Viaje a Vallarta Viejo

We just got back from a short "weekend" trip in Puerto Vallarta with Erica and Fred. We stayed in Old Vallarta this time, an area of PV a good walk south of the main Señor Frog's/Hard Rock Café tourist district.


Old Vallarta - Vallarta Viejo - isn't devoid of tourists, of course, but it does have a smaller, quirkier feel than its northern cousin. There are used-paperback bookstores and little coffee shops with baked goods on more than one street corner. A wide range of restaurants, most with enterprising guitarists strolling in and out offering diners a song or two, light up the streets in the evenings. We took advantage of the opportunity to not only get some good Pacific Ocean seafood but some hard-to-find-in-Guadalajara American-style hamburgers and pizza, too.

At night we stayed in a small, semi-budget hotel with a spacious rooftop terrace overlooking the Playa de los Muertos (the Beach of the Dead, and no, I don't know why it's called that - I'm afraid to ask). Somehow, despite being across the street from the beach, we ended up with an ocean view (!) from our balcony.

(Above: Actual view from our hotel balcony. Two bedrooms. Ocean view. Less than US $60/night. I love Mexico.)

Also during our trip: After investigating in the local tourist office and stopping a few locals on the street, Chris and I finally found a rosca de reyes in a grocery store near our hotel, and so succeeded in our goal of having the Mexican version of king cake for the Dia de Reyes on Tuesday.

(Above: Life-size sand sculptures of the Magi making their way to Jesus.)

Truth be told, though, we spent most of our time sprawled out on the sandy beach: soaking up the sun, eating shrimp-on-a-stick from strolling vendors, whale-watching (Fred, with his eagle-eyes, actually spotted leaping humpback whales from the shore; in contrast, I always seem to look up after everyone has pointed excitedly and catch, sigh, only the distinctive whale-tail heading back into the water), and doing lots and lots of reading.


Tomorrow, for Erica and Fred's last day, we're going to try and head to Tequila, where they produce, well, I think you know what. Oh, Jalisco, your wonders never cease...

Epiphany // Thoughts

Tonight, for el Dia de los Tres Reyes, Three Kings' Day, we'll try to find a Rosca de Reyes, the Mexican version of a King Cake, at a local bakery.

(Above: A local bakery advertising its traditional offerings for the winter fiestas.)

What follows are just some random thoughts, nascent musings, seeds for future contemplation...

I find these kinds of traditions fascinating. For one thing, there's the "other" factor; eating fruitcake on January 6 is new to me and so it feels fresh and exciting, even if it is just, well, fruitcake. But for another, these traditions redefine realities that I already have, shaking them up and pushing me to think in new ways.

See, where I grew up, there was Thanksgiving, an Advent-y kind of pre-Christmas season, Christmas, New Year's, Back-to-school, Valentine's Day, and then usually some kind of Mardi Gras recognition only because I have an uncle and aunt who live near New Orleans. By contrast, here in Mexico I have experienced the Day of Guadalupe (or María), the Posadas (Mary and Joseph looking for lodging), Christmas, New Year's, Three King's Day, and then in a few weeks we're looking forward to candelaria or the Festival of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. See? With the exception of New Year's, all of the main Mexican celebrations are (1) deeply religious (Christian, obviously, but there are prehispanic ties, too, that are probably better left to another post) and (2) tell the story of Jesus' life.

That story is not new to me, because I (a) grew up in the church and (b) now am in seminary, where we love the lectionary and so of course we go step-by-step through the life of Jesus and the Holy Family during the time before and after Christmas. But you'll only get most of that story if you attend church regularly and pay much attention to the lectionary, which is something I absolutely did not do before I came to seminary. On the other hand, here in Mexico, this story - from Mary through the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (and beyond? stay tuned for Holy Week) - is (1) not confined to the church but is out in the public sphere and (2) is not only commemorated with a sermon but always has some kind of unique physical concrete practice attached to it (e.g., visit homes and act out a play during the Posadas, eat cake on Epiphany, etc).

By "out in the public sphere" I mean this: The biggest promotion at Wal-Mart today was Rosca de Reyes (Mexican king cake). They have these things stacked to the ceiling in all different sizes. Now, this begs lots of questions - Is it really religious or just a social tradition? Do we really want religion in the public sphere when that usually ends badly for both parties? - but I am simply struck by the fact that Epiphany is not some forgotten tack-on to Christmas that only churchy types care about but is in fact as visible as Christmas to the point that it is, yes, in the Wal-Mart.

(Above: Wal-Mart's rosca de reyes packaging. In the corner it says in Spanish: "The only one certified by Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar.")

By "concrete practice" I mean, well: For Epiphany we eat cake. Cake shaped in a circle that contains a little plastic baby inside of it. Whoever gets that little plastic baby is obligated to throw a Candelaria party in a few weeks. Which means, if nothing else, that February 2, the day that Jesus is Presented in the Temple, is also (a) not forgotten and (b) remembered with not only a brilliant sermon but also a lively fiesta.

