Tag Archives: chaiken

Huatulco

Beat the Heat in Mexico

Leave a comment

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

Here for business or pleasure? At the beach or in the city or in the mountains? The good news is: wherever you are in Mexico the temperature can climb pleasantly high. The bad news is: as the temperature climbs high so can yours. Rapidly rising body temperature can result in heat exhaustion or worse. So here are a few tips for creating a pleasurable stay in Mexico instead of a medical emergency.

Stay hydrated. Realize that while you’ve been dreaming of margaritas and cervezas, water is the key to hydration – not alcohol. Experiment and experience the many different kinds of flavored waters available in Mexico. Some of the favorites of local residents and long-time tourists are water spiked with tamarind juice, hibiscus flower (agua de jamaica), and cucumber (agua de pepino). We order our favorites in jarras (pitchers) and down the whole jarra during a meal for two.

Stay out of the sun. We wince when we see bone-white tourists laying prone in the sun on loungers around pools. Even with a high SPF suntan lotion, they are literally cooking themselves to dizziness and nausea. Exercise caution – even in the shade; the sun reflects off surrounding surfaces, especially water, and can cause roasting under that umbrella or palapa.

Plan your outdoor activities for the early morning and late afternoon. One of our granddaughters recently joined us in Huatulco for a week of rest and recreation with a bunch of friends whom she had met in med school. The young docs knew the nitty-gritty details of the havoc that heat can play on human metabolism. They rose early and went to the beach, beating the crowds and high temperatures. When the sun was rising high, they left the beach for indoor activities in air conditioned places. As the sun lowered enough to cast deep shadows, they brought their books and smart phones to the shade near a pool and took a plunge whenever the body temperature warranted a cooling. Evenings after dinner were their prime times for walks and other outdoor explorations. They pretty much held to the same schedule in city environments, touring in the morning and late afternoon and enjoying air conditioned museums midday.

Take cold showers. Even if you enjoy soaking in or spraying yourself with warm to hot water, before you towel off, stand under a shower that is as cold as the water gets. It’s the fastest way to bring down your body temperature. Returning from the beach or sweaty activities, a cold shower is not only enjoyable but necessary.

Dress to stay cool. The song might say “no shoes, no shirt, no problems,” but the absence of a shirt on tourists parading down city streets is a cringeworthy moment. Not only is it gauche but it increases the chances of overheating. Slip on a light-weight loose shirt, especially one with material designed to reflect sun. Lightly covered with room for air to circulate is acceptable in beach communities. In cities and the mountains, opt for several layers. Peel them off as the temperature rises during the day and replace them as the sun and temperature go down.

Siesta, siesta, siesta. Mexico is famous for its fiesta opportunities. But note that local fiestas typically begin around sunset. Midday is set aside for a long indoor snooze. You might try imitating the national pattern of having your largest meal (comida) in the early afternoon; the reason many stores and museums are closed midday is because the staff are enjoying comida during the hottest hours. Then as many local residents do, take a nap or at least rest while you digest. You’ll find that afterwards your body temperature will be normal and you’ll be raring to go.

Long-stay acclimatization. Many of us longer-stay Mexico visitors get used to the heat. It’s not psychological – it’s physiological. Our circulatory systems including our hearts adjust to keeping us cooler in hot weather. But it normally takes a week or more for our bodies to adapt – longer as we grow older – so we follow our own advice that we’ve given you during that period. We continue to follow it after acclimatization except that we don’t use air-conditioning. As soon as we arrive in Huatulco, we open windows and turn on all ceiling fans in our condo, leaving them on until we depart for the US. The fans and the sea breezes eventually replace the need for A/C.

Watch those babies! We love to see the babies and toddlers from north of the border in their floaties in pools and being wheeled about city streets. But please realize that their little circulatory systems take much longer than adults’ to adjust to heat at beaches and midday high temperatures in cities and mountains. When we hear the little ones wailing with discomfort, our hearts go out in hope that their parents are keeping them indoors and cool midday and providing bottles of water and cooling them off with baths and wet cloths.

Mexico’s weather is wonderful for visitors. It’s one reason tourists head south during below-freezing months in the U.S., Canada and Europe. But wonder can rapidly turn into woe – unless you beat the heat.

Drs. Marcia and Jan Chaiken have been married for 62 years and have published many justice system research reports together.

Huatulco, San Miguel de Allende

Medical School in Mexico: An Option for US and Canadian Students?

Leave a comment

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken—

Several decades ago, we met American students attending the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG) School of Medicine waiting in line at La Chata – an ever-popular restaurant in the city center worth the wait. We chatted as the line inched forward and agreed to be seated together when we reached the front. We were surprised that the students were conversant in Spanish but definitely not fluent and wondered how they were able to understand their med school lectures. They explained that the UAG program was developed primarily for US students, with many courses in English and coordinated with hospitals in the US for clinical rotations. We assumed their decision to attend UAG was motivated by the beauty and rich cultural opportunities in Guadalajara.

Years later, we had closely watched our oldest granddaughter, youngest niece, and cousins’ kids negotiate the lengthy process of applying to US undergraduate schools that have high acceptance rates for med schools, then applying to outstanding med schools, and then seeking a “match” for residency in a specialized field. We frankly wondered if UAG and similar med schools in Mexico would have provided an easier option for aspiring MDs who wanted to practice eventually north of the border.

Medical school acceptance rates in Canada are extremely competitive. There are 18 accredited medical schools in the country – of which 7 are in Ontario. The overall acceptance rate is under 15%. The acceptance rate is even lower for applicants who live out of province – about 5%

While there are about 160 accredited med schools in the US that grant MD degrees, competition is still fierce. Fewer than 50% of applicants are accepted each year: the med school that our granddaughter attended accepts under 3% of applicants each year. At her white-coat ceremony at the beginning of her first year, the dean of students pointed out that all the newly inducted students and many other applicants met the basic criteria for acceptance: very high undergraduate grades, very high Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, and extracurricular activities involving medical proficiency. But the reason they were selected was because all of them demonstrated a very high level of compassion for others.

Mexico, with 151 med schools, has slightly fewer than the US. The acceptance rates vary significantly between the public medical schools and the private ones in Mexico. The highly prestigious public Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) accepts fewer than 2% of medical school applicants. Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL), which some say is second to UNAM in prestige, is less competitive but still rejects close to 90% of applicants. Some of the top-tier private medical schools with classes in English, such as the Universidad de Monterrey, are equally as competitive. Whereas the private UAG accepts about 43% of applicants, other private universities have developed more inclusive programs leading to medical degrees that are frankly aimed at attracting English-speaking students from north of the border. Anahuac University has such a program in Cancun which accepts about 60% of applicants. Xochicalco School of Medicine has campuses near the US border and accepts over 80% of applicants.

In general, students north of the border who have not been accepted at a medical school of their choice in their home country do have opportunities to study in a medical program in Mexico. But realistically they are highly unlikely to be accepted in one of the most prestigious medical schools in Mexico. Their best chance appears to be one of the programs that have been established to educate students from the US and Canada.

