Tlacotalpan - The Pride of Papaloapan

Tlacotalpan has a lot more going for it than its tongue-twisting name. This beautifully restored Spanish colonial settlement on the Rio Papaloapan (River of Butterflies) in the state of Veracruz is not only one of the most attractive towns in Mexico, but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a thriving cultural center.

Tlacotalpan has been inhabited since pre-Columbian times, and its name means something like "between the waters" or "divided earth" in Nahuatl, the language of the ancient Aztecs. Not surprisingly, Spanish conquistadors vanquished this area during the l6th century and established a river port at strategically located Tlacotalpan.



The community grew into an important trading center for cotton, tobacco, sugarcane, and other exotic tropical products. By the mid 1800's, Tlacotalpan boasted an opera house, a municipal palace, and a number of other substantial buildings. However, the arrival of the railway to Veracruz in the late 19th century spelled the beginning of the end for Tlacotalpan's prosperity as goods from the interior could now be more easily shipped to the coast by rail than by water.

Tlacotalpan settled in for a long siesta during the early part of the 20th century and didn't really awaken until 1998 when it was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List. Funds were subsequently made available for restoration, and the locals literally went to town fixing up decaying houses and churches. Today, it seems as if every building in Tlacotalpan sports a brightly painted facade and neoclassical style colonnades and porticos.



This region has a lot going on culturally as well. It is the home of Son Jarocho, a spicy blend of Spanish, indigenous, and African rhythms that has become the traditional music of Veracruz. During the annual Candelaria or Candlemas celebrations  in early February, Jaranero musicians and visitors from all over Mexico converge on Tlacotalpan for a three-day festival of music, religious processions, and other events marking the advent of spring.



Tlacotalpan is also the birthplace of Agustín Lara (1897-1970), one of Mexico's most beloved singers and composers. Lara's house has been turned into a museum commemorating his life and work. In addition, the town's cultural center, which hosts exhibits along with dance and music rehearsals, has been named after Tlacotalpan's most illustrious native son.

The town of Tlacotalpan lies about 90 minutes (110 km) south by car or bus from the city of Veracruz. The best hotels in town are the comfortable Hotel Reforma near the main plaza and the more upscale and atmospheric Posada Doña Lala, also situated in the historical center of town.

Move the cursor over the screen below to view captions. Click on individual images to see larger views and for information on ordering prints or downloading photos for personal or editorial use.


Tlacotalpan, Veracruz - Images by John Mitchell

Ten Places to Visit in the Mundo Maya Before December 2012

On December 21, 2012, the remarkable timekeeping machine that is the Maya Long Count calendar will reset itself to zero, thus marking the end of the current era that began in 3114 BC and heralding the start of a new creation cycle. This auspicious event will no doubt spark interest in all things Maya next year. It should also bring a lot of travelers to the Mundo Maya (Maya World), which encompasses the Mexican state of Chiapas, the Yucatán Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador.

There are so many rewarding places to visit in the Mundo Maya that it's difficult to know where to begin. However, here is a list of ten destinations that I can definitely recommend seeing before the dawning of the new age (or the end of the world as some doomsayers predict).

Please click on the photos to view captions and larger versions.

Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico

Sequestered in the jungle of southern Mexico, Palenque is considered by many to be the most beautiful of the ancient Maya cities.



Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico

Chichén Itzá, the grandest archaeological site on the Yucatán Peninsula, has been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.



Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

The handsome Spanish colonial city of Mérida, capital of the state of Yucatán, remains one of the most intriguing and culturally rich cities in the Mundo Maya.



Cobá, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Weathered monuments and a jungle setting make Cobá one of the most atmospheric archaelogical sites in the Mundo Maya.



Tikal, Guatemala

The grandeur of Tikal's towering temples is unmatched in the Mundo Maya.



Chichicastenango, Guatemala

The misty mountain town of Chichicastenango is home to the largest indigenous market in the Mundo Maya.




Antigua, Guatemala

With its backdrop of towering volcanoes and handsome Spanish colonial architecture, Antigua is arguably the most alluring town in the Mundo Maya.



Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

Mesmerizing Lago de Atitlán is said to be the deepest lake in Central America. British writer Aldous Huxley called Atitlán "the most beautiful lake in the world."



Copán, Honduras

The ancient Maya city of Copán in Western Honduras has been dubbed the "Athens of the New World" because of its magnificent sculptures.



Lamanai, Belize

A boat trip up the New River in Northern Belize to the isolated Maya ruins of Lamanai is a true jungle adventure.



