Hotel Cordelias, Puerto Ángel, Mexico

Touring Mexico by car in 1935 Alexander Kerekes

Touring Mexico by car in 1935

Alexander Kerekes

While paintings interpret reality, film and photography give us a vivid look at the past.What was Mexico like in 1935? The Revolution over, Lazaro Cardenaswas president. Feelings of nationalism ran high and would make possible the expropriation of Mexico's vast oil reserves in 1938.Movies focused on social themes and historical events along with the melodramas popular since silent movies, and the next decade would usher in the Golden Age of Mexican film in the 1940s and '50s.Alexander Kerekes discovered a 16 mm movie shot in 1935 during a road trip through Mexico. The beautiful Chrysler touring car tackles the roughest terrain through remote countryside, towns and cities, and even the capital. This is Mexico seen through the eyes of Americans.We hope you enjoy it.The Editor

Oaxaca is a Mesoamerican mecca June 29, 2014 12:00 AM

Oaxaca is a Mesoamerican mecca

June 29, 2014 12:00 AM

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Lillian Thomas/Post-Gazette

Pottery on a patio of Las Golondrinas hotel in Oaxaca.

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By Lillian Thomas / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

OAXACA, Mexico — This beautiful city sits a mile up in the jagged mountain spine curving toward the country’s narrow Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

It’s a land of intensity: Fierce sun at midday, 45 minutes of pouring rain in the late afternoon. Pride in indigenous culture in a cosmopolitan city that has become a center of modern Mexican art. Natural beauty pocked by poverty. A colonial city of stone churches in the shadow of the dramatic ruins of a metropolis that once ruled the region.

If you go

Rates: Standard rooms range from about $60 for a simple room with iffyWi-Fi and no television to $200 for a luxury hotel room with all the amenities.

Transportation: Flights fromMexico City to Oaxaca start at $250 round trip. Buses make the six-hour trip frequently and range from about $80 round trip to $180 round trip for “platinum” class.

Travel Tips: As in any big city, be aware of your surroundings; violent crime is low, but in crowded places there is always a risk of pickpockets. Water contamination is not an issue in large restaurants and hotels, but take precautions if you buy street food(even a bottled beverage could have been sitting in contaminated ice water). Employees at restaurants and hotels generally speak English, and vendors know enough to negotiate sales, but you’ll find fewer bilingual people outside tourist areas, and many older Oaxacans speak Zapotec as a first language. Give yourself time to adjust to the altitude by planning a light schedule on your first day; the daytime sun can be intense, but evenings are cool and beautiful.

A trip to Oaxaca, 286 miles southeast from Mexico City, is a ride on an inexpensive time machine. You can go back to 500 B.C. when the Zapotec city of Monte Alban was founded, its stone pyramid temples and ballfield laid out with precision on a deep green mountaintop; to colonial Mexico in the expansive zocalo and beautiful churches; to the present, where the pace allows time for conversation, walking, eating and taking in the ring of mountains surrounding the city and the intimacy of interiors full of light, plants and attention to detail.

The center of public life of this state capital (the state is also called Oaxaca) is the zocalo, the central plaza anchored by the Oaxaca cathedral and bordered by government buildings, hotels, shops and restaurants. Day and night you can find vendors, political rallies, tables offering everything from herbal cures to social services, and impromptu performances bymarimba/sax bands, storytellers and dancers in the traditional “trajes” — embroidered long skirts and blouses, long braids threaded with ribbons, and big gold earrings and necklaces.

Santo Domingo plaza, a few blocks away, is also a lively gathering spot, and the streets between the two are full of galleries, shops and restaurants.

Oaxaca and the surrounding region — where five major indigenous languages are still spoken — is known for black ceramics, intricately woven rugs, fine textiles, embroidered blouses, gold jewelry, painted wooden figurines and tinwork. All are available in Oaxaca; there are also buses to nearby towns that specialize in specific crafts.

