Mexico
There is a line of Bimbo food products that are sold under the label “Negrito” here in Mexico. Negrito is a Spanish term of endearment for a dark skinned child; it means, quite literally, “little black boy.” Needless to say, Negrito food products are chocolate based — being candy bars and chocolate milk — and are, as their [...]
Evan Carson, a biologist at the University of New Mexico who specializes in the evolution genetics of desert fishes, has been conducting research in the the Cuatro Cienegas Basin in the north of Mexico since 1998. He refers to this pocket of unique bio-diversity as being, “without question, one of the most remarkable natural systems on Earth.” The pools, springs, and rivers of the Cuatro Cienegas basis give life to an ecosystem that does not have a compliment anywhere else in this world.
A live chicken with its feet bound was removed from a burlap sack and laid down upon the church’s floor. Three rows of perhaps a dozen candles each were placed in front of the chicken, all were fully blazing. A bottle of Coca-Cola sat to the right. A heavy set matured woman in a long dress emblazoned with a purple flower pattern was kneeling behind the offerings, sitting on her heels. A young man was kneeling next to the woman, and an older man with a mustache took up the same position on the other side. All three adults were rocking back and forth, chanting prayers in Tzotzil. The woman then withdrew a kitchen knife, and with a quick flick of her wrist the chicken was sacrificed.
A one of a kind oasis teeming with ancient life is on the verge of permantly drying up in the desert of northern Mexico, taking dozens of endemic aquatic species and potentially useful microbes down with it. Researchers say that time is running out for the Cuatro Cienegas Basin, as its water levels are receeding at an alarming rate, and parts of it have already vanished. “The Cuatro Cienegas Basin is probably the most diverse site on the microbial world,” stated the molecular biologist, Valeria Souza, in an interview with vagabondjourney.com
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- “Alcoholism, poverty, violence, I think that those things are made bigger by economic strife,” spoke Rachael Albers, an education/ theater social activist from the USA who has been working in Chiapas for the past couple of years. I was interviewing Rachael as part of an investigations into the various cultural spheres of Chiapas, and she was laid out for me the socio/ political/ historical background of Chalchihuitan, an indigenous community an hour and a half north of San Cristobal, where she coordinates a theater group of young women, called Las Jades, in conjunction with the local high school.
The Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas is the official name for Mexico‘s most southern state. Chiapas takes its name from the ancient city of Chiapan, which is a Náhuatl word meaning “the place where the chia sage grows.” Occupying a border with Guatemala, Chiapas is the gateway that stands between Central America in the [...]
The indigenous kids in the streets of San Cristobal de las Casas are not beggars, they are workers. They walk through the streets in coordination with their mothers or siblings and they sell textiles, little painted clay animals, key chains, snacks, trinkets, or an assortment of other indigenous handicrafts to tourists or anyone else passing [...]
“THESE DEATHS WILL NOT BE IN VAIN…They cannot kill us all!!” remarked a blogger who goes by the handle Ovemex (Borderland Beat) in reaction to the decapitation and torture of a fellow digital activist by members of a drug cartel in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Allegedly, a forum moderator for a site [...]
TULUM, Mexico- Hurricane Rina was on its way and I attempted to prepare. I was in the coastal town of Tulum, right in the path of the ranging storm. Being a traveler, I had no windows to board up, no cars to provide shelter for, no hatches to batten down, but, knowing hurricane culture well, [...]
On returning to San Cristobal de las Casas as a yearly pilgrimage I spent the summer and autumn of this year going to new places — to Iceland, to Colombia. Now it is time to return to a place where I know I can stabilize my living situation, refurbish my family’s emotional state — we’ve [...]
Caitlin Evans, Vagabond Journey’s Mexico correspondent and owner of Mexico City blog Chilangish writes about how – realistically – to move to Mexico City. Since moving to Mexico City a year ago, more than a few friends back in Canada have mentioned wanting to follow in my footsteps. Why all the interest? Despite its increasingly [...]
Deviations in language are vast even within the same dialect in the same language. Word choice and usage are one of the main tell tale signs that show what segment of a given society a person comes from or associates themselves with. In Mexico, I found myself in a funny predicament: although I could understand [...]
