posted by AetnaJo on Jan 24

Mexico’s famous Te-Amo cigar comes from Sihuapan, near Catemaco, Veracruz. The producer — Turrent, Nueva Matacapan Tabacos, S.A. de C.V. — takes its name from the owner, Alberto Turrent, the fifth generation of the cigar manufacturing family. I’m a cigar aficionado myself, and I had the pleasure of talking with Alberto Turrent at length.

During my visit to the rolling plant,  Exports Manager Señorita Marilu Zetina told me that Señor Turrent is in the field examining the crops every morning.

That hands-on expertise and care meant something to me. From my family background, I knew what planting, touching a leaf and harvesting meant to any farmer. I know the threat of bad weather and pests. With other favorable tidbits I’d heard about Mr. Turrent, I guessed he was a man of the soil as much as, if not more, than a business executive. This wasn’t a tycoon sitting behind a desk in a New York, London or Mexico City skyscraper making decisions without knowing what labor and care went into each crop. Historically, this was a family worth knowing about as much as their product.

Cigars: a family legacy

The first Alberto Turrent immigrated to Mexico from Spain. In 1880, he established his line of tobacco and cigars in the San Andreas Valley in the southeastern part of the state of Veracruz. The valley, with dormant volcanoes nearby, provided a rich soil and perfect climate for quality tobacco.

I sat with Alberto Turrent, IV, the President of Tabacalera Alberto or Turrent, Nueva Matacapan Tabacos, SA de CV. I’d toured his factory twice, spoken with the Exports Manager and poked around, taking photos of his drying sheds and fields. I’d developed a general respect for the man. Still, I wasn’t prepared for the hospitable, gentle man across the table. Were he American, he’d be one of the finest examples of a Southern gentleman.

I was there to interview this tycoon, if not the father, of modern Mexican tobacco and discovered we had other things in common. At sixty-five, Señor Turrent was only a few years older than me. I’d motorcycled through his home area, Sihuapan and the Tuxtlas region in 1971. I knew the old Mexico — the time of burros — that even the majority of the youthful Mexican population, with its burgeoning economy, no longer remembers.

Los Tuxtlas

I didn’t interview Mr. Turrent; instead we held a conversation that revealed a glimpse of the man. Visualize the Mexico this man grew up in and the times in which he expanded Tabacalera Alberto. In 1971, the narrow roads meandered and were in miserable shape. The government ignored the Los Tuxtlas region as it is still ignored by today’s tourists. The first train tracks to the area arrived in 1910 and didn’t reach Merida, Yucatan, until 1955, a few years before the highway.

The Los Tuxtlas were cut off. The Mexico of that era had few cars, exceedingly poor telephone communication and little of what we term sound infrastructure. Refrigeration was virtually unknown, and only a lucky few lived near ice plants. Many people were subsistence farmers.

Knowing the conditions of 1971 Mexico, I can only imagine the obstacles the first three Albertos faced in building their business for IV to expand.

Like most of us, Alberto IV knew little about his grandfather or great-grandfather. The first Alberto may have run the company twenty years. Both Alberto and Alberto II were deceased before he was born, and his direct memory is of his father, Alberto III.

The first two Albertos shipped their tobacco by mule train to a river where it was loaded on boats and floated to Veracruz for international transport until 1910, when the first train tracks reached the area.

Tobacco

I didn’t dwell on the subject of unknown grandfathers and moved onto farming. Mr. Turrent produces two crops per year. Generally, June to September is one crop, and September to February the other. He has nearly forty barns or what we’d call drying sheds. I’d been curious about these large structures that blend so well into the mountainous terrain they’re hard to spot. The lower halves are covered with corrugated tin, but it appeared some type of dried cane or vines covered the upper half. Once Mr. Turrent said “dried corn stalks,” it cleared up the mystery. He currently has about 600 hectares (roughly 1,500 acres) under cultivation.

We were totally relaxed, our conversation ambling off topic and returning to tobacco. Alberto, in a white short-sleeved shirt eased back to reflect a moment. “You know, I have an old poster on turn-of-the-century tobacco.”

We stepped out of his office. On the left was a wonderful poster from 1906. The two-foot by three-foot advertisement with small pictures and ads on its face carried us back in time and revealed a thriving turn-of-the-century tobacco industry. Several of the second generation Turrent brothers had their own companies. We returned to the office to view two of the few personal pictures in the room.

Alberto drew my attention to a pair of black and white photographs. “This one is my grandfather by a tobacco field about 1910. The other is of my father by the tobacco field in 1931. I’ve studied the photographs for years. There are obvious differences in the growth of the plants in each picture.”

I looked closely at the images. The 1931 plants were definitely smaller. We speculated on causes without any conclusion. Ironically, a later and unrelated part of our discussion may have thrown some light on the differences in growth. But the pictures had put us in the past and I asked if the Mexican Revolution had impacted his grandfather.

He looked surprised at the question. “No, it didn’t impact this area or crops. The bad fighting was to the north and west.”

As we spoke, there were interruptions. Business calls had to be taken and decisions made. Although I felt the intruder, Mr. Turrent apologized after each short interruption and we picked up in mid-stream.

Farmer or businessman?

He took over the company in 1960 in the Mexico I’ve inadequately described, and headed the business as Mexico upgraded and entered what I’ll term the modern or technological world.

In 1960, most Mexican tobacco was shipped to Europe. In 1964, Turrent, Nueva Matacapan Tabacos, SA de CV entered the American market. As a cigar expert, he believes the US is now open to a wider variety of cigars and cigar companies than ever before.

I had a good feel for Mr. Turrent by this time and had to ask. “Are you a businessman or a man of the soil?”

He flashed the second biggest smile I was to get from his friendly countenance. Knowing exactly what I was asking, he said, “I’m both.”

Farmer or Businessman?

We diddled a bit on the thought. He brought out a couple of cigars to enjoy during our conversation and then became serious. I love the farms. I started with the soil as a youth, but they’re completely different, the farm and the factory or business.

