Well now I’ve found myself living walking distance from the place, having recently moved back to New York City for the summer/indefinite future. I’m still getting settled and hadn’t made plans for the holiday, so I figured I should at least get out of the house and take a nice walk, and why not get an ice while I’m at it?

The sign above the door says 25 flavors, but these days they’re up to 35+. Of course I had to try the lemon which of course was great although I have to say with having cut back on my sugar intake lately, I found it pretty sickly sweet (but that’s a compliment). I asked what the second most popular was — peanut butter. Peanut butter ice? Now there’s no bigger fan of peanut butter in the world than me, but peanut butter and ice? I was skeptical. But I gave it a try and loved it. Real chunks of peanuts even.

To me, this place is everything that I love about New York City. There’s a little attitude (note the rules on their sign), but they’re customer service oriented and friendly too. It’s a specialty food place located where it wants to be, because they know New Yorkers love food and will travel anywhere for something good. In NYC, it’s not just about location, it’s about quality product. It’s got integrity and no bullshit. And it’s been family run for over 60 years. I love it!

I won’t say I was perfect, but for me it wasn’t about total perfection. It was more about looking at what, why, when, and how often I was eating sweet things.

During Lent, there were 3 birthday parties I attended and I’ll admit that I took one bite of each cake. Frankly, only one of the cakes was amazing and worthy of eating a whole slice.

I discovered that nearly all of the fruit juices available here in Puerto Vallarta (even the ones that proclaim “100% nectar”) have sugar added. I found exceptions with Jumex pineapple juice and another type of grape juice. And I happily drank the fresh “water” from a tender young coconut, bought from a nice couple who sell them 3 blocks from my house.

I confirmed what I already knew: when I’m tired and/or hot and/or feeling aggravated, I crave sugar more than ever. I was really dehydrated one day, driving home from substitute teaching. It was unusually hot and humid and I felt like I was going to pass out. And then I remembered I had a can of root beer soda sitting in the fridge (I probably drink one root beer in a whole year) and I broke down and drank it when I got home. Worth ever sip!

It was a hard fight with my boyfriend who’s a food pusher in general, and who consistently tried to tempt me with cookies, cakes, candy, and churros.

Ahh, churros! It turns out they’re the one thing I missed the most. In case you haven’t had the pleasure, they’re little sticks of deep fried dough about the size of a finger, coated in sugar and cinnamon. If you ever liked cinnamon toast as a kid, you’ll love churros. The best churros in Puerto Vallarta that I’ve found so far are made and sold in Old Town on the corner of Calles Aguacate and Cardenas next to the Santa Cruz church. (Hmm, sounds like a good topic for a future blog post!)

I will now allow myself a few indulgences (churros of course, Tres leches cake, a Snicker’s bar, a ginger cookie from the Deli, real maple syrup on my pancakes, oven roasted sweet potato and plantains covered with lechera [sweetened condensed milk] to name a few), but I’m planning to keep my sugar intake way down and think of it as an indulgence and not something I’m looking all the time.

I’m always impressed by the creativity of the items they make and offer for sale. Each year, there are new designs and something interesting. I’ve been collecting this art for several years now and still think it’s the most beautiful and original Mexican artwork available in Puerto Vallarta.

Mexico is a Christian country and this holiday is about Jesus but as usual, it’s really the Virgin who seems to predominate and stand out. Many attribute the adoption of Christianity by the indigenous people to Juan Diego’s sighting of the Virgin of Guadalupe. I think these depictions of the Virgin using these materials really shows the essence of that bridge between the “new” European religion and indigenous culture.

I’ve had the pleasure of both eating and working (which fortunately included some eating!) at Epoca Restaurant which is ideally located between the Malecon and Los Muertos beach in “Old Town” Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

The first time was in April 2007 when I photographed Kara and Jason’s wedding. Kara was laid back (in terms of wanting a casual wedding), high energy and fun. Jason seemed to be a perfect complement for her and also radiated warmth and happiness. I was really touched when they asked me to join them for dinner (despite only being hired for limited coverage) and I’ll always remember the pumpkin soup! It turns out that Kara also works with weddings and events doing coordination and floral design. Her business is cleverly named Pick Me and has a cute web address Love This Day.

My next job at Epoca was for a rehearsal dinner for Katy and Geoff. Rehearsal dinners are a great opportunity for more casual photos and a good warm-up for the wedding day shots. Everyone seems more at ease for the wedding day photos if I am there to photograph them beforehand. I’ll always remember Katy’s dress; it was so cute and stylish and could easily have been worn at a casual wedding.

I’m a vegetarian so I always appreciate when restaurants have vegetarian dishes on their menu. I’ve mentioned the pumpkin soup which I think is a specialty item, and I’ve also enjoyed the Spinach and Jicama salad, the Panela Crocantes, and the Chile Relleno.

I’d also highly recommend this spot for sunset drinks either at the bar or with your feet in the sand right on the beach.

Here’s a little slideshow with some highlights of events Epoca:

]]> http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/197/feed 0 http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/146 http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/146#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:37:02 +0000 xine http://xinefoto.com/blog/?p=146 Location: La Palapa Restaruant, Puerto Vallarta Mexico
Couple from: Chicago

Reed was really excited to propose to Rhonda and wanted to find the perfect location. So many options here in Puerto Vallarta. It became a decision between a place up high with a great view looking down on the bay or a romantic spot on the beach.

