Aug 21, 2010 

..the heartbeat of the Riviera Nayarit

Become a Friend on the Riviera Nayarit Click Here 

Headline News

Gay marriage opens rift between church, court in Mexico

Mexico City's gay-marriage law has prompted an ugly dispute between the Roman Catholic Church and the nation's Supreme Court, which earlier this month upheld the law and on Monday reaffirmed the right of gay and lesbian couples to adopt children.

Gays in Mexico's capital today can marry and adopt children, broad rights that go beyond anything offered in much of the world and enshrined now by a remarkable series of rulings by the nation's Supreme Court.

But reaching this point has left casualties along the way……Go to original article

Mexico City mayor demands cardinal apologize for bribery allegation, threatens legal action

Mexico City's leftist mayor said Tuesday he will take legal action if a Roman Catholic cardinal doesn't apologize for suggesting he bribed the Supreme Court to uphold a city law allowing adoptions by same-sex couples.

Mayor Marcelo Ebrard says that if Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez does not apologize by midnight, he is going to file a slander complaint.

The church opposes the Mexico City law, but the Supreme Court has ruled it constitutional.

Over the weekend, the cardinal suggested the justices may have been paid to uphold the law, using a slang word for corruption that refers to giving feed to livestock….go to original article

Don't judge drug war based on deaths, violence, Mexico's Calderon says
President Felipe Calderon urged his countrymen last week not to gauge the drug war by the relentless rise of the death toll.

In early April, newspaper tallies put the toll at around 18,000, but legislators then leaked a higher official estimate: 22,700. This month, the nation's intelligence chief said 28,000 people had most likely been killed since Calderon took office, in late 2006.

"The number of murders or the degree of violence isn't necessarily the best indicator of progress or retreat, or if the war ... is won or lost," Calderon told opposition party chiefs at a meeting called to pull the nation behind his counterdrug strategy. "It is a sign of the severity of the problem."…….go to original article

Mexico TV station Televisa hit by blasts

Attacks on the media in Mexico are becoming increasingly frequent

Officials from Mexico's largest television network Televisa say an explosive device went off in front of their station in the northern city of Monterrey. The attack followed a similar incident at their studios in Matamoros, in the north-east, just hours earlier. …..go to original article

Mexico moves to defend financial system against future crisis

Mexico's Finance Ministry inaugurated a council Wednesday to protect the country's financial system from future economic crises. A technical committee at the Stability Council headed by Deputy Finance Minister Alejandro Werner would study the vulnerability of the financial system under different scenarios, the ministry said in a statement….go to original article

Sport fishing: Best places to get reel in Mexico
Even tourists who don't know a rod from a reel are well aware whenever they come within 20 miles of the ocean that the country's fecund waters are teeming with sport fish. U.S. travelers and the Mexico tourism industry have anglers to thank for turning places like Baja Sur, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta into tourist magnets — fishing lodges were the original all-inclusive resorts. Even the lower reaches of the Mexican Caribbean coast, recently dubbed the Costa Maya and just beginning to draw significant numbers of tourists, have been known to fishermen for decades….go to original article

Lessons from the tequila museum: How to drink tequila like a local

Given the drink-dance-and-shout sensibilities of party-hearty Cancun, cultural institutions don't get a lot of foot traffic in this mega Mexican resort city.

But a new museum in the heart of the Hotel Zone plays perfectly to the sun-soaked, boozy mentality of the place.

Its subject: Tequila!.....go to original article

U.N. climate pact could be three treaties-Mexico

* Rich nations, poorer nations, U.S. could have own treaties

* Mexico wants comprehensive package of decisions in Cancun

By Nina Chestney

BONN, Aug 5 (Reuters) - A U.N. climate pact to extend or replace the Kyoto Protocol could be a set of up to three legally binding instruments, not just a single one, Mexico's climate chief said on Thursday.

