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Written by Dick Davis
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Tuesday, 01 July 2008 21:12 |
Border Crossing The Grand Marquis needed a lube, an oil change, and the tires rotated. I stopped before the border in Laredo, Texas. There was a long wait so I went to a café next door, sat down, ordered coffee, and looked in my guidebook for Villa Santiago, Mexico's latest designated Pueblo Mágico. This Magic Town was not listed in the Lonely Planet Guide, but my map showed that Villa Santiago was just southeast of Monterrey in the Sierra Madre Mountains. I guessed it would be about a 4-hour drive from the border, but with Monterrey in between it might be longer. Villa Santiago would be a new experience. I would head east, take the scenic route, back roads and side trips, before going south to San Luis Potosi. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 01 July 2008 21:57 )
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Written by Alvin Starkman
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Tuesday, 10 June 2008 18:33 |
Hierve el Agua
The Sierra Norte in Oaxaca is a heavily-wooded area east of the city of Oaxaca, divided into three districts: Ixtlán, Villa Alta, and Mixe. Ixtlán is well known for ecotourism.
Ecotourism as we know it in the Ixtlán district of the Sierra Norte, may never reach the Mixe because of its distance from the city of Oaxaca. However the Mixe still has many of the trappings which attract travelers who want to get away from urban life and see different and more natural sights. In terms of material culture, the district may in fact be superior. Certainly the drive, best handled as a two-day excursion, has much to offer beginning from its ascent out of Oaxaca's central valleys.
What's in store should you venture off on this 280 kilometer round-trip trek are cave paintings, cascading springs, meals so fresh that the roadside eateries have no need for refrigeration, markets, by-products of the agave plant such pulque and mezcal, pottery in a style and color not often encountered in the state capital, and on a daily basis women wearing unique, regional dress.
The drive itself, without stops or side trips, takes upwards of 3 hours, beginning in Oaxaca and ending at the recommended final destination of Santa María Tlahuitoltepec. But it's the journey which holds much of the allure.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 11 June 2008 00:33 )
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Written by Dick Davis
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Saturday, 24 May 2008 02:56 |
 It's Mexico and you never know when you're at the edge of an adventure. In the morning, I bought a newspaper to read at breakfast. The lead story seemed ironic. I'm in Ciudad Victoria among friendly people, feeling secure, and the U.S. has just published a Tourist Advisory Alert warning travelers about this dangerous area. Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas have been put on the "alert list" due to narco gangs' infighting and violence. I feel like a guy in 1920's Chicago who stays away from speakeasies; I feel safe. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 28 May 2008 17:22 )
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New in our forum
What would it cost to retire in Mexico? See: Moving to Mexico
Safety and security on Mexican buses
An exploratory mission to Baja to see if a retirement will stretch in Mexico: Baja in June
With airfares up, maybe it's time to consider: Bus Travel from Texas to San Miguel
The Mexican Board of Tourism is promoting the idea that there are magical towns in the country: Pueblos Magicos
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Written by Bill Conklin
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Sunday, 01 June 2008 17:52 |
Pozos in the clouds
We have just finished building a casita in Mineral de Pozos on part of about 6 acres of almost total tranquility and beauty. Our land is about a 10 minute walk, just out side of town in one of the abandoned mining areas. We often see clouds below us and swear that we can touch the stars.
It's not the first place that people considering a move would think of building. So how did we end up in what most see as a remote part of the state of Guanajuato and how was it to build here? As to the latter question, I strongly suggest that anyone that is thinking of building in Mexico read God and Mr. Gomez by Jack C. Smith before even contracting the land, let alone the architect/builder.
Now (paraphrasing Paul Harvey) for the beginning of the story.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 10 June 2008 20:22 )
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Written by Alvin Starkman
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Thursday, 15 May 2008 01:07 |
Painted clay figures of the Aguilar sisters.
Oaxaca is known as an adult travel destination, steeped in ruins, colonial churches, museums and traditions of fine art and handicrafts. But having visited the region regularly since 1991, always with our daughter, and now having lived in Oaxaca for a few years, often touring with friends, family and other young children around the city and outlying sites, I can say that without a doubt young families contemplating a visit should set aside any trepidations regarding the well-being of their young progeny and their parents' ability to have at least somewhat of a romantic getaway.
Concerns might include wondering if there will be enough sites to hold your child's interest, if you'll be able to visit the vestiges of pre-Hispanic civilizations without the kids being bored to death, if you'll ever be able to sneak away for a dinner on your own, if you'll have to pay a premium to find accommodations with a pool -- the guarantee of an afternoon swim is always the best bribe -- and the wisdom of perhaps just having a beach vacation and saving Oaxaca for another time when you can do it without the family.
Having pondered such considerations from time to time, I can now offer valuable suggestions regarding where to stay even without a pool, what tour routes will definitely hold the interests of children and teens, and what activities exist in and around the city on a regular basis, geared to youthful vacationers.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 18 May 2008 21:26 )
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