I feel very lucky that he chose to hire me to photograph the proposal. It would be a bit of a paparazzi shoot because he everything to be a complete surprise. I asked him to send me some photos so I’d know what he and Rhonda look like and we made a plan to meet at La Palapa, one of Puerto Vallarta’s oldest and well-known restaurants.

I arrived a little early and scoped things out and talked with the staff so they knew what was going on. They had prepared a pretty table for two close to the water.

My assistant Jonathan was there to keep a lookout for the couple and act as my model. We saw the couple arrive and I was pretty sure Reed saw me too. He directed Rhonda to take a walk down the beach. It was easy enough to photograph from behind but photographing other angles without being seen was a little tricky. That’s where Jonathan came in, pretending to pose for me which allowed me to pretend to photograph him but really photograph over his shoulder.

This shot in particular amazes me. I think it’s a great shot of Rhonda and it’s so cool that she’s looking straight into the camera but was completely unaware that I was taking her photo.

It was such an emotional experience to be there with them, even if just from a distance. I felt so lucky to be a part of such a special event.

]]> http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/146/feed 1 http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/172 http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/172#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:29:15 +0000 xine http://xinefoto.com/blog/?p=172 Location: Paradise Village, Nuevo Vallarta Mexico
Family from: Colorado

Karah contacted me to photograph her and her family while they were visiting from Colorado and staying at Nuevo Vallarta’s Paradise Village resort, always popular with families. One nice thing about photographing at Paradise Village is the variety of locations/backgrounds available.

Sunset portrait sessions can be somewhat problematic because the sun is much stronger late in the day than most people realize. The intense heat can make people sweat (even in our less humid winters) and photos with people squinting into the sun are never attractive. Everyone wants that perfect shot on the beach, but when I first arrive for the portrait, we usually need to start in another shaded location.

This image shows how there is also some nice tropical foliage that makes a nice backdrop.




This shot is cool and a result of an unintentional collaborative effort. I directed the kids over to a grassy, shaded location and their older son, being a 10 year old boy, immediately spotted the staircase and began to climb up. It wasn’t my intention but once I saw him on the stairs, I knew it was a good location.

This is one of my favorites. I hope it’s a shot she’ll remember forever and will make her remember her first vacation at the beach in Mexico

]]> http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/172/feed 0 http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/106 http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/106#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:22:17 +0000 xine http://xinefoto.com/blog/?p=106 Location: Four Seasons, Punta Mita Mexico
Couple from: North Carolina

It was 2 years ago this week that Ori and Olga had their wedding at the amazing Four Seasons in Punta Mita which is about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta.

It was an interesting photo session because it was a bit of a hybrid wedding and family portrait session. Olga’s 2 children were adorable and seemed to have a really nice relationship with her new husband Ori.

The Four Seasons is really one of the most impressive resorts I’ve been to. What’s most striking is the sense of privacy and peacefulness there. Ori told me they were at full-occupancy, but it mostly felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. At the same time, the service was outstanding; there was always someone right there, yet unobtrusive, to help out with whatever we needed.

]]> http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/106/feed 0 http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/97 http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/97#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:32:44 +0000 xine http://xinefoto.com/blog/?p=97 I was up a little earlier than usual, doing my routine check and watering of my plants, when I noticed this amazing creature on one of my favorite plants (see more info about the Mimosa plant).

You can see how in the first image, the light was just starting to reach the balcony so the image has a cooler color cast.  But by the time I took the second image, the sun/lighting was stronger giving things a warmer glow.

I’m really in awe of this little creature.  He really has a pre-historic look, the way some reptiles do.  Or like some creature from a horror movie.  But he doesn’t seem to harm the plant (I found him there again a few days later).  I just don’t want to find him in my adjoining bedroom!

]]> http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/97/feed 0 http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/25 http://xinefoto.com/blog/archives/25#comments Wed, 20 May 2009 04:53:19 +0000 xine http://xinefoto.com/blog/?p=25 Location: Dreams Resort Puerto Vallarta Mexico
Couple from: Chicago

Kerri and Augie are childhood sweethearts from Chicago who’ve been together for many years. They got married at Puerto Vallarta’s Dreams Resort in May.

There were about 35 guests so it was a small and intimate gathering of friends and family, made even more special by having a large wedding party with 8 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen. The wedding party, both sets of parents, and Augie’s grandma rehearsed a grand entrance that included some fun choreographed dance moves. By the time the couple officially arrived for the first time as husband and wife, everyone was cheering really loudly; you could feel the excitement in the air.

The bride looked stunning in her lace dress and veil which went perfectly with her dark wavy hair. The fun and warmth of the families also made this wedding a memorable one.

One of the small touches of beauty at Dream Puerto Vallarta.

As Kerri was getting ready, we heard a knock on the door. There was nobody there but there was a bottle with a message inside. Kerri read the message and got all teary — something sweet from Augie.

The most fantastic color of roses I’ve ever seen.

A perfect combination of a classic-style gown and veil yet barefoot on the beach.

Kerri looks radiant as Augie looks at her with love and pride.

Part of the choreographed entrance.

Augie’s mom was very emotional during the mother and son dance. Made me teary!

Everyone had a great time at the reception.

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