Anyway. Just some random thoughts, nascent musings, seeds for future contemplation. You know, because I'm (a) hoping to be a pastor someday and (b) just find this stuff fascinating.

On the 12th and last day of Christmastide ... a song by Javier Solís, one of Mexico's three greatest singer/actors of the 1940s and 50s, about the Día de Reyes, Mexico's version of Epiphany.



Today we went to Zapopan to:

1. Check out the massive Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Zapopan, the third-most important religious pilgrimage site in Mexico (y'all know what the second-most important is)

2. Explore the Huichol museum attached to the Basilica, where every peso of your admittance fee goes to help evangelize the indigenous Huichols, whether you like it or not

3. Eat some surprisingly delicious Greek food and take some pictures.


Tomorrow we head to the Pacific coast because, well, it's there and it's awesome and our visitors, like any visiting Northerners in January, crave the sand and shore. Buen viaje...

On the 11th day of Christmas ... a video to prepare for the Dia de los Tres Reyes on January 6, a.k.a. Three Kings Day, a.k.a Epiphany, on this, Epiphany Sunday, when we remember the visit of the Magi to the nacimiento.

Is this not a sweet video?



+++

Today we visited Tonalá and Tlaquepaque. On Sundays there is a massive street market in Tonalá, up and down the streets and winding around blocks and blocks, with crafts from all over Mexico. I even found a stand where I recognized handmade crafts from Chiapas - little woolen stuffed animals in deep colors, muy chiapaneco. After a few hours of browsing the craft stands, Erica and Fred ducked into a little store to buy some shiny blown glass creations. Chris and I stood on a corner to wait, and a man hurried over and handed us a flyer for his seafood restaurant. Seeing that he had a few minutes before the next tourist would cross his path, he asked us where we were from, and we had a lively conversation about different places in the United States and in Mexico. The man told us he had some family living in the United States, but he preferred to live in Mexico. "Es mas libre," he told us, explaining that he felt Mexico was a freer place because there were people out and about, on the streets and in the plazas day and night. Looking around at the hundreds of people crowding Tonalá's streets, it was hard to disagree.

Next we hopped a bus for the short ride to neighboring Tlaquepaque. It is difficult to overstate just how much fun that word is to say. It's pronounced "TLAH-kay-PAH-kay." See? Just try saying it only once. I can't decide which place name is better to say out loud: Tlaquepaque or Zacatecas.

After getting some food at a little plaza with live mariachi music and traditional Jalisco dances, we ambled down Tlaquepaque's streets, where most of the galleries and upscale shops were closed for Sunday. A few outdoor stands were still open, and Chris stopped to buy a kind of bag she'd had her eye on for awhile. Here she is with her nuevo bolso (and in her new scarf, I should add - muy bohemia, no?)...

On the 10th day of Christmas... a song from Chris's iTunes library. I turn my back for 2 seconds and all of a sudden she's bought a dozen new songs. Here's one of her new favorites:



Songs-of-the-day aside, today was our first day being tour guides with our friends who are in for the week from Milwaukee. (I'm forgoing the full report for lack of time and sufficing with a photo journal. Sorry.)

We checked out the terrifying Hidalgo mural by Jose Clemente Orozco inside the Palacio Municipal (notice our heads staring up at it) ...


Erica and Fred shared a quiet moment that wasn't posed at all...


Chris made a new friend, er, chair...


And we bought a fun ball to play with, except that it didn't last very long ...


So Chris used the streamers to make a hair tie instead...


And of course, no day is complete without Chris running into her best friend, the mascot for Farmacias Similares!


Anyway, we're having fun this weekend, and we hope you are too, wherever you are!

On the 9th day of Christmas ... visitors!

(above: Guadalajara's towering Los Arcos (arches) - Welcome to Guadalajara!)

Chris's sister Erica and her boyfriend Fred are arriving this evening and they'll stay with us for a little over a week. We're very excited. So excited, in fact, that this music-video-of-the-day probably best expresses our sentiments...

Año Nuevo en Guadalajara

(Above: Mariachis performing the classic song "Guadalajara.")

Last night we went to the city center to celebrate New Year’s with the tapatíos.

Chris did some research online and discovered that there would be a regional orchestra playing at 6:00, mariachi music starting at 7:30, and then a party at 9:00. Chris thought it would be best if we could catch the early music, see a bit of the party, and leave early enough to make it home on public transportation. So, running late as usual, we hopped on the city bus that picks us up a block from our house and headed downtown around 7, made the half-hour trip from our apartment to the city center, and started walking toward the central plaza around 7:30.

But when we arrived at 7:30, there was no sign of mariachis anywhere. There was no sign that any orchestra had just played. There did seem to be a big outdoor party coming, indicated by the giant rock-and-roll style temporary stage set up on the plaza behind the cathedral. We found a sign on a telephone poll in the plaza: New Year’s Eve party to start at… 10:00.

We wandered around the downtown for awhile, faintly hoping that we just had the place wrong and that we’d stumble upon some awesome mariachi concert a few blocks away, but no dice. So, our plans bewilderingly thrown out the window, we decided to get some ice cream and just wait for the late party.