Through a simple miscalculation of days, I overstayed my 180 day tourist visa in Mexico by two days. I exited the country on Continental Airlines on a flight bound for Houston out of Mexico City. I was not fined or penalized for the transgression; in fact, I did not even have to go through any [...]
ZIPOLITE, Mexico- The buzzing sound of tattooist at work can be heard all up and down the beach of Zipolite. In this small town on the Oaxaca coast, which is basically just two streets laying parallel to each other and a 2 km beach, there are three formal tattoo studios, two artists tattooing on the [...]
Tacos Arabes Great Mexican Food Mexico CITY, Mexico- Imagine a collision between Middle Eastern and Mexican fast food and you have tacos Arabes. This is not meant to be a figurative statement, it is literal fact: there are tacos in Mexico assembled from Arabic pitas, kebab grilled meat, and Mexican toppings and sauces. My friend Caitlin raved [...]
El Chopo Punk Market in Mexico City The El Chopo Punk Market is located near the Buenavisa Metrobus and Subway stop on Aldama street. It is a flea market which functions on Saturdays throughout the year. MEXICO CITY, Mexico- “I thought this was going to be a bunch of punks selling their old stuff, but [...]
Mexican men give up seats in metro to pregnant and old women and women with children — but not to other men Mexico CITY, Mexico- Throughout our five months of traveling in Mexico, a pattern has emerged where men more than willingly stand up and offer my wife and baby their seats on crowded buses [...]
Public Bicycles in Mexico City MEXICO CITY, Mexico- Rows of funny looking red bicycles are assembled together on racks spread throughout the downtown parts of Mexico City. I initially thought it interesting that so many people in this city had the same goofy bicycle — maybe they were on sale? — until a friend enlightened [...]
Blasphemy at Mexico City Cathedral MEXICO CITY, Mexico- For nearly 250 years Spaniards in Mexico have been directing the building of what has come to be known as the Metropolitan Cathedral, which sits on the north side of the zocalo in the historic center of the city. This cathedral also sits directly on top of what [...]
Stealing a View of Mexico City from Latinoamericana Tower MEXICO CITY, Mexico- I looked out across Mexico City and watched the roads, buildings, the hustle and the bustle fade away into the mountains beyond. “Wow, what a view,” I thought. I was up in one of the top floors of the Latinoamericana tower, which was [...]
What is Mexico City Like? MEXICO CITY, Mexico- “It’s pretty nice,” I spoke when questioned about what I think of Mexico City. I was walking with some friends in Balderas, and I kicked myself that “nice” was the most adequate adjective that I could come up. But it is true: Mexico City is pretty nice. [...]
Mexico CITY, Mexico- I get a hairy sort of eyeball every time I walk into the Lahuma cafe on University Avenue in the Coyocan district of Mexico City. I don’t let this bother me. I open up my laptop, connect to the internet, order some coffee, and go to work. Overt unfriendliness bothers me, the [...]
Tlayudas are a Good Mexican Street Food OAXACA, Mexico- Think of an entire Mexican meal — meat, beans, salad, cheese, and salsa — laid out upon a plate. Now think of this meal without the plate and wrapped in an extra large tortilla. This is a tlayuda (pronounced tsay’uda). It has been my experience with Mexican [...]
Bus from Oaxaca to Mexico City — Second Class is Luxury for Vagabonds MEXICO CITY, Mexico- “Wow, this is nice, huh?” I spoke to my wife from inside of the Fosa Bus company’s waiting area in the second class bus station of Oaxaca City. There was a separate waiting area for people who were waiting [...]
Attachment Disorder for Traveling Child or Petra Becoming a Third Culture Kid OAXACA, Mexico- Petra sat on the floor of the apartment and whimpered, “Bubbie, bubbie, vroom, vroom, se fue,” with a frown on her face and a tear in her eye. It has been three days since her grandmother returned to Maine from her [...]
