February 2019

Silence is a source of great strength. 

Lao Tzu

I am a big fan of quiet. It is why I don’t mind long bus journeys or often prefer to stay home rather than go out and socialize. While I enjoy talking with people, I take great comfort at the end of the day in the quiet of the world. 

Last September I attended a 10-day silent meditation retreat held in Oaxaca City through Vipassana Mexico. I felt slightly daunted about the no talking, no eye contact days that would stretch ahead of me, but I was more worried about forgoing my evening wine and reading (yes, no reading or writing!) than embracing the quiet. The retreat was held in a convent in the center of the city and the sounds of the outside world gave some solace to our otherwise silent days that began at 4:30am with a couple of hours of meditation before our vegan breakfast.  Continue reading Editor’s Letter →

By Brooke Gazer

Traditional medicine has been around for centuries, but in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in this area.  Tierra Ventura Ecoturismo is an ecotour company specializing in rural Oaxacan tours, including some that involve the use of curanderos. Continue reading Traditional Healing and Ecotourism →

By Julie Etra

Although I have written several articles about corn (Zea mays), for The Eye, this one focuses on an outstanding new discovery that may truly revolutionize the agriculture “industry”? and associated production of this grain worldwide.  Continue reading Corn: Mexico’s Gift to the World and New Possibilities for this Ancient Grain →

By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

Many people set out on a spiritual journey to free themselves from preoccupation with material possessions. At the beginning of 2001, we turned this venture upside down.  We first rid ourselves of almost all of our material possessions, including our very large townhouse in Alexandria, Virginia, and our second car, and then we set out on a journey through Mexico. Continue reading Journeying Home-Free in Mexico →

By Dan Thompson

Don’t miss the final show of Huatulco’s 2019 Blues on the Beach season.  As always, all profits of this show go to benefit Un Nuevo Amanecer.

Our headliner this show will be Huatulco’s favorite band leader, the always amazing David Rotundo.  Toronto blues harpist David Rotundo has developed his own language of the blues. Rotundo is a songwriter who easily pulls inspiration from the world around him.  Continue reading Blues on the Beach Valentine’s Concert →

By Carole Reedy

This month most of the articles in The Eye relate to the theme “spiritual journeys.” Though I’m not entirely certain what a spiritual journey entails, I do know that, for readers, cracking the spine of a new book is the first step in an odyssey that can take us to clandestine places of the mind. Continue reading Familiar Faces, Fresh Creations: The New Books of 2019 →

By Leigh Morrow

My alarm jars me from sleep at 4:30. I quickly dress and as I step into the courtyard, I feel the chill of the city that is still fast asleep. Here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, I have risen before dawn to travel to the base of Doi Suthep Mountain and climb the well-trodden route to the lost temple of Wat Pha Lat and up the mountain before sunrise.   Continue reading Spiritual Journeys →

By Larry Davis

On Friday we rode five horses from the small mountain town of Magdalena to Pluma Hidalgo.  We arrived at Rancho El Regalo in Coyula at about 8:30am and loaded the five horses into the truck.  We then loaded all the saddles and gear into two more vehicles and proceeded to drive north of Santa Maria Huatulco to the road to Hagia Sophia.  We unloaded the horses at a river crossing, saddled up and proceeded on a three-hour uphill ride.  The road past Magdalena is passable by car, if you don’t much like your car; however, the scenery is spectacular.  The climb is fairly gradual but never-ceasing, as Pluma is approximately 4000 ft above sea level.  The change in flora and topography is amazing as trees are now several hundred feet tall, and the land now features steep ravines and three waterfalls. Continue reading Horsing Around →

By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.

The lack of confidentiality amongst native-born professionals in the city of Oaxaca, and likely in resort towns such as Huatulco and Puerto Escondido, is remarkable. Over the past two decades my wife and I have borne witness to the disheartening phenomenon on the part of lawyers, architects, financial institutions, medical doctors including specialists, accountants, and even the judiciary. Continue reading How’re Your Hemorrhoids Doing? →