I asked, “When did you begin farming with tractors?”

“1965 or ’66. Do you know what we plowed with before that?”

I’d have guessed mules, but said, “No sir.”

“Bulls. We farmed with bulls.”

The reminiscence put us in the past a few moments but, returning to the present, I caught his largest smile. We got on the new brand A.Turrent 6th Generation, in honor of his year-old-grandson.

Everything stopped and Mr. Turrent lifted the third of his four personal pictures off the shelf, the fourth being a portrait his father. His grandson, a handsome little boy, smiled back. I couldn’t blame Mr. Turrent, the proud grandfather, for bringing the picture to the table. He made me the gift of one of the A.Turrent 6th Generation cigars scheduled for international release in 2008. I almost hated to smoke it, but it smelled too delicious to resist.

After a few moments discussing grandchildren, we drifted back on track. I asked what their production was.

“We produce between five and six million cigars a year,” he said. “But it’ll take seven million as we open markets in India and China.”

We examined his wall map. Colored pins designated the numerous countries purchasing tobacco and cigars. Only the continents of Australia and Antarctica lacked a pin.

Alberto looked youthful and fit for his 65 years. I asked if he’d thought of retiring.

The question produced another of his great smiles. “I couldn’t stop working with tobacco. If I retired, I’d probably go work for one of my daughters. They run tobacco shops in Monterrey. I’d spend my days telling customers about cigars.”

He indeed was Mr. Tobacco of Mexico. Recalling the rich looking soil I asked about the use of fertilizer.

Tobacco is like wine

“They used to not use it. The earth is naturally rich from the volcanic ash and the tropical rain forest vegetation constantly rotting and replenishing the soil, but it is needed. We started importing and learning about fertilizer from Germany between 1910 and 20.”

He paused a moment. “I don’t know this but it’s what I think. There were many tobacco farms in our area. We have the same conditions as Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua, but I think World War II finished most of the Mexican tobacco growers. Almost all the tobacco had been shipped to Europe before 1940, but the war ended that export business. Most cigar factories folded and the tobacco farmers turned to bananas for export to the United States. Only five or six families survived in tobacco production.”

His thoughts made me reflect on the differences in tobacco fields in the 1910 and 1931 pictures. I wondered if the German depression had ended fertilizer exports to Mexico in the years before 1931. I hated to break a good conversation with an interview question, but asked what percent of leaf and cigars are used in Mexico and how much is exported.

Mr. Turrent told me about thirty percent was used internally and seventy percent exported. From there we moved to planned production changes and other endeavors.

“It’s not big, but we’ve entered the Institute of Tobacco with Cuba. They study the genetics of the seed. Our tobacco is grown with basically the same seed Cuba uses. The studies are to find a genetic strain resistant to blue mold. One of their people comes about twice a year.”

Thinking of Cuba, I asked, “What makes Mexican tobacco better?”

Mr. Turrent replied, “No one can really say what cigar tobacco is better. Tobacco is like wine. Every area has its own flavor. Each one possesses unique traits from the local area. You can plant our seeds in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua, but it won’t taste like the tobacco we grow. It’s really the taste each individual prefers. Or for example, you can say Madura is a great wrapper, but that’s not taste or preference. I can only say with certainty, our quality is as good as or better than anywhere else in the world, and we take much pride in our product.”

I’d seen that pride in spotless work stations and the dozen workers I’d spoken with who subconsciously displayed their pride. Thankfully for me, something came up about the computer and how wonderful it was. That aside returned our conversation to the old, more primitive days and led to my treat of the day that every cigar aficionado should be lucky enough to enjoy.

Heaven in a humidor

Mr. Turrent said, “We used to do everything by telegraph. The phones were unreliable and the mail was too slow. If we shipped an order we had to telegraph the name of the vessel, the date of departure and that type information to the customer. Then the fax came and now the internet. Before, to buy a humidor, we had to write Mexico City and order through middlemen there. It took three months for one to arrive. With the internet, we discovered humidors were manufactured in New Jersey and now order directly. Instead of three months, we have a new one here in three days. The money’s not tied up for months. There have been wonderful improvements along those lines.

I wondered how big the humidors must be and asked.

He called through the open door. “Marilu, he hasn’t seen the storage room? Come on,” he said.

We walked downstairs and across part of the plant to a fairly secure door. We stepped through. The most wonderfully rich, pungent odor enveloped me and I’m certain — like a cartoon character — my eyes bugged out. The room, about 130 feet long by 20 to 25 feet wide, held approximately three and one-half million cigars of every shape, color and size one could desire. They lay housed in thousands of white, plastic baskets stacked ten feet high. The smell overwhelmed every sense, the temperature and air flow proved unbelievably relaxing and comfortable.

The humidor question evaporated from my mind. There would never be a need to light up in that room. The effect seemed strange, but perhaps others would have reacted the same way. Had there been a cot, and I allowed, Id have stretched out and enjoyed a long nap in that flavorful room.

I’d not brought my camera for my conversation with Mr. Turrent. He was kind enough to let me get it and turned me over to the young man in charge of the room. I tried from every angle and position to capture the entire room but failed. The young man offered to move some stacks so I could photograph the full 130-foot perspective, but I didn’t want to be responsible for mixing up a few hundred thousand cigars if we tipped a stack over, so I declined. Still, the reader will gain some idea of the room in the adjacent pictures.

I only wish words could properly convey the intense bouquet of aromas without telling you to shut yourself up in a closet with a great humidifier and ten or twelve thousand superior, hand-rolled cigars to savor the mood and enjoyment.

I finished the afternoon talking with a few employees. I was set to see some of the fields and basic farming operations in the morning. I’d taken more than enough of Señor Turrent’s time, but he was definitely the type of gentleman I’d like to know better. I left, hoping I’d see him again before leaving Mexico, and wondering if the sixth generation would be as gracious as the fourth.

