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March 16, 2003
Dear Editor, There
is someone in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle who would like something in the paper about
the illegal wall that was removed between the new Flamingos project and Bucerias. Apparently
the people of Bucerias had to get a special mandate or ruling from the municipal
president (mayor) and then pay for having it taken down so that now there is a
road parallel to the highway all the way from Nuevo Vallarta into the town of
Bucerias. They need the publicity because people need
to use the road so that the government will get it paved and marked. Maybe your
new North Shore contact/reporter could look into it… G.
A.
Dear Anna Reisman! My
wife and I are spending the winter in P.V. from November to May every year for
the last seven years. We love it here, enjoying the beaches, playing tennis, love
the nature, and like to go hiking, beach walking, etc. During
this years we made a lots of friends, but we are not lucky to find people who
like the outdoors, nature, and short trips around P.V. We
read your columns weekly and enjoying it. May be you can give us an advice how
we can join a group or find people who like going for outdoor trips. Yours
truly,
Olga & George
P.S.: Our email address is: userfran4964@netscape.net Dear
Olga & George,
I'm sorry to say that I have no idea as to how you could
meet up with nature lovers like you, but maybe some of our readers will contact
you with the proper information.
Anna
Dear
Editor: It is with great pleasure that we read about the
efforts of the US Navy to put a new coat of paint on the walls of Casa Hogar.
However we sincerely hope that they did not repaint the part of the walls that
we, with the help of many volunteers from Canada as well as the US, painted in
January and February. Our volunteer work was coordinated
through the First Baptist Church of Puerto Vallarta. Please accept the fact that
we do like to toot our own horns because we are not seeking glory for ourselves
but to obey the Lord's command to show mercy, to act justly and to walk humbly
with the Lord. We hope to continue the painting project
next year comes January. Peter and Teena Oudman,
Calgary,
Can.
Dear Editor, My
husband died three days after our return from Vallarta. He was on total life support
when we flew out of Puerto Vallarta and was declared brain dead on Feb.14 and
began failing fast. We took him off life support on Feb. 15 and he died peacefully.
We still had hope the first day after we came back. The second day I was becoming
alarmed as he no longer opened his eyes and had any positive signs. But I still
had hope. On Friday Feb. 14 the Drs. gave us the terrible news. I
am so glad we were in Puerto Vallarta when this all began. The CMQ hospital and
Drs. were wonderful. I have so much good to say about the way he was treated while
there and I was treated by all. There was so much compassion. The air ambulance
people were wonderful. The entire crew that flew out of Guadalajara. The Dr. was
so professional but also kind and caring for not only my husband, but myself and
Daughter. It was a positive experience. The real nightmare
began when we came back to the states, starting with the Mercy flight ambulance
waiting at the airport. If that wasn't bad enough the emergency room was worse.
We didn't like the attitude towards the Mexican Dr. and the mass confusion and
their attitude about who admitted my husband to this hospital. They were rude,
loud and we were in shock as it was. A watchman over everything witnessed all
of this and turned it in to patient advocacy who phoned me the next day. They
are wanting me to write a letter to the hospital with the story I gave them about
the difference with the care given in Mexico and what we endured here. Down the
road they will be getting a detailed long letter. The patient advocacy woman said
they are trying to change their image at the hospital and my letter would be helpful.
Well I have a lot of recommendations coming their way. The first one will be concerning
the arrogant stone statue demeanor of the cardiac Drs. and Pulmonary specialists
who think they are God like. I mentioned the care and compassion and good bedside
manner the Drs. in Mexico had to the God like cardiologist that had been my husbands
physician for 15 years. He just stood there like a statue looking at me without
a word while the life support noises whirled around us keeping my precious husband
alive. The medical insurance people are already hassling
me demanding that all medical records from Mexico be transcribed into English
even though they have press 1 for English 2 for Spanish at their headquarters
when you phone. Just another way to hassle subscribers who pay horrendous premiums
each month. I won't bother you anymore with these details, but I thought you may
find them interesting. I am just sooooo happy my experience in Mexico with Drs.
and hospitals was wonderful. At least I know my husband really died there.......where
he loved it. I do plan on going back to Puerto Vallarta in the near future. Want
to go back and thank Dr. Ruiz Nieves personally. What a wonderful human being. Sincerely,
Judy
Morgan
Phoenix, Oregon
Good morning
to all in PV.
