Vallarta Living- May 2009

Linda Ellerbee (born August 15, 1944) is an American journalist who is most known for several jobs at NBC News, including Washington (DC) correspondent, host of the Nickelodeon network's Nick News, and reporter and co-anchor of NBC News Overnight, which was recognized by the jurors of the duPont Columbia Awards as "possibly the best written and most intelligent news program ever."[1]
One Journalist's View
By Linda Ellerbee

Sometimes I've been called a maverick because I don't always agree with my colleagues, but then, only dead fish swim with the stream all the time. The stream here is Mexico. You would have to be living on another planet to avoid hearing how dangerous Mexico has become, and, yes, it's true drug wars have escalated violence in Mexico , causing collateral damage, a phrase I hate. Collateral damage is a cheap way of saying that innocent people, some of them tourists, have been robbed, hurt or killed.

But that's not the whole story. Neither is this. This is my story.

I'm a journalist who lives in New York City , but has spent considerable time in Mexico , specifically Puerto Vallarta , for the last four years. I'm in Vallarta now. And despite what I'm getting from the U.S. media, the 24-hour news networks in particular, I feel as safe here as I do at home in New York , possibly safer. I walk the streets of my Vallarta neighborhood alone day or night. And I don't live in a gated community, or any other All-Gringo neighborhood. I live in Mexico .. Among Mexicans. I go where I want (which does not happen to include bars where prostitution and drugs are the basic products), and take no more precautions than I would at home in New York ; which is to say I don't wave money around, I don't act the Ugly American, I do keep my eyes open, I'm aware of my surroundings, and I try not to behave like a fool.

I've not always been successful at that last one. One evening a friend left the house I was renting in Vallarta at that time, and, unbeknownst to me, did not slam the automatically-locking door on her way out. Sure enough, less than an hour later a stranger did come into my house. A burglar? Robber? Kidnapper? Killer? Drug lord?

No, it was a local police officer, the "beat cop" for our neighborhood, who, on seeing my unlatched door, entered to make sure
everything (including me) was okay. He insisted on walking with me around the house, opening closets, looking behind doors and, yes, even under beds, to be certain no one else had wandered in, and that nothing was missing. He was polite, smart and kind, but before he left, he lectured me on having not checked to see that my friend had locked the door behind her. In other words, he told me to use my common sense. Do bad things happen here? Of course they do. Bad things happen everywhere, but the murder rate here is much lower than, say, New Orleans , and if there are bars on many of the ground floor windows of houses here, well, the same is true where I live, in Greenwich Village, which is considered a swell neighborhood - house prices start at about $4 million (including the bars on the ground floor windows). There are good reasons thousands of people from the United States are moving to Mexico every month, and it's not just the lower cost of living, a hefty tax break and less snow to shovel.. Mexico is a beautiful country, a special place. The climate varies, but is plentifully mild, the culture is ancient and revered, the young are loved unconditionally, the old are respected, and I have yet to hear anyone mention Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, or Madonna's attempt to adopt a second African child, even though, with such a late start, she cannot possibly begin to keep up with Anglelina Jolie.
And then there are the people. Generalization is risky, but- in general - Mexicans are warm, friendly, generous and welcoming. If you
smile at them, they smile back. If you greet a passing stranger on the street, they greet you back. If you try to speak even a little Spanish, they tend to treat you as though you were fluent. Or at least not an idiot. I have had taxi drivers track me down after leaving my wallet or cell phone in their cab. I have had someone run out of a store to catch me because I have overpaid by twenty cents. I have been introduced to and come to love a people who celebrate a day dedicated to the dead as a recognition of the cycles of birth and death and birth - and the 15th birthday of a girl, an important rite in becoming a woman - with the same joy.
Too much of the noise you're hearing about how dangerous it is to come to Mexico is just that - noise. But the media love noise, and too many journalists currently making it don't live here. Some have never even been here. They just like to be photographed at night, standing near a spotlighted border crossing, pointing across the line to some imaginary country from hell. It looks good on TV.

Another thing. The U.S. media tend to lump all of Mexico into one big bad bowl. Talking about drug violence in Mexico without naming a state or city where this is taking place is rather like looking at the horror of Katrina and saying, "Damn. Did you know the U.S. is under water?" or reporting on the shootings at Columbine or the bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma City by saying that kids all over the U.S. are shooting their classmates and all the grownups are blowing up buildings. The recent rise in violence in Mexico has mostly occurred in a few states, and especially along the border. It is real, but it does not describe an entire country.

It would be nice if we could put what's going on in Mexico in perspective, geographically and emotionally. It would be nice if we could remember that, as has been noted more than once, these drug wars wouldn't be going on if people in the United States didn't want the drugs, or if other people in the United States weren't selling Mexican drug lords the guns. Most of all, it would be nice if more people in the United States actually came to this part of America (Mexico is also America , you will recall) to see for themselves what a fine place Mexico really is, and how good a vacation (or a life) here can be.

