Categoría: 365 Fun Things To Do In Puerto Vallarta

Many years ago, when we arrived in Puerto Vallarta and began enlightening and enjoyable observations, we rarely saw anyone riding a bicycle. If we did spot a bike, it would often be supporting well more than one rider. A man usually pumped the pedals with someone on the handlebars, often a person hanging on the back and sometimes another on the crossbar in front of the rider. Not kidding. The most we ever saw on a bicycle was five. A mama had a baby strapped to her back; an entire family just as we would pile the crew into an SUV and make sure they are all buckled up. A single rider would have been on a stripped down machine, pedaling like mad, baseball cap turned backward to protect the ever exposed neck from the beating sun.

Though there have been, in past decades, triathlons and other races through the Sierra Madres, lone bicyclists commuting and joyriding have been scarce.

Finding a bike shop in Puerto Vallarta, it was necessary to wind through the streets to the top of Gingo Gulch to find B-B-B Bobby’s, where all (or at least the most important) needs for bicycle enthusiasts could be found. Alas, when Bobby passed away, there were few places to compare to his.

Things have changed.

Bikes can be rented at a number of shops around town; bike repair and accessories add to a growing commerce in Puerto Vallarta. Bike tours are all the rage and it’s no longer necessary to schlep one’s own equipment, sometimes adding phenomenal amounts to airfare. Up and down the coastal corridor on Highway 200, enthusiasts will find an abundance of shops willing to sell, rent, repair and suggest areas to explore. Nor is there a shortage of willing tour guides. Ask at any of the local tiendas or tallers (store and repair shops) and you will be led to enthusiasts who not only know the terrain but are also very familiar with the flora and fauna, eagerly willing to share their knowledge.

We need to make whatever contributions possible to the nurturing of our environment and be as green as we can be. Less and less Hummers and more and more bicycles show Puerto Vallarta on the cutting edge of environmental progress.

A friend recently visited Denmark, where hearts and bicycles are national symbols. She exclaimed while in the city of Copenhagen “Wow, all the bicycles!” And they have the right-of-way. Imagine Puerto Vallarta with less taxis, busses, fumes and accidents. A certain trust level exists with bikers, as well. To steal a person’s bicycle is akin to stealing a horse.

Que es cómo es.

September 5, 2013

Taniel Chemsian

Timothy Real Estate Group

Dear Taniel,

Gina and I sincerely appreciate your guidance and efforts in representing us in buying what we think is an outstanding property in Puerto Vallarta.

Your insights of the Banderas Bay real-estate market, specifically the characteristics of Puerto Vallarta neighborhoods that would match our expectations, the price-value equation related to the properties we viewed, and off-course your amazing negotiation skills were instrumental in closing this amazing deal.

We also thank you for how effortless you made the entire experience of closing this deal…from notary to title to the transfer of funds, appreciate your after closing follow through.

It is a genuine pleasure to get to know you…both professionally and personally.  As we will become part-time resident of PV, we look forward to seeing you more often.

Warmest Regards,

Friends who recently moved south for the winter have begun to settle into their new homes and several more are on their way. These people have begun to realize the benefits of south-of-the-border living in Puerto Vallarta and shed the fears that had been created by clever media.

Shopping was a challenge until they realized how simple it is to flag down a taxi, and the abundance of grocery stores in the hotel zone. Prices are amazing and the adjustment to pesos will be a gradual process that soon will make sense and feel like a profit is being made. Our friends even bring their own bags and have been duly informed regarding the tipping of baggers in the local stores.

We long ago eschewed the term maid and have what we prefer to refer to as a housekeeper. Maid sounds a bit too privileged and though we realize how lucky we are to have the opportunity to live in Puerto Vallarta, we also practice a certain degree of humility. We have been chastised by others for overpaying but we won’t get into that argument here. We also are delighted to have no food go to waste and our housekeeper is happy to relieve us of hunks of cheese before they go off and heads of lettuce that have yet to wither.

Hiring help is not only accepted; it’s expected. Providing jobs for locals helps the economy and gives us free time for the pursuits of early retirement that we are obligated to fulfill.

Another name for housekeeper in Spanish is ama de llaves, which translates to “she who has the keys.” The lady who works for us had possessed her own set of keys since shortly after we hired her. This gives us freedom to come and go without needing to rearrange schedules and always have someone at home. We were aware enough to ask if she was okay with the pup, before we asked her to work for us. Some Mexicans are afraid of dogs, since in many homes in Puerto Vallarta a dog is meant as a guard.

