The yearly “Fiestas de Santiago” was going full tilt. And I truly mean tilt, because at 5 o’clock in the afternoon, I noticed quite a few local residents in a very happy mood due to the consumption of copious quantities of alcohol, another tradition. This party is held for a week every July in the […]
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Note: This article is an edited extract from chapter 6 of Geo-Mexico: the geography and dynamics of modern Mexico, by Richard Rhoda and Tony Burton (Sombrero Books, 2010). Though parts of northern Mexico are arid, the country as a whole receives an average of 760 mm of precipitation a year (slightly over 30 in). This is a considerable […]
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Celebrated 45 days before Easter (April 16th this year), Carnaval is a celebration of earthly, or carnal pleasures before the austerity and sacrifice of Lent. Beginning on the Friday before Ash Wednesday, Carnival reaches its climax on Mardi Gras — “Fat Tuesday.” Perhaps the most famous festivities are those of Rio de Janeiro and New […]
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The Baja 1,000 is considered one of the most dangerous, but exciting, races in the world. It winds through mountains and desert in the most remote parts of Baja California with drivers dodging Mother Nature’s homespun hazards like rugged dry washes and rapid changes in altitude. They also deal with free-roaming livestock, rattlesnakes and one […]
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The Mexican state of Oaxaca, located along the Pacific Ocean in the southeastern section of the country, consists of 95,364 square kilometers and occupies 4.85% of the total surface area of the Mexican Republic. Located where the Eastern Sierra Madre and the Southern Sierra Madre come together, Oaxaca shares a common border with the states […]
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Mulegé North of Loreto, the highway leaves the coast until about half way to Mulegé, at which point the Bahía de Concepción (Conception Bay) suddenly comes into view. This next stretch of coastline is among the most attractive in all Baja. As the highway winds along the coast, a succession of protected bays, small coves, […]
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I’ll break your jaw! (Chalco) In the umbilicus (Xico) Place of the squashed serpent (Coapatongo) [1] Mexico’s place names or toponyms provide a rich and fun source for linguistic analysis. Indigenous peoples spoke languages that had no formal alphabet. They developed complex symbols (hieroglyphs) for place names that used combinations of up to three different […]
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In the winter, the further south you go, the warmer it will be (no surprise there). Summer is the rainy season throughout much of Mexico. Winters are comparatively dry. The higher the elevation, the cooler and less humid the air. You can subtract three degrees for every 1,000 feet of elevation (Toluca at 9,000 ft […]
Continue ReadingThis month’s Did You Know column highlights the pearl, the beautiful birthstone associated with the month of June. The history of pearl collecting in Mexico goes back a very long way. When Spanish explorers sailed into the Sea of Cortés (Gulf of California) in the early 1530s they encountered Pericú Indians wearing necklaces strung with red […]
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Gallery With thousands of miles (9,330 kilometers) of coastline, Mexico offers everything one could want in the way of ocean-living, relaxing, exploring and water sports. From soft, gentle breezes over warm brilliant sand, lapped by gentle waves, to roaring and pounding surf, thrashing against black volcanic rock, and from misty and mystical jungles to high, […]
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