Another barrier to medical education north of the border is cost. In the US by 2024, four years of tuition, fees, and living expenses generally cost between $250,000 and $400,000. Tuition each year alone in US medical schools two years ago cost between $42,000 and $67,000, depending on whether the school was public or private and the region of the country. Tuition in Canada is generally significantly lower for Canadian residents, ranging from $4000 to over $25,000 – but the annual fee for foreign students can reach between $90,000 and $100,000 (Canadian dollars). Tuition in the prestigious public medical schools in Mexico are essentially symbolic and remarkably low for Mexican citizens, for example at UNAM under $30 (US dollars) per year. But foreign students attending the programs in Mexico developed to serve English speakers can expect to pay fees comparable to US medical school tuition – about $36,000 for the first years of in-class basic sciences teaching to $59,000 a year for clinical years spent in Mexico and over $80,000 a year for clinical years with rotations in the US.

Although cost of living in Mexico is reputedly much lower than in the US and Canada, as recent US and Canadian temporary residents can testify, the days when gringos could live high-on-the-hog in Mexico are over. To maintain a standard of living that even the most impoverished American or Canadian med student would expect is no longer inexpensive in Mexico.

Another consideration in choosing a medical school is the probability of matching with a residency program after graduation. For those in their last year of med school “Match Day” may be ranked as high on the anxiety scale as a wedding day. In fact, in the case of our granddaughter, Match Day engendered even more excitement. Imagine, the hundreds of soon-to-be MDs all waiting to be informed at precisely the same second whether they were chosen to be a resident in the field of their choice at a highly desirable teaching hospital, a hospital that was not exactly high on their list – or even any hospital at all.

Before choosing one of the programs in Mexico for a medical education, prospective students must realize that earning an MD degree does not escape the rest of the arduous process of becoming a licensed physician in the US or Canada. Admission to a US or Canadian residency program is not guaranteed and may not even be possible depending on the med school and the particular program of studies undertaken in Mexico. For Canadian graduates of Canadian medical schools, post-MD residency is almost guaranteed – over 95% of applicants “match” within their preferred field. And for graduates of US medical schools, the match rate for US residency programs has been only slightly lower. However, the match rate for residency in the US for students who completed MD degrees out of the country (including in Mexico) is much lower – in 2024 according to the American Medical Association – 67%. And although first-time residency applicants from foreign med schools matched in Canada at a respectable 87%, those who didn’t match during the first application were unlikely to be more successful in subsequent applications, with rates dropping to under 30%.

Finally, to be licensed to practice in the US or Canada, MDs trained in other countries must take a sequence of rigorous exams that require intense study. Most medical school students take some of these exams as they complete their in-class studies and are at the top of their game. And based on our observations of young relatives going through this exam process – one really needs to be passionately committed to practicing medicine north of the border to have the stamina and knowledge to pass.

As much as we love Mexico, we advise young students who have applied to med school in the US or Canada and were not accepted, think twice. Take a year or two and work in a related field. Find out if you really have a passion for medicine, and if you do, choose one of the programs in Mexico that is authorized to make sure their graduates match for residency in the specialty you want in the US or Canada.

Huatulco, San Miguel de Allende

Jewish Pilgrimage Festivals in Mexico

Leave a comment

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken—

Among the many pilgrimages that occur in Mexico, probably the ones with the oldest historical foundations are some Jewish observances. Known in Hebrew as the Shalosh Regalim, the “three pilgrimage festivals,” the observance of these ancient practices was carried here by Jews who accompanied the Spanish conquistadors. They were practiced in secret, since the Spanish Inquisition imposed the death penalty on those who carried out Jewish observances.

Historically, the three Jewish pilgrimages occurred in the land of Israel during times when Temples existed in Jerusalem: Solomon’s Temple, between the 10th and 6th centuries BCE, and the Second Temple, between 538 BCE and 70 CE.

Three times each year, marking the beginning of the spring barley harvest, the beginning of the summer wheat harvest, and the end of the annual fall harvests, Jewish law, as written in the Torah (Jewish scriptures), commanded that members of the twelve tribes of Israel travel from their home territories, largely by foot, up to the Temple in Jerusalem carrying specific offerings.

The three pilgrimages were known by names that are still used around the world, including in Mexico today. The spring harvest pilgrimage was also known as Passover (Pesaj); the beginning of the summer pilgrimage, Shavuot; and the fall pilgrimage, Sukkot, or the Feast of Booths (Cabañuelas).

In addition to offerings of the choicest of the harvest, each of the pilgrimages required sacrifices of animals brought by the pilgrims to the priests at the Temple. The Passover sacrifice was a one-year-old unblemished male lamb. The lamb was a reminder of the sacrifice of a lamb and shared meal that took place about 3,300 years ago on the night before the Israelite slaves were freed in Egypt and began their long journey toward the Promised Land.

Shavuot involved offerings of first fruits and loaves of bread baked from the choicest early wheat, along with a diverse selection of domesticated animals. Once again, the animals were chosen from the best of the herds and flocks and examined to ensure the absence of any blemish. These sacrifices reenacted the ceremonial offerings that, according to the Torah, took place at the foot of Mount Sinai, where the Ten Commandments were given to the Israelites.

The most noteworthy animal sacrifice for Sukkot entailed seventy bulls offered over the seven days of the pilgrimage festival. Temple rites for Sukkot also involved a far less bloody ceremony: the water ceremony. Pilgrims lined the path the priests followed from the Temple down to a pool of water at the bottom of the Temple Mount.

As the priests descended to fill their ceremonial bowls and climbed back up to the Temple, the pilgrims sang and danced in joy. They continued singing and dancing as the priests poured the water, together with wine, over the Temple altar, assuring all that there would be sufficient rain to produce abundant crops in the following year.

Pilgrimage to Jerusalem came to an end in 70 CE when the Roman army besieged the Temple Mount, almost completely destroyed the Temple, leaving only the Western Wall standing, killed a large portion of the Jewish population in the Holy Land, and sent thousands more into exile. With the destruction of the Temple and the end of priestly sacrifice, it fell to the rabbis to decide how Judaism could continue without pilgrimages to the Temple Mount or flesh-and-blood offerings. The discussions and debates that followed were recorded for posterity. Although physical pilgrimage ceased, the rabbis continued to refer to the festivals as the Shalosh Regalim, and each holiday remained a hag, the Hebrew word for pilgrimage, linguistically related to the Arabic hajj.

Since the end of the Inquisition in Mexico in 1820 and Mexico’s independence from Spain shortly thereafter, the Shalosh Regalim have been openly practiced by observant (and not so observant) Jews. Passover seders, often large family and community gatherings, retell the story of the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. On the seder table, along with other symbolic foods, is a shank bone, a reminder of the original sacrificial lamb. On Shavuot, meals traditionally include grains and fruits reminiscent of those once harvested and brought to the Temple. On Sukkot, ceremonies involve four species of ancient plants. A bundle of willow, palm, and myrtle, called the lulav, when shaken produces a sound likened to falling rain. Although the water ceremony exists only in memory, Jews still sing and dance as they shake the lulav and pray for a year of sufficient rain to foster the coming crops.