Monte Alban is the region’s major archaeological site, but Mitla — a major Zapotec religious center — is also a short trip from the city. There are many guided tours to both sites, most half- or full-day excursions that start at around $25 and can go up to $200 or more for trips that take in some of the craft-producing villages as well. Buses are cheap (about $4), and information about all the area’s sites and attractions is abundant, so it’s easy and inexpensive to self-tour.

Monte Alban was occupied from 500 B.C. to 800 A.D. (there are earlier period remains in the region, and some objects excavated at Monte Alban date to 1500 B.C.). Its occupation ended at roughly the same time as two other great Mesoamerican civilizations, the Maya and the people of Teotihuacan outside Mexico City (the Aztecs were late arrivals, just a few centuries before the Spaniards came in the early 1500s).

The site has a commanding view of the Oaxaca Valley and surrounding mountains, and strong natural defense in the sheer dropoffs from the edges of its mountaintop site. The Zapotecs ruled the region for hundreds of years, had extensive trade connections, sophisticated building, stone-carving and astronomical skills. The Zapotec language is a tone language (likeChinese) in which the same cluster of letters can be three different words depending on pronunciation and inflection. Modern-day Zapotecs take great pride in their language and wonder why visitors bother with the obviously inferior Spanish when they could be learning Zapotec. Oaxacans love their history, their culture, their arts and their food.

The food is lovable for sure. Mole, mezcal, tlayuda, fruits, intense chocolate and fresh vegetable soups are excellent and cheap. There are many restaurants, from tiny places where a daily special (soup, main course, beer/mezcal and dessert) can be as little as $3 to white-tablecloth places where chefs riff on traditional dishes and ingredients — and you can still get away for less than $100 for a meal for two.

There are numerous museums, including a fine one at the former Santo Domingo convent, as well as many galleries and informal exhibits hosted by the public library, workshops and restaurants.

Oaxaca is a place where you can start the day with no more of a plan than breakfast on the zocalo and end up talking to a German street vendor hawking petrified shells who looks to have sampled every liquid and herbal intoxicant available during his two decades in Oaxaca. Or passing a half hour of the daily downpour learning some Zapotec words from a weaver in his workshop. Or watching a group of teenagers performing traditional dances in a restaurant. Or passing a silent beggar sitting on the sidewalk who averts her eyes as she extends a Styrofoam cup. Or losing yourself in a labyrinthine market where you can buy pig’s feet, any part of a cow, intricate wooden bird cages, hardware, chocolate, cheap clothing, baskets, fabric stamped with the patterns for the embroidery typical of the region, kitchen utensils, live turkeys, chicks and rabbits.

Or hearing the clear voice of a child singing the responsorial psalm during Mass in the cathedral while a bird flutters near the glowing panes of a stained-glass window depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove.

It’s an anti-resort of sorts, and for some travelers a place that calls them back.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/life/travel/2014/06/29/Oaxaca-is-a-Mesoamerican-mecca/stories/201406290018#ixzz363XwuYgi

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Introducing Our U.S. Airlines Onboard Wi-Fi Access Guide We recently published a chart featuring everything you need to know about accessing the Internet in airports in the United States. But sometimes Internet in the airport isn’t enough: You might have to work while on the plane, or you might want to watch a movie to make a long flight more bearable. Our newest chart will help you log onto the Internet during your flight. You'll find the chart available for download here.

Introducing Our U.S. Airlines Onboard Wi-Fi Access Guide

We recently published a chart featuring everything you need to know about accessing the Internet in airports in the United States. But sometimes Internet in the airport isn’t enough: You might have to work while on the plane, or you might want to watch a movie to make a long flight more bearable. Our newest chart will help you log onto the Internet during your flight. 

You'll find the chart available for download here.

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7 Tips for Budget Travel in Cancun and the Mayan Riviera JUN 29 Posted by TC

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7 Tips for Budget Travel in Cancun and the Mayan Riviera

JUN 29

Posted by TC

You can smell the sea from the Cancun airport. No more stuffy airplane, no more boring job in your cold hometown. Welcome to paradise – the Mayan Riviera. Welcome to Cancun.

