Just when I thought the world economy was looking up, the boy genius managing our conservative stock portfolio for continuing retirement happiness in Mexico sent a sad e-mail. He said “we” had lost 2 percent in an unexpected series of divots, dives and mini-disasters. The “we” part is a joke. He drops a dollar in […]
Continue Reading
Aguilar Perez is my favorite Mexican historian, in part because she knows all about our favorite small town, Jocotepec, at the west end of picturesque Lake Chapala, in the colorful state of Jalisco. She and we are near enough to the Guadalajara airport for quick getaways, but a reasonable distance, we think, from other congestion […]
Continue Reading
MexConnect readers, a priceless lot, ask occasional questions via e-mail. They receive sincere efforts at answers. Some exchanges have the potential to interest others. You’ll know shortly whether they interest you. Question: Is there any good news in Mexico? Answer 1: Of course there is. Mangos are ripening and the price per kilo has dropped […]
Continue Reading
Snowbirds are landing in our exciting little corner of Mexico. Merchants say none too soon. We, the Wests, enjoy Christmas at Thanksgiving with our extended family in Tennessee. When the last guest goes home, we follow them out the door, in the general direction of Jocotepec, at the west end (naturally) of Lake Chapala, in […]
Continue Reading
This is a simple story about a tope and a seat belt. I am an advocate of slowing to almost a stop when speed bumps appear high enough to scar mufflers and rattle dental repairs. I believe in seat belts. At my age, I need all the stability I can get. That said, many topes have come and gone […]
Continue Reading
Really good things keep happening for San Quintin Escuela. How this very rural elementary school has risen from nothing to something special is a stunning success story. The small Nayarit village in the foothills of the Sierra de Vallejo mountains, just 40 kilometers from downtown Puerto Vallarta, is a different world. It is not distinctive […]
Continue Reading
I repeat: Contrary to rumor, many years and extensive travels in Mexico do not qualify me as a know-it-all, A-1 infallible expert. I apologize if I have faked you out. I do try to answer all questions or redirect them to more knowledgeable sources. I thoroughly enjoy most exchanges with readers. I offer a few […]
Continue Reading
The format for “Ask an old gringo” is simple enough: Answer questions from Mexconnect readers if I think I know what I am talking about, and save some that might be of general interest to share with all of you. * * * * *Question: Who is/was Octavio Paz and what is the meaning of […]
Continue Reading
This story starts on the evening of September 9, 1991 at the National Guard Armory in Knoxville, Tennessee. Stan Brock, an unusual Englishman made semi-famous by his role in the TV series Wild Kingdom, had founded something called Remote Area Medical and was soliciting volunteers for a three-week mission to one of the Tuxpans somewhere in the […]
Continue Reading
The reputation of Mexican criminal investigators is often somewhere below zero, except on this occasion. They don’t even hear about a lot of crimes. They seldom solve cases. Even when they think they have caught a crook, they rarely gain convictions. Judges shake their heads. Maybe the warrant was defective, wrong address, misspelled name. Or […]
Continue Reading