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Tianguis: itinerant traders in a traveling Mexican market by Jenny McGill

In Talpa, we have tianguis or street markets. Every two weeks, venders come from Guadalajara with their trucks loaded with fresh vegetables and fruit, herbs, ornate plants, cell phones, hair dryers and CD players. We can buy a galvanized milk can or rubber boots to wear in the milking lot. There are clay bean pots, stone metates for grinding the spices for savory salsas and machetes to clear the path through the woods. read more
lifestyles Jalisco

Ask an old gringo, Part 8 by Marvin West

Question: Is Mexico a religious country? Answer: More yes than no. Statistics say the country is 96 per cent Catholic. Like a lot of others, some Mexicans don't practice what they preach. From observat... read more
perspectives

Ponytail palm, croton and dwarf poinciana by Linda Abbott Trapp

Ponytail palm, croton and dwarf poinciana: Common names, scientific names, use and care, cultivation and propagation tips, flowering habits, history and little-known facts for the curious tourist or resident. read more
flora

Sacred places around us: Is Talpa a "power place"? by Jenny McGill

 The Virgin of Talpa and her church by Guy Garber Guerrero
Quite by accident, I recently ran across a website that lists Talpa de Allende as a sacred power place. Martin Gray spent years visiting and photographing every place he heard was a sacred site, and one of his pilgrimages brought him to Mexico. Apparently, there are different types of sacred sites. Martin classifies Talpa as "miracle-work site." read more
anthropology indigenous-groups perspectives religion Jalisco

On the way to Oregon: Adventurers settle on Mexico's Bay of Banderas by Marvin West

An adventurous English couple builds a boat, sails toward Oregon to buy horses, but settles on Mexico's Bay of Banderas in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle where they run a restaurant and promote Huichol art. read more
lifestyles travelogue Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Cejas and the great escape: Dog rescue in Tijuana by Maggie Van Ostrand

 
A warm-hearted missionary rescues a Tijuana street dog and smuggles him across the border to a new home in California. read more
border-crossings social-issues Tijuana, Baja California

Grading and drainage in Lake Chapala real estate by J. Brad Grieve

The rules are different for Lake Chapala real estate – the elevation of the house and how the surrounding gardens and street are graded can affect the quality of your home. read more
how-to real-estate Chapala Ajijic, Jalisco

From Talpa to Puerto Vallarta in the 1800s by Jenny McGill

Mexconnect readers know by now that March is the month when everybody who can walk, walks to Talpa. It has become a tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. The new short-cut ... read more
beaches exploring-tourism history Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco

Colima orphanage runs on faith by Marvin West

Through the years, Colima, Colima meant volcano views, small sacks of sea salt, classy museums, pretty parks, souvenir casts and carvings of hairless dogs -- and another hour to the beach. ¡No más! T... read more
culture-customs social-issues Colima, Colima

Juanita and the president: Obama's Mexican connection by Maggie Van Ostrand

Juanita, newly arrived from Zacatecas, and who has no reason in the world to make things up, admitted to being in love with the new American President. read more
culture-customs lifestyles