I came across this great photo of the Puerto Vallarta Cathedral and knew it had to be a featured photo on Puerto Vallarta Satellite! For anyone who’s ever tried to take a picture of this cathedral, you know how difficult it is because there isn’t the usual (for Mexico) big empty square in front where you can back up and get a good view of it. Instead it’s nestled in among other buildings.

I love the light and shadows that has been captured in this photo. It’s also great that the second most prominent thing in the picture is the Tatoo sign which really points out the contrast of this city!

Congratulations to chucogm for this photo of the week!

This picture does capture the character of the paleta (ice-cream bar) salesman who are all over Mexico.

If you’ve every wondered what the connection betweeen that state of Michoacan and ice cream is, check out the excellent book True Tales from Another Mexico by Sam Quinones.

In 16 chapters Quinones tells us 16 stories of a Mexico we don’t see as a tourist including the lively story of how the small village of Tocumbo in Michoacan came to so dominate the ice cream business.

Here’s his chapter outline for the ice cream story:

The Popsicle Kings of Tocumbo: In 1946, Ignacio Alcazar, a homeless waif from the village of Tocumbo, Michoacan, established an ice cream shop in downtown Mexico City. That shop he started is the most successful small-business idea in Mexico in the last half century, known across the country as “La Michoacana.” More than 10,000 Michoacana outlets exist around Mexico, most of them owned by people from his village of Tocumbo. Mexico City has more than 1,000 Michoacana outlets. No town with more than 1,000 residents is without one. Only Pemex, the state oil monopoly, has penetrated the country so completely. Tocumbo is “the wealthiest pueblo in Mexico,” in the words of one historian. This is the story of how illiterate rancheros found a way to prosper without having to leave Mexico for the United States.

And the great picture is our photo of the week on Puerto Vallarta Satellite.

Voladores de Papantla – Papantla Flyers

The Voladores de Papantla are

a Mexican tradition, they dance in order to please the Gods. A group of men are attached to a rope hanging from the top of a 50 feet pole. They come down from the pole, turning around with open arms and the head towards the earth. At the same time, one of them plays indian music with hand made wooden musical instruments. The flute represents the voice of birds. The “tambor” represents the voice of God. This dance is also a symbol of the 4 cardinal points. The pole represents Tlazoleotl, the godess of fertility. The main dancer, the musician, dances on top of the pole and turns first to the East, the origin of the world. Each “volador” turns 13 times around the pole. 13 circles multiplied by 4, for a total of 52 circles. According to the Mayan calendar, every 52 years make a solar cycle. And every 52 weeks make a year, that gives birth to a new sun so that life may go on.

The “voladores” risk ther lives in this spiritual gift to the gods so that the Earth is filled with joy and the new sun can come to life.”

— quote from baxtion.com/us/mx/papantla_flyers.htm.

The photo is a beautiful capture at sunset from the Puerto Vallarta malecón by photofool and it is our photo of the week here on Puerto Vallarta Satellite.

Performances of the Papantla Flyers, take place every Saturday and Sunday nights at 6, 6:30, 8, 8:30, 9 and 10pm, on the malecón, adjacent to the “Boy on a Seahorse” statue.

This picture really captures the feeling of a local Mexican bus. Of course the 1st class intercity buses don’t have any of this character but if you take a local bus or a 2nd class bus, the drivers character will certainly stand out.

Most have the obligatory crucifix, although in some cases the playboy bunny is the icon of choice.

And why can’t American drivers make change if Latin American drivers can?

This is the photo of the week here on Puerto Vallarta Satellite!

Find it on the map: Bucerias.

Parasailers are an everpresent view from the beach in Puerto Vallarta so it is nice to see this shot from the other side.

Sure looks high up there! And it sure captures the feeling that I remember from when I’ve done it. Although I’m not sure I would’ve taken my camera.

So this is the photo of the week here on Puerto Vallarta Satellite News.

I like this simple image from Puerto Vallarta.

One of the many stairs in this hillside town.

And so this is my picture of the week. If you click on the image you’ll get to the Flickr page for this photo where you can navigate to several other interesting images from this photographer by clicking on the links in the photo notes.

This beautiful capture of the Seahorse Statue on the Malecón at sunset by Rachel P is the photo of the week here on Puerto Vallarta Satellite News.

This statue is found just a couple blocks north of the Plaza Principal and is one of the many piece of public sculpture in Puerto Vallarta.

Do you have a photo you think would be a good photo of the week? Submit it to info@puertovallartasatellite.com.

Find it on the map: Seahorse Statue.

It’s a new feature on Puerto Vallarta Satellite. Photo of the week. So I start with this photo I took last year at the Ritmo Beach Café (aka Green Chairs) at Playa de los Muertos.

If you’ve got a photo you’d like to add for photo of the week, please send me a link to the photo on Flickr (preferably) or, if you don’t have a Flickr account and don’t want to set one up, then email me the photo for consideration.

Cheers, Doug.