The following extract is taken (with the author’s permission) from the English edition of Western Mexico: A Traveller’s Treasury by Tony Burton (3rd edition, Perception Press, 2001), available from Sombrero Bookss The least touristy town along the northern lakeshore, Jocotepec has a distinctive charm all of its own. The large central plaza which lies in the shadow of […]
Continue Reading
Felipe Avila handed me his burning candle, converting me from spectator to pilgrim in the Fiesta de Guadalupe! My arrival in Puerto Vallarta coincided with the beginning of the weeklong Fiesta de Guadalupe, Reina (queen) de México. From December 6 until December 12th, Mexicans celebrate the miracle of her appearance in 1531. On a barren hill, a beautiful […]
Continue ReadingIt never ceases to amaze me the number of American tourists who visit Mexico every year with only a thick paperback mystery novel packed away to indulge in while sunbathing on a beach. Rather than titillate the spirit with murder and intrigue, why not take along a book that will help you navigate more smoothly […]
Continue ReadingEntering a Mexico City taxi means entering the special world of cabbies – a place where two traffic lanes can swiftly become three, seatbelts generally are very few and far between, and where there appears to be very, very little change for large bills. Those who have hurtled down Insurgentes Sur or zoomed around Reforma’s glorietas while […]
Continue Reading
Mexico City is one of the world’s largest urban centers, and its population continues to grow at a rate unequaled by any other area in the nation. The Mexico City region has long been the center of economic and political activity in Mexico. The area where the City lies today has been a center of […]
Continue Reading
Internet Access: Above “Doc’s Restaurant”. Fast, satellite connection, friendly service. English spoken. Laundry: At the Bungalows” or 1 block toward town from the river and 1 block toward beach from main street. Groceries: Largest selection at grocery across from town plaza. Public telephone: Next to Argentine restaurant near town plaza and across from grocery store. […]
Continue ReadingYour cab deposits you outside the arched entrance to the pastel stucco hotel, and as you pass through its main portal, you are transported to another dimension, another time, to a village in Spain perhaps, or to a romantic hacienda or convent of the colonial era. You pinch yourself, thinking this unusually attractive place cannot possibly be […]
Continue Reading
A first visit to Oaxaca, capital of Mexico’s southern state of Oaxaca, should begin at the zócalo, the town plaza. There’s always something going on there, for Oaxaca is a town of festivals: the Night of the Radishes on December 23, where farmers display fantastically carved giant radishes; the Festival of Lunes del Cerro (Monday of the Hill) in […]
Continue Reading
Puerto Escondido is a travelers’ and vacationers’ market right now. Tourism is down this year to perhaps a third of its normal level. One government official told us that if it were not for “old timers like you we would have no one here.” [ Aside: The “old timer” comment referred to the fact that we’ve been […]
Continue ReadingNOTE: There are two versions. The first is Annotated and the second, Point Form. At the end are additional comments. Annotated – Incremental Mileage Warren Howard The following assumes you have an FM-2/3 visa and a car permit. Make sure you fill the tank before leaving the US, as the gas prices are close to 40% cheaper in […]
Continue Reading