September 12, 2008
Being published on the Island of Crete Greece at the moment as the Bell's are on the road in Europe 

Please be patient if your Jaltemba Sol does not arrive on time...it is difficult publishing on the road

 Francisco and wife Marie                                                                    Chihuahua state

Francisco Aldana: Gentleman, Businessman, Neighbor

                                                                  Special to the Jaltemba Sol  By Tara Spears

Living in the Riviera Nayarit offers breathtaking natural beauty and friendly people. It is neighbors like Francisco (Paco) Aldana that make the newcomer feel welcome.  Always available to lend a hand or translate, it is an understatement to describe Paco as a good guy. He is a true Mexican: chivalrous, courteous and intelligent. Mi casa su casa is not a cliché when Paco is around; this gracious host always has wonderful Mexican cuisine to share.

Growing up in the northern desert state of Chihuahua, Francisco dreamed of ocean vacations. After graduating university with a chemical engineering degree, he accepted a position with CELANESE Mexican that brought him to central Jalisco.  The company grew, becoming international conglomerate when it was acquired by HOECHST chemicals and renamed HOECHT CELANESE CORP.  Paco advanced to manager and the ocean vacations became a reality.  In 1989, Paco was able to obtain waterfront property in (then) tiny La Peñita; he and his family have been living here part-time ever since. 

To read the entire story click here

Bill and Dot Bell are on the Island of Crete Greece

Everything was a blur….the long night on the ferry to Crete from Athens, the poorly orchestrated attempt of the Zorba the Greek dance on the prow of the ferry…the beautiful Greek women chanting me on to …..Well at least Dorothy forgives my behavior, I had a hard time looking into the mirror in the morning, but then I always feel the same way after a Friday night dancing at the Bavarian Gardens.

Crete is absolutely wonderful, the best of the trip so far, the history, the people, the laid back atmosphere and most all, the food.  We have had great meals, walked around fantastic sites and have seen gorgeous landscapes and views from almost every corner the island we have explored to date.

To read more of bill and Dot's blog on their trip to Europe click here

MEXICO HEADLINES

Is Mexico the new China?

Skyrocketing fuel costs may lure manufacturing firms back to Mexico.Just as Mexico was becoming the rising star of global manufacturing in the 1990s, China's even cheaper wages turned that country into the world's factory. ….More

Mexico's Post Office Goes Hot Pink

Will the makeover pull often tardy postal service out of the red? ….More

Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Sailing On

Puerto Vallarta was once a quiet fishing village, but ever since it served as the backdrop for John Huston’s 1964 film “The Night of the Iguana,” starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the sleepy seaside town has grown to become the blockbuster resort that it is today. This longstanding popularity only seems to be increasing among both tourists and retirees, and as a result, Puerto Vallarta's real estate market is thriving. ….More

Sheriff: Mexico to Extradite Cesar Laurean

N.C. Sheriff Expects to Have Marine Charged with Murder in Custody in a Week….More

Delay Seen for Fence At U.S.-Mexico Line

Construction Costs, Land Purchasing Cited….More

Mexico's Slim buys New York Times stock

Shares of New York Times Co. rose after it was disclosed that a Mexican company purchased 6.4 percent of the publisher's publicly traded stock, according to media reports Friday quoting the Securities and Exchange Commission filing. ….More

Monarchs released for flight to Mexico

Columbus Academy students celebrated the life of the monarch butterfly Monday by releasing 100 butterflies on their pilgrimage to Mexico. ….More

Mexico, a police victory against smuggling brings deadly revenge

A drug-sniffing dog pulled the U.S. Border Patrol agent to a rusty cargo container in the storage yard just north of the Mexican border. Peeking inside, he saw stacks of bundled marijuana and a man with a gun tucked in his waistband…..More

Mexico undergoes legal revolution

Mexico is in the midst of a legal revolution, and Cristal Gonzalez is on the front lines. The U.S.-trained lawyer is one of a growing number of Mexican attorneys putting judges, lawyers, investigators and clerks through crash courses in justice, now that Mexico has amended its constitution to throw out its inept and corrupt legal system. …..More

Mexico halts beef, poultry shipments to U.S.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government of Mexico has voluntarily suspended shipments of meat and processed poultry to the United States after U.S. officials raised concerns about the quality of Mexican food processing and inspections, an Agriculture Department official said Thursday. …..More

Diamond-studded Barbie worth $100k unveiled in Mexico City!   

