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Jaltemba
Travel Mexico
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Jaltemba Sol...the
heartbeat of the Riviera Nayarit
January 9, 2009
Largest Men's day of season at the Field of Dreams as golfers prepare
for the Jaltemba Cup to be held on January 24th and 25th. If you
haven't signed up do so by emailing Larry at
clbaron@ontheroadin.com
Biggest
benefit Concert ever on the Riviera Nayarit
By
Bill Bell
Sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring a community together. The recent
auto fatality of well known Nayarit's Rincon de Guayabitos resident
Kenny Thompson and serious injuries to his wife Jomie has not only
brought together local American, Canadian and Mexican friends but also
the entire Riviera Nayarit music community.
Ten well known Country and Western, Folk, Blues,
 Rock,
and Mexican bands from Melaque, Bucerias, San Pancho, Las Varas and
Rincon de Guayabitos will be coming together Sunday January 18th
in La Penita (50 kilometers north of Puerto Vallarta) for an one day
benefit concert to help pay Jomie Thompson’s medical bills.
Kenny Thompson, one of the first American residents of Rincon de
Guayabitos, died when his moto was hit by an oncoming car on Highway 200
in early December. Jomie suffered serious injuries to both legs and has
over $25,000 in medical expenses.
“Kenny loved music and he would travel all over the Nayarit coast to
support the various bands. Those musicians are just giving back to his
family,” said Dorothy Bell, one of the many community organizers of the
10 hour event.
Melaque’s Red Neck Mothers along with the very popular Bucerias’ Bubba
and the Bottom Feeders who are reuniting for this show, are just some of
the acts. Also playing are Blues entertainer Ja’Qui, the Perez
Brothers, San Poncho’s Faby and Shoe, Eric Nice and Friends, Mazatlan’s
Dennis and Dianne and much more.
“We will have tents, barbeques, beer and wine, not to mention raffles,”
Bell said. “This is the biggest musical event on the Riviera Nayarit.”
Tickets for the event are only 100 pesos.
“Kenny loved to party or as he would say have “a large time” and this
concert is going to provide everyone a very large time.”
Tickets can be bought on line through the Jaltemba Sol ezine at
www.jaltembasol.com
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Mexico News
Mexico
takes urgent economy steps
The Mexican government has unveiled emergency measures to protect its
economy from the global financial crisis and US recession. ….More
US
releases $99 million of Mexico anti-drug money
The United States has released another $99 million as part of an aid
package to support Mexico's police and soldiers in their fight against
drug cartels…..More
Narcotraffickers attack Televisa, Mexico's top TV network
Freedom of press is under siege in Mexico. Calls grow for a new law to
make such attacks on the media a federal crime…..More
Gulp!
Mexico tells citizens to swallow their gum
The country that gave the world chewing gum is getting gummed up: The
average square yard (meter) of Mexico City sidewalk has 70 blobs of
discarded chew…..More
Pelicans
fall out of sky from Mexico to Ore.
