As I looked over this Mexican holiday and fiesta calender I knew immediately that I had to share.

Fiestas abound in Mexico. The following listing of major Mexican holidays, by no means complete, is intended to help the newcomer to Mexico understand the motive for hearing rockets blasting off at dawn, finding a local bank or post office closed on a weekday, or encountering traffic brought to a halt by a passing parade or religious procession.

Every village and each parochial sector of the nation’s larger towns and cities has a designated a holy personage in whose honor fiestas patronales are held annually. In most cases such festivities take the form a novenario, a nine-day celebration with unique characteristics that are traditional to each locality.

Many religious celebrations have their roots in the pre-Hispanic era, while most civic holidays reflect modern historical events. Government offices, banks, schools and some businesses close across the nation for major national holidays. Such shut-downs may also occur during important religious celebrations in individual localities. Essential commerce, however, is rarely suspended, so most market places, supermarkets and small family-operated grocery stores generally open for business every day year-round.

(See also the Mexconnect Food Festival Calendar)

Dates are annotated as follows:
** National holiday (non-working days) are in Bold Type
* National holiday commemoration
+ Religious holiday (fixed date)
++ Moveable feast (date varies year to year)
+* Local festival or holiday

• January / Enero
• February / Febrero
• March / Marzo
• April / Abril
• May / Mayo
• June / Junio
• July / Julio
• August / Agosto
• September / Septiembre
• October / Octubre
• November / Noviembre
• December / Diciembre

2010 Holidays and Fiestas

January / Enero

Month dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus / Mes dedicado al Santísmo Nombre de Jesús

February / Febrero

March / Marzo

Month dedicated to the veneration of Saint Joseph / Mes dedicado al culto de Señor San José

April / Abril

May / Mayo

Month of flowers consecrated to the Holy Virgin Mary / Mes de las flores consagrado a la Santísima Virgen María

June / Junio

Month dedicated to the worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus / Mes dedicado al culto del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús

July / Julio

Month of the Precious Blood of Christ / Mes de la preciosa Sangre de Cristo

August / Agosto

September / Septiembre

Month of Patriotic Festivities / Mes de la Fiestas Patrias

October / Octubre

Month dedicated to the Holy Rosary / Mes dedicado al Santísimo Rosario

November / Noviembre

December / Diciembre

Month of the Nativity of the Lord and of the Virgin of Guadalupe / Mes de la Natividad del Señor y la Virgen de Guadalupe

Published or Updated on: January 1, 2010 by Dale Hoyt Palfrey © 1997

Contact Dale Hoyt Palfrey Re-Posted by AetnaJH 2010 Resource Mexconnect.com

Templo Mayor Restoration

Templo Mayor - Visiting Mexico City is an exciting proposition, one that promises the traveler many opportunities for adventure. A grand metropolis with one of the world’s largest populations, the city is an international destination for many travelers. Today, Mexico City offers the visitor the chance to explore one of the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

Located in the heart of the city, the Templo Mayor Museum and ruins are a must-see when visiting Mexico. In 1978, a worker digging a city construction project near a downtown cathedral hit something big and hard with his shovel. The object in question was a 500 year old stone sculpture depicting an ancient Aztec goddess. This huge stone sculpture was no ordinary find. An incredible work of art depicting the moon goddess Coyolxauqui, this sculpture was the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

Coyolxauqui

Archaeologists were immediately summoned to the site and what was determined next was nothing short of incredible. The scientific community conceded that this magnificent sculpture provided evidence that what lay hidden underneath the streets of modern day Mexico City, was in fact, the ruins of the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. More astounding yet, the ruins appeared to be those of the capital’s great pyramid, the Templo Mayor.