How Dangerous is Travel in Mexico Question for Expat Caitlin Evans “With all the current bad international press that Mexico is receiving, travel bloggers trying to gain prominence by saying that they are going to a “dangerous country” when coming here, the US department of state travel warnings, and all the reports of decapitation and [...]
Iphone Translator App is the future of language learning OAXACA, Mexico- Everyone looked amazed as a traveler from Perth fumbled with a bag of potato chips and a smart phone. It looked as if he was photographing it, no, he was translating it. This traveler was equipped with an Iphone that had a translator app [...]
OAXACA, Mexico- Monte Alban sits on a flat top, mini plateau that has a 360 degree view of the surrounding Oaxaca Valley and far off into the Sierra Madres in the distance. Beautiful. Archaeology sites are often become big tourists sites for a reason: They were often built in truly spectacular locations. Who among us [...]
OAXACA, Mexico- “You can just walk to Monte Alban,” an older Mexican gentleman in a park informed me as I sat with my wife and mother in law watching Petra play with some other children. “What direction is it in?” I asked. The gentleman just pointed out to the west, directly towards a hill that rises [...]
The following is a photo entry from Chaya Shepard about visiting the artisan workshops and woven tapestry stores in Teotitlan, Oaxaca. This is a spinning wheel in front of a loom in the entrance of a home in Teotitlan. This is a typical style loom in the city. They have two foot pedals that the [...]
Mexican Food: Coconut Stuffed Limes or Limones Cocadas OAXACA, Mexico- Well touted as Frida Kahlo’s favorite snack, a tray full of coconut stuffed limes caught my attention while walking through a park in Oaxaca. They were sitting in a pile inside a plastic wrap covered tray that contained all sorts of other Mexican street sweets. I [...]
VENTANILLA, Mexico- Ventanilla is called as such because there is a little opening that looks like a window within a rock outcrop that stretches out to sea from its beach. But this little window is not why people come here: they come here for the crocodiles, they come here because it is a truly undeveloped [...]
OAXACA, Mexico- A certain onerous kink in my standard publishing procedure has reared its head: I openly publish the prices I pay to stay in hotels on this travelogue, but what if the travelers who follow do not get the same price? It occasionally happens that I stay in a hotel, barter myself a good price, write [...]
Grasshoppers or Chapulines Food in Mexico OAXACA, Mexico- There were thousands of them piled in great bins and overflowing from platters held by dark skinned women in long Indian dresses. They were small and red and dead and amassed in huge mounds all around the south entrance of the market. The women selling them on [...]
How to find a good hotel to rent by the month Unless in quick transit, I rarely ask for hotel room rates by the night, but I ask for them by the week or month. I now know that I have a lot more bargaining clout when haggling for the price of a room — [...]
The Irony of Travel Writing: Easier When Travel is Difficult OAXACA, Mexico- When the going is rough, the content springs from my fingers like a lake bursting through a crumbling dam; when the travel is wonderful and easy, I find less to grip on to and retell. I feel as if I am presenting an [...]
Bus from Pochutla to Oaxaca City POCHUTLA, Mexico- The minibus driver scratched his short, artfully shaped goatee, and had a look on his face that every passenger could interpret as words: “How am I going to fit all of this stuff in here?” The driver was looking between an ever growing pile of luggage — boxes, [...]
Travel By Sailboat Make Money Selling in Streets ZIPOLITE, Mexico- Captain Jim was peddling his handmade soaps on the main street of Zipolite when I found him framed in the view finder of my rolling camera. I was shooting a video about the traveling street vendors here, and as I was taking in the soaps, [...]
Buy jugs of water, not bottles A liter of bottled water often cost just about the same as two liters; two liters cost roughly the same as four; and four liters is, as odd as it may seem, often more expensive than a twenty liter jug. Giving this, it is truly an economically idiotic move [...]
ZIPOLITE, Mexico- “I’ve heard that around 50 people a year drown in these waves, that is like a person a week,” a young tourist informed me on Zipolite beach one sunny day. We both looked off into the waves — they were rising around four feet up from the ocean surface before quickly crashing into [...]