As the hag of Passover ends, those gathered for seders often call out in Spanish, “Este año estamos aquí; el próximo año, en Jerusalén.” (“This year we are here; next year, in Jerusalem.”)

2026 Festival Dates
Passover begins on the evening of Wednesday, April 1, 2026, and concludes Thursday, April 9, 2026

Shavuot begins on the evening of Thursday, May 21, 2026, and concludes Saturday, May 23, 2026

Sukkot begins on the evening of Friday, September 25, 2026, and concludes Friday, October 2, 2026.

Drs. Marcia and Jan Chaiken have been married for 62 years and have published many justice system research reports together.

Huatulco, San Miguel de Allende

The Role of Horses in the Spanish Conquest of Mexico

Leave a comment

By Jan Chaiken and Marcia Chaiken—

When Hernán Cortés and his expeditionary force first arrived near present-day Veracruz in 1519, the ships from Spain carried about 500 soldiers, along with horses, cannons, and other military supplies. At that time, horses had been extinct in Mesoamerica for thousands of years. As a result, the Indigenous Aztecs—who had never seen similar animals—experienced awe, fear, and confusion, with some early accounts suggesting that the horse and rider were perceived as a single, unfamiliar being. Some Indigenous communities reportedly made offerings to horses or used captured horses as sacrifices to their gods.

The Spaniards capitalized on this reaction by staging carefully choreographed military demonstrations to intimidate the population. Mounted conquistadores proved to be a highly effective military force against native foot soldiers. They were deployed in formations now known as cavalry—large mounted units capable of pursuing and overtaking enemies on foot. Horses were also used to transport cargo and supplies, as well as to control and move captured Aztecs. As soon as new territory was secured, the Spanish established horse-breeding farms in preparation for future expeditions.

Cortés quickly recognized that the ruling Aztec Triple Alliance was deeply resented by many of its subjects and that other Indigenous groups were long-standing enemies of the Aztecs. He formalized alliances first with the Totonacs near the Gulf Coast and later, inland, with the Tlaxcaltecs. The Tlaxcaltecs became loyal and indispensable allies, supplying tens of thousands of warriors. In return, they were granted key privileges, including the right to ride Spanish horses, carry Spanish weapons, and continue governing their own settlements autonomously.

When the Spanish first entered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, the Tlaxcaltecs accompanied them on horseback and helped take hostages, including the ruler Moctezuma II. The Aztecs revolted and rapidly adopted tactics and technology to counter the horses’ advantages. They lured cavalry into narrow causeways, mountain trails, or swampy areas, fired stones and arrows at horses as well as riders, and developed specific shouts and whistles to signal tactical opportunities.

After the eventual Spanish conquest, Indigenous people incorporated horses into their cultures, using them for transportation and labor. Even today, in Mayan communities such as Todos Santos in Guatemala, residents maintain elaborate—and sometimes dangerous—traditions of drunken horse racing, which they consider an important cultural expression.

While the conquistadors’ use of horses in war against the Aztecs is highly dramatic and graphically portrayed in films and books, horses and other livestock brought by the Spanish may also have introduced a far more lethal, invisible agent—Salmonella enterica. Some historians argue that Europeans brought fatal diseases to the New World, including smallpox. Recent DNA analysis has shown that one of the most widespread diseases to wipe out vast numbers of Aztecs and other Indigenous people in Mexico was caused by the bacterium Salmonella enterica. The disease wreaked havoc on the digestive systems of those infected and was often lethal among populations with no prior exposure. The bacteria spread through food and water contaminated with fecal matter—often originating from livestock, including horses. It may be that horses themselves were among the most powerful, if unwitting, agents of conquest in Mexico.

Image: Hernán Cortés received by emissaries of Tlaxcala, Codex Duran, 1579, Biblioteca Nacional de de España. Source: Noticonquista Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

Drs. Marcia and Jan Chaiken have been married for 62 years and have published many justice system research reports together.

 

Huatulco

Mexico-U.S. Issues during Sheinbaum’s First Year

Leave a comment

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

During Claudia Sheinbaum’s first months as president, relations with the U.S. administration were relatively calm. Joe Biden, having stepped aside from a second presidential run, was focused on preserving his legacy of rebuilding cooperative international relationships. Soon after Mexico’s election, Biden issued an official statement:

“I congratulate Claudia Sheinbaum on her historic election as the first woman President of Mexico. I look forward to working closely with President-elect Sheinbaum in the spirit of partnership and friendship that reflects the enduring bonds between our two countries. I express our commitment to advancing the values and interests of both our nations to the benefit of our peoples.”

Even before taking office, Sheinbaum responded warmly, making clear she looked forward to working with Biden until the end of his term. She noted she would be glad to work with another woman president—hinting at Kamala Harris—but emphasized that it was for U.S. voters to decide, and that she would cooperate with whoever was elected.

Biden did not attend Sheinbaum’s inauguration but sent a Presidential Delegation led by First Lady Jill Biden, joined by U.S. officials with close family ties to Mexico. For a moment, things seemed smooth. But only weeks after Sheinbaum took office, the U.S. electorate chose Donald Trump—who had launched his first campaign eight years earlier by declaring that Mexico was sending “drug dealers, criminals, and rapists.” Sheinbaum must have known that the smooth sailing under Biden was about to give way to rougher seas.

Trump’s belligerence toward Latin America was on display immediately—in his inauguration speech and in a flurry of executive orders. These included militarizing the U.S. border with Mexico and even renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.” Sheinbaum met these provocations with calm and humor, suggesting tongue-in-cheek that perhaps the U.S. should rename itself “Mexican America.”

As expected from Trump’s campaign rhetoric and the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025,” three issues dominated: mass deportations and immigration barriers, high tariffs on imports, and the threat of military action against cartels.

By September 2025, Sheinbaum had held 14 substantive conversations with Trump. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio even praised her in Mexico City for raising the level of cooperation between the two countries beyond what the U.S. had achieved with any other democracy.

Drug Interdiction
Early on, Trump reportedly asked Sheinbaum in a phone call whether Mexico had a “drug problem.” She responded that Mexico was not a drug-consuming country, crediting an intensive public campaign that graphically depicted the physical effects of drug use. Trump, who often boasts of his intelligence, admitted he had learned something and ordered a similar campaign in the U.S.

But while Mexico emphasized prevention, Trump cut funding for treatment programs, turning instead to military interdiction. In September, the U.S. destroyed a ship from Venezuela allegedly carrying illicit drugs. Trump also “offered” to send U.S. troops into Mexico to fight cartels—an offer Sheinbaum firmly rejected, calling such an invasion a hostile act.

