(Part 1: The America's Oldest Urban Center)   Having reached Monte Alban and entered the site, on your right as you stand at the corner of the main plaza is the North Platform, the site of th... read more

"When you return from your friends in Guadalajara, I will take you to the freshest, finest seafood in Colima!" promised Nestor, as we left the hotel that he managed in Melaque, Jalisco. Well, I do no... read more

I’m puzzled as to why Xalapa hasn’t become more of a permanent residence for Americans and Canadians. Of the six cities my wife and I visited – Morelia, Cholula, Puebla, Xalapa, Vera Cruz and Queretero – Xalapa is for us the hands-down winner. read more

How safe is tourist travel in Mexico? This question rates among the most controversial on any Internet forum about Mexico. Crime is a complex subject woven deep in any country's social fabric. The foll... read more

I'm just back from California with my new car. It's a '93 Ford Explorer that I purchased from a good friend on one condition--that she help me drive it back to Ajijic. Yes, she's a very good friend. An... read more

It was Nestor's gold capped smile that greeted us in the lobby of a small San Patricio Melaque hotel. At 2 a.m. his warm greeting enhanced his offer of the last available room on a busy holiday weekend... read more

Mañana is a Mexican word that I struggle to understand. I continue to learn more about this word every time that I travel in Mexico. One of my earliest lessons was learned at the lighthouse that prote... read more

Josh, fourteen, and Rose, twelve, were keen to discover Mexico in their own way in San Patricio/ Melaque. As they were six and eight when last they frolicked in the waves, they now felt mature and open... read more

"TRAIN TIMES" IN MEXICO By "Blaise" Introduction by Wendy Devlin One of the great pleasures of traveling is the infinite variety of people that I meet at every turn in the road. The internet which i... read more

Recollections of stunning ruins, fantastic snorkelling, exquisite food and friendly people. The Yucatan is unlike any other region of Mexico. It has unique terrain, climate, cuisine and peop... read more

Have you ever tried to do a "good" deed and found that you had difficulty pulling it off? It happened to me on my second road trip to Mexico. From the previous year's journey through the Baja, I knew ... read more

Five years ago, I visited the Mexican sea-side resort of San Patricio (Melaque), Jalisco. I arrived with my family and small trailer to join an amiable colony of recreation vehicle campers at the free ... read more

My wife and I have driven from the Lakeside area to Laredo a few times on what always seemed to us, looking at the map, to be the shortest route, taking Highway 23 to Zacatecas and highway 54 from there to Saltillo, finishing the trip on Highway 85 via Monterrey. Starting early in the morning, it was easy to make Saltillo by early afternoon. Laredo was an easy hop the next morning. However, a couple of experiences on that route made us reconsider. read more

When tourists visit tropical Mexico, they are sometimes invited to visit a coffee plantation. My invitation came when I was camping with my family near Aticama, a small village on the Nayarit coast, 10... read more

I’m going to sound like something of a museum freak – which I’m definitely not. There’s a limit to the amount of "tourism" I can handle when I’m travelling. My strict ration is one castle, or one cathedral or one stately home per day. All of which is my way of saying that by far the classiest, the biggest and the most elegant museum I’ve ever seen is in Mexico City - The National Museum of Anthropology. read more

Teotihuacan is one of the major tourist attractions in Mexico City — a place that’s full of attractions. I urge you to go. It’s easy to get to. There are decent eating places out there and lots to see and do. There’s a museum and a cultural center and plenty of places to buy souvenirs. And if you’re feeling energetic, try the climb up to the top of either pyramid. read more

The trailer was packed, the three kids and the dog were loaded into the van as final preparations were made for the "journey to the end of the earth". For us, Baja truly seemed land's end. Nobody we kn... read more

What a thrill it would be to climb to the uppermost bell of this magnificent cathedral, I thought. read more

My guide book tells me that it's exactly 1,000 kilometers from Guadalajara to Oaxaca. That's about 660 miles. I know of people who say they've driven the distance in one day and I have to concede that it's possible. The only way you can do it is to take toll roads the whole way, start at the crack of dawn and drive like hell. The other thing you have to do is drive through Mexico City. read more

Of all the thousands of possible day-trips from tourist centers in Mexico, perhaps none is as varied, educational, beautiful and just plain fun as that along the eastern part of the Valley of Oaxaca. O... read more