Pelicans suffering from a mysterious malady are crashing into cars and
boats, wandering along roadways and turning up dead by the hundreds
across the West Coast, from southern Oregon to Baja California, Mexico,
bird-rescue workers say…..More
Hotel California - Condos for Sale
Call Dorothy 327-274-3356
A little
sangrita is good for the soul
I was having dinner at Pancho’s on Hoosick Street (Route 7) in this
Rensselaer County town a few weeks back, chowing down on some authentic
Mexican food (several of the cooks are from the beautiful Mexican city
of Guanajuato, where I’ve enjoyed some excellent meals), when I decided
to request some sangrita to go with my tequila…..More
Chiapas
on the cheap
The Frugal Traveler discovers joys of Mexico’s southernmost state where
the peso’s still good against the dollar and tourists are few….More
Mexico's
Pemex pushes ahead with Chicontepec field
Mexico's state oil company Pemex has awarded over 2 billion pesos ($148
million) in construction contracts at its Chicontepec project aimed at
boosting crude output, the firm said on Monday…..More
People:
Aniston and pals flaunt bikini bods in Mexico/ McCartney also hit the
beach in Cancun
Jennifer Aniston showed off her bikini bod during her New Year's getaway
to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with beau John Mayer. ….More
Hispanics
stretch holiday season with 'El Dia de los Reyes'
Hispanics celebrate ‘El Dia de los Reyes’ every year on January 6. The
literal translation is “The Day of the Three Kings,” or the day of the
“Epiphany,” but in Latin American countries it means so much more. It’s
a tradition full of color, festivities and good food. ….More
Travel:
Exploring Teotihuacan’s ancient ruins
My initial reason to head south into Mexico was to climb a pair of
volcanos. Considering my group’s original intentions, in which we were
successful on both peaks, the climbing portion of our trip did not
disappoint. However, in addition to climbing, I had almost forgotten
about a side trip that we were scheduled to do: A day trip to the
ancient city of Teotihuacán, a place that morphed from a footnote into
an outright chapter of a recent 10-day vacation. ….More
Mexican
banks move to avoid credit card defaults
Two Mexican banks are launching programs to help consumers reduce credit
card debt as a slowing economy threatens to worsen already ballooning
loan defaults…..More
Freed from prison,
Brenda Martin wants to go back to Mexico
The Canadian woman who threatened
suicide to get out of a Mexican jail says she misses the beach and would
happily return to Mexico if she could.....More
 What Mexico Once Was
ABOUT 20 miles down the coast from Cancún,
sandwiched between the all-inclusive resort hotels that now define what
is known as the Mayan Riviera, Puerto Morelos — a scrappy village of
perhaps 5,000 people — seems almost out of another time. ….More
B.C. man shot in Mexico sent home, other victim
serious but stable
One of two B.C. men shot and wounded in a strip bar
in the Mexican resort town of Cabo San Lucas has been discharged from
hospital and sent home to Vancouver, according to a doctor at the
hospital where the two men were treated…..More
No stamp of approval for Mexico bureaucrats
Mexico is in a league of its own when it comes to
red tape. It's gotten so bad that the government is even rewarding
citizens for choosing the paperwork best fit for the dustbin…..More
Nafta's unhappy anniversary
For both the US and Mexico, Nafta has failed to
deliver on its economic promises. It's time for it to be renegotiated….More
Mexico lifts suspension on imports of U.S. meat
Products from the Swift plant can be exported to
Mexico as long as they don't have certificate dates of Dec. 23-25,
according the Agriculture Department…More
Try making some Mexican dishes to add some zest to
your winter
With the weather so cold we dream of warm vacation
getaways, maybe to Mexico. But if that is not possible, how about
bringing a taste of Mexico home to you?....More
On the tracks of Villa and Zapata in Mexico City
Whoever follows in the footsteps of Francisco "Pancho"
Villa (1878-1923) and Emiliano Zapata (1879-1919) is in for a surprise:
discovering the other face of Villa's black legend and understanding how
the two revolutionaries of 1910 can still live on so long after their
deaths. ….More
Looking for Public Drop Off Locations for the Plastic Recycling Program
The
Recycling Committee of Los Amigos
de La Peñita is
looking to expand the plastics recycling program that it established
last April. The current program is run through the schools in La Peñita
and La Colonia.
We are now in
the process of establishing a network of locations where members of the
public can bring in their plastic containers. We are looking for
potential sites to serve as “Drop Off” locations. These sites should be
easily accesible to the public for extended hours during the day. Site
“Hosts” should be prepared to monitor the site – helping to ensure that
only materials that fall within the program criteria are deposited and
advising appropriate officials in Los Amigos when there is sufficient
material on hand to arrange for a pick-up.
If you are
interested in serving as a Drop Off Site Host, please contact us at:
publicrelations@losamigosdelapenita.com
Thank you for
your support.
Happy Birthday Byron!
