MexConnect
All articles for region “Central Pacific”
Showing 1—25 of 537 results

Mexico exploration: Jocotepec discovered Marvin West

This news bulletin just in: Mexico considers revising history books. Another holiday proposed. Famous explorer discovers Jocotepec! Okay, maybe not in the way Christopher Columbus did his thing. It ap... read more

Three Kings Day in Cajititlan, Mexico Sergio Wheeler

In Mexico, Christmas decorations stay up though January 6. The holiday celebrates Epiphany, when the Three Kings or Wise Men visited the baby Jesus with precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. El Día de los Santos Reyes is celebrated throughout Mexico. Yet nowhere is Three Kings Day more festive than in Cajititlan de Los Reyes, just 6.2 miles from Ajijic, Jalisco. read more

Mexico's Christmas traditions: Posadas, pastorelas and nacimientos Judy King

Few North Americans recognize that the roots of these treasured “Christmas” traditions were active long before the birth of Christ. In fact, most evolved from pagan winter solstice rituals of the Celts, Druids, Scandinavians and indigenous groups, and the much older Jewish Festival of Lights.

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Mexico lost-and-found fishermen still waiting for massive payday Marvin West

Three Mexican fishermen, lost at sea for nine months and nine days, were world news for a few minutes in 2006.

Their survival was a miracle of faith and fierce determination, or the biggest fish tale ever told. read more

Moving to Mexico's Lake Chapala: Checklists, How-To's, and Practical Information and Advice for Expats and Retirees Reviewed by James Tipton

Moving to Mexico's Lake Chapala
This book really does tell you about everything you need to know if you are planning to move to Lake Chapala, one of the most popular retirement sites in the world for North Americans.

Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez, Editor-in-Chief of El Ojo del Lago, has this to say: "I found it highly readable, most comprehensive, and flawlessly organized. I think it's the best book of its kind that I have read, and I have been down here for 25 years."

Is the information current? You bet! Why? Because Lisa Jorgensen only moved here this past spring. read more

Our Lady of the Rosary, beloved patroness of Talpa de Allende Jenny McGill

October 7 is considered the birthday of Nuestra Señora del Rosario (the Virgin of Talpa). The six o'clock morning mass is dedicated to the Virgin, then she begins to receive her well-wishers. This is a very organized neighborhood-by-neighborhood pilgrimage to the church. Every pilgrim has a gift in hand. By 5 o'clock the holy carpet is ready, church bells begin to chime, and The Lady walks. read more

Ruins and memories of Mexico's El Amparo Mining Company John Pint

In 1916, the Amparo Mining Company had the most successful silver mines in Jalisco and was making money hand over fist. Although it was located pretty much in the middle of nowhere, 65 kilometers due w... read more

Guadalajara 19th International Mariachi Festival: August 27 - September 12, 2012 Mexconnect Staff

The mariachi is believed to have originated in Jalisco, in the area of Cocula and Tecolitlan.

So it is fitting that the capital of Jalisco celebrate this quintessential musical tradition, and the annual International Mariachi Festival — begun in 1994 — brings together groups from all over the world.

The National Charro Championship runs concurrently.

¡Viva México en Guadalajara! read more

Mexico's Boys Town, Villa de Los Niños John Pint

It all began with a casual comment by my friend Rodrigo Orozco — also known as Tarantula Man, thanks to the anti-poaching project he leads in western Mexico — when I told him about a hike I was org... read more

A new option in a colonial city: Casinos in Guadalajara

A Guadalajara Casino
Gaming is flourishing in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. From sports bars to glitzy Las Vegas style casinos, there were more opportunities than we had time for. Most were concentrated in the Zapopan neighborhood, and we thoroughly enjoyed the different ambience of each. Some feature buffets, others are quite informal, but all have well-stocked bars. read more

Mexican coconut sweets: Cocadas Karen Hursh Graber

Mexican cocada candies
In addition to the west coast of Mexico, Peru and Colombia also claim these sweets as their own, an indication that perhaps they followed the Pacific route of the ceviche. In any case, the coconut sweets known as cocadas are Colima's signature candy. read more

Destiladeras, Lo de Marcos and Playa Los Venados: Hidden gems on Mexico's Nayarit Riviera Christina Stobbs

Link to interactive map The one hundred and eight mile (290 kilometer) coast of Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit extends from upscale Nuevo Vallarta to the historic, beach town of San Blas. Well, official... read more