Still, she welcomed cooperation similar to U.S. support for Colombia in the 1990s, and unlike her mentor AMLO, she has not relied on the slogan “hugs, not bullets.” To meet Trump’s demands without ceding sovereignty, she extradited scores of cartel members to the U.S. for prosecution. More importantly, she reframed the problem: not just drugs flowing north, but also guns flowing south—making clear that both are matters of shared security.

Immigration and the Border
Discussions of border control began even before Trump’s inauguration. Sheinbaum benefited from AMLO’s earlier crackdown, which had already reduced illegal crossings. After one early “perfect phone call,” Trump declared that Sheinbaum had agreed to “close down the border.” She clarified that Mexico’s strategy was to deter migrant caravans while keeping the border open to legitimate traffic.

In September, after meetings between Secretary Rubio and his Mexican counterpart, both nations announced a joint plan: U.S. and Mexican law enforcement would share intelligence and operations—each on their own side—to destroy tunnels used for smuggling drugs north and guns south.

But Trump’s mass deportation initiative looms larger. While he promised to deport only undocumented criminals, ICE sweeps have targeted day laborers, college campuses, and communities with long-standing Latino residents. Even DACA youth—brought to the U.S. as children and promised protection—are under threat.

Anticipating Trump’s actions, Sheinbaum launched the México Te Abraza (Mexico Embraces You) program on the day he took office. Along the border, centers now provide deportees with financial aid, help opening bank accounts, documentation, pensions, scholarships, disability support, and immediate essentials such as food and internet access. As Gandhi said, “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” By this measure, Sheinbaum has placed Mexico in stark contrast to Trump’s America.

Tariffs
Trump also revived the long-abandoned strategy of imposing sweeping tariffs. By mid-summer, Canada faced a 35% tariff. Mexico, however, thanks to Sheinbaum’s calm but firm negotiating style, secured a 90-day pause to seek alternatives that would not raise prices for consumers on either side of the border.

This pause proved critical. Equal tariffs on Mexico would have caused food inflation and hardship for vulnerable populations in both nations. In September, a U.S. federal appeals court ruled that Trump had overstepped his authority by justifying tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The court allowed existing tariffs to remain until October 14 while the issue heads to the Supreme Court in November.

If SCOTUS upholds the ruling, Sheinbaum can turn to other priorities. If not, she will again face Trump at the negotiating table—armed with patience, pragmatism, and her trademark humor.

Domestic Standing
At home, Sheinbaum’s approval ratings remain strong: 79% as of August 2025, twelve points higher than AMLO at the same stage, and far above Trump’s 41% in the U.S. Yet when asked specifically about her dealings with Trump, 57% of Mexicans said “bad” or “very bad.” That reflects not her performance but the disruptive impact of Trump’s policies—especially the decline in remittances from Mexicans in the U.S., which have fallen as deportations and workplace raids intensify.

Families across Mexico feel these changes directly in household income. What many may not see is that compared with other world leaders, Sheinbaum has managed to secure far more productive outcomes in her dealings with U.S., without losing Mexico’s dignity or independence.

Huatulco

Kosher Restaurants in Mexico

1 Comment

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

The Jewish population of Mexico is estimated to be somewhere between 40,000 and 50,000 people, the fourteenth largest Jewish population in the world. It is not surprising, then, that a large number of kosher restaurants are located in Mexico City, where most of those Jews live. A few other kosher restaurants are scattered around the country – especially in Guadalajara and resort areas catering to Jewish tourists.

The term “kosher” is often misunderstood as meaning “clean.” It does not mean “clean,” nor does it refer to foods that are stereotypically Jewish, such as bagels or hot pastrami sandwiches on rye bread. In fact, some bagels and hot pastrami sandwiches are not kosher. To be accepted as kosher, the source and preparation of the food must adhere to Jewish law. Here are some of the major laws and their implications for Mexican restaurants.

Mixing meat and dairy products is strictly forbidden. No cheese and meat tacos or enchiladas can be kosher (unless the “meat” is plant based). To make sure this mixing does not occur, kosher restaurants are either “meat” restaurants with no dairy products on the premises or “dairy” restaurants with no meat on the premises. Often the type of restaurant can be deduced from the name, such as “Gaucho Grill” in Polanco, “Milk” on Reforma de Bosques, or “Burger House” on Las Palmas. If the menu in a kosher meat restaurant has “leche” (milk) for coffee or “helado” (ice cream) on the menu – you can be sure both are nondairy substitutes. Many of the kosher restaurants in Mexico serve meat. And a relatively large number of kosher dairy restaurants are pizzerias; there you can find pizzas with tomato sauce, cheese, mushrooms, olives and a variety of other vegetables – but not any meat.

Hotels in Mexican resorts with kosher restaurants that serve both meat dishes and dairy dishes never serve both at the same time in the same venue. These include NIZUC in Cancun and Grand Velas Riviera Maya. We frequently stayed at Grand Hotel Acapulco where guests actually voted on whether they would all have a meat dinner or a dairy dinner the next day. The tablecloths, napkins, cutlery and dishes used for serving meat dishes are exclusively used for meat meals. And similar items used for dairy meals are also exclusively used for dairy. The kitchens are under rabbinic supervision to assure this separation. Chefs in a kosher restaurant know that a spoon previously used to stir elote (corn) with melted butter cannot be later used to stir chicken soup – the whole batch of chicken soup would then not be kosher.

Meat in kosher restaurants must be from domesticated fowl or animals that have split hooves and chew their cud. Fortunately, this includes meat that is found all over Mexico, including chicken, duck, Cornish hen, beef, goat, lamb and venison. However, the birds and animals must be ritually slaughtered, using procedures that were developed thousands of years ago to cause minimal pain to the animal. Some of the animals that are considered staples in Mexico – such as pork products or delicacies such as iguana – are prohibited in kosher restaurants.

Fish is an example of a class of food (called parve or pareve) that is neither meat or dairy and can be served in either type of restaurant. But fish served in kosher restaurants must have both fins and scales. Nothing else from the sea is allowed. Although there are many “fish” restaurants in Mexico that do not have meat on their menus, most are not kosher since they also serve mariscos, which could be camarones (shrimp), pulpo (octopus), calamares (squid) or other seafood with shells. Aside from fish, other foods that are considered parve and are served in both meat and dairy establishments include baked goods with no dairy ingredients, eggs and virtually all types of fruits and vegetables – inspected to be sure they are free of impermissible contaminants.

Strictly vegan and vegetarian restaurants are increasingly found in urban areas all around Mexico. Many people who observe kashrut (Jewish dietary laws) happily chow down in these places knowing that there will be no mixing of meat and milk, nor any chance of eating nonkosher meat or seafood. But very observant Jews are likely to stick to restaurants that are certified kosher and supervised by rabbis. In Mexico quite a few organizations are recognized for certifying restaurants as well as bakeries and grocery stores as providing kosher meals and products. Some are local to Mexico, such as Kosher Maguen David, and others are international, such as Orthodox Union. The symbols of certification look like little designs for the uninitiated. But for those who care about observing kashrut, seeing their preferred symbols on the window of a restaurant or stamped on products in Mexican stores means “you can shop here” or “you can eat this.”

