The Zapata Route in Morelos Part 2: Museum at the ex-hacienda in Chinameca. © Julia Taylor 2007

The Zapata Route In Morelos Part 2: His Heart Stopped Beating

Part 1 – The Land Was in His Heart Zapata’s Death After leaving Museo Casa de Zapata your next stop in the Zapata Route is in Chinameca where he was shot. It’s quiet at the ex-hacienda Chinameca and it’s easy to feel the sadness of knowing that Zapata died there. There are three things of interest in […]

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The Zapata Route in Morelos Part 1: Mural at the Museo Casa de Zapata. © Julia Taylor 2007

The Zapata Route in Morelos Part 1: The Land Was in His Heart

At the heart of liberty is land. Emiliano Zapata knew this better than anyone; his slogan was “Tierra y Libertad!” (Land and Liberty!) This key figure in the Mexican Revolution was born in the heart of the state of Morelos and today you can travel la Ruta de Zapata (The Zapata Route). In the course of one […]

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Our son with two of his neighbors

Kooks in the Kitchen and Great Social Skills: A Mother’s Trade-off in Mexico

Sometimes circumstances in Mexico make it harder to care for a child. But overall, Mexico has given us many blessings as parents. “Kook! Kook!” our son, standing on a chair and pointing emphatically at one particular spot on our kitchen shelves, kept repeating, “kook.” “¿Qué quieres? No te entiendo. ¿Qué es ‘cuc’?” My husband was getting […]

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The lovely complex has both deep and shallow pools. The park is perfect for family fun in Mexico. © Julia Taylor 2008

Family fun at Parque Aquatico Oaxtepec near Cuernavaca, Morelos

As soon as you walk in the gates of PAO (Parque Aquatico Oaxtepec) you know that everyone in your family is going to have fun. Right in front of the entrance is a sparkling pool with child-accessible water slides under towering palm trees surrounded by an impeccable lawn. All the paths are swept and, if […]

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Arches from the original Mexican hacienda's structures are exceptionally beautiful. © Julia Taylor 2008

Play to Your Heart’s Content at the Ex-Hacienda de Temixco in Morelos Part Two: A Long and Varied History

Julia Taylor Ex-haciendas have a feeling of elegance that you can experience only in Mexico. ( Part One: 32 Acres of Aqua Fun) As if the water park weren’t enough, the buildings of the hacienda still stand and have been converted into lovely gardens, providing an elegant area that can be rented for a mere 84,000 […]

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This ceramics shop in 3 de Mayo offers Mexican ceramics, porcelain and resin handcrafted figures. Clusters of tiny wicker baskets hang in the open doorway. © Julia Taylor, 2008

Handmade Mexican Art from 3 de Mayo, Morelos and getting it home in one piece

If you are planning a trip to the state of Morelos in central Mexico you’ll probably want to enjoy a fun day of shopping in the small colonia of 3 de Mayo. (Yes, they spell it with a real number “Three.”) Spending some of your time and money on any of the distinctive products for […]

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Patzcuaro: the soul of Michoacan’s Meseta Purepecha

Texas has the Alamo, New York has its Empire State Building, but only Michoacán has Pátzcuaro. Every travel poster extolling Michoacán has a shot of fisherman wielding the famous butterfly net. Look closely, and you’ll spy a tiny cone-shaped island, topped by a statue of José María Morelos, hand reaching to the sky. That’s Pátzcuaro’s […]

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Ignacio Punzo Angel

Santa Clara del Cobre and Erongaricuaro: Mexican craft towns on Lake Patzcuaro

James Metcalf, Stephen and Maureen Rosenthal and Vasco de Quiroga have a lot in common. Each was a foreigner who came to Michoacan’s hills and dales surrounding Lake Patzcuaro, married art with commerce, infused heritages from around the world with local custom, emphasized training of artisans, and raised the utility of ordinary objects to art […]

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