Everything You Need To Know About Dia de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead Celebrations in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Hurricane Fears as Willa Comes Close to Puerto Vallarta.
Meet and Greet at Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse.
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Hello fellow travelers, welcome this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel show. I am your host Barry Kessler and I am just so happy to be introducing you to my favorite vacation destination, and maybe even yours, Puerto Vallarta Mexico.
That music you were just listening to is performed by Alberto Perez, the owner of the La Palapa Group of Restaurants. Those are La Palapa, Puerto Vallarta’s Oldest Restaurant on the famous Los Muertos Beach, and The El Dorado Restaurant and Beach Club right next door so you can enjoy that fantastic view of the Los Muertos Pier all lit up at night in beautiful colors, or during the day in its grand splendor for breakfast, lunch or dinner, seated with our toes in the sand right at the water’s edge. It’s so romantic, it’s so, Puerto Vallarta my friends.
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This week I have interviews from our second meet and greet JR and I had at Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse on the 9th of October, just a couple of weeks back, but before I get to those interviews, let’s see what’s happening this week in Puerto Vallarta, and believe me, there already has been a lot happening, October 24th, 2018.
Puerto Vallarta Dodges Hurricane Willa This Week
This was a frightening week for Puerto Vallarta. If you hadn’t been following the news, Vallarta had a huge hurricane scare. In fact, this one was a repeat, well an almost repeat of Hurricane Patricia in 2015. This time it was Hurricane Willa, and Willa was
churning her way up the Mexican Coast, they started tracking and talking about it I think on Saturday the 20th or Friday the 19th and it was due to hit an area somewhere between Mazatlan and San Blas to the north of Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday Morning, October the 23rd. Willa became a Category 5 hurricane on the 22nd, Monday, and was expected to generate waves that would be 6-10 meters high. Of coarse there were lots of fears that the tidal surge could cause the kind of damage caused by hurricane Kenna back in 2002, where hundreds of seaside businesses and restaurants, hotels and so forth were damaged or destroyed by giant waves generated by the hurricane.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Kenna
And I don’t know if you remember my story about hurricane Patricia where Debbie and I self-evacuated and caught a bus to Guadalajara where they got more rain than they got in Vallarta, but back then, in October of 2015, the authorities evacuated all the hotels, and this time…in the end, they didn’t. At first they were asking all the hotels to evacuate, but as time passed, and it looked like the hurricane would hit to the north, whacking someone else unfortunately for those poor people, but Well, let me read this post from Pam Thompson Webb describing her conversation with the chief of the Firefighters in Puerto Vallarta…
October 22 at 12:07 PM
Here is summary of my chat with Adriana, chief of bomberos:
Electricity will not be turned off (although could go off on its own like when we have storms).
Port closed until Friday.
Airport open. Another meeting tonight at 7pm and maybe further details.
No garbage collection tomorrow.
Today all oceanfront businesses will be told they must close tomorrow.
Oceanfront hotels will be told to evacuate.
Estimated time-frame of stuff: Rain the rest of today, tonight. Tomorrow around 11am increase in winds, rain and beginning of high waves, 6 to 10 meters estimated, throughout all of tomorrow afternoon/evening.
He encourages those that live on the beachfront to move to higher ground tomorrow morning. Your own choice. Not mandatory. Make your own decision. Same if you live near a river/canal.
IMSS moving patients today from Clinica #42.
Bus service will continue until further notice.
I will receive updates and post.
Stay calm! Don’t spread rumors please.
Let’s see what Willa brings us!
So that was put out about 24 hours before the effects of the storm was going to be felt. Now I have a couple of videos I took from the Cuates y Cuetes cam showing the biggest waves that came on the beach there, and luckily, the waves never got big enough to damage the restaurants. I would say never more than 10’ waves. Looked like a good day in Malibu to be honest. And thank god for that. The waves came up to the wooden steps that lead down to the beach from the boardwalk in front of Cuates y Cuetes, but never higher than that.
Now I read that in Nayarit, they were going to evacuate as many as 15,000 people, but I’m not sure if that happened or not. I have a call into my buddy in Mazatlan to see how everything went, and I hope to have Alfonzo on if not today, next week.
