| | A weekly source of positive energy and information for the village of Sayulita Mexico |  From the Editor As Sayulita grows with more residents and visitors each year, we have the opportunity to analyze and solve problems that can help organize our small Puebla into an efficient town. Some problems that are currently being addressed are traffic and parking. As you wander through town you may see some parking officers walking the  streets in the town center trying to bring peace to the chaos. They are doing this by regulating parking spots and the flow of traffic. There have also been more distinctive yellow curbsides painted to mark restricted areas. It is hoped that by addressing these issues we can make our town a friendlier environment for both visitors and residents. Since these regulations have been in effect for a few days, I thought you would all like to know.
Perhaps, while finding a spot may be a bit difficult, parking across the bridge, or on the outskirts of town is a better option. In my opinion, the walk into town is something to be savored. As you reach the top of the bridge you get a pleasant glimpse into the charm of this growing village. This glimpse always puts a smile on my face and I trust it will help you remember; that despite the parking issues, you are still in a small town on the Pacific, and that Sayulita is still very different from the urban sprawl many of you have come here to avoid. Happy Parking, Joe | | In This Week's Issue Letter from the Editor: Family Friendly Sayulita: Inside the walls of Costa Verde: Pro Sayulita Photobooth: Upooted to make new EP: "Insanity" is the word: Sayulita's Parking: Noche Mexicana: Fostering Buddy/ Urgent Note: Bite This: Photo of the Week: Pet of the Week: | | SayulitaLife.com Statistics for the last 30 days
(Feb 28 thu Mar 28):
| 9,272 | Newsletter subscribers | | 73,100 | Website visitors | | 359,104 | Web pages viewed | | 6:02 min | Average visit session | | 4,170 | Reservation requests | | 821 | Business requests | | 303 | Reviews posted | | | | Family Friendly Sayulita by Georgia Glennon  It was 20 years ago that I fell in love with Sayulita and I decided to make it my home in 2009. I love how the Mexican culture emphasizes the importance of family and that there is such a strong sense of community flourishing in Sayulita. Countless services and activities for families make Sayulita not only a great place for locals to raise a family, but also a very appealing place for tourists to retreat with their children. You and your family can experience many wonderful activities here in town including; horseback riding, surf lessons, tours in the jungle with Mexitreks, fishing trips, whale watching, art classes on the beach, yoga classes at CVIS, or simply just building sandcastles in the sand. A particularly fun program for the kids is Octavia Jolley's sea camp; it's both entertaining and educational. Octavia also owns Bebe where you can rent pack-n-plays, strollers, high chairs, etc. to make your trip easier while you are in town. Another amenity we have here in town, which makes your trip more relaxing, is Sayulita Childcare. I started this program because I thought it was a service that would be greatly welcomed and treasured in our community. Our program is a babysitting service that caters especially to visitors. I felt there was a special need for this since parents often want some alone time to go out to dinner, get a massage, attend a yoga class, or go shopping. Andrea Villarrubia of Sayulita Dream Weddings said, "As a wedding planner, I often get requests for reputable babysitters, people want to bring their kids on vacation, but they also want time to go out with their friends.", and we at Sayulita Childcare provide our town's guests with the ability to do that.  With all of these family oriented amenities in town it is no wonder why Sayulita is considered an outstanding family destination. A visitor from Seattle once told me that her family has traveled the world and not found any place as family friendly as Sayulita. She exclaimed that, "from the restaurants, to the beach vendors, to the locals, there is such a sense of warmth here!". So welcome to all of our visitors I hope you and your family enjoy your stay! Sayulita Childcare | Inside the Walls of Costa Verde International School by: Kathleen Nicoletti 
Many people pass by Costa Verde on their way to and from the bus station. Sometimes people stop and look, expressing surprise that "oh, it's a school." Those who venture through our doors are equally surprised by the size of the campus; it appears deceptively small from the outside. When people "discover" our school, they have many questions. In addition to those about size, grade level and language spoken, we are often asked why our students appear so happy. Two years ago, when I came to Costa Verde for the first time, I asked myself the same question. Two years later, I think I know the answer. Costa Verde is an incredibly special place. Students and staff spend their days surrounded by lush greenery. Our gardens are home to beautiful butterflies as well as a wide variety of insects and animals. Stray cats make their home under our classrooms, and it is not uncommon to see one or two dogs mingling