Riviera Nayarit & Puerto Vallarta retirement notes

Overview

Mexico will continue to provide North Americans with cost-effective retirement opportunities as the economy evolves and rising costs in the USA eat away at people’s nest egg. With the weather always permitting and lending to the perfect lifestyle of “mañana,” Mexico is the common sense place to disembark from a lifetime of hard work and make those savings go a long way.
Costs

The peso has dropped 41% vs. the dollar since August of last year, making Mexican vacations, rents, home costs and retirement more attractive compared with those in Europe, the U.S., or the Caribbean. The cost of living is half of what it is in the USA. Forget Europe, they do not know what the word inexpensive means. No winter clothes, no snow tires and no heating costs. Mountains, coastal plains, high valleys, Mexico has every climate.
Logistics

American travelers and retirement home buyers can reach Mexico’s tourist/retirement playgrounds/spots in two to five hours and most of those flights are non-stop, a big factor as airlines, hotels prices costs and homes prices level off for the first time in 15 years.
Safety

Mexico is just as safe as it is in the USA, probably safer. Crimes happen along the border and in the border towns. Puerto Vallarta and other retirement hotspots have been immune to the violence. The Puerto Vallarta area has 15,000 to 20,000 full time expatriates. Including Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart (with two new Wal-Marts under construction) several McDonalds, Carl’s Jr. Pizza Hut, Dominos, Blockbuster Video, Lions Club, Rotary Club.

Mindset

Americans are different. Unlike Europeans we like our way of life, big cars, big trucks, cheap gas. The fact that you don’t get searched everytime you enter a building here in Mexico makes a statement to the non terrifying racist attitude that the world should adopt. Americans are different and try to be politically correct. You can’t call them Hillbillies no more, they are Appalachian Americans. What? Here in Mexico if we don’t know your name and you are white, we call you Whitey, if you’re fat, we call you Fatty, if you’re short we call you Shorty. Taxes

Property - .01 % Income Tax - 10% flat tax
Capital Gains Tax – No Capital Gains Tax after five (5) years