Published or Updated on: November 23, 2010 by William B. Kaliher, © 2010 Re-Published on January 24, 2011 by Aetna J B

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posted by AetnaJo on Jan 11

Carnaval is an official Mexican holiday that kicks off a five-day celebration of the libido before the Catholic lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Beginning the weekend before Lent, Carnaval is celebrated exuberantly with parades, floats, costumes, music and dancing in the streets. Carnaval is equivalent to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. For specific dates see bottom of page.

History

The festival of Carnaval is celebrated as a last indulgence of carnal pleasures that Catholics must give up for 40 days of fasting during Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. In fact, the word Carnaval is derived from Latin, meaning take away or goodbye to flesh, and strict Catholics will give up meat eating during Lent.

Carnaval is officially celebrated for 5 days, leading up to Ash Wednesday, with the most vigorous celebration taking place over the one weekend in Mexico. The wearing of masks during Carnaval is said to be a pagan practice as protection from evil spirits, but most likely evolved as a way to participate fully in the celebration with some anonymity.

Where To See It

In Mexico, many cities have Carnaval celebration of various sizes, but the biggest events take place in the port cities, with the largest of all inMazatlan. Mazatlan’s Carnaval is said to attract well over 300,000 people, making it the third largest such event behind Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans. Port towns such as Ensenada, La Paz and Veracruz are also excellent places to watch Carnaval festivities.

People from all over the world come to Mazatlan to enjoy the festivities, and this is one of the few times that hotel reservations are both necessary and more expensive. If you plan to attend, make sure you have arrangements in place several months in advance.

Festival Events

During Carnaval, everyone participates in the many events and activities that make up the celebration. Wherever Carnaval is celebrated the whole town parties during the day and into the night, dressed in their masquerade outfits, enjoying food and drink and liquor. People of all ages throw and break cascarones, confetti filled eggshells, over each other. There are many booths that offer food, drinks, snacks and games and crafts of every type. Music of all sorts is played non-stop, by live bands, DJs or the boom box.

Some Carnavals also have a collection of rides like those found at an amusement park. Depending on the town, there may be many organized parties, outdoor festivals and masquerade balls. Many of these types of events charge an entrance fee, or may be entirely private. Mazatlan hosts a public street fair and dance for a small admission, as well as on offshore fireworks display that commemorates an old naval battle.

During the final days, many different events present awards, one for the Flower Queen, and literary awards to those who have written the best Flowery Poem. In Mazatlán, a prestigious national award is presented for the best unpublished literary work from anywhere in Mexico, called the Clemencia Isaura Poetry award.

The traditional fireworks display above Mazatlan’s coast

In the evenings there are fireworks displays including the traditional castillo, or castle, a large fireworks platform unique to Mexico. Even the kids get to stay out until late to take part and enjoy the festivities. On Saturday evening, there is the coronation of the Carnaval Queen and the humorous El Rey Feo, or Ugly King. There will also be the burning of an effigy, usually someone unpopular at the time, known as the Quema de Mal Humor orBurning of Bad Humor.

Sunday is the biggest organized celebration of the weekend, and typically includes the big float parade, and lots of musicians playing on stages and dancing in the streets. When Monday arrives, there is El Día del Marido Oprimido, or the Day of the Oppressed Husband. On this one day, for 23.5 hours, husbands have the freedom to do as they wish … within the law and religious faith of course.

By the time Fat Tuesday rolls around, many people have to get back to work, and just about everyone has had their fill of revelry and indulgence, ready to accept the restrictions of Lent.

The dates for the celebration change slightly from year to year, according to the following schedule (provided by the Mazatlan Carnaval promotions department): 2009: Feb 19-24;2010: Feb 11-16.

If you’re looking for a festival of dancing, costumes, music, fireworks, food, drink and just being wild and crazy … then Carnaval is the holiday for you. And Mexico certainly knows how to celebrate this holiday in style.

Resources: Mexonline.com

Posted on January 11,2011 by Aetna Jo B

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posted by AetnaJo on Dec 27

The Southernmost State in Mexico is one of the many beautiful states in Mexico.

	Palenque

Chiapas, the southernmost state in Mexico, is an exquisite land that is full of natural wonders. Nature blessed Chiapas with a variety of plants and animals and endowed it with rich natural resources. Geographically, the state is bordered to the west by Oaxaca and Veracruz, to the north by Tabasco and Campeche and to the east with the Central American country of Guatemala. The landscape in Chiapas includes rain forests, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, volcanoes and coastline. Ancient Mayan pyramids rise from the jungle floor, their presence whispering secrets from ages long past. Chiapas has several ancient Mayan ruins, perhaps the most notable being the beautiful ancient site of Palenque.

	Cataratas de Agua Azul

The waterfalls of Aqua Azul, located 30 miles from the ruins of Palenque, definitely top the list of natural wonders to visit while in Mexico. Limestone deposits in the soil color these waters a brilliant turquoise at certain times of the year. Shallow pools are available to swim in and this activity is very popular here. There are plenty of safe locations to enjoy swimming, but be aware that not all areas are suitable for this activity.

	Catedral de San Cristobal de las Casas

Another not to miss place to visit in Chiapas is the beautiful colonial town of San Cristobal de las Casas is located in the highlands of Chiapas at an elevation of 7,000 feet. The city sits in a valley that is ringed with pine trees, the air is crisp and the scenery outstanding. Cobblestone streets meander their way past colonial buildings painted in a variety of rainbow-colored hues. The majority of the city’s inhabitants are descendants from the Maya who still retain their culture. As well, many indigenous villages lay on the outskirts of town and the city serves as a gateway to visit these communities.

Also of note is San Juan Chamula, a highland village located 6 miles northwest of San Cristobal del las Casas. The religion practiced here is unique, a blending of Catholic and Maya traditions. Inside the village church, The Templo de San Juan, pine needles carpet the floor and hundreds of candles are lit. Healing ceremonies are performed by the village shamans, who utilize a variety of techniques to rid their patients of illness.