So, the big waves and heavy rain didn’t come as thought. There was heavy rain at times, but not the gully washer that everyone was expecting that’s for sure. As a matter of fact, if you were to come here today, you wouldn’t know there was a near disaster. Now up north, that’s a different story.
So once again, Puerto Vallarta is saved by the ravages of other nature. Gracias Adios!
Now let’s look at the dates of these last hurricanes to threaten Vallarta, Kenna on October 25th, Patricia October 23rd and Willa October 23rd. See a pattern here? Coincidence? Naww.
My Travel Insurance Plan
Speaking of blown away, I contacted Michael Keller at Guardian Insurance Mexico to get my usual plan, and they didn’t have it.
In fact, if I wanted one like it I needed to pay some astronomical figure, so I begged off, and insured my trip through World Nomads. I’ve also used another company called Allianz, But the World Nomads Insurance fit my needs both price-wise and coverage wise. I have links to both of these companies in the show notes if you would like to check them out, as an alternative to the Coverage from Guardian.
Day of the Dead Celebrations in Puerto Vallarta
Last year I talked about Día de los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta, including what happens when you experience your very own Día de Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta. I discuss getting buried, cremated, shot up in a firework over the bay, being planted with a tree at the Botanical Garden, and more, and if you haven’t heard that one, go back a year and give it a listen. I had originally thought I would go to many of the Puerto Vallarta Cemeteries this trip, but I ran out of time, so next time I’m in town, I do plan to do some more morbid research for you, but to review the history behind Día de los Muertos very quickly, and if you just want to watch the new Disney film Coco, you can just skip this, but …Here goes…
2018 Day of The Dead Events for Puerto Vallarta Link Below
The Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico developed from pre-Colombian times and cultures. They had rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors, observed by these civilizations for perhaps as long as 2,500–3,000 years.
The festival that developed into the modern Day of the Dead originally fell in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, about the beginning of August, and was celebrated for an entire month. The festivities were dedicated to the goddess known as the “Lady of the Dead”, corresponding to the modern La Calavera Catrina. Or Elegant Skull or Skeleton. Of course, the Catholic Spaniards couldn’t kill the tradition, but did manage to move the date to correspond with All Saint’s Day, so they put up with the pagan activities of the indigenous Mexicans for a change of date. Clever.
By the late 20th century in most regions of Mexico, practices had developed to honor dead children and infants on November 1, and to honor deceased adults on November 2. November 1 is generally referred to as Día de los Inocentes translated it means “Day of the Innocents” but also as Día de los Angelitos or “Day of the Little Angels”, November 2 is referred to as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos in other words, “Day of the Dead”.
So, what goes on during these celebrations?
Well, Mexicans often build alters in their homes to honor their loved ones passed. They invite the dead to join the family once again by offering their favorite foods, drink, clothing, that they loved when they were alive. Stuff like that. These alters are often constructed in homes or back and front yards, or at the cemetery.
Now earlier we talked about the “Lady of the Dead”, corresponding to the modern La Calavera Catrina. Or Elegant Skull or Skeleton.
La Calavera Catrina (‘Dapper Skeleton’, ‘Elegant Skull’) is a 1910–1913 zinc etching by famous Mexican printmaker, cartoon
illustrator and lithographer José Guadalupe Posada. The image depicts a female skeleton dressed only in a hat befitting the upper-class outfit of a European of her time. She is portrayed satirically as one of those Mexican natives who, Posada felt, were aspiring to adopt European aristocratic traditions in the pre-revolution era. She, in particular, has become an icon of the Mexican Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead. And if you are a Grateful Dead Fan, you will recognize that smiling skeleton with the bonnet, at the same Posada Calavera Catrina character.
And there are all sorts of ways you can make that Catrina design, and if you go to YouTube or Pinterest, you can get all kinds of great ideas on how to paint your face with a cool Calavera Catrina.
