Choco-Banana and Jumping Ship.

Although I've been in Vallarta for many years, there always seems to be something new to try as was the case last night when a group of us hit a spot called "Banana Cantina."

"Banana Cantina" is located above the old "Choco-Banana" location just up the street from La Palapa. It's a hip little spot with some interesting decor and a really tasty menu of offerings including a variety of original salads and some fabulous looking coconut shrimp. It's a good place to check out if you're looking for something comfortable and not too pricey. The place has somewhat of an interesting history and my husband and I play a small role in that history.

Many, many years ago a woman jumped ship here in Puerto Vallarta. I can't remember her name but she was a crew member aboard the Cruise Ship "Canaval" originally from England and she was just having so much fun on the weekly calls to this destination that she decided to ignore the boarding call. Shortly after jumping ship she developed an enterprising idea in an effort to provide an income for herself. She was soon seen all over town with a cooler over her shoulder going from business to business offering her homemade chocolate covered frozen bananas. Well, at the time I recall Vallarta hadn't seen anything like her or her product so her fame grew quickly. One day we were driving by and she asked us for a ride and we obliged. She had been at our ranch a few times to party and ride the horses so we knew her story. Well, that sidewalk business grew into a fixed restaurant called "Choco-Banana"which still operates and I heard she eventually sold that business for a pretty penny to as American couple and the new owners opened up the more expansive sit-down eatery above the original.
That's the history of Choco-Banana/Banana Cantina here in Vallarta.

Doing The Full Frida.

My parents are down visitng from Canada and they brought me a copy of the Toronto newspaper. As I fondly remembered, it's chock-a-block full of good stuff, but one article in particular was quite entertaining. It talks about Mexico as a haven for the geriatric set seeking to re-juvenate their lives and says: "San Miguel is full of menopausal women who dress in a style known as the full Frida, which features colorful peasant dress, giant hunks of turquoise jewelry and long hair braided down the back." Reading that article had me recalling my own "full Frida" phase quite a few years ago and I even taught many a class at my school dressed in a variety of hand-embroidered huipils from Chiapas, a long, full white cotton skirt and some leather sandals. No doubt I was wearing my silver bracelets and probably a piece of turquoise or two and I might still have been smoking, a la Frida, to boot. Because I did it, I can understand the appeal for these women in San Miguel and other parts of Mexico. It comes from a deep-seated admiration for the simple nobility of so many of the indigenous peoples of this country. The incredibly rich color and design of their clothing is in direct contrast to their economic situation and once you have travelled around the country, this becomes so apparent. Take the Tarahumara of Chihuahua or the Huicholes of Jalisco and you can't help but admire their culture and that's just to name a couple of the many incredible groups exisitng in huts, caves, casitas and mountains all over the country. One of the best parts of visiting places like San Cristobal de las Casas is seeing the various indigenous groups at the local market and being so amazed by the beauty of their textiles. Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it is understandable that many North Americans would want to lose the crass, mass produced polyester of their past ( how's that for alliteration?) and embrace the fabulous and ancient custom of these hand-embroidered huipils where no two are exactly alike. Frida did it most certainly because she was an artist and could well appreciate the beauty of the clothing and many, many more women have followed the trend. Then there is the whole practicality issue of wearing loose cotton in tropical heat. One soon learns that non-breathable fabrics cause sweating and unsightly rashes and that a nice loose skirt is ideal for allowing the curative breezes to blow. So, the next time you see a Gringa dressed as Frida you will understand that she is simply making a clear statement about her love for the uniqueness that is Mexico, menopausal or not.