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uncuentofriki · 6 years

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What can you tell us about Mexican funerals? Are there any specific traditions or the way that people think about them/death?

Well, it depends

On cities and people with certain money or prevision (I used to work selling funeral plans) are used to spend an entire night (or even two) on a funerary recint, usually praying the rosary for the deceased, remembering his/her stories, of course there’s lots of crying. That’s what we did when a paternal uncle died of cancer. My sister, more used to the tradition of our hometown (to specify: my mom comes from the center of Mexico, my dad comes from the north, but we grew up on my mom’s town), when she arrived (she lives far from me and had to travel alone, on that time I lived with my dad) to my uncle’s funeral, said “Is here!? This looks like a hotel!”. Maybe because we had my paternal grandpa’s funeral on a more humble funerary agency (because of my grandpa’s Union -he was a taxi driver- I guess?).On both cases, we had menudo for breakfast (menudo is a soup made with lots of spices, chilis, corn -”maíz reventado” we call it- and chops of cow stomach. I promise it’s delicious).On my hometown, usually we do that on houses, despite having funerary chapels and stuff, but they lend us a screen, a crucifix or an image of Virgin Mary and big candles . The dead is on the coffin anyway. We close the street with cars and put awnings/canopies (I don’t remember the word, I’m tired, but that thing that people put when weddings are on gardens) and chairs. That’s how my maternal uncle’s funeral went, on his house. Usually is also expected to spend the entire night praying or telling stories and on the morning we have coffee and pan dulce (the funerary agency usually covers the cost of that, but also it’s not uncommon that someone pays for that, in case that the people are lots -because lots of people are like “someone died! free pan dulce and coffee!”).

Anyway, no matter if on a funerary chapel or on the house, that ceremony is called Velorio.

After one or two nights on the Velorio (my uncle had two nights, my family decided to wait for my father, my sister and I to arrive), we have a mass, called “Misa de cuerpo presente” (present body mass), where it’s dedicated to remember the life of the deceased, what he/she lefts behind and how they’re now angels praying and seeing for us, how they’re now reunited with someone else that died before them (on the case of my paternal uncle, Miguel, well… the priest told us that he was again with my grandparents, on the case of my maternal uncle, Lin… weeeell my maternal grandparents are still alive and kicking so the priest had to asure my grandparents that he was fine now) Then is usual on small towns for people to walk along with the car that carries the coffin to the cemetary, on silence or praying or even singing songs alusive (For example this “Entre tus manos/ Está mi vida, Señor/ Entre tus manos/ Pongo mi existir/ Hay que morir/ Para vivir/Entre tus manos/ Pongo yo mi ser -On Your hands/ I leave my live, Oh Lord/ On Your hands/ I leave my existence/ We have to die/ In order to live/ On Your hands/ I leave my entire being). Usually there’s also mariachis on the way to the cemetary and there. Some people leave their “when I die playlist” for the mariachis to play (for example with my uncle Miguel, it included Sinatra’s “My way”, with my granpa “Mi viejo” -And I still can’t hear those songs without crying like Mary Magdalene). And people sends lots of flowers, usually with a ribbon that says who sended it. It’s usually christantemus, white roses and other white flowers.

Then someone from the family says thank you to everyone for being there, people throw flowers to the tomb after the coffin descends. After that, the family announces if there’s going to be a “Novenario” or a “Trío de Misas”. If it’s the first case, then it’s nine days praying the rosary every day on the house of someone of the family or where that person lived (on the case of Uncle Lin, it was on his house), and on the last day, we give a small souvenir thanking people for being there. If it’s a “trío de misas” is just 3 mases on 3 diferent days. And the same thing, a souvenir, more coffee and pan dulce. On both cases, the last day is more of a fiesta usually. This ceremonies are most as a way to purify the soul of the deceased and help them to reach heaven but also a way to help the family to cope with the lost.

Also I have to say that I have find fundamental differences between the people of the center and the north of Mexico is that the people of Jalisco (where I live and where’s my hometown) has a more dignified attitude on funerals. Yes we cry lots but never losing our temper (think of Imelda for that). Even my grandma Mary, who is a really emotional woman, was more like Imelda on that moment. And the people on the north… well, when my grandparents died (with 15 years of diference) both times one of my aunts tried to jump into the tomb (and when uncle Miguel died it wasn’t the exception), they cry screaming…. it’s a telenovela, really. I lost also a cousin, he was just 7 days old (we would be the same age had he lived). He died on his mother’s birthday to make things worse, so she was always reluctant to celebrate her birthday (until she reached her 50th birthday). Since I was too small and family doesn’t like to talk lots of the disease that took his life -and almost took my aunt’s life too-, I don’t know what happens on that cases.

