On the border between Mexico and Guatemala
Some days are better than others. Visa days are hardly ever good, filled as they are with anxiety and uncertainty. All this visa business seems so silly to me, and so costly, and so inconvenient. Why c...
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The EZLN: Mexico's President Zedillo changes his mind
During the more than three years since the Zapatistas walked out of the jungle, and into history, El Sub has consistently predicted that he will not live to see victory. When I wrote this article, a li...
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All's well in Copoya: Village life in modern Mexico
I have spent the early morning hours of this cool, beautiful summer morning surfing the Internet for international news and letters from friends in distant places. With my laptop clicking and whirring ...
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Midnight on the Isthmus: Returning home to Chiapas from Oaxaca
After an exciting week visiting a close friend, meeting new ones, and immersing myself fully in the rich cultural experience that is Oaxaca, I was headed home to celebrate Christmas with my family and ...
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A tourist's guide to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas: Three days of sightseeing
By now, I’m assuming you are finally here, settled into your hotel, refreshed and unpacked. Let’s begin our tour right away, because it will actually take more than three days to see and enjoy ever...
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A tourist's guide to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas: What, how and where?
Now that you've decided to visit Tuxtla Gutierrex, let me give you some information about the climate here and what type of clothing you will need to pack for your visit.
The city of T...
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A tourist's guide to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas: A busy capital
Sometimes, due to business commitments or transportation snags, we find ourselves in a not-planned-for place. Tuxtla Gutierrez is thought of by many as such place. Indeed, most travelers in Mexico go â...
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Vistas de Copoya, Chiapas
The day starts early here in Copoya. Hours before a bright pink sun rises over the eastern mountain, the roosters, pigs, and braying burros compete noisily with horn blowing little colect...
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Who is Subcomandante Marcos
This is not meant to be a political question, I know this may seem impossible, but I am looking for some factual info.
Last evening I saw a documentary by Nettie Wild entitled "A Place Called Chiapas." Wild is a Canadian filmmaker who spent eight or so months inside the Zapatista uprising and created a rather moving and even-handed film.
read moreThe traditional Maya sweatlodge in Chiapas: Temazcal and Xun
San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, where I chose to live five years ago, is a city time almost forgot. Situated in the highland valley of Jovel at an elevation of 2,100 meters, it's a city mingling f...
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Fiesta in Chiapas
After a long, hot, dry drive through eastern Oaxaca’s Isthmus de Tehuantepec, our van and trailer began climbing the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. The Central Depression of Chiapas spread its valley banqu...
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The Reader's Companion to Mexico
This is an odd volume. I originally bought it because it advertises itself as "a gathering of some of the best travel writing ever" about Mexico. However, you quickly find as you dip into it that not all the articles are about travel. Also, very few of them have been written in recent times. Indeed, a couple were written about 100 years ago. However, that's not a criticism.
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Truth in packaging: Mexico elections in 1994
In a place where the image of something can attain more significance than its substance, the propaganda war is waged without letup. Just like at home... (The wall of the governor's official residence, ...
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