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Weekly News & Information for Rincķn de Guayabitos, La Peņita, Los Ayala,
La Colonia, and the surrounding towns in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
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Jaltemba Bay
Life Newsletter
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The Jaltemba Bay Life Newsletter is created and sponsored by: JaltembaBayLife.com
Receive our weekly newsletter chock full
of information, articles, holidays, upcoming events, and more.
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To see what's going
on in the area, view our Community Calendar. And while you're there, add your upcoming event... it's free!
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To share or search for information, or to ask questions about the Jaltemba Bay area, check out the Jaltemba Bay Folk Forum
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Jaltemba Bay Life is a community website for Rincķn de Guayabitos, La Peņita, Los Ayala, and La Colonia, which are all located in the heart of the beautiful Riviera Nayarit, Mexico.
Our goal is to provide the most up-to-date information for the entire Jaltemba Bay area. If you have news or information you want to add, or a story you'd like to share, please email us!
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welcome / bienvenidos
Welcome to all 704 subscribers of the Jaltemba Bay Life Newsletter, and many more who view it on our sponsor site, Jaltemba Bay Life, and our forum. The street paving around the plaza in La Peņita was completed this past weekend, just in time for the Carnaval festivities to begin. What a fabulous improvement it is! And speaking of Carnaval, I just realized that I neglected to include a link to the event poster in last week's newsletter (click here to view). Due to the incredible number of posts on our forum about recent ATM issues, David has contacted several Bancomer officials to inform them about our concerns and to work with them to come up with a solution. Read the complete article below. And if you are thinking about selling your house, there's only one week left to take advantage of our "Advertise Your Real Estate By-Owner SALE" (see details at the bottom of the newsletter). Saludos! Allyson Williams and David Thompson Owners, JaltembaBayLife.com
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If you enjoy taking pictures, email us some of your favorite photos taken in and around the Jaltemba Bay area. Please include the photographer's name, a brief description of the photo and/or where it was taken, and a title for the photo. We will feature photos as we receive them.
"Nature's Great Disguise"
by Tosia Archer
What's your guess... leaf or praying mantis? Photo taken near Tosia's home in La Peņita.
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Banking Information for the Jaltemba Bay Area Residents and Visitors
By David Thompson
There have been numerous incidents reported on the Jaltemba Bay Folk Forum lately regarding compromised cards or monies lost (or at least held on reserve) as a result of using the ATM machines in the area, specifically at Bancomer In La Peņita. I have also fallen victim to this increasing occurrence of malfunctioning ATMs, so I decided to take on the task of finding out the whole story. I expressed all of our frustrations and bewilderments for these incidents to the management at the La Peņita branch of Bancomer, the nearby Bucerias branch, and the main office in Mexico City. The responses from Bucerias and Mexico City were both informational and encouraging. The staff at the Bucerias branch was sympathetic to our situation and is more than willing to answer any and all questions we might have, and has offered to assist anyone who is having problems. For your information, there are a few people there that speak good English. The main office in Mexico City seemed surprised at my inference that there was something seriously wrong at the La Peņita branch and vowed to look into it. In researching the posts on our forum, I found that most people reported that their cards had been compromised and that they could no longer use them, not that their card had actually incurred any erroneous charges. The biggest problem was the inconvenience. The banks "back home" are pretty quick to label our cards compromised without being able to give us proof. This I know of first hand, as my card was stopped on my trip down here in September. It happened somewhere between Oklahoma and Texas but the bank could not tell me of any instances where there were erroneous charges, only that they thought my card had been compromised. Because of this, my card was stopped. I only discovered that there was an issue when I next attempted to use it. The card-issuing bank sent a new card via UPS to our home here in Guayabitos which took approximately 5 days. Back to my discussion with the main office in Mexico City... My discussions covered the numerous reports on