Many versions of Barbie dolls have been created throughout the ages, and now the world's most expensive has been unveiled in Mexico City. …..More

Gangster Reveals Mexican Mafia Secrets

The life of a high-level mobster is a staple of books and Hollywood films. But most real-life gang leaders don't tell their stories. The code of silence runs deep; breaking that code can be fatal. That's especially true if the mobster is behind bars. …..More

Mexico Protests US Border Slaughter

Mexico, Sep 6 (Prensa Latina) The Mexican consul's accusation in the US city of El Paso of arbitrary behavior of the northern country's border patrol is headlined in this capital's media. …..More

Calderón Scores High Numbers in Mexico

Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Felipe Calderón enjoys a high support rate in Mexico, according to a poll by Reforma. 62 per cent of respondents approve of the president’s performance, down two points since May. …..More

The Rise of Medical Tourism: Scores of Americans Head to Foreign Shores for Healthcare

 According to the National Coalition of Health Care in America, in 2007, total national health expenditures were expected to rise 6.9 percent—twice the rate of inflation. Healthcare spending is 4.3 times the amount spent on national defense. And although 47 million Americans are uninsured, the United States spends more on healthcare than other industrialized nations. …..More

Mexico City pollution sources identified

Scientists say they've analyzed Mexico City air pollution -- once the world's worst -- to precisely identify aerosols and chart daily patterns of changes. …..More

Oldest Skeleton in Americas Found in Underwater Cave?

Deep inside an underwater cave in Mexico, archaeologists may have discovered the oldest human skeleton ever found in the Americas. …..More

The Ferretaria Man

Along Emiliano Zapata known by locals as THE Avenida stands a hardware store that has stood the test of time.

Ferretaria Gomez, also known as Ferretaria Jaltemba, is the oldest hardware store in Jaltemba Bay.  Located beside the CMQ, Ferretaria Gomez has been supplying carpenters, mechanics, developers and common day folk with the tools they need to get the job done.

“My father opened the store before I was born. That’s how old it is!”

To read the rest of this story please click here

to read the entire story on the plant lady click here

Food and Restaurants

by Adam Caddell

China Town La Peñita

There are many things that I miss about Vancouver. I miss the mountains, the fresh clean air, and how shoe stores have my size. Most of all I miss the diversity and the variety of cuisines that are always readily available.

As a young boy growing up in the multi-cultural Mecca that is Vancouver, it has spoiled my taste buds forever. 

I am a stickler for when it comes to how I want the quality of my sushi. I could tell you the differences between regional Chinese cuisines Szechuan and Cantonese and I have cravings for fresh sashimi that could rival the cravings of Count Dracula in dire need of plasma.

I think someone should be blamed for my Szechwan addiction, and my sashimi shakes, but the question is who? Was it the video games that did this to me? Maybe it’s all the rap music I listen to? I think not.

Blame the parents. They also grew up in Vancouver, a city with the second largest china town in North America. In my household, the sweet smell of sushi rice was as common as my father’s scent of Paco Roban and Rolaids.

 On the many occasions that we went over town for family dinners, it was a draw between The Old Spaghetti Factory and The Chongqing, a restaurant that specializes in Szechuan cuisine.  It wasn’t the typical Chinese fair you would get in a mall; this restaurant was the real deal. Lobsters were segregated from the crabs and tanks were full of live multi colored fish.  