What do they do in Vallarta? Well, this year something very special and new…
From Vallarta Daily News dated October 20th 2018
32 giant Katrina and 80 Alters will be part of Day of the Dead in Puerto Vallarta
From October 28th to November 3rd, Vallarta will carry out a series of activities to remember the faithful departed and we’ll also have as a guest, the neighboring state of Aguascalientes, who will be present with giant Katrina’s that will be exhibited along the malecon. A total of 32 giant Katrina’s, about 80 Alters, art exhibitions, contests, Legends, and tours with storytelling are part of the activities prepared to celebrate this important date in Mexico. On October 28th the events will start with the Katrina’s show in Plaza Caracol at 7 in the evening, in addition, the special presentation of the musical show of the music from cocoa, where the children can dance in the company of the characters of this traditional Mexican movie. The city council reported that Puerto Vallarta is being a beach destination that has everything to offer its visitors, such as Exquisite Cuisine, ecotourism, adventure, and the most spectacular Landscapes while also preserving Mexican traditions.
I have a link to that article in the show-notes.
32 giant catrina and 80 altars will be part of Day of the Dead in Puerto Vallarta
That sounds interesting, wow, giant Cartinas! Now I can’t for the life of me find a schedule of events, for this year, but I do have one from last year and I posted it in the show notes. It’s in Spanish and English, kind of, but you can get the gist. There are lots of thing scheduled so check out the schedule. When the new version finally gets out, I will post it on my Facebook page, well the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show Facebook page and if you haven’t liked the page, you should go there and like it so you will get notifications from me every week, so I will post the schedule when it makes it off the presses.
But as in years past, in Puerto Vallarta, the celebrations go from the 28th of October till the 2nd of November with parades, festivals, Charro Horse Parades with painted carina faces, Motorcycles too.
The 28th or the 29th, the alters start going up along the Malecon.
The 30th see the Ballet Folkloric at the arches at 8:00 PM till 10PM.
If you are in town the 31st you will be hit up by local children for candy so be prepared. They seem to have picked up that bad habit from the north, and they have caught on pretty good.
The big parade happens on the 2nd of November, at 5:00 PM, beginning at the 5th of December cemetery to the Municipal Market.
Next week, I’ll for sure give you an update for sure.
Los Muertos Brewing Fiesta en la Calle
Then to wrap up the fun, on Saturday, the 3rd of November, Los Muertos Brewing is having an event from 1 PM – 11 PM, they
are having their 6th annual Fiesta en la Calle, there’ll be food, and music and beer. Lots of beer, in the fun at Los Muertos Brewing on Lazaro Cardenas and Constitution, and eat, drink and party on the street, en la Calle at Los Muertos, and speaking of beer, I got a call from Edgar Rivas with the Brewmaster Festival Puerto Vallarta coming up next month, let’s hear from Edgar. We talked yesterday morning and here he is…
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Okay Save the date if you are in town and check out the Brewmaster Craft Beer Festival on Cuale Island. Wow, they let a Canadian brewery in did they? Hummm. So save the dates, November 17th and 18th. Check out the poster for the event in the shownotes at www.puertovallartatravelshow.com.
Also, I need to thank Chase Buckner at Vallarta Co-work. Edgar came in to their place and Chase had a microphone for him
and everything for our google hangout, but I forgot to tell Edgar to bring his laptop with him, so he had to do the interview with his phone, but the WiFi at Co-Work helped make that call listenable so thanks for that. And thanks to them for making it possible for me to bring you our last podcast from Kelly’s Pour Favor, I had the crappiest internet this trip I’ve got to say, and when I was trying to produce the audio file and then to upload it to my media host to get out to all of you, and at Vallarta Co-work, they have great ups, great uploads, so thanks and if you haven’t heard that episode with Chase at Vallarta Co-work where we talk about the Digital Nomads of Vallarta, you need to listen, and if you have a need for great internet, I suggest you check them out.
All right let’s get on with the interviews at Kelly’s Pour Favor.
Meet and Greet Open Microphone at Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse
I have to say that I was so thrilled to see so many people at the second Meet and Greet of the last stay on October the 9th.