It is quite uncouth to ask a person who works for your neighbor if they would like to work for you. This type of behavior has a name. Stealing. The best approach is to ask your neighbor if their housekeeper has any extra time and would perhaps like to pick up extra work.

Our lady works for us twice a week, does laundry and spends about four hours a day. We pay her 600 pesos per week plus the extras we mentioned above. The big bonus is her connections to brothers, sons, uncles, etc, when we need assistance with bigger jobs. It’s a dream come true.

Que es cómo es.

Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with a strategic location in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta in the Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Because the Puerto Vallarta area has varying neighborhood personalities, we practice localized real estate. We believe neighborhood knowledge is a top factor in solid sales, and we know our communities well.

We enable our clients to realize their vision for the future.  We understand and plan for their concerns and are dedicated to transforming those concerns to peace of mind and joy.

Our philosophy of transparency, integrity, and professionalism imbues our culture with a tangible sense of purpose and results in the length and depth of the quality relationships we enjoy.  We believe buying or selling a home is first and foremost about people. Of course we have the latest technology, marketing tools, statistics and research, but a successful real estate transaction really comes down to people. Connecting the right buyers to sellers or investors our professional agents structure solid transactions with successful solid outcomes.  We believe in collaboration by connecting people in ways that bring satisfaction and success.

When you combine extensive local knowledge and our long standing reputation for honesty and sound judgment, you have an unbeatable resource at your disposal.  You have Timothy Real Estate Group, a constant leader in Puerto Vallarta real estate.

Each year Semana Santa in Puerto Vallarta brings more people, bigger cars and fewer parking spaces. Though many of our contemporaries either hide out at home or leave town for the duration, we love to wander around and enjoy the activities. A stroll along Los Muertos Beach in Puerto Vallarta on Good Friday afternoon exposes a swelling mass of humanity, gathered together in the name of Holiness. Taxis, beer trucks, tour buses and cars jockey alongside transit police, bomberos and thickly uniformed federales. Battery operated radios turned up full blast compete with quaking bass speakers in passing trucks, strolling minstrels, honking horns and blasting sirens, babies squalling, children squealing, the tide rumbling in and out, and the general hum of laughter and excited voices. We love it all! The briny smell of the sea combines with shrimp, fresh fish and chicken roasted over open fires, the smoldering clouds hover above the throng. While walking down side streets toward the beach, the smell of stale urine, mixed with heaps of fruit rinds in piles on corners waiting for garbage trucks to make their rounds poses juxtaposition to our olfactory senses. This is Mexico and these are Mexicans taking pleasure in their most important holiday in Puerto Vallarta. The influx grows every year; for a small handful of days the city is nearly bursting at the seams. Vallartenses have been extremely proud of the development of their city and tourism has long been the goal. Transplants are quick to criticize the local administration but Puerto Vallarta is one the most progressive cities in the country, perhaps the continent. During the 1970’s the government at both local and federal levels worked diligently to legalize the acquisition of land by foreign enterprises and individuals. This opened the door to hotel conglomerates, large corporations and above all, gave security to ex-patriots.

Many establishments have been torn down over the decades, replaced by newer construction; newcomers are none the wiser. While perusing travel websites one finds praise for Vallarta’s ability to maintain a modern façade while incorporating character of the past. Though many of us who’ve maintained residence in Puerto Vallarta know how contentious much of this new development is, a tourist is more likely to simply benefit from the day to day ambience and activities. Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful city. She has sustained hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, the whims of politics and architecture and an influx of many tourists who decided to stay. If she is bursting at the seams, she surely will need a new pair of pants. The last thing we want the lady to do is go on a diet.

Que es cómo es.

Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with a strategic location in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta in the Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Because the Puerto Vallarta area has varying neighborhood personalities, we practice localized real estate. We believe neighborhood knowledge is a top factor in solid sales, and we know our communities well.

We enable our clients to realize their vision for the future.  We understand and plan for their concerns and are dedicated to transforming those concerns to peace of mind and joy.

Our philosophy of transparency, integrity, and professionalism imbues our culture with a tangible sense of purpose and results in the length and depth of the quality relationships we enjoy.  We believe buying or selling a home is first and foremost about people. Of course we have the latest technology, marketing tools, statistics and research, but a successful real estate transaction really comes down to people. Connecting the right buyers to sellers or investors our professional agents structure solid transactions with successful solid outcomes.  We believe in collaboration by connecting people in ways that bring satisfaction and success.

When you combine extensive local knowledge and our long standing reputation for honesty and sound judgment, you have an unbeatable resource at your disposal.  You have Timothy Real Estate Group, a constant leader in Puerto Vallarta real estate.