Seen from the summit at Xochicalco, vistas of surrounding hills taper away in the shimmering heat. © Anthony Wright, 2009

Busting ghosts at Xochicalco, Morelos: A UNESCO World Heritage Site

These days, for some tourists, it seems that physical history, a sense of history, a sublimity of walking in the footsteps of the ancients by the light of nature itself, is not enough – one’s senses, incapable of an exercise of pure imagination, need to be kick-started into an appreciation of one’s surroundings. Flashing laser […]

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Magueyes grow as tall as a man and are many times as wide. These grown in the state of Morelos, Mexico, outside Cuernavaca. © Julia Taylor, 2010

Tears of the maguey: Is pulque really a dying tradition?

A long time ago, before the Spaniards came and changed everything, the people of the Mexican highlands cultivated maguey plants. Like the people, the magueys are native to the cool, dry, high elevation climate. The plants grew well and were useful for many things. Today, the various varieties of these agaves are sometimes called “century […]

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People of all ages enjoy the water. © Julia Taylor, 2007

Everybody’s Happy At Morelos’s Las Huertas Adventure Paradise

Close your eyes and imagine warm water rushing over your shoulders and massaging your back as you recline in the shade, leaning against a log. Open your eyes and you are at Las Huertas enjoying the artesian fed stream at the heart of the park. Paraiso Adventura Las Huertas (Adventure Paradise Las Huertas), located in […]

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Don Jose shows the hollow gourd, or acocote, that he uses to extract the aguamiel from the maguey plant. He is an expert at creating pulque. © Julia Taylor, 2011

Tears of the maguey: Is pulque really a dying tradition?

To Part One: Pulque and the people of Mexico If pulque can create such positive results in all of our daily lives, why is it in danger of extinction? What happened to pulque? It appears to be the victim of “classism,” which can be defined as “the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups to advantage and […]

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Oyster Mushroom Frittata: Tortilla de Huevo con Cazahuates

Cazahuatenanacatl is the Nahuatl name for oyster mushrooms. While these delicious, meaty mushrooms may be difficult to pronounce in Nahuatl, they are very easy to eat in a variety of dishes. The following, nearly identical to an Italian frittata, is from the CONACULTA collection of nahua recipes. Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil […]

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