MEXICAN KALEIDOSCOPE: AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR TONY BURTON

I recently had a chat with geographer and author Tony Burton about his latest book Mexican Kaleidoscope: myths, mysteries, and mystique (Sombrero Books, 2016, 165 pages), a wide-ranging collection of  informative and often surprising vignettes gathered from Mexico's rich history and culture. Tony's unique book brings to light many little-known facts about this fascinating country and its people. A copy belongs on the bookshelf of every serious Mexicophile. 




JM: You have been writing about Mexico for many years, what first got you interested in the country?

Tony: Necessity! I was teaching geography in the Caribbean and the examination syllabus required a study of Mexico. The Mexican chapters in Robert West and John P. Augelli's wonderful book Middle America: Its Lands and Peoples were familiar friends by the time I spent the summer of 1977 touring the southern half of Mexico. Two years later, I returned to teach geography in Mexico City. The complexity of Mexico's geography kept me hooked, which is why I jumped at the opportunity a few years ago to collaborate with Dr. Richard Rhoda to write Geo-Mexico, the Geography and Dynamics of Modern Mexico. Amazingly, that book (published to coincide with Mexico's bicentenary celebrations in 2010) turned out to be the first ever English-language, college-level book devoted to Mexico's geography. (For more details, see geo-mexico.com)

JM: What prompted you to write Mexican Kaleidoscope?

Tony: I'd been planning to write a book along these lines for a number of years but only got sufficiently organized to carry through on the plan last year! One of my main motivations was that (to the best of my knowledge) no similar book for the general reader had been published in the past forty years. An incredible amount of interesting academic research has been done on Mexico over that time, leading to reevaluations and reinterpretations of many former ideas and beliefs. I wanted to make readers aware of some of these extraordinary developments, which continually refuel my passionate interest in Mexico.

JM: How did you come up with the title?

Tony: The title Mexican Kaleidoscope is a nod to a British writer, Norman Pelham Wright, whose own collection of essays, with the same title, was published in 1948. That book was an eye-opener for me when I first began to get intimately acquainted with Mexico more than forty years ago. The subtitle Myths, Mysteries and Mystique came from a suggestion by one of my regular golfing partners (who had read an early draft of the book) as we played the 11^th hole at Cottonwood Golf Course.

JM: A lot of research must have gone into this book. How long did it take you to write it? What were some of the challenges?

Tony: The research was done sporadically over more than twenty years, in conjunction with other writing projects. The main challenge was that because Mexico is such a fascinating country it was hard to decide what to include and what to omit!

JM: Mexican Kaleidoscope has 30 chapters. Which ones are your favorites? Why?

Tony: That's a great question, but actually I prefer not to answer since I hope readers will find and enjoy their own favorites. What I can say is that each and every chapter has come to mean far more to me than is expressed by mere words on a page. I really hope some of my enthusiasm comes through to readers.

JM: The book is illustrated by Mexican artist Enrique Velázquez. What do you think his drawings add to the text?

Tony: I've known Enrique and his family for many, many years. He has a keen interest in the subject matter and an uncanny ability to portray ideas in just a few lines. I originally envisioned using small, inline drawings to break up the text, much in the manner of old-time illustrators, but his final drawings were far too good for that, so we changed track and gave them the prominence and space they merit.

JM: What do you hope readers will take away from Mexican Kaleidoscope?

Tony: That's a tough question since I think it depends on what readers bring to the process. At the very least I'd like the book to cause readers to stop and think, to be occasionally surprised, and perhaps question things that they may have previously thought or heard about Mexico. As I've written elsewhere, Mexico is not always an easy country to understand but any effort to do so always seems to bring rich reward!

JM: Do you have any other books about Mexico in the works?

Tony: Yes. I'm hoping to complete a companion volume to Mexican Kaleidoscope by the second half of this year. Whereas Mexican Kaleidoscope focuses primarily on history and culture, the next book (title still under wraps) focuses on Mexico’s astonishingly varied natural history (flora and fauna) and its cultural connections. I'm also actively researching material for books about the twentieth century history of the Lake Chapala region, and about the development of that area's literary and artistic community. For that last project, I've begun publishing short profiles of some of the key players at sombrerobooks.com.

JM: How can Mexico Premiere fans order a copy of Mexican Kaleidoscope?