So come on down and get to know your southern neighbors. I think you'll like it here. Especially the people.

Golfing in Puerto Vallarta

Feel like golfing while staying in one of Mexican Destinations' luxury villas? Here is all the information you need about golf courses around Puerto Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta is an increasingly popular golf destination; five courses have opened in the past 4 years, bringing the total in the region to nine. The Joe Finger-designed private course at the Marina Vallarta Golf Club (tel. 322/221-0073) is an 18-hole, par-74 course that winds through the Marina Vallarta peninsula and affords ocean views. It's for members only, but most luxury hotels in Puerto Vallarta have memberships for their guests. Club rentals, lessons, and special packages are available.

North of town in the state of Nayarit, about 16km (10 miles) beyond Puerto Vallarta, is the 18-hole, par-72 Los Flamingos Club de Golf. It features beautiful jungle vegetation and has just undergone a renovation and upgrade of the course. It's open from 7am to 5pm daily, with a snack bar (but no restaurant) and full pro shop. The greens fee is $95 and includes the use of a golf cart; hiring a caddy costs $12 plus tip, and club rental is $27 to $44. A free shuttle runs from downtown Puerto Vallarta; call for pickup times and locations.

The breathtaking Jack Nicklaus Signature course at the Four Seasons Punta Mita has eight oceanfront holes and an ocean view from every hole. Its hallmark is the optional Hole 3B, the "Tail of the Whale," with a long drive to a green on a natural island -- the only natural-island green in the Americas. It requires an amphibious cart to take you over when the tide is high, and there's an alternate hole for when the ocean or tides are not accommodating. It's open only to guests of the Four Seasons resort or to members of other golf clubs with a letter of introduction from their pro. Selected other area hotels also have guest privileges -- ask your concierge. Greens fees for nonguests are $260, including cart, with (Calloway) club rentals for $60. Lessons are also available.

A second Jack Nicklaus course is at the Vista Vallarta Golf Club (tel. 322/290-0030), along with one designed by Tom Weiskopf. These courses were the site of the 2002 PGA World Cup Golf Championships. It's in the foothills of the Sierra Madre, behind the bullring in Puerto Vallarta. A round costs $167 per person, including cart.

The Robert von Hagge-designed El Tigre course at Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta, opened in March 2002. The 7,239-yard course is on a relatively flat piece of land, but the design incorporates challenging bunkers, undulating fairways, and water features on several holes. El Tigre also offers lessons and has an expansive clubhouse. This seems to be the favored course of local pros. Greens fees are $185 a round, or $85 if you play after 2pm.

Start organizing your golf vacation in Puerto Vallarta with Mexican Destinations.

Mexican Destinations Exclusive: Villa Marea Alta

Plan your next getaway or fiesta in this colorful and spacious Puerto Vallarta Villa. Villa Marea Alta's 6000 square foot interior combines comfort with optimum efficiency and exquisite taste in design.

The villa is filled with beautiful antiques, regional handcrafts and artwork that, together, create a sophisticated, yet relaxed atmosphere. The exterior is beautifully landscaped and offers ocean views. Guests enjoy the infinity pool, stone fountains and outdoor fireplace.Music fills the villa when you take advantage of the complete sound system; or, you may just want to listen to the ocean breezes.

Your rental includes the service of the villa chef who will prepare any two meals a day for you, daily maid service and an English-speaking houseman who will take care of all your needs. This may be rented as a 3 or 4 bedroom.

Find out more about the Villa Marea Alta and other Puerto Vallarta Rental Houses.

Mexican Destinations: Villa Estrella Mar

The finest Puerto Vallarta villa rental, Estrella Mar has been featured in Veranda Magazine as well as several other publications. This one-of-a-kind oceanfront home offers six spacious suites, nine bathrooms, an exercise room, a large heated pool and a dedicated staff of fourteen.

The residence is distinctive in many ways, but one of its most unexpected features is the absence of glass in the windows. You can leave everything open to the ocean breezes and the view. Interior spaces include polished tile floors, textured wall surfaces, sturdy cotton fabrics and an abundance of wicker. During the day, the view dominates. But, at night, soft lighting warms the interiors like a welcoming abrazo-embrace and Villa Estrella Mar truly becomes a star of the sea.

The attentive staff includes a villa chef, an English speaking houseman, daily maid service and 24 hour security.

Find out more about the Villa Estrella Mar and other luxury villa rentals in Puerto Vallarta.

Mexican Destinations: Puerto Vallarta Walking Tours

Puerto Vallarta's cobblestone streets are a pleasure to explore; they're full of tiny shops, rows of windows edged with curling wrought iron, and vistas of red-tile roofs and the sea. Start with a walk up and down the malecón.

