The backroads of Mexico often offer adventure, perhaps a bit of excitement, sometimes a touch of the dramatic and, occasionally, a hint of danger. We thought we’d found all four on a deteriorating 10-kilometer connector between Highway 200 and the Pacific beaches, to and from the almost dead community of El Tecuan, an hour north […]
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Editor’s note: After a brief battle with cancer, Jenny McGill passed away peacefully in the early hours of December 31, 2009. I first heard of her when I was editor in chief of About Magazines and she was named U.S. Consular Agent in Puerto Vallarta, where we published a monthly edition. She was, I heard, a tough, […]
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I bought another watch the other day. I didn’t need it, but there is great joy in negotiating with the watch salesman. A chunky, little man works the villages along the north side of Lake Chapala in the exciting state of Jalisco. His specialty is watches with fancy faces, famous names and very ordinary insides. […]
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This old gringo, from time to time, receives a flurry of comments and questions. Many are predictable. Where should I visit? How much does it cost? How’s the weather in January? Is it safe to drive? This message was intriguing: “We are studying symbolism. What’s with the snake on the Mexican flag?” Answer The big bird […]
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A funny thing happened the other day to one of my favorite Mexicans. He was invited to speak at a college, which, once upon a time, slammed the front door in his face. Deep in the MexConnect archives is a previous story about Rodolfo Calva Marquez, migratory worker without proper papers, who had the good fortune […]
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There once was a questionnaire regarding what was best and worst about Mexico. There was no available data about number of respondents or when or where the survey was conducted so I will concede it was unofficial and most likely unscientific. Just guessing that questions and answers were in English. Results were. The timing was […]
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School daze is near which reminds me that most of what I think I know about Mexico education is based on second-hand information. The system is not broken. It never worked in rural communities, out in the country, where so many live near or below the poverty line. There is no yellow school bus, no […]
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For some, illegal immigration is a simple equation, what you risk for what you get. Luis Alberto Martinez Gomez became an illegal immigrant four years ago. He was 16. “Everybody was on their way to the U.S.” He had shallow roots in Tepic, four years until his parents divorced. After that, his mother moved around. […]
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Please do not ask questions that require only yes or no answers. It takes more and better words for me to tell you how much I know about Mexico. Question Is Mexico competitive in international sports? Answer Yes and no. Mexico is almost a world power in soccer. Lorena Ochoa isn’t too bad at golf. Little boxers […]
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Perhaps you have heard that illegal immigration is down. The economy up north is supposedly discouraging. More and better border surveillance, patrols and the fence could be factors. Up, down or sideways, illegal immigration is, well, illegal. It is breaking and entering followed by an occasional game of hide and seek. Through the years, 15 […]
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