Thursday, October 29, 2015
Rachel Platten - Stand By You (Tyler & Ryan Cover) DirtyTAR
Rachel Platten - Stand By You (Tyler & Ryan Cover)
Hiking in the Andes at Ollantaytambo, Peru (near Machu Picchu) Gabriel Traveler
Hiking in the Andes at Ollantaytambo, Peru (near Machu Picchu)
Johnny Cash & June Carter - Jackson JohnnyCashShow JohnnyCashShow
Johnny Cash & June Carter - Jackson
Beautiful Vocal Chill Out Mix 10 Minutes Of Bliss utopiansounds
Beautiful Vocal Chill Out Mix 10 Minutes Of Bliss
(Ivan says... play loud.)
SHERLOCK HOLMES -- "THE ACCIDENTAL MURDERESS" (11-26-45) David Von Pein's Old-Time Radio Channel
SHERLOCK HOLMES -- "THE ACCIDENTAL MURDERESS" (11-26-45)
The Monarch Butterflies in Mexico
Published on September 16, 2015
The Monarch Butterflies in Mexico
From November to March each year, you can experience one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the forested mountains west of Mexico City: Monarch butterflies over-wintering in Mexico.
The very special Methuselah generations of butterflies migrate each year, leaving the colder northern climes of the U.S. and Canada to take winter refuge and breed in Mexico.
These migrating Monarch butterflies travel in colonies of about 20 million insects and will travel between 80-120 nautical miles per day, depending on the wind and other weather conditions. The butterflies take advantage of ascending warm-air currents, gliding in the thrust they provide, needing only to flap their wings when the air current diminishes a little or when they change their flight path. This technique uses their energy efficiently, and physically enables them to undertake the long journey.
By mid-November each year, the Monarch butterflies begin their arrival in Mexico. They settle in the Oyamel fir tree forests which are situated in the eastern perimeter of the Mexican state of Michoacán, also bordering the state of Mexico, in the forested mountains west of Mexico City. Once here, the butterflies cluster on the tree trunks and remain in the region for the winter. As the sun heats the day, some of the butterflies will flutter in the forests and return to the tree trunks when the air cools in the evening.
The butterflies usually start arriving in late September or in October, and between November and March each year, it’s possible to visit one of the sanctuaries open to visitors and witness these remarkable insects in their natural habitat. The height of viewing season is between late February and mid-March.
The Mexican government has set up a number of protected sanctuaries within a biosphere reserve to ensure that the important habitats required by the Monarch Butterflies are protected and preserved, while still allowing visitors to witness these remarkable insects and enjoy some of Mexico’s most breath-taking landscapes.
You can learn more about these butterflies, their migration, their breeding cycle, and their journey back north on our detailed travel guide to Monarch Butterflies in Mexico.
Published on October 16, 2015 Celebrating Life on Day of the Dead in Mexico
Published on October 16, 2015
Celebrating Life on Day of the Dead in Mexico
One of Mexico’s most important religious holidays is celebrated on All Saint’s Day (Nov 1) and All Soul’s Day (Nov 2): Dia de los Muertos (sometimes called Dia de los Fieles Difuntos) – Day of the Dead. Traditionally, November 1st honors deceased children and November 2nd honors deceased adults.
Far from being a morbid event, Day of Dead emphasizes remembrance of past lives and celebration of the continuity of life. This acknowledgement of life’s continuity has roots which go back to some of Mexico’s oldest civilizations: Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, Purepecha. The Aztecs, too, celebrated Day of the Dead, although earlier (August) on the current calendar.
Day of the Dead is celebrated passionately throughout Mexico, and especially so in smaller provincial towns and cities.
One of the culinary highlights of the season is “Pan de Muerto” (Bread of the Dead) which is a semi-sweet sugar-coated bread made from eggs and infused with natural citrus fruit flavors. It’s traditionally taken with hot chocolate that has been mixed with cinnamon and makes for a perfect blend on a chilly November evening.
Planning for Day of the Dead can be done days, weeks or even a whole year in advance, during which time family members will gather ofrendas, offerings, to the dead. Toys are usually offered for deceased children and bottles of tequila, mezcal, or atole for deceased adults. Trinkets, or the deceased’s favorite food or candy, may also be offered on the grave.
During the celebratory period, it’s traditional for families to visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried to clean and to decorate the graves with the offerings. Offerings are also put in homes, usually with foods such as caramelized pumpkin, Pan de Muerto and small sugar skulls which are sometimes engraved with the deceased person’s name. Decorations usually include orange marigold flowers called cempaxochitl, or Flor de Muerto (“Flower of the Dead”).
Day of the Dead is a holiday that attracts a certain fascination for visitors from abroad. Celebrations in the city of Oaxaca and the town of Patzcuaro are particularly well attended by foreign visitors; early bookings for local accommodation are essential if you want to experience Day of the Dead at either of these places.
The precise ceremonies, offerings and customs for Day of the Dead celebrations vary by region and town. However, the fundamental traditions described here are echoed all over Mexico and a visit to a cemetery, where the graves are bursting with color and decorations, and the lives of those past are lovingly remembered by those present, is a worthwhile inclusion to your experiences of Mexican culture during this time of year.
November 2nd is an Official Public Holiday in Mexico.
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