Many shopping opportunities abound in this region. The state of Chiapas is known for its beautiful crafts which include exquisite embroidery and weaving. A traditional weaving common in this region is called the ‘huipil’, a textile woven with elaborate abstract designs. Oftentimes worn as a shirt or dress, this form of weaving also is made into blankets, purses and shawls. Fine leather-worked objects and amber are also popular purchases while visiting Chiapas.

The capital of the state, Tuxtla Gutierrez, is also the state’s largest city. This city is known for its modern amenities and its fast-paced atmosphere. This city serves as a major transportation corridor for travelers and many choose to stop only briefly here while on their way to other destinations. However, one of Mexico’s finest zoos is located in Tuxtla Gutierrez, the Miguel Alvarez del Toro Zoo. Animals indigenous to the region can be seen here, including eagles, snakes, jaguars, flying squirrels, monkeys and several species of birds including parrots and toucans.

Chiapas is uniquely different from other Mexican states. The population is mainly indigenous and unlike other regions of Mexico, the citizens here do not typically speak Spanish as their first language. A variety of Indian dialects are spoken and as direct descendants of the ancient Maya, the people of Chiapas provide a rare glimpse into an indigenous people who have proudly retained the roots of their rich and ancient history.

Corn growing under the flankes of the Volcano Mispilla near Teopisca.

Cemetery in the Comitan valley near El Progresso.

Landscape of Tenejapa.

Lanscape in the Comitan Valley near El Progresso.

A canoe in Laguna Miramar deep in the Lacandon jungle.

Another view of Laguna Miramar.

Woman from Amatenango del Valle, the pottery town
for all of the highlands. She is seen here in traditional dress.

I hope that you have enjoyed “Chiapas- The Southernmost State in Mexico” as much as we have.

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posted by AetnaJo on Nov 22

For a while I’ve been asking myself how it’s possible that I keep finding new natural wonders to write about after 25 years of living near Guadalajara. So, one day I sat down with a map and drew a circle around the city, with a radius of about 250 kilometers, nicely encompassing many of the places local people could conveniently drive to in one day.

As I looked over what was included in that circle, I realized it was filled with attractive, picturesque, exciting, charming, even amazing sites. There was Lake Chapala, biggest natural lake in the country, the sprawling Primavera pine and oak forest, the live and fiery Volcán de Fuego, the white sand beaches of the Pacific Coast, huge, deep canyons carved by the Santiago River, limestone mountains supporting incredibly rich cloud forests like El Cerro de Manantlán, the mangrove swamps and rivers of San Blas, teaming with bird and animal life, and much, much more.

Of course, to some extent, this variety can be attributed to altitude, which ranges from the height of snow-covered Nevado de Colima (4240 meters, 13,911 feet) to sea level on the Pacific coast. But is this diversity of eco-systems due only to altitude?

By good luck, I happened to receive a copy of just the book that could answer this

question. I’m referring to Geo-Mexico by Richard Rhoda and Tony Burton. This geography book focuses on the interaction between people and the physical environment and is chock full of fascinating facts. For example, did you know that Mexico has more species of pine trees than any other country? That it has the world’s richest assortment of cacti (over 900 species)? That Mexico’s diverse economy produces about $1.6 trillion in goods and services every year, more than Canada or South Korea? That Mexico’s population of 110 million makes it the eleventh largest nation on earth? That migrant workers in the USA sent $25 billion (yes, billion!) back to their families in Mexico in 2008?

But I digress. This book also made it possible for me to test my theory that the circle I had drawn around Guadalajara is something special. Chapter 5 of Geo-Mexico is devoted to ecosystems and biodiversity. It divides all of Mexico into five natural ecosystems:

• Arid and semi-arid scrublands (as in the cactus-rich Sonoran desert)
• Tropical evergreen forests (for example, the rain forests of Quintana Roo)
• Tropical deciduous and thorn forests (as found in Sinaloa)
• Grasslands and mesquite grasslands (from Ciudad Juarez to Aguascalientes)
• Temperate forests (the oaks, pines and firs of Mexico’s mountains)

To my surprise and delight, I discovered that there is only one place in the entire country where all five ecosystems are found in close proximity and that is inside of what I call The Magic Circle. In addition to this, according to Rhoda and Burton, the line designating the major Faunistic Divide of Mexico, (creatures of the north and creatures of the south) just happens to run right through that same Magic Circle.

Rhoda and Burton state that Mexico is one of the most mega-diverse countries of the world, with 30,000 different species of flora (compared to 18,000 in the USA) and, in my opinion, the best place to get a taste of this extraordinary biodiversity is The Magic Circle.

While many of us who live inside this circle see it as a single geographical unit (the area around Guadalajara), politicians might have a very different opinion. Politically, the Magic Circle is composed of Jalisco plus a large chunk of Michoacán, a slice of Nayarit, a lump of Zacatecas, a piece of Guanajuato and the entire states of Colima and Aguascalientes. While a native of this area might see a circle, a politician may see something shaped like an anemic amoeba. Funding, of course, for most projects related to culture, tourism or sport will usually come from the coffers of a single state and often result in posters, brochures, films, etc. with titles like, The Marvels of Michoacán, The Haciendas of Jaliscoor The Calabashes of Colima.

once asked to write a book on The Caves of Jalisco and replied, “But amigo, some of the best caves of Jalisco are in Colima and Michoacán.” And because of that, the project was scrapped!

Apart from the fact that The Magic Circle encompasses extraordinary geographical, botanical and biological diversity, it also just happens to have been home to complex civilizations for over 2000 years and because of its huge obsidian deposits, was, for a long time, the very hub of the vast and powerful Teuchitlán nation. So, this area is abundantly rich in pre-Hispanic ruins like its famed Circular Pyramids, as well as countless colonial-era haciendas.