A U.N. summit in Copenhagen last year failed to produce a legally binding agreement to combat climate change, leaving around 190 nations with no choice but to go back to the negotiating table this year….go to original article

Ex-Mexico president calls for legalizing drugs

Former President Vicente Fox is joining with those urging his successor to legalize drugs in Mexico, saying that could break the economic power of the country's brutal drug cartels.

Fox's comments, posted Sunday on his blog, came less than a week after President Felipe Calderon agreed to open the door to discussions about the legalization of drugs, even though he stressed that he remained opposed to the idea….go to original article

Cardinal criticizes Mexico's high court for upholding law allowing gay marriages in capital

Cardinal Norberto Rivera sharply criticized Mexico's Supreme Court on Sunday for upholding a law allowing homosexuals to marry in the capital, calling the ruling "aberrant" and "immoral."

The Roman Catholic archbishop said it was wrong to go against Christian doctrine that recognizes only marriages between a man and a woman….go to original article

4 Mexico police commanders suspended, investigated

Four federal police commanders have been suspended from their posts in a violent Mexican border city following allegations from subordinates that they have links to drug traffickers.

The action by the Public Safety Department comes just hours after 200 federal police officers detained one of their superiors at gunpoint, alleging that he had connections to drug cartels and had participated in kidnappings, killings and extortion….go to original article

Mexico murder rate is . . . down

Cartel violence in 9 states leaves mistaken impression that entire country is under siege

Gruesome murders appear to be commonplace in Mexico:

The severed heads of eight men found along highways in Durango.

Seventeen people massacred at a birthday party in Torreon.

The bodies of 55 people found in a mine near the town of Taxco.

Mexicans and their American neighbors are being bombarded by news of shootouts, bombings, kidnappings and executions as drug smugglers battle each other and the government for control of the narcotics trade. But a closer look at the latest official statistics indicates that much of Mexico has modest murder rates. The horrific violence that's jacking up the national death toll is largely in nine of Mexico's 31 states….go to original article

Mexico Finds Tunnel, Possible Tombs Under

A long-sealed tunnel has been found under the ruins of Teotihuacan and chambers that seem to branch off it may hold the tombs of some of the ancient city's early rulers, archaeologists said Tuesday.

Experts say a tomb discovery would be significant because the social structure of Teotihuacan remains a mystery after nearly 100 years of archaeological exploration at the site, which is best known for the towering Pyramids of the Moon and the Sun…..go to original article

Bienvenido to welcoming Puerto Vallarta

The `San Francisco of Mexico' is home to some of the most gay- welcoming folks in all of Latin America.

Our neighbor to the south has been making great gay gains of late: Mexico City allows same-sex marriage, and there is talk of extending the law all across Mexico. And nowhere is Mexico's new gay vitality on show than in Puerto Vallarta….go to original article

Lo de Marcos - A Little Piece of Heaven on the Road

Discover the real charm of a small fishing town where life goes on without a worry. "When I'm on the road, I always find a little piece of heaven before I reach my destination," says Ana Butterflug in her blog. This Englishwoman, who lives in Canada, is a lover of road trips, and while she was on her way to Barra de Navidad she was captivated by the beauty of the beach and the sunsets at Lo de Marcos, in Riviera Nayarit: it was the little piece of heaven she's always been looking for…..go to original article

Mexico says it will sue BP over oil spill in the Gulf

The Mexican government is planning to make BP and the United States pay for damages and for costs associated with the company's ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, the state news agency Notimex reported Monday. Environment Minister Juan Elvira told the news agency the government will sue BP for environmental damages and for the money Mexico spent on monitoring the spill. Although the Notimex report said the Mexican government plans to make both BP and the United States pay, it was not clear from the story whether Mexico is planning to file suit against the U.S. government as well as the company…..go to original article

Protests Test Patience of Mexico City Drivers

On almost any given day, drivers hopelessly paralyzed by the protesters marching down Mexico City’s avenues may feel that the city’s jaunty logo and slogan, plastered everywhere, are taunting them.  “Capital en Movimiento” the city declares itself, next to a windblown drawing of its main landmark, the Angel of Independence.