The Mayan Riviera is a jungle coastline of white-sand beaches, ancient ruins, enormous aquatic theme parks, traditional colonial towns, and clear-water cenotes, freshwater sinkholes and caves in the flat limestone sponge of the Yucatan peninsula.

The great Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, are only a few hours from Cancun on good highways. In the other direction, rocky Tulum rivals Chichen Itza with its location on limestone cliffs overlooking the sky-blue Caribbean.

You can stay at an all-inclusive resort right on the beach in Cancun, take guided tours to the ruins, and drink margaritas by the pool all day. You’ll have a great, relaxing vacation. But you won’t experience the real Mexico. Not even close.

How could you? Why would you venture into downtown Cancun for real tacos when you have a free buffet in your luxury hotel? Why would you travel inland to Valladolid when the beach party starts at 10 a.m. every day?

Independent budget travel in the Mayan Riviera is safe, easy, and cheap – even if you don’t speak Spanish. Here are a few tips to help you plan your trip.

Tip 1: Getting to Cancun from the airport

If you stay in a resort, they will probably arrange transportation from the airport. If you want to do it on your own, the cheapest way to get from the airport to downtown Cancun is on the ADO bus.

At the time of writing, it leaves every half hour until 11:30 p.m., takes about 30 minutes, and costs 62 pesos ($5 USD).

After you pass immigration, before you exit the airport, look for the ADO booth among all the booths for rental cars and hotels. Ask for centro (downtown). Then as you leave the airport, take a right and walk toward the bus area.

The bus takes you to the ADO station downtown, and from there you can walk to cheap hotels.

There are also direct buses from the airport to Playa del Carmen. They leave every half hour, take about one hour, and cost 140 pesos ($12 USD).

Tip 2: Choosing a Hotel

You can find budget hotels all around the ADO bus station in downtown Cancun, or a few blocks from the beach in Playa del Carmen.

Downtown Cancun is a 20-30 minute bus ride from the Hotel Zone, the beach and all the resorts. By staying downtown you can get better prices on everything, including hotels, restaurants, and souvenirs.

Give yourself some time to walk around. Many hotels have the prices posted behind the front desk. If not, you will have to ask, and don’t expect everyone to speak English here, though they should figure out what you want. Bring a pad of paper and a pencil so they can write down prices for you.

It’s a good idea to look at the room. Try out the bed. Check the water pressure. Turn on the air conditioner. Is it too weak, or too loud? Some hotels have kitchens, some have a computer for guests to use, some have tourist information. Compare.

If you want to stay more than four or five days, try asking for a discount.

Outside of high season (around Christmas and New Year’s, the week before Easter, and late July/August), you should be able to get a decent room from as low as 250 pesos ($20 USD) to 500 pesos ($40 USD) per night.

During high season, everything gets more expensive, and I recommend making reservations beforehand.

Tip 3: Choosing a restaurant with authentic food

In general, you find three kinds of restaurants in the Mayan Riviera: foreign restaurants that serve burgers, pizza, or sushi; Mexican restaurants geared towards foreign tourists; and real Mexican restaurants, geared toward Mexican tourists or locals.

Beware the Mexican food in big, touristy restaurants on the beach. Mexicans tend to think that foreigners don’t like spicy food, so they dumb it down. If a tired basket of nachos sits on every table and the salsa tastes like marinara sauce, then you are in the wrong place.

Seek out real Mexican food in restaurants patronized by locals. Some tip-offs are: the menu painted on the wall or written on a dry-erase board, a big flat grill and the cook up front, bright lighting, very simple décor, plain white walls, and even a little peeling paint or exposed concrete.

But the most important way to know if the food is authentic and clean is to look at how crowded the restaurant is. If it’s packed, it’s probably good. If it’s empty, it’s empty for a reason. The best way to avoid food poisoning is to never eat in an empty restaurant.

It’s good to ask for suggestions, like at the front desk of your hotel, but explain that you want something real. Otherwise you will be directed to a restaurant with the “Americanized” Mexican food they think foreigners like.

Some good places to find authentic food are Parque las Palapas in Cancun, the Bazar Municipal in Valladolid, and smaller, “hole-in-the-wall” restaurants two blocks or more from the beach in Playa del Carmen.