Among the sights you shouldn't miss is the municipal building on the main square (next to the tourism office), which has a large Manuel Lepe mural inside in its stairwell. Nearby, right up Independencia, sits the picturesque Parish of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church, Hidalgo 370 (tel. 322/222-1326), topped with a curious crown held in place by angels -- a replica of the one worn by Empress Carlota during her brief time in Mexico as Emperor Maximilian's wife. On its steps, women sell religious mementos; across the narrow street, stalls sell native herbs for curing common ailments. Services in English are held each Saturday at 5pm, and Sunday at 10am. Regular hours are Monday through Saturday from 7:30am to 8:30pm, Sunday from 6:30am to 8:30pm. Note that entrance is restricted to those properly attired -- no shorts or sleeveless shirts allowed. Three blocks south of the church, head east on Libertad, lined with small shops and pretty upper windows, to the municipal market by the river. (It's the Río Cuale Mercado, but I recently overheard a tourist ask for the "real quality" market!) After exploring the market, cross the bridge to the island in the river; sometimes a painter is at work on its banks. Walk down the center of the island toward the sea, and you'll come to the tiny Museo Río Cuale (no phone; Mon-Sat 10am-4pm; free admission), which has a small but impressive permanent exhibit of pre-Columbian figurines.

Retrace your steps to the market and Libertad, and follow Calle Miramar to the brightly colored steps up to Zaragoza. Midway is a magnificent view over rooftops to the sea, plus a cute cafe, Graffiti (no phone), where you can break for a cappuccino and a snack. Up Zaragoza to the right 1 block is the famous pink arched bridge that once connected Richard Burton's and Elizabeth Taylor's houses. In this area, known as "Gringo Gulch," many Americans have houses.

Find out more about Puerto Vallarta Vacations and luxury villa rentals.

Mexican Destinations: Villa Amapas

Villa Amapas is a luxury beach estate and house for rent in Puerto Vallarta - lower Conchas Chinas. Enter through antique Mexican doors to the private elevator and step into one of the most spectacular beach properties in Puerto Vallarta. The villa has over 7,000 square feet on four levels and features a spacious master suite with its own terrace, three large guest suites with ensuite baths, a commercial gourmet kitchen, outdoor bar and dining areas and a magnificent heated infinity pool overlooking the beach.

The refreshing pool and nearby sheltering palapa are surrounded by lush, tropical vegetation for complete privacy. The spacious upper terrace is the perfect place to enjoy the sunset or lounge away the afternoon in the shade of the pergola.

Find the perfect house for rent in Puerto Vallarta with Mexican Destinations.

Looking for the Best Place in the World to Retire? Puerto Vallarta

During the past 15 years, International Living magazine has calculated its Annual Global Retirement Index; a resource intended to assist retirees and future retirees in evaluating and comparing the world's most popular retirement destinations.

The number one ranked country in the world for retirement; MEXICO! Aside from the fact that Mexico is extremely convenient to the US and Canada, that Mexico's Senior Citizens´ Benefits Program offers up to 50% discounts on many services to retirees over the age of 60, that the Mexican government has enacted many new laws encouraging foreign investment, Mexico has become an incredible place to enjoy retirement, offering the quality of life that North Americans are accustomed to with numerous extra benefits.

The most desirable retirement locations from north to south along the Pacific Ocean are La Paz and Todos Santos in Baja, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo, and Puerto Escondido.
it's no wonder why so many retirees have migrated to Puerto Vallarta. This beautiful tourist resort area has become home to thousands of North Americans that have traveled the world, could afford to live anywhere on the planet, and have chosen Vallarta as their winter, if not full time, retirement destination.

Located at the same latitude as Hawaii, Puerto Vallarta has a perfect climate with an average daily temperature of 73°F from November through May with virtually no chance of rain. With a population of approximately 350,000 inhabitants, Vallarta now has a new and growing infrastructure including roads, water treatment plants and distribution systems, power plants and distribution grid, airport, maritime terminal, hospitals, university, etc.

High speed internet, satellite TV, VOIP telecommunications, and US newspapers and magazines are all available in Vallarta. Most of the mega-stores found in the US and Canada have come to Vallarta including Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, Costco, Home Depot, Office Depot, Staples, and of course, every fast food chain restaurant imaginable! Vallarta now has seven world class golf courses with three more either in the planning stage or currently under construction. There are hundreds of tennis courts, world class deep sea fishing, and every other activity available that you would expect in a city of this size. There are numerous new cinemas, theaters, and hundreds of fine restaurants.

Let us help you make your retirement a reality with long-term luxury rentals and real-estate in Puerto Vallarta.