among the students as they play. Our bucolic campus is pulsating with life, and I believe this has a positive, almost magical, effect on all of us. Students absorb and express the beauty that surrounds them through dance, yoga, art and drumming. Their artwork adorns the walls of their classrooms as well as the walls that enclose the campus. Daily I am reminded of how this blend of nature and art work together to give our campus its charm and occupants a sense of peace and happiness. Like any school, Costa Verde has its challenges and there are certainly days when each of us struggles, but our beautiful surroundings and caring community of students, parents and staff make the struggles easier. | | Pro Sayulita Photobooth! | Special thanks to Joe Comfort Photography for donating his time, equipment, and skills to Pro Sayulita. | Take a look at the pictures from the Pro Sayulita fiesta. All picture purchase proceeds go to Pro Sayulita. | "INSANITY" IS THE WORD FOR SAYULITA'S PARKING 
Very recently, I drove around the town about three times, looking for a parking space. None could be found. Near the Vogue Hotel, I spotted a space marked off by red cones. A policeman came over to wag his finger and told me I couldn't park there. My vision of having a Chinese chicken salad at Ruben's was fast disappearing. Suddenly a space opened up right behind me. The policeman pointed it out and kindly helped me guide my large car into a small space.I got out of the car and said to the officer, "Parking is a real problem, isn't it?" He had the answer, "Too many cars and too many people.". And the problem is just that, we all have the problem figured out, but the solutions have not yet materialized. When you have a very serious parking problem, such as the condition our town has, it seems to me that officials should have thought of solutions to the problem instead of simply taking out huge buckets of yellow paint and smearing many curbs, thus taking away even more parking places. This is crazy, to make matters worse, apparently the "old" yellow curbs are ok to park by but the new yellow curbs are not, or is that a rumor? Worse still, there are no signs to warn tourists and locals that these curbs are forbidden. So we are all confused and annoyed. I saw the stunned faces of a tourist family watch a policeman remove their rental car's license plate. They were shocked, they simply weren't told why. Many parking places were taken away when three streets were narrowed and made beautiful with palm trees and no parking. Then, as business picked up, many restaurants started putting out more and more tables and chairs on the street, taking away more parking places. Many stores joined the fray by putting posts, buckets full of cement, potted trees, chairs, and others impediments on the street, taking away many parking spaces from people who actually might want to shop in that very store. Then we have an army of hippies plying their trade, setting up tables and taking away even more spaces. A friend reported that he had parked his golf cart legally, but several of the trinket dealers had the nerve to lift up his golf cart and move it to another location further down the street so they could set up their table and sell hand made bongs. Add to the soup, huge trucks that block streets and frustrated drivers who double and triple park. Who can blame people for not parking to grab lunch or buy a carton of milk? Fine, we know the problem exists and is getting, much worse. What to do? If we punish visitors and residents alike, the word will soon spread that Sayulita is inhospitable. Soon, we will have fewer tourists and angry locals and a decline in the very business we want to encourage. Perhaps the Subway sandwich shop on the highway will prosper; at least it has free and easy parking. The idea of having people park over a half mile from the town center, with a taxi service is a good idea for day visitors and some tourists, but residents need another solution. Perhaps several small shuttle buses that roam up and down streets, picking up folks? Perhaps we need signage regarding yes or no parking spots, and a plan for the venders and restaurants placing things on the street. Start with the easy solutions first and fast and hopefully we can improve the situation. | | Noche Mexicana (Benefiting the Sayulita Primary School) The Mothers are cooking, so you know this will be a great dinner! All proceeds go to fixing and planting the garden. Buy your tickets at our table at the mercado (Friday Market) today! Hope you can come support our Primary school! | Fostering Buddy Foster parents are vitally important to the success of Sayulitanimals for many reasons. The most important reason is that having a home, with all of the love and affection it brings is much better for the animals. Not all animals need constant time and attention, sometimes all they need is just a safe yard, and someone to give them food and fresh water each day. People who are willing to do this help Sayulitanimals greatly since we only have the space to provide for animals that are in urgent need of medical attention. Cynthia Gillespie-Smith knows that fostering benefits everyone involved, the humans as well as the animals, because she and her husband Ian have