One of my greatest joys about living in Mexico has been the children. Bilma (age 4) and Betsabel (age 2) were my first friends when I moved to Mazunte in 1997. They helped me with my Spanish as we collected shells on the beach or painted. When I moved to Puerto Angel in 1999 the children who came every Friday to the local library to hear a story and do crafts continued to teach me about their culture as I taught them about Jorge el Curioso. Today I live in Zimatan, a village 25 minutes from Huatulco. There is no cell service or landline telephone and it is not uncommon for the electricity to be off all day as CFE works on the lines. Continue reading Zimatan Photo Club→
It’s never really a good time of year for water in Oaxaca, even though during the rainy season the heavens certainly do open up. The summertime rains are just a teaser, intent upon making us forget what’s in store for the balance of the year and until the following May or June – severe and worsening water shortages in most of the state of Oaxaca. Continue reading Water Shortages in Oaxaca→
Most Chilangos arrive at a destination with two words on their lips, followed by a moan: “the traffic!” Although they complain, people who drive continue to do so and rarely consider taking a bus or the metro. And thus the debate between driving and public transport continues. Economics figures into it. Certainly a great portion of the population can’t afford a car, so it’s a moot point for them. But for those with a choice, there are two distinct camps. Here are the pros and cons of both options, keeping in mind that this writer is an unreserved proponent of public transportation in DF. Continue reading To Drive or Not To Drive? Traffic and Transportation in Mexico City→
On the evening of January 22nd, 2012, I was sitting at Señor Puck’s, a cold Pacifico con limon in hand, intently watching my San Francisco 49ers as they prepared to kick off to the NY Giants to begin the over time quarter, tied at 17. It just doesn’t get better than this.
Mexico is number 8 in world auto production as of 2012, and is poised to displace number 7 Brazil in the near future. Some of the newest, most modern and efficient auto assembly plants in the world are located in Aguascalientes, Toluca, Hermosillo, and Guanajuato. The auto industry of Mexico provides 56,000 jobs, 21.9% of the country’s exports, represents 18% of its manufacturing GDP (Gross Domestic Product), and is growing at a steady rate. Continue reading Mexican Auto Industry Surprising the World→
It’ll only take one fatality or maiming injury on a road in Huatulco or Puerto Escondido to get gringos to smarten up. It makes no difference whether you’re an expat resident of Oaxaca, a snowbird, or a one-week tourist. And it definitively shouldn’t provide you with any solace calling it a scooter rather than what it is, a motorized vehicle affording its driver no protection at all, travelling alongside cars and trucks whizzing by. Continue reading Motorcycle Safety→
A lifetime ago, one of my University professors assigned us to read “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. This was a Philosophical book using a motorcycle trip across America as a literary vehicle. The premise was that there were two kinds of people in the world: those who understood how things worked and could fix them and those who were clueless. The author was of the former group which he labeled as “classical thinkers” and his companions were a well meaning but inept couple of “romantic thinkers”. You didn’t need to be Einstein to figure out who was not going to reach California. Continue reading Classical Thinkers and Auto Mechanics→
In 1979, we took a train from the port of Vera Cruz to Jalapa, the capital of the state of Veracruz, to visit a friend. A beautiful trip; a train with old-fashioned charm, chugging slowly up the sides of the Sierra Madre Oriental. We saw coffee beans ripening among glossy green leaves, crossed deep gorges on spidery bridges, and ate gorditas we bought from women who boarded the train whenever it stopped. There might even have been a chicken crate or two overhead. Continue reading Buses Vs. Trains→
In 1954, at an exhibition entitled “Germany and Its Industry”, Mexicans were first introduced to the German manufactured car, Volkswagen. The attendees of that exhibition, I’m sure, had no idea just how important the symbol ‘VW’ would become to their national economy. Continue reading Beetlemania→
By Jane Bauer
By Carole Reedy
By Neal Erickson
By Brooke Gazer
By Kary Vannice
You must be logged in to post a comment.