsa) prepared to your taste at your table to accompany your grilled selection. The Mole de tamarindo Don Librix, named after Mexican artist Librado Jimenez, has the sweet flavor of tamarind and is very flavorful, not at all spicy for a gringo palette. Traditional Mexican dishes including Pechuga de la fogata (chicken marinated in lemon, vinegar and chilies, charbroiled and served with fresh salad), Sinfonia en rosa mexicano (chicken breast covered with a creamy nut sauce) and more “modern” ones like Atún Neptuno are featured on the extensive menu. The dishes were well presented on the square white plates. Fresh (and very hot) tortillas accompany the entrees.

Desert should not be overlooked at La Valentina. The selection is small, but no one was disappointed. The Crepas de Cajeta, topped with ice cream and walnuts, so good you will want to lick the plate. The same can be said for the Crème Bruleé with fresh strawberries, and the Flan de la Nana.

LA VALENTINA
Morelos 849, Downtown
Mon-Sun 1:00pm-2:00am
Tel. (322) 223-9400

Prices in pesos:
Appetizers: $64-$115
Entrees: $118-$320
Deserts: $40-$60
Soft drinks: $20
Beer: $28

UPSIDE: The chairs are comfortable and the desserts are delicious.
DOWNSIDE: The music, they are trying to please everyone with a hodge-podge of music.

Details: In this downtown restaurant-bar the first floor is ideal for people watching while sipping a cocktail.

From the 16th of December to the 24th the posadas are celebrated. The tradition is no more than a recreation of the journey which the Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph took on the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem before the baby Jesús was born in a stable. Accompanied by a donkey and with the commission to register in the census, the couple passed by nine stages during the trip, and to represent them, the feast consists of nine days of posadas.
As almost all the Spanish religious traditions, the posadas also suffered from the native influence. The pilgrimage was present in ancient cosmology (remember that the mexicas arrived at their territory after wandering for years) and alluded also to the birth of the God Huitzilopochtli, that coincided with the dates of the Catholic traditions of December.

The posadas of today are house parties that are organized by streets or by neighborhoods. Each night, a house offers an “inn” or posada to the "pilgrims". For the procession, some dress as Joseph and Mary, upon a burro, walk in silence with all the participants behind. The most practical only walk carrying a nativity scene of the stable where Jesus was born, with Joseph, Mary, the angel and the donkey.

The participants carry candles, sparklers, and sing litanies until they arrive at the door of the house of the host. Here some remain inside and others outside and the famous verses of the posada are sung, asking for shelter:

"In the name of the heaven I ask you/ my beloved wife can walk no more". Upon finishing, the door is opened and they let him enter and with great ceremony they light sparklers and fireworks: "Enter holy pilgrims/ receive this corner/ although the dwelling is not rich it is given from the heart!”.

The party begins with great joy. The piñatas break, they are given fruits (hawthorn, peanuts, mandarins, guavas, cane) and sweets (colación) and are served a warm and tasty punch of jamaica.

For the Catholic Church these are nine days of reflection. Some families, before the party, pray the rosary and after each mystery they sing Christmas carols. It has also become a custom to pray the novena from the 16th to the 24th of December.

Elements of the Posadas

THE PIÑATA
Is a star of seven points that represents the seven capital sins. The colors show the attraction of the sin.

THE BANDANA AND THE STICK
The stick is the Gospel, with which the sin is destroyed and the participants who guide them toward where to strike represent the Church. To break the piñata (the sin) the eyes are covered, therefore the only guide is the faith.

THE FRUIT
Symbolizes the fruits that God gives man when he destroys the sin (the piñata).

THE SWEETS AND THE PUNCH
The bags full of peanuts and sweets symbolize the commission to give and share.

THE PILGRIMS
Represent the Virgin and Joseph. The participants carry a candle that symbolizes the light of God.

Since ancestral times, it has been believed that during the first days of November the dead return to the world of the living. Our ancestors commemorated the event with offerings arranged on homemade altars illuminated with candles to guide the way for the souls to return to their former homes. Today the tradition is practiced less and less as little by little the symbolism of the altars is simplified or even combined with foreign customs like that of Halloween.

Nevertheless, the Day of Dead continues to be one of the great national celebrations and a symbol that further characterizes our country within its borders. Puerto Vallarta, focused on the rescue of the tradition, has prepared a program of activities for the celebration of the Day of Dead on the Isla Río Cuale, at Los Arcos and the City Hall.

Exhibition at the Cuale

Students of the Fine Art workshops of the Centro Cultural Cuale will prepare a collective exhibition of work by the students prepared especially for this event. The concept of “death,” as well as its interpretations and perceptions will materialize in these works. In addition, a montage-installation will celebrate the Day of the Dead in specific workshops. The celebration will be accompanied by music, calaveras, bread de los muertos, and more. The participants in the exhibition (Hilda Rosales, Carmina Diaz, Lourdes Merino, Ana Uribe, Cecilia Preciado, Claudia Plata, Steve Fisher, Leo Morales, Lola Deziel, Amparo Topete, Lobelia Villareal, Genoveva Velasco, Hildeliza Lopez, Guillermina Paez, Carla, and Pilar) are students of painting, photography, printmaking and drawing workshops of the Centro Cultural Cuale.

