Editor’s Comment
MexConnect celebrates 25 years on the web
MexConnect is 25 years old this year! David McLaughlin launched MexConnect (originally Mexico Connect) in 1996 after many months of behind-the-scenes preparation. MexConnect was initially published as a monthly magazine, with an entire new selection of articles on various topics added every month. The first homepage design (eg November 1996) had Living, Mexico Travel and […]
Travel
Whale shark ecotourism brings new hope to fishing communities in Isla Holbox, Quintana Roo
Each year, the Mexican state of Quintana Roo is swarmed by foreign tourists. Even in 2020, in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Cancún alone saw upwards of two million tourists. Being that the region was one of the few permitting entry to foreigners, I decided to make the journey from […]
December guava fair in Calvillo, Aguascalientes
When I first saw guava fruit I mistook it for lemon. It happened on my first trip to Aguascalientes during the summer rainy season when a tree — its branches loaded with tiny round yellow fruit in the backyard of a house — caught my eye. I soon learned the popular exotic fruit known as […]
Food & Cuisine
A Mexican Christmas dinner: tamales, turkey, tejocotes
Mexican Kitchen The usually bustling Mexican markets become even more so in December, when the mountains of fruit for ponche navideño (Christmas punch) compete with a wild array of tinsel-y decorations for shoppers’ attention, and the excitement leading to the posadas and pastorelas builds up. The culmination of all this preparation is, of course, Noche […]
History & People
Mexico this month – December
Index to Mexico this month (all 12 months) U.S. CONGRESS TO FRANCE: WITHDRAW! BIRTH OF A GREAT MURALIST FORTUNE HUNTER EXPLORES THE WEST AWARD FOR FOREIGNERS RED SHIRTS MASSACRE CHURCH-GOERS December 1, 1810 José María Mercado, a priest supporting Father Hidalgo’s call for independence from Spain, attacks the Pacific coast port of San Blas, capturing […]
Solving the mystery of a lost Spanish galleon on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula
When European ships were wrecked at sea, a Christian burial was usually afforded those whose bodies washed up on the shoreline. That was not the case here. Somewhere on a desolate stretch of a Baja California beach lie the bones and cargo of a once majestic Spanish galleon. It was around 1576 when she vanished […]
A Tale of Three Cities: Mexico City, Teotihuacan and Tenochititlan
1. Mexico City On the way to Ecuador, I took a five-day diversion to Mexico City. As souvenirs, I picked up a stomach bug and a rather extreme case of sun-burn. Neither were timetabled, but both easily gained with the correct measure of self-neglect. I was respectively supported by a high altitude that increased the […]
Site of sacrifice rediscovered in Mexico City: On The Trail Of Xipe Tótec
I first met one of Xipe Tótec’s priests on March 30, 2018. I know the exact date because, happily, my Nikon records the date of every photo I shoot. Me, I’m not that good at keeping accurate records. Fortunately, I didn’t actually meet the priest because Xipe Tótec was the Mexica god of, among other […]
Mexico this month – July
Index to Mexico this month (all 12 months) DOWN WITH DICTATORS! NO MORE RE-ELECTION! MEXICAN NIGHTINGALE DIES – NATION MOURNS FIRST U.S. AMBASSADOR TO MEXICO DEATH OF A GREAT LEADER. SPANISH INVASION! July 1, 1823. At the Congress of the United Provinces of Central America, held in Guatemala City, it is decided that Nicaragua and […]
Mexico this month – November
Index to Mexico this month (all 12 months) HIDALGO RETREATS – BUT WHY? PRESIDENT WILLIAM WALKER?? THE DAY OF THE RAILROAD WORKER THE COUNTRY REVOLTS! THE DEATH OF DIEGO RIVERA 1, 1542 The Fourth Expedition to Asia departs from the Pacific coast port of Navidad (now known as Barra de Navidad) under the command of […]
Living, Working, Retiring
A Perfect Day in San Miguel de Allende
Pat Hall A Perfect Day in San Miguel Yesterday was rather hot for San Miguel de Allende — about 29°-30°C, but there was a nice breeze and, of course, no humidity. We have a different restaurant for our main meal each day of the week. On Saturdays we always go to one of our favorites […]
How does a Temporary Resident get a work permit for online work?
