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Huatulco

Editor’s Letter

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By Jane Bauer

“Mexico is not a country of the past but of the infinite future.” – Octavio Paz

So many people love Mexico these days. Mexico City was just named one of National Geographic’s top eight food destinations for 2025. Travel shows are all over it and every other person you meet is planning a trip—or a move—south. Suddenly it feels like the whole world is cluing in to what many of us have known for a long time.

But when I moved here almost 30 years ago, that wasn’t the general vibe. People thought I was a little nuts. I got a lot of questions: Is it safe? Are you really going to have your baby there? As if babies weren’t born in Mexico every single day.

What I found then—and what I’ve continued to find, over and over again—is a rhythm of life that just made more sense to me. A different pace. A stronger sense of community. A culture where family matters, time isn’t always money, and you can live well without rushing through your days.

While people back home were watching the headlines, I was living something very different. More grounded. More connected. Choosing to live in Mexico and exploring different parts of it has honestly felt like stepping through a portal into another way of being. A way that I’m profoundly grateful to have found.

Now, decades later, I feel like the rest of the world is finally catching up. And I get it. There’s something magnetic about Mexico. It’s not just the beaches (though they’re great). It’s the food, the traditions, the music, the layers of history. It’s how different one region is from another—and how each one offers you something unique if you’re paying attention.

Mexico just elected a female president—before Canada or the U.S., which is kind of wild when you think about it. For a country that so many associate with machismo, this is no small thing. For those who’ve only seen Mexico through the lens of headlines or resorts, this place continues to defy expectations.

In this issue of The Eye, we’re highlighting some of the places in Mexico that might not be on everyone’s radar. Our writers take you beyond the usual vacation spots and into towns and regions that offer something different—something real.

Mexico is not a one-size-fits-all destination. It’s a living, breathing patchwork of languages, landscapes, and local flavors. It invites curiosity. It challenges assumptions. And even after all this time, it still surprises me. I hope this issue inspires you to get out there and explore.

See you in July!

Huatulco

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By Jane Bauer

“What we call Man’s power over Nature turns out to be a power exercised by some men over other men with Nature as its instrument.”
C.S.Lewis

Dominion or Delusion?

Imagine the center of the Earth—a churning core of fire, hotter than the surface of the sun. Around it, layers of rock, compressed over millennia, hold the planet together. Some of these rocks are laced with gold, silver, and lithium, elements we’ve deemed valuable. Others, we grind into dust beneath our feet without a second thought. Wrapped around all of this is water—vast, deep, and ancient—carving its way through rock, evaporating into clouds, raining back down in an endless cycle.

And then, there’s us.

We exist only on the thinnest layer, a mere film on the surface of this massive, breathing planet. And yet, we draw lines across it, dividing land into nations, waters into territories, air into controlled space. We claim mountains, rivers, even the empty sky, labeling them with deeds and mineral rights. We build economies, establish laws, and enforce rules over something that will never truly belong to us. We convince ourselves we have dominion over the Earth.

But then, the Earth shrugs. An earthquake swallows a city. A hurricane flattens a coastline. A volcano erupts, spilling molten rock as if to remind us where the true power lies. We scramble to rebuild, to reinforce, to regain control, as if control was ever ours to begin with.

Why do we do this? Why is dominion our highest ambition?

What if we saw this endless striving for control not as strength, but as a kind of weakness? What if the leaders who seek to control land, resources, and people weren’t admired for their power, but pitied for their delusion? What if, instead of fighting for dominance, we embraced the simple fact that we are just another part of this planet—not above it, not rulers of it, but made from the same dust as everything else?

Because, in the end, we are not conquerors of rock and water and fire. We are rock and water and fire. And the sooner we recognize that, the sooner we might learn to exist in harmony with the world, rather than constantly trying to claim it.

This month, our writers look at mining in Mexico, one of our earliest efforts to dominate the earth, but one that largely created the modern Mexican economy while filling affluent jewelry boxes. We need to ask at what cost?

See you next month!

Huatulco

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By Jane Bauer @livingfoodmexico

Class, race, sexuality, gender and all other categories by which we categorize and dismiss each other need to be excavated from the inside.

Dorothy Allison

This month our writers explore the class system. As humans, we love to categorize. We name things, sort them, put them in their proper place. It’s how we make sense of the world, how we navigate complexity. We do this with plants and animals, with time and space, and, of course, with people. We build systems, hierarchies, and classifications—some useful, others arbitrary, and some deeply entrenched in power and history.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about this as I care for my mother, who has dementia. She was once an avid birdwatcher, able to name and identify countless species at a glance. Now, those names are slipping away. She no longer calls the kiskadee by name, no longer distinguishes between a flycatcher and a warbler in the way she once did. And yet, she still sees the birds. She watches their movements, listens to their calls, notices the shimmer of their feathers in the morning light. In some ways, she is experiencing them more purely, freed from the constraints of classification. It reminds me of Shakespeare’s famous question: would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? While naming things helps humans to make sense of the world, it is also a way that we create divisions between ourselves and the world.