On many days, however, this capital is not in movement at all. …..go to original article

China, Mexico, Pacific sites get World Heritage status

Six sites located in Brazil, China, Mexico, France's Reunion Island and the South Pacific nation of Kiribati won World Heritage status from a UNESCO panel meeting in Brazil.…..go to original article

FACTBOX-Key political risks to watch in Mexico

Escalating drug violence, a tepid economic recovery, stalled economic reforms and declining oil output are all risks to watch for this year in Mexico, which needs to keep up investor confidence to maintain its debt ratings and rebound from its worst recession since 1932.…..go to original article

Mexico celebrates ruling on Arizona law

In the heart of the Mexican capital a crowd of 100 activists stood silently outside the imperious American Embassy on Wednesday waiting for a judicial decision 1,800 miles away in Phoenix, Arizona. When news was announced that Judge Susan Bolton had blocked the Arizona law’s most controversial provisions, the crowd burst into applause….go to original article

Mexico, Chile recognize Honduran government

Mexico and Chile are formally recognizing the government of Honduran President Porfirio Lobo a year after his predecessor was ousted by a military-backed coup. Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said Saturday in a statement that it will send its ambassador back to Honduras next week….go to original article

Threats of drug cartel attacks shut U.S. Consulate in Juarez, Mexico

Threats of drug cartel attacks against authorities have prompted the United States to shut down its large consulate in Juarez, providing no indication when the building will reopen. A statement posted Thursday night on the consulate's Web site said the facility was reviewing its "security posture." The brief message urged Americans to avoid the general area around the

Mexico's Drug Wars: Finally Going After Number One
The operation was swift and deadly. Mexican military intelligence — without any aid from police forces or American agents — zeroed in on a safe house of Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel a.k.a. "The King of Ice," one of the continent's most wanted drug traffickers. After clearance from high command, the troops went in on Thursday, July 29. Three helicopters covered from the air while 200 paratroppers rushed on the target in a plush suburb of Guadalajara. The operation commander was the first through the door — and was shot dead with a pistol by a startled Coronel. The next soldier through fired two shots into the drug lord's chest, killing him instantly. A bodyguard rapidly surrendered. The reign of the King of Ice was over…..go to original article

Alaska Air adds Mexico route from San Jose

Beginning Nov. 20, Alaska Airlines will add nonstop service between San Jose, Calif., and the Los Cabos in Mexico. The carrier will fly three flights a week on the route, operating one round-trip flight each Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday on Boeing 737-700 jets.,,,,go to original article

Police in Mexico free two kidnapped cameramen

Javier Canales and Alejandro Hernandez had been investigating corruption allegations at a prison in Gomez Palacio when they were abducted.

The kidnappers reportedly demanded that the TV stations the cameramen worked for broadcast a series of videos accusing local officials of ties with a drug cartel. ….go to original article

Flights send illegal immigrants to Mexico, but many return

Guillermo Campos Ojeda stares blankly at the clouds from the jetliner's window, mentally retracing the 22 years that he lived in the United States as an illegal immigrant.

His odyssey began in 1988 with an illegal border crossing and ended in May when he was pulled over for driving without a license. In between were double shifts at a Chicago factory, a string of run-ins with the law, a marriage and his ultimate joy: the birth of his daughter, now 2, who is a U.S. citizen…..go to original article

They Tore Down the Russell Hotel

A Story of Change in Small Town Mexico

Local Resident Dave Easby announces that his first book is now available. To order the book simply click on the cover.

Dave writes:

As you know, La Peñita de Jaltemba, Mexico is a community in transition.  It’s a town where you still might see a woebegone donkey tied in the back of a rusting pick-up truck right across the street from a ritzy, new Italian Restaurant.

