More Puerto Vallarta videos: http://www.TVPuertoVallarta.com

The images of crime, violence and mayhem along the Mexico United States border are continually reinforced by some politicians and radio and TV announcers. According to the Center for American Progress these stories are simply sensationalized and half truths at best. “The facts do not support the claims”, says Marshall Fitz, Director of Immigration Policy at the Center for American Progress, “The border is safer than ever before.” He also states that an influx of manpower, technology and physical infrastructure have enhanced the Border Patrol’s ability to keep the situation stable and safe.

Despite the facts, the words, crossing the Mexican border, spark apprehension, especially if driving is involved. However, many Puerto Vallarta locals make the journey several times per year.

“It is not that big of deal,” says Robina Oliver. She drives across the US – Mexican border as many as six times in a year. She goes on to say, “My husband and I cross in Nuevo Laredo and there is varying amounts of traffic, depending on the time of day and the day of the week and if it’s a holiday period or not. The longest we have ever waited was about 40 minutes and the shortest we ever waited was about three minutes. When actually crossing the border, there are several lanes and you just choose a lane and you get up there and the custom agents look at your passport and they want to look at your car and see what you have in your trunk and that’s it, you’re in.”

The line separating the United States and Mexico stretches close to two-thousand miles and is the most frequently crossed international border in the world, with about 250 million people making their way across every year.

“We’ve never really encountered any problems at the border at all,” says Robina, “We’ve never seen any issues, nothing, ever. I mean obviously you read about things but, we have never witnessed any of that ourselves.”

Robina and Carlos suggest using common sense when traveling on the road in Mexico or the United States.

“We start early like 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning,” says Carlos Vasquez, “We drive about 12 hours and we don’t drive at night. We sleep over and the next day, the same thing again.” It takes two days to get from the city to Austin, Texas, which is their US destination. They cross in Laredo and really enjoy the drive.

Both are animated when they talk about the different scenery the encounter on their journey and it really changes from the sea level features of Puerto Vallarta to the mountains around Guadalajara. Robina says, “The roads are good, they are straight, they are flat, they are not full of pot holes and we usually travel the free roads, el libre, from Guadalajara to Saltillo to Monterrey and from Monterrey we take the quota or toll roads because it gets really congested there with a lot of 18-wheeler trucks.”

They enjoy the picturesque little towns along the way and stopping at their favorite burrito stand about an hour north of Guadalajara. Mexico is country where there are a lot of things to see on the road. Carlos says he feels safe while driving because there are plenty of Federales on the highways.

The U S State Department’s warnings about travel to Mexican border towns such as Juarez, Tijuana and Matamoras should be taken seriously and it is recommended you drive through these border towns early in the morning and get through as quickly as possible. When driving stay alert, keep your map handy and chances are good your journey will be happy and safe.

Segment By: Video Diva Productions, Puerto Vallarta
http://www.VideoDivaProductions.com

Duration : 0:3:6

Technorati Tags: adventure, border patrol, cross the border, drive, driving, drug violence, events, news, Puerto, Puerto Vallarta, tourism, travel, us mexico border, vallarta, Violence

A steadily growing number of Americans and Canadians are packing their bags, heading to other countries and settling permanently. According to Boomers Abroad, that number may double in the next 10 years. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is one of the top destinations for baby boomers. The affordable real estate, wonderful weather, inexpensive health care and an overall superior quality of life continue to attract thousands of people. Some even sample other places to live before making Puerto Vallarta their new home.

The call of the open sea was irresistible to a couple from Minnesota when they retired in 2004.

“We wanted to continue to travel and we have always liked boats,” says Mike Wise, “We had researched different kinds of boats that could theoretically circumnavigate the world and we didn’t know much about trawlers but my wife was talking to a fellow, who owned a trawler at a hotel in Turkey one night and we really got into it with him as far as where they could go and it was interesting. So we looked further into it and we found a boat that would be suitable for our purposes and we decided that that would be the next chapter of our life.”

