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 […]
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Cogan’s Reviews This is an odd volume. I originally bought it because it advertises itself as “a gathering of some of the best travel writing ever” about Mexico. However, you quickly find as you dip into it that not all the articles are about travel. Also, very few of them have been written in recent […]
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Lancandon Journal — 1969 By Dimitar Krustev Editorial Mazatlan, 2013 Note: While the cover says “Lancandón,” the legal page (and usual spelling) is Lacandón, used throughout this review. Like most travel journals, Dimitar Krustev’s Lacandon Journal — 1969 lacks literary “finish.” Plebian in style it often just plods along; but, nevertheless, parts of it are certainly pleasurable. […]
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Let the Water Hold Me Down By Michael Spurgeon Ad Lumen Press, American River College, 2013 Available from Amazon Books: Paperback Michael Spurgeon has written a remarkably fine novel. Let the Water Hold Me Down has the makings of a classic. It is written with skill and with grace, and the old verities that are at the […]
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Photos of Zapatistas in Chiapas. For more about the Zapatistas, see Jim Tuck’s “Mexico’s Zapatista Movement – then and now” Published or Updated on: March 1, 2000 by Emiliano Thibaut © 2000
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Sometimes, due to business commitments or transportation snags, we find ourselves in a not-planned-for place. Tuxtla Gutierrez is thought of by many as such place. Indeed, most travelers in Mexico go “through,” not “to” this city, since it’s a transportation hub, not only for the state of Chiapas, but for most of the Mundo Maya […]
Continue ReadingNow that you’ve decided to visit Tuxtla Gutierrex, let me give you some information about the climate here and what type of clothing you will need to pack for your visit. The city of Tuxtla Gutierrez fills a long, low valley and is usually described in guide books as being terribly hot and humid. In […]
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By now, I’m assuming you are finally here, settled into your hotel, refreshed and unpacked. Let’s begin our tour right away, because it will actually take more than three days to see and enjoy everything here. We will use taxis rather than colectivos to save time during your visit. After all, they are very affordable […]
Continue ReadingAfter an exciting week visiting a close friend, meeting new ones, and immersing myself fully in the rich cultural experience that is Oaxaca, I was headed home to celebrate Christmas with my family and friends in Chiapas. My husband was back in the States on business, so I had taken this special trip to Oaxaca […]
Continue ReadingYou would think that by now, well into my third year of living in Chiapas, I would have learned that familiar U.S. customs — especially ones which make me feel as though I have slipped into a comfortable old bathrobe — do not always transfer gracefully into my new country. But without the benefit of an established […]
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