Mi Pullman: remodeling a Mexican Art Nouveau townhouse I
This is a story about my love affair with an old house in Mexico. One day I found myself standing in front of a beautiful three storey, art nouveau town house. It was shabby, obviously neglected, and unlived in, but it had certain magic about it, which captured both my imagination and my heart. I knew, in that moment and with great certainly, that one day I would buy it.
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Jalisco State resource page: tequila, mariachis and so much more
Cradle of the mariachi, tequila, and the Jarabe Tapatío, or Mexican hat dance, for many, the state of Jalisco is the essence of Mexico.
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A tour of Ajijic, Chapala, Mexico, in about 1970
In the early 1960s, Ajijic was gaining something of a reputation as a hang-out for ‘bohemians’ and later for hippies. Historian and MexConnect author Jim Tuck once described 1965 in Ajijic as "The ...
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Ajijic, Mexico, in the 1960s and '70s: a picture essay
Marsha Sorensen lived in Ajijic in the mid and late1960s, and made two extended visits in 1972 and 1973. Revisting Ajijic in 2008 for the first time in thirty-five years, she was struck by the “aston...
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Tourism in Mexico City, Cancun and Ajijic
Mexico's economic downturn may be worse than those of other nations, because so much of Mexico's economy depends on tourism.
Entrance to Mexico City
© Anthony Wright, 2009
Mexico City is desper...
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Theater in the Chapala lakeside: The Naked Stage
The Naked Stage, Ajijic's biting and sexy new minimalist theatre, had another successful reading in October — Moonlight and Magnolias. For those of you who missed it, it's a satirical swipe at the ma...
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Guachimontones: unearthing a lost world near Teuchitlan, Jalisco
Just outside the unassuming little town of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, 40 kilometers due West of Guadalajara, lies one of the most impressive archeological sites in all of western Mexico.
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An oasis of comfort in Ajijic: Casa del Sol Bed and Breakfast Inn
In Mexico, it is said you never know what's behind the walls. Typical of Spanish architecture, most homes have high walls around them, affording privacy and sanctuary. It is often impossible to tell if it is a small house or a grand estate behind the walls. This is true of the Casa del Sol Bed & Breakfast Inn in the heart of Ajijic — a 16th century village on Mexico's Lake Chapala, just one hour south of the major metropolis of Guadalajara.
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The remarkable road to San Marcos, Jalisco
During twenty-four years of reconnoitering the highways and byways of western Mexico, I have never come across a road as rewarding as the 53-kilometer stretch from Tala to San Marcos in the state of Ja...
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Politics and women's changing role in Mexico
In Talpa de Allende, there is a neighborhood girl who calls me her quasi-godmother. We have studied English together for the past few summers, but I find her attention span jumping about like a monkey....
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Mi Pullman: remodeling a Mexican Art Nouveau townhouse II
This is a story about my love affair with an old house in Mexico. One day I found myself standing in front of a beautiful three storey, art nouveau town house. It was shabby, obviously neglected, and unlived in, but it had certain magic about it, which captured both my imagination and my heart. I knew, in that moment and with great certainly, that one day I would buy it.
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Toyita grows flowers for the Virgin of Talpa
As in so many Latin American homes in the 1800s and on into the nineteenth century, at least one daughter in the family stayed home and never married. That daughter's responsibility was to cook and care for the parents as they grew older and infirm. Toyita chose to play that role in her family.
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