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 […]
Continue Reading
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 […]
Continue Reading
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, […]
Continue Reading
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 […]
Continue Reading
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 […]
Continue Reading
Part One: Culinary guide to Mexican fish and shellfish: Las delicias del mar I Last month’s column presented the first part of an alphabetized list of Mexico’s most popular eating varieties of fish and shellfish, expanded beyond the literal meaning of mar – ocean – to include freshwater species. Throughout Lent, markets and supermarkets have been selling […]
Continue Reading
Although Mexicans relish seafood all year long, the months of March and April top the rest in consumption of fish and shellfish. Besides the fact that most species are available in late winter and early spring, the Lenten and Holy Week meatless meal traditions contribute enormously to this seasonal swell in the popularity of las delicias […]
Continue Reading
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, […]
Continue Reading
Mexican schools will welcome you as a foreigner – to a certain extent. Your kids have had a blast in Mexico. You have as well. They’re sold, you’re sold. Everyone is caught up in hyper-speed towards relocation until you realize… yikes! It is time to pull back on the south-bound, super-shuttle throttle – your children […]
Continue Reading