Just as Jews in Mexico have immigrated here from countries all over the world, kosher restaurants reflect the backgrounds of their owners. Some Jewish restaurant owners are from families that have lived in Mexico for generations and their menus are not very different from nonkosher restaurants. But, in addition to kosher pizza, kosher Mexico restaurants variously serve Argentine parrillas (grilled meats), Russian style borscht and other dishes, Israeli falafel and salads, chicken soup with matzoh balls, and, yes, of course, bagels, lox and cream cheese. You needn’t be Jewish to eat in a kosher Mexican restaurant. But don’t expect to go there on Friday night or daylight hours on Saturday, and don’t ask for bread and butter to eat with your steak.

Huatulco

A Personal Journey across the Costa Region of Oaxaca

Leave a comment

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

Our annual drive from our home in Oregon to our condo in Huatulco included an approximately six-hour trip south and eastward from Pinotepa Nacional, a frankly unremarkable Oaxacan city bordering the State of Guerrero – a distance of about 255 kilometers (about 160 miles). Our route, National Highway 200, spanned all three districts of the region called Costa, Oaxaca – the districts of Jamiltepec, Juquila, and Pochutla.

Jamiltepec

After passing the State of Oaxaca boundary and replying to the uniformed heavily-armed border guards “no drogas, no frutas, no armas,” we navigated the always frustrating traffic in Pinotepa. The city is forgettable in terms of architecture and scenery, but once a year it comes alive with a fiesta of horses, bands, costumes and dancers that draws people from all over the Jamiltepec district.

We usually pulled over at an overlook outside of the city, with a view of the first of the many rivers we would cross en route. The Costa region is sandwiched between the southern Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean. The mountains, northeast of our route, are home to coffee plantations and are the source of many rivers that cascade and form beautiful waterfalls throughout the northern Costa region. They flow out of the mountains, cutting across the Costa on their way to the sea. When they approach the Pacific, carrying nutritious silt from the uplands, the rivers enrich the long stretches of mangroves that host a plethora of birds, fish and other wildlife and separate the Costa sand beaches from the ocean. One of the largest rivers en route is the Rio Verde (Green River), close to an hour after our overlook, a beautiful sight at any time of day.

As we munched the lunch we had prepared before departing our last overnight stop, we watched the activity in and on the river that has been taking place for generations of Zapotecs and Mixtecs since long before the Spanish invaders arrived. Children playing, people bathing, washing clothes, fishing, and dipping out supplies of water for nearby gardens, cooking, cleaning and – a decidedly more modern activity – washing cars. This scene would be repeated along our trip, but the community we were viewing here at work and play are notable for the extent of their African ancestry. This part of the Costa region was previously home to runaway slaves who escaped the bondage imposed by Spanish colonialists. The colonialists imported sugar cane, pineapples, and coconuts and used African slave labor on their Costa region plantations.

Although the large plantations of the colonial era no longer exist, the route spanning the Costa is replete with [fields of pineapple plants, banana fields of pineapple plants, banana trees and sugar cane as well as crops native to the area – corn, squash and beans. Native shrubs and grasses are plentiful as well – cacti, yucca, and agave. Indigenous jacaranda trees and many species of morning glory provide colorful displays along the way, and coconut trees introduced by the Spanish dot the area.

Juquila

Continuing down Route 200 from the Jamiltepec to the Juquila district through small communities, we often see a donkey, pig, or dog in the road, announcing the first sign of habitation, soon followed by one or two topes (speed bumps). Local residents use the topes to sell food or drinks to the occupants of cars forced to slow down to avoid damaging the auto undercarriage. As you approach Juquila, you see fewer residents of African descent and more whose ancestors were the original Zapotecs, Mixtecs or the pre-Columbian Aztec invaders. The language in which we were offered the local fruits, corn products, or drinks was not Spanish but one of the more than 50 dialects of Mixtec or Zapotec spoken throughout the Costa Region. Schools proudly bear the sign Bilingüe, which in this region of Oaxaca means lessons are taught in one of the indigenous dialects as well as Spanish.

The primary landmark in the Juquila District is a sign saying Rio Grande – meaning both the community and the river, neither grande. Other than a Pemex station for a bathroom break costing a few pesos, we passed through the district counting topes (too many) and watching for the long pendulous nests of Montezuma Oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma) birds that hang over the road from tree branches, telephone poles and communication wires. Occasionally, red-belly squirrels scampered across the road and large iguanas would streak from one side to the other. Although signs meant to protect local fauna would feature the outline of an armadillo, and although they are indigenous in the area, we never were privileged to see one near the road. As we slowed down at topes, we were often treated to the songs and antics of the many varieties of birds that are native to the Costa or are on a migratory route.

Signs announcing the distance to Puerto Escondido alerted us that we were approaching the most interesting area of the Juquila District. The shoreline off Route 200 just a few kilometers from Puerto Escondido is replete with lagoons rich with wildlife. One of the lagoons is known for its bioluminescence. We once spent an enchanted evening boating and swimming in the lagoon, seemingly surrounded by stars above and stars below.

Puerto Escondido is worth a stop and a stay overnight. It is one of the newest municipalities in the Costa region and was originally settled in the early 1800s as a shipping port for coffee produced in the foothills of the Sierras in the northern area of the region. More advantageous ports replaced Puerto Escondido, and the municipality languished. In the 1960s it began to be developed as a tourist area, largely due to publicity about the “Mexican pipeline,” the famous surf break at Playa Zicatela, and the construction of Route 100. Today there are many excellent restaurants, some with views of the beaches and rocky coast, and comfortable and affordable places to stay. North of the town, up in the steep foothills, one can visit Santa Catarina and a sanctuary housing the 30-centimeter statue of the Virgin of Juquila, which has been venerated since the 16th century. Thousands of pilgrims visit the site every year.

Pochutla

Continuing southeast from “Puerto,” given the great improvements in Route 200, one soon reaches the Costa district of Pochutla, and for us our home district. Each kilometer of the highway and side roads evokes precious memories. The turnoff toward Mazunte brings memories of visits to the turtle sanctuary, with tanks of the babies saved from predatory animals including humans. We have visited the nearby area of Ventanilla, boating through the mangroves with arms, hands and fingers always held inside the boat to avoid losing one to the many crocodiles while watching the glorious water birds. The next notable turnoff to Zipolite always brings a smile. Zipolite is the only officially designated nude beach in Mexico and attracts an international crowd of tourists.

Arriving at San Pedro Pochutla reminds us of market days (Mondays) and many Sunday afternoons with groups of friends in the original Finca de Los Vaqueros barbeque restaurant, singing to guitar music and watching our young grandchildren devour delicious arrachera. Driving north from Pochutla was our original route to Oaxaca City, now replaced by the new highway out of Puerto Escondido. The roads out of Pochutla also lead to the Hagia Sofia Park, developed a few decades ago to introduce species native to Asia, such as rambutan trees, to the Costa. Also north of Pochutla is Pluma Hidalgo, a small community serving workers on the surrounding coffee plantations. The beauty of this area never failed to charm us.

