The Grand Bliss

For thousands of years, natives from what is now Mexico have viewed death in a positive way as a continuation of life. The conquistadors arrived over 500 years ago and viewed the rituals of laughing at death as sacrilegious so they tried to end the rituals but were unsuccessful. In an attempt to make the ritual religious, the Spaniards moved the holiday to coincide with the Catholic calendar days of All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2).

People in Mexico and around the world celebrate these days with family and friends by feasting, throwing parties, visiting graves and building altars filled with food, flowers, incense (known as copal) and photos. Despite the gloomy theme, Dia de los Muertos is a joyful holiday and a great time to share stories about loved ones.

If you see candy skulls or other various skeleton items over the next few days you now know why they are around. For all of those who are celebrating this holiday, “Feliz Dia de los Muertos!”

Have you ever wondered how safe the water is down in Mexico? Stories of “Montezuma’s Revenge” tend to make visitors turn to bottled water for their recommended 8 glasses a day instead of local water.

Until my last stay in Nuevo Vallarta, I was not aware of the resort’s top of the line system that treats and purifies water on site. In the past I would use the large bottle in the bathroom from brushing my teeth (I thought that was the reason it was there). Oops! Well now I know and you all do too!

While I still like San Pellegrino when dining and lounging, I am comforted by the effort the resort has made to keep us members healthy! So next time you are staying at The Grand Bliss, know that whether you are brushing your teeth, showering or filling up a water bottle for a day at the beach, your water has been purified and filtered!

Remember to drink at least eight glasses of water a day especially when you are spending your days outside under the Mexican sun!

One of my favorite things about The Grand Bliss rooms is the spacious bathroom with the large Jacuzzi bathtub. I have always loved taking long bubble baths and vacation turns out to be one of the times when I can indulge in them. On our last stay in Nuevo Vallarta, I was thrilled when we were set up with a fantastic view of the landscaping and ocean.

After our first day at the resort by the pool, we got back to our room after 7, which gave me time to take a nice bath before our 9 pm reservations at Gong. I slid the balcony doors and bathroom doors open and was able to watch the sun set while I sipped on champagne in the bubbles (Did I forget to mention I called up champagne from room service?!). It was the perfect way to kick off vacation!

The bathtub has great samplers on the ledge from Brio Spa that I always take advantage of. I tend to spread them out during my stay and use one for each bath- bubble bath, oil and bath salts.

Do you take full advantage of the great amenities in your room? Also, if you end up using all of your complimentary bath products, full size products are available for purchase!

Veracruzana Sauce Ingredients:

4 tbsp. olive oil

4 tbsp. white wine

4 cloves of garlic – minced

1 onion (medium size) – chopped

1 tsp. fresh oregano – chopped

2 lbs. peeled ripe plum tomatoes cut in seedless strip

1 large red bell pepper – deseed and devein in strips

1 large green bell pepper – deseed and devein in strips

1 large yellow bell pepper – deseed and devein in strips

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Snapper Ingredients:

4 tbsp. olive oil

4, 6 oz. snapper filets with skin

1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

½ cup Spanish or Italian green olives – pitted

1 tbsp. cappers – chopped if large (small capers can be left whole)

1 lime cut in quarters

Recipe yields four servings

Preparation:

In a nonstick pan, sauté the onions in hot olive oil until they begin to soften and color. Add bell peppers and cook for two minutes. Then add tomatoes and cook until soft. Add white wine to deglaze the pan, add oregano and bay leaf and cook for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set sauce aside.

In a nonstick pan, fry the fish filets in olive oil until they are half cooked and set aside. In another pan add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the olives, cherry tomatoes and capers for a few minutes and combine with the Veracruzana sauce and bring to a boil. Transfer fish into the sauce and continue cooking for 10 minutes.

Arrange the fish on a large plate and cover with sauce (remember to remove bay leaves). Serve with steamed rice and sautéed vegetables. ¡Buen provecho!

Estados Unidos Mexicanos better known to us as United Mexican States or simply Mexico is the fifth largest country in the Americas.  Mexico is made up of 31 states. Can you name them all? Vida Vacations has resorts in the states of Jalisco (Puerto Vallarta), Mayarit (Nuevo Vallarta), Quintana Roo (Cancun), Baja California Sur (Los Cabos), Sonora (Puerto Peñasco), Guerrero (Acapulo) and Sinaloa (Mazatlan). Mexico City is the country’s capital and largest city with a population over 21 million people!

Can you name this Mexican official?

It is the President of Mexico, Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa. He has been in office since December 1, 2006 and is a member of the National Action Party.

The Mexican Flag was created in 1821 to celebrate Mexico’s Independence. Everything included in the design is symbolic of the country’s history. The colors: green represents the independence movement, white represents the purity of the Catholic faith and red represents the Spaniards that joined in the quest for independence and blood of the National Heroes. The shield symbolizes Aztec heritage.

There is a legend that the gods told the Aztecs to build their city where an eagle was seen perched on a prickly pear tree eating a serpent. This was apparently seen at what is now the main square in Mexico City.

Hope you learned something new and interesting! ¡Viva Mexico!

Vacation is a time to indulge! Don’t you agree? Last time I checked with the dictionary that meant: a period of suspension of work, study or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation or travel.

So when I’m on vacation, I live it up! We come to Nuevo Vallarta a few times a year and every time we return, we never want to leave thanks to the amazing staff, scenery, accommodations, food and more!

Part of vacation includes recreation and for me, one of my daily recreational activities is Clase de Baile! We tend to lounge on the sunbeds during the day but come one o’clock I am front row for Clase de Baile! It is a fun way to learn new Latin dance moves and visit with other members.

The photo above is one of my favorite members of the activities staff, Oscar. He sure knows how to move and teach a great dance class. When he teaches, people gravitate to the area and dance whether they are on the patio or in the pool! He makes sure everyone has a good time and we learn a few new steps.

The class is a little under an hour, which means I have gotten my exercise of the day done and that I deserve a Miami Vice cocktail at the pool bar! Try out Clase de Baile on your next trip – it’s so much fun and is offered everyday due to its popularity!