The Jaltemba Express Community Newspaper English Language La Penita, Rincon de Guaybitos, Lo de Marcos and Chicala

The Almost Daily Newspaper for the Jaltemba Coast Circulation 1700

Good Morning - Buenos días.... and Welcome to Paradise

Monday February 5, 2007. ¨It must have been the Tequila¨, was all Bill said.

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Super bowl blast!

Colts 29 Bears 17... Everyone a winner at Hinde and Jaimes

More super bowl photographs by Dylan and Bill Bell click here

HEADLINES

2 Canadians wounded by gunfire in Acapulco - Click here

Big Macs offer bigger heat choices in Mexico – Click here

Oil revenue cushion begins to falter – Click here

More control sought at detention centers – Click here

JALTEMBA NEWS & NOTES

Today’s Best Pics

Día de la

Constitución

Juan Manuel Plays

Mesa Loca

AA Meeting

Penmar Hotel

Los Amigos de La Peñita----report of Jan. 30 meeting
Next Meeting--Feb. 13th at 7:00 PM at Hotel California
Water committee reported on meeting with Marconi in Compostela : Marconi promised $8,000.00 for our water upgrade by Semana Santa and said that water for our area was a top priority on his list and promised a new pump by Feb. 15. Marconi was not impressed with our name and suggested a name change might have more influence with government officials.
It was decided to change the time of our meetings from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM to accommodate the Mexican residents that are working to 5:00 PM. The meetings will now be held on the second and forth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Hotel California. Next meeting will be on Feb. 13 so get the word out about the change of time and date.
Bob Gibbs has produced a flyer in English and Spanish to post in various locations to advertise the date, time and location of our meetings and what our purpose and goals are.
Everyone is encouraged to come up with an appropriate name for our group that will sound more professional and have more influence. Please submit names at the Feb. 13 meeting. Conalep will also be asked to help with a new name and logo for our group.
Subcommittees were formed and we are still looking for more people who want to be on one or more of the following committees.
Water: Nora, Ralph, George, Sebastian, Juan.
Garbage: Karen, Lupita, Concha, Veta, Mimi, Ginnie, Susan , Betty
Security: Donado, Mark, Nelson, Ortensia, Letty, Gord, Cesar, Bob
Beach: Maruka, Joyce, Rosalie, Johan, Bob
All the Subcommittees will give a report at the Feb.13 meeting.$900 pesos was donated at this meeting to cover miscellaneous expenses.
We need more involvement from the Mexican residents if our group is to be successful and long lasting so please encourage your Mexican neighbors to attend out Feb. 13 meeting at 7:00 PM at Hotel California.

George & Loretta’s Bar Open 2 – 2 24/7

The newest bar in town, Los Compadres has opened on the hill overlooking the town of La Peñita. George and Loretta Leavitt opened the bar on Thursday without notifying the local media or otherwise creating the usual opening night fan fair.

“I saw Jaime and he asked if we were going to be opened as we planned. I of course said yes and then hurried up the hill to tell Loretta we were open,” explains George.

The bar is the first community bar on the hills. “We want the bar (and soon to be restaurant) to be the kind of place you come up and chat with your neighbors. Comfortable and easy,” explains Leavitt.

The bar is easy to find. Drive east on the Avenida and cross Highway 200 up past the Miramar Meat Market and up the hill to the end of the road. The massive brick complex is hard to miss! Ample parking in front. The bar is just up a flight of stairs through a saloon door entry.

When you enter you will be amazed at the view and impressed by the quality of the construction. The 40 ft long bar overlooks the growing town and the Pacific Ocean. The interior brick work is best this author has seen with artistic detail evident throughout the complex. Loretta and George have outfitted the bar with a pool table, juke box, karaoke and 2 big screen TV’s. “Angel” the barman, is ready to take your orders behind the well stocked bar. (Click on map to view in larger format.)

The Compadres Complex will soon open the restaurant above the bar after staff is selected and well trained. Spacious up-scale apartments for visitors have been added and are nearly ready for occupancy. “We’re not in a rush,” says George. “We’re here to do it right. We’re not going anywhere. This is our home and our community and we are here for the long term.”