Anne and I choose La Peñita as our retirement home and you folks welcomed us into your little piece of paradise.  We gradually adapted to the Mexican way, adopted a beach dog we name ‘Amarillo’ and eventually went from being visiting beach bums to active, and enthusiastic, volunteers in the community. 

This collection of funny, and sometimes moving, short stories follows our adventures in trying to adapt to a very different way of life.  Over our time there, it is not just La Peñita that changes, we change too.

I hope that the stories will resonate with you as I'm sure you have many of the same experiences - your early fears as you first drove that dark highway from PV, the Bull Ring, the No Tell Motel, volunteer teaching and many others.

Here’s what others had to say about it:

What a great story. I admire Dave and Anne’s sense of adventure, envy their new way of life, but most of all I love the humour in this collection of riotous short stories.  Such fun to read.  …   Ann O’Farrell, Author of Norah’s Children  and Michael.

You can find a sample story and more information on ordering the book on Facebook.  Simply search for the group: “They Tore Down the Russell Hotel" or go directly to  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=126144070764881&v=info

I will also bring copies to La Peñita this winter and hope to arrange a formal launch.

I hope you enjoy it.

Dave Easby

Tips for Selecting Fresh Pineapple

                          © Tara A. Spears

One of the perks of visiting or living in the Riviera Nayarit is the abundance of yummy fresh fruits and vegetables. With the pineapple harvest underway, farm trucks are delivering the bounty to all the local vendors, or even offering field fresh fruit right from the truck along the roads. But how do you select just the right one?

What to look for

 Mexican fresh pineapples are usually picked at 25% maturity, when one fourth of the outer surface has turned yellow. Since all the starch is in the stem and converts to sugar as it enters the fruit, the pineapple will not get any sweeter once it is harvested, so many of the "tricks" that can be considered for other fruit to help choose a ripe one, such as color, "sound" and loose crown leaves, are unreliable with pineapples.  The following guidelines are provided by the International Pineapple Growers Association. In the following pictures, the left compares the ripeness, with ‘4’ having the optimal taste; the right photo shows the growers’ quality grading scale, with 1 and 2 being the premium. It’s wise to note the pineapple configuration of the industry rejects (0 and 5) so you can avoid them at the local vendors.

Go here for the complete article

Thieves In Mexico End Up With, Literally, Peanuts
Associated Press
go to original
August 20, 2010

Mexico City - A bold truck-jacking in Mexico has yielded thieves ... peanuts.

Federal police say two suspects hijacked a truck containing 17 tons of peanuts at gunpoint on the outskirts of Mexico City.

Police say the truck was listing to one side and they decided to pull it over, only to see a struggle taking place in the truck's cab.

The driver said he was forced at gunpoint to lie on floor of the cab but was able to call for help when police pulled the hijacked truck over on Thursday.

A police statement said the two suspects were arrested and ended up empty-handed.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of the Tropical Sun 

                                                     © Tara A. Spears

One of the first things that a visitor to exotic coastal Riviera Nayarit usually does is strip down and hit the beach.  It’s so beautiful and the water is so warm, before you know it, you have spent hours basking in the sunshine. Imagine your dismay when you go to take a shower: Ow, pain! Ugh, lobster red! What most visitors (and seasonal residents, too) don’t realize is that at tropical latitudes the sun is closer and more intense than at northern latitudes, therefore, even if you can spend five hours in full sun in Canada, that equates to less than one hour here-even in January.   Before going sunbathing you should consider information on how to avoid sunburn in the first place. It is wise to take proactive measures and protect yourself against the harmful ultraviolet and infrared damage than to spoil your vacation with pain and unsightly peeling. This article includes suggestions for soothing inflamed skin because, even with the good intentions, sometimes you still get a sunburn.

To read more of the sunburn story click here

Crowds Flock to Mexico Drug Museum
Jon Decker - Reuters
August 20, 2010

(Reuters)

Mexico's drug museum - the Museo de Enervantes - has seen in a surge in the size of its collection over the last three years. Reuters' Jon Decker reports.