It has long been known by historians that the Spanish conquistadors, upon seizing control of Tenochtitlan in 1521, destroyed the Aztec city in order to establish their own. Temples were torn down and priceless artworks decimated. Spaniards built atop the structures they had razed, thereby erasing any vestiges of the once great city of Tenochtitlan. These ancient ruins and their mysteries, which are still unfolding, may have forever remained submerged underneath tons of rock and concrete, had it not been for that city worker in 1978.

Mexico was initially hesitant to destroy historic colonial buildings that lay atop these ancient ruins. Nonetheless, the decision was made to do just that. The legend surrounding the founding of Tenochtitlan is one that still lingers in the collective consciousness of Mexico today. Indeed, the country’s flag represents this legend graphically. An eagle is depicted, perched upon a cactus, devouring a snake. This was the sign that the ancient Aztecs sought in determining where to build their temple. According to legend, the Aztecs did encounter such an omen and the construction of Tenochtitlan and its great pyramid, the Templo Mayor soon commenced.

Templo Mayor showing different stages

One terrifying discovery, the Wall of Skulls, features panels of real human heads covered with stucco. The museum also showcases two clay statues of Aztec warriors, life-size and resplendent in eagle costumes.

Excavations are ongoing with one currently in progress that promises great rewards. Archaeologists believe they have uncovered nearby the tomb of Emperor Ahuizotl, the ruler of the Aztecs when Columbus landed in the New World and uncle to Montezuma. This would be an extraordinary discovery. To date, a royal burial chamber of an Aztec ruler has yet to be located, mainly due to the customary way in which the Spanish built over existing structures. The invaluable information that would be gleaned from such a discovery would be outstanding and perhaps, even monumental.

Warrior

I hope you have enjoyed this information on Mexico’s Templo Mayor, The Aztecs Main Temple in Tenochtilan.

Resource: Mexonline.com

The fascinating world of Mexicos’ Huichol Indians is full of mystery, magic and tenacity. Their story is one of triumph over adversity, for the Huichol are a people that remain faithful to their religion, despite hundreds of years of oppression and society’s attempts to assimilate them.

The Huichol represent one of the few remaining indigenous cultures left in Mexico. They live in self-imposed isolation, having chosen long ago to make their home high in the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental, in Western Central Mexico. The states they reside in, Nayarit and Jalisco, are popular destinations for travelers seeking beautiful beaches and tropical breezes. Surfing is very popular in this region as is bird-watching and all manners of water sports. However, the Huichol live in the mountainous remote portions of Nayarit and Jalisco, far away from these activities.

Huichol Basket Making

Despite many attempts by outsiders to convert them, the Huichol have remained true to their shamanic tradition, practicing the same rituals that their ancestors did. A highly spiritual people, their religious activities are focused on the ingestion of peyote, a hallucinogenic cactus. Sacred ceremonies are held while under the influence of this hallucinogen, under prescribed conditions and rules of conduct.

The peyote ceremony for the Huichol begins with their journey to find it. The land where this sacred plant grows is located hundreds of miles from where they live in the remote desert of San Luis Potosi. The Huichol call this area “Wirikuta” and it is to this location that they make their annual pilgrimage to collect the sacred peyote. Once, this long journey was made by foot but today vehicles are used to travel to the general vicinity of where the plant grows.

Peyote Bud

Peyote is not an easy plant to find. It grows under bushes and its color, a gray-green hue, blends impeccably with the surrounding terrain. Sometimes peyote is ingested in order to find the plant and traditionally a shaman leads the group of people looking for it.

The quest to locate peyote is considered a hunt and the Huichol seek spiritual guidance from the blue deer, an animal that is a major deity in their cosmology. Bows and arrows are oftentimes carried by the Huichol while on their search for peyote, to symbolize the intent of the hunt. In addition to the blue deer, which is depicted frequently in their artwork, the other major deities found in the religion of the Huichol are maize, the eagle and the sacred plant, peyote.