Fire Dancers Busk for Travel Funds Interview ZIPOLITE, Mexico- When the sun goes down the buskers come out. Working the main street of Zipolite that flanks the beach, jugglers, musicians, and fire dancers move from restaurant to restaurant, serenading diners for their pocket change. These entertainers are more than often travelers, moving across countries and [...]
Plane Crash in Ventanilla Mexico VENTANILLA, Mexico- The wing of a plane rose as an ominous monument in the distance down Ventanilla beach on the Oaxaca coast of Mexico. Plane crashes often leave more behind than parts and rubbish: they leave stories. This is perhaps for no other reason than plane wrecks often happen in [...]
Chilaquiles, Good Mexican Breakfast Food Chilaquiles derive their name from the Nahuatl word “chil-a-quilitl,” which simply means “greens in chili broth,” but what comes out in their creation is so much more than this. Chilaquiles are one of the best breakfast foods that I have ever eaten in the world — and this includes China, [...]
Traveling Jewelry Street Vendor Silversmith Interview ZIPOLITE, Mexico- The streets of Mexico’s beach towns and backpacker epi-centers are lined with traveling craftsmen selling their wares. They sell leather bags, footwear, miscellaneous curious, but, mostly, they sell jewelry. I had nearly become immune to what these traveling jewelry sellers are vending, as it is all so [...]
Always Lock Hotel Doors, Theft of Opportunity is Everywhere ZIPOLITE, Mexico- I had previously written about theft in Zipolite, Mexico as a general precaution for traveling anywhere — as theft is more often an action of opportunity than something premeditated and plotted. But I wrote this piece a touch removed from the source, as I [...]
New Year’s Eve in Mexico, a Celebration for Friends ZIPOLITE, Mexico- Saved by the good graces of my charming daughter, my family was vaulted out of a potentially mediocre New Year’s Eve and into a home on a hilltop. Score. Holidays mean nothing if not spent in good company. A celebration is not as such [...]
2011 New Year Traveling Webmaster Goals ZIPOLITE, Mexico- “I am a man who wants to have it all, this is the story about chasing down every wild dream: traveling the world, working for myself, and raising a family.” I wrote this on New Year’s Eve last year in New Jersey, these words represented where I [...]
Make a Mosquito Net for Your Traveling Hammock A hammock is a great piece of Travel Gear to carry with you in the tropics. In point, hammocks are comfortable to sleep in, easy to set up, cheap to buy, and many hostels allow guests to sleep in their own hammocks for a vastly reduced price. [...]
ZIPOLITE, Mexico- I found a place of refuge from the storm of drunken Mexicans on Christmas holiday at the Posada Carrizo Hostel in Zipolite. The place is owned and ran by a sociable French woman who bought the land twenty years ago and built up a hostel and a restaurant. “I saw a good opportunity [...]
ZIPOLITE, Mexico- I have become a business man, this travel blog is my operation, but what is it that I am selling? Information, entertainment, inspiration. The three elements that make up the front end of writing. This travelogue began in 2004 as a writing exercise, I had no intention of making money from it or even [...]
ZIPOLITE, Mexico- Business as usual was the carol that was sung on Christmas 2010 in Zipolite — a beach town on the coast of Oaxaca. All the shops were open, people went to work, and tourists walked through the street as if this holiday was just another day at the beach. It was. I could [...]
The Character of Mexican Beaches on the Oaxaca Coast ZIPOLITE, Mexico- “What beach near here is your favorite?” I asked Juan, a guy that we hitched a ride with from Mazunte back to Zipolite. Juan was on vacation, he said he comes to this part of the Oaxaca coast every year from where he lives [...]
Collectivo Transportation on Mexico Coast ZIPOLITE, Mexico- I love traveling in coastal regions, if for no other reason than the fact that it is simple: there is often only one road and two choices, you either go this way along the coast or that way — go any other way and you are inland, not [...]
Theft in Zipolite, lessons on how to prevent theft when traveling ZIPOLITE, Mexico- “Everybody steals in Zipolite,” the guesthouse owner informed me almost immediately upon my entering her establishment. “So be very careful with any computers or electronics if you have them, don’t use your computer in the street or at the restaurants. The people [...]
