Etiqueta: Vallarta

Meet You at the Movies

Puerto Vallarta has always been big on movies, for locals, expats and tourists alike. From the old Bahia in the middle of town (now sadly gone), to the huge multiplexes in the malls, there has never been a shortage of places to catch up on a film. We’ve had a couple of fabulous film festivals over the years, with both English and Spanish language, and an occasional nod to the French. Democrats Abroad have been putting on their own series for eleven years to date, and they are excited to start a new season for 2019 – 20.

Incanto, the charming cabaret in Puerto Vallarta at Calle Insurgentes 109, right next to the Rio Cuale, will be hosting the Democrats Abroad’s movies this year. With a 3:00 pm film time on Wednesdays, there should be no conflicts with evening events. This time slot also gives patrons a chance to dine before or after. Big pluses are the bar service at Incanto, serving beer, wine and mixed drinks to movie-goers, as well as their nice comfy seating.

The list of films is very appealing, starting on December 4th with White Crow, the story of the incredible Russian ballet dancer, Rudolf Nureyev and his daring defection to the United States. Following through the season you won’t want to miss Boy Erased, Apollo 11, they Shall Not Grow Old, Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes, The Wife, Echo in the Canyon, If Beale Street Could Talk, The River and the Wall, Cold War, Free Solo, On the Basis of Sex, The Biggest Little Farm, and tying up with major hit dramedy, The Farewell.

The above list is a very diverse selection of great films that have been released in the past year; nothing stale here. The variety runs everything from deep drama to hilarious comedy, some claiming both of these attributes in the same movie, hence the moniker dramedy. There’s politics, documentary, fiction and non, religion, literature, adventure, war, environmental, music, several Academy Award winners and many fine actors.

For a quiet relaxing afternoon in Puerto Vallarta, away from the beach, tourists, and heat, make your way to Incanto on Wednesday afternoons. Tickets are available at the box office at Incanto. For 100 pesos, you can’t beat the price.

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Christmas Starts Early in Puerto Vallarta

The first twelve days of December in Puerto Vallarta are busy with streets filled with people walking long distance pilgrimages to the church in the center of the city. These walks, sometimes done barefoot, are called peregrinations, which comes from the Latin peregrinari, meaning to travel abroad, invariably with no other mode of transportation than walking. They do so to honor the Virgin, Our Lady of Guadalupe, in which peregrination defines their sojourn.

The Días de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe bring parades and fiestas, with the main grand celebration taking place on December 12th, with no shortage of music, food, drink, and merriment in the streets of Puerto Vallarta.

In 1943, Reverend Don Parra Castillo took over the vicarship in Puerto Vallarta. Reverend Parra Castillo was responsible for many church associated actions, including the construction of the cathedral, surrounding walls and plazas. Reverend Parra installed a dedicated generator for continual electric power to the church; assigned the sculptures for the Stations of the Cross, carved by a renowned Mexico City artist, Jesús Ramirez; restored the fading painting of the Lady of Guadalupe, which he then had properly blessed; added the christening chapel; and remodeled the parish offices, among many other accomplishments. His major undertaking was the famous church tower and clock, to which the elaborate crown was added later. Reverend Parra began annual peregrinations, pulling the community together to contribute to the less fortunate.

There are few organizations in Puerto Vallarta who do not participate in these holidays. Hotels, supermarkets, schools, hospitals, and every fraternal group get involved. These moving displays depict the famous meeting of the peasant Juan Diego and the appearance of the virgin. Those who join the peregrinations arrive at the top of the cathedral steps and, if able, humbly finish the journey on their knees to travel the remaining few meters to the altar.

From the first day of December until the 12th, pilgrimages fill the streets, observed by tens of thousands who come to join in the festivities and make their own personal peregrination. Amazing amounts of food and gifts are offered by those who march, often carrying heavily laden baskets. Truckloads and carts with fruits, vegetables, grains and assorted groceries and household goods are unloaded each day and distributed throughout the community.

This tradition is a marvelous event, even if only viewing from a convenient balcony or on the sidelines from the sidewalk. The pageantry and ceremony are wonderful presentations of how Christmas is celebrated in Puerto Vallarta.

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Flor de Noche Buena

Poinsettias are in proliferation in Puerto Vallarta. Everywhere one looks; parks, stores, the airport, lining streets, in private homes, restaurants, hotel lobbies and on and on. You can buy a bundle of them at roadside stands for much less than you are accustomed to NOTB. In Spanish, poinsettias are called Flor de Noche Buena, the flower of Christmas Eve.

According to the Mexican legend, Pepita, a poor little peasant girl, traveled a long distance to honor the birth of the baby Jesus. She prayed for a gift to present at the altar of the church, since she was too poor to have afforded one of her own. An angel appeared to her on the side of the road, where angels seem to spend an inordinate amount of time in Mexico. Pepita was instructed to pick the ugly weeds surrounding her and present them upon her arrival at the house of worship. Her handful of wild, unattractive plants magically transformed themselves into beautiful leaves that observers felt resembled the blood of Christ. The shape of the inner foliage of the flower, to those looking for symbolism, resembles the Star of Bethlehem.

Poinsettias are not poisonous. A 50-pound child would have to eat more than 500 leaves to have a harmful effect. Considering the nasty taste of the milky sap that is emitted from the stalks, children and pets alike are likely to prefer tangerines, candy canes and dinner leftovers that adorn tables this time of year.

In the mid 19th century the poinsettia was named in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the US ambassador to Mexico, who was a botanist and doctor. The red blossoms are actually not a flower, but basically a continuation of the leaves, the red color produced through a process called photoperiodism, exposure to dark, rather than light, attributed in part to the long nights of winter.

We will see the greatest profusion of Flor de Noche Buena in Puerto Vallarta, on the 12th of December, Guadalupana, the grand day that honors Our Lady of Guadalupe. Coincidentally, this is also the day of Joel Roberts Poinsett’s death in 1851.

Poinsettias can’t survive a frost but will grow into small bushes in the proper climate. In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the plant is called Cuetlaxochitl, meaning “flower that grows in soil,” so chances are anyone will have some success moving them from decorative centerpiece to outdoor garden. Good luck, and when shopping, according to my experts, for a long lasting poinsettia choose those with little or no yellow pollen showing.

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