Long time Guayabitos resident Byron celebrated his
birthday at Hinde Jaimes with the traditional cake in the face
tribute...only Jaltemba Sol Publisher bill Bell also managed to leave
with little cake on his face.
 
Ballet folklorico in
Guadalajara...Photographs by Bill Bell
Gella
Navarro: Award Winning Local Fashion Designer
By Tara Spears
Gella Navarro was born to the
designer’s life: “God gave me the talent and imagination to create
beautiful clothes, so I have worked very hard to become a recognized
Mexican designer.” Her Galion label clothes are sold in several
countries. In fact, Gella earned the Mexican fashion industry’s highest
award for several years (1985-87) for the most foreign clothing sales.
Other notable events in her long professional career are producing
wardrobe for the movie “Cocoon” and for Bette Midler.
 Gella’s trademark style is luxurious
tactile combinations that creatively blend several fabric types to form
a 3-D garment. As a tribute to her Mexican heritage, Gella frequently
includes hand-beaded embellishments. The results are unique garments
that have the look of artwork. Purse, below; shawl, right.
Continued here
Wanted to Rent
My husband and I from BC Canada and
over 50 want to rent something from about Feb 14- April 14 in
La Penita. 2 bedrooms and kitchen and within walking distance to
town. was there 5 weeks in fall and loved it. Something clean
and not expensive please..
biggamearchery@shaw.ca
WendyWanted
to Rent
Dear Editor,
I'm enjoying tremendously my subscription to Jaltemba Sol.
Thanks for creating such a great community-based information
resource. I am traveling to Nayarit at the end of the month and
hope to stay in the area until the end of March. I am a retired
school teacher so I have limited funding. I would like to rent
a small, clean place within walking distance to the beach. I
can spend $250 USD per month. It doesn't have to be fancy. I
actually prefer that it's not. I speak Spanish so my landlords
could be a local family. I'm hoping that you or your readers
might be able to help me out with some possible rentals. Your
little corner of the world seems to be an ideal place to rest,
relax and write.
Gracias,
Tammy
New Book on Top 50 World Record Catches Captures the
Imagination Too
Pete Johnson - IGFA
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| The first thing you’ll
notice is that the book lives up to its title. BIG’s
14”x11” dimensions deliver the goods in glorious detail
on 50 of the all-time great ctches. |
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Let’s face it. You’ll never own a world
record in swimming or track and field. Nope. Won’t happen.
However, every time you wet a line, you have a shot at
landing a lunker that will go down in the International Game
Fish Association (IGFA) record books. That slender thread of
possibility is what makes angling the most egalitarian of
sports. On any given day, you just never know.
To celebrate the possibilities, celebrated angling author
Mike Rivkin has teamed up with renowned watercolorist Flick
Ford to create BIG: The 50 Greatest World Record Catches
(Greenwich Workshop Press, 216 pages, $50).
This coffee-table collaboration combines Rivkin’s
considerable narrative skills with Ford’s uncanny ability to
reproduce game fish in their entire lifelike splendor. Never
mind how he does it: the fact is that these fish appear
poised to swim off the very paper they’re printed on.
The first thing you’ll notice is that the book lives up to
its title. BIG’s 14”x11” dimensions deliver the goods in
glorious detail on 50 of the all-time great catches. Each
painting pops with taxonomic detail, and the stories are
every bit as rich.
How did a high-school girl on her first fishing trip catch
the world’s largest wahoo? What would prompt a guy fishing
for Northern pike to stick his hands in amongst all those
teeth? Why would an angler for Atlantic salmon bombard his
catch with rocks? If you don’t know the answer to these and
other burning questions, reading BIG on a cold winter’s
night is a terrific way to find out.
Frankly, part of the charm of this book includes the fact
that BIG’s top 50 are so subjective. Just like the all-time
greatest outfield or defensive line, the arguments for
including this fish and excluding that one are never-ending.