Also check out my review of the new MOON MAYA 2012: A Guide to Celebrations in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize & Honduras

Puebla's Talavera Tiles

When I think of Puebla, what always come to mind first are the brightly colored Talavera tiles that turn the domes and facades of this Mexican city's many churches and other handsome Spanish colonial buildings into geometric fantasies. These mesmerizing azulejos (tiles) date back to the 16th century, when tile-makers from Talavera, Spain, settled in Mexico and began producing the durable Talavera pottery and tiles for which Puebla has become famous. Puebla's artisans eventually added Italian, Chinese and indigenous designs to the original Moorish ones, creating what has become a truly Mexican ceramic tradition.

Below is a slide-show featuring some of my photos of Puebla's Talavera tiles. Move the cursor over the screen to read captions. Click on individual images for information about ordering prints or leasing photos for personal, editorial, or commercial use.


Puebla's Talavera Tiles - Images by John Mitchell

Copan Sculpture Museum: A Journey Through the Maya Universe

The ancient Maya city of Copan has been called the "Athens of the New World," mainly because of the remarkable stone sculptures that define these famous ruins in western Honduras. In order to preserve Copan's artistic treasures from the ravages of time, many sculptures have been replaced with on-site replicas and the originals moved to the spacious Copan Sculpture Museum next to the archaeological zone.

Visitors enter the partially buried museum through the toothy jaws of a Maya Earth monster and then proceed along a twisting tunnel that represents the path to the Maya underworld. Once inside the museum's vast atrium, they are confronted by a full-scale replica of Rosalila (Rose-Lilac), an impressive 1400-year-old temple that was discovered in 1989 beneath one of Copan's main structures.

Natural light from a huge opening in the museum's roof washes over Rosalila, bringing to life colorful stucco friezes depicting sacred ears of corn, birds, and two-headed monsters. Surrounding the two-story temple are hundreds of the finest stone carvings in the Maya world. They have been arranged to mirror Maya cosmology, which divided the universe into three levels: the underworld, the surface world, and the heavens.



Underworld denizens such as giant killer bats and wide-eyed demons populate the museum's lower floor, while heavenly beings and likenesses of Copan's nobles decked out in finery can be found on the upper level. Sections of intricately carved building facades are also on display, and the main gallery's ceiling has been decorated with Maya astronomical glyphs representing stars and planets.

Below is a slide-show of photos that I have taken on three visits (1996, 2006, and  2010) to the Copan Sculpture Museum. Move the cursor over the screen to read captions. Click on the images to see larger views and for information about ordering prints or leasing photos for personal or editorial use.


Copan Sculpture Museum - Images by John Mitchell

An Uncommon Guide to San Miguel de Allende

I've been a fan of of American photographer and author Robert de Gast's work since the mid-1990's when I came across his book The Doors of San Miguel de Allende in which he published his wonderful photographs of San Miguel de Allende's Spanish colonial doorways. Robert de Gast went on to create two more alluring photography books about San Miguel entitled Behind the Doors of San Miguel de Allende,and The Churches and Chapels of San Miguel de Allende

Robert de Gast's latest book The World of San Miguel de Allende: An Uncommon Guide is something of a departure from his earlier work in that it is a guidebook. Unlike regular travel guides, this one does not center around supplying practical information (although general topics such as climate and transportation are covered). Rather this well-researched book lives up to its name as an "uncommon guide" by exploring San Miguel mainly through its history and architecture. In addition, the book is printed on high-quality paper and is lavishly illustrated with the author's own photos, so it doesn't look like a typical destination guide..

The book opens with a general introduction to San Miguel de Allende and a chapter that traces the origins of the town back to pre-Hispanic times. These are followed by sections on historical neighborhoods, street names and the town's eccentric house-numbering system, fountains (San Miguel has over four dozen), church bells, and even door knockers. Also included are biographies of notable citizens from San Miguel's past, an events calendar,  plus descriptions of nearby places worth visiting. In short, this is a guide for travelers who want to explore San Miguel de Allende in depth and also for those who simply want a beautiful keepsake about a town that they love.

Tikal, Guatemala: Impressive as Ever

There can be no doubt that the Maya ruins of Tikal in northern Guatemala rank among the most impressive archaeological sites on the planet. I revisited Tikal in October and was once again awed by its grand scale and towering pyramids, which are arguably the most dramatic in the Maya world.

I spent several hours wandering along jungle trails and exploring hidden plazas surrounded by maze-like temple complexes, mossy pyramids, and abandoned ceremonial platforms. But the high point (literally) of my visit was the climb up the steep wooden staircase that clings to the side of 65-meter-high Temple IV, the tallest pyramid at Tikal and the second tallest built by Maya.