Driving south from Pochutla to Puerto Ángel, we shopped for handicrafts, including a matrimonial-size hammock that was well-used for many years. Down the road to the west is San Agustinillo, a laid-back small community that provides a relaxing life for short-term visitors and long-term expats. Although Eye writer Carol Reedy moved from there to CDMX, she is still remembered for starting the community’s library.

Continuing east on Route 200 and passing the turnoff to Cuatunalco and Salchi, small upscale villages loved by Canadian snowbirds and one well-known US ex-pat, we can’t wait to pass the road to Playa San Augustín – on the western-most bay of the nine Bahías de Huatulco – and one of the best places in the world to snorkel. At the San Augustín intersection, a road heads north into the foothills city of Santa María Huatulco. Since Santa María is home to administrative offices for the municipalities encompassed in and around Huatulco, we’ve spent many hours there filling out government forms. We’ve also participated in Day of the Dead observances in the large municipal cemetery, hearing stories about beloved relatives buried there.

Soon after the San Augustín-Santa María Huatulco intersection, marked by a very broad tope, is the entrance to the Bahías de Huatulco International Airport (HUX) and less than 15 miles down the road, the entrance to the University of the Sea (UMAR). Finally, and almost immediately after UMAR, is the road to Huatulco.

We’re home at last, following in the footsteps of the original indigenous Mixtecs and Zapotecs who for generations peacefully fished the bountiful waters of Huatulco’s stunning blue-green bays. They were invaded by the Aztecs and then Spanish colonists who saw Huatulco as a perfect port. Later, German immigrants and other coffee-growers and exporters claimed the Bays as their rightful territory for a while. But in 1983, FONATUR (the Mexican Federal agency in charge of promoting tourism) began outfitting the area with infrastructure for tourists, attracting visitors from around the world to enjoy the colorful fish-filled bays, long white beaches and warm weather of the Costa Region paradise.

Huatulco

Twenty-Four Hours in Puebla

Leave a comment

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

Many people who drive from the U.S. or Canada to spend the winter in southern Mexico either bypass Puebla or stay at a hotel on the periphery of Puebla and leave the next morning. If you are one of those travelers or simply want to dip your toes into an interesting colonial city, we suggest that next time you plan to spend at least 24 hours in Puebla. Whether you’re interested in history, food, art, music, shopping, or simply strolling through picturesque streets and alleys, Puebla has it all.

Puebla is located east of Mexico City, usually less than a two-hour drive, and northwest of Oaxaca, about a five hour drive. Whether you are in a car or a bus, the trip from either city is through breathtaking mountains. Coming from Mexico City, snow-capped volcanos announce the approach to Puebla, and the giant Popocatépetl is unmistakable on the frequent days when it puffs vapor high above its peak. Traveling northward from Huatulco, in addition to the route to Puebla through Oaxaca, there is a longer and costlier, but perhaps faster, route via high-speed toll roads – you start out by heading east from Huatulco.

Once you reach Puebla we suggest you first check into your hotel. We’ve found that hotels outside the central area are relatively less expensive, quieter and more comfortable than hotels located in the city center. Taxis to and from the center can cost just a little more than the paid parking lots downtown and, unlike Mexico City, can be safely hailed on the streets.

To help you plan your 24 hours, head first to the state and municipal tourist offices within a block of each other in the center of Puebla near the cathedral. They will have a list of music, art and other events for that day and, if you are there on a weekend or holiday, there will be many. Those sponsored by the government are often free – but plan to get to those events early since you will be competing with families who live in Puebla. We’ve attended concerts where families of three and four generations can fill an unofficial block of seats.

The tourist office can also provide maps of the city and help you locate the venues of events that are of interest. Places are easy to find in Puebla once you figure out that all the roads are numbered but divided into a grid centered on the zocalo. Streets (calles) run north and south and change name to Norte and Sur at Avenida Reforma. Avenues (avenidas) divide into east (oriente)and west (poniente) at 16 de Septiembre. Avenues north of Reforma are even numbered; south are odd numbered. Similarly, streets east of the zocalo are even, and to the west they are odd numbered. Thus, traveling east, after Calle 6 comes Calle 8.

Once you pin down your time and place for a concert, recital or other event, here are our suggestions for filling in the rest of the time. Walk across the street to the central plaza (zócalo) and check out the cathedral. You may get distracted by the amusing antics of children, performers and other visitors to the zocalo as well as the mix of the restrained classical and more flamboyant baroque architecture of the exterior of the cathedral. But be sure to go inside.

Originally designed in the late 1500’s but not structurally completed until 1690 and decorated a century or more later, the ornate interior with its fourteen chapels may well provide the feeling that you’ve been transported over the Atlantic to Spain. At the very least, the cathedral provides an insight into the extreme wealth the Church invested in succoring the early conquerors and colonists and the burden placed on the shoulders of the native population who provided the labor for the edifice. If your passion is colonial architecture, you may want to spend the rest of the time exploring some of the more than 60 buildings of that era in the vicinity. But we suggest that you sample other Puebla delights.

No trip to Puebla is complete without exploring Talavera and perhaps buying some. It is exquisite brightly-colored hand-painted pottery. If you’re there on a weekday morning or early afternoon, head over to Uriarte (911 Avenida 4 Poniente) for a tour of their factory and drool over the magnificent items in the retail shop. If you’re in Puebla on a weekend, we suggest you head east on 4th Avenue and explore some of the Talavera shops that cluster on streets surrounding the crafts market El Parián on 6th Street North. The market itself is great for buying inexpensive gifts – yes, they will bargain – but look for the stores that display credit card signs, since they are likely to carry true Talavera, not cheap imitations. The owners are usually more than eager to explain the differences in quality.

North of the crafts market you will find a lively enclave of artists’ workshops that welcome visitors to view works in progress. The art is usually interesting and ranges from realistic to abstract; there is no pressure to buy any canvases. There are relaxing coffee shops and restaurants if you are in the mood for a substantial meal. But we suggest you wait until your main meal and be sure to have mole poblano elsewhere for comida (late lunch).

Puebla is famous for its mole (and poblano means “from Puebla”). It is unlike mole in Oaxaca or the rest of Mexico. There are two restaurants that allow you to sample a variety of moles, each more delicious than the last. They are Fonda de Santa Clara and El Mural de Los Poblanos, which as its name implies has a large colorful and amusing mural of famous people from Puebla.

Fonda de Santa Clara has two locations, one fairly near Uriarte (920 Avenida 3 Poniente) and the other closer to the zocalo (307 Avenida 3 Poniente). El Mural is also close to the zocalo (506 Avenida 16 de Septiembre). The staff at Santa Clara tend to push the specials, and we’ve found it’s best to thank them but order the mole. Although the moles at these three venues are all delicious, the atmosphere varies.