our forum about phantom ATM charges and the process of recovering funds. I was told that owners of ATMs have no ability to access any clients' accounts outside of their own particular bank for any verification purposes. They also contended that they had no ability to look into any reported ATM malfunctions. Only the branch bank (owner of the ATMs) can monitor their particular ATMs. To report a problem, it must be done with the card-issuing bank which will jointly investigate with the ATM's owner bank and issue you a credit when deemed appropriate. It is obvious that the local Bancomer branch is having problems with their ATMs. Their ATMs could well be the busiest in the entire Bancomer system. Having the ATM stolen a few months ago from Retorno Laureles in Guayabitos put another strain on the system. Last week the director of the La Peņita bank told me that they had ordered a new ATM for that location, and as witnessed this week a new ATM has been installed and should be operating soon. To further add to the problem, the ATM located at Crico's Grocery in Guayabitos has not been operating because of some electronic connection issue, and the ATM near the south end of Guayabitos (not owned by Bancomer) was removed for lack of usage. There are currently 5 ATMs located in the Jaltemba Bay area: ģ 2 located at Bancomer in La Peņita; ģ 1 located at the Pemex station between Guayabitos and La Peņita; ģ 1 located at the Crico grocery store in Guayabitos; ģ 1 located on Retorno Laureles in Guayabitos. For those of us who reside here, the best solution (albeit not necessarily the easiest or most convenient) is to open an account at the local Bancomer branch, have a debit card issued, and withdraw at will from the ATM machines. If you have a problem, simply walk back into the bank and they will take care of it without too much fanfare. To open an account, you will need either your passport, FM2, or FM3, and a copy of your CFE (electric) bill or Telmex (telephone) bill indicating your name and local address. This is a simple procedure for residents! Non-residents, on the other hand, will still have to use their debit cards, traveler's checks, carry lots of US or Canadian dollars for exchange at the Cambios, or consider using one of the local Western Union offices to have money wired to them. There are 2 Cambios in La Peņita and 2 Western Union offices (see map link below). Due to the new banking restrictions by the Mexican government, all banks are extremely restricted in accepting US Dollars. Dollars, however, can be deposited into an active account in small quantities not to exceed $1,500 USD per month. My last conference call with the main office of Bancomer in Mexico City and the La Peņita branch ended with the Director of our branch saying he would solve any problems with their ATMs. And my last email from the main office in Mexico City stated that because of my insistence that the problem be rectified, they were going to follow up using internal correspondence to insure us a satisfactory outcome. In conclusion, the culprit turned out to be a faulty credit card reader found on one of the ATMs at the La Peņita branch. It has been replaced so we should finally be back to normal. It was fortunate that I was able to find a sympathetic ear at the main office in Mexico City. Let's see what the future will bring for our community now that we again have cash to spend. ATM locations and information are always listed on Jaltemba Bay Life under " Money, Credit Cards & Tipping". We've also just included icons for Banks, ATMs, the Cambio, and Western Unions on all of our maps so you can easily find where they're located. For your information, here are the names of those I contacted: ģ Sr. Juan Carlos Plascencia, Director, Bancomer La Peņita ģ (327) 274-0237 ģ Sra. Laura Garibay, Bancomer Bucerias (329) 298-3996 x11 ģ Sra. Maribel Salazar, Preferred Customer Department, ģ Bancomer Mexico City (800) 228-2728
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Events are a wonderful way to immerse yourself in, and learn about, the Mexican culture. Here is a list of upcoming holidays, festivals, events, and activities worth planning around. Also check out our Community Calendar for a complete list of what's going on in the Jaltemba Bay area. If you have information about an event, please email us so we can include it in our next issue.
This Week
Monday-Tuesday, March 7-8
Carnaval (Carnival)
Carnaval continues through Tuesday of this week. Click here to view the 2011 Carnaval Poster with a full list of Carnaval-related activities in our area.
ģ Monday, March 7: There is a cultural event in the plaza in La Peņita starting at 6pm, with an international Decameron show, regional folkloric dancing, charras, and more.
ģ Tuesday, March 8: The Carnaval Parade starts at 9am in La Peņita with floats, rodeo clowns, horses, princesses, the queen and king, and more. The Carnaval festivities close with live bands starting at 4pm. It's Fat Tuesday, so get out there and have fun!