The panoramic view from the top of Temple IV is inspirational, and it is probably much the same as the one enjoyed by ancient Maya priests and astronomers whose lofty domain this once was. In the distance, Temples I and II stand like massive stone sentinels, poking their intricately carved roof combs through a dense forest canopy that unfurls like a green carpet for as far as the eye can see.

Below is a slide-show of my photos of Tikal and the nearby town of Flores located on an island in Lake Peten Itza. Move the cursor over the screen to view the captions. Click on individual  photos to see larger versions and for information about ordering prints or downloading files for personal, editorial or commercial use.


Tikal and Flores, Guatemala - Images by John Mitchell

One Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in Mexico

Every once in a while I come across a book about Latin America that is so inspiring I feel compelled to spread the word. One Hundred & One Beautiful Small Towns in Mexico (101 Beautiful Small Towns) by Guillermo Garcia Oropeza and Cristobal Garcia Sanchez is just such a work. Published in 2008 by Rizzoli International Publications, this generously illustrated coffee table book introduces readers to some of the most alluring places in Mexico. Spanish colonial towns, seaside villages, and even pre-Hispanic ruins are grouped by geographic regions, and almost every state in the country is represented. Lively text giving detailed historical background accompanies the eye-catching photos. Plus an appendix lists addresses of state and municipal tourism offices, hotels, and restaurants, making this a guide that should appeal to both armchair and active travelers who have a passion for Mexico.

Here is slide-show of some of small and not-so-small towns that I have visited in Mexico. Move the cursor over the screen to view captions. Click on individual  photos to see larger versions and for information about ordering prints or downloading files for personal, editorial or commercial use.


Small Towns of Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

So many World Heritage Sites, so little time...

When I first started traveling to Mexico in the 1980's, one of my goals was to eventually visit all of that country's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The list was considerably shorter back then, but it was still an ambitious project.

Mexico now has 31 properties (27 Cultural and four Natural) inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which is more than any other nation in the Americas. I've managed to explore 25 of these sites over the years, and I hope to be around long enough to complete my plans. However, this may not be as easy as it sounds. Mexico has a lineup of places waiting to be added to the World Heritage List, so it promises to keep getting longer.

Some of the most recent sites in Mexico to have been submitted to UNESCO for consideration are the Spanish colonial city of San Luis Potosi, Ria Celestun and Izamal in the Yucatan, as well as the surrealist sculpture garden of Las Pozas in the state of San Luis Potosi.

Here is a slide-show of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Mexico that I've been lucky enough to visit. Please mouse over the screen to view the captions. Click on individual images for information about licensing or ordering prints.


Mexico's World Heritage Sites - Images by John Mitchell

Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Population at All-Time Low

According to a census taken by World Wildlife Fund - Mexico, the number of monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico has fallen to the lowest on record.



Every autumn, tens of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from as far away as eastern Canada to the states of Mexico and Michoacan. Here, they hibernate in the mountainous terrain, coating the oyamel fir trees in brilliant orange blankets. When air temperatures warm in the spring, they begin their long journey back to their northern breeding grounds.

The recent drop in the number of monarch butterflies over-wintering in Mexico is being blamed mainly on drought plus abnormally high and low temperatures in parts of North America where the monarchs reproduce. Also, the insects' Mexican habitat continues to be illegally deforested in order to harvest valuable timber and clear land for agriculture.

Although scientists say that the monarch butterflies are not in danger of extinction, they think that their declining numbers may threaten the annual migration to Mexico.

Mexico has four monarch butterfly sanctuaries in Michoacan and the Estado de Mexico. They were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 and now comprise the 56,259 hectare (about 139,00 acres) Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.



For tourist information on Mexico's monarch butterfly sanctuaries, visit the WWF- Mexico website.

Reforesting Chichen Itza

It appears that even the ancient Maya ruins at Chichen Itza are feeling the effects of global warming. The heating of the Earth’s atmosphere has reportedly changed the rain patterns and lengthened the dry season at Chichen Itza. Resulting drought, along with lightning storms and hurricanes, has taken a heavy toll on the sprawling archaeological site’s trees and other natural vegetation.

In response to this loss of greenery, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology (INAH) has reforested vulnerable areas of Chichen Itza with 3000 trees indigenous to the Yucatan. Included among the species are mahogany, cedar, flamboyant, plus other trees and bushes traditionally used by the Maya for food, construction, and the making of handicrafts. An additional 1000 trees will be planted in 2010, and seeds are being conserved to eventually stock greenhouses with saplings. Grass in heavily trafficked areas of Chichen Itza is also being regenerated.

Old Quito, Ecuador

With a population estimated at close to two million, Quito is Ecuador’s capital and second largest city. It also claims to be the second highest capital in the world after La Paz, Bolivia.