For more info:
Alfred Melchiorre

La Punta Realty

Toll Free from North America 1-866-706-1199

Punta de Mita, Nayarit, Mexico 011-52-1-322-111-7522 cell alinmita@gmail.com

The Not-So-Great Mexican Swine Flu Pandemic of 2009

By Robin Noelle
In the last week, my life in Puerto Vallarta became even more surreal than usual when I started seeing people wearing surgical masks at Costco, while lounging at rooftop pools and strolling along the beach. I marveled as the government began shutting down schools-not just in Mexico City, but locally too; and then bars, clubs and restaurants followed. I was beyond baffled when airlines from Canada cancelled all incoming flights and all cruise lines were diverted from Mexico. How is it possible that none of these people own a map? Witnessing firsthand the effects of hysterical, uninformed media coverage, my sympathies went out immediately to my neighbors and other Vallartenses (citizens of Puerto Vallarta) who would needlessly suffer because of irresponsible journalism and hyperbolic statements from US government officials. Canceling flights and cruise ship dockings in Cancun and Puerto Vallarta because of the flu in Mexico City is akin to closing JFK or LAX because someone in Chicago has a cold. Swine Flu is a flu virus, after all, despite the irresponsible declaration by Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization that "all of humanity is threatened." Even common flu strains kill approximately 36,000 people per year in the United States.
To this date, there isn't a single confirmed case of swine flu in Puerto Vallarta. Yet panicked people cancelled weddings, honeymoons, anniversaries and vacations because there was an outbreak of an easily treatable virus 550 miles away. The biggest losers are the poor people of Mexico; the people who make their livings as servers, taxi drivers, maids and in other tourism-driven careers. High season was slower than usual this year, thanks in part to overblown coverage of the drug wars. Now cut short, this ensures that there will be even less money during summer, a time when many Mexican families are near starvation already. Next year's high season isn't looking too good right now either. It took years for China to recover from SARS, the last hysteria-fueled super virus that was going to destroy life as we know it...and didn't. It's sad that so many people allowed themselves to be taken in and manipulated by fear, and sadder still that there will be real human suffering as a result.
When you live in Mexico, or visit frequently, you know to take the dire travel warnings issued by the State Department with a handful of salt. As a full-time resident of Mexico, it isn't possible to discuss the recent swine flu outbreak without also addressing the ongoing drug wars. Listening to the media, you'd think severed heads were rolling through towns like tumbleweeds, instead of what is really happening: The police and military are battling it out with drug lords in border towns, far from popular tourism centers.
To put things in perspective, in 2005, 11,346 people were killed by gun violence in the United States and no travel warnings for America were issued vs. the roughly 2,100 people killed by Mexico's drug war in the last two years, the majority of those being police, military and drug dealers, not bystanders or tourists. Despite what the media wants you to think, the crime rates for cities like Puerto Vallarta and Cancun are far less than an American city of the same size. I feel safer in my Mexican neighborhood than I ever did living in the US and that includes feeling safe from disease.
Likewise with the swine flu; the only real repercussion I've experienced has been diminished lines at the bank and a better parking spot. Although parts of Mexico can be rustic, it is not a third-world country. There's modern medical care. There are hospitals and health services. It doesn't seem to matter to the media that the Mexican government was the first to identify the flu strain and worked quickly and effectively to contain the virus.
Now it turns out that swine flu isn't the end of the world, yet the effects of the media coverage of a virus which has killed fewer than 30 people in Mexico will be felt for a long time. Hopefully the next time something like this happens, there will be fewer Chicken Littles to yell that the sky is falling and a greater emphasis on facts instead of science fiction.
Robin Noelle is co-author of the upcoming Moon Puerto Vallarta, 8th edition
http://www.robin-noelle.com/

Punta Mita - Earth Day 4.22.09 weinies

April 22, Earth Day

The Blue Water Grill & Mark, will be hosting the last of the seasons Weinie Wednesday.

This has become de rigueur event in the Punta Mita social scene, a don't miss event...

Starts:

6:00 Nayarit.

The rules:

Mark is generous to us, providing a beautiful mesquite fire, tables and chairs...

You bring your wiennies and buns, plates and utensils, and a share dish.

Buy your drinks from Mark.

......Tell your friends, neighbors and vacationers even though you might not be here to attend.

Punta Mita/Playa Anclote new street redo a reality

Great news for the Punta de Mita and the whole beach area. The renovation of the Playa Anclote restaurant row street has been started. It includes a dedicated pedestrian walkway/malecon with stamped concrete for a brick and slate look. Ultimately it will have include palm trees and walk way lighting. Not only has the street been cosmetically improved, but it will now be one way traffic with no buses.