Wednesday-Friday, March 9-11
Live English Theatre Returns to Jaltemba Bay
The Peņita Players present an evening of comedy theatre for three performances, with proceeds going to three great causes... ģ March 9: Piņa Colada Restaurant in Guayabitos. Dinner is at 6pm followed by the show at about 7:30pm. Latecomers will be seated at the first appropriate opportunity. Cover charge/donation of $25 pesos for show, proceeds go to Rotary Club's kindergarden construction project. ģ March 10: Xaltemba Restaurant in La Peņita. Doors open for dinner at 5pm with last seating at 7:30pm; show starts at 8:30pm. Cover charge/donation of $25 pesos for show, proceeds go to Los Amigos de La Peņita Education committee. ģ March 11: La Peņita RV Park in La Peņita. Pizza dinner (by reservation for non-park residents) at 6pm; show starts at 7pm. Cover charge/donation of $25 pesos for show, proceeds go to the Jaltemba Foundation.
These hour-long comedy shows will fill your already well-filled bellies with laughter. Our six performers have prepared nine scenes on topics running the gamut of real-life experiences, ranging from dating disasters to technical difficulties. The Peņita Players began entertaining in the Jaltemba Bay area in 2004 at Kathy's Restaurant, then in 2009 at Backstreet Restaurant, and are tickled to re-emerge with our largest and zaniest ensemble ever. Join us for these fun-filled evenings of entertainment. Don't delay, phone your restaurant to book your seats now!
Thursday, March 10
Los Ayala's Season Finale Party
Support Mayor Romy Mora in her quest to make a difference to the community of Los Ayala and raise monies to improve the streets of Los Ayala. See article below for full details >>
Saturday, March 12
Basket-Making Workshops
The Los Amigos Recycling Committee will be holding Basket-Making Workshops on these upcoming Saturdays: March 12 and March 19. The workshops will start at 10am, and will be held at Calle Allende #162 in La Peņita. Please bring gloves and wire cutters if you have them, and your friends! Directions from Highway 200: Go 200 meters north of the main street/La Avenida in La Peņita (towards Tepic). On the left side of the highway, you will see Pollo Feliz. Turn right and go 2 blocks up the hill (the street name is not shown). The house is salmon colored.
Sunday, March 13
 Benefit for Children of San Pancho
Everyone from San Pancho and the surrounding communities is invited to this fundraising event for the children and the San Pancho Church. There will be dancing horses, bull riding, charros demonstrating their roping skills, mechanical bull, games for the children, and plenty of delicious food and drink. They will also have lots of music with bands, dancing, and a raffle with an amazing grand prize of a cow. Tickets are only $100 pesos. Children 12 and under are welcome to attend for free as long as they are supervised. All proceeds will go towards completing a children's room where over 100 children will learn Catechism and participate in church-related events. The event will run from 3pm to the wee hours, and will be held at Jose Reyes' Pavilion on the west side of Hwy. 200 about 1km before the entrance to San Pancho. Stop by Piņa Colada Restaurant in Guayabitos to buy tickets or to pick up a flier with additional information. Come join us, and wear your best cowboy outfit (hat, boots, etc.) and bring your camera. If you can't make it, buy a ticket or two as a donation. Hope to see you there!
* Indicates possible non-working holidays.
** Schools, banks, post offices, and other public government offices
are closed during these Mexican National Holidays.
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FEATURED EVENT
Cruising for Los Ayala
Thursday, March 10
Los Ayala's Season Finale Party
with Juan-Ted & the Amazing Rhythm Roosters!
Support Mayor Romy Mora in her quest to make a difference to the community of Los Ayala! We will be cruising Jaltemba Bay, Punta Raza, and Lo de Marcos on Los Ayala's Gran Fiesta in order to raise monies to improve the streets of Los Ayala. This event is part of the government "3 for 1 Program" so every peso raised will be matched!