Quito’s air may be thin, but the city is thick with history. Quito sits on the ruins of an Incan city that the Incas burned to the ground rather than have it fall into Spanish clutches. The Spanish Conquistadors established the city of San Francisco de Quito in 1534. They proceeded to Christianize local Indians and use them as laborers to build splendid churches, convents, and monasteries. Most of these architectural treasures are still around. In fact, downtown Quito is so well preserved that it was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1978.

I felt protected by an angel while wandering through old Quito’s plazas and labyrinthine streets. Wherever I went, I could see the winged Virgin of Quito, hovering above the low-rise colonial architecture like a guardian angel. This huge statue stands on a hill called El Panecillo or “Little Bread Loaf” to the south of the old town. It is said to be the only depiction of a winged Virgin in the Americas. The monument was apparently modeled after an apocalyptic vision from the biblical book of Revelations. Quito’s unusual Virgin wears a crown of stars, and she balances on top of a chained dragon and a large globe of the world.



The heart of Quito’s Old Town is the Plaza de la Independencia, which locals usually call the Plaza Grande. This large square dates back to the 16th century and is flanked by some of the city’s most important buildings, including Quito’s austere-looking cathedral, and the white presidential palace or Palacio de Gobierno with its handsome colonnades. Looking like a wallflower on the north side of Plaza Grande is a nondescript modern administration building that was built to replace a crumbling colonial structure. Tall marble columns surmounted by a bronze statue of Liberty marks the center of the plaza.

The Plaza Grande is one of the best places for people-watching in old Quito. I visited the plaza on a Sunday when it was packed with Quiteños – as people from Quito are called – relaxing and chatting on wrought-iron benches. Quito is a conservative place, and most of the older people were dressed in their Sunday best. Some ladies had brought parasols to protect themselves from the strong equatorial sun. Children were running about dipping their hands in the splashing baroque fountains, chasing flocks of pigeons, and dodging people strolling to and from the area’s numerous churches.

I soon discovered that it was difficult to walk more than two blocks in old Quito without bumping into a church. Quito’s churches tend to be plain and formal on the outside. However, I found a notable exception one block west of the Plaza Grande. La Compañia de Jésus church has the most ornate baroque facade in Ecuador. It reportedly took 160 over years to build La Compañia and carve the collage of cherubs, sacred hearts and other icons ringing its stone entranceway.

The church’s gilded nave and towering altar smothered in gold leaf are truly a Conquistador’s dream come true. Tourism brochures often refer to La Compañia as “Quito’s Sistine Chapel.” Peering up at the church’s vaulted ceiling, I could see why: Moorish geometric designs inlaid with gold glittered in the diffuse light, and dozens of somber paintings depicting saints and religious scenes hung from the sweeping arches.

If Plaza Grande is the heart of Quito, then the Plaza San Francisco is the city’s soul. This vast cobblestone square is ringed by colonial buildings and bordered on its west side by the high white walls and twin spires of the San Francisco Church and Monastery. The plaza was built on the site of the original Inca city’s marketplace, which buzzed with traders from all over the northern Andes.

When I was there, Indian women wearing their signature narrow-brimmed fedoras approached me hawking multicolored weavings, and men bent double under enormous loads strapped to their backs plodded by. I joined the Sunday crowds filing into San Francisco Church. Once inside the church’s dark interior, I found myself engulfed by a sea of glinting baroque carvings and the echoes of hundreds of feet shuffling across creaking wooden floors as they have for centuries.

IF YOU GO

Quito’s Old Town has few services for travelers. Most stay in the Mariscal Sucre district in new Quito. This compact neighborhood northeast of the old town is full of budget hotels, restaurants, and stores catering to tourists. The best way to get to old Quito from Mariscal Sucre is on the efficient and inexpensive (fare $0.30) trolley bus system. The trolleys have their own lanes and can zip right through Quito’s frequent traffic jams. Taxis are also cheap and plentiful. Most of old Quito’s museums are closed on Mondays. The tourism information office on the Plaza de la Independencia supplies a good map of Quito and brochures.

Below is a slide-show featuring some of my Quito photos. Move the cursor over the screen to view captions. Click on images to see larger views and for information about ordering prints or leasing for personal or editorial use.


Old Quito, Ecuador - Images by John Mitchell

Mysterious Xochicalco, Mexico

The highway running south from Cuernavaca snakes past endless sugarcane fields, roadside stands piled high with freshly cut roses, and towns with tongue-twisting names that hark back to pre-Hispanic times. Before long, the ancient ruins of Xochicalco come into view, perched like a fortress high on a hill overlooking lush valleys and shimmering lakes.