Thilini Wijesinhe The temporary residency visa does not include work rights unless applied for based on potential work plans in Mexico. However, some temporary residents without work rights decide to work, which requires them to apply for permission to work separately. Usually, the permission to work known as “Permiso Para Trabajar” is obtained based on […]
How falling in love with a Mexican girl led to a jewelry business in Puerto Vallarta
Setting up a business in Mexico is not that hard. Making it work and become profitable is another story, but that depends on you! Back in 2012, when I arrived in Puerto Vallarta with my Mexican wife, Reyna, I had no idea how difficult it might be to set up my own business in Mexico. […]
Recipes
Books & Authors
Aztecs & Maya
The Maya civilization, cities of the Maya
The material splendor of the Maya culture is appreciated, more than in any other field, in the architecture and ornamentation of their cities. These city-states were the center of power for the king-priests who administered the obedience, the tribute and the manpower of the people who believed in them. Many Maya cities and ceremonial centres […]
The Maya civilization and cities: a resource page
To the foreigner, the words ‘Maya’ and ‘Mayan’ conjure up images of archeological ruins and a lost society and culture. Currently, the word ‘Chiapas’ brings to mind rebellion, Sub Commandante Marcos and a sense of confusion. What many do not understand is the relationship between the historical Maya and today’s living expression of that culture […]
Mysteries of the Fifth Sun: the Aztec Calendar
-Valley of Anahuac, New Year’s Eve, 1507. Tenochtitlán, the great island city, capital of the Mexica empire, lies cloaked in darkness. An eerie silence pervades the vast ceremonial center — the Teocalli or Templo Mayor — spreading out over Moctezuma’s splendid palace, with its botanical gardens and well-stocked zoo, across the market places, canals, aqueducts, and within each of […]
The Maya Civilization, Maya Numerals And Calendar
Ancient Maya discovered two fundamental ideas in mathematics: positional value and the concept of zero. This feat was accomplished by only one other great culture of antiquity, the Hindu. But they did it 300 years or so after the Maya. These two elements, positional value and zero, might be considered simple and basic concepts nowadays. […]
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- Eln commented on A Staple Food From Tropical Mexico – yucca: I think you are confusing two different plants. Th
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Selected Posts
Mexico This Month
10 Years Ago
20 Years Ago
Destinations
About Mexican Food
A Mexican Christmas dinner: tamales, turkey, tejocotes
Mexican Kitchen The usually bustling Mexican markets become even more so in December, when the mountains of fruit for ponche navideño (Christmas punch) compete with a wild array of tinsel-y decorations for shoppers’ attention, and the excitement leading to the posadas and pastorelas builds up. The culmination of all this preparation is, of course, Noche […]
Culture & Arts
Christmas in Mexico: Navidad en Mexico, a Mexican holiday resource page
Few North Americans recognize that the roots of these treasured “Christmas” traditions were active long before the birth of Christ. In fact, most evolved from pagan winter solstice rituals of the Celts, Druids, Scandinavians and indigenous groups, and the much older Jewish Festival of Lights. While the most beloved Mexican Christmas traditions are firmly based […]
New Worlds for the Deaf: the story of the pioneering Lakeside School for the Deaf in rural Mexico by Gwen Chan Burton
New Worlds for the Deaf: the story of the pioneering Lakeside School for the Deaf in rural Mexico by Gwen Chan Burton (Sombrero Books, 2020) In 1982, Gwen Chan Burton, who had previously taught in government secondary schools in Australia and Canada for 12 years, was faced with a big career decision. Burton (whose name […]
Adventure Tourism
Cultural Customs
Linguistic and cultural language puzzles in Mexico
Pat Hall On one of our first trips to Mexico, my husband asked a perplexing question: “Why are Mexicans using the Welsh word, oi?” My husband is from Wales and, at that point, spoke no Spanish. The British use the word oi as an interjection to call attention, or as a challenge, depending on its […]
La Quinceañera: a celebration of budding womanhood
The transition from childhood to womanhood is a significant passage for adolescent girls in almost all cultures. In Mexico, it is marked with the celebration of the Quinceañera, or 15th Birthday. From a north-of-the-border viewpoint, it may be seen as a cross between Sweet Sixteen and a debutante’s coming out party. The celebration is a […]
Mexico’s alternative medicine in Amarillo, Texas
In Mexico, alternative medicine has long been popular. With the increase of healthcare costs, insurance, traditional medicines and a visit to the doctor’s office in the U.S., many people are seeking alternative means to treat ailments, both physical and mental. “In most cases with non-traditional treatment, there is no language barrier, no need for an […]
Communicating across Cultures
Communication is more than just speaking, writing, and editing; it also involves information gathering and teamwork. In the economy of the new century, this means communicating cross-culturally. There are three main components to any communication: subject matter medium of delivery cultural considerations Of the three, the third is generally ignored. While fashionable phrases get uttered […]