“We got on our boat and we cruised from Dana Point, California to Alaska and as far north as Glacier Bay,” says Sara Wise, “And then we came south all the way along the Pacific coast past Mexico and Central America to the Panama Canal and up through the eastern Caribbean, along Mexico and Belize to Florida, and then back through the islands to Venezuela and South America, Columbia and then back to Panama.”

They thoroughly enjoyed that city and lived on their boat for around one year but encountered more than a few deterrents, which kept them from settling down.

“We thoroughly loved Panama,” says Sara, “It was a unique city, very vibrant, growing and we liked everything we saw and we tried to buy several homes and it just did not work out and the one thing that we noticed was the longest anybody was in Panama was three years, and then everybody decided to leave. There was nobody there that we knew that were there 10 or 12 years.”

Sara and Mike decided to go back to Alaska for the season, because they really enjoyed cruising there. But they made a fateful stop in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, first.

“We had no intention of staying here in Puerto Vallarta,” says Mike, “But we had our boat in the marina and got to looking around the town and exploring a little bit and liked it and decided that this might be a pretty neat place to live.”

Many have the same feelings about Puerto Vallarta and this is why it is the number one retirement destination abroad for Americans according to AARP magazine’s September/October 2010 edition.

They found Puerto Vallarta to be a comfortable place, it was on the water, which was important and they found that the real estate structure and industry is more up front and more recognizable to them than what they called the convoluted system in Panama. Sara goes on to say, “We love the weather, we love the people more than anything and it’s just a fun city, there’s a lot going on, it’s just neat.”

Puerto Vallarta also offers many comforts and conveniences familiar to expats.

“When we first got here, we were very impressed with all the things that Puerto Vallarta has to offer,” says Sara, “We had been cruising for a number of years and you become accustomed to hauling your things from a grocery store or buying your groceries from the back end of a truck and Puerto Vallarta has Sam’s and Wal-Mart and they were building a new Costco and Home Depot had just opened and to us, those things were very important.”

In the spirit of adventure and having lived land-locked in the midwest for years, Sara and Mike broke from retirement tradition, shocking their family. They offer advice and encouragement for those seeking something more.

“Oh we had done a lot of traveling and different things over the years but it was a surprise to them and they didn’t think we would actually do that,” says Mike, “It’s a pretty big step to sell the house and the company and make that kind of a break and do something that dramatically different than what we had done during our working lives. I think they honestly thought we were nuts.”

“My recommendation is to come down, rent a place, try it out and find out if you really do like it, and if you do like it, buy a place, and join the groups down here, there’s so many wonderful people to meet,” says Sara.

This couple is living out their golden years under the golden sun in Puerto Vallarta.

Segment By: Video Diva Productions, Puerto Vallarta
http://www.VideoDivaProductions.com

Duration : 0:3:31

Technorati Tags: AARP, adventure, baby boomers, beach, cruising, culture, destination, driving, events, lifestyle, Mexico, news, Panama, Puerto, Puerto Vallarta, real estate, retire, retirement, safety, travel, vacation, vallarta

Later, Drake decides to step into the ring to experience one of Mexico’s most well known traditions in this week’s episode of Drake’s Passage.

This is not your typical travel show.

Want more? Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=redbull

Follow Drake @DrakesPassage / #DrakesPassage on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/smokingseagulls

New Episodes Every Thursday at 10 PST!
Last Episode:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_lAa1SfSFU

Duration : 0:10:1

Technorati Tags: 2 wheel, adventure, Bike, Cairo, City, culture, Dirt, drake, Drake McElroy, drakes passage, exploration, explore, fmx, food, freestyle motocross, freestyle motox, libre, London, lucha, Madrid, mariachi, Mexico City, mezcal, moscow, motocoss, motorcycle, motox, people, Places, plaza garibaldi, pulque, red bull, red bull x fighters, redbull, riding, rome, shamanic, Stunt, tradition, travel, traveling, two wheel, x fighters

In July, Jenni and Lisa are traveling for a year across Asia, Africa and South America in search of the queers. Out and Around (www.OutandAround.com) is a collection of our conversations with gay people around the world who are creating change for the LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community. By telling the stories of these Supergays, Out and Around hopes to inspire the gay community, decrease homophobia, and raise awareness on gay issues in the developing world.

