As thousands prepare for the trek to Patzcuaro, and the famous Day of the Dead Celebration, others head for the regional celebration in Patamban known as the “Fiesta de Cristo Rey”. Held on the last Sunday in October, the entire village turns out to “paint their streets with flowers,” the celebration is to honor the […]
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Cogan’s Reviews A Mexico book by Patrick Oster Author Oster practised law in Chicago before taking up journalism in 1973. In 1984 he became the Mexico City bureau chief for the Knight-Ridder news chain. On that assignment, he started putting together the portraits that make up this excellent account of a timeless and yet changing […]
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Tony Burton’s Mexican Kaleidoscope is a whirlwind trip through some of the underpinnings of Mexican culture, told with humour, affection and well-documented facts. This readable compendium of little known stories made me want to revisit many places I’d already seen. How much richer my experiences would have been had I been able to take this user-friendly and […]
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The Calendario de las Ferias y Festividades Religiosas de Mexico is a guide to enjoying what is uniquely Mexican — Folk Catholicism which evolved in the last four centuries. Fairs are included in the same calendar because during longer religious festivities, artisans and vendors from other pueblos set up puestos to sell their wares. Fairs […]
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Salsa Verde Press, Laredo, 2009 Available from www.amazon.com (Paperback) A lot of us now living in Mexico managed in the past to escape the northern climes — in part due to the confidence we developed reading books on how to live in Mexico. Although many now heavily rely on on-line sites like MexConnect.com, comprehensive guides […]
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In Mexico the breaking of a piñata accompanies almost every festive occasion. I loved making and breaking piñatas before ever traveling to Mexico Experiences there brought home the fact that I was a latecomer to this wonderful and unique tradition. The original, traditional shape of the piñata is the six pointed star although today countless […]
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Sombrero Books, 2010; Available from Amazon.com (Paperback) Did you ever wonder why rain usually falls in the late afternoon or night during the summer in western Mexico? Can you figure out why the death rate for Mexicans is four times higher than for US-born workers in the southeastern USA? Do you know why “harmless” organic […]
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Cogan’s Reviews Mornings in Mexico is a collection of essays and travel pieces that resulted from Lawrence’s visits to Mexico and New Mexico in the early 1920s. Some wonderful descriptive writing is to be found here. Lawrence was a good traveller in these parts and he spent a lot of time carefully observing the Indians […]
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For one night of the year in Oaxaca, Mexico, the Raphanus sativus, or radish as it is more commonly known, escapes its destiny as root vegetable side dish and becomes art. Thousands upon thousands of radish revelers turn out on December 23rd to check out the newest vegetable-turned-art creations on display in the Zocalo. The artists have […]
Continue Readingby Martin Auer, translated by Kim Martin Metzger In the introduction to these stories, the author compares “Star Snake” with another story, “Arobanai,” and says, “These two stories contrast one of the most peaceful and loving societies that has ever lived on this planet with one of the most cruel and war-like.” “How is it […]
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