Mexican artisans of Lake Cajititlan John Pint

Halfway between Guadalajara and Lake Chapala in Western Mexico, lies little Lake Cajititlan. Although the lake produces great quantities of fish, you'll have a hard time finding a seafood restaurant al... read more

Playa Los Arcos: Mexican family ambience in Puerto Vallarta's picturesque Old Town Carol Wheeler

"Hotel Playa Los Arcos is the prettiest hotel in Puerto Vallarta's Old Town," a Canadian travel writer told me. I think she's right. But more than pretty, Playa Los Arcos is traditionally Mexican, from the design that sets the rooms around a central patio to the décor, the music and the staff uniforms — restaurant personnel dress as charros or gentleman horsemen, and housekeepers wear the colorful full skirts of folkloric dancers. read more

Sayulita: A quintessential Mexico beach town on the Riviera Nayarit Christina Stobbs

This charming little beach town located on Pacific Mexico's Riviera Nayarit, is only a forty-minute drive north of Puerto Vallarta. Sayulita has exploded in popularity as an alternative beach vacation... read more

Mexico real estate: Who is at fault? J. Brad Grieve

As it is anywhere else, real estate is a major investment. What about shifting foundations due to the earth's movements? Who is at fault? This is not a discussion of legal liability but rather a discussion of geology.

In Mexico, the term "fault" has been used to describe a special soil condition that has caused damage to some homes here at Lake Chapala. The damage was generally caused by an uneven settlement of the foundations. read more

La Maria: A picturesque crater lake in the shadow of Colima's Fire Volcano John Pint

Beneath the high walls of an ancient crater, you glide across the placid lake in a rowboat, mesmerized. "This is surely the most peaceful place in all Mexico and definitely one of the most beautiful," ... read more

Mazamitla, a Mexican mountain town revisited Marvin West

An old gringo and his still-lovely bride returned to Mazamitla the other day after several years in other exciting places. The intriguing mountain town, one of Mexico's pueblos mágicos, seemed much as we remembered but the approach was startling — cabañas everywhere with workers rushing to complete more. read more

Ajijic: 500 Years of Adventures Reviewed by James Tipton

Ajijic: 500 Years of Adventures
The title announces that it is a history of "Ajijic: 500 Years of Adventures," but in fact, most of the book is a pleasant and satisfying collection of various articles, memoirs, interviews, about fairly recent life in Ajijic including Jocotepec and Chapala. This charming little book, put together by the Thomas Paine Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, was compiled by long-term Ajijic residents Alexandra Bateman and Nancy Bollenbach. read more

Where Canadians are buying real estate in Mexico Chad Martin

It is no secret that Canadians love Mexico; for years, thousands of Canadians have been fleeing cold winters to the warm beaches and colonial towns of Mexico. Over the past few years, more and more Canadians have called Mexico their home.

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Jalisco style chicken stew: Cuachala Karen Hursh Graber

From Tuxpan, Jalisco, this dish is traditionally eaten in a clay bowl called a plato cuachalero, but it can be served in any kind of soup bowl. read more

From exploring Mexico to exploring the world Henry Biernacki

At age 17, I set out from my home in Colorado to Guadalajara… and my career found me. That one journey altered my life boundlessly. The adventure of a long and colorful bus trip set off an insatiable... read more

Outdoors in Western Mexico Reviewed by James Tipton

For decades now, the Pints — who live in Zapopan, Jalisco — have wandered off-the-beaten paths in search of the beautiful and the mysterious and the interesting.

And in this book they have gathered articles they have written about rivers and canyons, caves, volcanoes (both active and inactive), hot (and cold) springs, waterfalls, petroglyphs, pre-Columbian tombs, circular pyramids, boiling mud pots, even poltergeists, and exotic flora and fauna… all within a few hours of Guadalajara. read more

Mexican master ceramist Jorge Wilmot: the interval between before and after Erin Cassin and Kinich Ramirez

Master ceramist Jorge Wilmot
"When I was working, I never thought of it as creating a piece of art. I was doing what I wanted to do and what I could do and I organized other people to do it."
"I am from Mexico, but it is like (being) from another country that no longer exists," says famed potter Juan Jorge Wilmot Mason.
Mexico lost a beloved artisan when he passed away on January 12, 2012. read more

Christmas in the Sierra Madre mountains Jenny McGill

Christmas tree in Talpa
End of year holidays in small Mexican towns have a very special meaning. Folks come home. Milking cows and growing corn or coffee isn't everybody's idea of making a good living, so they try to realize their golden dream and head for the cities, but Christmastime and Mother's Day call them back home. read more
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