Huichol Woman Weaving

I hope you have found this as fascinating as I. The world of Mexicos’ Huichol Indians of the Sierra Madre Occidental

Baile Guelaguetza

The famous Guelaguetza festival is held each July in the Mexican state of Oaxaca (WA-HA-KA). Also known locally as “Los Lunes del Cerro” (Mondays on the Hill), this celebration takes place on two consecutive mondays. A beautiful cultural event dating back hundreds of years, this festival attracts visitors from around the world.

Participants from the seven different regions of the state gather in the capital city, also named Oaxaca, to dance, sing and play music. This cultural exchange is a visually stunning exhibit of color and movement. The dancers and musicians wear clothing representative of their district. Their costumes, decorated with ribbons and bells, add a wonderful presence to the festivities

In addition to folkloric dance and song, the cultural exchange extends to culinary delights. Regional food specialties are featured, enchanting the taste buds with exquisite flavors. Oaxaca is internationally known amongst food connoisseurs as having exceptionally delicious cuisine. Tantalizing Oaxacan dishes typically feature exotic mole (MO-LAY) sauces accompanied by fragrant aromas.

The roots of the Guelaguetza festival call upon pre-Columbian traditions that have existed for millennium. Indeed, the word “guelaguetza” hails from the Zapotec Indian language and means an offering or gift. Included in the translation is the concept of an exchange, or an act of reciprocity. Guelaguetza was woven into the area’s indigenous cultures as a form of social etiquette and expectation. Its practice benefited everyone involved.

Baile Gueleguetza

Since time immemorial, the area’s indigenous peoples honored the goddess of maize (corn) through ceremony and ritual. Each year at the height of the rainy season (mid-July), the people would gather and pay homage to Centeotl, the corn goddess. These supplications were performed to assure a bountiful forthcoming harvest.

During the Spanish colonial period, Catholic missionaries sought to dissuade such pagan rituals. As a result, the church promoted the feast of the Virgin of Carmen, celebrated on the 16th of July, as a countermeasure to the corn goddess festivities. A hybridization of cultures occurred and the two distinct traditions became interwoven over time, finally evolving into the modern La Guelaguetza festival we know today.

In 1932, the city of Oaxaca held a grand celebration, to commemorate its 400th year anniversary. It was designated a royal city by a decree of King Charles V in the year 1532. This extraordinary event brought together participants from the seven regions of Oaxaca to meet in the capital and share their unique gifts with one another.

An annual event, the Guelaguetza has become extremely popular with both nationals and foreigners alike. The dramatic displays of dance, music and song attracts thousands of visitors each year. Exquisite textiles, ceramics and other native arts are also highlighted with each region represented.

The dates of the festival fluctuate each year, according to the calendar and the following calculations. Typically, the first date falls on the monday after July 16th. However, an exception exists to this formula. Should the monday in question fall on the anniversary of President Benito Juárez’ death (July 18th), the start date is traditionally delayed by one week. Due to the dates changing each year, it is best to check with your travel agent when making your reservations.

Danzaping Guelaguetza

Official ceremonies commence at dawn on the festival’s first day. These celebrations take place on a hill that has a wide panorama of the city. This major landmark, “Cerro del Fortin” (Fortin Hill) has been the site of many events throughout Mexico’s history. It is an ideal spot for the festival and boasts a wonderful open-air amphitheater where the main performances take place.

In the true spirit of guelaguetza, the dancers at the end of their performance toss gifts into the crowd. These offerings represent their region’s specialty and might include straw hats, flowers and even pineapples! In addition to the two monday celebrations, adjacent festivals and parades occur on the weekend preceding the main event and throughout the week.

Women wearing traditional dress accompanied by baskets of flowers provide a lovely element to these processions. Large walking puppets delight the many children who are in attendance. Fireworks complete the festive atmosphere which is charged with electricity. There is a competition to elect a contemporary Goddess Centeotl and reenactments of the life of Princess Donaji, the last Zapotecan princess. The Guelaguetza Festival truly is a wondrous cultural event enjoyed by everyone in attendance.

