Excerpt from a work in progress "Have Pets, Will Travel" Curiosity can kill a cat, but in my case, it got me a parakeet. When I first arrived in Mexico, everything fascinated me. In this particular c... read more

As you walk toward the main square from the bus terminal in Dolores Hidalgo, it's hard to imagine the impassioned frenzy that heated this Mexican village on September 15, 1810. Here, on the balcony of ... read more

Whenever I'm travelling in Mexico and I arrive in a new town, the first thing I want to see is la plaza de armas, the heart of almost every Mexican village, town or city. The way it is laid out, maintained and used tell me more in a few moments than I'm likely to learn in hours of exploring the town itself. I always favor hotels on or near the zócalo and, after dinner, I'm inclined to find a bench to just sit and watch the swirl of humanity in the warm evening light.

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

Situated about 300 miles north of Mexico City at an elevation of 6,200 feet, San Luis Potosi doesn't suffer the high summer temperatures and humidity of coastal areas. Although it's out of the Colonial Circle of cities such as San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Morelia, and Patzcuro, SLP, too, is rich with colonial architecture and history.

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Texas has the Alamo, New York has its Empire State Building, but only Michoacan has Patzcuaro. Every travel poster extolling Michoacan has a shot of fisherman wielding the famous butterfly net. Look closely, and you'll spy a tiny cone-shaped island, topped by a statue of Jose Maria Morelos, hand reaching to the sky. That's Patzcuaro's jewel: Janitzio. read more

Nestled between the hills and clouds at 7,500 ft. above sea level and only 25 miles from San Miguel Allende, is Pozos, Guanajuato. This once opulent colonial city lived through several gold bonanzas ... read more

Mexico Connect Forum Discussion Threads Posted by Ann Bice on June 29, 1997 We are planning to check out the Guad-Lake area for potential retirement-it sounds too good to be true. Anyway, we can g... read more

We've thoroughly enjoyed reading this site recently and now have another question. With a lake the size of Lake Chapala there must be pleasure boating but haven't found much info. We're thinking about bringing a boat or buying there. Does anyone know about marinas, boats for sale, boating activities, living aboard, etc.? Any help is appreciated...

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I need to arrange for bus tickets for 7 people from Mexico City to Oaxaca on the morning of the 21st of December. I've heard that the "Uno" is the one to take and I'd like to make reservations for the 7 of us in advance. Is it possible to do this and if so, how? And if you're really familiar with the buses, how much?

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The ubiquitous land crab — about the size of the palm of a hand © Barbara Sands, 2010 "If you've ever traveled the mainland side of the Sea of Cortez, just south of the town of El Golfo de Santa... read more

Nayarit is still one of Mexico's best kept secrets. Here you will find rich traditions, beautiful beaches, and "secret places" to discover for yourself. If you are planning a trip to explore Nayarit, y... read more

Brown, arid hillsides barely visible in a distant haze. Isolated green cacti with contorted, knotted arms, coarse, spiny fingers and bright red, seemingly nailpolished fruits set against an endless tan... read more

The following information has been summarized and updated from my book, Spas & Hot Springs of Mexico. I recently had the hard duty of visiting three of Mexico's world-class spas. There are about a... read more

Squatting on the rocky cliff high above the bay, two young boys watched the man below who, knee deep in water, held his net ready. Suddenly, the boys yelled and pointed to a school of fish swimming beh... read more

The San Marcos Fair, held from the second week in April to the first week of May each year, attracts thousands of visitors from all over Mexico and the United States. It dates back to 1604 when a small indigenous Indian settlement, San Marcos, was founded within walking distance of the growing Spanish city of Aguascalientes. The fair's religious origins, long forgotten, have given way to a lively, colorful three week spectacular, in which bullfights, folkloric dancing, mechanical games, cockfights, cultural events and merrymaking all compete for visitor's attentions.

