Really good things keep happening for San Quintin Escuela. How this very rural elementary school has risen from nothing to something special is a stunning success story. The small Nayarit village in the foothills of the Sierra de Vallejo mountains, just 40 kilometers from downtown Puerto Vallarta, is a different world. It is not distinctive […]
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I repeat: Contrary to rumor, many years and extensive travels in Mexico do not qualify me as a know-it-all, A-1 infallible expert. I apologize if I have faked you out. I do try to answer all questions or redirect them to more knowledgeable sources. I thoroughly enjoy most exchanges with readers. I offer a few […]
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The wedding was an exciting reason to do Cabo San Lucas. Glamorous “Glee” star Naya Rivera and actor Ryan Dorsey were to take their vows. An area acquaintance, part-time bookie and fishing guide, said come on down, that my fame as a writer and his international influence could get us an invitation to the party […]
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You may have already heard that Mexico is a big nation. It is bigger than big. It is vast — and diverse. There are many places to go and many different things to see. For 17 years we have been here and there, and done this and that, and are still looking. Once, on our […]
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The format for “Ask an old gringo” is simple enough: Answer questions from Mexconnect readers if I think I know what I am talking about, and save some that might be of general interest to share with all of you. * * * * *Question: Who is/was Octavio Paz and what is the meaning of […]
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This story starts on the evening of September 9, 1991 at the National Guard Armory in Knoxville, Tennessee. Stan Brock, an unusual Englishman made semi-famous by his role in the TV series Wild Kingdom, had founded something called Remote Area Medical and was soliciting volunteers for a three-week mission to one of the Tuxpans somewhere in the […]
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The Pueblos Mágicos program was launched in 2001 by Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism in conjunction with other federal and state agencies to promote towns chosen for natural beauty, cultural riches and historical relevance. You have been spared by one. The colorful village of Chapala, beside the big lake of the same name, in the exciting state of Jalisco, […]
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The reputation of Mexican criminal investigators is often somewhere below zero, except on this occasion. They don’t even hear about a lot of crimes. They seldom solve cases. Even when they think they have caught a crook, they rarely gain convictions. Judges shake their heads. Maybe the warrant was defective, wrong address, misspelled name. Or […]
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If you bundle old news, riding the bus sounds very dangerous. The toll from a bus crash outside Ciudad Juarez was 28 dead and 21 injured. Authorities said the driver was speeding when he collided with a tractor-trailer. The overnight between Guadalajara and Tepic veered off a bridge and plunged 330 feet into a ravine. […]
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As a child, I sometimes read comic books for entertainment. I did not believe in flying dragons but they certainly stimulated the imagination. As an old-timer, older than dirt, I read travel writers just for fun. I do believe some write at great length about Mexico without ever visiting. Case in point: Smarter Travel magazine […]
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