RivieraNayarit.com
go to original
August 07, 2010

On Nayarit's curving coastline approximately one hour's drive north of Puerto Vallarta's Banderas Bay, the relaxed atmosphere of Lo de Marcos is reflected in the people who live in this tropical paradise.

Discover the real charm of a small fishing town where life goes on without a worry. "When I'm on the road, I always find a little piece of heaven before I reach my destination," says Ana Butterflug in her blog. This Englishwoman, who lives in Canada, is a lover of road trips, and while she was on her way to Barra de Navidad she was captivated by the beauty of the beach and the sunsets at Lo de Marcos, in Riviera Nayarit: it was the little piece of heaven she's always been looking for.

It's seven a.m., and the baroque music of Albinoni resonates through the palm trees and the exuberant vegetation. Alberto is inspired by this Italian composer to cook the catch of the day, which was given to him by the local fishermen in appreciation for helping them pull the nets on the beach to pick up the rewards of last night's work. It's still early and Alberto is about to enjoy his breakfast, but his day started much earlier.

It has been almost 15 years now that he's been visiting Lo de Marcos to get away from the hustle and bustle of Mexico City. The daily routine during his stays, which sometimes prolong for months, is simple: get up at five a.m., jog on the beach and then swim a couple of miles in the sea. By the time he finishes exercising, he usually finds the fishermen coming back to the beach.

Classical music, refreshing relaxation, books, some more rest, a friendly chat with the locals, who already know him - this is how the day goes by, without troubles, noise, street vendors, or concerns.

However, his agenda is strict: every single day, approximately one hour before sundown, Alberto takes a folding chair and his favorite book and heads towards an isolated location on the beach. He then unfolds the chair and points it in the direction where a couple of minutes later the sun will melt in the ocean, and enjoys watching the sunset while he reads his book under the golden light. This is how his tight agenda comes to a close, and how the daily activity concludes.

It's precisely the allure of this place and its relaxing lifestyle that has made Alberto come back for the last 15 years, and which also caught Ana's eye. "It's a real fishermen town, with a beach to die for. I picture this as the ambiance Sayulita must have had when it was first discovered by surfers in the seventies", concludes the seasoned traveler.

Lo de Marcos is one of the jewels of Riviera Nayarit, "Mexico's Pacific Treasure."

DON'T MISS

Lo de Marcos offers lodging in the form of modest properties with bungalows, a trailer park and camping areas. It's low-priced, private and comfortable. We recommend:

Suites El Coral, Carretera Las Minitas N° 39, email: elcoraldelodemarcos(at)hotmail.com

Suites Las Margaritas, Emiliano Zapata No. 22, email: bungalowsmargarita(at)hotmail.com

GET ACTIVE!

Some of the activities you can do at Lo de Marcos include bird watching, hiking along the estuary, fishing trips and visits to San Pancho and Sayulita.


About Riviera Nayarit: Mexico’s newest destination, Riviera Nayarit, stretches along 192 miles of pristine Pacific coast framed by the majestic Sierra Madre Mountains just ten minutes north of accessible Puerto Vallarta International Airport. The region extends along the entire coast of the Pacific state of Nayarit including the resorts of Nuevo Vallarta, the historic colonial town of San Blas, exclusive Punta Mita, picturesque fishing villages, miles of serene beaches and spectacular Banderas Bay. Riviera Nayarit offers countless activities, all pleasantly affordable, such as: PGA golf courses, luxury spas, whale watching, turtle release, zip lining, surfing, record deep sea fishing, bird watching, international cuisine, and shopping for local artwork and traditional Huichol handicrafts. The region attracts and satisfies vacationers of all tastes and budgets with its wide range of accommodations including chic luxury resorts, eco-tourism boutique hotels and quaint B&B inns. Visit the website at RivieraNayarit.com

Mexico City is An Art Lover's Delight
llen Creager - Detroit Free Press
go to original
August 17, 2010

Men, wearing traditional clothes, parade during an event marking the beginning of celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the Mexican Independence and the 100th of the Mexican Revolution, in Mexico City, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009. Both anniversaries will be commemorated this year. (Eduardo Verdugo/Associated Press)

Go ahead and use Diego Rivera as excuse. Mention murals as the reason you're coming.