Duration : 0:2:59

Technorati Tags: feminism, gay, girls, glbt, interview, lesbian, lgbt, pride, queer, relationship, rtw, Trans, transgender, travel, vlog, women

In addition to my 2 hours of language studies every day at the Guadalajara Language Centre, I did a number of excursions: I went to downtown Guadalajara and visited the impressive baroque church and the historic core of the city. My excursions in Tlaquepaque included a guided visit with a tourist policeman who took me up onto the bell tower of one of Tlaquepaques churches. I also got to see some samples of the artwork and handicrafts that are produced in Tlaquepaque, which is renowned for its galleries and arts stores. I visited the neighbouring arts & crafts market of Tonala, a huge outdoor market with hundreds of interesting vendors.

Longer excursions took me to Lake Chapala, a popular retirement destinations for Americans and Canadians trying to escape our cold winters. My local guide Jose Orozco took me to Mexcala Island, a prison island with buildings from the early 1800s, the pretty town of Chapala and the popular retirement town of Ajijic where so many gringos have settled down permanently. We also went on a tour to the magic village of Tequila which is host to numerous distilleries that make this Mexican national drink from the heart of the agave plant. I also went on a second tour to Lake Chapala to meet Greg Clarke, a Canadian retiree who told me about his cherished new lifestyle in Mexico.

In addition to Guadalajara I also went on two wonderful weekend excursions to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: to the historic silver mining town of Guanajuato, and the beautiful city of Morelia and nearby Lake Patzcuaro.

For all sorts of other travel articles from different locations please visit:

http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos.htm

Duration : 0:7:28

Technorati Tags: Ajijic, chapala, guadalajara, Jalisco, Lake Chapala, Mexcala Island, Mexico, retirement in Mexico, travel

Freestyle motocross rider Drake McElroy has an unquenchable desire to experience art, music, culture, food and traditions. Come ride with Drake as he travels to Mexico City, Cairo, Moscow, Madrid, London and Rome to see what the world has to offer.

This is not your typical travel show. This is Drake’s Passage.

Want more? Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=redbull

Follow Drake @DrakesPassage / #DrakesPassage on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/smokingseagulls

Duration : 0:10:1

Technorati Tags: 2 wheel, Bike, Cairo, City, culture, drake, Drake McElroy, drakes passage, exploration, explore, fmx, food, freestyle motocross, freestyle motox, London, Madrid, mariachi, Mexico City, mezcal, moscow, motocoss, motorcycle, motox, people, Places, plaza garibaldi, pulque, red bull, red bull x fighters, redbull, riding, rome, shamanic, tradition, travel, traveling, two wheel, x fighters

While I was waiting for my flight I started Spotting Planes here is a look back at The “Los Angeles International Airport” better known as LAX .

I filmed this footage in 1989 when I was going to Mexico City to visit my family

I thought I’d Share this cool Video of The “Los Angeles International Airport” so the World can all see how Flying used to be like in 1989.

This is what LAX looked like back in the days when life was a little more simple than it is Today and Traveling was Actually fun enjoy everyone .