Compadres will soon be the hub for parties, special events, weddings and important business meetings. The spacious decks, pool area, bar/restaurant and rooms will ensure a very comfortable stay and the hosts – Loretta and George – will be on hand to make it is a memorable experience.

Drop by. Say hello.

Come by for a free margarita for the ladies on Valentines Day.

2^nd Annual Fiesta Mexicana – Saturday February 17

The second Fiesta Mexicana will be held at the El Tiburon Restaurant and Bar on February 17 2007. The proceeds of the event will be donated to scholarships for students to attend Conolep.

The Mariachi Estralla de Compostela will begin the evening’s entertainment at 5 pm. The International Ballet Folklorico will perform followed by an evening of dancing with “Rondalla Magisterial” – Maestros of Guitars.

$250 pesos includes Dinner, Entertainment and one drink. Click on poster to view in full detail

Tickets on sale now at

ARMANDO's

Joyeria & Relojeria

Ave Emillio Zapata #21, (La Avenida)

Tel: (327) 274-0104

You can make a difference in our community click here

“CARNIVAL 2007”

La Peñita de Jaltemba Nayarit from Feb 17 to 20.

We invite you to enjoy this carnival and most of all to join us in all activities upcoming

SATURDAY Feb 17 8:00pm beginning of the carnival:

Starting on main street (La Avenida) with the whole town participating in a parade with all the authorities from this county and people from our town. With a musical band following all the way to the rodeo ring Las Isabeles where there will be a rodeo with horse and bull riding and a dance afterwards...FREE!!!!

SUNDAY Feb 18 3:00pm great rodeo challenge !!

The two best teams of charros will go head to head. CHARROS DE PUERTO VALLARTA V.S. CHARROS DE HACIENDA LA PUYECA FROM COLIMA. At the end of the rodeo there will be a dance with BANDA MATONA at the rodeo ring Las Isabeles

$100.00 (one hundred pesos) for both of these events.

MONDAY Feb 19 8:00pm - 12pm

FREE DANCE ON THE AVENIDA. Come and have fun.

TUESDAY Feb 20 Starting at 10:00am

A great parade starting on the Avenida (at the bus stop) with all the schools, hotels, charros and the whole town. Join us and wear a great disguise.

At 5:00pm rodeo/dance at the rodeo ring. Las Isabeles with the internacional band “Original Banda Limon” de Don Salvador Lizarraga from Mazatlan Sinaloa, grupo Duranguense, “La Brigada de la Sierra and grupo norteño “Los Indomables” bulls from “La Guadalupana” and bareback riders from Ruiz Nayarit.

Come and enjoy yourself. $150.00 pesos

Ticket sales at these meat markets: Miramar, La Nayarita, and Nayarita II

Good Causes

Jeffrey Hill has donated $50 towards the Don Augustine Fund. That will go a very long way towards his medication! If you wish to donate to Don or to other Great Causes, click here.

Feb. 22-25: 7th Annual San Pancho Music Fest:

This event offers a bi-cultural showcase of volunteer musical talent. It is a "happening," not a totally planned and scheduled event. There is no entry charge and nothing is sold. All musicians are welcome; everyone else is invited to come and listen and enjoy the festival. Musicians need an audience, and an audience needs someone on stage - spread the word. Maps of San Pancho's restaurants are available, or bring your own sandwiches, beverages and chairs.

Music/Practice Schedule:

Tues-Fri: Open stage during the day for sound checks, jamming and scheduled musicians.

Thurs. Feb. 22: 7pm-The Redneck Mothers

Fri. Feb. 23: pm-Frida's Eyebrow, a talented group of local musicians led by Dana and Bob "Q" of San Pancho

Sat. Feb. 24: 2-10pm-live music, some planned but most are walk-ons; 4pm-Kindergarten of San Pancho

Sun. Feb. 25: 12-2pm-Spiritual music; 2-10pm-live music, some planned and some walk-ons; 4pm-Kindergarten of San Pancho; 8:30pm-Gallo & Friends will close the festival.

www.sanpanchomusicfest.com

5th Annual Fundraiser Fashion Show
Reserve Now for this Always-a-hit Event

Monday, February 26, 2007 at Estancia San Carlos
Lunch at 12:00 Fashion Show at 1:30
Cost: $225 pesos for Lunch and Presentation
There will be a No Host Bar, raffles, door prizes, items for sale by local artisans, and entertainment. The proceeds will go to La Tercera Edad - the Senior Center in La Peñita to assist in building a kitchen for the center. Tickets will be available as soon. Reservations can be made by e-mailing gerst4000@hotmail.com.