Holidays in Mexico Bad Time to Travel PUERTO ANGEL, Mexico- “Holiday” is the worst word for a traveler to hear. It is even worse than “canceled,” even worst than “late,” even worst than the dreaded “Hello, my friend.” The sound of the word “holiday” in whatever language I hear it in makes me cringe, as [...]
Mexico fishermen use coolers and tubs as dinghies PUERTO ANGEL, Mexico- I walked by an old busted up cooler filled with some junk laying next to some fishing boats on Pateon beach near Puerto Angel. The cooler had the logo of the Sol beer company on it, and I cannot say that I thought too [...]
Ever notice how sometimes you get a big streak of bright and pixilated sunlight going through your photos when taking pictures on bright sunny days? Like in these photo below: See how that streak of errant and unnatural looking sunlight cuts through and essentially ruins these photos? How to prevent sun streaking in photos For some [...]
PUERTO ANGEL, Mexico- A good hotel is like a good home: it not only has everything you need to live comfortably but it is enjoyable being there. As I travel, I am now looking for homes, not crash pads or flop houses. I usually pay for hotel rooms by the week or the month — [...]
Sea turtle killed by fishing net in Mexico PUERTO ANGEL, Mexico- A large dark object floated out at sea near the beach of Puerto Angel. What is it? I watched as it bobbed in the waves, ever moving closer to the shore. When it was around ten meters out, it became apparent that it was a sea [...]
Length of Cloth Baby Carrier Systems In most of the world, the way to carry a baby is with a simple piece of cloth attaching it to a caregiver. The fabric is usually just a standard four or five foot textile that is wrapped around the child and adult in a number of different ways. [...]
Or, The Mexico Snorkeling Tour That Wasn’t PUERTO ANGEL, Mexico- After a week of hanging out on the beaches of Puerto Angel watching snorkeling tour boats full of tourists coming in from and going out to sea, I found myself the acquaintance of a fisherman. We would drink beer in the shade together as he [...]
PUERTO ANGEL, Mexico- There are two restaurants right next to each other on the beach of Puerto Angel that are virtually the same in almost every way. They both serve the same food, they both serve the same beer, they both have the same plastic tables and chairs and umbrellas sitting out on the beach [...]
Santa Muerte Saint of Death Mexican Beliefs PUERTO ANGEL, Mexico- “Santa Muerte?” a young Mexican guy asked me as I was sitting on Panteon beach drinking a beer. I looked at him puzzled. He pointed to the tattoo of the skull and crossbones that had made a home for itself on my shoulder a long time [...]
Home Distilled Mezcal Sold on Beaches of Mexico PUERTO ANGEL, Mexico- A great cheer went up from a crowd of fishermen on Panteon Beach as an old man drew near burdened under the weight of two large plastic gas cans. I rose to attention, for what was truly so great about a guy bringing gasoline [...]
PUERTO ANGEL, Mexico- My first impression was that Puerto Angel was, simply put, a butt town. Most of the shops were closed down, many seemed abandoned, the sidewalks were gruff, the stuff in the supermarket caked in dust, nobody was really in the streets save for a few barnacles who only seemed to move in [...]
Bus Station Hotel Mexico SALINA CRUZ, Mexico- The hotel was filthy on the outside, worse on the inside. A broken down reindeer Christmas ornament of a with dim lights arched over the door. The place was called the Stag Hotel, and it sat directly across from a bus station in Salina Cruz. The place looked [...]
Tuxtla to Salina Cruz Mexico by Bus A child screamed, stomped its feet, and screeched as the bus from Tuxtla was making its long descent down to the pacific coast of Mexico. The passengers on the bus cringed at the sound. I smiled — for it was not my child that was making the ruckus. [...]
Tuxtla Mexico Bus Station Conversations SAN PEDRO TUXTLA, Mexico- I knew the guy wanted to talk with me when he sat down in a seat adjacent to my own when there was a pelethora of other seats available all through the bus station waiting area. “Are you from the USA?” he asked. Here we go [...]
