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Wow! is all I have time to say about the hectic pace we reporters are experiencing this month, with so many incredible events occurring simultaneously. The third Vallarta Cup golf challenge just wrapped November 13 and the first Film Festival of the Americas a day later. Due to time constraints, I got to see just a few of the more than four-dozen movies shown, but have already promised myself to set the week aside next year to take in a lot more of everything the festival offers, including fascinating conferences with directors, filmmakers and producers, brunches, lunches, dinners, parties, musical events, fashion shows, art exhibits, celebrity golf and much more. A lot of planning and hard work went into what turned out to be a very successful event. And I and many others would love to see it become an important film festival like Sundance albeit with much better weather because it’s not only interesting and food for thought, but an exciting kick start to the high season.
And the delicious tenth Festival Gourmet International began with a bang on November 11, the lively and beautifully presented World Chefs’ Reception Cocktail introducing the 25 visiting chefs who will work their magic with our local chefs at an equal number of fine eateries. The smartly outfitted, 90-member-strong Zacatecas Symphony Orchestra made an amazing first impression as I stepped into the reception salon, where I sampled traditional Mexican appetizers and quaffed Corona and Cuervo. The festival continues with a full roster of food and drink-related activities until November 19, wrapping with a gala dinner on the beach that I’m really looking forward to and will tell you about next time.
And last but not least, the forty-ninth Annual Sailfish and Marlin Tournament runs November 17 20, drawing anglers from around the world to the marine wealth our waters contain.
What a great time to be in Puerto Vallarta! And apparently lots of folks agree, the town noticeably busier these past couple of weeks. Many snowbirds are already back for their six-month stint in the sun, some of whom probably read the same article that I did in the November 2 “USA Today,” talking about the medical attention available to travelers at several US airports with flights to Puerto Vallarta, including New York’s JFK, Newark, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver and Chicago. Even if you just pull a muscle from carrying too much luggage and need a pain reliever, and certainly if you have chest pains or some other dicey medical symptoms, it’s good to know you needn’t wait until arriving at your destination to get expert medical attention. According to the paper, most of these airport medical centers are equipped with X-ray machines and some, Los Angeles and New York included, never close. The three-floor medical center at LAX has eight emergency beds and handles about 48,000 patients a year, while JFK has 25 examining rooms and is equipped with a sonogram that detects blood clots occasionally resulting from sitting on long flights without moving around.
If you have any comments, questions or suggestions about what you’re reading, you’re encouraged to let me know at heather@mexmags.com.
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