Like "The Hidden Places", this article is about the play of light and shadows on the eye of the observer; of the offered and the hidden; of peace in the midst of struggle. (The picture is of the Guelag... read more

Diana and Stan's Biography Photography by Diana Ricci Stan Gotlieb and Diana Ricci have been together for about six years. This is a story about their time together. The picture at the r... read more

These kids are Tarahumara indians who live in the Copper Canyon area. The Tarahumara are among the most marginalized of Mexico's indigenous peoples, and suffer from severe drought in the summer and nea... read more

Inside the main chapel at Santo Domingo Church, one of many highly decorated colonial and post colonial buildings in Oaxaca in which music is presented. The Teatro Macedonio Alcala exists because of t... read more

When you're a famous traveler and adventurer such as myself, you get exposed to a lot of weird things, either first hand, or because people write to you telling you of their own experiences. You get to... read more

  This drawing of a latrine is painted on a wall next to the main square in San Martin Tilcajete, Oaxaca. It was paid for by the National Health, as a preventative medicine strategy. There are fou... read more

Below are some archives of letters to the editor that Stan has chosen to answer with open responses.December 20, 1995 Victor Salas writes that, having been born and raised in Mexico, and having come t... read more

I don't remember where this picture was taken, but I thought it a nice little color splash to brighten your day. Photography by Dan McWethy [This article, as many I have written, says at least as much... read more

Maestro Ignacio Cervantes plies his trade in the Alameda, in front of the Cathedral in Oaxaca. Photography by Diana Ricci [" Rompe - Cabeza " (ROM-pe ca -BAY-sa, literally "head b... read more

I wrote this in early 1995, when the peso was on a slide. For many, especially the Mexican people, the "devaluation" was no laughing matter. "It's 5.0 at the Caseta de Cambio (money changer) in Cinco ... read more

A monument to the 45 refugee victims of the massacre on December 22, 1997 in Acteal, Chiapas, at the hands of a paramilitary death squad. The child's shoe is a symbol of the many children who died that... read more

This clown is plying his trade in the Oaxaca Zócalo. He probably needs change. Photography by Diana Ricci   There is a deep, dark, secret hole where all the change goes, and nobody k... read more

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... read more

This is our patio. We can seat 26 in a pinch, but we like to hold it down to 20. This is not as much work as it may seem, since all our large parties are pot-luck, and everyone we know either cooks lik... read more

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... read more

A latecomer brought by TV and consumerism from El Norte, this Santa, with his reindeer made from local tree branches, was greeted with a mixture of awe and nervousness by the children on the plaza in f... read more

This piece was written in the summer of 1995. The number of Mexican billionaires has diminished, but the kidnappings have increased. The photo is of the inlet to Santa Cruz Huatulco. Photography by D... read more

If you hang out in the Zocalo (town square) as much as I do, the beggars get to know you. Depending on how you handle yourself, the nightly encounters can be easy or annoying. The reactions of the othe... read more

  All roads in Oaxaca state lead to the south side of the Zócalo, facing the state Government Palace. On most days, there is a march and demonstration there by one disaffected group or other. This... read more

While traveling through the mountains to Tehuantepec, I noticed a large bald patch, obviously man made, on a very steep slope. At the time I thought "ah, someone must want to create erosion". The rest ... read more

I read somewhere that there are three stages to many occurrences in Mexico: the event; the contradictory rumors that are told about the event; and the decision that, given all the preposterous rumors, ... read more

Made by art students from sand and other materials, this sculpture in front of the Oaxaca Cathedral was created for Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Photography by Diana Ricci ... read more

First written in the spring of 1994, this story has been revised several times as dictated by subsequent events. It has generated more responses than any other. Most of them have been at least somewhat... read more

Figures made from cornhusks on display at Radish Festival, held on December 24 in the zocalo, Oaxaca. Photography by Diana Ricci In Oaxaca, having "bastante" (too much) is not consid... read more

In early 1994, when this letter first appeared, I did not have any personal knowledge regarding the practices outlined here; nor do I now. I introduced this subject because there had been persistently ... read more