Everyone in the family had their favorite dish that they had to order; be it my mom’s chicken cashew, or my sister’s dumpling fixations. We would then serve and share each other’s choices. My favorite dish was the hot and sour soup; a hearty and spicy soup to which chunks of white tofu, lines of egg and tiny shrimps were added.

 Wonderful in its intensity, my mother would often serve it to me when I was sick, as it would suffice as the perfect sinus cleanser and every time I slurped a mouthful my taste buds would take a much needed vacation from chicken broth-land.

When I returned to La Penita after two years, I heard of a new Chinese restaurant located in the plaza. “A Chinese restaurant in La Penita,” I thought, “I must be delusional.” After pacing for a good three hours and a half, I decided that I would go where no proper Vancouverite has gone before, to a Chinese restaurant in the middle of small- town Mexico.

Victor Acosta, the owner and head chef of Huo-Mi, greeted me as I entered, without a menu in hand but a list that he had memorized in his head of the days specialties.

“Everyday we have fried rice, and chow main, but today’s specialty is a mixed Szechuan melody with chicken, peppers, squid and fresh shrimp,” said Victor.

Impressed and excited, I ordered all of the above. I quickly realize two things that foodies such as myself believe are great signs. One; Victor is a friendly and chubby, this is great news as heavy set men such as myself know how to eat. Two; Victor’s menu wasn’t on paper, so the plus side of that is that his menu cycles daily, ensuring fresh food and different specials consistently.

Originally from Veracruz, Victor worked as an Insurance salesman for companies such as ING and Commercial America.   A successful salesman, Victor ate his lunches out, trying the different restaurants that were close to work.

One of the restaurants was called “Ho- Wah” a Szechwan style restaurant that immediately made an impression on Victor. “Everything changed when I first tried Chinese food” Victor said. “It was love.”

Victor befriended the owner of Ho- Wah, Johnny Wong. Johnny taught Victor all about Chinese cuisine and the depth of the history from his home country of China. Over a ten month period Johnny trained Victor on how to prepare classic Szechuan food.

When Johnny became Ill, Victor helped out as much as he could. “I quit my insurance job, to work in the kitchen, to help the family business survive while Johnny was in the hospital.”

Johnny sadly passed away, creating a protégé in Victor. Swapping chef pants for beach shorts Victor decided that he wanted to move to La Penita and open a Chinese restaurant.

Victor opened Huo-Mi on November 1^st, 2006 beside the church in the Plaza. Starting only with two tables, and two woks Victor slowly created his dream restaurant in one of his favorite locations.

A family man with a wife and daughter Victor is passionate about creating a better community. “We need better services,” says Victor. “For a town that’s number one resource is tourism, why do we have such a dirty beach. “I see the potential in this town, and the power of the community.”

I take a break from as my food arrives, hot and sizzling on my plate after being thrown about in the flames of the wok.

The food isn’t Chongqing, of course. Surprisingly it’s satisfying, fresh and hits the spot. A most needed break from tacos, tacos and more tacos.

“It’s so difficult to get the ingredients here, so far from the big grocery stores,” says Victor.

I joke, “So far from China!” I understand this only too well, as my mother often assigned friends and family coming down from Canada to pack a gallon container of Oyster sauce from her favorite brand only available in Vancouver.

Soon Victor will be starting a delivery service, and will create a menu for private catering. “I just hope, people don’t think; he is Mexican, why is he making Chinese food. It will taste bad because he is Mexican or something.”

I tell Victor “Just let your food shine.” I quickly realize how much of a pretentious foodie I have been, I have been to Italian restaurants where all the chefs were East Indian, Greek restaurants where the whole staff was Persian.

The same people who believe that one needs to be from the country of origin to prepare a cuisine properly is nonsense and these people are the same people who will vote for Palin in the upcoming American election just because she is a woman.

I come to a realization that it shouldn’t matter as long as the food is good, and fresh, and hits the spot.

I am proof that with an open mind, one can be truly satisfied. Huo-Mi gets the job done.

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Athens Museum of Archeology

 Photography by Bill Bell  to view Mexico Photography click below