Currently viewing the tag: "mexico"
It would be an injustice not to devote an entire post to the amazing hostel in Guanajuato that held my weary head for two days and two nights. After a long drive for someone with nothing to think about, we finally found La Casa de Dante. As soon as we arrived we were greeted with fresh kiwi, strawberry and jicama, as well as sweetened lemonade followed by quesadillas… or in my case, sin-quesadillas. Yes, the warm and sweet caretaker at this one-of-a-kind hostel, Dante, took my special vegan requests and kept me full and satisfied at every meal, taking the time to proudly explain each of the fresh ingredients she used. Besides the glorious food, the hostel is meticulously cared for and decorated handsomely. Regional art and decoration are all about the casa’s three levels that offer spectacular views of the vivid patchwork of dwellings and mountains. I would highly recommend this charming and well-kept family-operated hostel if you ever visit Guanajuato, if not for the food and accommodations than for the beaming smile of Dante.
A small sampling of what I was offered is below, many of which were regional specialties for this festive time in Mexico: sin-quesadillas stuffed with edible squash flowers, roasted papas with tomato and green chilies garnished with avocado, mashed guava smeared on fresh bread, sweet corn tamales with green chilies and potato-stuffed chohada, a regional pear-looking vegetable.
A must-see in Guanajuato is its mummies. Museo de la Mumias is sure to creep and fascinate. The very popular attraction had a huge line on our first visit and so our second attempt was timed to beat the rush on the morning of our departure. Here’s the draw:
The Museo de las Momias in the little province of Guanajuato in Mexico is full of the exhumed, mummified bodies of unfortunate locals who could no longer pay their graveyard rent. Because of a unique law that is in force in this part of Mexico, graves in the local cemetery have to either be bought for an exorbitant amount or rented every five years. If the deceased’s family fails to pay the rent, the body is exhumed and disposed of to make way for new arrivals. Through some mysterious process that scientists have not been able to explain, a small proportion of the bodies from this graveyard end up naturally mummified. Rather than being destroyed by the local authorities, these bodies are put in the macabre Museo de las Momias. Here they join a vast “human library,” poised in all possible postures of death, that has been accumulating since the museum was founded in 1865. It is not only the death fetish of the Mexican imagination that has kept this museum going (there can be an eerie, almost carnivalesque atmosphere among the visitors lined up outside). The main draw is the air of supernatural mystery about the whole phenomenon. Scientists from as far away as Tokyo have analyzed the bodies trying to find an explanation, but no one has so far succeeded in understanding why five or six exhumed bodies every year have turned into mummies. Some speculate that the minerals in the soil are the cause, while others suspect divine punishment for crimes committed in life – the bodies seem condemned to a perpetually moribund half-life of paralyzed torment. Whatever the explanation, this sort of place is obviously only for those with a strong stomach, and even hard nuts may want to avoid some exhibits – such as shelves full of mummified babies. The only other known mummy-museum of this kind in the world is the Catacombe dei Cappuccini in Palermo. (source)
The odd gift shop’s gummy mummy.
Back at Hotel Occidental in Guadalajara I was lucky to catch game 5 of the World Series! After a long drive back north, it was a welcome sight. We—me and the room’s la cucarachas—all snuggled in to watch the Phillies defeat the Yankees. Satisfacción para un aficionado al Los Mets!
Guanajuato, which is right smack dab in the center of Mexico, is known for its beautiful bastillicas, brightly colored dwellings stacked into its surrounding mountains and its festive celebrating of Dia de los Muertos, the reason for our visit. One of Mexico’s oldest cities, it is steeped in history, brimming with Spanish influence and is one of the country’s thriving cultural centers. Guanajuato is a gorgeous city. I could have wandered its spiraling cobblestone streets, trudged the 100 uneven steps to and from the hostel to the calle below and gazed at its spectacular architecture for weeks and weeks. But we only had 2 days.
Situated about one of Guanajuato’s many thriving plazas was a small little shop of comida naturales I stumbled across trying to find another vegetarian restaurant. It seems veg-friendly eateries south of the United States have a high rate of turnover and, considering the components of traditional Mexican food, it is no surprise. However, Unicornio Azul (The Blue Unicorn) was fully operational when its sign for a hamburguesa de soya caught my eye. I ordered said hamburguesa de soya, a veg-meat enchilada and a huge vegan chocolate chip cookie.
Focusing on that cookie for a second, it seems big, dry cookies free of egg and dairy are easy to find in Mexico. I stumbled across quite a few in standard convenience stores and in vitamin/herb shops. They’re pretty darn good too. Far better than the racist stereotype Hostess-type snacks, I’m sure.
On our first evening, Dia de los Muertos festivities eluded us. We expected to see early festive goings-ons all about the Centro district but saw only scattered American-style Halloween trick-r-treaters and young twenty-somethings partaking in public drunkenness. Having been happy to escape this kind of thing in New York City (Halloween is numero 3 in amateur hour drinking, third to New Years Eve and St. Patrick’s Day.), our first evening was a bit off-putting. But on November first, thee dia of the dead, late afternoon foot traffic increased greatly in the city’s squares and busloads of Mexican tourists, many breathtakingly gorgeous, hip and stylish, loitered the streets in waiting for nightfall. With fresh-cut flowers and skull-vendors everywhere, I was amidst the excitement of this unique festival finally.