But get down here right away, art lovers, and soak in the atmosphere of one of the most interesting cities in the world.

Mexico's capital city is buzzing with 22 million people. Known for its restaurants, nightlife and traffic, it is surprisingly clean, dignified and gracious; its intentions serious; its attitude worlds away from tourist spots like Cancun or Los Cabos.

It also is 2,000 miles south of Mexico's dangerous U.S. border towns. It is not part of the recent U.S. State Department travel warnings.

"Mexico City is the real Mexico," says Fernando Ledesma, arts expert and guide in the city. "It has four cultural World Heritage sites – more than any other city in the world. It has 160 museums. It has the richest cultural heritage in all Latin America."

In the 1920s to 1950s, muralists flourished here, their astonishing paintings covering buildings and walls all over the city. They told stories of dictators and emperors, Indians and gods, elites and rebels – all depicted in muralists' art as swept along by history as this nation spun from ancient cultures to the Aztecs, Spanish and revolution.

The most famous muralist, of course, is Diego Rivera. He is known in the United States as the creator of "Detroit Industry," the towering, four-wall masterpiece painted in 1932-33 at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

But here in Mexico City, you can see so much more.

The Dolores Olmedo Museum has 150 Rivera works, including masterful paintings he did in Europe and Russia. The National Anthropology Museum has stunning ancient art of the Americas. Here in the city, you can see Rivera's studio, his paintbrushes, his first mural, and his wife Frida Kahlo's house. You also can see the work of other muralists who put Mexico on the art map.

The city also has a fine artists' bazaar, modern art museum, colonial architecture and scenic churches (many tilting due to the alarmingly soft ground).

Let other people go to Mexico's beaches. For those who love art, this is the place.

In Mexico, arts tours usually focus on places such as Oaxaca and Chiapas (textiles and folk art), Jalisco (pottery, blown glass and artists' markets) and Mexico City (murals and archaeology).

Stephanie Schneiderman of Ann Arbor, Mich., who grew up in Mexico City, runs art and textile tours of Mexico through Tia Stephanie Tours. Her clients want to be educated, not just entertained, she says. She runs tours for museum, art and textile groups – but also for art lovers.

"They are artists or collectors or just appreciators," says Schneiderman. But not necessarily experts.

Mexican muralism was supported by a fragile government that had just overthrown its dictator. The art was big, and so was its message.

"The murals were public, political and monumental," Schneiderman says. "It was a move to recapture Mexico's national identity, with the idea that the real people of the country were the rural, indigenous population. It glorified and even romanticized these elements."

Rivera may have been an art prodigy, but his forte was the broad canvas of the mural. He learned fresco painting in Italy and applied it to subjects back home that spoke to him as a Mexican outraged by injustice. Yet he also was a commercial painter. He hired himself out for everything from murals in Detroit and San Francisco to portraits of rich Mexican women.

When Rivera was alive, female tourists came to Mexico to meet him and hope for more intimate contact. Today, his celebrity hasn't dimmed.

One popular starting point is "The Creation" at the Colegio de San Ildefonso school auditorium in Mexico City's historic center. It was Rivera's first mural, in 1922.

"Every day, people come to see that mural," says curator Eri Camara, who describes the semireligious mural as lacking Rivera's later blatant political tone and with "a freshness; the ideology is not overt." In addition, tourists who have seen the movie "Frida" visit because it's the spot where Rivera and Kahlo met when she was just 14.

Another painting with a story behind it is "Portrait of Dolores Olmedo" at the Dolores Olmedo Museum. She was a wealthy arts benefactor who took a shine to Rivera and collected his work in the 1950s – after she had him paint her as a whimsical Mexican maid holding a bowl of fruit. (Note to academia: Somebody should investigate why women had a huge soft spot for Rivera, even though he was approximately as handsome as a frog.)