Introduction

In 2010 Mexico will celebrate its 200 years of Independence with national and local public events. The Bicentennial or Bicentenario actually takes in two celebrations: the first being the Bicentennial of two hundred years since Independence (1810) and the second the no less important Centennial of 100 years since Mexican Revolution of 1910.

Mexican Independence Day celebrates the events and people that eventually resulted in independence from Spain, the country that had control over the territory of New Spain, as it was also known then. Fueled by three centuries of oppresion and sparked by a call to revolt by the respected Catholic priest Hidalgo, the first call to arms was made in the village of Dolores, in the state of Guanajuato. The uprising pitted the poor indigenous indians and mixed mestizo groups against the priviledged classes of Spanish descent, and pushed them into a violent and bloody battle for freedom from Spain.

Setting The Stage

Shortly before dawn on September 16, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla made a monumentous decision that revolutionized the course of Mexican history. Within hours, Hidalgo, a Catholic priest in the village of Dolores, ordered the arrest of Dolores’ native Spaniards. Then Hidalgo rang the church bell as he customarily did to call the indians to mass. The message that Hidalgo gave to the indians and mestizos called them to retaliate against the hated Gachupines, or native Spaniards, who had exploited and oppressed Mexicans for ten generations.

Although a movement toward Mexican independence had already been in progress since Napoleon’s conquest of Spain, Hidalgo’s passionate declaration was a swift, unpremeditated decision on his part. “Mexicanos, Viva Mexico!”, (Mexicans, long live Mexico!) Hidalgo told the Mexicans who were the members of New Spain’s lowest caste. He urged the exploited and embittered Mexicans to recover the lands that was stolen from their forefathers. That he was calling these people to revolution was a radical change from the original revolution plot devised by the Criollos, or Mexican-born Spaniards.

Groups of Criollos across Mexico had been plotting to overthrow the authority of Gachupines who, because of their Spanish birth, had legal and social priority over the Mexican born Criollos. When Joseph Bonaparte replaced King Ferdinand as the leader of Spain, the Criollos recognized a prime opportunity for Mexican sovereignity. The nucleus of this movement was a group of intellectuals in Queretaro led by the Corregidor of Queretaro (state official), his wife and a group of army officers distinguished by the adventurous Ignacio Allende.

The Criollos plan for revolution did not originally focus on the manpower of the Mexicans. Instead, the Criollos sought to avoid military confrontation by convincing Criollo army officers to sever their allegiance to the Gachupines. By claiming loyalty to the defeated King Ferdinand, the Criollos aimed to establish Mexico as an independent nation within King Ferdinand’s Spanish empire. The Gachupines who claimed authority under Bonaparte’s rule would be driven out of Mexico.

Hidalgo had close ties with this group. Approaching sixty years of age, Hidalgo was beloved and greatly respected by Mexicans. Once the dean of the College of San Nicolas at Valladolid in Michoacan (now Morelia), Hidalgo was a well-educated, courageous humanitarian. He was sympathetic to the Indians, which was unusual amongst Mexican clergymen. Against Gachupin law, Hidalgo taught Indians to plant olives, mulberries and grapevines and to manufacture pottery and leather. His actions irritated the Spanish viceroy who, as a punitive measure, cut down Hidalgo’s trees and vines.

A Decision Is Made

Gachupines were alerted to the Criollos independence movement by Criollo officers who had refused to join the revolutionary movement, and by a priest who had learned of the plot through a confessional. Hidalgo was among the central figures targeted for arrest on September 13, 1810. The Queretaro Corregidor’s wife informed the Criollos of the Gachupines plan. Allende immediately departed from Quertaro to inform Hidalgo.

Allende arrived in Dolores in the early morning hours of September 16. His message forced Hidalgo to make the most signficant decision of his life, a decision which marked the first struggle for Mexican independence and that would distinguish Hidalgo as the national hero of the revolution. The Criollos had not gained enough military alliance to forfeit the Gachupines rule, as the plot had leaked three months before the Criollos target date of December 8.