The times we’ve been there, Santa Clara near Uriarte seemed to attract relatively large families; Santa Clara near the zocalo, tourists downstairs and lively groups in the upstairs rooms where live music is played on Sunday afternoon. El Mural appears to be a business people’s favorite, quieter and a little more upscale than the Santa Claras. If you don’t want to wonder afterwards whether you chose the best mole, you can order enchiladas 3 moles. For you fans of chiles en nogada, you can also try the Puebla version.

A quick sample of Puebla’s many museums can best be achieved by a couple of hours in Museo Amparo, 708 Calle 2 Sur. We visit each time we are in Puebla, because the exhibitions change and every special exhibition we’ve seen has been engrossing. The permanent collection includes well over 1000 prize pieces of prehispanic art that are remarkably curated to give the visitor a glimpse into the culture and beliefs of the artisans. There are also exhibits of colonial and 19th century art and furnishings that make clear the opulence of the life of Poblanos for whom the cathedral was built.

Amparo functions as a cultural center, with programs for children and adults including storytelling, films, lectures and discussions (in Spanish, of course). Check their website for upcoming events: http://www.museoamparo.com

But we’ll bet this will be the first of many trips to what the Spanish called “Puebla de los Ángeles” for its many churches – there’s much more to see and do!

 

Huatulco

Three Thrilling Days in Mexico City

Leave a comment

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

We can’t quite imagine having only three days to explore the wonders of Mexico City. Even during decades of long-term visits when we enjoyed so many parks, museums, music venues, restaurants and theaters, it was sometimes difficult to select from the next available offerings. But realizing that you may not have the luxury of an extended vacation, we have selected two walkable sectors and a bus tour in CDMX as a possible limited three-day deep taste of the richness the city has to offer.

Centro Historico

The historic center of Mexico should not be missed. Almost all forms of transportation can bring you to the central zocalo (plaza) area (see the article by Julie Etra elsewhere in this issue). We suggest beginning at the beginning – the archeological Aztec site of the Templo Mayor (main temple, or Huēyi Teōcalli in Nahuatl). Walking through the remains and the museum that is run by the federal agency INAH (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia) will help you appreciate the magnificence of the empire that existed in the 1300s. It was governed from the city of Tenochtitlan that was centered on this very spot – two hundred years before the Spanish invasion in the 1500s.

Leap ahead several centuries after the Spanish demolished this thriving empire – primarily through diseases brought from Europe – and across the zócalo visit the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, aka The CDMX Metropolitan Cathedral. This magnificent baroque structure, which opened in 1813, is a prime example of the persistent attempt of the Spanish invaders to supplant every aspect of the indigenous culture with their own, while using the wealth and physical strength of those whom they conquered to do so. The project began in1524 as a more modest church but over the following decades the plans for a cathedral developed with the involvement of the Pope. As you’ll no doubt find out on your tour, over the centuries, the architecture and furnishings became more and more elaborate.

We suggest then stopping by the ticket office at the National Palace to buy tickets for an afternoon entrance and tour. You might then spend some time exploring the handicrafts being sold by vendors in the zocalo. You’re likely to find some unique souvenirs. But perhaps more importantly, you’ll find that both the people and the crafts are a fine mix of the DNA and culture of both the indigenous and European people with modern ingenuity.

Once you’ve had enough of deciding which vendors deserve your pesos, we suggest walking the few blocks to the incredible cultural center Palacio de Bellas Artes. This is the home of the Ballet Folklorico, and if you’ve never seen them and your visit coincides with a performance, we urge you to purchase tickets at the box office on the first floor. Or find out what other musical performances are being presented that night either in the main auditorium (itself worth a tour) or upstairs in the small but acoustically perfect Sala Manuel M. Ponce. After purchasing entrance tickets to the upstairs art gallery, climb the stairs to continue your Mexican history education by studying the striking 1934 mural by Diego Rivera, Man at the Crossroads. Rivera basically incorporates his own view of the development of modernity in the details of this masterpiece. The other murals and art in the gallery are all deserving of discovery, but we urge you to spend sufficient time scrutinizing the Rivera mural until it becomes a permanent part of your memory.

You must be getting hungry by now, so head to the nearby Sanborns de los Azulejos (Sanborns in the House of Tiles, at Madero 4). You will probably need to put your name on a list to sit in the main dining room, but there is plenty to explore while you wait. One of the oldest restaurants in CDMX, and formerly an 18th Century palace, the architecture and artwork are enchanting. (And if your feet are beginning to blister, as in almost all Sanborns, there’s a pharmacy). After being seated, enjoy the ambiance, including many families with well-behaved children enjoying the dishes Sanborns has served for generations.

After you’re rested, watered and fed, wander slowly back to the zocalo, enjoying the sights and musical sounds of the area, and arrive the National Palace to view another Rivera masterpiece depicting the history of Mexico and other murals. In addition to the building, which has functioned as the seat of government for centuries since the time of Cortez, there is a garden within the walls which provides a quiet place for enjoying the plants and flowers and perhaps even a quick siesta. Had enough history? You might head over to the Museum of Modern Art – and stop by the always busy restaurant El Cardinal (next to the museum) to put your name on a list for a table for an early dinner before your evening performance at Bellas Artes. Or choose to visit the National Museum of Popular Arts and dine at the El Cardinal Alameda (in the Hilton Hotel Reforma, Avenida Juarez 70).

Chapultepec Park

You haven’t been to Mexico City if you haven’t been to the Park. Plan to spend the whole day. But before you enter the Park check out the National Auditorium ticket office to buy tickets for an evening performance either in the Auditorium or on the grounds of the Chapultepec Castle in the park. Begin your day in the park at the Museum of Anthropology (Paseo de la Reforma Avenue and Gandhi Street in the Polanco neighborhood). After buying your ticket, head right to the visitors’ services desk and ask about tours. The place is enormous and covers thousands of years, so a knowledgeable guide is useful for a first visit. If no tours are scheduled during your visit – don’t worry. Ask for a map of the museum and a suggested route. There will be videos and written explanations along your way. You are about to have an immersive experience of the many cultures that developed in Mexico while the Europeans were still painting themselves blue and literally living a hand-to-mouth existence. The artwork and crafts are remarkable, the religious practices well before the Aztecs are notable, and the opulent lifestyles of the royal classes rival those of today’s celebrities. And the variations between different times and geographical regions are well worth paying close attention to. If your head starts swimming and you need a break, there is a cafeteria with decent food and a lovely garden setting featuring, of course, huge artifacts from digs around the country. You could certainly spend the whole day in this museum, but most visitors find that four hours is the very most they can absorb.