Mexico has long been a place of rigid social categories. The casta system of colonial times assigned people value based on their ancestry, with Spanish blood at the top and Indigenous and African heritage ranked below in an elaborate taxonomy of race and class. Those classifications may no longer be law, but their impact lingers. Social class in Mexico today is still a structure of division—one shaped by wealth, education, and skin color, as well as deeply ingrained perceptions of worth. The categories may have changed, but the impulse to sort people into hierarchies remains.

And yet, what if we let go of the names? What if, instead of seeing people through the lens of class, we focused on their essence—their kindness, their resilience, their humor? What if we paid attention to the qualities that matter, rather than the labels that confine? My mother may no longer remember the names of birds, but she still finds joy in watching them. Perhaps there’s something to learn from that.

See you next month,

Jane

Huatulco

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By Jane Bauer

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” – Maya Angelou

There are a few questions I hear all the time from people traveling to Mexico that drive me absolutely crazy. I get it: people have questions, and the media has done its part to paint a very specific, often inaccurate picture of what to expect in Mexico. But still, these questions speak to outdated assumptions and biases that need to be addressed.

The first one: Can I drink the water? Is the ice safe? We tackled this topic in our water issue back in November, but here’s the short answer—yes, you’ll be fine if you stick to bottled or filtered water, which is the norm. This isn’t the mystery it used to be. Restaurants and hotels understand their clientele, and they’ve adapted accordingly.

The second one, and maybe the most infuriating: How much should I expect to pay for something? Specifically, the cost of a ride from the airport. Whenever I’ve traveled—whether it’s Paris, Chicago, or anywhere else—I’ve never thought to research what a taxi ride should cost to my hotel. The mere act of asking seems rooted in the assumption that you’ll be scammed in some way, which is not only offensive but also highlights a lack of trust and understanding of local culture.

And finally: Is Mexico City safe? Whether I’m talking about how much I love CDMX, how my daughter is thriving there, or asking if someone managed to visit, the knee-jerk response is often a concern for safety. Let’s be clear: Mexico City is one of the most dynamic, exciting, and culturally rich cities in the world. Of course, like any large city, it has its issues—use your street smarts, just as you would in New York, Toronto, or Berlin.

In this issue, we’re diving into all the reasons Mexico City is so special, there are so many things to see, do, and experience. So, if you’ve ever hesitated to explore this extraordinary city, let this be the nudge you need.
Plan a layover in CDMX the next time you travel or even a weekend getaway – you won’t be disappointed and may even discover your new favorite destination.

See you next month,

Jane

 

Huatulco

Editor’s Letter

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By Jane Bauer

We are created in water—amniotic fluid is about 98% water. Throughout our lives, water will continue to pull us, not just through thirst, but through longing. Most of us harbor a desire to be near the ocean, a lake, or a river. A swim in a body of water is curative.

Water holds deep spiritual significance across religions, symbolizing purity, life, and renewal. Yet, despite its sacredness, we often fail to honor it. In Christianity, water is central to baptism, representing cleansing and rebirth. In Hinduism, sacred rivers like the Ganges purify the soul and aid in achieving moksha (liberation). Islam incorporates water in wudu (ritual washing) before prayers, signifying spiritual and physical cleanliness. In Judaism, water plays a key role in mikveh rituals, symbolizing purification and transformation. Indigenous traditions often view water as a sacred element, honoring its life-giving properties through ceremonies. Across faiths, water connects humanity to the divine, symbolizing rebirth, healing, and spiritual connection.

Water is the lifeblood of our planet, yet we often fail to treat it with the respect it deserves. The world’s water supply faces critical threats from pollution caused by human activities. Industrial waste, such as dyes and chemicals from fast fashion production, contaminates waterways. Agricultural runoff from large-scale farming operations, particularly those supporting beef production, introduces chemicals into water systems. Single-use plastics, like bottles and packaging, clog waterways and create garbage patches spanning over 1.6 million square kilometers—an area more than twice the size of Texas—disrupting marine ecosystems and harming wildlife. In 2023 alone, approximately 70 operational oil spills and 10 significant tanker spills released thousands of tonnes of oil into the environment, compounding the degradation of vital water sources. These issues underscore the urgent need for collective action to protect and preserve this essential resource​.

We are contaminating ourselves with the clothes we buy, the plastic we throw away, and the cars we drive. The pollution we cause through everyday actions harms our own well-being. Water, the essence of our existence, is being poisoned by our neglect.