Hidalgo had three possible options. He could await arrest, flee Dolores or call on the Indian and Mestizo forces. His decision to call the exploited groups to revolution completely changed the character of the revolution, and the movement became a bloody class struggle instead of a shrewd political maneuver.

The Revolution Erupts

When Hidalgo called the Indians to action, he tapped into powerful forces that had been simmering for over three hundred years. With clubs, slings, axes, knives, machetes and intense hatred, the Indians took on the challenge of the Spanish artillery.

When the indian and mestizo forces, led by Hidalgo and Allende, reached the next village en route to Mexico city, they acquired a picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint whose image was of a woman of color. The Virgin of Guadalupe, who was indigenous to Mexico, became the banner of the revolutionary forces as Hidalgo and Allende led the path toward Mexico City and the expulsion of the Gachupines.

Hidalgo later regretted the bloodbath he had incited with his fateful “Cry of Dolores.” When he made his hasty decision in the pre-dawn hours of September 16, he had not foreseen the mass slaughter of Spaniards. Before the revolutionary troops descended upon Mexico City, Hidalgo retreated with only a few associates to Dolores, where he would be executed by the Gachupines only a year later. Despite his ambiguity toward the violent class struggle that was the Mexican revolution, Hidalgo is still revered as the father of Mexican independence.

Eleven years of war, decades of despotic Mexican rulers and political unrest proceeded Hidalgo’s cry of Dolores. Yet throughout the years of turmoil, El Grito de Dolores, “Mexicanos, viva Mexico,” has persevered. Every year at midnight on September 15, Mexicans led by the president of Mexico shout the Grito, honoring the crucial and impulsive action that was the catalyst for the country’s bloody struggle for independence from Spain. [Text updated April, 2007]

Mexico is so rich in history ad culture. This history of Mexican Independence is just one of many parts of Mexico’s history that I hope you have enjoyed.

Resources: Mexonline.com

I used to advise people to stay out of Mexico City´s famous Pink Zone (Zona Rosa). I still don´t think it´s a great place to go at night–too many sleazy types aggressively handing out push cards for table dances and “streepers.” And a woman friend had her laptop snatched out of her arms at seven o´clock in the evening on one of the busier streets in the Zone. Even the legitimate guide books tell you to beware a whole host of creepy scams that are endemic to the district.

	Cubanerías Restaurant and Bar

Still, now that I am living near the Zone and have had many opportunities to explore it in the daylight, I have to admit, I love the place. I love the trees and the flowers and the public sculptures (although some of them are not completely appropriate for viewing by young children) and the shady, narrow streets lined with world-class shops. I love the smell of fabulous food being prepared in hundreds of first-rate restaurants.

I love the tinkling of ice cubes in generous glasses full of, oh, let´s say, cuba libre (made with Havana Club´s delectable añejo rum, of course) as I walk by sidewalk watering holes. I mainly love the Zone because I love a great scene.

Genova is the street that is more or less the main drag of the Zone, and happily it is a walking street. No cars. Just broad sidewalks full of lots and lots of snappily dressed people, beautiful people, people who are in the know. How do I know they are in the know? It´s the look, the wary smile, the pretend-not-to-see glance.

And what are all these smart folks doing in the Zone? Hanging out, mostly, sipping cappuccinos in front of Mixup-the best collection of recorded music for sale in the City-or enjoying a tête-à-tête at Blah-Blah Café or having mouthwatering blackberry mousse and kaffee served at the table Danish style in copper pots at Konditori. Some people may be on their way to do a little antique shopping (the antiques may be little, but the prices aren´t) or to try on souvenir T-shirts and buy Mexican tchotchkes for granny back home in Conroe.