Tony: Both print and Kindle editions of Mexican Kaleidoscope are available via all Amazon sites - amazon.com, amazon.ca, etc. There are also ebook versions for Kobo and other ereaders via iTunes, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. Readers in the Lake Chapala area can find the book in local stores such as La Nueva Posada, Diane Pearl Collections, Mi México and in Enrique Velázquez's art gallery. I also have a limited number of copies that can be signed and personally dedicated for Mexico Premiere fans if they contact me via sales@sombrerobooks.com

PREVIOUS BOOKS BY TONY BURTON
Western Mexico,  A Traveler's Treasury (4th edition)
Chapala Through the Ages;  an anthology of travellers' tales (2008)
Co-author of Geo-Mexico, the geography and dynamics of modern Mexico

Merida 2014 Calendar

Earlier this year, I revisited the city of Mérida in the Mexican state of Yucátan. A lot has changed since I was first in Mérida back in 1987. What was once a relatively quiet provincial capital is now a cosmopolitan city of some one million souls. Still, Mérida turned our to be much as I remember it, especially the historical center, which has an eclectic mix of architecture, including handsome Spanish colonial buildings dating back to the 16th century. 

I was also pleased to discover that Mérida remains a colorful and inspiring place for photography. Fortunately, modernization (such as free public Wi-Fi in the lively main plaza) has not lessened the city's considerable charm. I've put together a 2014 Calender with a dozen favorite images from my Mérida trip. To get the most out of the calendar preview below, please click on the full screen icon at the bottom right of the screen.

Hacienda Yaxcopoil: Taking a Day Trip to the Past

 

Anyone interested in the history of the Yucatán should consider taking a day trip from the city of Mérida to nearby Hacienda Yaxcopoil (YASH-coh-poh-EEL). This former henequén (sisal) hacienda, which dates back to the 17th century, offers rare glimpses of life among the Yucatán's wealthy hacendados during Spanish colonial days and the henequén boom of the late 1900's that made Yucatán one of the richest states in Mexico.



What is truly special about Yaxcopoil is that unlike most other Yucatecan haciendas, it has been preserved in its original state. Ghosts of the past still haunt the main building's dimly lit rooms filled with worn but elegant European-style furniture, kerosene lamps, and other fixtures from days gone by. High wooden doors bearing the marks of time open into a traditional Spanish courtyard flanked by sweeping stone arches and brimming with greenery.



Hacienda Yaxcopoil gets its name from a Maya archaeological site located on the plantation's extensive land holdings, which once encompassed some 22,000 acres. Fittingly, a room off the hacienda's inner courtyard has been turned into a small museum housing artifacts from the Yaxcopoil ruins. Ceramic plates and pots adorn the walls, and ancient limestone carvings stand silently in corners illuminated by natural light streaming through open windows with weathered green and white shutters. 



In the hacienda's factory area or planta desfribradora languishes machinery once used to shred the henequén fiber. Mysterious contraptions with rusty iron cogs and wheels that haven't turned for decades stand next to an impressive-looking diesel engine that was used to power them with belts and pulleys. This huge motor was built in Germany in 1913 and is still in working order. 

Behind the machine room stretch warehouses and packing houses that, with their handsome neoclassical facades and columns, look more like stately colonial mansions than plantation buildings. The hacienda also boasts extensive gardens and an orchard where water tanks and functioning pumps installed during the early 20th century promise to keep Yaxcopoil blooming for years -- perhaps even centuries -- to come.  



Hacienda Yaxcopoil is situated 33 km (20 miles) southwest of Mérida and can be reached by rental car, public bus, or on organized tours offered by companies in Mérida. The hacienda is open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is 75 Mexican pesos (about $6.00 US).

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Hacienda Yaxcopoil, Yucatan, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

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.

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Tlacotalpan, Veracruz - Images by John Mitchell

Mazatlan's Angela Peralta Theater

The Mexican resort of Mazatlán is best known for its sunshine, sandy beaches, and raucous nightlife fueled by locally brewed Pacifico beer. However, this vibrant city of some 500,000 souls also has a sophisticated cultural life, much of which centers around the beautifully restored 19th-century Teatro Angela Peralta.

This Neoclassical style opera house started life in 1874 as the Teatro Rubio. It was renamed the Teatro Angela Peralta after the world-renowned Mexican opera singer Angela Peralta and most of her troupe died of yellow fever during a visit to Mazatlán in 1883. Tragically, Angela Peralta never got to perform in the theater that is now dedicated to her memory. She was only 38 years old when she passed away.