Another rewarding visit in the park for plant lovers is the Botanical Gardens. There are over 300 botanical species, and whether you are a fan of cacti, orchids or dahlias, you will be delighted by the display. If you are more a lover of art than orchids, you have a decision to make. The Park’s Museum of Modern Art (MAM) has an interesting permanent collection, including works by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente Orozco. Our many trips to the museum have been for temporary exhibitions that have been serendipitously fascinating. On the other hand, you can head to the Tamayo Museum of Contemporary Art and blow your mind with over 300 paintings, sculptures and photographs by 170 artists that were collected by Olga and Rufino Tamayo.

Once you’ve seen almost more than your mind can take, we suggest a quiet stroll around the lake in the park. If you’ve selected an evening performance at the Chapultepec Castle, there are restaurants and carts with vendors selling a quick bite to eat before you climb the hill or take the trolley up to your performance. If you’re heading back to the National Auditorium, we suggest nearby El Bajio, always delicious and always busy – so call first to reserve.

Turibus

So … in two days you’ve walked your feet off and filled your brain with some of the best of Mexico City. For your third day, we urge you to take the Hop-on Hop-off Turibus around the city. We avoided taking the bus for years based on sheer snobbery, but broke down when one of our granddaughters joined us in CDMX for a week. The views of the different neighborhoods are lovely, the audio patter both educational and amusing, and places that are accessible (including the central historic area and the National Auditorium/Chapultepec Park) are a taste for your next trip to Mexico City. You might consider winding up your bus tour at the Soumaya Museum stop. The lovely little Degas miniatures on the top floor are alone worth a visit. If you are planning to do that, buy tickets for a performance at the Telcel Theater a block away. We’ve seen superb performances there of Broadway shows including Les Miz and the Lion King – in Spanish of course, but you already know the words. And for dinner before the performance, the mall Telcel Plaza Carso has a plethora of great restaurants.

Selecting places to visit in Mexico City in just three days is a challenge. We’ve had years of exploration and weren’t able to hit all the high spots. Still, we hope that, if you must curtail your time in the city, we’ve provided suggestions you will enjoy and will entice you to return.

 

 

Huatulco

Antivenom Production in Mexico

Leave a comment

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

Epidemiologists around the globe agree that bites from venomous snakes constitute a major worldwide health problem. The World Health Organization reports that over two million people are envenomated by snakes annually, resulting in approximately 100,000 deaths and four times as many permanent disabilities. Although data on snake bites are known to be underestimates of the true incidence, a study of medical records from 2010 to 2022 in Mexico found that 10,420 cases had been registered.

The Venomous Snakes of Mexico

There are approximately 400 species of indigenous snakes in Mexico. Three taxonomic groups are venomous: vipers including rattlesnakes, coral snakes, and sea snakes. These biological families consist of numerous species that are indigenous in specific Mexican regions. For example, in the state of Aguascalientes, there are seven indigenous species of venomous snakes: one species of coral snake and six species of rattlesnakes, including the enormous Crotalus basilicus. In addition, in the northern and southern border areas there are other venomous biters that have illegally crossed international lines, such as the copperhead, predominantly found in the United States. Although none of these snakes hunt for human prey, if accidentally disturbed they can strike with disastrous effects.

The venoms from different species are not composed of exactly the same proteins and toxins, so the effects of bites can vary. But in general, rattlesnake venom causes excessive bleeding, the death of tissue around the bite, neurological damage ranging from tingling to paralysis, and comas or kidney, respiratory, and heart failure, possibly leading to death. Coral snake venom can be even more toxic than that of the rattlesnake.

The Only Remedy?  Antivenom

There are a host of folk remedies for snake bites, but none are advisable. The only medically approved treatment is a dose of antivenom. Antivenom was first developed in France over a century ago, based essentially on the same research and treatment developed by Louis Pasteur in his work on combatting smallpox and rabies. Basically, a nonhuman mammal is repetitively injected with small doses of a toxin, venom or other disease-causing substance, with the result that the animal’s immune system produces antibodies that essentially neutralize the virulent invader. A relatively small portion of blood is removed from the immunized animal, and the serum in the blood that contains the antibodies is separated and used to inject humans who have been envenomated. The antibodies in the serum counteract the venom. The animals used for research are often mice – but for practical production of antivenom, horses have been used for decades to produce enough serum for medical purposes.

The problem remains, however, that the effectiveness of the antibodies produced is dependent on the specific venom received during a bite. Because different species of snakes produce venom with chemically distinct properties, the antibodies that are formed in response to venom from one species may be ineffective in combatting venom from another species. In the 1990s, faced with this reality and the need for increased supplies of antivenom (for scorpion and black widow spider bites as well as for snake bites), Mexico revolutionized the antivenom industry by establishing a number of large horse farms entirely devoted to producing sera containing diverse antibodies.

Antivenom Production in Mexico

Three Mexican companies compete in this enterprise: Instituto Biocion, Inosan Biopharma, and BIRMEX, all headquartered in Mexico. They are aided by research conducted at the Institute of Biotechnology at Mexico’s National Autonomous University (UNAM), which houses a large herpetarium with over 60 species of venomous snakes from around the world. Each pharmaceutical company runs its own horse farms. One farm, the Ojo de Agua Ranch in Puebla, has over 160 Criollo horses; its work has received much publicity, but the production process appears similar throughout the industry.

The snakes are “milked” for their venom by electrical stimulation or by carefully guiding them to bite down on the porous cover of a specialized sterilized container. The venom naturally flows from the venom glands into the container and then is stored in vials for injection. Horses are injected with small doses of venom from multiple types of venomous snakes for approximately six months or until the antibodies produced in reaction to the venom reach a designated concentration. The horses are then periodically bled, removing several liters of blood. The antibody-rich plasma is separated from the rest of the blood, and the blood without the plasma is transfused back into the same horse. If you have ever donated blood or received a blood transfusion, you know that, except for the initial needle prick, this is a painless procedure.

Up to this point, antivenom production is carried out in much the same way it has been for over a century. However, the collected horse serum naturally contains, in addition to the desirable antibodies, components to which humans are allergic. So pharmaceutical companies conduct research and develop processes for ridding the serum of components that produce negative reactions in humans. The process has reached the point where the ever-vigilant US FDA has approved several products.

Other research being carried out by the current antivenom companies focuses on ways to enhance the shelf life and stability of antivenom medications, ways to standardize the amount of antibodies in a given dose, the mechanism through which the antibodies neutralize the toxicity of the venom, and perhaps in the near future, ways to produce the antivenom antibodies in vitro rather than using horses as an intermediate step. The companies are also studying the possibility of using some components of venom for treating diseases. For more about this, see the article in this issue by Kary Vannice.

Although Mexico is one of the leading countries in the production of antivenom, the best way to deal with venomous snake bites here is to avoid them. Pay attention to signs advising caution on hiking trails. Be aware that construction sites are disturbing indigenous critters and send snakes on the run (actually, a determined slither). And most snakes, venomous or not, are more likely to be on the move in the rain. If you have an encounter of the toxic kind, call for help to rapidly move you to the nearest health clinic and then thank the horse that provided you with lifesaving antibody-rich serum.