TUXTLA, Mexico- “When do the buses to Salina Cruz leave?” I asked in Spanish to a young guy behind a bus office ticket booth in the main station of Tuxtla. This boy was of the pencil neck/ pimple face sect, and he replied that there was a bus going to my destination leaving at 10pm. [...]
Cheaper Bus Travel in Mexico Tip TUXTLA, Mexico- We made our way to a larger bus depot in Tuxtla and immediately began searching for company that serviced Oaxaca. I write this as if it was a simple exchange in travel. It wasn’t. In Mexico, there is not really such a thing as a central bus [...]
Bus from San Cristobal de las Casas to Tuxtla, Chiapas Minibuses are the main mode of transport between San Cristobal de las Casas to Tuxtla, the capital of Chiapas. The ride takes around 40 minutes and costs 40 pesos. More on this trip at San Cristobal to Tuxtla Wiki Vagabond guide. The road out of [...]
Dolly Cart Long Term Travel Gear I was smacked in the face by the realization that I no longer travel to see places but travel to live places. There is a big difference. My family now makes temporary homes in serial succession as we trod a slow path around the world, and our travel gear [...]
Family Run Hotels are Better for Long Term Travelers SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- I want the people who own a hotel that I stay at to live there — or, if not live there, then at least spend a significant amount of their day within the walls of their own creation. I want [...]
Traveling musicians busk for travel funds SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- “We are working,” my Chilean friend Igor informed me as I ran into him, his wife, and their 8 month old baby on a main pedestrian street in San Cristobal. I could clearly see that his statement was fact: Igor had an acoustic guitar slung over [...]
Watch for supermarket cash register errors travel tip SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- It was only a matter of a single peso, but the principle was worth far more than this. I picked up some items at a modern style supermarket in San Cristobal, one of which was on sale. I watched as my [...]
Travel to coast from San Cristobal de las Casas When I leave San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, on Saturday, I would have stayed for around three months. After three months of highland living, I am ready to return to the coast. We are going to the beaches of Chiapas and then Oaxaca, we are [...]
Sell bulk candy in the streets to raise travel funds SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- “Would you like to buy a sucker?” a friend named Cecilia asked me in Spanish in the streets of San Cristobal. She had a box of suckers and a bulk bag of candy in her hands, which she thrusted [...]
The traveler’s tea: Flor de Jamaica or Hibiscus Tea Upon crossing the border into Mexico from Guatemala, I encountered a truly godly substance. It is a bright purple liquid, served cold — often with ice — is sweet, smooth tasting, while maintaining a refreshingly bitter edge. This bright purple drink is served just about everywhere [...]
Traveler Home in Mexico Update SAN CRISTOBAL de las Casas, Mexico- “There is always music in my house,” a friend mused one day from inside the coffee house he works at. “Actually,” he continued, “Everyone who lives there is a musician.” It is true, the traveler’s home in San Cristobal de las Casas has been [...]
Guilt and Shame Mechanisms for Cultural Adhesion “Hola familia!” spoke a friend as she quickly overtook my wife, baby, and I in the streets of San Cristobal. We returned the greeting. Our friend was carrying an old oil jug, a water bottle, and a styrofoam cup awkwardly held out from her body at arm’s length. [...]
Freelance Writing to Live Abroad or to Travel SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- “I will probably write two books and fifty articles this month,” Rachael spoke matter of factly while sipping a beer. I raised an eyebrow — two books and fifty articles in one month? — and I thought I wrote a lot. [...]
Language learning plan for a traveling child I realize that I am standing at the apex of a great experiment as I watch my one year and three month old daughter, Petra, learning Spanish and English as simultaneous first languages. Each day, she uses new words, all the time she is learning new word meanings. [...]
Plantain Roasting Ovens in Mexico SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- Two men strode through the streets of San Cristobal pushing a giant sheet metal contraption on wheels. It was smoking. What was this thing? I had certainly never before seen such a machine, so I walked closer, and asked the men pushing it what [...]
A travelogue entry about the bilingual language development of a one year and three month old traveling child born to English speaking parents who has so far lived most of her life in Spanish speaking countries. SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- My daughter, Petra, has begun the long journey of language acquisition. She has [...]