So it is that a person living in Guadalajara Mexico could choose from any of the following fascinating places for a Sunday outing, and could draw up a similar list for dozens of Sundays thereafter:

• Ceboruco Volcano: pine trees, meadows and hissing fumaroles
• San Blas: mangroves, exotic birds, crocodiles and dramatic ocean surf
• Los Negritos: boiling black mud pots next to an unpolluted deep lake.
• Las Piedras Bola: giant stone balls at least a few million years old
• Santa Rosalia: untouched, beautifully preserved circular pyramids 2000 years old
• Hacienda de San Antonio: deep canyon, tropical orchard, idyllic swimming hole
• Tapalpa: cobblestone roads, ornate balconies, cold nights, blazing fireplaces
• Las Siete Cascadas: seven waterfalls and natural pools all in a row.
• Bosque de Maples: a Pleistocene cloud forest near Talpa, dripping with moss

Many of the outstanding sites inside the Magic Circle would have remained virtually unreachable by modern man and woman if it weren’t for the many roads that radiate outwards from Guadalajara in every direction, because the city has been around for so long (since 1533) and is the second-largest metropolis in the country. This network of highways is all the more remarkable because the city is nearly surrounded by deep canyons. In fact, a great deal of the terrain inside the Magic Circle has either canyons or mountains. A few years ago, travelling through this area meant creeping along behind an endless procession of diesel-belching semis and buses, down countless hairpin curves to the very bottom of a deep barranca and then back up an equally grueling route to the top of the other side, where you would discover you had just undergone two hours of sheer torture in order to travel horizontally only one kilometer.

Since those days, magnificent bridges — often true marvels of engineering — have been built across some of those canyons, bringing the farthest corners of western Mexico within easy reach of the country’s second city.

In 1998, my wife Susy and I published Outdoors in Western Mexico, forty descriptions of little-known but fascinating places we had found not far from Guadalajara. Years later, when we wanted to update the book and translate it into Spanish, we revisited most of those sites and made some sad discoveries.

Published or Updated on: November 7, 2010 by John Pint  © 2010 Contact John Pint

Re-Published or Updated on November 22, 2010 by Aetna J B

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posted by AetnaJo on Nov 9

Although travel to Mexico is not recommended at present, the following are recommended if you must go. *Travel to Acapulco or any US/Mexico border city is absolutely not advisable at all.

Cabo San Lucas Hotels, Resorts, B&Bs and Vacation Rentals

Alegranza Residential Resort, luxurious 2 and 3 bedroom master suite apartments with full kitchens, living rooms, terraces and spectacular views of the entire Bay of San Jose. Complete resort amenities, including gourmet restaurant, deli, gym, sauna, tennis, and complete concierge service. San Jose del Cabo.

CaboVillas.com, Rated the #1 Villa Rental Company in Mexico by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. Over 20 years experience creating high luxury resort packages & private villa rentals. We have been planning and delivering Cabo vacations for over 20 years. We specialize in luxury villas and resort vacation packages.Los Cabos.

Casa Rafael‘s, A small and intimate boutique hotel with 10 elegant, air conditioned room, only 100 yards from Medano Beach and a short walk into the center of town. International Cuisine Full Bar. Restaurant Open Daily 6pm to 10pm. Pool, Gym & Patio MC, Visa, Amex Accepted. Cabo San Lucas.

El Encanto Inn, Gracious 28 room hotel featuring beautiful, hacienda style architecture and lush tropical grounds in the heart of San Jose del Cabo’s Historic Art District. All rooms are exquisitely decorated in an upscale rustic style. Beds, pillows and linens exceed American luxury hotel standards. Private wedding chapel and luxurious Spa Ixchel make the El Encanto Inn an ideal location for a dream wedding. San Jose del Cabo.

Hotel Club Cabo, One acre palm shaded hotel with a great pool, jacuzzi, steam sauna and gym. Economical and close to the beach and town. Transportation available. Cabo San Lucas.

ME Cabo, ideally located on Medano Beach, this luxury resort commands the finest views of Land’s End and features 155 exquisitely decorated and appointed rooms and suites. ME Cabo’s Nikki Beach Club is your host on the sand, with cool drinks from the bar, grilled specialties at The Deck, and music timed to the tides. Cabo San Lucas.

Hotel Club Cabo, The #1 Budget Hotel. One acre palm shaded hotel with air conditioned rooms, a great pool, jacuzzi, steam sauna and gym. Economical & close to the beach and town. Transportation available. Cabo San Lucas.

Scoop Hotel and Supper Club,New, hip, boutique hotel and supper club in the heart of downtown Cabo San Lucas just 4 blocks off the marina, featuring eight individually decorated rooms each with private marble baths. Price includes gated parking and light breakfast. Cabo San Lucas.

Casa Rafael’s, A Small & Intimate Boutique Hotel. International Cuisine Full Bar. Restaurant Open Daily 6pm to 10pm. Pool, Gym & Patio MC, Visa, Amex Accepted. Cabo San Lucas.

Hotel Club Cabo, This Cabo B&B is nestled in a bird-filled mesquite forest an easy ten minute walk to Medano beach and downtown Cabo San Lucas. Hostess Irene Rozendaal, born and raised in Puebla Mexico, prepares sumptuous, international breakfasts daily using fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables from local growers. Cabo San Lucas.

Alegranza Residential Resort, luxurious 2 and 3 bedroom master suite apartments with full kitchens, living rooms, terraces and spectacular views of the entire Bay of San Jose. Complete resort amenities, including gourmet restaurant, deli, gym, sauna, tennis, and complete concierge service. San Jose del Cabo.

Baja Vacations, Luxurious Beachfront Villas & Penthouses. Beachfront Pools & Jacuzzi. Ground Transportation. Complete Concierge Services. In-room Massage & Spa Treatments. Los Cabos.

Beachfront Villa Pescadero, New Pacific beachfront 1-7 bedroom villa. Ideal for small/large groups/weddings/family reunions. Playa San Pedritos, one of best surf beaches in Baja! Pescadero.

Cabo Homes & Condos, Offering Large Variety of Oceanview & Beachfront Rentals. Offering from 1-14 Bedrooms. Meet & Escort You to Accomodations. Groups of up to 56 People. Plaza Costa Azul

CaboVillas.com, Rated the #1 Villa Rental Company in Mexico by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. Over 20 years experience creating high luxury resort packages and private villa rentals. Los Cabos.