I have been reading your web site and it is great. Congratulations. I
was wondering if you could help me. I am trying to find a web site that has all
the details about high schools in PV. I have been looking into this subject for
the past 2 weeks with no answers. I know about the American School but this is
really out of reach money wise. Public or private schools don't matter as long
as the education is good. If by any chance you know about
this matter I would greatly appreciate an answer from you. Thank
you!
Louise.
Dear Editor, This
is for Sandy and Jerry from Illinois (Previous issue). They
were here three weeks staying at the Marina, Conchas Chinas, Los Tules and had
nothing but wonderful experiences. I'm glad these tourists had a great time and
that they're coming back, but it's a little like staying at Trump Towers and not
understanding the fuss about crime in NY. It's nice to
print these letters (lots of tourists don't experience difficulty here), but tourists
aren't really knowledgeable enough about the problems here to discuss them. I've
lived here 9 years - the problems are serious. They referenced a letter (two issues
ago) from a Canadian woman expressing why she and her husband won't be back. Those
reasons (rude treatment, higher prices, buses) are exactly why some of my 'winter'
and permanent friends are either not coming back or moving. The
suggestions foreigners make aren't to turn PV into an American or Canadian city.
We're trying to help it be the best Mexican city it can be - safe, honest, pollution
free... We want to continue to live here and we want tourism to flourish. But,
again, serious problems exist and must be addressed - rapidly. I
wonder if the authorities realize how much money will be lost if the foreign community
leaves town? How many tourists will it take to replace the money spent by us 365
days a year? M.M.
Dear
Editor, My husband and I retired in July and moved to
Vallarta from No. CA. We drove our CA licensed wagon down here as we were told
having a car would greatly enhance our Mexico experience. I
have been pulled over by the police twice now. I talked my way out of a 400-peso
ticket the first time and refused to "buy" my license back right there
on the spot for the reduced price of 200 pesos. I just did not think I was going
as fast as he said I was - buses and taxis were zipping past me as per normal.
I demanded to have the policeman's name and badge number - he did not have a nameplate
or badge - and he would not give it to me. He finally tired of the hassle and
let me go (without a ticket) and I thanked him and told him I would slow down. Since
then I have followed the posted limits closely (while being honked at and passed....
you know the scene). Last Wednesday while traveling north on the Libramiento just
past the short tunnel, I was stopped again. The policeman said that I was traveling
70kph in a 40kph. Well, that was impossible as I only travel 25 mph through that
area as the tunnel is so bumpy (being passed again by all vehicles), and there
is that large curve, then a light which has limited visibility. With my limited
Spanish I told the officer that I disagreed that I was going over the limit (certainly
not 70kph!) He said that he had to write a ticket. I argued that he should be
ticketing all the other cars that had passed me, not bother me. He claimed that
he had written many tickets that day and patted his breast pocket (it was empty!) It
was then that my husband spoke up and told me that he had seen the police car
at the Pemex, even made eye contact with the cop. Obviously he followed and singled
us out to pinch. Since we were on our way to pick up our 11-yr old granddaughter
who was traveling alone, I offered to pay on the spot. I had no choice, I couldn't
wait for him to write the ticket... and he was making no attempt to write anything.
I finally paid him 200 pesos in a folded piece of paper he handed to me. What
else could I do?? He was delaying me for the obvious... a cash payoff. I
spend plenty of money in Vallarta. I support locally owned businesses, waiters,
service people. I tip the grocery clerks, the gas station attendants, etc. What
can we do about the police who want the American tourist dollars? Do I need to
tell them we live here??? He seemed to back off when I told him we have a home
here. I now carry my attorney's business card with me at all times to show the
police. Also, I am driving so slow on local streets and highways that I am in
fear of getting rear-ended. I can deal with the honking and angry looks while
the cab drivers and other Mexican drivers zip all around me. But I am still afraid
that my big, white, California Volvo wagon is just another ticket incident waiting
to happen. We are thinking of driving back to CA in July.
We will leave our car, fly back to Vallarta and purchase a beater-car with a Mexico
license. Will that help? Sincerely,
Kathy P. Archives
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