Ticket sales will be limited, so reserve your space early.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Subscription

Please add me to the list to receive the newsletter.

Jim Smith

Hi Dorothy

Can't tell you how much we enjoy the almost daily - coffee tastes sooooo good when there is a newspaper to read!

Could you please add two friends to your mailing list who have been just delighted when they read our copy - Appreciate it very much - thanks.

They will be so pleased. Many thanks,

Barbara MacDonald

DENGUE OUTBREAK

Two of our friends are recovering from dengue fever. They live in the heart of Puerto Vallarta. A local news paper reports that more than 1000 cases have been reported in PV. Apparently it is endemic down the west coast from PV.
Dengue fever causes severe flu like symptoms and lasts about a week. There is no treatment or cure. The only prevention is mosquito repellent. The particular mossy that does the dirty deed is a large one, and bites during the day as well as night.

Cutshall

What a Wonderful Sunday Feature

Dear Editor,

The photo layout of the Baptism celebration was just the right note for your Sunday edition. I am interested if you know who the congregation was that held the Baptism? When I have visited with my sister in Los Ayala, I miss church since I don’t know of a Protestant congregation. From the photos it appears to be very much like a Baptist group. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Keep up the very professional endeavor with which you treat us each day. On a 20 degree day in New Jersey the beach looks so inviting! Best Regards

Russ

(Editors Note: We will try to find the name and location of the congregation)

Help!

I can't find Lupita´s Bakery new location...desperately seeking pastries.

Editor's Note here is a map that we have drawn for you

Staying Ahead of the Crowd on the Nayarit Coast

Christine Delsol - SF Chronicle

The sparkling beach of San Francisco, widely known as San Pancho, stretches to the headland where former president of Mexico Luis Echeverría built his estate. (Chronicle/Christine Delsol

San Francisco, Mexico - By the time I got to Sayulita, on the Pacific coast north of Puerto Vallarta, it was almost too late. San Pancho was the new Sayulita, and Lo de Marco, a few miles farther north, stood ready to become the next San Pancho.

Confused yet? It's all part of the effort by Margaritaville seekers to stay one step ahead of the new mega-resort rising on the beach in the state of Nayarit, which Mexico intends to transform into the next Cancún. As hotels rise and bulldozers rumble across the dunes, barefoot travelers whose taste runs more to fish tacos and hammocks are migrating to villages farther and farther up the coast.

To achieve Margaritaville status, a place must be relaxing but in some way stimulating; unspoiled yet equipped with good restaurants and comfortable digs; within reach of the city's boutiques, supermarkets, clubs and ATMs, but at a safe remove from the northward march of gated resorts and luxury villas.

By all accounts, Sayulita possesses the requisite qualities. It has built up a fanatic following, as evidenced by the cries of alarm provoked by last year's announcement that the Mexican government tourist development agency was building infrastructure for its next project, on the coast about 15 minutes south of Sayulita (see sidebar, Page G8). Veteran visitors were dismayed to learn the golf courses and lavish hotels they'd been trying to avoid were following them along the coast.

By the time my sister, Diane, and I arrived last fall, U.S.-level prices in Sayulita were crowding out the bargains. Condos and villas boasting infinity pools and New York loft decor were stacking up in the hills on the edge of town. It was still picturesque and mostly authentic, and it still had gnarly surf breaks - only now it had more lodging choices, more shopping, more English-speaking locals. Comfort had overtaken discovery.

A model village

Descriptions of San Francisco, popularly known as San Pancho (just as we know revolutionary general Francisco Villa as "Pancho"), sound much like the earlier reports from Sayulita: a small, clean village surrounded by jungle and mountains that wears its traditions on its sleeve. But it also has watercolor sunsets, a sea turtle nesting ground and possibly the best surfing on Mexico's west coast. So we took the exit north of Sayulita on Highway 200 and bumped into town in the dark of night.

