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February 9, 2003
Praise and Thanks I
just wanted to express my gratitude to you for your E-Paper. I look forward to
it each Monday morning. I intend to live in PV after retirement and plan to come
as often as possible until then. It is so wonderful to have access to the day-to-day
happenings in town. I will be there in March and again in July. I look forward
to "bumping" into some of you in July (I will be coming alone for 2
weeks and would love to have the pleasure of lunch or coffee with some of my favorite
writers, in particular Anna).
Thank-you, again, for you work on the Paper.
Heidi
Summer
in PVR What can I really expect from the weather the last
two weeks of July? I am planning my honeymoon and dont want to get rained out....was
there once in May and had a wonderful time! Thanks!
Sneeps
Dear
Anna, With regard to your column of January 27th, I hope
you got the name of the Canadian couple from Vancouver who state they can spend
several months in Hawaii or Bali much cheaper than Vallarta - I'd like to contact
them!! We live in Victoria (across the water from Vancouver) and have been vacationing
in Vallarta for nine years. Prior to that we were in Hawaii at least once a year
and owned property on Kaui, at Kiahuna. Hawaii got to the point that not only
could you not afford to go out for dinner, you couldn't afford to go out for lunch!
As for golf, forget it (not that Vallarta is any better for golf, but that's another
story.) We spend about six weeks in Vallarta and rent
a very nice condo in the marina (RPYC) for under $3000.00 USD. Comparable accommodation
on Kaui or Maui would be AT LEAST $7000.00 and that's based on prices of several
years ago. Groceries in Hawaii are incredibly expensive as everything is imported.
In Vallarta you do get a bit of a break with the peso although it is true that
many things (including accommodation) are priced in USD. In Hawaii everything,
obviously, is in USD and the going rate is $160.00 Canadian equals $100.00 US.
A round of golf for two Canadians, with a beer and a sandwich after, is going
to leave very little change from $500.00 - we don't even take our clubs to Vallarta
any more. PV has some of the finest restaurants in the
world, a claim that no part of Hawaii can make, and some of them are surprisingly
reasonable, given the quality of their food and service. On our last evening (last
Thursday) we had dinner at Felipe's and I would stack it up against most international
restaurants - and we have seen more than our share of the international scene. I
can't comment on Bali having only been there once, some years ago. The recent
bombing there has caused their tourism to plummet so I imagine there are bargains
to be had but I would suspect three months in a hotel in Bali would not be inexpensive.
Most of the restaurant owners and merchants along the Embarcadero stated that
tourism is down drastically this year in PV and the prices (and the air pollution
downtown) must be a factor. I'm surprised at someone from
Cancun finding Vallarta expensive - our experience has been that Cancun, Cozumel
and Cabo are muy caro, much more so than Vallarta. Enjoy
your column. We would like to pass on a few comments to
you. The restaurant scene continues to amaze me - eight to ten world class restaurants
in a city the size of Victoria. Our favorites remain Trio, La Casita and Felipe's
in no particular order. The River Café and Adobe Café also rate
very highly and we would never be in Vallarta without eating there. The
bus scene continues to be a tragi-comedy. The death of the local youngster is
tragic and the aftermath is something out of Kafka. Look across from Tomato Beach
to downtown and, midweek, you can't see the city for the smog. That's a real problem
and I'm not at all sure the political will exists to do anything about it. Vallarta
as a golf destination - not at those prices, amigo. Check the airport and you'll
see, as we did, very, very, very few sets of clubs being deplaned. Marina Vallarta
have cut their greens fees to under $100.00 and they were busier than we have
ever seen them. Flamingos is a joke at $115.00, and Vista Vallarta, even with
a coupon is well over $100.00. Bear in mind a lot of you visitors are Canadians
and golf for two at $125.00 USD, plus a beer and sandwich translates to almost
$500.00 Canadian. When you spend six weeks in Vallarta golf two or three times
a week is a non-starter. Both my wife and I are good players and belong to an
upscale private club in Victoria - we no longer even take our clubs to PV. The
Four Seasons at Punta de Mita is simply outrageous. The winners, from our purse,
have been the wonderful restaurants. One would think PV would have learned from
Cabo where the prices are too high and the golf courses are deserted. 200 players
at $60.00 a head adds up to a lot more than a dozen or so at $125.00. Also translates
into more traffic in the bar, restaurant and pro shop. We
love Vallarta dearly but our return plans are uncertain. 2004 finds us in Rome
for an anniversary and after that Thailand seems to be actively pursuing the golf
dollar with first class courses at very reasonable rates. Time will tell. Adios
and Viva Vallarta, mi amor! Bruce and Doreen Thom, Victoria,
BC, Canada.