*Travel to Acapulco or any US/Mexico border city is absolutely not advisable at all.

Resource: Mexonline.com Posted 11/9/2010

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posted by AetnaJo on Nov 3

The Costa Chica (“Short Coast” in Spanish) is one of two regions in Mexico with significant Black communities, the other being the state of Veracruz on the Gulf coast. The Costa Chica is a 200-mile long coastal region beginning just southeast of Acapulco, Guerrero, and ending near the town of Puerto Angel, Oaxaca.

The shaded area in the map shows the location and extent of the Costa Chica.

While the Costa Chica is home to many Blacks, there are many indigenous groups, as well. I have spent very little time learning about these people, and can’t speak with very much confidence about them. What I do know is that there are two major indigenous ethnic groups in the region: the Amuzgos, the coastal Mixtecs and, to a lesser extent, Tlapanecos and Chatinos.

What is also clear to me is that there is very little social interaction between Blacks and indigenous people. Part of this is the issue of the language barrier, but I believe the issue is much more complex than that. There has been a long history of hostility between the two groups, and while today there is no open hostility, negative stereotypes abound on both parts. I would hope to explore these inter-ethnic relations further, and that would likely require my learning one of their languages. Wish me luck!

Most of the homes in the region were round mud huts, whose roots have been traced back to what is now Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Now, the norm is a one-room house with wall of adobe. Also, while some of the better houses are constructed with brick or cinderblock, others can be a rather makeshift structure of sticks, mud and cardboard.

The economic base of the Costa Chica, not unlike most of the rest of the country, is agricultural. These campesinos, or peasant farmers, concentrate most of their efforts in the cultivation of corn, almost exclusively in order to make tortillas for their own consumption. Other common crops are coconut, mango, sesame, and some watermelon

Published or Updated on: September 1, 1998by Bobby Vaughn © 1998

Republished or Updated on November 3, 2010 by Aetna J B

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posted by AetnaJo on Oct 23

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posted by AetnaJo on Aug 28

This is such a touching account of an encounter of Mary Harter together with friends and the rescuing of  whales in Mexicos southern Baja.

It was an unusually gray overcast day for southern Baja in mid April. We were relishing the respite from the often relentless sun and enjoying morning coffee at camp on San Francisquito Island north of La Paz. We were a group of 12 friends and 5 Mexican crew on a 9 day island hopping expedition complete with skiffs and kayaks from La Paz to Loreto.

Some of our party decided to take advantage of the overcast skies and go for a hike up the spectacular ridgeline above camp. A well worn path leads up the north east ridge of the island. From the ridgeline you get a spectacular view of the surrounding Sea of Cortez and islands of Espiritu Santo to the south and San Jose to the north.

While most of us were enjoying morning coffee at camp the hiking party returned from the ridge in a hurry with news of a baby whale they spotted near shore entangled in fishing nets. Everyone at camp immediately set into motion with plans to help rescue the whale. We grabbed ropes and knives and of course cameras and 6 of us jumped into a skiff (otherwise known as a panga in Baja) and headed in the direction of where the entangled whale was last spotted. Meanwhile the hiking group returned to the ridgeline to direct us to the spot with their birds eye view. As we motored around the northeast corner of the island we noticed a couple of whales sounding off in the distance, tails raised high as they dove. They were humpbacks.

We were directed by our folks on the ridge to travel closer to shore and further south and soon we were getting close to the vicinity of where the distressed whale had last been sighted. Suddenly there it was, a humpback calf only about 20 feet in length (mature humpbacks reach 50 feet) with brightly colored fishing net wrapped tightly over most of its head and upper body. The small whale was about 50 yards off shore in about 40 feet of water. Two of our Mexican crew, Carlos Gajon and Manuel Higuera, dove into the water with snorkel gear and knives in hand attempting to swim along side the whale and try to cut the netting off. They were able to snorkel directly above the whale and helplessly watch as it continually dove and tried scrapping the net off on rocks on the sea floor. The poor whale was covered in scraps and cuts, some bleeding, from its fruitless efforts.

Carlos and Manuel’s efforts to free dive 40 feet and try cutting the net off were in vain. We finally realized we would need to get the whale into more shallow water in order to effectively work on removing the net from the whale while working on the surface of the water. Manuel dove down and successfully tied a line from our panga to the net entangling the whale. We used the skiff to start pulling the whale toward shallower water. At first the small exhausted whale resisted but almost immediately it relented and gave in to our efforts to assist it. We succeeded in getting it into shallow waters and several more of us abandoned our dry, warm seats in the panga to jump into the cool, gray waters and begin cutting the net. We were now in about 10 feet of water and the small whale remained docile and calm along side our panga at the surface of the sea. Ever since our initial tug from the panga pulling the whale toward shore this highly intelligent animal totally relented to our efforts in freeing it from its bondage. Several of our party adorned with masks and snorkels noticed its eyes wide open staring at them under water. One of our members even noticed this 20 foot probably 15 ton animal close its eye and nudge toward him as he started cutting the net off. Once the knives started slashing the net was off and in our panga within 5 minutes. The whale hovered near our panga as we all cheered and stroked it. Then smoothly and deliberately the whale slowly swam off toward deeper waters. We all cheered again.

Due to the fact I was 6 ½ months pregnant at the time, I opted not to jump in the water and cut netting off this unfortunate little whale. It took all my will power to refrain from joining my friends in the water as it’s always been a dream of mine to look a whale in the eye from underwater. Instead I took on the role of photographing the event. As a biologist and naturalist on whale watching trips for 20 years I know young humpbacks aren’t weaned until about 8 months. From the size of this whale calf I imagine it was only about 2 months of age if that. Therefore without its mother’s milk supply we didn’t have much hope for its survival.

We truly hoped that one of the two humpbacks we saw in the distance when first rounding the island was its mother and that she would soon find her calf net free. Of course we have no way of knowing what happened to the little whale but we felt good in knowing we at least prevented it from suffering any further distress caused by the net.