Despite the old-fashioned cobblestone that rattled our teeth, San Pancho has been a town only since the 1970s, when the fishing settlement consisting of maybe four extended families captured the fancy of then president Luis Echeverría. Echeverría swooped in by helicopter once a week or so to drink coffee and eat homemade tortillas with fishermen and farmers, eventually building a beachfront palace on the edge of today's town.

The president began creating a self-sufficient model village. Workers lured by promises of land and a home laid the cobblestone, plumbing and electrical systems. They built houses, a church and plaza, schools and a hospital. They planted orchards and built factories to process the fruit.

Instead of garnering accolades for his efforts, Echeverría ended up fleeing Mexico to avoid prosecution for the killings of student demonstrators in 1968 and 1971. San Pancho had to take command of its own fate, subsisting on mango processing until North American tourists and expatriates started arriving in the mid-1990s.

At the turn of the millennium San Pancho's only hotel was the Costa Azul, an "adventure resort," started by a surfer in 1991, which offers guided kayaking, biking, surfing, snorkeling and horseback trips on the beach and in the jungle. Today, rental bungalows proliferate, and one of Pacific Mexico's top-rated bed and breakfasts commands a hillside perch at the jungle's doorstep, just beyond the Costa Azul.

Languid pleasures

Hotel Cielo Rojo, where we stayed, is a happy combination of comfort and economy. Recently renovated after acquiring new owners, it sports spare yet artful design with gleaming white walls, terra cotta floors, generous wooden shelves and painted bathroom tiles. A quirky collection of antique fixtures and artwork includes a headless, life-size padre at the patio doorway. Rooms are not air conditioned, but the ceiling fans acquitted themselves well during late October days that refused to surrender the mugginess of summer.

We fell into a languid routine: breakfast in the palm-shaded courtyard; a walk around town to stock up on water, snacks and sundries; then lunch under a palapa at Las Palmas, where the main street's cobblestones disappear into sand.

Lunch pretty much finished off the day, invariably turning into hours of gossip and philosophy with other travelers and locals, broken up by dips in the ocean or walks to the end of the long, uncrowded, white-sand beach. For intermission, the lemon-yellow Vallarta Adventures jungle buggies rolled up in mid-afternoon, disgorging an unpredictable assortment of jeep safari passengers to storm the bathrooms, tank up on beer and splash in the waves.

For a small pueblo, San Pancho has a wealth of fine restaurants. La Ola Rica, started several years ago by two local women, opened for the season on our last night in town. Diane ate the justly famous carne asada and I had chicken flavored with lime, in the midst of a celebratory fervor usually seen only on New Year's Eve.

None of our full-service dinners was more satisfying than the fare at the taco stand that sprung up each night on our street corner. The slender, serious-looking young man who welcomed us to "Tacos Miguelito" filled soft tortillas with succulent pork shaved from a spit and strips of beef from a grill the size of a foosball table. The burst of flavor made our eyes roll back, and the tab on our most gluttonous visit came to less than $3 each, including soda.

From restful to raucous

The routine left plenty of room for improvisation, which allowed us to scout a Margaritaville-in-waiting as well as sample Nayarit's exclusive side.

Edson, our solicitous young waiter at Las Palmas, was one of the few Mexicans we met in town whose English was better than my Spanish. He had lived in Guadalajara, Seattle, New Mexico and, more recently, Los Cabos before returning to San Pancho to get away from "too many people, too many cars, too much stress."

Edson persuaded us to explore Lo de Marco, touting its creamy white beach, pretty town plaza and dearth of tourists. Venturing another highway exit north, we walked a pristine beach even longer than San Pancho's, waded in the surf and gathered coconuts shed by a line of palms that separate private homes and rental bungalows from the sand. At the plaza end of the beach, children body surfed under parents' watchful eyes. We didn't see a gringo all morning, and though there were fewer restaurants than in San Pancho, we easily found a palapa and took up residence.