We are told we are living in the age of self-love, but often this is interpreted as indulging in the material—buying that trinket or satisfying our fleeting desires. “You deserve it” has become the anthem of our time. But does indulging our egos really lead to fulfillment? Does this kind of self-love align with our deepest needs?

As we approach one of the most wasteful seasons of the year, I urge you to pause and reflect. Does indulgence serve as true self-love? Nature owes us nothing. Instead, we are deeply in debt—to the water, the wildlife, and the air we breathe.

We are water—our bodies, our lives, depend on it. When we protect water, we protect ourselves. Real self-love begins with responsibility. Repairing the harm we’ve caused to the Earth, especially its water, is the greatest gift we can offer ourselves and future generations.

As we move into the new year, let’s commit to being better stewards of the water that sustains us. Happy Holidays, and see you in 2025!

Huatulco

Editor’s Letter

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By Jane Bauer

“The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.”
Mahatma Gandhi

What is love? This is something that humans have been asking for years. We seem torn as to whether to hold it up as the highest of emotions or as a frivolous undertaking.

Is ‘love’ what is depicted by grand gestures and romantic films? Or is it something that builds over time by the routine and comfort of a long marriage? If love is everything, why do we hesitate to accept it as a justifiable reason for turning your life upside down?

What if romantic love isn’t ‘the thing’ we are meant to aspire to, and we have gotten it wrong from too much Jane Austen and John Hughes? Romantic love as we know it only began to appear to be named in the 1500s- prior to that, relationships were mainly transactional for survival and to expand one’s wealth.

I recently started following an IG account about a German farmer who cuddles his chickens, goats, cows and sheep to a soundtrack of new age and classical tunes. It is very soothing- I can feel my nervous system relaxing as the animals nuzzle into him. What if love is what you transmit to each being you come into contact with? If that is the case what does your love look like?

Does it spread out freely in smiles to the person helping you in a store or bringing you coffee or cutting you off in traffic? The best advice I have gotten for getting annoyed with strangers has been to move through the world with the assumption that everyone is doing so with good intention. This has saved me countless grumpy moments.

If you are a regular reader you already know about my concern for the migrants that are crossing our paths. This morning there were about a hundred people of all ages and shades of skin. I rode past in the comfort of my car, on my way to a job I love and the very least I could do was allow love to flow out of me, to offer a water, to make eye contact. We often exchange ‘que dios te bendiga’ which I love, even though I don’t consider myself religious. Lately a few have responded with ‘te lo pago’ with their hands in prayer, this means they will pay it forward and my heart swells with gratitude at the love that can spread from acts of kindness.

Maybe love isn’t that complex. Perhaps it is as simple as seeing another and knowing there are no others.

See you next month,

Jane

Huatulco

Editor’s Letter

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By Jane Bauer

“When our eyes are graced with wonder, the world reveals its wonders to us. There are people who see only dullness in the world and that is because their eyes have already been dulled. So much depends on how we look at things. The quality of our looking determines what we come to see.”
― John O’Donohue, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace

As we have done for the past many years, the theme of our January issue falls in line with the Chinese New Year which this year is The Year of the Dragon. This logic may seem a bit silly but was fine when we had the year of the chicken, the pig and the ox, but dragons? “Dragons are for children’s stories”, I mused to myself, “a gateway animal to the study of dinosaurs and keeping snakes as pets.”

I was intrigued to see how our writers would navigate this theme and I was contemplating this as a majestic gold-colored iguana made its way across the road.

The truth is that fairy tales and mythological creatures are born from something real. The iguana with its golden tail swinging from side to side, the jagged edges of soft spine that run from the head down to the tail, and the long thin toes with protruding claws, is fantastical. If we look at everyday things with new eyes, we realize that our world is as full of wonder and magic as any fairy tale or Harry Potter book. The world we live in is full of many beasts and creatures and happenings that are wondrous.

As we slide into 2024, let us remember to look upon our world with wonderment. Be amazed by the night sky full of stars and the creeping awakening of the morning light. Talk to insects and take a moment to see the way the vultures and pelicans dance through the air. Let your fingers caress the bark of a tree and think about all the tree has been present for in its unmoving stillness. Magic is everywhere. One of the saddest things that happens as we grow up is that we are encouraged to move away from looking at the world in a whimsical way and yet it is looking at it in this way that joy is most readily available to us.

Let go of practical things that are weighing you down and allow yourself to be kissed by the breeze, at least for a little while.

See you next month,

Jane

Huatulco

Editor’s Letter

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By Jane Bauer

“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

One of my favorite things is to rearrange a room and I have found that many spaces benefit from having things removed rather than added. The trouble is we get so attached to having stuff and having things the way they are.