Hotel Etiquette for Meeting Travelers: Talk to everybody SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- I have rented out a good room in a good hotel in the south of Mexico. I have been here for a couple of months, further developing Vagabond Journey and chasing the goal of turning this project into a full time [...]
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- I saw two travelers sitting on a bench in San Cristobal wearing rope sandals while industriously working on making a couple more pairs. They had on display a couple completed pairs of their shoes sitting out on the sidewalk before them for passerbys to purchase or simply oogle over. [...]
Traveling Webmaster SEO Consultant Independent Travel Business SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- “If you can get creative, you can make money from it,” Mandy spoke in the backyard of a coffee house in San Cristobal, and I knew that I was speaking with a traveler. Traveling since 2008, she makes her bean money as [...]
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- The town of San Cristobal was dead on November 4, 2010. This was to be a day of festivities, I expected parades, people dressed in skeleton outfits, ghouls, skulls, and all of the other visual representations of death, for this was Dia de los Muertos — the Day of [...]
Halloween in Mexico, now a tradition SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- Halloween is not traditionally celebrated in Latin America. By “tradition,” I mean that little trick or treaters dressed up as ghouls were not roving the streets for Halloween 100 years ago. But they do now, and Halloween, or Dia de las Brujas as [...]
There comes a point in almost every self supporting traveler’s journey when the realization sinks in that their money is running low, that they are going to have to make a decision: 1. Find a way to make money while traveling. 2. Go home. Most travelers choose the latter option, return home, work, save, and [...]
Trick or Treating in Mexico, October 30th warm up for Halloween SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- Little kids fluttered by us on the streets of San Cristobal like apparitions of doom on the horizon. They were be-costumed in masks of skeletons, bloody things, rabid clowns, and anything that could be thought of representing death or fright (along [...]
SAN CRISTOBAL de las CASAS, Mexico- The plump Mexican tech guy threw his arms up into the air upon seeing me walk into his shop: Your computer is dead. The tech guy thus officially delivered the news that I had already known prior to bringing my Asus Eee PC into his computer repair shop for [...]
Mexico Travel Plan SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- 2010 is the year for Mexico, at least this is what the president says. This year is the 200th anniversary of Mexico’s independence, the 100th anniversary since its revolution, and the year that the Vagabond Journey family will go into the country deep. We are looking [...]
Solve Travel Problems – Walk Away Tip What do you do when you have difficulty with someone when traveling? Do you fight it out, yell, give in, try to come to some sort of conclusion that makes everybody happy? Do you stand in the streets pleading and begging a stranger to comply with logic and [...]
Bamboo Saxophone Busker in Mexico SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- The sound of a booming saxophone can be heard at intervals throughout the city of San Cristobal de las Casas — it is just one of those familiar things about a day here, it has become a part of the landscape. Wherever you go [...]
Mexican Hostel to Become Vagabond Home SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- I had previously checked out a hostel and discussed going into the hospitality business with a couple of guys in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico. Read more at Vagabond Journey to start hostel in Mexico? We found an adequate place for an [...]
Vagabond Journey to Start Hostel in Mexico? SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- Funny things happen, interesting opportunities arise when you stay in places a little bit longer when you travel: You start to make friends, you begin becoming part of a community, growing like moss in the landscape of a place, and when you [...]
Petra Takes First Steps in Mexico SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- Within the past month, a marked change has happened in my traveling family: my daughter, Petra, began taking charge of her travels. At one year and one month old, she said that she has had enough of just following mom and dad around, [...]
Landslides and Floods in Mexico from Tropical Storm Matthew SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- The rains fell for four days throughout southern Mexico. It did not fall in torrents — no cats or dogs fell from the sky here — but the rains did fall in a steady drizzle, slow, consistent, throughout four days [...]
And it rains in Mexico SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, Mexico- And it rains, and rains, and rains through the night, by morning it is still raining. Tropical storm Matthew is moving through Tabasco state — just north of Chiapas — and making its way through Mexico. In San Cristobal de las Casas, we get [...]
Read more http://www.vagabondjourney.com/travelogue/north-america/mexico/