Dear Editor, Has
Tapas changed their location or just remodeled?
We have heard it referred to
as the NEW Tapas.
We will be visiting Puerto Vallarta in two weeks & have
always gone there in the past. Would like to go there again. Gracias for any info! Cecille
Dear
Editor, By way of your E-magazine I would like to try
and contact the following
People: John Waring and Wendy Mitchell, Bob Tansen.
If
you or any of your readers know the whereabouts of my dear friends, could you
please tell them to contact me via e-mail at davforr@yahoo.com
I lived and
worked in PV about 10 years ago.
Regards,
David Forrest
Re:
Buses In The City Center To the Editor, In
response to the call to write City Hall regarding all the needless empty buses
choking the downtown area, include us in, our initials are below. They are dangerous,
because they all speed to get to the few customers waiting before the other buses,
and to make it through the few stoplights in these areas. Hence, the two little
kids killed by a speeding bus trying to make it through the stop light on I.Vallarta.
They are noisy, you can't even eat in peace anywhere downtown unless they have
a heavy door to block out the constant noise. They impact the eco-system of the
area because the poorly maintained buses emit scores of pollutant gases that even
with an ocean breeze, the smog affects every living thing in the area. Of
course there should be a serious study by competent people to find the most sensible
way of managing the bus routes, but based on their actions so far, this will never
happen without extreme and constant pressure on them. Best
regards,
S.E., T.M., R.V., K.S., S.P., & F.R.
"I
would like to see less buses in the downtown area" What
I have noticed is that there is a time during the day that buses run at less than
50% occupancy. Someone needs to survey the amount of volume they are doing and
cut down buses at non peak hours. The second solution would be to convince the
taxi union that they should charge 50% less than what they are charging right
now and therefore more local people will use taxis and less buses. They (taxis)
charge 40 to 50 pesos for just a few blocks and that is what a normal local makes
a day in salary. Yes, they can charge that much to tourists but that should not
be viewed upon as their bread and butter. Look round and you will see at least
50% of taxis empty. Talk to them and they say they are only doing a few trips
on their shift. They don't understand the concept of reducing
prices and increasing business. They want to make a killing on the persons who
don't know any better, need to be at a place in an emergency or persons so wealthy
they could hire 3 taxis all day long. Taxi drivers don't understand that one sneeze
from the world's political heartbeat, hurricane, and God forbid another earthquake,
and their business would dry up, leaving only locals to support them. Miguel
I
would like to see less buses in the downtown area of PV. December was a good month
for them. To slow them down, I think, it would be a good idea to have speed bumps
(like in Coloso) at major crossings where they have killed or maimed people previously. C.
H.
I have been coming to Puerto Vallarta
for many years and have been staying longer each time (up to 6 weeks this time).
I personally think the number of buses is just fine. I don't know where people
find all of these so-called empty buses, I have never been on one. One thing I
like about Puerto Vallarta is how easy it is to get a bus. The quality of the
bus driving leaves a bit to be desired, but I am from New York and you should
take a ride in a taxi there if you want a real thrill. Dan
Freeman
Please let it be known, I would
like to see FAR less buses in the entire city of Puerto Vallarta, most of the
time they are all almost empty and only causing major traffic problems and pollution. Sincerely,
Judith
I
would like to see less buses in the downtown area.