The Teatro Angela Peralta thrived until 1964, staging operas, plays, and even boxing matches. The theater then fell into disuse and was all but abandoned. Adding insult to injury, it was eventually flooded by a hurricane in 1975 and was later used as a parking garage. Not until 1987 did the city decide to start restoring the Teatro Angelo Peralta as part of an ambitious plan to rejuvenate Mazatlan's extensive historical center, which includes 180 city blocks of handsome 19th-century and early 20th-century architecture.



Restoration of the dilapidated structure took five years, and it reopened in 1992. A gallery on the theater's second floor displays black and white photographs chronicling the reconstruction. One memorable image shows a roofless ruin with a large tree growing where the theater's main stage now stands. Today, the Teatro Angela Peralta has become the primary symbol of Old Mazatlan's revitalization. The theater attracts international talent and once again hosts concerts and theatrical presentations. It is also home to an acclaimed dance company and school.

The Teatro Angela Peralta is located on Avenida Carnaval just off Plazuela Machado, Old Mazatlan's lively main plaza. For 12 pesos (about $1.00), visitors can explore the theater's sumptuous interior and archival photo gallery. Opening hours are 8am until 3pm daily.

National Interventions Museum in Coyoacán, Mexico City

A Museum for Mexican History Buffs

Mexico has a long history of foreign interventions, especially on the part of the United States, France, and Spain. So it's only fitting that there should be a museum chronicling the meddling of these foreign powers in Mexican affairs. The Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones or National Interventions Museum located in the pretty colonial suburb of Coyoacán is just such a place.

Housed in the 17th-century Ex-Convento de Churubusco, this little-visited museum is devoted to conflicts that occurred on Mexican soil between 1825 and 1916. On display are maps, documents, weapons, military uniforms, paintings and other historical artifacts related to events such as the French occupation of Mexico during the 1860's, Spain's attempt to regain its former colony in 1829, and the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 that resulted in Mexico losing almost half of its territory to the United States.



The Ex-Convento de Churubusco (Monastery of Churubusco) is itself no stranger to foreign intervention. On August 20, 1847, at the peak of the Mexican-American War, U.S. forces attacked the monastery, where some 1300 retreating Mexican soldiers had taken refuge. The Mexican battalions holed up inside reportedly surrendered only after they had run completely out of ammunition and had to resort to hand-to-hand combat.

Today, all is peaceful at the Churubusco Monastery. The only reminders of the Battle of Churubusco (as the conflict came to be known) are bullet holes scarring the building's walls, memorial plaques, and rusty cannon still guarding the monastry's entrance. Visitors can now explore the museum and the monastery, parts of which have been restored to their original condition, and then wander through tranquil gardens shaded by towering trees.



The Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones and the Ex-Convento de Churubusco are located on Calle 20 de Agosto at General Anaya, northeast of the Plaza Hidalgo in Coyoacán. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays) from 9am until 6pm. Admission is about US$4.00.

Check out my post on the Leon Trotsky Museum, which is also in Coyoacán.

Yucatan Regional Museum of Anthropology and History in Mérida

Whenever I visit the Spanish colonial city of Mérida on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, I always make sure to spend some time poking around the Regional Museum of Anthropology and History. This interesting museum is located in the Palacio Cantón, an imposing mansion that dates back to the early years of the 20th-century when Merida was home to wealthy families involved in the manufacture of henequén (sisal). The palace faces the broad Paseo de Montejo, a tree-lined boulevard said to have been modeled after the Champs Elysée in Paris.

Palacio Cantón was designed by the Italian architect Enrico Deserti and is named after its last resident General Francisco Cantón, a prominent figure in the Yucatan who died in 1917. Built in the Mannerist and Baroque styles, the building's facade sports ornate balustrades, elegant balconies, and neoclassical columns. Many of the materials used in its construction were imported from Europe, such as the marble used to fashion its gleaming floors.



Exhibits trace the history of the Yucatán Peninsula from the age of mastodons through Spanish Colonial times to Mexican Independence. There are plenty of Spanish colonial artifacts including religious paintings, coins, weaponry and the like. However, my favorite exhibits are the ones featuring Mayan artifacts from sites such as Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Mayapán, and Ek Balam. Among the items on display are haunting stone sculptures, exquisite jade jewelry and ceramics, plus intricately carved stone censors or incensarios.