With 150 fantastic Rivera works and 26 from Kahlo, the Dolores Olmedo Museum is an imperative.

The most famous murals in Mexico City are at the National Palace and at Palacio de Bellas Artes. As politics, the murals' unwavering theme is the glory of ancient man, brutality of empire and mistrust of capitalism. The murals contain lots of blood, swords, a cast of thousands and naive socialist symbols. But as art, they are amazing; my favorite is the Rivera mural "The Great City of Tenochtitlan" and the Jorge Gonzalez Camarena mural "Liberation of Humanity."

Drive past the UNAM, Mexico's national university campus, and see the library designed by architect Juan O'Gorman. Its entire exterior is a mural, a pattern that looks a little like a textile weaving. Over at the National Museum of Anthropology, you can see the major piece of art of ancient Mexico, the Sun Stone.

And, oh, I forgot. Did I mention that Mexico City has an ancient city just north of town? Teotihuacan, with the Sun Pyramid and Moon Pyramid, thrived from 100 to 750 AD. It was already a huge ruin when the Aztecs got there in 1300. Unearthed in the 1960s, its art and architecture show a rigorously planned city where as many as 200,000 people lived. That is pretty humbling to the modern man who thinks our own civilization will last forever.

Civilizations don't, of course.

But art sometimes does.

Checklist

IF YOU GO: Mexico City is nothing like you imagine – it’s better. Its downtown is clean, culturally rich and hip, with elegant shopping, museums, churches, gracious tree-lined boulevards, colonial architecture, busy streets and Aztec ruins beside modern buildings. Its Zona Rosa district is popular for nightlife. Its Zocalo, or town square, is the largest in the Americas.

TOURS: Tia Stephanie Tours in Ann Arbor, Mich., offers cultural tours. Details: www.tiastephanietours.com 734-769-7839. The company also offers art, culinary and textile tours to the Oaxaca, Jalisco and Campeche regions. or

LODGING: Hotel Maria Cristina: Moderate hotel popular with business and leisure travelers in good location.

Casa Gonzalez: Famous budget bed and breakfast in good location in the Colonia Cuauhtemoc neighborhood.

El Emporio: Small luxury hotel on Paseo de la Reforma.

The Four Seasons: Expensive but high quality lodging.

RESTAURANTS: Stephanie Schneiderman of TiaStephanie Tours grew up in Mexico City. Her favorite restaurants:

Fonda el Refugio: Traditional Mexican food, best margaritas in the city. (Liverpool 166, Zona Rosa)

El Cardenal: Elegant old-fashioned service; two branches, one in historic center (Juarez 70, Col. Centro) and another at the Hilton Alameda Park.

El Bajio: Traditional Mexican food; now a chain with several branches around town. www.carnitaselbajio.com.mx

Restaurante Pujol: Very high-end contemporary dining in the Polanco district; chef is Enrique Olvera. (Francisco Petrarca 254, Col. Polanco)

Los Panchos: Best carnitas (pork tacos) in the city. (Tolstoi No. 9 Entre Leibintz y Dante, Col. Anzures)

Sanborn’s: For breakfast. Old department store in the historic House of Tiles downtown has elegant, high-ceiling restaurant. (Calle Madero 4, Col. Centro)

SHOPPING: El Bazar del Sabado: Open only on Saturdays, fantastic for high quality art, crafts, jewelry and textiles.

MONEY: About 12 pesos to the dollar. Plenty of ATMs available.

SAFETY: Take the usual precautions you would against pickpockets. Don’t hail taxis from the street as they are sometimes associated with rip-offs and crime; have your hotel or restaurant call one for you. An alternative is to go to a taxi stand (“sitios”) where legitimate taxi service is available.