Tip 4: Communicating with the locals

Many people speak English in this part of Mexico, especially those who work in tourism. But once you get off the beaten path, you’ll need a little Spanish.

Whether the person speaks English or not, it’s polite to start the conversation in Spanish. Start with one of these at the right time of day:

Buenos días (good morning)

Buenas tardes (good afternoon; used until after sundown)

Buenas noches (good night; a greeting, not a goodbye)

Then say ¿Habla usted inglés? (Do you speak English?) and No hablo español(I don’t speak Spanish).

That’s easy enough, right? Just 5 phrases.

After than, learn more Spanish. Mexicans are friendly and patient, which is good for the foreigner struggling with Spanish.

Tip 5: Visit archeological zones on your own

The two most common forms of public transportation in the Mayan Riviera are buses andcolectivos, big white passenger vans.

From the ADO bus station downtown, buses go all over Mexico, including Valladolid, Chichen Itza, Merida, Chetumal, Palenque, and beyond.

Use the website (www.ado.com.mx) to get an idea of prices and routes, and then buy your tickets at the bus station. Most workers at bus stations speak English, but just in case, write down the destination and the time you want.

For example, here is the schedule from the airport to downtown Cancun:

If you are on a budget (and speak Spanish or have a helper), ask at the station for a second-class bus. They can be much cheaper than ADO and go to the same destinations. Be sure to ask how long the trip will take, and compare it to ADO, because the second-class bus could take much longer.

For points south, like Playa del Carmen and Tulum, take a colectivo. The ones for Playa del Carmen leave from just outside the ADO station. They are cheaper and faster and leave more frequently than the bus.

You can take a guided tour to Tulum and Chichen Itza, and though they will explain everything in English, they may rush you through it. If you go on your own, you can get there early and have lots of time to explore.

For example, inside the archeological zone at Tulum is one of the most beautiful and iconic beaches in Mexico. If you go on your own, you can stay and swim as long as you want.

If you have the time, I recommend staying in Valladolid before going to Chichen Itza. Valladolid is a beautiful colonial town full of local culture. By staying in Valladolid, you can have several hours at Chichen Itza in the morning before all the tour groups from Cancun arrive.

Colectivos go to Chichen Itza from several parking lots a block or two from the ADO station near the central park in Valladolid.

Tip 6: Safety concerns

The good news is that the Mayan Riviera is one of the safest regions in Mexico. However, it’s a good idea to ask at your hotel what the neighborhood is like, especially if it’s safe to walk at night, and if there are any places to avoid.

Besides that, regular common sense for travel applies: Don’t wear expensive jewelry, don’t pull out large wads of cash in public, keep your wallet in your front pocket, don’t let your purse or camera bag out of your sight, and don’t look at a map in public – take it indoors.

Tip 7: Buy my guide to Cancun and the Mayan Riviera

Shameless plug: These tips and many more are explained in detail in my Cancun and Mayan Riviera 5-Day Itinerary, available on Unanchor.com and the kindle version on Amazon.com.

The guide is for the independent traveler who likes the beach, but also wants some culture. Besides saving a lot of money, you will:

• Have two full days on two gorgeous beaches: Cancún and Playa del Carmen.
• Explore two Mayan ruins: Chichén Itzá and Tulum.
• Dip your toe into Yucatán culture in Valladolid, a small colonial town in central Yucatán.
• Swim, snorkel or scuba dive in the clear, freshwater Dos Ojos cenote.
• Eat what Mexicans eat: seafood, tacos, and Yucatán specialties like panuchos and salbutes.
• Shop, party, get tan, and learn some Spanish, history and culture. And, if time permits, venture farther into Mexico and Central America.

The guide’s full appendix includes information on hotels, public transportation, restaurants, culture, and Spanish phrases. You’ll save more than the $4.99 price the first time you follow my advice on a bus, restaurant, or cenote.

This part of Mexico may be the most popular, but in some ways the least understood. I try to remedy this with my modest guide.

Click the book for more info