Xochicalco – whose name means “Place of the House of Flowers” – flourished between 700 and 900 A.D. It was once one of the most important cities in Mesoamerica and home to as many as 15,000 people. During the 20th century the ruins of this heavily fortified complex were extensively restored, and in 1999 Xochicalco was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, it is the largest and most-visited archaeological site in the state of Morelos.

The city of Xochicalco rose to prominence during the decline of Teotihuacan, whose immense ruins lie to the north of present day Mexico City. This powerful civilization had exerted its influence over most of Mexico for almost a millennium. Teotihuacan’s collapse in the eighth century A.D. has still to be fully explained. Its demise left a power vacuum in Central Mexico that was filled first by Xochicalco and later by the Toltec city of Tula.

Xochicalco’s origins remain something of a mystery. Its buildings bear the marks of several different cultures, including the Olmecs, the Zapotecs, and the Aztecs. However, the city’s architecture and artwork are essentially Mayan, leading archaeologists to believe that Xochicalco was founded by Maya traders from the Gulf Coast of the Yucatan peninsula. The strategic location south of Teotihuacan would have given them access to trade routes radiating out from the Valley of Mexico.

An excellent on-site museum that opened at Xochicalco in 1995 gives an idea of who the Xochicalcans were and how they lived. The building was designed according to the principles of environmental sustainability, and it is almost totally self-sufficient. Solar panels and batteries supply electricity. Rain water is collected and recycled, and ventilation is taken care of by an innovative thermal rotation system.

The pale green museum complex sprawls on a rise just east of the ruins. Upon entering the building, you come face-to-face with a wide glass window offering a panoramic view of Xochicalco’s skyline. You then make your way past a scale model of the archaeological site and down a corridor lined with exquisite sculptures to the museum’s six galleries clustered beehive-like at the far end of the building.



On display in the galleries are stone statues, ceramics, and ornaments related to various aspects of ancient Xochicalco’s history and its inhabitants’ way of life. A signature sculpture representing the room’s main theme occupies the entranceway to each gallery. Soft natural light issuing from prism-shaped skylights bathes the artifacts, which are accompanied by explanations and diagrams.

From the site’s main parking area, a trail winds uphill to Xochicalco’s main plaza. Here stands the most beautiful and enigmatic of Xochicalco’s monuments, the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent. Bas-reliefs carved in the Mayan style adorn the squat pyramid’s four sides. Along the structure’s sloping base is a huge undulating feathered serpent. In one of the serpent’s coils sits a Maya ruler or priest wearing an elaborate plumed headdress. Archaeologists feel that this dignitary may have been connected in some way with the god Quetzalcoatl, who was much revered throughout pre-Columbian Mexico.

Above the serpent stretches a series of panels depicting seated men. It was long thought that these figures were astronomers from throughout Mexico who had met at Xochicalco to make calendar adjustments. Archaeologists now speculate that the men actually represent towns subjugated by Xochicalco. Eagles, jaguars, and warriors carrying shields and spears decorate the pyramid’s topmost level, suggesting that the Xochicalcans were more than just peaceful star-watchers.

It is possible to spend several hours exploring Xochicalco’s plazas and densely packed temples, many of which are festooned with Mayan glyphs and carvings. There are also two I-shaped ballcourts like those found on the Yucatan peninsula. Here the Xochicalcans played the sacred “ballgame” that was popular throughout Mexico and northern Central America. Experts think that both the Toltecs and the Aztecs used Xochicalco’s Mayan-style ballcourts as models for the ones they later built in their cities.



Not to be missed is the unusual underground solar observatory sequestered inside one of many caves peppering hillsides found on the site’s northwestern edges. A guard opens the iron gate protecting the cave’s entrance and takes small groups of visitors along an eerie tunnel with painted stucco walls. At the end of the dimly lit passage is a small chamber with a crude altar and light streaming in through a hole in the ceiling.

The light travels down a narrow shaft leading from the surface. When the sun is at its zenith, a beam of sunlight bursts through the shaft at high noon. This event, which happens twice a year, must have been significant for the Xochicalcans. At any time of the year, when you put your hand in the light, the shadow cast on the chamber’s floor appears to show finger bones like an x-ray. While this peculiar effect probably has a simple scientific explanation, it adds another layer of intrigue to these already mysterious ruins.

GETTING THERE: Xochicalco can easily be visited on day trips from Mexico City or Cuernavaca. The Xochicalco archaeological site and museum are open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The ticket booth closes at 5 p.m. Admission is about US$4.00, which includes entrance to both the ruins and the on-site museum.

