Western Mexico: A Traveler's Treasury, 4th edition
Crossing to Tijuana: The Blue Line
The people waiting at the Civic Center either went to get someone out of jail or take the train to the US-Mexico border. That was life, dia y noche in San Diego and the most charming way to enter Mexico, via Tijuana.
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Driving the Baja Highway
The Baja 1,000 is considered one of the most dangerous, but exciting, races in the world.
It winds through mountains and desert in the most remote parts of Baja California with drivers dodging Mother Nature's homespun hazards like rugged dry washes and rapid changes in altitude. They also deal with free-roaming livestock, rattlesnakes and one of the largest concentrations of big, bad cacti on the planet.
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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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Mexico's endless Pacific beach: sun, surf, sand, seafood and solitude
There's more to the Mexico seashore than skimboards, seafood and sun-bathing bronzed bodies: there is solitude. There are vast stretches of uninhabited or unfrequented beaches lounging serenely beside a roiling sea that stretches westward seemingly into infinity.
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A driving tour from Oaxaca to San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque: Part Two
Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Mexico
There are Mexicans these days who have never attended a Cinco de Mayo celebration. The holiday has taken a back seat to the many saints' days and other festivals.
The growth of celebrations in the Uni...
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A driving tour from Oaxaca to San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque: Part One
Copoya, Chiapas
GPS on the road to San Pancho, Nayarit
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The woman's voice from the dashboard announces, "In three point five kilometers, turn right onto I 80 toward Qptlantapque." - "What did she say? What is she talking about?" I ask. I'm driving, peering at the array of green signs ahead which look vaguely familiar. Not one comes close to matching any destination our audible guide has pronounced with such an unusual number of consonants. Bill consults the Mexico map book spread across his lap. "Ignore her," he says and takes the GPS from its special perch to enter new information.
read moreTwo weeks in Veracruz: a travel diary
I was the only passenger they patted down looking for AK47s and rocket launchers. The sombrero made me look like Clint Eastwood. I'm sure that's what it was.
read moreTapalpa: Land of colors
Tapalpa is an alpine town south of Guadalajara. Surrounded by forests, lakes and streams, Tapalpa beckons visitors to its restful landscape. One winter weekend, as my van snakes up the Sierras, I stare...
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Laguna Catemaco, Veracruz
The lush green volcanic hills of southern Veracruz permitted only glimpses of the approaching Laguna Catemaco. Small islands hid among swirls of soft grey neblina.(fog) They appeared then disappeare...
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Ruins in the rain forest: An excursion to La Selva Lacandona
Many visitors in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, realize that the quaint mountain town, aside from being a destination in itself, is a perfect jumping-off point for dozens of side-trips. Surround...
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The People's Guide To Mexico
"Por favor (please) and gracias (thank you) are the most important words you'll use in Mexico."
If I could own only one guide about getting to know Mexico, it would be The People's Guide t...
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Walking the walk, talking the talk - Colima - sea to Sierra, by Wendy Devlin in Mexico Connect
Part 1 Colima - The Sea
Six years ago I briefly visited the small state of Colima. With my family, I drove straight through the state without stopping along Colima’s eighty-seven miles of coastline,...
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Gold trail to Santa MarÃa del Oro, Nayarit
Gold-colored walls line the main street through Santa MarÃa del Oro, Nayarit. Bumping along the cobblestones in our camper-van, we are following in the footsteps of the Spanish conquistadors. In 1504,...
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La Hacienda de Nogueras in Comala, Colima
La Hacienda de Nogueras is an elegantly restored hacienda hidden in the countryside of Colima. Six miles north of Colima City, it links the region's rich pre-Hispanic past with colonial and modern history.
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Colima: City of the Palms
Palm trees reach towards the sky above the plaza. Water gushes from a swan-shaped fountain. Flowers bloom profusely. A banner above the bandstand declares February a month of 'Love and Friendship' in C...
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Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico
Fridays are Indian market days in the fountain-centered Plaza Gertrudis Bocanegra, one of three main squares in Pátzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico. Walkways around the fountain are lined with stalls of good...
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A Visit to Don Otavio: A Traveller's Tale from Mexico by Sybille Bedford
The first thing I should say about this book is that it was originally published more than half a century ago, in 1953. I mention that out front just so no reader assumes it is yet another recent travel book about Mexico. However, it's a good one and it's easy to see that it merits republishing. It comes with the highest kind of praise.
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Saltillo, Mexico: color, culture and colonial charm
Just five hours by bus from McAllen, Saltillo is a delightful colonial city
rich in history, museums and eco-tourism. Young couples relax on iron benches surrounded by manicured gardens. Streams of water rise from a fountain into gentle arcs in the sunlight.
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Las Cucarachas' Tails by Jerry Hesser
Personally I don't think I've come across anything quite like Las Cucarachas' Tails. And I should also quickly add that I found it to be an interesting and enjoyable read.
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The Log from the Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck
Back in 1940, just before Pearl Harbour, John Steinbeck and his marine biologist friend, Ed Rickets, chartered a fishing boat, the Western Flyer, in Monterey, California, and sailed down the coast around the Baja into the Sea of Cortez. Their six-week mission was to collect specimens of marine life in the area. They jointly wrote a book about the voyage, largely about marine biology, which was published in 1941. A decade later, Steinbeck himself wrote this more personal book. The result is a mixture of travel writing, journalism, diary-keeping, philosophy, meditation and, yes, there's a lot of stuff about the marine life of the area. After all, the author was something of an authority in that field.
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Cabo to Cabo
On my last visit to Cabo San Lucas in 1997, the city had installed its second traffic light four months ago. It stands on the northwestern outskirts of town, where Mexico Hwy. 19 begins its winding jou...
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A Day In The Life Of The 'Ver Bien' Programme
It's 7.30 a.m. on Friday, June 3, a bright, fine morning in Morelia, the state capital of Michoacán. My Ford Explorer roars into life. I have on board two passengers and 199 pairs of glasses. The
'...
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