So far this summer, we’ve seen at least five hurricanes. Now that seems like a bad thing until you realize hurricanes push fish into the area. And with five of these scary beasts passing us, the fishing in Puerto Vallarta’s Bay of Banderas is returning to its famous self...
Last week, I raised my voice in a declaration of care. Today, I follow up—with a deeper vow... and a nod to BTO. E.Z.
"Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope."—Maya Angelou
They ask me why I care— Why...
Recap: Good Morning, From Here, July 05 - 11 Monday I finally got in to see Pacific Home last week - a new assisted living facility up in the mountainous jungle overlooking Puerto Vallarta. There are currently eight permanent residents, with space for 40 and potential for future development...
This July, we welcome the 7 frequency. And it's a complex, tricky one!
First, we get this 7 vibration by adding the 9 Universal Year to the 7th month of July. 9+7=16 - a karmic vibe of lack of self-love and appreciation – we reduce 16 by adding the 1+...
(Dracaena angolensis) Family: AsparagaceaeAlso known as: Bow String Hemp, Cylindrical Snake Plant, Elephant’s Toothpick, Skyline Spear, Sansevieria, and Spear SansevieriaOrigin: AngolaWritten about further in The Civilized Jungle, Volume I and The Medicinal Jungle, Volume I“With only the slightest imagination, both its most common name and that of Elephant’s Toothpick...
A few days ago, I felt moved to sit down near a coconut stand and “be,” and in my ‘being’ I get to observe life around me – to witness with equanimity.
I often get a clear feeling that I am supposed to be where I am being directed, and...
I’m not sure if there is a better time to walk around town than in the morning after a light rain. The air is fresh, the streets are clean, and people are all smiles. And this rain is long overdue. It was a dry year with too many fires.
I’m...
by Edward Potocek Big things are happening for the Vallarta School for Girls. On July 2, 2025, the school officially broke ground on its brand-new campus—a huge step forward for an organization that’s changing lives one girl at a time.
Just weeks after securing final permits on May 29, the...
Inspired by Andy Borowitz.
I speak not as an outsider,but as a neighbor.
A witness.
A fellow human beingwhose heart beats across borders.
I’ve lived among you.
Raised children in your schools.
Walked your streets.
And still,I feel the tremble of a nation on the edge—and I cannot stay silent.
This is not about lines on a...
Recap: Good Morning, From Here, June 28 - July 04 Monday I love my friends in Vallarta. They are many and varied, and if I poke hard enough, I will find a connection with someone I have just met to a mutual friend or acquaintance way down a back...
by Zhander P’ng It’s my last Saturday morning in Puerto Vallarta. Not forever, not exactly—but long enough to feel the shift. I say “sort of for good” because I’ve learned nothing is ever final. Nothing is ever truly “for good.” But this moment—this leaving—carries a weight. A softness. A...
Alexandrian Laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum) Family: ClusiaceaeAlso known as: Alexandrian Laurel Balltree, Beach Calophyllum, Beach Touriga, Beauty Leaf, Borneo-Mahogany, Dilo Oil Tree, Indian Laurel, Indian Doomba Oil Tree, Indian-laurel, Laurelwood, Mastwood, Red Poon, Satin Touriga, and Tacamahac TreeOrigin: Tropical East Africa to eastern Polynesia“Laurel would be incomplete without the addition...
“I am St. Germain, keeper of the violet flame. You who are in physical form right now are making such tremendous progress there, and you are doing so many obstacles, so many pitfalls, so many roadblocks, that sometimes those of us in the nonphysical are simply astounded by you....
This morning, I walked down Boulevard Madrid to Calle Juarez. I was headed for desayuno at Lulu’s with plans for coffee at Puerto Café afterward. I almost made it, but was distracted by something shiny at a nearby small appliance repair shop. I struck up a conversation with the...
by Michael HarrityHow it all started.Fifty years ago this past week, my two brothers, myself, and our parents landed in Guadalajara for a twelve-day Mexican adventure.
Our itinerary was six days in Guadalajara and six days in Puerto Vallarta. I had never even heard of either place. I was thirteen...
God in Drag follows last week’s piece. A reminder that the divine doesn’t just visit the holy places—it walks with us in all our contradictions. E.Z.
“Treat everyone you meet like God in drag.” – Ram Dass
We are all—God dressed in drag.
Yes.
Feathers, fishnets, fists raised in anger, eyes rimmed with...
Recap: Good Morning, From Here, June 21 - 27
Monday Happy Monday, if that's not oxymoronic.I was supposed to attend the Open House at Pacific Home on Saturday morning, but that has been postponed to early July. Evidently, there are road works, as in paving the street leading to the...
What a difference a week can make! All of a sudden, we see Puerto Vallarta's world-class fishing grounds come alive. No, it's not perfect, and remember, it's the start of Vallarta's 'high season for fishing'; we're finally moving into a typical summer fishing season pattern. So, conditions are more...
(Kalanchoe pinnata) Family: CrassulaceaeAlso known as: Cathedral Bells, Flaming Katy, Goethe Plant, Life Plant, and Miracle LeafOrigin: Asia, Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, Micronesia, Mascarenes, Melanesia, New Zealand, Philippines, Polynesia, and West Indies
Written further about in The Civilized Jungle, Volume III and The Medicinal Jungle, Volume IIThis character...
I was able to get in another walking trip around town before the rains. Today I came down from Colonia Los Flores to Café Bean. This is a place I like for world-class cappuccinos prepared by friendly and professional baristas.Typically, I would take time to savor the coffee, but...