It is not necessary for
all the routes to come into town. Any route for that matter. There could be a
free route of 8 minibuses funded by the hotels, downtown businesses, the Ayuntamiento
and direct publicity (on the minibus) that can go from Parque Hidalgo to the other
side of the Cuale.
Fourteen blocks only. Four going and four coming. And all
the city routes can stay outside of town picking up customers by the Ciné
Bahía area and at the Parque Hidalgo just like they do during the peregrinaciones.
Congratulations for this involvement. Polo
E.
I suggest a special bus/tram service
that runs from one end of el Centro to the other for no charge. And no private
bus companies. People would get off the private bus at one end and take the tram
across town. In this way the city could control the condition
of the bus/tram and the quality of the drivers. The trams could become a charming
symbol of Vallarta instead of an ugly, noisy, smoke-belching, child-killing detriment
to tourism. Cost could be partly covered by advertising
on the trams and covered by downtown merchants and the city. This
system has been implemented in Aspen for years and is very successful. But
please get rid of as many of the buses in el Centro as possible. Thank
you,
Shannon
I would like to see less
buses in the downtown area.
J.B.H.
In
response to Mr. Walker's letter regarding the buses in town, it never ceases to
amaze me that "we foreigners" can come to a beautiful place like PV
and think we can dictate what we think is best. If the nationals feel the need
for more buses downtown, so be it, they probably have a good reason and we have
no business coming for a few months a year and trying to enforce "our will"
on the people in PV. Why did we come here in the first
place except to enjoy this beautiful place? I say let's just enjoy what the wonderful
Mexican nationals have been willing to share with us. L.
A., Seattle, Washington
I would like to
see fewer buses in Vallarta Center, Please, Please.
H. P.
Dear
Editor: Alejandro Florencio Juàrez was killed at
the corner of Ignacio L. Vallarta and Làzaro Càrdenas on Saturday
afternoon, January 11th. His head was crushed. He was 4 years old. His brother,
Javier, received a broken pelvis. His mother and dozens of other people witnessed
the event. None of those present will ever forget what they saw. Bus No. U-141,
without license plates or passengers, was responsible. This
incident is remarkable not because it is so tragic, but because it is so common.
At the moment of the accident, the driver of the bus fled the scene but was later
taken into custody when he boarded another bus in an attempt to escape. That same
evening, the bus driver was out on $5000 pesos bail, paid by the bus company.
An amount of $145,000 pesos was established as restitution for the loss of one
son and the grave wounds caused to another. Legally, the matter has been settled.
The loss to the young mother and father of the two boys will remain forever. I
would make four suggestions to help prevent a repetition of this type of accident:
1.-
Fewer buses in the center of the city.
2.- Elimination of the commissions of
12% paid to bus drivers for the passengers that board their bus. This may help
cut down on the racing between competing bus lines.
3.- Permitting a longer
period of time for buses to complete their route. This may also help to moderate
the speed of the buses.
4.- The obligation that all buses post a photograph
and information of the bus driver in the front of the bus so that any passenger
can lodge a complaint against the driver for infractions, speeding or reckless
driving. There are reckless bus drivers, not reckless buses. We
have proposed a plan to reduce the number of large buses in the center of the
city for 12 years. We continue with this suggestion in the hope that we will not
have to witness yet another tragedy like on the afternoon of January 11th. R.C.
Walker
Member, Grupo Ecológico de Puerto Vallarta, A.C.
Tel. &
Fax: 222-0897
ecology@rentals-tours-mexico.com
Dear
Editor, I am angry. How does Tel Mex have the authority
to decide that everyone will have voice mail? Now when people call me -locally
or long distance- if the line is busy or no answer, they are charged for the call
which is transferred to this unauthorized voice mail.
If I want my messages,
I'll buy my own answering machine. That should be my choice! Not the phone company's.
What
can we do? Thanks for your help.