Below is a slide-show of some of my Xochicalco photos. Move the cursor over the screen to view the captions. Click on individual  images to see larger versions and for information about ordering prints or downloading files for personal, editorial or commercial use.


Xochicalco, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Tepotzotlan's Colonial Treasures

The first thing that catches your eye when you step off the bus in downtown Tepotzotlan is the Iglesia de San Francisco Javier with its soaring three-tiered bell tower and richly decorated façade. This extravagant 17th-century church is considered to be one of the finest examples of Churrigueresque (Mexican baroque) architecture in Mexico.

Tepotzotlan is a pleasant colonial town on the northern edge of Mexico City’s urban sprawl. A lively outdoor handicrafts market held in the main square and streets lined with outdoor restaurants make Tepotzotlan a popular weekend retreat among people from the capital. However, the main reason for visiting the town is the Museo Nacional de Virreinato (National Museum of the Viceroyalty) that occupies a former Jesuit monastery adjacent to the San Francisco Javier church.

The monastery originally housed two schools, one for indigenous children and another for novice priests. During the early 1960’s, the building was extensively restored and turned into a museum displaying religious art and other artifacts from Mexico’s colonial period. The San Francisco Javier church and Jesuit monastery were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

Behind the monastery’s walls lies a maze of corridors and rooms surrounding two main courtyards. The larger courtyard, the Patio of the Reservoirs, gets its name from cisterns that are still used to collect rainwater. This space was reserved for the Jesuit priests and school children. Fronting the patio is an apothecary room with 17th-century murals documenting the medicine-related work of several Catholic saints.



Smaller and more intimate, the second courtyard is called the Patio of the Oranges, after the scented orange trees growing in it. Novice priests apparently used this area for rest and recreation, amusing themselves with worldly pastimes such as bowling and billiards. The cloister’s upper floor harbors religious murals and the students’ library, whose shelves are stocked with some 4000 antique books in Latin, Greek, Spanish, and French.

Hidden away in another corner of the monastery, the lavishly decorated Chapel of the Novices or Capilla Domestica has a towering gilded altar festooned with mirrors, portraits of saints, statuettes, and reliquaries. Here, the novice monks prayed and no doubt did their best to look pious under a vaulted ceiling ringed with the crests of the various religious orders that came to Christianize the peoples of New Spain.

Most of the museum’s exhibits can be found in a series of large rooms once occupied by Jesuit fathers. On display are important paintings, furniture, carvings, textiles and countless other colonial treasures from Mexico’s viceregal period, which lasted from the Spanish Conquest in 1521 to the beginning of the 19th century. There are also some haunting pre-Columbian artifacts plus a fascinating “diagram of the castes,” an 18th-century painting depicting the various racial mixes that resulted from interbreeding during the colonization of Mexico.

From the monastery, a narrow staircase leads to the San Francisco Xavier church. It becomes obvious upon entering this opulent building that the Jesuits were neither short on missionary zeal nor strapped for cash. During the 18th century, they commissioned some of New Spain’s finest architects and artists to create the church’s sumptuous baroque altarpieces, all of which were fashioned from polychromed wood and covered in gold leaf, statues, and paintings.



The church’s resplendent main altar is dedicated San Francisco Xavier, patron saint of the monastery. Other altars include one devoted to San Ignacio de Loyola, principal founder of the Jesuit order, plus another honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. Equally impressive are the jewel-box-like Relicario de San Jose, a glittering room built to store valuable relics, and an octagonal chamber known as the Camarin de la Virgen, which has celestial scenes painted on its ceiling.

All this gold and glitter can get a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, the museum offers visitors a quiet refuge. Its pleasant open-air restaurant is an ideal place to relax over regional specialties such as tortilla soup or huitlacoche crepes while contemplating a peaceful courtyard filled with flowering bougainvillea and ghosts from Mexico’s colonial past.

GETTING THERE

The easiest way to get to Tepotzotlan from downtown Mexico City is to take the metro (subway) to the El Rosario station and then catch a minibus, which will let you off beside the Iglesia de San Francisco Javier. The trip from El Rosario to Tepotzotlan costs 10 Mexican pesos (abiut US$1.00) and takes about 75 minutes. The Museo Nacional de Virreinato (Plaza Hidalgo 99) is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 9am to 6 pm. Admission is 43 pesos (about US$4.25).


Tepotzotlan, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

San Miguel de Allende Revisited

San Miguel de Allende has always been one of my favorite places in Mexico. I first visited this charming colonial town about 25 years ago. Back then it was a bit like falling off the map. There were no cell phones or Internet cafés, and to make a telephone call home, you had to line up at a casita de larga distancia with the locals. San Miguel did get a bit raucous on weekends, but most of the time it was a peaceful Mexican provincial town. The loudest noises to be heard were the crowing of roosters and the clanging of church bells.