First we sat in front of the cathedral, which was beautifully lit up for the evening. Guadalajara’s cathedral is not that tall compared to some of the other cathedrals in Mexico, but it is hulking in its own way, taking up a full city block and offering imposing architecture. Tonight we noticed for the first time some statues to individual martyrs built into the sides of the cathedral, peering down at us, martyrs who died in a bitter rebellion in the 1920s. These were the famous Cristeros, who I’ve been trying to learn about ever since arriving in Mexico (see earlier post back in August, when I stumped a history lecturer with some obscure question about the Cristeros). More on them later.

After awhile we wandered around to the other side of the cathedral, crossing another big plaza as we went. Guadalajara’s zocalo is a little different from the typical Mexican design: Its cathedral is surrounded by four city-block-sized plazas, one on each side. Behind the cathedral, where the New Year’s Eve party would be held, the plaza extends to the Teatro Degollado, where the Guadalajara orchestra and folkloric dance company perform. Tonight it is lit up with blue spotlights, and dapperly dressed folks are crowding around outside. They are so well-dressed in preparation for whatever event they’re going to that I half-expect one of them to pull out a monocle. But no one does. Sigh.


More and more people are gradually gathering around the rock-and-roll stage and in its massive plaza. Kids are everywhere. And because kids are everywhere, street vendors are everywhere, selling glow sticks and sparkly tiaras and especially little glowing bouncy balls with streamers attached to them. Before long every kid has a little glowing bouncy ball with streamers attached to it, and they are whipping them around on a string before letting them fly into the air, fall to the ground, bounce a few times, stop, and then the whole process begins again. Of course, very few of the kids have much precision with their bouncy-ball-throwing, so the balls fly everywhere – at people’s heads, into baby strollers, into the street. One little girl gets her toy stuck in a tree – tragedy! – but then her brother give her his, and she rejoins the fun.

Finally it is 10:00, and the party is supposed to start. Except that instead of a band playing, a DJ starts playing canned music. “Hey DJ, you know what would be a great song to kick off a party? How about Phil Collins’ ‘Easy Lover’?” Now, I love Phil Collins as much as the next 80s nostalgist (as my college roommate knows, I proudly own his greatest hits album), but this just seemed like an odd choice for a 2009 Mexican fiesta. It only got worse from there. Every song was in English, mostly American, but lots of techno, too, and even some really raunchy punk songs that just didn’t seem to fit the multigenerational, family-friendly, muy mexicana crowd of this New Year’s Eve party. And after a half-hour or so, people started getting really annoyed that the live band – advertised online for 9:00, advertised in the square for 10:00, and now not actually playing until 11:00 – was still not onstage. Mexicans express this heckling sentiment by whistling. Angry whistles went up everywhere.

Finally, at 11:15, a representative of the city government – Guadalajara’s version of Chicago’s “Mayor’s Office of Special Events” person – came onstage to welcome everyone. “Muy buenas noches,” he says. Not just buenas noches, but muy buenas noches? Well, yeah, Chris says, he’s got to be really polite now to all these annoyed people. He finally introduces the band.

Jane’s Addiction kicks into their first song. Ok, it’s not really Jane’s Addiction, but the lead singer really wanted to be Perry Farrell, or maybe some cross between Perry Farrell and the guys from Jet. All of their songs were completely in English, which I thought was really weird since, again, we’re in Guadalajara, supposedly the most Mexican of cities, and 99% of the people in the square were clearly Mexican. (And, on a side note, I've been immersing myself in the rock en español section of the iTunes music store all week, and then we go to a Mexican New Year's Eve celebration to hear rock en ingles? What's up with that?) Even weirder, every time the lead singer spoke to the crowd, he spoke in rapid Spanish, and then he kicked back into another English song, which just totally messed with my head. I’m all for bilingualism, but this is ridiculous.


In truth, the band wasn’t all that bad – they were tight, their songs were driving and taut with some electronica underneath that you could almost dance to – but this was a family crowd, and for the first song most people stood perfectly still staring at the people on stage blaring their too-loud-for-this-venue music. A dude stood with a cowboy hat on his head and his hands in his pockets giving the stage a blank stare for awhile. After a few songs, a lot of people left. I watched a family get into a taxi. It was too bad, really. I remember the best multigenerational, multicultural concert I’ve ever been to: Stevie Wonder in Grant Park. I don’t know who the Mexican Stevie Wonder is, but they should’ve booked him instead of the Perry Farrell wannabe. (Later, watching the TV news, we discovered that the norteño band Los Tigres del Norte played for free in downtown Mexico City. Los Tigres del Norte! So that’s who the Mexican Stevie Wonder is…)

Anyway, midnight finally came, and we all counted down from 10:

DIEZ!
NUEVE!
OCHO!
SIETE!
SEIS!
CINCO!
CUATRO!
TRES!
DOS!
UNO!
FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!!!

Fireworks shot up into the air. We watched them for a few minutes, bursting into color over the cathedral, and then we walk over to the street to hail a taxi and head home.


Feliz año nuevo a todos!