There was Nancy Page who works with Natasha Moraga, and then Catherine Caldera from the Boutique Theater, we have spoken with Catherine before, and I just adore her, she’s one of the first people I met when I began the Podcast. Then a real treat to meet Jamie, you’ll hear from him about his projects, and lastly my good friend and friend of the show, Bezerk, her real name is Pam, and she is my TripAdvisor buddy, well, one of my TripAdvisor buddies, and I’ve had her on the show in an episode about timeshares and luxury resorts in Puerto and Nuevo Vallarta, and I finally got a chance to meet her, and her husband Mike and some of her sweet friends at the meet and greet. She lives in Lake Chapala and she is a frequent visitor to Vallarta so what fun to have them, and others on the rooftop at Kelly’s Pour Favor. Now I need to warn you that during the conversation with Jamie, there is going to be an occasional buzzing and I don’t know why, but I did do my best to minimize it, so be ready for it. So, let’s go right now, to the rooftop at Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse, on Lazaro Cardenas, and let’s hear from our friends shall we?
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Nancy’s Favorite Place to Eat Dinner in Puerto Vallarta
Favorite Getaway Spot
- Mayto, Cabo Corrientes, Mexico
Okay, well, that was a lot of fun, and as always, very informative. I have pictures of all these interviewees in the show notes and links to the things they talked about. It’s so much fun to hear from you folks who take the time from your vacation in paradise to hang out, tell us what’s going on, and eat, drink and share ideas and have a great time. Really I want to thank you so much.
Now speaking about the Meet and Greets at Kelly’s, you know those are organized by JR, John Russell and he has them every week on Tuesdays, and the time is going to change this week because we are going back to standard time in Vallarta this Sunday, clocks are falling back so the meet and greets will be on Tuesdays starting at 6:30 instead of 5:30. So make note of that change. Meet and greets at 6:30 at Kelly’s Pour Favor Saloon and Cookhouse till the spring.
Okay That should do it for this week.
Next week, stay tuned for more on the ground reports from Puerto Vallarta Mexico, with travel tips, great restaurant and excursion ideas and more. Until then, remember, this is an interactive show where I depend on your questions and suggestions about all things Puerto Vallarta. If you think of something I should be talking about, please reach out to me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending us your message.
And remember, if you are considering booking any type of tour while you are in Puerto Vallarta, you must go to Vallartainfo.com, JR’s website and reserve your tour through him, right from his website. Remember the value for value proposition. His experience and on the ground knowledge of everything Puerto Vallarta in exchange for your making a purchase of a tour that you would do anyway, you’re just doing it through him as a way of saying thank you. It costs no more than if you were to use someone else so do it. Really. And when you do take one of these tours, email me about your experiences. Maybe you can come on-board and share with others what you liked or didn’t like about the tour. Again, contact me by clicking on the Contact us tab and sending off a message. Don’t forget his maps, his DIY tours and his revitalized Happy Hour Board. I have links to all of those in the show notes.
And once again, if you like this podcast, please take the time and subscribe and give me a good review on iTunes if you would. That way we can get the word out to more and more people about the magic of this place. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Remember I made it easy for you to do just that with each episode I create. But if you haven’t been to my website, you really need to have a look there. I have the links to the places we talk about, interesting pictures and the more all right there in my blog-posts and show-notes for each episode of the show so check them out for sure if you haven’t already all-right? All right.
And thank you to Nancy Page from El Parque de los Azulejos, check them out in the park, at Qulture, on line, donate. Get involved in a workshop, see what you can do, and Catherine Caldera, check out her Ted Talks at the Boutique Theater and don’t miss her Karaoke Facebook Page. I will link that up too. Join and be prepared for your road to singing stardom. And thanks to you Jamie Burton Chamberlin. Looking forward to seeing what you are going to do in the Burgundy Room, sounds awesome, and thanks to you Bezerk, so good to finally meet you in person, and thanks for the great information. Oh and thank you Edgar for letting us know about the Brewmasters festival coming next month, I will remind you all as the date approaches.
And thanks to all of you for listening all the way through this episode of the Puerto Vallarta Travel Show. This is Barry Kessler signing off with a wish for you all to slow down, be kind and live the Vallarta lifestyle. Nos Vemos amigos!
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I so love these podcasts! Barry you are the BEST! On top of it, this podcast PV Travel Show was my introduction to Podcasts!