Of course it hurts, but we like to think more “well, now (s)he’s with… well at least the suffering is over -in the case of Uncle Miguel he died of cáncer, my paternal grandpa died because of kidney problems and his wife for diabetes complications-”. On the case of Uncle Miguel’s death, he died a week before Día de Muertos, so when the day came, I told to the ofrenda “Tramposo” (”You cheater”). And yes with the dead that happened when I was more self-concious (my paternal grandma died when I was 4 months old), I got severe depresions. Like anyone else anywhere else on the world that has loved ones. Yes we have this beautiful tradition but that doesn’t mean we don’t miss them and cry for them until we resign that they’re away from us now. But at the same time we can make jokes about that (when my grandpa died, Uncle Miguel sat on his prefered chair and added salt to the menudo without tasting it first -as my grandpa used to do-, and said “so the chair doesn’t lose the habit” -since Uncle Miguel was next from my grandpa, now I avoid the chair at all costs-).When my grandpa died, since we used to read the news together on the mornings when I stayed with my paternal family (they live at 18+ hours away from me, so when I go is for a good amount of time), I readed the news with him for a last time in front of his coffin, someone tried to call me out for doing that (I even asked one of my uncles to bring me the newspaper), but my parents told that person “No, that was their thing. Leave her alone”. And well, with my uncle Miguel me and my sister remembered all the silly stuff we used to do together and as the nerds we are, we said the lines that Roy Mustang says on Maes Huges Funeral (imagine, he was for us what Maes Huges was for Mustang). My mom left her bridal bouquet on a tomb of a friend of hers that died weeks before her wedding. And so on with traditions like that. Some people even take windwhirls to the tombs of children or toys.

#Coco pixar #mexican culture references

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destinyhixon-blog · 5 years

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Looking for the best places to eat in Puerto Vallarta? Nobody can promise a perfect restaurant list since this is a big beach resort vacation destination with hundreds of spots to choose from. We have eaten our way across the area several times over the years though and have a good sense of which Puerto Vallarta restaurants live up to the hype, consistently.

First though, a quick geography lesson. There's a river just north of the PV airport that separates the state of Jalisco from the state of Nayarit. Jalisco contains Puerto Vallarta, as well as the Costalegre region to the south. Riviera Nayarit north of the river contains Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias, Punta de Mita, and Sayulita. We're staying on the southern side of the river and airport for this article on where to eat, Puerto Vallarta proper between the Romantic Zone and the marina area.

Note that if you're staying at a high-end all-inclusive hotel in this area, you will probably eat extremely well. We've always been especially impressed with Casa Velas Hotel, which served up this fine dish you see below on my most recent trip.

Mexico is very kid-friendly, so even with the nicest places on this list you can bring the whole family if you want. In most months, reservations are recommended, especially for the smaller places: many are on Open Table.

Vallarta Marina Restaurants

Tintoque

In these days of Yelp trolls and professional bashers, it's hard to find a restaurant that gets nearly unanimous raves, but Tintoque has gotten pretty close. In the commercial area that's the entrance to the Marina zone, this standout gourmet spot serves up beautiful plates in a vibrant atmosphere without feeling overly stuffy. Don't come here for giant portions (see the next review for that), but come if you're a foodie who wants to be surprised and delighted with every bite. See more at the website here.

Sonora Grill Prime

We loved everything about this place, from the roaming mixologist's cart to the slabs of beef brought out to peruse to the fact that the place seemed to have a staff-to-guest ratio of one-to-one. This homage to beef has plenty of other things on the menu, plus it's a lot less stuffy than your usual steakhouse. Judging by the groups of Mexicans and foreigners alike who had a permanent smile on their face, this is a restaurant to enjoy with good friends who aren't in any hurry to leave. Part of a small chain with other outlets in Guadalajara and Monterrey. More info here.

Puerto Vallarta Dining in the Hotel Corridor

Lamara

I'm not sure we would have known about or found this ceviche and aguachile place if we weren't having our mid-day meal with a sometime local in the know, but it was a highlight of our week. Lamara serves super-fresh seafood in a variety of ways that look and taste incredible, all in big portions that are best passed around. They also have a full bar, an impressive craft beer list, and good desserts. This is a professional operation that knows where it excels and does it extremely well, at very fair prices. Lamara is a popular spot that frequently has a wait, plus they run out of things late in the day when they get busy, so the best bet on when to arrive is early afternoon, pre-comida. The best place to get more info is on their Facebook page.

La Leche

This just may be the coolest-looking restaurant around, plus it's one of the best places to eat in Puerto Vallarta. La Leche is "The Milk" and the interior is awash in white, but in a playful, artistic way with milk jugs running up the walls. The menu changes regularly depending on seasonality and the whims of the chef, so expect a few items done well from a chalkboard rather than an exhaustive printed menu where you're not sure what's good. This is where we had the prettiest salad of the week, everything super-fresh. There's a night club above if you feel like getting your groove on afterwards. See more here.