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Mexico Connect Forum Discussion Threads Posted by LittleCrow on May 29, 1997: What are the laws regarding taking a pet dog into Mexico? Must they be quarantined as in other countries? Posted by Ern... read more

Hi, my family and I are traveling to Mexico in a few weeks. We are entering through Nogales and traveling to Uruapan, Michoacan. read more

Mexico is a place where much is hidden. Things go on close to the surface, but not on it. It makes for a sometimes frustrating, always engaging experience. read more

Believe me, Oaxaca is not quite like any other town you’ve ever been to. Even in Mexico. read more

The fog of hallucination that occasionally seems to envelop Mexico hovers over San Blas most of the time. The amiable residents talk of their future as the next Puerto Vallarta while they wave towels t... read more

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... read more

Guitarists sing and play on a city street in Oaxaca, Mexico. © Allan Cogan, 1997 A first visit to Oaxaca, capital of Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca, should begin at the zócalo, the town plaza.... read more

Posted by Kim Martin on February 04, 1997: Sorry about the long delay in responding to questions, but the university server seems to be down more often than not. Here¥s some info about rentals. M... read more

Posted by Melissa Fiddler on January 12, 1997 I need as much information as possible about driving to Mexico. I've heard that this may not be the easiest thing to do. We would be two to three Can... read more

The Aztecs called it tianquiztli, Nahuatl for the marketplace". Modern Mexicans refer to it as the tianguis, mercado sobre rue... read more

If you would like a glimpse of several slices of Mexican history in all their messy complexity, with its heroes and villains, ... read more

In the preface to his monumental biography Sor Juana, the late Octavio Paz wrote, "In her lifetime [1651 to 1695], Sor Juana I... read more

During the day visitors come down the long entranceway that gives this restaurant its name, asking if it is open. Despite the ... read more

Against the backdrop of the dome of the Palacio del Arte in Morelia, Claris Leydi, a Cuban gymnast swings on a high trapeze in... read more

After an exciting week visiting a close friend, meeting new ones, and immersing myself fully in the rich cultural experience t... read more

The day starts early here in Copoya. Hours before a bright pink sun rises over the eastern mountain, the roosters, pigs, and b... read more

We sit crushed together, moist and miserable, in the back of the battered old VW van as we do every day about this time. Inter... read more

It all started when I took Molly to one of the downtown parks here in Morelia, a park crammed with pretty flowers, spraying fo... read more

"Morelia is a taco town", Molly remarked over morning coffee a few months ago. I didn't say anything because I knew her remark... read more

Thirty minutes away from the Guadalajara airport, but seemingly hundreds of years distant in time, in Lake Chapala sits the is... read more

The Intrepid Cocinero These culinary theme vacations are based on the adage: the way to a Mexican’s heart is through his sto... read more

Merida is a most un-Mexican city. It feels more European; more reserved in a middle class sort of way.... read more

Critics assess the Net as being a mile wide and an inch deep. And, yes, too many Mexico-related websites reflect that same kin... read more

"In Mexico I have found an outlet for creative talents never tapped before. You can do what ever you want. Pick up a plastic b... read more

John's point wasn't, I sensed, simply a lesson in village economics. When we moved to Mexico in 1976, I didn't regret leaving ... read more

MERIDA'S HISTORY SIGHTS TO SEE SHOPPING DINING The early inhabitants of Merida "discovered" a plant that had been a well-known... read more

San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, where I chose to live five years ago, is a city time almost forgot. Situated in the highl... read more

Early one morning in late July, after being awakened by the infernal POP POP POP of today’s Mexican alarm clock, I arose rel... read more

I'm filled with admiration and respect for The Insider's Guide. Its 368 pages are so complete and comprehensive and so well th... read more

Author Pindell and Dr. Lourdes Ramírez Mallis, who served as Pindell's interpreter, collaborator and researcher, set out toge... read more

"Isabel's Enigma" © 2003 T. Adams I n June I saw the first indications of rain. Clouds from the northeast began building in t... read more

A fter nine years in Jalisco, my infatuation with the Mexico that visitors experience had long since become the Mexico where I... read more

Dear Readers, When "Tales From the Maracuyá" first appeared as a Mexico Connect column in July 2003, I hoped to chronicle an ... read more

Traveling to Mexico is like having a fling, a stunning romance, a love affair so intense that everything becomes a romantic vi... read more