Forget Being John Malkovich - Being Amy Kirkcaldy
Part 1
I do not claim to be half as interesting as John Malkovich, but after my experiences in moving to Mexico, I may be just as bizarre. I have been through a remarkable number of changes in a pe...
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Las Pozas: Edward James' fantasy stands tall in a jungle in Mexico
The Surrealist poet, self-styled architect and arts patron Edward James liked to put his ideas into concrete form before they got away
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Edward James, Builder Of Dreams
"Look, we move among a bunch of 'pseudo-realists',
who.... produce nothing but junk.
So, they try to act like madmen to justify themselves.
On the other hand, you who are real
lab...
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Zacatecas: an easy step into Mexico
"Zacatecas is the town everyone wants to go back to," a friend said to me when I mentioned that we were going there. It is a charming, colonial city, and a fairly well-to-do university town with nice hotels, friendly, well-dressed people and some good attractions. In fact, on that first day, we liked it so much we decided to stay another night
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All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
You would be hard pressed to find a more Mexican novel than this one. Just about all of the action takes place in the state of Coahuila. I don’t particularly enjoy reading westerns but such is the power of McCarthy’s writing that I was drawn into those small researches simply to enhance my enjoyment of his book.
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The Dark Side of the Dream by Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez
The story begins in 1941, at the time America went to war with Japan and Germany. It concerns the Salazar family, poor farmers in Chihuahua. The grandfather, Sebastian, knows he is dying and he advises the family to move to the United States. He reasons that because of the war the Americans will want lots of people to work in their country as their men go off to fight. Their farm is a ruin. Only expensive fertilizer could bring it back to life. And they don't have any money.
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Copper Canyon, Chihuahua, Mexico by Richard D. Fisher
I suspect this may turn out more like a travel article than a book review. In late March we took a tour through the length of the Copper Canyon and I find it difficult to know how to write about this book without bringing in various aspects of the Canyon trip itself.
It really is a spectacular journey and Richard Fisher's account does total justice to the subject matter. This is a large format quality paperback and it contains hundreds of excellent photos of the people and places one encounters along the way. I can't imagine a better souvenir to take away.
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Saltillo's Museum of the Desert in Mexico explores every aspect of desert Life
The Museum of the Desert in Saltillo is always changing, always exploring this unique ecosystem's diversity.
read moreSaltillo, Mexico - color, culture and colonial charm
Just five hours by bus from McAllen, Saltillo is a delightful colonial city
rich in history, museums and eco-tourism. Young couples relax on iron benches surrounded by manicured gardens. Streams of water rise from a fountain into gentle arcs in the sunlight.
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Exvotos To St. Francis Of Assisi
The pictures here were taken in the church in the old mining town of Real de Catorce, in San Luis Potosi. There is a side room of the church dedicated to exvotos.
read moreUnforgettable Durango
FROM FAR AWAY I am wondering about my state of Durango, Mexico. I am wondering how much rain has fallen on the Sierra Madre Occidental today or how congested traffic got in Durango City, the state's ca...
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Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila
Sitting in bathtub-warm water in the middle of the desert looking at the surrounding mountains under a deep blue sky is a delightful experience. We are in the Cuatro Ciénegas Nature Preserve just outs...
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The mining towns of San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Both the name and the coat-of-arms of San Luis Potosi recall the tremendous importance of mining to Mexico's economy. Called Potosí in emulation of the mines of that name high in the Bolivian Andes, t...
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Chihuahua: on the trail of Pancho Villa, Mormons, Mennonites, waterfalls and turkeys...
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"Ay Chihuahua!"
Have you ever heard this time-honored phrase of amazement uttered by some dumbstruck or exasperated Mexican? Whatever its origins, it is p...
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Chihuahua City, Pancho Villa and Parral de Hidalgo
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Chihuahua, the state capital, is not a particularly tourist-oriented town but it is virtually inevitable that travelers seeking to explore the inner recesses of the state ...
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Art is alive and well in Monterrey
One of the pleasures of even a brief visit to Monterrey is the chance to explore its art museums and galleries. There are three important art museums in the city. The Museo de Monterrey (at Ave. Alfons...
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Did you know? Dinosaur bones in Mexico
Thousands of dinosaur bones have ben found in northern Mexico.
Bones literally litter the ground. Here's a femur; there's a tibia; vertebrae, ribs, skulls...
Dozens of dinosaurs, including the world'...
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Tony Burton's Self-Guided Tours: The Sights of Monterrey
Monterrey may not be the oldest city in the country, or retain many signs of its colonial past, but it is one of Mexico's most vibrant cities today, with lots of sights for the traveler. Interactive co...
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South from Zacatecas: La Quemada archaeological site and Jerez, an undiscovered colonial gem
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Two sites within an hour's drive south of Zacatecas make it well worthwhile to linger at least an extra day when visiting this splendid colonial treasure, described in a p...
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Hats off to Sombrerete in the state of Zacatecas
Several small towns in northern Mexico offer a welcome respite and interesting overnight stop for tourists bored by the long and monotonous stretches of desert driving on their way south. One such dest...
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Did you know? Chihuahua caves house the world's largest crystals
The world’s largest natural crystals (of selenite, said to enhance sex drive) have been discovered in caverns in Chihuahua.
Early in 2001, news emerged of a truly extraordinary discovery in caver...
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Zacatecas: a labyrinth of riches
State Map Link
(Each image is an active link to an enlargement)
The city of Zacatecas in northern Mexico is not only a veritable labyrinth of winding streets but also a fascinating la...
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Did You Know? Oldest winery in the Americas is in Parras de la Fuente, Mexico
The oldest winery in the Americas is in Parras de la Fuente
In Mexico, vineyards and wineries exist in several states, including Baja California, Sonora, Zacatecas, Querétaro, and Coahuila. Wine expe...
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Did you know? Mexico was a very different place fifty years ago
G. M. Bashford's Tourist Guide to Mexico was first published exactly fifty years ago in 1954. It was one of a spate of motoring book guides written after World War II as Americans began to hit the open...
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Mexico's Copper Canyon
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 ...
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