Archives for February 2008

Casting Call » Monday, Feb 18

Want To Be in a Puerto Vallarta Promotional Video?

by Bob Cohen

The Puerto Vallarta Convention and Visitors Bureau recently announced that they’ll be filming a new Puerto Vallarta promotional video on February 18th, and they’re inviting all PV locals, part-time residents and even tourists to represent our fine city.

First thing to mention is there is no pay involved; anyone that gets selected just receives their “15 minutes of fame.” When completed, the video will be used to promote Puerto Vallarta as a world-class tourist destination in cities around the world.

Since Vallarta is a beach vacation destination that attracts visitors from all walks of life, everyone is invited to audition for the video; kids, men and women and couples in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and families with kids.

All you have to do is stop by the Puerto Vallarta Convention and Visitors Bureau offices to have your picture taken this coming Monday, February 18th between 4 and 6 pm.

After reviewing all of the photos, the bureau will be in contact with those who have been selected for inclusion in the video. More details will be given about the selection process when we are made aware of them.

If you’d like to be considered for inclusion in the promotional video, stop by the Puerto Vallarta Convention and Visitors Bureau offices at Plaza Las Glorias #18, right next door to the Canto Del Sol Resort in the Puerto Vallarta hotel zone.

For more information, directions or answers to your questions in English, call Nora Ocegueda at (322) 224-1175, visit VisitPuertoVallarta.com or send an email to nora(at)visitpuertovallarta.com.

Los Hermanos Aguascalientes

On Sunday, February 17 at 8pm on in front of the hallway of the Presidencia, Los Hermanos Aguascalientes will perform a free concert. This follows the traditional Puerto Vallarta Big Band Concert and Dance at 6 and 7pm in the Presidencia Square. This is an evening of music and dance for the whole family.

Los hermanos Aguascalientes is composed of Daniel and Jose Luis on violins, Gregory on guitar, Mario on the keyboard and Daniel Jr. on bass. They originate from San Miguel de Allende.

[Read more…]

6th Annual Yacht Club Art & Wine Festival

The Sixth Annual Art and Wine Festival will be held at the Vallarta Yacht Club in Nuevo Vallarta on Sunday, February 17th from 2 to 4 pm.

Local artists, photographers and jewelry makers will display their work, with some pieces offered for sale, co-ordinated by local artist Mary Ladner.

Meanwhile, Mary’s husband, Rob, an alumni of the University of California Winemaking School who conducts tastings at the Silver Mountain Winery in Santa Cruz California, will preside over the Wine Festival. Rob promises some exceptional wines, from tasty bargains to $40 bottles in a unique tasting procedure.

Admission to the event is $100 pesos, which will give each attendee 10 tasting tickets. Wines will vary in “tasting value” from one to six tickets. Favorite wines will also be available for purchase by the glass.

Over 50 different California, Oregon, and Washington state wines will be offered to taste and compare. There will also be some Mexican, Chilean, Spanish, Italian, and other fine wines to sample, all accompanied by gourmet appetizers.

Visit the silent auction tables where you can bid on art, jewelry, fine wines and liquors, and other items. The proceeds from the event go to the Vallarta Yacht Club and are used to support the Junior Sailing program and to promote sailing opportunities for youth in the Banderas Bay area.

For more information, contact Rob or Mary Ladner at (322) 297-1557.
WEBSITE: http://www.vtayc.com/index.php

Boo – Funk on the Malecón

Saturday evening, February 16, the Band Boo Funk will perform at 8 pm at the Malecón Los Arcos Theater. Free.

This group was formed in Mexico City in November 2005. Its members are from several states of the Mexican Republic and are between 18 and 22 years and all of them were students of the Academy of Music Fermatta.

The strong friendship that unites them is their raison d’être and the main driving force of this musical project presenting a different concept, a new sound.

In Boo’s style – funk is absolutely integral, as they believe that music and art are not (or should not have) boundaries of space or time or economics. They are concerned with creating songs with themes for a variety of audiences, ages, socio-economic levels and tastes. This young band, despite its recent inception, has been very well accepted by the public

They already have a recording titled “Our history has no end…,” which contains 11 tracks and was recorded in 2007 and is now on sale. In addition, they are currently are preparing material for what will be their second album.

WEBSITE

Stop the World, I want to Get Off… in Vallarta…

Solomon Rosenheim will be performing in the classical musical, STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF. This time with a twist.

by the PVeye

Previous attempts at this production here have Vallartanized it (why do they do that? Shirley Valentine worked so well both on stage and on film throughout Europe and the rest of the world without being localized to a mud hut in Bogota when it was showing there – frankly I like to walk beside the Rio Cuale and watch the women beating their laundry against a rock and not have think ‘Oh god is that another latter-day, born-again, feminist talking to it’ – whatever?). This time it is being done straight, in his own words, ‘as close to the original Broadway production as I can get it mate!’, good on yer Sol, mind you he’s probably a lot more in touch with his feminine side than I am.

Performances are at the Santa Barbara Theatre on Olas Altas on the Saturdays, February 16th, 23rd, March 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd at 8 pm. Performing with Sol are Patrice White, Kathy Overly and Christopher May.

[Read more…]

Puerto Vallarta’s Hotels de Paso

There are 6 motels (los hoteles de paso) in Puerto Vallarta in the category of lodging where rooms are rented by the hour rather than by the day or week. With more than 18,000 hotel rooms in this city, only approximately 200 are available for part-time occupation, being classified by the Puerto Vallarta Hotel Association as non family or “no familiar.”

Motel Dunas
Motel Los Angeles
El Parasol
El Gran Sol
Marina Del Sol
El Ranchito

There are also four 3-star hotels that rent by the hour.

Cactus In
Vista Panorámica
Sea Life Park
Coral en Lo de Marcos

Rooms in these motels are technically rented for a period of 8 hours, but managers agree that it is rare for a room to be used for that period of time. Because of this fact, reservations are not possible at these lodgings. And, contrary to the popular conceptions of a “high” and “low” season for room rentals here in Vallarta, there is no “low” season or even time of week or day for these places. Rates for the 8 hours range from 250 pesos for a regular room to 500 pesos for a room with a jacuzzi. Average room rates are about 300-350 pesos.

According to a prominent sexologist, the popularity of these motels is caused by a society repressive of sex. In this regard, Puerto Vallarta “has a fine future,” given the conservative characteristics, bias and double standards expressed in the whole of Mexican society and especially in Jalisco and by the Vallartense.

There is a wide-spread rumor that motels of this nature have hidden cameras to monitor the activities and people using the facilities but this rumor is discounted quickly by the frank statement of one owner that they would likely be filming powerful business owners or politicians too frequently and that would be extremely dangerous.

The original version of this story appeared in Vallarta Vive and was researched and written by Osvaldo Ramirez Granados. It has been translated, revised and edited by Rick Hepting

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