In the end, Rivkin (a big-game guy) and Ford (a fresh-water
dilettante) split the list almost down the middle. Bass,
salmon, and trout are well represented, but so are tuna and
marlin. It’s a fair mix of large and small, fresh and salt,
northern and southern. Hey – it could always happen to you!
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Guayabitos Beach
Photo by Dianna Belitski
Alicia Conshey:
Energetic Designs
By Tara Spears
This
novice designer may be new to the local fashion scene but she radiates
enthusiasm and creativity. Alicia Rivas designs express a youthful
outlook on life- one can’t have a bad day when wearing one of her
original outfits! Her colorful clothes radiate positive energy, as does
her shop, Nahual, located on Lazaro Cardenas Calle #12 in La Penita.
You can sip fresh espresso while browsing the artfully displayed funky
bags, hats, blouses and slacks. There is also an attractive selection
of original jewelry to compliment the outfits and complete the
ensembles.
Go here for the full article
A chance to tastes one (Maybe the best) of best
Margaritas on the coast
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David of David's Place is inviting one
and all to come to his Palapa by Tito's Vacational on the beach to
promote his potential winning Margarita in the 6th Annual
International Margarita Contest. |
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His protégé Rubin will be performing his
tasks of making you Margarita's of your choice and then with your
recommendations will be using that concoction in the competition. |
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The date will be Monday the 26th of
January 2009 and will start at 3:00 P.M. and continue to 7:00 P.M.
or later if it is the wish of those in attendance. |
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Kathleen will be preparing a special
plate of Arrachera for the occasion complete with all fixings for a
price of 100 pesos, which also includes 1 Margarita of your choice
of either a National or Exotic ( your choice ). |
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All other drinks at HAPPY HOUR
PRICES |
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If you cannot make the Margarita Contest
or were unable to obtain tickets, this is where you should be. Come
one, come all for a festive evening ( you may be a witnessing the
Margarita Champion of 2009 ). |
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For tickets contact: |
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Bazooka Bill email: firebilly@shaw.ca |
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David's Place on the Beach at Tito's |
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or Ron on the street some where |
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And as per usual the three esteemed
Judge's |
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Bazooka Bill, Sweet as ever Dot and
Dashing Ron WILL BE DRINKING THERE MARGARITA'S FOR FREE. |
Just one of the many happy couples
to see more photographs of people having fun on the Riviera Nayarit's
Jaltemba Bay click here
Beautiful Baubles: Mexican Opals
By Tara Spears
 Most
women are thrilled to receive a gift of diamonds, no matter how small.
Heads up gentlemen: if you ‘forgot’ Christmas or the last birthday, get
out of the dog house with a Valentine gift of Mexican opals. Readily
available from beachside vendors and local jewelers, these modestly
priced adornments come in a fabulous array of colors, from the famed red
‘fire opal’, pictured right, to the more familiar iridescent white.
Besides the semiprecious stone’s beauty, the myths and legends attached
to the stone make it all the more appealing.
I
have worn opals for more than 20 years because I moderately accept the
belief that all types of gemstones contain energy, and by wearing a
particular color stone you benefit from the powers of that stone. For
example, for centuries it is held that opals foster compassion, good
luck and help heal emotions, especially promoting hope. Another example
is that sapphires strengthen destiny and encourage financial rewards:
and so on as each gemstone has specific properties. Aside from the
energy lore, most women simply choose gemstones because they like the
color. I love the flash of opals and the way they compliment any color
outfit.
According to
historic records, Mexican Opals were used by the Aztec people for the
elaboration of ornamental and ceremonial pieces between the years 1200
and 1519. The opal was know n
by the name vitzitziltecpal or "humming bird stone", referring to the
similarity of the iridescence of the gem with the feathers of the bird.
One of the opals used by the Aztecs became known worldwide with the name
of the Aztec Sun God, which was supposedly found in 16th
century, and later included as part of the Hope gem collection. In 1881
it was sold to the Museum of Natural History in Chicago to be part of
their Tiffany gem collection.