Several weeks later one of our guides, Carlos, who had participated in the rescue, was guiding another trip and our group was camping on the island of San Francisquito. There they saw the little humpback, alone, swimming among the numerous yachts anchored in the bay known for its safe harbor on the southern end of the island. Several people were snorkeling with the young whale and our group joined in. Both groups of people from trips in April of 2002 now have lasting memories of frolicking with a young humpback whale in the Sea of Cortez.

It’s difficult not to anthropomorphize when observing such an event. In my professional education I’ve been taught as a biologist to never try and convey human feelings upon an animal. But what other options do we have when trying to explain the emotions of an animal we share many similarities with? This young whale, exhausted as it was, still could have dragged our panga down and under had it been inclined. It knew we had good intentions and let us help it. Whether we made any difference for the population of whale kind doesn’t really matter. All we know is we feel better to have done something rather than nothing and we know in our hearts our little whale friend felt relieved of its entrapment upon release from the netting entangling its body.

I really hope that you’ve enjoyed and envisioned this awesome adventure in Mexicos Baja Whale Rescue. Until next time, enjoy!

Re-Published or Posted by Aetna J B on August 28, 2010

Editor’s Note: Mary Harter (mary@kayakbaja.com) is the owner of Mar y Aventuras(http://www.mexonline.com/kayakbaja.htm), a kayak and whale watching company in southern Baja. They provide other tours as well. She is an expert on the local area and all it has to offer.

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posted by AetnaJo on Aug 8

I’m posting this article on Backpacking in Chiapas, Mexico for your enjoyment and hopefully this will be useful to all of you who enjoy traveling and backpacking. Although I am sorry to say that this is not a good time to travel into Mexico due to the present drug wars that are happening on a daily basis.

Local advice from a local “mochilero”, Don Fernando, in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas.

Most visitors in Chiapas are Back-Packing or “mochileros” as we call them. 60% of these visitors are from Europe, 35% from USA and Canada, 5% from Latin America and Asia.

Palenque and San Cristobal are the two major towns that are used as the entrance to Chiapas. At the present time, most of Chiapas is a easy and safe journey.

One of Mexico’s best preserved archaeological sites, Palenque

Transportation by bus, “Cristobal Colon”, is the most common transportation, but if you want to go to places where the only outsiders that you will see, are a few “mochileros” like you or no one,

then you have to travel by local “camionetas” or “combis” vw-buses, or by boat in the rivers Usumacinta, Jataté or Lacantún. In these rivers the boats are like buses, in that they have a departure time, but information is very local. Once the boat has enough people, it gets ready to leave. The same for the “camionetas”, but you can always make a deal for a small group of 4 to 6 persons for a special trip, “viaje especial” as the locals call them. “Transporte comunitario” meaning traveling on public buses or vans will cost less than “viaje especial”.

September and October are not the best time to travel by boat or camionetas, it rains every day or night and transportation is not too reliable. You may not be able to get in or out the day that you want to, so if you can avoid traveling then, do it.

Usually while you wait for the departure and during the trip, your Spanish conversation will be improve, children are always present in the area and it’s impossible not to learn some Spanish, Tzotzil, Chol, Tojolobal or Tzeltal. These are the four major ethnic groups in Chiapas. Chiapas is know as “Rich Land, Poor People”, this title was given in colonial times by the Spanish and other outsider travelers. It is true, the land is very rich and most of the locals are very poor, but I have found that in most of the locals, their lives are very rich, the idea of “family values” and “community values” are very rich, and it has always been outsiders that call them poor and ignorant. Reality is very different, the values that we have are just different from theirs, but the smiles of the people are more honest and frecuent than in our society. They smile much more than we do in the cities. “Mochileros” are true travelers that understand that smiles can make great conversation, that will leave eternal memories on you, it happened to me, I am sure it will happen to you too.

Where to go? And how to get there?
The selva (jungle), los altos (the high land), la playa, (the beach)?

Selva, from Palenque, where you can visit Bonampak and Yaxchilan. The best way to do it by yourself is by bus. At Bonampak look for the village Lacanja and once you are there, you’ll find an air strip, a local school and a health clinic that always look like is closed, this is the central area. Ask the locals for the home of Don Jorge, a Lacandon older person, and members of his family – Kim-Bor, Vicente, Alberto – have camping areas with hammocks to rent. Stay wherever is best for you, all are nice families to stay with.

Once you are there, visit the waterfall of “Rio Cedro” and the Lacanja lake. Always ask for the price of the service before you take someone as a guide. You can also go to Yaxchilan for the day, by bus to Frontera Corozal, then take the collective boat to Yaxchilan. Tickets are sold next to the Escudo Jaguar Hotel. This is the only way you can visit, or by plane, but the cost is much higher.

In this same place, you can take the boat to Guatemala, if your destination is Tikal. The boat leaves every day at 12pm and 2pm. It takes about 45 minutes to Betel, where you take the bus to Flores (about 5 hour drive). Once in Flores it’s easy to take the bus to Tikal, there is also a bus every day from Flores to Belmopan, Belize, if your destination is the Caribbean area, or from Flores to Guatemala City.

Bonampak ruins

If you would like to do a “Zapata” tour, and combine natural beauty and it’s people, from Palenque take the bus to Roberto Barrios, a Zapatista community where very recently (January of 2001) the Mexican Army was removed as part of the agreements with the EZLN (Zapatistas).

The waterfalls and blue river are a dream to go swimming in and spend all day moving from blue pools to green pools, very few outsiders come to visit this area. Always ask permission of the local authorities to visit the river before you go, they will almost always say “yes”, but they want to know who is on their land because of the army conflict.