There are also plans and photographs of major archaeological sites, as well as a bookstore with numerous books on archaeology and history. All in all, a visit to the museum provides an excellent introduction for travelers planning to head out and explore the Yucatán Peninsula's historical towns, haciendas, and remarkable ancient Mayan cities.

The Museo Regional de Antropologia e Historía located on Paseo Montejo at Calle 43. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm; Sunday from 8am to 2pm. Admission is about US$4.00.

Here is a short video about Palacio Cantón and the museum produced by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). It's worth watching even if you don't speak Spanish.

Spanish Colonial Forts

When I was a child, I was always building forts -- snow forts, sand forts, tree forts, cardboard-box forts, you name it. I don’ know what this obsession stemmed from. Perhaps it had something to do with wanting to feel safe. Or maybe I had just seen too many pirate movies and Westerns. Whatever the reason, my love of forts followed me into adulthood, and it persists to this day. 

Not surprisingly, during my travels in Latin America, I have sought out and photographed forts of all kinds. The Spanish built dozens of them along the coasts of Mexico and Central America, as well as in the Caribbean. These imposing structures helped protect Spain’s colonies in the New World from foreign navies and raids by the likes of English and Dutch pirates. 

Below is a slide-show of forts in Latin America that I have explored. Each has a distinct personality. Some like the San Juan de Ulua fortress in Veracruz, Mexico, are forbidding and dungeon-like. Others are airy and even inviting like Acapulco’s Fuerte San Diego, whose sunlit interior has been painted bright yellow. However, all of these historical buildings have something in common: behind their high stone walls surmounted by rusty cannon lie stories begging to be told.

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Spanish Colonial Forts - Images by John Mitchell

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

Gracias, Lempira, Honduras: Small Town with a Big Past and a Bright Future

The winding road from Santa Rosa de Copán to Gracias in Western Honduras dips and climbs like a roller coaster through a wild landscape of deep valleys, pine-clad mountains and rocky streams. It's no wonder that when Spanish conquistadors exploring this region during the early 1500's finally happened upon a stretch of flat land, they named the community that they founded there "Gracias a Dios" (Thank God).

Now known simply as Gracias, this sleepy town may not look very important today, but at one time it was the Spanish capital of all Central America. In 1544, Gracias was chosen to be the home of the Spanish Empire’s governing council, the Audiencia de los Confines. Gracias served as an administrative center until 1548, when the Audencia packed up and moved to Antigua, Guatemala.

Not surprisingly, given its isolated location, Gracias fell into a long period of anonymity. Recently, however, Gracias' quiet charms have been rediscovered by adventurous travelers, and the town is being put back on the map as a budding tourist destination and convenient base for exploring nearby Lenca Indian villages and Celaque National Park.

Gracias' compact historical center fans out from a tree-shaded main square with a tiny central bandstand that has been converted into a pleasant two-storey cafe. Restored colonial buildings line the town's narrow streets, and there are several old churches worth seeking out. The most attractive is the 17th century Iglesia La Merced, which has an ornate baroque-style facade with spiral columns and niches containing religious statues. Next to the white and yellow Iglesia San Marcos on the main square stands the building that was once home to the Spanish Audencia. A pair of sculpted lions with gruff, human-like faces keep watch over its wide stone entrance. Across the street is the Casa Galeano, a remodeled colonial mansion that now houses a very good regional museum and a small botanical garden.

Perched above Gracias is the Fuerte de San Cristóbal, a renovated Spanish fort that provides some inspiring views of the surrounding mountains. Also popular with both locals and visitors are two sets of natural thermal pools on the outskirts of town. The more upscale of these hot springs facilities is the Termas del Rio, which is operated by the Posada de Don Juan, a comfortable new hotel that has opened in downtown Gracias.

Gracias is also gateway to what has become known as La Ruta Lenca or Lenca Route, a series of picturesque villages inhabited by Lenca Indians, the largest indigenous group in Honduras. The Lenca are best known for their distinctive earthenware pottery that is sold in markets throughout the country.



