Showing posts with label Dia de Los Muertos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dia de Los Muertos. Show all posts

Sunday, November 5, 2023

Hurricane Lidia, Festivities, and a Paperback Release!

 November 2023 Newsletter

I Took Photos of Our Plants Before Hurricane Lidia,

Fearing They Would be Thrashed by the Severe Wind

Lidia was not the first hurricane we've experienced in Mexico, but she was the scariest. The ferocious wind took down many beautiful mature trees, power lines, solar panels, and roofs and shattered numerous windows.

Thank Goodness We Charged Our Kindles Before Lidia!

Jon and I spent the dark evening reading on our Kindles. We waited the storm out in an inner bedroom away from all windows. Hearing the crashing noises outside was very frightening. Our condo unit was undamaged, we were safe, and our plants survived. Many were not as fortunate.

Preparing Supplies for Hurricane Victims
Jon, I, and many others volunteered at the Vallarta Food Bank to package basic cleaning supplies and food for families who had lost so much. Read more HERE.

饾檵饾櫀饾櫏饾櫄饾櫑饾櫁饾櫀饾櫂饾櫊 饾檷饾櫄饾櫋饾櫄饾櫀饾櫒饾櫄!

The paperback and Kindle versions of Mexico For Better or For Worse: Novel #3 are both available in most Amazon markets!

Here are a few of the Amazon paperback links:

United States

Canada

United Kingdom

Thank you for reading my books and blogs.
Cheers,
Terry

Friday, November 11, 2022

Holiday Joys and Hazards in M茅xico ⚠️ An eBook Sale!

Holidays in M茅xico are Festive!

Jon and I had a lot of fun this year during D铆a de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead celebration. And then we had some terrible trouble! The lessons we learned apply to all of the popular upcoming holidays in M茅xico.


Taking a walk around town is the best way to see the holiday d茅cor and events. We had to cruise down the Malec贸n to see Puerto Vallarta’s sexy La Catrina. She broke the Guinness record for the world’s largest Catrina! Read more HERE.

Don't Miss This eBook Sale Price

Pickle Jar Test: A Novel

View and Download

Amazon.com: 99¢

(Starting Nov. 10, 8 AM PST)

United Kingdom: £0.99

(Starting Nov. 10, 8 AM GMT)

Through November 16!


Sunday, November 6, 2022

D铆a de Los Muertos 2022— Altars, Catrinas, Fun Parade, and a Street Party!

Our Condominium's Altar was for Bella and Other Pets

Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is a joyful and positive celebration in M茅xico, honoring those who have passed from this life. It has become a popular, festive holiday that lasts for days beginning November 1.

From the moment we walked out our condominium door that day, we saw flags and alters being constructed for the evening street party. Altars for dead loved ones are built in homes and on the street with marigolds, sand designs, candles, photos of the loved ones, food, drink, and articles of clothing or other objects that belonged to the person or animal.

Restaurantes La Palapa's and El Dorado's Altar

Our condominium had a beautiful altar in honor of the pets who have lived there and passed on, including our beloved dachshund, Bella. There was what looked like a replica of Bella’s skeleton with a big bowl of dog kibble, and now that we understand the beliefs behind this celebration, it brought joy to my heart. Bella looked happy.

Pet Altar Honoring Bella and Other Pets Who Have Died Here

The Pinnacle Condominium team created a nice Catrina for the street party. She wasn’t as beautiful as the award-winning Catrina on the Malec贸n, but she welcomed those coming up the stairs and funicular to Calle P煤lpito in her pretty pink skirt.

Pinnacle Condominium's Catrina

Puerto Vallarta's Sexy Catrina

The 2022 D铆a de Los Muertos Puerto Vallarta parade was the first in three years due to the pandemic. The city went all out with displays on the Malec贸n this year, especially with the tallest, most beautiful, sexy Catrina. We wanted to see the parade, but after my pickpocketing episode on the Malec贸n, I was hesitant to get into another crowd.

So, we walked over to Restaurante L'Angolo di Napoli and settled in with salad, pizza, and wine to wait for the parade to come to us. We were just guessing this was on the parade route which hadn’t been published, but if nothing else, we would enjoy some of the best pizza Puerto Vallarta has to offer.

