Desert surprises - sketch map

Gomez Palacio and Torreon: Mexico’s desert surprises

Three sets of twins – two of them unusual tourist delights – await the intrepid traveler who explores the area around the industrial cities of Gómez Palacio and Torreón in northern Mexico. The first, and most obvious, pair of twins is the two cities themselves, which lie either side of the River Nazas. Gómez Palacio […]

Continue Reading

The magnetic deserts of the world – Zone of Silence, Mexico, gateway to the universe

This article first appeared in Ron Mader’s Eco Travels (www.planeta.com) A desert whose immensity borders mountains that look like craters, where an abundance of aereolites are scattered around it, just like the memory of a test missile that fell in its arid territory, make the mysterious Zone of Silence in the north of Mexico a […]

Continue Reading
Traditional Maya house in Yucatan © John G. Gladstein, 2008

Tricksters, avengers and guardian spirits: Mexican Ghosts

The child, they said, was old enough to collect leña — kindling — from the rugged Chiapas hillsides and to mount and ride a burro. His peasant parents called him “hombrecito” — “little man” — and trusted him to care for the few chickens and goats that provided the family with sustenance. One moonless night, awakened by the barking […]

Continue Reading

Did you know? Mexico has more than 100 Magic Towns

One of the Mexican Tourism Secretariat’s flagship programs in recent years has been its Magic Towns designation. This is a program after my own heart, and one that was long overdue when it was finally begun in 2001. Mexico’s Magic Towns (Pueblos Mágicos) range from tiny, almost undiscovered villages on the coast to sizeable inland […]

Continue Reading
San Patricio by the Sea, an interdenominational community church on Mexico's Pacific coast

San Patricio by the Sea on Mexico’s Pacific coast

Age-old question: Were great churches built to the glory of God or to satisfy puffed-up egos of men? Mexico has many magnificent cathedrals in a variety of architectural styles and craftsmanship, some with spires and bell towers reaching for the sky, some featuring spectacular art, some with lavish decorations, some of historical significance, some tourist […]

Continue Reading

Modern Mexico: Through the Eyes of Modern Mexicans

By “Mexico” Mike Nelson The University of Texas-Pan American Press Edinburg, Texas 2010 Available from Amazon Books: Paperback “Mexico” Mike Nelson writes a working-man prose, sturdy, usually direct, often repetitive, sometimes rambling… but usually interesting. I like his books and have found them useful, and I particularly like the “human touch” that is one of Mike’s […]

Continue Reading