	Hamburgo & Genova “the best corner” in the Zona Rosa

It´s for sure that at lunch time, if they´re Chilangos, they are either heading to Café Ventura or are already seated and happily anticipating their Baguette Europea (spinach, cream cheese, salami, and tomato on a foot-long baguette with a perfect crust) or their Ensalada Buenaventura (lettuce, spinach, tomato, hardboiled egg, salami, ham, chicken, Manchego cheese, and country-style cheese) or maybe for their Arrachera Americana con papas curly y guacamole. They are also likely to be indulging in some of the best people watching available anywhere in the world there at the corner of Genova and Hamburgo, “the best corner in the Zona Rosa.” No, the restaurateur hasn´t offered me so much as a Negra Modelo to plug the place so shamelessly. I always get excited about really great food for poco dinero, a rare happenstance in the Zone. And, really, that corner…

Shopping in the Zone is no bargain, with one notable exception, Mercado Insurgentes at Londres 154, a died-and-gone-to-heaven sort of place for fanciers of all things Mexican.

Inside this huge market are hundreds, really, of storelets and stalls that specialize in zarapes, ponchos, talavera pottery from Dolores Hidalgo and Puebla, those beautiful frilly Mexican dresses, painted amate paper, “pre-Columbian artifacts,” and enough silver jewelry to sink the QE2. Bargaining is de rigueur, and everyone seems eager to sell.

They invite you into their shops as though they were inviting you in to tea. If you get lost in that cavernous place, just head to a wall and follow it to an exit. Not a good place for claustrophobes or people who tend to the bull-in-a-china-shop style of shopping.

In keeping with the cultural glitz of the Zone, there are a pair of “museums” that will not fail to please the youngsters and anyone who loves the truly odd. The Ripley Museum and the House of Wax are side-by-side just east of the Zona Rosa proper (there are signs on all the main streets). You pay one time to visit both.

Now, the Ripley concept was simple: the world is a novelty shop, and Ripley liked to collect trinkets. The trinket might be a model of an ornate cathedral fashioned from match sticks, a shrunken head from New Guinea, a landscape painted on a potato chip, a statue made from a million dollars of shredded money, the preserved body of a two-headed goat, a set of Ubangi lip plates, or tiny figurines made from dried roach parts. Not exactly the National Museum of Anthropology, but amusing in its way.

In the wax museum there are meticulously decorated rooms for royalty, sports figures, Mexican movie stars, Hollywood stars, Mexican TV personalities, and an unusual assortment of other figures: Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci with La Gioconda posing for the Mona Lisa, Gandhi, Agustín Lara, and Cervantes with his imaginary characters from Don Quixote. There is even a small theater with a wax Placido Domingo that sings; i.e., a film of his face singing is projected onto the face of the immobile statue. It is a rather creepy illusion.

In the museum´s (remember I am using this term very loosely) basement it is a different story–an animated and undiscriminating horror show: There are depictions of the real horrors of the Inquisition, with naked wax people tied to a rotating drum and roasting over a fire. There are the Hollywood monsters of Frankenstein, Dracula, and the spinning head of Linda Blair from the Exorcist. A fiendish B-movie Hollywood doll called Chucky is exhibited next to a true social monster, Jeffrey Dahmer, kneeling before an open fridge half filled with human viscera. No plastic bags! No Tupperware! Just raw viscera on open shelves. And Dahmer is gnawing on a jejunum.

	Mixup cd and tape store on Genova

If you´re like me, you´d rather be chipping away at a Napoleon and sipping a cup of Oolong at Salón de Té Duca d´Este or chomping a fajita de camarón at Taco Inn.

Believe it or not, Mexico City´s Zona Rosa used to be a quiet neighborhood of up-market homes in the sort-of-French style popular during the late 19th century. The tree-lined streets are still there, and people do live in some of the elegant high-rise apartments and hotels that dot the area, but the quiet neighborhood is history. If you go for the noise, the “culture,” and, like I said, the never-ending stream of eminently watchable denizens, you won´t be disappointed. But, really, go in the daytime.