We found a gem of an eatery in Guadalajara: Vegitariano Zanahoria. What a pleasant experience the old man with the salad tie gave us. Going out of his way to explain which dishes were free of dairy, I decided on the breakfast special: an enchilada stuffed with soy beef and vegetables and covered with tofu cheese. I also ordered a huge glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice and noshed on fresh wheat bread and a salad prior to entrée’s arrival. All of this for 77 pesos, the equivalent of about 6 American dollars! This large and friendly health-conscious restaurant offers also offers a selection of veggie meats, tofu blocks, fresh juices and dense bricks of two-ingredient chocolate. Vegan score. Next it was time to hit the road!
We left Guadalajara in the early a.m. with a 300+ kilometer roadtrip to Guanajuato on the itinerary. 300 kilometers is not a very long ride in my book. But our route proved a doozy to navigate, allowing us plenty of time to spy the beauty and pace of many colorful small towns and villages.
On the way we saw many wild fields of the blue agave cactus, yes the celebrated cactaceae responsible for vegan pantry staple agave nectar, as well as potent intoxicants tequila and, my favorite, mezcal. We had to stop for a frolic in the fields. For some reason I assumed the cactus to be much like the aloe plant, oozing sweet nectar from its swollen leaves. However, the sweet stuff lies in the plant’s heart, in large bulbs. But that didn’t stop me from wanting to take a bite.
Catching glimpse of Lake de Chapala to the south, we were sure we had found a new ocean. The lake seemed to continue to the edge of the world, glimmering and illuminating the powerful and hazy sol.
After fighting strong head winds south from Chicago’s O’Hare, I finally arrived in Guadalajara, Mexico, a modern city in Mexico’s center. The congested anomalous 6-laned highway into Guadalajara’s center was bustling with peppy 4-cyclindered cars, cab-heavy pick-ups and motorbikes. The smell of exhaust and industry took me back to my time in Thailand. Passing a rash of seedy table dance bars and dilapidated industrial factories, we reached our hotel, Hotel Occidental, situated down one of the many narrow cobble-stoned roads off of the main drag in the city’s center.
Second to Mexico City, Guadalajara is one of just a handful of cities in Mexico that is industrious and modernized. It is the birthplace of mariachi. Shops along the main streets sell breathtaking mariachi outfits and authentic cowboy gear for a hefty peso. And come evening, the streets are crawling with mariachi musicians, packs of them in their traditional garb, congregating on corners and hitchhiking rides. But you won’t see them playing for spare pesos on the street no, folks travel far and wide to request a song from these heralded musicians.
After a quick check-in at Hotel Occidental, we explored the Guadalajara by foot, hoping to catch a quick dinner at Restaurante Vegitariano, a vegan-friendly lead off the very populated Hiladgio. This street connects you to the hub of the city, a square of cathedrals and enormous ornate stone buildings and gorgeous fountains. With horse-drawn carriages, live music, cuddling couples on benches, the city was pulsing on a Friday night. But the restaurant: a dead-end, shacked up and no longer in business. A testament to how difficult it will be to find vegan food in Mexico.
We headed, instead, to an arty café my friends had hit the evening prior, Andre Breton Cafe, named after the daddy of surrealism. The unique space had a small stage, groups of hip and attractive young Mexicans and a large variety of beers to choose from. Upon grabbing a table, we were given a bowl of delicious chili-lime flavored mixed nuts. The café menu, however, was not very vegan-friendly, which I expected. But our sweet waitress worked with me and my fumbling Spanish to bring me a large salad with no carne, no leche, no queso… and it was quite good. Greens, pickles, tomatoes, olives, carrots and sprouts sprinkled with sesame seeds balsamic vinegar and oil.
After our eats and some drinks, a fantastic band took the stage. Eerily dressed against the black light bulbs above the stage, these four young talented guys pulled out a succession of instruments: brass, woodwinds, strings, and a huge variety of percussion and sound effects. They were young, cool and hip out the wazoo and we all felt we were home in Brooklyn. Which kind of got old quick.
On the way back we saw the first of Dia de los muertos goodies for sale at the night market.
This morning I am bound for Mexico to celebrate Dia de los Muertos in Guanajuato with friends. Though, of course, I will be reporting on my vegan options south of the border, which will include large quantities of Mexcal and straight from the blue agave cactus nectar, no doubt. I have been wanting to visit Mexico during this festive time of year for quite some time now. So, taking full advantage of my current spinster, obligation-free lifestyle, I bid the crazy NYC Halloween weekend adios. My crafty DDLM passport holder (below) is ready and my backpack stuffed. Goodbye America… and hello all souls!
I’ve long wanted to visit Mexico to celebrate Dia de los Muertos. And this year I am! I will be heading to Guadalajara and staying with friends before heading to Guanajuato to take part in the sacred festival of the departed. Though I am only slightly disappointed that we won’t be able to make it out to Oaxaca, which is most festive, Guanajuato promises a less tourist-trotted holiday. In preparation I have began working on my own Dia de los Muertos craft…
…and veganizing Dia de los Muertos staple, el pan de muerto (or “dead bread”). Yes, vegan dead bread! I used this recipe and substituted the eggs with Ener-g and Earth Balance for butter. The dough was easy to make and smelled delish, thanks to the anise and orange.
But, my active yeast was expired and it rose at a sloth’s pace. Instead of the 3 hours or so of rising the recipe called for, I let it sit overnight and the entirety of the next day.
Finally it is all ready for the oven!
And out it comes 40 minutes later looking quite yum.
But dead bread needs more sugar! After applying the sugar and orange glaze the sticky skin was sprinkled with even more sugar. Enough sugar to call to the wandering souls of my kitchen.
Success! Veganized el pan de muerto.
Vegan Reporting By Location