Last month I returned to San Miguel after a six-year hiatus. Although I had watched the town grow steadily over the years, I was not prepared for some of the changes that I encountered. The first signs that things were not what they used to be were the sterile shopping malls, movie theater complexes, and American-style fast food restaurants that had sprouted on the outskirts of town. From the bus window, I could also see new housing projects marching like the armies of progress across the sun-browned hills.

The historical city center was also full of surprises. Sightseeing trolley buses made to look like old-fashioned trams prowled the cobblestones. All Terrain Vehicles had replaced burros, and the narrow streets were jammed with cars and pedestrians. Strolling at night had been made hazardous by blinding spotlights embedded in the sidewalks to light up building facades. However, the biggest shocker was the sight of a Starbucks Coffee shop on a busy corner next to the main square, a sure sign that urban hipness had arrived in San Miguel.



San Miguel de Allende was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, an honor it thoroughly deserved. San Miguel is still a lovely town, and I will continue to go back there whenever I can. But I’m afraid that some of the magic has disappeared for me. Frankly, I miss the old, more bohemian San Miguel, and I preferred to get my Starbucks fixes at home.

Move the cursor over the slide-show below to view captions. Click on images to see information about ordering prints or downloading images for personal, editorial, or commercial use.

San Miguel de Allende - Images by John Mitchell

UNESCO World Heritage Status Likely for San Luis Potosi

San Luis Potosi has never received as much attention as its famous neighbors, Guanajuato and Zacatecas, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. But this situation could change in 2010, when it is likely that San Luis Potosi will also be added to the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List.

True, San Luis Potosi doesn't overwhelm your senses with spectacular architecture the way some of Mexico's Spanish colonial cities do, rather its beauty lies in the details: ornate iron balconies, neoclassical doorways, and understated facades decorated with intricate crests and scrollwork reveal themselves as you wander its orderly grid of streets.

The Spanish founded San Luis Potosi in 1592 after they discovered gold and silver at Cerro de San Pedro in the nearby mountains. San Luis soon became one of the most important and wealthiest cities in New Spain and a major stop on the Camino Real or Royal Road, along which silver and gold were transported from Zacatecas south to coffers in Mexico City.

San Luis Potosi is organized around six plazas, each with its own personality and unique blend of architectural styles representing four centuries of building sprees. At the heart of the historical center lies the sprawling Plaza de Armas with its 17th-century baroque cathedral, and somber-looking Palacio Municipal and Palacio de Gobierno, both dating back to the 19th century.

The 17th-century Edifico de la Antigua Caja Real or Old Royal Treasury Building near the Plaza de Armas is currently being restored to help meet part of the requirements outlined by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee during its 33rd session that was held in Seville, Spain, in June 2009. It is now anticipated that the UNESCO committee will inscribe San Luis Potosi on the World Heritage list during its 34th session in 2010.

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San Luis Potosi - Images by John Mitchell

For more details, visit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's website

No Light Show for Teotihuacan

Mexico's National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH) has decided to go along with recommendations made recently by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and suspend plans for a light and sound show at the pre-Hispanic ruins of Teotihuacan near Mexico City. Numerous Mexican preservationists and archaeologists were also against the show, which was to be called "The Radiance of Teotihuacan."

The UNESCO committee criticized the absence of a proper management plan and claimed that the project has caused damage to surfaces of the archaeological site's 2000-year-old pyramids, so the lighting and sound systems have been removed. However, INAH says that it has not totally given up on the idea of lighting up Teotihuacan -- which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 -- to attract more tourists and help bolster the local economy.

Personally, I've never been a big fan of light and sound shows. I often find them to be somewhat garish and over-dramatic. Perhaps it would be a better idea to let visitors into Teotihuacan at night so that they can see its pyramids as the ancients did -- by the light of the stars and the silvery moon.

GETTING THERE: Teotihuacan is located about 48 kilometers (30 miles) north of Mexico City. Buses leave every 15 minutes from Mexico City's Terminal Norte. The trip takes about one hour. Last I heard, the archaeological site is open daily from 7am until 6pm and the admission is about US$4.00 (more if you want to use a video camera). The ruins can get very crowded on weekends. Best to visit on a weekday. Take a hat and expect to do a lot of walking.

Saving Cerro de San Pedro in San Luis Potosi, Mexico

It’s obvious that Marcos Rangel Mendoza loves the place where he was born. This unassuming, middle-aged man becomes passionate when he talks about the history of Cerro de San Pedro, an old mining town clinging to a rocky hillside in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí.