Like in any large city, stay in well-trod tourist areas, and don’t wander around alone at night. The major crime issue is pickpocketing, so keep your valuables in your hotel-room safe or well secured on your person. Mexico City is not part of a travel warning issued by the U.S. State Department, which covers border towns.

For the latest, check out the State Department website at www.travel.state.gov

HEALTH: Mexico City has a mild climate because it is 7,300 feet above sea level. Some people take time to get acclimated to the elevation. Don’t drink tap water; most hotels provide bottled water. Pollution levels have improved; as long as a breeze is blowing, it’s pretty clear and you can see the gorgeous mountains that encircle the city.

Take the Plunge by Adding a Swimming Pool or Spa

 For Year-round Tropical Pleasure

© Tara A. Spears

The Riviera Nayarit climate, with its abundance of sunny days and warm nights, is utopia for those who enjoy cooling off in a pool or relaxing in a whirlpool spa.  Even for those who don’t care to dip, just the aesthetics of a sparking pool invites one to relax and sit awhile, a sure cure for stress. While adding a swimming pool is a huge investment north of the border, building an in-ground pool in Mexico is very reasonable (I found it to run 1/10^th of the cost.)  Couple this fact with the Mexican craftsmen’s flair and skill as tile artisans and you can have a functional work of art to enhance your property and increase its value. Installing a pool in your backyard is serious business, one that involves plenty of planning, a degree of mess and significant cost. This is hardly a decision to rush into as once it’s installed, it is pretty much a permanent fixture. Juan Valdez, of Alberca de Vallarta Pools says, “It takes careful planning to find a pool that works best for your lifestyle and budget. Choosing the right style of pool will have a direct impact on whether your swimming pool becomes a popular hot spot for family and friends or a rarely used yard accessory.”         go here for completes Article                                   

Toniná a Mayan wonder not to be missed

By Dorothy Bell

We had travelled only 120 kms or so that day toward Oscinco, but we were already beat tired. We had climbed some amazing pyramids in the last few days and our legs were sore from the endless staircases to the heavens. “Just one more, “said Bill. “This one is supposed to be very interesting.” It doesn’t take much to get either of us interested in another ancient site so we made a left turn off the highway and headed towards the pyramid sign.

Ocosingo is in the heart of Maya country; a city of 35,000 inhabitants. It lies in the mountainous region of Chiapas between the Tabasco lowlands on the Gulf of Mexico and San Cristobel de las Casas, the colonial gem high in the State of Chiapas Mountains.  We drove the 13 kms to the East of the city towards the ancient city of Toniná.

We hadn’t really expected much. Toniná isn’t on the average tourists’ radar screen. It isn’t a seventh wonder of the world like Chichen Itza and the remote location coupled with the Zapatista uprising two decades ago, has kept most travelers away from the area. Avoiding this pre-Columbian gem is a mistake.

We entered the grounds, paid the 41 peso admission and were immediately directed by one of the security guards towards the museum. The first room graphically illustrated the site; both what it looked like when first discovered by Europeans and what it looks like now. There is a three dimensional model of the site that immediately caught our attention and wowed our Mayaphile souls. The acropolis is huge.

While we were anxious to get on the trail to the site, the guard once again intervened and motioned for us to go to a second display room. “Wow.”

Immediately you can see the difference between the sculptures, statues and other images. In Tulum, for example, you struggle to see the original images as they have been worn away by the elements. In Toniná, many of the statues and carvings on stone are crystal clear; three dimensional and full. This second room was impressive not just because of the clarity of the sculptures but also because of the content; a series of statues depicted bound slaves; some decapitated and holding their heads.

Toniná was often at war with other Mayan cities and was usually victorious. Even the great city of Palenque was plundered and the King caught and held captive.

After visiting the museum we walked towards the sight; along a horse trail, up and down the banks of a small river until we hit the expansive plain that was the city on Toniná. We quickly walked by a small ancient ballpark and headed for the great acropolis that was once the capital of the Mayan world.