Showing 1—13 of 13 results

Reflections on el Dia de Las Madres: the mother of Mexican fiestas Dale Hoyt Palfrey

The brassy blast of a trumpet rips me from the comforting embrace of Morpheus. As the familiar strains of Las Mañanitas register in the fuzzy workings of my brain, I roll over and open one eye to... read more

culture-customs

Huellas ...entre flores Dale Hoyt Palfrey

Most mothers in Mexico look forward to May 10 as a day to take it easy and be pampered by family. For Esperanza Perez, proprietress of Ajijic's most popular flower shop, the date means not only business as usual, but extra work and longer hours.

culture-customs lifestyles

Huellas ...debajo de la piñata Dale Hoyt Palfrey

The Christmas season in Mexico is a time filled with delightfully colorful customs, among which one of my personal favorites is the traditional piñata -breaking that highlights most holiday festi... read more

christmas culture-customs

Footprints in San Pedro Itzican Dale Hoyt Palfrey

As a home-based working mother I recently found myself faced with an annual quandary: how to keep my two restless pre-teens entertained over their summer holiday and simultaneously squeeze some quality... read more

culture-customs exploring-tourism lifestyles Chapala Ajijic, Jalisco

Mexico's traditional papel picado: Classic art for a Mexican fiesta Dale Hoyt Palfrey

Experienced Mexico travelers recognize a sure sign that a local fiesta is in progress whenever they spy a churchyard or stretch of roadway bedecked with lines of bright tissue paper cut-outs. ... read more

art culture-customs fiestas-traditions

In the parish church of San Andres Dale Hoyt Palfrey

The graceful 18th century Parroquia de San Andrés, is not only Ajijic's chief landmark, but also the hub around which village life revolves. It is the focal point for those important milestones that b... read more

culture-customs lifestyles Chapala Ajijic, Jalisco

Huellas . . . De Mis Amores Dale Hoyt Palfrey

Chicho gently took my hands in his, leaned in close and locked in on my eyes with a soul-penetrating gaze. "¡Qué bonitos ojos tienes, güerita!" he whispered huskily. Geez, I wondered to myse... read more

culture-customs perspectives

Huellas ...Dona Carlota Dale Hoyt Palfrey

Secreted behind a thick adobe wall that runs along Calle Ocampo, Ajijic's main thoroughfare, lies doña Carlota's patio. I cherish this tiny, private paradise for to me its warmth and simplicity repres... read more

culture-customs lifestyles

Huellas ...del cohetero Dale Hoyt Palfrey

It's a brisk, moonless night. At the edge of the Ajijic plaza, an anxious group of villagers huddle shoulder to shoulder, casting expectant glances towards the star-studded sky. A sudden barrage of whistling, sputtering explosives rents the night air. The crowd takes a collective lunge backwards, letting out a gasp of wondrous surprise. A brilliant flash of multi-colored lights illuminates the mass of upturned faces. read more

culture-customs fiestas-traditions

Huellas ...de Santa Cecilia Dale Hoyt Palfrey

November is a festive month here in Ajijic, beginning with the celebrations of All Saints Day and Day of the Dead, and ending with the feast of the village's patron, San Andrés. Invariably the most l... read more

culture-customs exploring-tourism fiestas-traditions

Huellas... en el campo santo Dale Hoyt Palfrey

The recent demise of one of my dearest friends has made me reflect on how my experiences in Mexico have not only enriched my life, but also taught me to better cope with death. I am deeply grateful to ... read more

culture-customs lifestyles

Huellas... de los herreros: the Mexican blacksmith Dale Hoyt Palfrey

Taking up residence in a Mexican village has meant, among other joys, the chance to live out my greatest childhood fantasy: to be a cowgirl with horses of my own. I've now relinquished illusions of bec... read more

horsemanship lifestyles

In Mexico, saying 'gracias' comes naturally Dale Hoyt Palfrey

Not long after her husband died, our friend Lila decided to leave Mexico and return to the USA. She chose Florida over her native New York. As a newly single senior, it seemed like a good place for her... read more

culture-customs perspectives

Showing 1—13 of 13 results

Dale Hoyt Palfrey

Dale has accumulated considerable experience and knowledge about Mexico, its language and culture from 25 years residence in the Lake Chapala area.

After several harrowing years of daily commutes between her home in idyllic Ajijic and bustling Guadalajara, where she worked in international relations and promotions for the University of Guadalajara, she has recently returned to freelance work (writing, editing, research, translation, public relations) which keeps her more relaxed and closer to home.

Aside from the pieces created for Mexico Connect, her byline has appeared in feature articles for local publications such as the Guadalajara Reporter and El Ojo del Lago, as well as the now-defunct Mexico Magazine. In 1996 her Spanish-to-English translation of El Origen del Mariachi Coculense (The Origin of the Mariachi of Cocula), by Efrain de la Cruz, was published under the auspices of the Guadalajara Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the city's Third Annual International Mariachi Festival.

Dale says: "My first trip south of the border was at the age of seven, but my Mexico roots run deeper still. According to family legend, my great-great-grandfather named his daugther Lillian after the Mexican beauty who stole his heart during the Mexican-American War (1846-48). My grandparents, Mary Carter and Clifton Waite, came to the sunny shores of Lake Chapala in 1952, in the first wave of U.S. retirees to settle here. I, on the other hand, am an Accidental Expatriate. I came to visit the area for a weekend in 1973 and never left!"

Dale is married to Wayne C. Palfrey, founding director of Lakeside's prestigious Oak Hill School, A.C. Their two children, Andrea and Philip, are both students (grades 3 and 2 respectively) in the school's bilingual program. The immediate Palfrey family also includes four cats, two spotted dogs and two horses.