From Palenque ask for the bus that goes to Chancalá, although you will get off the bus before Chancalá. Ask the bus driver to leave you at the crossroad of Nueva Galilea and Arimetea, Roberto Barrios is on the way. You walk 8 kilometers (4.5 miles) on this road and you may get a ride from a local truck. You can camp next to the church, but remember always ask for permission before you set up your camp. Some people go only for the day, early in the morning and return in the afternoon to Palenque, but I like to stay for one night, and it is on the way to Bonampak and Yaxchilan.

Laguna Miramar is “community ecotourism” at it’s best; the best adventure you can have in Chiapas for the true backpackers. The Lonely Planet Handbook of Mexico has a very good description of the lake and how to get there.

You can go from Ocosingo or Comitan by bus, it takes from 5 to 7 hours driving depending on the time of the year that you go. Take the bus that goes to San Quintin, it is the major town in the area, and is the end of the bus route. Once you arrive walk to Ejido Emiliano Zapata, one mile, and ask for the “comisario ejidal” (local authorities). and pay your fee before you make your walk to the lake. It’s $3 US dls a day and you can rent a canoe for $10 US dls a day. I recommend renting a canoe, which holds 4 people, so you can explore the shore and the island with the archaeological site of Lacam-Tun.

Majestic and Mysterious Laguna Miramar
You can also go by boat on the Jataté river. The way to get there is from Comitan to Lagos de Montebello. Take the “carretera fronterisa” (Guatemala – Mexico border highway) to Maravilla Tenejapa. After you pass the Santo Domingo river, look for the towns of Loma Bonita and Amatitlan. There you can take the boat up the river to San Quintin, it takes about 3 hour and is a great adventure. The boat leaves once it’s full. It’s a long journey to Laguna Miramar, give yourself a minimum of 4 days and 3 nights to make it worthwhile. It is only camping and you have to do your own cooking.

San Cristobal de las Casas
Most of the tour guides in this area are individuals or companies, but if you want to be guided by the local indigenous, I will recommend a local organization called “Turismo Comunitario” El Rostro Indigena de San Cristobal (forods@laneta.apc.org). They have made a “Network of Community Tourism” and support community tourism — no one speaks English and Spanish is their second language. The guide is called “interprete cultural” (cultural interpreter) and has four different daily trips and it’s run mostly by women. In San Cristobal you can get information at Tel. 678-0456 (Claudia Castro or Mario Perez – turismocomunitariochiapas@yahoo.com). I recommend them because it’s a way to suport local indigenous women to make a better income for their family.

The Pacific – beach and lagoons
Visit “Boca del Cielo”. Don’t be surprised to find great hidden places, with very few locals at the beach, eternal Pacific Ocean sunsets, mangrove lagoons with all the birds you’ve seen in the Discovery tv programs.

The seafood at the restaurants are fresh, cold beer, tender coconuts and local prices are low. As we say in Mexico “bueno, bonito y barato” or “good, nice, & cheap”. The European or American tourist mass market is far away from this area, no golf courses or yacht marinas. The area is mostly inhabited by people of th Istmo of Oaxaca influence more than Maya influence.

How do I get there?
From Tuxla Gutierrez take a bus to Arriaga and Tonalá, then change buses at Tonalá and take a local bus to Puerto Arista, getting off the bus a few miles before Puerto Arista (ask the bus driver to leave you at the crossroad of “Boca del Cielo”). From there take a local “combi” vw bus to Boca del Cielo, then take a boat across the lagoon where you will find many restaurants that have shade areas for camping. It’s usually free, as long as you buy food or beverages from them. Most of them have toilets and shower, many have hammocks for rent, and some have storage room for your pack.

While you are at the beach, all restaurants are facing the lagoon, if want to see the ocean, you’ll have to walk over the sand dunes. I recommend walking south, so you can be by yourself for miles and miles. If you walk the other way, you will come to the mouth of the lagoon that connects with the sea, very nice but the locals are not very conscious about garbage collection. By the way if you go there, tell the people of the restaurant where you are staying, that you don’t like what they are doing to the environment so maybe things can begin changing.

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this article  about backpacking in Chiapas Mexico as much as I did and  for all of you believers out there, please keep the people of Mexico who are now caught in the crossfires between the Mexican army and the drug cartels, in your prayers. Until next time, enjooy!

Author:Fernando Ochoa Magaña
Fernando is the owner of Laguna Miramar Ecotours. He is a 1997 Conde Nast Eco Tourist Award Winner, and bilingual outfitter from San Cristobal de las Casas. For overnight camping trips or guide services to the Lacandon Rain Forest, contact him at 11-52 (9) 678-0468 (from U.S. or Canada) or by e-mail at donfer8a@prodigy.net.mx.

Republished ane/or posted by Aetna J H on August 8, 2010

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posted by AetnaJo on Aug 2

This is very different to what I have recently been posting. I have found it necessary to expose what I can about current events in N Laredo,Mexico Laredo, Texas and other US/Mexico border towns as the violence is spilling into the U.S. side of the border.

Recently the U.S. congress blocked additional funds for Border protection as they feel that it is as safe as ever on the US side of the border. I dare to disagree. This particular video includes the bombing of  a N.Laredo newspaper office in retaliation for an article that did not favor the drug cartels. Those of us living on the border certainly do not agree as we can actually hear the explosions and gun fire on the Mexican side and have seen an escalation of murders in Laredo, Texas. Actually the American Embassy Offices located in L. Laredo were bombed with grenades  and just this past weekend an affiliate of  a national TV station was also blown up with grenades.

Once again, recently the U.S. congress voted for no additional funds for border protection as they feel that we are safe as ever. The American Embassy Offices located in L. Laredo were blown up with grenades  and this weekend the affiliate of  a national Mexican TV station was also blown up with grenades, so please do not insult us by telling the world that the US/Mexican border cities are as safe as ever.

I have a personal invitation for any senator who voted for “no additional funds for border security” to come and visit us and see for yourself what is really happening. As a matter of fact, bring your families to the US/Mexico border and spend a week here and see how safe you feel while visiting.

I encourage all of my friends and followers to forward this to as many friends and people that you can so that we bring awareness of the truth. Thank you in advance for your help.

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