Even if you don’t consider yourself as someone who concerns themselves with design, most of us add our own signature to a space. Think for a moment about your living room, picture it in your mind if you aren’t there. Visualize each item that you have chosen and ask yourself why? Is it for its sentimental tie to a past event – a display of photographs perhaps? Maybe the object has a practical use – a candy dish, or a foot roller you keep tucked under the couch. Why have you arranged the furniture the way it is – to maximize light or seating faced towards the television set?

What about the colors? Were you intentional as you filled this space or did it become layered over itself with time? What might be taken away? How does the room reflect who you are and your habits?

In this issue our writers explore design. We didn’t limit the topic to home design or architecture or clothing and it was fascinating to see what people came up with. From papel picado, to the clothes we wear to the buildings we spend our lives in, what is clear is that no corner of our lives is untouched by design. Unknowingly, we have each curated our lives, piece by piece over time.

You may not consider yourself a symbol of design but the truth is that we all are. Our style is reflected in our clothes, our haircut, our living room, even the plates we choose to eat our dinner off.

As we approach this commercial season what if instead of adding more stuff to our ever-growing piles, we became intentional about the spaces and objects we already have? Decluttering your space has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, and lead to greater creativity.

Let’s lighten our load as we vault into 2024!

Huatulco

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By Jane Bauer

“By standing together in unity, solidarity and love, we will heal the wounds in the earth and in each other. We can make a positive difference through our actions.”
Julia Butterfly Hill

This month our writers explore political parties and revolutions. In my cooking classes I always say that the recipe for a revolution is a few very wealthy people controlling everything while poor people do all the work. This has been true during most of the large revolutions of the past that were a reflection of class struggle.

With technology and the decline of environmental quality, we are seeing a new kind of revolution and it doesn’t care how much stuff you have- in fact the less the better.

Back in 1997 Julia Butterfly Hill ascended Luna—a giant 1,500-year-old redwood tree near Stafford, California, and spent 738 days in a tree to protest the logging industry. Her act was seen as radical and perhaps crazy- there is no denying it was a huge commitment. However when examined through the lens of today, while an outrageous act, the philosophy behind it is being embraced more than ever.

People are fleeing urban areas for cleaner air, access to water and nature – planning for survival in an ever growing hostile world. Peasant life is the new rich. With carbon dioxide levels on our planet at the highest they have been in 4 million years, we have seen a rapid increase in temperature, which is leading to drought, forest fires, dying coral, melting permafrost, loss of biodiversity and decimated crops.

Where this will take us is anyone’s guess. As a species we are slow to make immediate changes for long-term gain- we are impatient and want what we want now.

Thanks for reading,

Jane

Huatulco

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By Jane Bauer

A few years ago I sat in a tapas bar in Madrid with a glass of wine ready to devour a copy of a well-respected food magazine that I had picked up at the airport. The cover promised stories about Mexican chefs. Sadly, as I read through, almost all the chefs mentioned were men and they all seemed to croon the same old story I had heard from almost every Mexican chef I know about how they started in their mother’s or grandmother’s kitchen. The tone of these tales always suggests some sort of bravery on their part for having taken a chance in the kitchen.

This issue of The Eye brings up a lot of topics that I have long debated. I once got into a discussion with a man who couldn’t understand why I don’t refer to myself as a chef.

“You run a kitchen, don’t you?” he pushed, knowing full well that I do. I explained that none of the women I work with refer to themselves as chefs and therefore it would seem the height of arrogance to go around calling myself a chef. “I just like feeding people. I don’t really need or want the title,” I said and I could tell he couldn’t understand this.

Why do I cook? Cooking for me started as an act of love- first in my childhood with family, then in college with friends, then in my first home for my husband, then for my daughter… I can scarcely think of a time in my life when I haven’t run a kitchen.

I am always a little taken aback when I am invited to attend a food event such as a culinary festival as a presenter or judge, to find other people who run kitchens dressed up in their chef whites- I don’t even own a pair of chef whites! I do have many elegant dresses that look great with an apron though!

My culinary creativity hasn’t been spontaneous, it has been cultivated over time from my travels, sharing kitchens with others, being introduced to new ingredients and necessity- cooking qu’est-ce qui, a French term I learned today for “what there is.”

Chefs also have a terrible reputation for getting upset- having fiery tempers and throwing things. I have rarely raised my voice in the kitchen and have never thrown anything. The kitchen is the heart of a home and even in a restaurant I think the vibe should reflect that- good food is made with care not ambition.

“What people expect from your kitchen isn’t what people expect from mine,” a fellow chef/restaurateur once told me with a tone that suggested his was superior. So while not calling myself a chef or strutting around in chef whites may lead to me being taken a little less seriously, I’m ok with that. I am far more honored to be a part of a legacy of women who cook to connect, to grow and to nourish.

See you next month,

Jane