We also felt duty-bound to spend an evening in Puerto Vallarta. Despite the persistent myth that San Pancho is 30 minutes from the city, it took us closer to an hour to drive each way. Still, we were early enough to sneak in without dinner reservations at Trio, an enduring downtown favorite with a Mediterranean-influenced menu and strolling musicians. Dinner was as fabulous as the setting, and it was the first time I've had an artichoke (as an appetizer with cheese, red pepper and arugula) in Mexico.

After dinner, we joined the throngs of families, couples, musicians, street performers, artists and thrill-seekers lining up to ride a carnival bungee swing on the malecón, or seafront. Across the traffic-choked boulevard, hawkers flung pitches at us from the doorways of shops open late. An illuminated elephant figure topped one tall building; bars and discos opened their jungle and spaceport themes to the street, looking like the dark rides at Disneyland. The whole scene, in fact, felt as surreal as Downtown Disney.

It was loads of fun - and it sucked the Margaritaville right out of us. Jouncing down our cobblestoned main street was relaxing by comparison.

Living the luxe life

To wallow in luxury - the air-conditioned, swim-up bar kind of luxury - we spent our last two nights in San Pancho at Casa Obelisco. Built in 1999 by two U.S. couples in Mediterranean villa style, it sits on a hillside north of the Costa Azul resort. It has a footpath to the beach and lies a few steps from the jungle.

Opulence was addictive. One day, we donned skirts and drove to Punta Mita, the peninsula at the northern tip of the Bay of Banderas, between Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita. Sign after sign hawking existing and planned luxury developments interrupted the verdant, rolling landscape. I wondered why the alarm went out only after the federal tourism agency announced its intentions, considering that Punta Mita, which dwarfs Litibú, has been taking shape right next door since the late 1990s.

So far, Punta Mita's queen bee is the Four Seasons (with Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course; rooms from $545 per night), the only hotel among multimillion-dollar private villas and condominiums. The St. Regis will join the party as early as this December, followed by La Solana Resort, a Four Seasons sibling. A second Nicklaus golf course is under construction.

Slightly stupefied by the groomed perfection around us, we almost missed the plain brown gate simply marked "Punta Mita." After we asked the gatekeepers to make us lunch reservations at the Four Seasons, the gate opened to allow us to drive through more green and blue splendor to the hotel's portico.

The two valets allowed us a few minutes to gawk at the lobby's dizzying view of palapa umbrellas, flowering vines and endless blue water, then installed us in an electric cart for a narrated drive down to the open-air restaurant. We shared an appetizer, a salad and a grilled vegetable pizza and considered it $54 well spent. After all, the surroundings were sublime, the restroom provided linen towels and we'd been Very Important People for a couple of hours.

We asked if we could walk, rather than ride, back uphill. As the cart sped away, our escort accompanied us up the path, gently steering us away from the pool and lounge area we were desperate to see. He sounded genuinely apologetic when he explained the hotel's commitment to guests' privacy.

Locals appeared less distressed than visitors by development plans. Merchants hold out hope of increased business. Bill Kirkwood, one of Casa Obelisco's owners, said he thought Litibú might even benefit the more modest lodgings in the area.

"People who visit places like Four Seasons and Litibú will eventually want to get out of the manicured environment and explore," he said. "They want to find out about places like San Pancho."

On our last day in town, a new sign materialized on the beach at Las Palmas, reading "Surf boards for rent." An arrow pointed to two surfboards planted upright in the sand. When Edson came to take our orders, he admitted to being the entrepreneur.

"We don't have anyone giving lessons in San Pancho," he said, "but people should know they don't have to go to Sayulita to surf."

It was another step on San Pancho's road to becoming the next Sayulita. I thought of the half-finished houses between the Se Vende ("For sale") signs nailed to trees in the jungle, and the private golf course and villas going up across from the Costa Azul on Echeverría's old estate.

Lo de Marco was looking better and better for the next trip. And from there, the reconnaissance run to Rincón de Guayabitos is only a 10-minute drive north.

FISHING REPORT

Hi there,
Thought you might like to see this catch from the La Peñita RV Park. This blue marlin weighed 100 pounds and was caught last Friday. Lucky fishermen were Allan Jemsen, Glen Stranaghan and Larry O'Rourke aboard the "Beach Boys". Cheers.
Karen Stranaghan

FEATURE

Lovers Beach – Playa de Beso