The Huichol Indians of Jalisco and Nayarit have accomplished the almost incredible feat of maintaining their independence and most of their traditional values well into the 21st century. Thanks to the rugged terrain of the Sierra Madre mountains the Huichols were able to escape the brunt of the Spanish invasion. They continue to celebrate their […]
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Two distinct kinds of pelican thrive in Mexico. Excluding exotic species held captive in zoos, the American White Pelican is North America’s largest flying bird. It grows to about 1.58 meters (5 feet 2 inches) in length, weighing up to 11 kilos (25 pounds), with a wingspan of up to 2.74 meters (9 feet). Its […]
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Hotel Playa Los Arcos stretches from Avenida Olas Altas to the seashore boardwalk. The Café Maximilian on the avenue serves breakfast with steaming coffee, fresh fruit juices and a variety of prix fixe breakfasts and a la carte options, from Continental to Mexican. In the evening, Kaiser Maximilian Restaurant and Café serves exquisite European cuisine for an authentic […]
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In Mexico, Christmas decorations stay up though January 6. The holiday celebrates Epiphany, when the Three Kings or Wise Men visited the baby Jesus with precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. El Día de los Santos Reyes is celebrated throughout Mexico. Yet nowhere is Three Kings Day more festive than in Cajititlan de Los […]
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Born in Austria, Rauch survived the horrors of WWII and began painting seriously in Vienna in 1949. Strongly influenced by his fellow Viennese painters Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka, he held his first one-man show in 1952 in Vienna and became a member of the prestigious “Wiener Secession.” Since then he has had […]
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Considering we were relative newcomers, it was a surprise and an honor in 1979 when we were asked to join the planning committee for the 450th anniversary of the founding of our village of Jocotepec. I couldn’t resist saying to my husband, Georg, “I presume 450 years ago is when the Spaniards found it. The […]
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Now that Jocotepec’s major annual festival, The Lord of the Mountain, is history once again, my thoughts turn to the next important holiday, Valentine’s Day, when we celebrate sweethearts and lovers. Here in Mexico February 14th is also known as Dia de la Amistad (Day of Friendship). What a typically warm and Latin addition to the […]
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We were finally moving to Mexico, but when I first learned the name of my new street, Calle Rico, I was very dismayed. That name, Rich Street, symbolized some of my concerns about our newly constructed home. Not only was it larger and fancier than any other structure far and wide, but it also was set on […]
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I spent a long time studying the eyes of the Olmecs, the lips, noses and facial expressions of the Toltecs and those from Colima. It was the work of all who went before me that enabled me to do what I do today. Over a generation ago, Martín’s father, twenty-five year old Sixto Ibarra was […]
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This news bulletin just in: Mexico considers revising history books. Another holiday proposed. Famous explorer discovers Jocotepec! Okay, maybe not in the way Christopher Columbus did his thing. It appears several somebodies previously found Jocotepec — or maybe it was never lost. But it has been mostly ignored or taken for granted far beyond politeness. […]
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