Most importantly, enjoy your time in Mexico City’s Zona Rosa or Pink Zone.

Story & Photos by Charles Dews Published or republished by Aetna J H

In the 70′s I had the good fortune to attend Linda Schele’s first class at the University of Texas at Austin. She had wonderful ideas about reading the Maya Epigraphy glyphs. These included spelling the glyphs out, she also included “sense readings of the pictorial elements within those glyphs. [But other views took a toll and soon the "phallus" glyphs reigned supreme, even though none of the Maya codices emphasized such glyphs.]

When Bishop Landa asked a Maya glyph artist to “spell” out a sentence using the glyphs, he did. The Maya scribe apparently was already accustomed to writing out what he may not have understood as a language. His “writing” skills included sounds. In his land alone there were many visitors from foreign areas with different speech patterns. It was necessary that the scribe be familiar with sound, just as a modern stenographer. Seeing that “spelled out” words are possible, now the glyphs emphasizing those “spelling” attributes are used and although referred to sometimes, the visual aspects of the glyphs are ignored. On “spelling” out the glyphs, the big push now, is to create a “proto-language” base, instead of identifying the language that is the source of the “spelled out” or the visually inferred concepts.A case in point is the Initial Series Glyph at the top of the first two columns (or more) of most monument texts. Even in the beginning, it has always been taught only as: “the Initial Series Glyph that identifies the dating sequence of the text.” It has been merely a form of decoration, nothing more. See the ISG inThe Temple of the Sun. It is apparent, that its iconography is very different from other monuments. So when compared with other ISG’s, each monument appears to contain information about the texts found below that Initial Series Glyph.

Hola everyone. Since we are starting summertime I decided to do a little something to help us get in the mood for the season. There are many styles of Mexico’s awesome music and this one is dedicated to you.

I really hope that you’ve enjoyed this small portion of  Mexico’s  awsome music. If so, drop me a line and let me know and I will continue sharing Mexican music with you.

Map of Baja

Catavina is one of those special places in Mexico’s Baja California that photographers just love to shoot a few rolls on. Located just off the main peninsular Highway 1, it’s south of the village of El Rosario at about Km 175, and roughly in the middle of the two coasts.

Its beauty is a combination of the large granite boulders and different cactus that are indigenous to this area of the desert- the cardon, barrel cactus, the strange cirio (boojum), elephant tree and other varieties all call this part of Baja home. Add the proper lighting effects, such as those found at dusk, and you have the perfect opportunity for saving the memories of this amazing place.

Just visible from the main road is a memorial to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint. Candles are often burning when you arrive, setting the mood for your visit…

Standing like a giant and prickly upside-down carrot, the strange boojum tree stretches skyward, overlooking the painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe painted on one of the big granite boulders that are strewn about the landscape…

The different plants and trees each try to make a stand in the desert, carving out an existence in an area that is beautiful but harsh. The hearty and often ancient cardon cactus sends roots deep into the ground and stores water when it can, the boojum uses its shape and hard skin to protect itself from the hot, moisture robbing air.

The granite boulders have been exposed by the same erosion that now wears them down year after year. Their large shapes cast long shadows over the landscape as the sun sets and the full moon rises to take its place. It’s perfectly quiet, except for the rustle of the wind and the sound of your own footsteps on the desert floor.

Unaware of the odds against it, a few cardon cactus sprout out from a crack in the hard granite boulders, demonstrating just how tough and persevering the desert vegetation can be. Nothing is easy here … The highway, and the comfort of the car, are only a hundred yards away, but in this part of the desert everyone feels a bit small next to the natural giants all around.

Learn more about Baja California here

This informatin on Mexico’s Catavina is quite resourcefull. If you decide to travel into Mexico this would certainly be an ideal place. Enjoy!

Resources: Mexonline.com