Altars and Calaveras Contest

The City Hall will convert its corridors into a gallery of altars during the contest that takes place November 1 and 2. Writers and aficionados can show also off their abilities in the Contest of Calaveras (similar to a limerick, but poking fun at the dead). The competitions are for the public and registrations are open. There will be cash prizes for the most successful altars and calaveras.

Monumental Altar at Los Arcos

With the intention of integrating Vallartan residents with her visitors, the Municipality will mount a Monumental Altar at Los Arcos on the Malecón. To grace the grand altar, an artistic-musical show will take place the nights of November 1 and 2. Take advantage of the sight and bring the whole family to celebrate this ancient ritual.

COLLECTIVE EXHIBITION AND CELEBRATION
Students of the free workshops
November 1 and 2
5:00pm
Centro Cultural Cuale
Río Cuale

MONUMENTAL ALTAR
Los Arcos
November 1 and 2
Artistic activities, 7:00pm
Malecón

CONTEST OF ALTARS AND CALAVERAS
Interior of City Hall
November 1 and 2
Open registration

EXHIBITION OF ALTARS
Interior of City Hall
November 1 and 2
9:00am-5:00pm

Cycling is considered one of the most arduous sports if the physical wear that accompanies the high performance practice of it is taken into account. It accounts for the modalities of: the cycling route (takes place on highways or long distances); cyclocross, (a mixture of the cycling route and mountain (hills)); track (it is carried out on a cycling track, velodrome) and finally, mountain biking.

This term is used to differentiate it from normal bicycles by the fact that it is especially for use on off-road or on trails. It has its origin in the United States and its invention is attributed to Gary Fisher in the 1970’s. Since the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, mountain biking has become an Olympic discipline.

It requires the same demands of any other sport. The necessary equipment is comprised of a helmet, gloves, set of tools and patches, air pump, extra inner tubes and, of course the fundamental element in the practice of this activity, a good bicycle. The type of bicycle needed is manufactured from light materials like aluminum, titanium and charcoal fiber. Their tires, larger and more resilient than conventional equipment, are designed especially for circuiting along narrow, windy and steep roads. To complete the picture is an adequate suspension to take the blows, disc or “V” brakes and an extensive range of gears that facilitate its operation.

Given its geographical location, Puerto Vallarta represents the ideal place to enjoy mountain biking: from routes inside the tropical forest inviting you to discover its wealth of flora and fauna, to the paradisiacal hidden landscapes accessible only on two wheels.

Mountain biking is a strenuous activity and, in many cases, extreme; the more so because it is so gratifying. It turns out to be, above all, a double “whammy”. On the one hand, the difficulty of avoiding the physical obstacles that are found in the road (ascents and descents, stones, holes, rain, mud, heat, the unknown); and on the other hand the challenge of conquering personal limits (the pain, the fatigue, the solitude, and the unexpected). However, once exceeded the adversities become like an experience of purification and relaxation.

It can represent at the same time happiness and suffering; beauty and confusion. But above all, the consolidation of the goals and the overcoming of the failures, factors that, in one’s life, differentiates between those that confront them and those who simply do not.

The Numbers:
*In one hour of exercise at normal velocity you burn approximately between 500 and 700 calories and 0.20 kg. of fat.
*With 30 minutes of cycling daily, five days a week the benefits are:
41% less probability of dying from heart problems.
58% less probability of suffering from diabetes.
157% less probability of dying from any other illness.
*A Bicycle can cost from $700 to 80 thousand pesos.
(Data according to studies conducted at Harvard and in the American Journal of Epidemiology, United States)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What is the necessary equipment?
Bicycle, helmet, gloves, bottles of water, sets of patches, extra inner tubes, basic set of tools, air pump and food.

What type of bicycle is needed?
To know what bicycle to acquire it is necessary to establish a budget that suits to your needs. The best bicycle is one which is measured correctly: in mountain bikes there should be a distance from between 10 to 15 cm. between the upper bar and the upper thigh. It is recommendable to seek the advice of an expert.

What is needed during exercise?
Eat before you become hungry and drink before becoming thirsty. A banana or an energy bar should be eaten for each hour of exercise and a bottle of water for every 30 to 40 minutes.

How to ride:
Brake before the curves. Direct your vision seven meters in front of the bicycle. Watch the road and look to see where you are going and not what obstacles ahead you want to avoid. Concentrate your weight where it is needed. Remember, "inertia equals stability".

Enjoy the Trip!

FIRST MOUNTAIN CYCLIST ROUTE:
Information: Office of the Municipal Counsel of Sport
Tels. (322) 222-0640 (322) 222-0490