The Lenca village easiest to reach from Gracias is La Campa located about 16 kilometers (10 miles) away on a paved road. At the entrance to La Campa sits an interpretation center named La Escuelona. This rambling colonial-era complex has galleries with Lenca pottery and historical exhibits as well as showrooms where visitors can buy locally made plates, chimes, whistles and other ceramic creations. Several other pottery stores and workshops lie scattered around town, including the well-stocked home of Doña Desideria Pérez, which has a traditional wood-fired Lenca pottery oven in the backyard.

Uunpaved streets lead downhill past humble dwellings with tile roofs to La Campa's main claim to fame, the Iglesia de San Matías. This three-hundred-year-old church was restored in 1938. However, its brightly colored facade decorated with floral motifs and fluttering angels looks as if it has just been given a fresh coat of paint in hopes that more travelers will soon be coming to admire it.

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Gracias and La Campa, Honduras - Images by John Mitchell

Tlaltecuhtli Gets a New Home in the Templo Mayor Museum

It isn't surprising that Mexico City residents are continually unearthing ancient Aztec artifacts from beneath their feet. After the Spanish conquistadors razed the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan in the early 1600’s, they built their colonial capital right on top of the ruins.

As far back as 1790, the now-famous Aztec Sun Stone was found underneath Mexico City’s Zocalo. Sometimes erroneously called the Aztec Calendar Stone, this enormous disk covered in cosmological symbols is thought to have been a sacrificial altar. It now occupies a prominent spot in the National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park. Almost two centuries later, in 1978, electrical workers made an equally impressive find when they dug up a giant circular stone depicting the dismembered moon goddess Coyolxauhqui, one of the most important figures in Aztec mythology.



Until recently these two sculptures reigned as the largest Aztec artifacts to have been discovered. Then in 2006 workers demolishing two buildings at the corner of Argentina and Guatemala Streets in Mexico City’s Historical Center uncovered a richly carved slab that turned out to be bigger than either the Sun Stone or the Coyolxauhqui stone. Fashioned from pink andesite, the rectangular monolith measures 4.2 meters by 3.6 meters and is about 40 centimeters thick. Archaeologists have determined that the sculpture bears the likeness of the earth goddess Tlaltecuhtli who, according to myth, gives birth to all living things and also devours them.

Tlaltecuhtli’s appearance is anything but inviting. She is depicted in an awkward squatting position as if giving birth. Her facial expression is fierce, and blood streams from her gaping mouth. Instead of hands and feet she has menacing-looking claws. One of them clutches a date glyph corresponding to 1502 A.D, suggesting that the monolith might have been the tombstone of Lord Ahuizotl, a ruler of Tenochtitlan who died that same year. Tlaltecuhtli’s knees and elbows are human skulls, and her skirt is decorated with crossed bone designs. The sculpture was painted in four colors – white, black, ochre and red – and substantial amounts of the original pigments are still visible.



In 2007, the Tlaltecuhtli monolith, which was found in four parts, was taken to a temporary location on Argentina Street for study and restoration. Then almost three years later, on May 17th 2010, two cranes gingerly transported the mammoth sculpture to the Templo Mayor Museum adjacent to the ruins of the Great Temple that stood at the heart of Tenochtitlan. This monumental task took 31 hours to complete and was managed by employees of Mexico’s National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH).

In order to fit Tlaltecuhtli into the Templo Mayor Museum, the building’s main doors had to be temporarily removed. In addition, the foyer of the museum was reinforced with special braces so that it could support the 12-ton sculpture. Tlaltecuhtli is thought to have been a cult deity worshipped by Aztec priests, and offerings associated with the earth goddess are displayed in glass cases surrounding the sculpture. The monolith has been placed in a reclining position, and visitors can get an eagle’s eye view of Tlaltecuhtli from the museum’s upper floors.

The Templo Mayor is located at Seminario 8, next to the Metropolitan Cathedral. The ruins and museum are open Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays) from 9 am to 5 pm. The entrance fee is 51 pesos (about US$4.50), which includes admission to both the Templo Mayor archaeological site and the adjacent museum.

Move the cursor over the screen of the slide show below to view captions. Click on static images to view larger photos and for information about ordering prints or licensing.


Templo Mayor, Mexico City - Images by John Mitchell

Mexico for Train Buffs: Puebla's National Railway Museum

The mention of Puebla usually conjures up images of colorful Talavera tiles, elegant Spanish colonial architecture, and the chocolatey mole sauce that was invented there. So it might come as something of a surprise to learn that this historical Mexican city and UNESCO World Heritage site also has something to offer train buffs.