Nancy Bott
Dear
Editor, I am one of those persons who relies on the bus
system to get in and out of old town. During the experiment I must tell you what
a joy it was to stand at the bus stop with other gringos and nationals for 20
minutes or more wondering whether the next bus coming down the street was yours,
and was it full already? It was an exhilarating experience
coming back into town wondering whether you were going to have to change buses
at Hidalgo Park. Walk across the park with other happy riders and wait for another
bus. The next exciting experience was wondering while you were waiting, if this
bus driver was going to accept the ticket from the last bus, or whether you were
going to lose the battle and pay again. I have noticed
comments that it was a lot easier for people to get around when there was the
reduction in buses. Obviously all car owners. Maybe it was you that I saw in your
NEW SUV, with air-conditioning of course! And you were alone in the car? Ah yes,
it must have been comforting to relax and pass all those people standing endlessly
at the bus stops. I have a solution!!! There are 100 times more cars on the road
than buses, if you ban all the cars, then they won't be able to park at the bus
stops and the buses would be able to pull into the curb and traffic would be able
to flow past without disruption, and this would stop the honking noises from car
drivers, who, alone in their cars, think they own the road. If
I may be permitted another insight. I come to Vallarta because of its traditions,
customs, ways and idiosyncrasies, and way of life, and the buses are a way of
life. I don't want a North American bus system in Vallarta. If that is what you
want, then perhaps you would be happier in another city more in accordance with
your wants and needs. Yours truly,
John Rayner
I
would like to see less buses in the downtown area.
I would like to see bus
stops posted so that we can find them.
I would like to see the crazy reckless
speeding bus drivers removed from driving.
Jan. 30, 10:15 AM, Marina Vallarta
bus No U-119 had the crazy reckless driver. I would refuse to get on his bus again.
I
like your English newspaper. Too bad all hotels do not have it available for guests.
I am referring to the Mayan Palace Marina. All the best
to you. Dorothy Golins
Calgary, Canada
Dear
Editor, I see where the only letters that you published
concerning buses were those from people who felt there were too many. Now I don't
find it hard to believe that most people feel that way, but I do find it hard
to believe that everyone feels that way. Didn't you get at least one letter from
someone saying that they didn't feel there were too many buses? I know I sent
you one expressing that opinion. I think that by only
publishing letters that agree with your position you, to a certain extent, compromise
your integrity. I know that on other occasions where you have published letters
from people who complain about the high, and ever increasing, prices in Puerto
Vallarta you never seem to publish letters from people who feel that the prices
are not overly high for what you get. I have also sent you letters saying that
I felt the prices in Puerto Vallarta were more than fair and if you don't like
the high prices of someplace like Daiquiri Dick's you can always eat at a restaurant
like the Catedral. Just like any city (I am from New York) you can go to expensive
places and spend a lot or you can search out smaller, less expensive, places and
get by very reasonably. In summary, I would like your
paper a lot better if the letters you published reflected a more balanced viewpoint. Dan
Freeman Dear Mr. Freeman,
If you go back to the
first e-mail you sent us (of which we have a kept a hard copy as we do with all
the e-mails we receive), you will notice that it was sent on Thursday, January
30th, 2003 at 3:11 P.M. You may also notice that we ask all contributions to be
in no later than Wednesday at 6 p.m. the week before publication. Thus, by the
time we received your e-mail, last week's issue of the Mirror had already gone.
Consequently, you will find that first e-mail of yours hereinabove. Furthermore,
the only e-mails we did NOT publish were the dozens more we received complaining
about the buses in the downtown area of town, while we are publishing all the
ones that are in agreement with the status quo. The
only e-mails we choose not to publish -according to the editorial policies of
this company- are the ones that may be deemed libelous. Though we are the only
English-language e-publication to offer an open forum where readers may express
their opinions, we try to avoid getting involved in any sort of litigation. The
Ed.
