Chihuahua City, Pancho Villa and Parral de Hidalgo

Chihuahua, the state capital, is not a particularly tourist-oriented town but it is virtually inevitable that travelers seeking to explore the inner recesses of the state spend a night or two here as part of their itinerary. The city was officially founded at the start of the eighteenth century and its historic buildings stand scattered […]

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Workers at Mexico's Torrent factory where Te-Amo cigars are produced sort and prepare tobacco leaves. © William B. Kaliher, 2010

Alberto Turrent and Te-Amo: Six generations of Mexican cigars

Mexico’s famous Te-Amo cigar comes from Sihuapan, near Catemaco, Veracruz. The producer — Turrent, Nueva Matacapan Tabacos, S.A. de C.V. — takes its name from the owner, Alberto Turrent, the fifth generation of the cigar manufacturing family. I’m a cigar aficionado myself, and I had the pleasure of talking with Alberto Turrent at length. During […]

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Untitled, undated collage by artist Richard Reagan © Tony Burton, 2017

Artist Richard Hay Reagan (1929-2012) first visited Mexico in the 1950s

Exploring Mexico’s Artists and Artisans Richard Hay Reagan had three great loves — art, jazz and Jeanora Bartlet. Jeanora is now a sprightly octogenarian and as we chat at her home in Bruton, Somerset, England, she is, initially, not too keen to share memories of her late partner. I had originally sought out Jeanora because […]

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The tragic love story of Alma Reed and Felipe Carrillo

One of the great romantic stories of Mexico concerns Felipe Carrillo Puerto, a Governor of Yucatan, and Alma Reed, an American newspaper columnist in San Francisco. Back in the early 1920’s, Alma Reed wrote a column under the byline “Mrs. Goodfellow” that was devoted to answering questions for people who sought legal advice but could […]

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Primary sources of Maya history – part one

The most extensive documentation for the native historical tradition in Mesoamerica comes from the Valley of Mexico and surrounding area. This is hardly surprising, for the main thrust of the Spanish Conquest was aimed at the Aztec empire and its capital of Mexico-Tenochtitlán. Other conquests followed in the Petén and Guatemala, but the spectacular Conquest […]

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The Mayan Civilization Time Line

Based on the ‘Mystery of the Maya’ OVERVIEW B.C. 1000-1000 Olmec 1800-900 Early Preclassic Maya 900-300 Middle Preclassic Maya 300 B.C. – A.D. 250 Late Preclassic Maya A.D. 250-600 Early Classic Maya 600-900 Late Classic Maya 900-1500 Post Classic Maya 1521-1821 Colonial period 1821- today Independent Mexico DETAILED TIME-LINE B.C. 11,000 The first hunter-gatherers settle […]

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Rincón de Guayabitos. The beach is a place for families, young and old. Photo by Gwen Burton

The beaches and coastlines of Mexico

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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