Puebla was once a major rail hub, and it is now home to one of the most important railway museums in Mexico. The Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles (MFNM) or National Railway Museum is located on the site of Puebla’s 19th-century railroad station. The neoclassical style main building (closed for renovations when I visited in July 2010) houses an extensive collection of railway memorabilia as well as a research center. However, the museum's principle draw is its sprawling rail yard, which is crammed with rolling stock of all kinds.



Parked in neat rows are diesel, electric and steam locomotives along with passenger and freight cars, plus assorted machinery from all over Mexico. Some of the carriages have been refurbished and left open for inspection. There are sleeper and club cars, cabooses, and even a fully equipped mail carriage that was used up until the 1990’s. One car has been turned into a gallery that displays historical black and white photos.

The government-owned railway system Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico (FNM) was privatized during the 1990’s, and passenger service ground to a halt roughly a decade ago. The only intercity passenger trains still running are a privately owned tourist lines such as the Chihuahua al Pacifio that winds through the Copper Canyon in the state of Chihuahua, and the Tequila Express in Jalisco. With train travel all but a thing of the past in Mexico, the tranquil National Railway Museum, often overshadowed by Puebla’s more famous attractions, is an ideal spot to indulge in some nostalgia and experience the romance of a bygone era.

GETTING THERE: The Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos is located at Calle 11 Norte 1005, a short taxi ride northwest of Puebla’s main square. Admission is about US$1.00 (11 Mexican pesos}. Opening hours are Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays) from 10 am to 6 pm.

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National Railway Museum, Puebla, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Guanajuato's Independence Route

During 2010, Mexico is commemorating both the bicentennial of its War of Independence against Spain and the centennial of the Mexican Revolution that overthrew the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz. As part of the celebrations, a number of specially marked historical routes along the nation's highways have been established.

Mexico's struggle for independence began on September 15, 1810, when a parish priest named Miguel Hidalgo issued his famous call to arms or "Grito de Dolores" in the town of Dolores Hidalgo. On the following day, Hidalgo and his ragtag army of some 20,000 rebels marched to the city of Guanajuato where they stormed the Alhondiga de Granaditas. Barricaded inside this former granary's massive walls were Spanish troops and wealthy loyalists. With the help a local miner nicknamed "El Pipila," who managed to set the Alhondiga's wooden doors on fire, the rebels entered the Alhondiga after a long siege and killed almost everyone inside, thereby winning the first battle of the war.

One of the "Ruta 2010" road trips that I can highly recommend is the Ruta de la Independencia (Independence Route) in the state of Guanajuato. This tour begins in Dolores Hidalgo and ends in the city of Guanajuato. The itinerary includes stops at ten of the historical locales visted by Miguel Hidalgo and his insurgents on their march to Guanajuato.

Below is a slide-show of some of the places along the Independence Route that I have explored. Mouse over the images to view captions. Please click on individual slides for more information.


Guanajuato - Independence Route - 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

The San Miguel de Allende Historical Museum

Sagging American and Canadian retirees aren’t the only ones getting facelifts in San Miguel de Allende these days. The Museo Historico de San Miguel de Allende has been remodeled by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) as part of Mexico’s Independence Bicentennial celebrations.

This compact museum – often overlooked by foreign tourists – is housed in a handsome colonial-era building next to the Gothic-style Parroquia (parish church) on San Miguel’s main square. The museum has two patios surrounded by arcades and two floors of displays chronicling the history of San Miguel de Allende and the Mexican Independence War that began in 1810. Highlighted is the role of Ignacio Allende, a hero of Mexico’s independence movement who was born in San Miguel in 1779. There are also documentary videos plus a replica of a Spanish colonial pharmacy with original medicines and fittings.

Restoration of the museum took two years to complete and included the installation of better lighting, a new security system, plus new drain and electrical systems. The museum was re-inaugurated by Felipe Calderon, the current president of Mexico, on April 4th, 2009.

The San Miguel de Allende Historical Museum is located at 1 Cuna de Allende Street. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is about US$3.00.