L'Angolo di Napoli's Colorful Ceiling
We Shared an Insalata Mixta, Fresh and Healthy
There's a Good Reason Their Pizza is #1 on TripAdvisor!
Our Waiter Posed for this Photo馃槃

It was nearly dark by the time the parade reached Old Town, so my photos are not the best, but I hope it shows the community's efforts to bring the spirit of the Day of the Dead back to Puerto Vallarta. We were in a perfect, crowd-free place to enjoy the parade!

A Horsewomen's Group Dressed for the Parade 
We headed back to the street party but were too full for tacos. After a little dancing and talking to neighbors, we said, “Buenas noches” and headed to our little, quiet haven in the condominium. It was a fun D铆a de Los Muertos holiday.

I even Convinced Jon to Dance on the Stage with Me!

Do you or someone you know consider moving to M茅xico? If so, you might like to read my book Retirement Before the Age of 59: Healthy Living in Mexico eBook #2, in which I wrote about the whys, where, hows, and pros and cons of our move to this wonderful country. Over seven years later, we’re still grateful that we retired early and chose Mexico as our new home.

Free with kindleunlimited

I invite you to SIGN UP for my "Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico Newsletter", published monthly with stories about our latest adventures, my recent blog articles, and news about my books. Here's a sample, September 2022's Newsletter.

Terry L Turrell, is the author of 5 books in the Healthy Living in Mexico Series and 2 novels in the In Sickness and In Health Novel Series. All are available on Amazon worldwide, FREE with kindleunlimited.

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Pickpocketed in Mexico During D铆a de Los Muertos

 I WAS PICKPOCKETED!

Beware of Pickpockets in the Crowds!
I made a newbie mistake Sunday night on the Malec贸n in Puerto Vallarta. After living in M茅xico for many years, I let my guard down in a crowd for the first time and a skillful pickpocket helped himself to the contents of my backpack purse.

Puerto Vallarta's 2022 Beautiful La Catrina

I brought my Canon digital camera to try to get better photos of this year's D铆a de Los Muertos Catrinas, especially our record-making tall beauty. I had raised my arms over the heads in front of me to snap a couple of shots of the Beatles—they were great!

The Beatles Catrinas

When I turned to find my husband, Jon, I immediately realized my backpack was significantly lighter. Every zipper on the back was wide open! A slick pickpocket got my Clinique bag containing paracetamol, ibuprofen, carbidopa/levodopa for Jonathan's Parkinson's disease, and other miscellaneous OTC meds. No big loss. I hope they were greatly disappointed. But he or she also got my cell phone.

My Gratitude for the Day, Week, and Month: They didn't get my wallet with my ID, debit card, and money. And I’m happy that I got some nice photos of the Catrinas and displays on the Malec贸n with my Canon camera.

There Were Some Great Older Model Cars Displayed

It's crowded out there during the parade and evening viewings of the Catrinas. It’ll continue to be crowded in tourist cities from now through the holidays. Beware of pickpockets! Another Lesson Learned...

My Canon Zoomed to Capture the 23-Meter-Tall Catrina's Face

The two women who helped me at the Telcel store with a new phone both said they had had phones stolen. One said she was taking a photo with her phone and someone snatched it out of her hand! The other had it taken out of her front pants pocket. They were both coaching me on how to hold my backpack purse—it was so sweet! Most Mexicans are so caring and helpful. It’s during these busy holidays that the thieves come out to work the crowd.

After their advice, I’ve been carrying my backpack purse in a front/side position with my arm hugging it. I've always kept a leash from my purse to my belt loop or my chair at a restaurant so it can't be snatched. But during these crowded holidays, skilled pickpockets don't need to snatch your whole purse—just smoothly remove the contents. Fortunately, I’ve always kept my wallet in a secret pocket. Now my phone will be stored there, too. We can’t be too careful.

To read about “More Lessons Learned”, check out my latest book available on Amazon worldwide. Thank you for reading my blog articles and books.

I invite you to SIGN UP for my "Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico Newsletter", published monthly with stories about our latest adventures, my recent blog articles, and news about my books.

Terry L Turrell