 The cost is $500 pesos per person, which includes the cruise and one drink on board the Gran Fiesta, plus lunch and two national drinks at the Boca del Rio. Tickets are available in Los Ayala (Villas Marena, Bungalows Las Iguana, Casa Contenta, Restaurant Charly, and from Romy, Christina, and Linda); in Guayabitos (George's Three Flags Coffee Shop and Latitude 21); and in La Penita (Hamaca Maya).
Meet on Los Ayala beach in front of Villas Marena (the yellow condominium complex - #45 Coral Avenue) at 9:30 a.m. The event runs from 10am-3pm. For more information call Romy at (327) 274-0611 or Christina at (327) 274-3516.
Photos by Christina Stobbs
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Upcoming
March 30-April 2
JBAR Spay & Neuter Clinic -- Lo de Marcos
This clinic will be held at Villa del Mar #40 (esquina con San Marcos, cerca de Telmex) in Lo de Marcos. If possible, please print a few copies of the poster to post or hand out in the Jaltemba Bay area to help promote this clinic. The link to the poster can be found on the new JBAR page on Jaltemba Bay Life. For more information, email Ana Embury.
April 2-3
Guayafest 2011 (Annual VW Show)
Mark your calendars for this fun 2-day event. Each year, the plaza in Guayabitos is jam-packed with Volkswagens of all makes and models. More information to follow in upcoming issues of our newsletter.
April 6-9
 JBAR Spay & Neuter Clinic --
La Peņita
The next Jaltemba Bay Animal Rescue (JBAR) Spay & Neuter Clinic will be held on April 6-9. Roger Murphy has graciously donated his home at Avenida Libertad #51 in La Penita for the Clinic site. We are still looking for people to donate lunches, snacks, water, etc. for the dedicated volunteers. If you are interested, please contact Lin Chimes (see email below).
JBAR Clinics are offered to the public for free, so donations are always needed and greatly appreciated. Please plan on helping by volunteering your time; offering refreshments, snacks, lunches, and dinners; purchasing dog and cat food, flea medication; and/or donating supplies or monetary contributions. For more information, email Lin Chimes or view the new JBAR page on Jaltemba Bay Life. And while you're there, please print some posters to distribute in the area. Thank you!
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Ongoing
Mondays:
Tianguis in Guayabitos
The Tianguis in Guayabitos runs every Monday in the Guayabitos Plaza (map) from 8am-1pm or so. While this open-air market is smaller than the one held in La Peņita on Thursdays, the atmosphere is lively, the location is perfectly shaded by the large trees throughout the plaza, and you will find just about anything you are looking for... plus you can stroll to the beach afterward for a bite to eat and an ice-cold beer (or two) at one of the many great restaurants nearby.
Los Amigos de La Peņita
Meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month (see this weeks' schedule change above) at Restaurante La Palapa de Guty located at Circuito Libertad #4 in La Peņita (on the street along the waterfront). There is a social gathering at 6:30pm, with the formal meeting starting at 7pm. All meetings start on time and are limited to an hour and a half. The agenda will be posted in advance on the Jaltemba Bay Folk Forum. Everyone is welcome to come and find out what Los Amigos is all about.
Get Fit with Guayabitos Yoga
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Now - March 30, 2011
Try these wonderful, outdoor classes taught right next to the estuary and close to the beach, with beautiful birds all around. If you are a beginner, come out and give it a try. Many men and women have had their first yoga experience here, and most of them love it and what it does for them. They get stronger, become more flexible, and improve their balance. They also feel more relaxed and enjoy life more. If you are an experienced yogi, you'll find that the advanced options will keep you challenged and motivated. Everyone moves at his or her own pace. Certified Teacher, Agneta Dyck, offers classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:30am and 9am, at Flamingos #39, Zona Residencial in Guayabitos (map). The cost is $50 pesos a class, $60 pesos if you need a mat. For more information, call Agneta at (327) 274-3247 or (322) 140-3684 (cell) or visit the Guayabitos Yoga site. Come one, come all, it's going to be a healthy, happy year!