Dear Editor, Do
you have room for another bus comment? The week slipped by and it was when reading
this week's Tribune that I realized I hadn't put in my 2 cents worth. Now for
my 25 cents worth. First, I believe I have the experience to comment. We have
lived in Vallarta over six years, we do not own a car, I get the - - - - scared
out of me most times I take a taxi so we either walk or ride the bus. Walking
is much more attractive as the scared part is true of the buses too, but since
they are bigger than cars I figure I have a better chance in them so they are
the mode of choice when walking is not an option. The things I love about Vallarta
could fill a book. The negatives are a small handful and are definitely overshadowed
by the positives. Next, I want to comment on the letter
from L.J. who obviously finds "poker de ases" offensive because they
don't know what it means. The literal translation to English (remember Mexico
is a Spanish speaking country and the sayings which decorate our buses are in
Spanish) is "poker (as in the card game) of aces (also in the card game).
Doesn't make much sense does it? But, the phrase, I'm told, means "the best"
- like a hand full of aces in poker. So, before people find a sign offensive they
really need to find out what it says or means. Of course fining a Vallarta bus
for having a sign on it that says the best is probably a good idea. Enough commentary
on lack of language skills. On to my comments about the
buses. There are obviously too many of them except during the hours when people
are going to and coming from work. We have travelled world-wide and find Vallartans
to be some of the warmest, kindest, gentlest and friendliest people in the world
UNTIL they get behind the wheel of a bus. Becoming a bus driver seems to turn
them into mean, demonic, obnoxious homicidal maniacs. Drivers race through the
streets as if they were on a speedway. They pull away from a bus stop while a
mother with a small child is paying the bus fare. They pull away from a bus stop
while passengers are still getting off the bus. They step on the gas at every
opportunity. I have seen bus drivers stop for pedestrians.
Yes this is true! I've even had it happen to me! Although I admit that when it
did happen I scurried across the street wondering when the driver was going to
hit the gas and run me over. I've also seen drivers tell tourists they need to
get off at a certain stop for wherever it is they are going. Last week I even
saw a driver help a mother with three kids get on the bus! Unfortunately, these
sightings are very rare. The buses are noisy and pollute
the air. Along with my husband and two Mexican teachers, I teach English (a volunteer
job) to adults two evenings a week at the primary school on Juarez. Classes are
from 8 - 10 pm. There are times we can hardly hear one another due to the buses
flying by on Morelos and Juarez. During the couple of weeks after Kenna and in
December, when there were no buses, it was wonderful. We could hear the students,
they could hear us. How novel! I cannot understand how the children attending
this school during the day, when there are even more buses, can hear anything
the teachers are saying. If you stand on the corner of Pino Suarez and Carranza,
outside of the primary school, it is the same story. Buses stop before turning
on to Pino Suarez to let passengers off and then hit the gas to turn the corner.
Do the kids going to these schools have more hearing loss than kids in other areas?
I imagine so. We have many Mexican friends and after speaking
with them I don't think there is a solution to the bus problem. The bus union
is so strong and it is in control. Until the powers that be find the courage to
say we are going to do what is best for the city of Pto. Vallarta nothing will
change. Unlicensed buses need to be removed immediately. Drivers who run people
over need to be in jail for 20 or 30 years - it could have been their own child,
grandchild, niece, nephew or neighbour's child. The method of paying, training
and hiring drivers can definitely be improved upon. A public transportation system
instead of competing private companies might be in the best interest of the population. No
one wants to take away the livelihood of a bus driver or anyone else. However,
at some point those in charge will have to recognize that the situation has become
intolerable. When walking (remember it is my preferred means of transportation)
I shamelessly eavesdrop on tourist conversations. The biggest negative about Vallarta?
"Boy there are a lot of noisy, empty buses here and the drivers drive like
maniacs. How do people stand it?" Next most frequent comment "I don't
want to come into town again. It is too noisy with all those empty buses zooming
by." This started off to be a "there are too
many buses in town period" letter and has turned into a mini novel but thank
you for letting me vent my spleen. Maybe someday we will have a dozen mini-buses
that go from Parque Hidalgo to Lazaro Cardenas and all others will turn around
at Parque Hidalgo or go through the tunnel. M.E. Archives
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