Music by Abu Simbel
Website http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/40100

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Duration : 0:3:30

Technorati Tags: 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, A319, A320, A330, A340, Aeromexico, air, Airbus, Airbus A320 Family, aircraft, Airlines, airplane, airport, AirTran, airways, alaska, Allegiant, American, Asiana, Boeing, Brasila, british, California, Chile, china, Continental, contrail, CRJ-200, CRJ-700, delta, E145, Eastern, EMB-120, EMB120, Embraer, ERJ-145, flying, food, international, JAL, JetBlue, Korean, LAN, Landing, LAX, Los Angeles, Mexicana, people, plane, planes, Skywest, southwest, stewardess, Taesa, Takeoff, tourism, tourist, travel, united

http://diasdelosmuertos.wordpress.com

DOD (:-X
dias_de_los_Muertos/2009 (:-X celebrates the deads journey back to the world of the living. By providing an annual time and physical space for the dead to emerge from our collective memory, the festive holiday asks us to consider the universal and ephemeral nature of our own destinies. Conceived as a digital altar, dias_de_los_Muertos/2009 (:-X encourages participants to commemorate aspects of an honored ones life and take ownership of the deads journey as their own.

Designed as a multimedia social networking project comprised of prints, text, video, paintings, photography— much of which will be produced as user generated content— the project is meant to be a living exploration of the Days of the Dead holiday. By traveling to different sites from San Francisco to San Diego, Mexico City and Oaxaca, we will generate materials that will help expand our understanding of the history, art, altars, customs, and crafts that are intrinsic to the observance of Days of the Dead. Interviews with diverse people, including artists, artisans and vendors, visual documentation of festivity preparations, as well as our own posts and blogs, will all provide online visitors with first-hand information about the celebration and its many cultural bi-products.

dias_de_los_Muertos/2009 (:-X aims to contribute a new vein to the collection of day of the dead folk and fine art production—using interactivity to carve out a public space for contemporary audiences to adopt and translate new and old day of the dead traditions.

Isaias Rodriguez, Curator
Aide Rodriguez, Curator

Duration : 0:4:18

Technorati Tags: Aide Rodriguez, Art, culture, day of the dead, dia de los muertos, dias de los muertos, Festival, Isaias Rodriguez, mexican culture, Mexico, Oakland, Oakland museum of CA, parade, tradition, travel, Videos

Offering access to the gorgeous beach towns of Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and the scenic island of Cozumel, the Riviera Maya (also known as the Caribbean Riviera) is famous for its majestic, white-sand beaches, sunny weather, warm winters and exotic, well-preserved Mayan ruins.

The eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula lies within the historic state of Quintana Roo, which is graced with 120 miles of excellent coastline populated with beachfront hotels, beautiful beaches, wonderful food and an inviting climate, at least when it is not hurricane season (see our note on the right).

Duration : 0:4:27

Technorati Tags: cancun, carmen, Maya, Mexico, Quintana, riviera, riviera maya, Roo, travel, traveling, trip, tulum, tulum 2011, tulum 2012, tulum mexico, tulum quintana roo, Viajando por Tulum Tulum

Here is a look back at The “Los Angeles International Airport” better known as LAX at some Airplanes passing by
while I am waiting for my Flight .

This was filmed by myself in 1989 when I was going to Mexico City to visit my family

I just thought I’d Share this cool Video of The “Los Angeles International Airport” with all of you so you can all see how Flying used to be like .

This is what LAX looked like back in the days when life was a little more simple than it is Today and Traveling was Actually fun enjoy everyone .

Music by Abu Simbel
Website http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/39376

Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Duration : 0:1:42

Technorati Tags: 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, A319, A320, A330, A340, Aeromexico, air, Airbus, Airbus A320 Family, aircraft, Airlines, airplane, airport, AirTran, airways, alaska, Allegiant, American, Asiana, Boeing, Brasila, british, California, Chile, china, Continental, contrail, CRJ-200, CRJ-700, delta, E145, Eastern, EMB-120, EMB120, Embraer, ERJ-145, flying, food, international, JAL, JetBlue, Korean, LAN, Landing, LAX, Mexicana, people, plane, planes, Skywest, southwest, Stuartist, Taesa, Takeoff, tourism, tourist, travel, united