In the early years of the twentieth century, the nature of warfare changed dramatically. The deployment of aircraft unleashed a powerful new weapon for warring factions, previously forced to rely only on their land and sea forces. The earliest attempt to incorporate air power into fighting is thought to have been when an Italian pilot […]
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For an unusual winter break, how about a Mexican train ride? The Reader’s Digest called Mexico’s famous Copper Canyon railroad trip, “the most dramatic train ride in the western hemisphere”. Even that description fails to do justice to the spectacular scenery and sightseeing along the line. The railroad was originally built to give southern Texas […]
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Step by step, all roads are formed by those who walk them. The roads of Mexico were first formed by native people walking from city to city. These roads – some paved – were used for conducting warfare, cultural interchange, and commerce. Later these same roads were trod by the heavy horses of the conquering […]
Continue ReadingBuses in Mexico are an excellent alternative to expensive rental cars, and are one of the best bargains around. You will see the country, and get an opportunity to chat with some nice people. Mexican buses are generally frequent, efficient, and inexpensive. They go almost everywhere. Contrary to what some people may think, you don’t […]
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Buses in Mexico are an excellent alternative to expensive rental cars, and are one of the best bargains around. You will see the country, and get an opportunity to chat with some nice people. Mexican buses are generally frequent, efficient, and inexpensive. They go almost everywhere. Contrary to what some people may think, you don’t […]
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The most important visual image in the classic film, ” Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” was not the alien spaceship, but the imposing stone monolith chosen as the site of the encounter. In an attempt to understand the significance of his mental image of that place the star of the film almost goes mad. It […]
Continue ReadingMany of the things we take for granted today didn’t exist in the last century. A case in point is the railroad from Manzanillo to Guadalajara. The grand celebrations for the inauguration of this line, completed in 1908, were among the finest ever seen in Colima. The Mexican President of the time, Porfirio Diaz, attended […]
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Ismael put his hands on the top of his broom stick and hung his arms there a moment and warned me about local mechanics: “Aquí ¡El qué tiene un alambre y unas pinzas es un mecánico!” (“Here, he who has a piece of wire and a pair of pliers is a mechanic!”). Ismael is right. Auto travel […]
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I adore travelling Mexico by bus. Mexico’s bus system offers travelers an economical, efficient and effective means to explore the entire country. The routes are highly organized and the connections are timely. Busing it in Mexico offers vacationers a remarkable opportunity to see not just the prime tourist destinations including all the fabulous beach resorts and colonial […]
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Has anyone heard of a Rio Flying Cloud? A Whippet? A Phaeton? They sound like the monikers of mysterious yet amusingly kitsch vessels that move through the air in old time superhero comic books. They conjure a weird parallel universe where history is a malleable substance and citizens go about their lives with no sense […]
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