Icú Restaurant

This intimate restaurant in a nondescript, windowless building you could easily miss is one of Puerto Vallarta's hottest dining spots. We saw several groups turned away on a weeknight because they didn't have reservations. There's an open kitchen where you can see the chefs at work and a bar where the mixologist's skills are on display as well. Everything we tried here was excellent, from the "three textures of beets," grilled cauliflower, and huitlacoche soup that would all make a vegetarian happy, to the gorgeously presented catch of the day tacos on blue corn tortillas and tamal of the day that had succulent pork. The website has nothing but photos, but you can make a reservation there and start salivating.

Top Restaurants in Downtown Puerto Vallarta

Cafe des Artistes

Thierry Blouet is one of Mexico's best-known celebrity chefs, with a restaurant that really broke new ground when it opened three decades ago. It has since won a slew of awards as one of the best restaurants in Puerto Vallarta. He now has several places you can try in this area and a second by the same name at the JW Marriott in Los Cabos, but it's worth making a reservation at the original if you're a fan of fine dining. Cafe des Artistes has long been described as "Mexican dishes prepared with French techniques," so you get the best of both worlds, especially if you go for the tasting menu. You'll find carefully prepared tuna, octopus, lobster, and fish, but you can also try "seared rougié foie gras au mezcal and guava" or"confit suckling pig in black mole." Visit the official site here.

Hacienda San Angel Gourmet

[caption id="attachment_8075" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (c) Hacienda San Angel[/caption]

We're big fans of this well-designed boutique hotel in downtown Puerto Vallarta that sits right above the dome of the city's famous Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The restaurant at Hacienda San Angel is open to the public and has a romantic view of the sea and the city lights tumbling down the hillside. There's a wide range of seafood, a few meat items, and a smattering for vegetarians, such as ravioli stuffed with artichokes. You might want to bring a credit card and a back-up to this spot though: the majority of the main dishes are $30-$50. See more info here.

The Iguana Restaurant and Tequila Bar

Casa Kimberly is a sister hotel to Hacienda San Angel, the latter was Richard Burton's home here and the former was the home he bought for Elizabeth Taylor. The two were connected by a bridge over the narrow street below. You can stay in her original bedroom with its palatial bath at Casa Kimberly, or just come to this Vallarta restaurant for dinner and feel her presence with a large period portrait on the wall. Follow that link above for a full rundown on the hotel, but here's what my associate editor Lydia had to say about the popular restaurant. "The food has hints of Mexican influence but is a wide range of international choices including lambchops, grilled salmon, ceviche, lobster tacos and sea bass. Their desserts are heavenly, all with a Mexican flair, and the wine list is robust." As the name would suggest, they also have an excellent range of tequila choices at the bar. Get more info and make a reservation here.

Sapphire Beach Club Bistrot

[caption id="attachment_8076" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (c) Sapphire Beach Club[/caption]

We've written before about Mantamar Beach Club in Puerto Vallarta, but the gay-friendly Sapphire Beach Club nearby gets the nod as the best spot in the area for lunch or a sunset dinner. Run by the same owners as Azafran, this Mediterranean waterfront restaurant specializes in grilled seafood and meat, a good wine list, and an open kitchen. The shaded, open-air space filled with bleached wood furniture lets the sea and colorful dishes supply the color pops. You'll need to pay a one-day membership fee to join the club here at the end of the Old Town Romantic Zone, so come early and enjoy the pool, the beach palapas, and the fun atmosphere. See more at the Sapphire website.

Gaby's Restaurant and Bar

If you get tired of stacked-up pretty plates and complicated seafood concoctions, come to Gaby's when you're in the center of downtown near the main church and gazebo. In business since 1989 in the same location on three levels, this Puerto Vallarta Mexican restaurant with patios serves some of the best Mexican food in Puerto Vallarta for all three meals, the real deal with no watering down for tourists. Visit for good cocktails and authentic cuisine in a fun atmosphere in the heart of the action. More info here.

Which PV Restaurants to Avoid

We hope you find this rundown of some places to find the best food in the region useful. After all, there are a lot of mediocre places to eat, as in most beach resort areas, so we hope to help you stay out of those. In many cases you can find better food at a simpler local place a few blocks back or even from a street cart.

We are not going to call anyone out by name and say you shouldn't go there, but if you want to avoid boring, overpriced, uninspiring Puerto Vallarta food on vacation, here's our take on which places to avoid:

1) Restaurants that employ a full-time tout outside who is begging you to come in. "Hey guys, ready to eat something?"

2) Restaurants that have their own merchandise shop and menu items with trademark signs beside them.

3) Restaurants that blast the music so loud you can't hear each other because, "We need to make sure people know we are open."

For more info on the area, see the official website for local tourism.

How about you? Where did you find the best food in Puerto Vallarta on your vacation?

Article by Luxury Latin America editor Timothy Scott, all photos by the writer except where indicated plus Iguana Restaurant photo by associate editor Lydia Carey.

The post 10 Puerto Vallarta Restaurants to Put on Your List appeared first on Luxury Latin America Blog.

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