The Sp anish
conquistadors naturally were impressed with the exotic Aztec and Mayan
adornments and immediately began plundering the brilliant Mexican opals.
The indigenous people stopped
securing the gemstones, so that all the known locations for opals were
lost with the dying indigenous civilizations. It wasn't until 1840, that
Sir José María Siurab rediscovered the deposits and started to work the
Mexican mine, Santa María Iris, at Hacienda Esmeralda, in the Mexican
state of Queretaro. Another rich deposit was discovered in the mid
1800s on the hacienda; this one location supplied the majority of the
world’s opals for the next hundred years. The region reached its peak
production by 1969 when additional opal deposits were discovered in
other Mexican states. For those of us in the Riviera Nayarit, the puebla
of Magdalena, Jalisco is an easy day excursion.
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The word opal is derived from the
ancient Sanskrit "upala" , meaning "precious stone". What makes the
opal so attractive is its quality of capturing light and refracting
it endlessly off the surfaces of billions of microscopic spheres.
What makes the opal so intriguing is its paradox: it appears to be
full of water, yet ablaze with internal fire; it is rare enough to
be a precious gem, yet it is not a crystal. The opal’s play of
color, or "FIRE", within the stone arises from the phenomenon that
physicists call diffraction: something breaks up white light into
all the colors of the rainbow, spreading them out as if for the
pleasure of the human eye.
The diffraction is formed by the
line-up of ultra-microscopically tiny but uniformly sized spheres of
silica within the stone. The net effect of this array is a
three-dimensional, spectacular display of color. If the little
spheres are all quite uniform in size and have settled very slowly
so as to form a very perfect array, then the colors are the most
dazzling in the gem world. |
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Opals are a very hard stone (its
hardness is from 5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale - harder than turquoise,
malachite and lapis,) therefore, it will scratch with wear and some
care must be taken with it. Opal may crack if subjected to a hard
hit. However, an opal that is properly set will last for several
lifetimes. A well-set opal is nestled down into its setting with
gold protecting its thin bottom edge. An opal should never be set in
prongs like a diamond.
The more beautiful an opal is, the more valuable it is. An opal’s
beauty is characterized and enhanced by a brighter iridescence, or
fire, in many colors (especially red), and a clear or dark base
color for the fire to play off. ![orange-fire-opal_024_r3[1].jpg](January%209_files/image001.jpg) The
best black opals with red fire can have a retail price of US$20,000
or more per carat. This makes top quality opals more valuable than
most d iamonds.
Opals occur worldwide in primarily volcanic areas where the
eruptions of time gone by, caused water to be suddenly trapped
within the silica base. Today, the primary producing areas are to be
found in Australia although good fire opals occur in limited
quantities in certain areas of Mexico. The Mexican material is more
translucent and jelly- like. The best Mexican material shows an
excellent play of color. These opals appear like ice that is thawing
- having a luminous luster and the surface looks like it is
dripping.
Local
master jeweler and gemo logist,
Armando Gonzales, of Armando’s Joyeria & Relojeria on the main
avenida in La Penita explains: “The tourist needs to be aware that
some venders sell manufactured, synthetic opals. Genuine, quality
Mexican opals are typically set in a base of other material to give
them strength and help reflect the light.” (see photo, right) Not
only does Armando carry unset gems and some already created opal
pieces, he will make jewelry to the customer’s specifications.
Armando continues, “The proper way to set opals is to frame them-
opals should never be mounted in prongs like a diamond.”
Examples of the proper mounting techniques are in the photos that
follow.
Whether you need a gift, or want to
treat yourself to a little dazzle, Mexican opals are sure to please.
Add in the folklore and mythic powers, and the fiery opal is certain
to be a guaranteed winner!
Contact Armando:
Armando-joyas@hotmail.com
or by telephone:327-274-0104
Contact Tara: tara.sprs@hotmail.com
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A
group got together and celebrated the Three Kings Day courtesy of Joy.
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