Wednesdays:
Rotary Club of Jaltemba Bay
Rotary Club meets Wednesday mornings at 7:30am at Piņa Colada Restaurant in Guayabitos. Members enjoy social time over breakfast with an official meeting beginning promptly at 8am. Various community leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs, and artists are invited as guest speakers to give members a better understanding of the region they serve.
Thursdays:
Tianguis in La Peņita
The Tianguis (open-air market) is held every Thursday in and around the Plaza in La Peņita (map) from 8am-1pm or so. It is "the" place to be and be seen on Thursdays... and to shop for silver jewelry, pottery, linens and tableclothes, glassware, Talavera plates and sinks, Huichol Indian artwork, and Oaxacan rugs and black clay pottery. You can buy everything from dried chiles, fresh fruits and veggies, homemade breads, and locally-produced honey and coffee beans, to new and used clothing, kitchen accessories, blender and stove parts, and just about anything else you can think of. The market in La Peņita is one of the largest and most well-known markets in the entire area.
Casa Cooking Classes
Now - March 31, 2011
Join Debra Triplett and Elizabeth Nunez Leon for their authentic Mexican cooking classes. Debra and her husband, Glen, own and manage Casa de los Pelicanos Bed & Breakfast in Guayabitos (map). "Betty" is originally from Guadalajara and owns a catering business here in Jaltemba Bay. Watch & Learn: Each class will focus on a traditional Mexican meal using the freshest local foods with additional information on ingredients, utensils, and techniques. Eat & Enjoy: Savor authentic Mexican foods that you have learned to make at home. Bring a Friend: Enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of food, friends, and learning. The 3rd Series will be held on Thursdays from February 24-March 31. Three Tuesday classes have also been added, and will be taught by a "Special Guests Chef". For more information and to reserve your space, contact Debra at (327) 274-2030 or email her.
Sundays:
Breakfast Brunch at Tiffany's Cafe
Join Tom and Paul for Brunch every Sunday at El Panorama B&B Villa Hotel in La Peņita ( map). Brunch is served at 10am on the back terrace and includes your choice of homemade quiche or savory omelet, bacon, toasted bagel, fresh fruit, granola & yogurt, glass of juice, and a cup of coffee for $120 pesos per person. We've added a new Continental Menu with toasted bagel, granola & yogurt, fresh fruit, coffee and juice for only $90 pesos. 10% of the proceeds go to the Jaltemba Bay Animal Rescue (JBAR). RSVP only before Sunday. To make your reservation, call (327) 274-3499 or email. Please include your menu choice.
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 Casa de Shoe San Franciso (San Pancho)
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 Casa Tequila Guayabitos, Residential Zone
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 Villas Marenas Condos Los Ayala
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Advertise your Home, Condo, Lot,
or other Real Estate Property for a One-Time Fee of Only $300!
(That's a Savings of $195 USD)!
Let's face it. Real estate isn't exactly selling like hotcakes these days. So why not let Jaltemba Bay Life help promote your property? Call or email us by March 15th to list your home, condo, apartment, lot, land, or other real estate property for a low one-time fee of only $300 USD. Here are the details... - You advertise "By Owner" so there are no commissions or Realtor fees.
- Your listing runs until your property sells.
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- We will include a link to your property in the "Featured Real Estate" section of our newsletter for FREE!
Contact us today to take advantage of this fantastic offer! email: Allyson@JaltembaBayLife.com
phone: (327) 274-1150
Ready to get started? List your Real Estate NOW
| | Offer Expires: March 15, 2011 |
We want to THANK YOU for taking the time to read this issue of the Jaltemba Bay Life Newsletter. We are very proud of our new website, Jaltemba Bay Life, and have been working hard to provide you with the most up-to-date and informative site for both locals and visitors to the area. We stand by our product and our commitment to the community -- that's why all fees are 100% money-back guaranteed! If you own a business, hotel, vacation rental, and/or have real estate to sell, we hope you will consider advertising on our site. You'll be listed in our directories and be seen by hundreds of locals and visitors each and every day. We value your opinions and feedback. Please contact us if you have comments or suggestions about how we can make our community website even better!  phone: (327) 274-1150 email: Allyson@JaltembaBayLife.com |
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