Hacienda Jalisco: Stepping Back in Time

by Robin Noelle
During my recent trip to the petite colonial town of San Sebastian, I was fortunate enough to stay the night at Hacienda Jalisco, an old Hacienda from the times when San Sebastian was a vibrant mining town. Indeed, San Sebastian used to be as bustling and wealthy as any major metropolis in Mexico, with almost 30,000 residents. The Spanish took over the mining operations and the town grew fat on profits from precious metals and gems, but when the mines closed, the people left for other places and now the town holds a mere 1,000 residents.
The only time the town is busy is when the tour buses from Puerto Vallarta bring up the tourists for a day trip. By mid-afternoon, the town is almost deserted again and it’s a perfect time for strolling the quaint streets and poking your head into little shops to buy some locally made jam or candy.
If you make the trip up there, don’t miss the opportunity to stay at Hacienda Jalisco, an original Hacienda that retains an authentic charm from days long past. From the moment you pass through the gates and cross the bridge to the Hacienda, you will feel as though you’ve been transported back in time. The sturdy building with great wooden shutters sits amid orchards of fruit trees and large gardens that supply much of the food for the hotel. The downstairs is a museum which is well worth a look even if you can’t spend the night. There are documents from the mining operation, including ledgers of payments to workers and accountings of the riches being sent back to Spain.
In other rooms you’ll find more recent history, much of it Hollywood related, as the Hacienda was a favorite of celebrities who came to spend time with the previous owner, who himself came from a Hollywood family. You’ll read personal correspondence from movie stars and dignitaries and see photos from Vallarta’s initial heyday when the Night of the Iguana was being filmed.
The rooms are spacious, with three suites on the upper floors, all containing great fireplaces for warmth during the cool winter months. There is no electricity in the building, just oil lamps for light but there is hot water in the modern bathrooms. The rooms are decorated with antiques and mementos, many found on site from the Hacienda’s previous incarnation as mining headquarters.Dinner and breakfast are served family style in the courtyard below and in the evenings, guests sit around the central bonfire sharing stories and visiting. It’s a homey, friendly kind of place and perfect for a romantic getaway or just for those seeking a little peace and quiet. In the morning, manager Joe Thompson takes guests on a tour of the grounds and shares some of the history of the area and the Hacienda. By the time you need to leave, you’ll be wishing for just a couple more nights of rustic solitude in the mountains. Hacienda Jalisco -- $80-90 includes breakfast and dinner www.HaciendaJalisco.com
Reservations through Pam Thompson: tel. 322/222-9638 or 322/107-7007

Platanitos: Picture Perfect

by Robin Noelle
If you are fortunate enough to drive up the verdant coast of Nayarit from Puerto Vallarta or other close-in destinations, make sure not to miss your chance to have lunch and enjoy the beach at Playa Platinitos (little bananas). Located approximately 27 km north of Las Varas, the little town just past Chacala, on the highway to San Blas, Platinitos is a wonderful place to stop and stretch your legs.
What initially drew me off the highway during my latest road trip was the brilliant glow of the estuary on the opposite side of the hill from the beach. If you turn and head down the hill, past the parking lot and palapas, and make a left onto the dirt road, you will soon find yourself with an incredible view of gleaming sand and the gently waving palms of Playa Las Tortugas, which is situated on the opposite side of the river mouth. You can get down to the estuary by car but if you keep going around the curve, you’ll find a fantastic photo opportunity of the beach, palms, ocean and probably several snowy egrets or herons.
Heading back to the beach the way you came in, you can park at one of the half dozen palapa restaurants that line the sandy little cove. The beach is clean and the waves are gentle, making this a good location for swimming and for families. Bring your own gear and you can snorkel the nearby rocks.
The chances are unless it’s Sunday, you’ll probably have the beach almost completely to yourself. There’s cold beer, great shrimp plates and clean restrooms in the restaurants and ample parking; what else could anyone want? If you ask nice, you might even be able to camp on the beach.

Nayarit Massage Studio

I recently received a great massage at Riki’s massage in Sayulita. She is a pro. Good for easing away muscular pains, tension and stress, stimulating blood circulation and creating a feeling of well-being. She uses many techniques like Deep Tissue, Swedish and Reflexology. She uses sesame oil blend enriched with sandalwood, lavender and bergamot essences . You can go to her studio in Sayulita (at reduced rates) or to your vacation rental. She will travel as far as Bucerias, La Cruz, Punta Mita, Litibu and San Pancho. Try it, you like it... tell her Sterling from DiscoverNayarit.com sent you . 100 Percent Deep Tissue Massage, Relaxation Massage, 30 Minute Massage, Pregnancy Massage, Reflexology, Rolf
Studio: 60 min. usd 60 Outcalls: 60 min. usd70

Ulrike (Riki) Kuhnert - US Certified Massage Therapist Practitioner of the Rolf Method/ Structural Integrationulrikekuhnert@hotmail.com Cell phone: (045) 322 134 2327 (preferred contact number)Studio: 329 291 3785