A fishin’ we will go, a fishin’ we will go; hi, ho, the merry-o, a fishin’ we will go. Second son Gary came to the west end of Lake Chapala, to the suburbs of Jocotepec, in the colorful state of Jalisco, for a winter holiday, free food and probably an inspection of his aging parents’ […]
Continue Reading
With a population oscillating at around 20 million, streets jammed with cars, and buildings that range from sublime to ridiculous, it is hard to imagine that Mexico City was, for many years, a model of urban development and civility. The “City of Palaces,” as it was once known, was orderly and planned, with uniform building […]
Continue Reading
There are eight key goals (see table) and Mexico is well on its way to meet most of them. Specific targets that Mexico has not yet reached include an increase in the proportion of GDP that corresponds to the poorest 20% of the population (goal 1); an increase in the number of women in government […]
Continue Reading
San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, where I chose to live five years ago, is a city time almost forgot. Situated in the highland valley of Jovel at an elevation of 2,100 meters, it’s a city mingling future and past. As the gateway to mountainous communities, more indigenous than mestizo, it’s a city where ancient […]
Continue ReadingTourists traveling to Mexico by car must have a valid driver’s license and a certificate of title or vehicle registration. In the case of a rented vehicle, it is necessary to show a rental agreement in the name of the person driving the vehicle. In the case of a company car, a notarized document proving […]
Continue Reading
It is occurring at an alarming rate — native populations of fish, mammals and other Sea of Cortez (or Gulf of California) inhabitants are declining, some to the point of near-extinction. Most people familiar with the issue agree on the reasons: commercial overfishing; bycatch victims of all species in commercial and local fishermen’s nets; environmental […]
Continue ReadingMayhem prevails in many Mexican cities during rush hours. The traffic in some big cities rarely seems to let up, or slow down, as vehicles jockey for the best position before becoming ensnarled in a tangled web of blocked intersections and jam-packed avenues. Even thirty years ago, a standing joke (pun intended) in Mexico City […]
Continue Reading
What’s struck me recently about Mexico — apart from the usual beauty of its beaches, mysticism of its colonial cities, delectability of its culinary arts, and friendliness of its people — is how different the reality is from the perception. In the United States, we’ve grown inured to hearing that you just can’t travel to […]
Continue ReadingMexico, the United Mexican States (in spanish Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is a federal republic situated in North America. It is bounded on the north by the United States; on the east by the U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea; on the south by Belize and Guatemala; and on the west by the Pacific […]
Continue ReadingThe whirling skirts of a dancer from the Ballet Folklorico at the Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara fill this month’s cover. The costume belongs to the Jalisco segment of the show, which features traditional dances from all regions of Mexico, now in its 37th consecutive year. Following the Sunday morning spectacle, I spoke with Carlos Ochoa, […]
Continue Reading