Mexico’s equivalent of the Domesday book was compiled in the sixteenth century. History shows that conquerors often have very little idea of what they have really acquired until it is firmly within their grasp. One of their first steps following victory is a comprehensive survey of everything of value, or potential value. For instance, in […]
Continue ReadingMexican cuisine has been one of the country’s most successful cultural exports over the past twenty years or so and most large towns in North America and Europe now boast at least one Mexican restaurant, even if the menu is not necessarily “authentic”. For those wanting to experiment, the basic ingredients for Mexican meals can […]
Continue ReadingAn entire island has been constructed, not by Bob the Builder, but by Richie the Recycler! Amazing but true: off the coast of Quintana Roo, Richie Sowa has painstakingly constructed an entire island, on which he now lives, out of more than 200,000 plastic bottles! A former carpenter from Middlesbrough, England, Richie has spent more […]
Continue ReadingWhich village in Mexico celebrates the passing of the Old Year and the entrance of the New in the most unusual way? Almost certainly, the village of Santa Rosa Xochiac, just thirty minutes by car south-west of Mexico City, and still inside the Federal District. There are two churches in this village and, on December […]
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I know! You think I’m several sheets to the wind from too many shots of tequila already, even before you read this month’s Did You Know column. But—honestly—diamonds really can be made from tequila! Scientists have discovered that Mexico’s national drink, when subjected to considerable heat with the resulting vapor persuaded to hit just the […]
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One of Mexico’s best kept travel secrets for people driving their own vehicle is the multitude of road signs all beginning with the word “microondas” (literally “microwaves”). Even visitors with good Spanish and a bilingual dictionary in their glove compartment may puzzle over the meaning of this frequently occurring sign, which invariably seems to lead […]
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