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San Miguel de Allende History Museum - Images by John Mitchell

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

Exploring Ancient Acapulco, Mexico

With its curving bay ringed with ritzy hotels and thumping nightclubs, Acapulco looks and sounds like a city that lives entirely for the moment. But this hedonistic Mexican resort is full of surprises. One of the biggest revelations for many visitors is that Acapulco has roots that go back thousands of years.

Little is known about the indigenous peoples who settled in what is now Acapulco, but they left behind a remarkable series of petroglyphs (rock carvings) on the slopes of a hill overlooking Acapulco Bay. These treasures have been preserved in the Palma Sola Archaeological Site in El Veladero Ecological Park about four miles north of downtown.

To begin exploring ancient Acapulco, all you need do is hail a taxi and ask the driver to take you to Palma Sola. After a dizzying climb through steep, circuitous streets, you’ll arrive in a quiet neighborhood with simple houses, vegetable gardens, and roaming pigs and chickens. The taxi driver will let you off in front of a visitors' center. From here, a set of natural stone steps leads through scrubby vegetation to the rock carvings. Eighteen boulders etched with carvings dating back to 750-800 B.C. are scattered throughout the 3.8 hectare (about 9.5 acres) site.

Shade is scare, and at 400 meters (about 1200 feet) above sea level the air is hot and dry, so it's a good idea to walk slowly and drink plenty of bottled water. Chances are that you will have the entire site to yourself as you follow the well-maintained paths that wind from boulder to boulder. Interpretive signs in both Spanish and English explain the significance of each set of petroglyphs and provide background information about the area's first inhabitants. Panoramic views of sprawling Acapulco and of the blue Pacific Ocean unfold along the way.



Acapulco’s early inhabitants considered this hillside a sacred place and used it for religious and agricultural ceremonies, as well as for making astronomical observations. Several of the petroglyphs – which have been outlined in white to make them easier to see – show shamans and other participants involved in religious rites. Some of the figures are childlike, consisting of little more than circles and squiggly lines, while others are more sophisticated, revealing facial expressions and incorporating simple geometric designs. Archaeologists believe that these carvings describe significant events in the history, mythology and culture of Acapulco’s ancient citizens.

At the end of the trail, you will find Palma Sola’s most important sculpture nestled inside a shallow cave. Petroglyphs covering this oblong boulder depict what is thought to be an ancestral creation myth. A man and a woman, reminiscent of Adam and Eve, stand beside a crowd of human-like figures and animals. While the exact meaning of this scene is unclear, the carvings exude a magical aura, especially when the cave walls turn golden in the rays of the late afternoon sun.

Not as ancient as Palma Sola but well-worth visiting is Fuerte de Santiago (Santiago Fort) perched atop a hill in the old part of Acapulco. Here you can get an idea of the role Acapulco played during Mexico's colonial days. Hernan Cortes, the Spaniard who led the conquest of Mexico in 1519, chose Acapulco to be his shipbuilding headquarters, and numerous expeditions to the South Seas set sail from Acapulco during the 16th century.



Spanish Conquistadors built Santiago Fort in 1616 to protect their galleons from marauding English and Dutch pirates. Ships from Manila in the Philippines regularly docked at Acapulco, making it the most important Spanish port on Mexico's Pacific coast. Well into the 19th century, Acapulco hosted a flourishing trade fair, where goods from Mexico, Peru, and Spain were exchanged for products from the Far East.

An earthquake destroyed much of Santiago Fort in 1776, but it was rebuilt several years later. Shaped like a five-pointed star and surrounded by a dry moat, the fortress has been completely restored and now houses the Museo Historico de Acapulco, a museum chronicling Acapulco's history.

You can wander through converted military quarters containing weapons, seafaring paraphernalia, along with Chinese porcelain, elegant furniture, textiles and other artifacts from Asia. There are also interactive videos (in both Spanish and English) highlighting various aspects of Acapulco's history, plus a colonial-era chapel and a kitchen with traditional fixtures and utensils. On the fort's upper level, you’ll find rows of rusty cannon still keeping watch over Acapulco Bay.

GETTING THERE: The easiest way to visit Palma Sola is by taxi, but you can also get there by public bus. The archaeological site is open daily from 9 am until 5 pm. Admission is about US$2.00. El Fuerte de San Diego (Fort San Diego) overlooks Avenida Costera Miguel Aleman a few blocks east of the Zocalo in old Acapulco. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 until 6:30 pm. Admission is about US$4.00.

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Acapulco - Images by John Mitchell