Señor Mendoza explains that the Spanish founded Cerro de San Pedro in 1592 after they discovered gold and silver in the area. The conquistadors established a royal mine in the nearby mountains, and Cerro de San Pedro flourished until severe water shortages forced most of the town’s population to move to the present site of the city of San Luis Potosí. As a result, Cerro de San Pedro became a virtual ghost town.

Today, Cerro de San Pedro is home to about 100 people. Many of them cater to a trickle of tourists who make the 20 km (13 mile) trip from San Luis Potosí in order to wander San Pedro’s deserted streets and soak up its colonial ambiance. There are also two 17th-century churches to explore plus a museum displaying historical photographs, antique mining paraphernalia, and work by local artists. The town’s other main attraction is a small store owned by Señor Mendoza. Named “El Huachichil” after the local indigenous people, this cave-like shop is crammed with handicrafts, photographs, minerals, and mining souvenirs.

On the surface, Cerro de San Pedro appears to be an idyllic spot. But all is not what it seems. High above the town looms a huge “open-sky” gold mine owned by a Canadian company called Metallica Resources and its Mexican subsidiary Minera San Xavier. This rapacious open pit mining operation is threatening to destroy Cerro de San Pedro and poison its inhabitants.

While we stand and chat in front of his store, Señor Mendoza points to ominous cracks in nearby walls, which he claims are being damaged by daily dynamite explosions in the mine. He also shows me nasty sores on his arm that he says he got from bathing in water contaminated by chemicals from the mine. Señor Mendoza’s greatest fear is that his hometown’s fragile buildings will totally collapse if the mine isn’t closed.

Señor Mendoza belongs to an organization that has been fighting Minera San Xavier and corrupt government officials for over a decade, but little has been accomplished. He now realizes that Cerro de San Pedro’s last chance for survival may be tourism. Increasing the number of foreign visitors will hopefully bring more awareness of the town’s historical significance, especially since neighboring San Luis Potosí, which was once one of the most important cities in New Spain, is being considered for inclusion in UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List.

GETTING THERE: Cerro de San Pedro is about a 30-minute drive from San Luis Potosí on good, mostly gravel roads. There is also a public bus that leaves on Saturday and Sundays at 9:00 A.M. from the Temple San José church on the Alameda Park in San Luis Potosí. This same bus makes the return journey at 6:00 P.M. Cerro de San Pedro has a few basic eateries that are open on weekends only. There are currently no places to stay in Cerro de San Pedro, but it is possible to set up a tent and camp. For more information, visit the San Luis Potosí Secretariat of Tourism website.

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Cerro San Pedro, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Teotihuacan Exhibition in Mexico City

At its peak in around 500 A.D., Teotihuacan was home to between 100,000 and 200,000 people, making it the largest and most influential urban state in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan's wide avenues lined with temples and ceremonial platforms stretched some five kilometres through the sun-baked Valley of Mexico, and its massive stone pyramids rivaled those of ancient Egypt. This immense city mysteriously fell into sudden decline during the eighth century and was eventually sacked and burned by looters.

Fortunately, many of the exquisite objects created by Teotihuacan's artisans have survived. Over 400 of these precious artifacts -- including masks, sculptures, obsidian knives, braziers, jewelry, ceramics, and mural fragments -- are currently on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park. This temporary exhibit, which is entitled "Teotihuacan City of Gods," will run until August 16, 2009. Admission is free and the opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.

For more information, visit the exhibition's Website.

YouTube Features Mexico's Cultural Treasures

YouTube fans will be pleased to know that Mexico's National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH) has established a channel on the world's favourite video-sharing website. Called INAHTV, the channel currently offers over 100 videos highlighting some of Mexico's most important archaeological zones, museums, historical sites, traditional arts and festivals, as well as other cultural treasures. The commentaries are all in Spanish; but even if you don't understand the language, these expertly produced videos are worth checking out for their visual impact and variety.

UNESCO Pre-Hispanic Astronomy Database

It's no secret that Mexico's pre-Hispanic civilizations were accomplished stargazers. The ancient Maya, for instance, accurately charted the movements of the moon and Venus, plus they could predict eclipses and other celestial events. And then there is the famous Aztec Calendar or Sun Stone, a huge and incredibly complex circular calendar that is thought to have originated with the Olmecs, the mother of all the ancient Mexican cultures.

As part of the International Year of Astronomy (2009) celebrations, UNESCO and the Mexican National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH) will be compiling a database of pre-Hispanic archaeological zones that have astronomical significance. The list will include well known sites such as Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Palenque, and Monte Alban, as well as many lesser known locales. Paintings and sculptures will also be added to the database.

For more information, visit the INAH website.