been fostering Buddy for the last 3  months. Buddy is a 4 year-old black lab. Cynthia explains Buddy is "totally good natured. He is passive, and not aggressive towards other dogs or kids. He greets us each morning doing his 'happy dance' with a toy in his mouth. Whatever his past, it's clear that Buddy came from a loving home where he was taught good manners. Both Ian and I have fallen in love with him. " Buddy is Cynthia's fourth foster dog. Cynthia (a self proclaimed animal-lover) and Ian have always had the company of an appreciative dog in their home whenever they are in Sayulita. Cynthia believes that there are "so many wonderful souls waiting to be adopted." When she was younger, she always had purebred dogs (French poodles, Dobermans) from breeders. But after being at Sayulitanimals, she realized that the only ones she wants now are rescues from places like Sayulitanimals. Unfortunately for Cynthia and Ian, their love affair with Buddy is coming to an end, however it is for a wonderful reason. Buddy has been adopted into a new home! He is leaving soon for a loving home in Canada with his new family! Good luck, Buddy! Have a great life with your new family! You have filled Cynthia's and Ian's hearts with lots of love here in Sayulita! We hope that more people can join Cynthia in fostering, and help provide this necessary service to the local animals that need your help. Note: URGENT! We need your help! We are in the middle of our quarterly Spay and Neuter clinic here at Sayulitanimals, and we have 4 abandoned small breed puppies. They are around 2 and a half months old and need lots of love due to malnutrition and neglect. We are not a shelter here at Sayulitanimals, and have no room for these puppies. Please help us out by fostering 1, 2, 3 or all 4 and help us get them healthy and find their forever homes. Pictures to come. Contact us at contact@sayulitanimals.org. | BITE THIS! by: Ed Schwartz The Portobello mushroom special At Miro Vino I dropped by Miro Vino recently and had a nice chat about wine with the very effusive owner, Luca Romano. Luca is passionate about wine and so we swapped Italian wine tales. That made me hungry, of course (it doesn't take much, I admit) and so we ordered two specials. Pictured was the most special of the specials, one with a true Portobello mushroom as the focal point.  This mushroom is a grown up crimini variety, often reaching 6 inches in diameter.Portobellos have a very fleshy, delicious, almost a meat-like texture. Miro Vino takes this idea and makes a very filling and savory dish, set on a complex mix of vegetables, baked with lovely piece of cheese on top and crisscrossed with very tasty asparagus stalks. This dish, along with a nice red wine, is a meal in itself and a very good one at that. Miro Vino, right off the square, has a lovely, romantic atmosphere, one of the best in town. A somewhat surprising note was a Christmas tree, still standing, but a bit browned! Never mind, the food is creative and excellent. | | Featured Listings
For Sale By Owner: Casa Marisol $275K USD This lovely custom-built fully walled and titled 4000 sf home was built on a level lot to USA standard by an American designer for his personal residence. Casa Marisol was built with comfort, security, privacy and low maintenance in mind..
For Sale By Owner Casa Rio Zarquito $396K USD The perfect getaway for your entire family or a great income property nestled in the hillside among floral and fauna and only a 3 minute walk to the beach or Plaza. Located in El Centro at the end of a short dead end street, this recently constructed property consists of three beautiful apartments that reflect the emphasis on quality and exceptional taste of the owner.
New Business Listing: Yeikame Restaurant Yeikame is a great place where TRADITIONAL MEXICAN CUISINE can be experienced. Taste the recipes of ancient generations, while eating in a family atmosphere that will make you feel as if you were eating at your own Mexican casa. Yeikame is the result of the love and passion that Maribel, the owner, puts into each and every plate served.
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| The Sayulita based Rock/Reggae group Uprooted will be traveling to Guadalajara this next week to record a 5 song EP. The band has the intention of leaving an auditory stamp, representative of the astonishing level of musical talent that comes to and from this little surf town. Uprooted welcomes any sponsorships from businesses as well as individuals. Sponsorship will get your logo on the back of the album as well as a shout out at the release party and one of our many gigs! Thank you Sayulita, for your continuous support, Uprooted! | | | | Gracias Thanks for reading. Please let us know your opinions, suggestions, complaints or anything else you feel will help make Sayulita a better place in which to live and vacation. Saludos, | Ian & Kerry Hodge | Joseph Riddle | Victoria Muñoz | | Founders | Editor | Social Media | | Ian@SayulitaLife.com | Joseph@SayulitaLife.com | Victoria@SayulitaLife.com | This newsletter is financed, sponsored, and supported by: A community website dedicated to the welfare, growth, and prosperity of Sayulita. | | Copyright © 2013. All Rights Reserved. | | |  | | |
