Destination: Mexico
The Frugal Traveler Goes to Chiapas, Mexico
by Jim Benning | 11.17.08 | 8:48 AM ET
Nice piece on visiting Chiapas by the New York Times’ Matt Gross. I particularly liked this quote from an American anthropologist who lived there for years: “The only place it compares with is maybe Tibet, Nepal years ago. In terms of leaving your normal space and being with people who truly think differently and who do interesting things, this is about as exotic as you can get within a few thousand miles of the United States and a short plane ride.” So true. I just don’t think the southern Mexican state gets as much love from Americans as it deserves. But perhaps that’s for the best.
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Yahoo! BuzzSouthern Mexico’s Pirates: ‘Every Story is About Money’
by Valerie Conners | 10.28.08 | 1:58 PM ET
When David Vann learned about the mysterious and brutal murder of 78-year-old sailor John Long in the waters near Puerto Madero, Mexico, he was compelled to head there to unearth the truth about Long’s demise as much as resolve his own brush with violence and corruption in the same region 11 years ago.
Caesar Salad: Born in Tijuana, but Avoided by Tourists
by Joanna Kakissis | 10.22.08 | 3:03 PM ET
In 1924, an Italian immigrant running a restaurant in Tijuana threw together a last-minute salad for some friends. Caesar Cardini’s creation—the ingredients included lettuce, garlic and bread chunks—went international, gracing the menus of restaurants around the world. But tourists who fear digestive distress caused by Mexican water won’t order the iconic salad at Caesar’s restaurant, which Julia Child loved and is still open today.
Sesame Street, Global Edition
by Joanna Kakissis | 10.17.08 | 1:59 PM ET
When I heard Big Bird and South Africa’s muppet Zikwe talking to NPR about Putumayo Kids’ “Sesame Street Playground” album this weekend, I couldn’t help feeling jealous that I hadn’t grown up hearing songs like “Rubber Duckie” in Mandarin. The 40-year-old dean of all children’s shows now airs in 120 countries, and the new album showcases its worldwide reach.
There are songs from Israel, Palestine, Tanzania, South Africa, France, China, Russia, Mexico, the Netherlands, India and the United States. Concierge is especially fond of the “Pollution Song” from South Africa: a ditty about cleaning up after yourself. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone in the world sang along to that?
Violence on Mexican Border Could Worsen
by Jim Benning | 10.06.08 | 1:56 PM ET
Drug-related crime and violence have taken a toll on tourism in Mexican border cities like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, which have offered Americans a quick, cheap taste of international travel. Now, the Mexican government’s effort to break up powerful Mexican drug cartels brings some more bad news for would-be tourists and those who benefit from their dollars, at least for the short term.
Videos: Venice Gondoliers, Mariachis and Bollywood for Barack Obama
by World Hum | 09.26.08 | 2:03 PM ET
In that order. We looked for similar videos supporting John McCain and couldn’t find any; if you have any, we invite you to post links in the comments section. We’d love to see them.
Q&A With Stephanie Elizondo Griest: ‘Mexican Enough’
by Jim Benning | 09.22.08 | 1:13 PM ET
Travel writer Stephanie Elizondo Griest is the author of Around the Bloc and 100 Places Every Woman Should Go. Her new book, Mexican Enough: My Life Between the Borderlines, takes her deep into Mexico, as well as inside questions about her own identity. Sandra Cisneros called the book “a travel journal for the new millennium.” I caught up with Griest via email in Corpus Christi, where her family lives. They were spared the wrath of Hurricane Ike, she said, adding, “My friends in Houston and Galveston, however, suffered tremendous losses. I’m hoping to go there soon to volunteer.”
World Hum: Why did you decide to write a book about Mexico?
A Regional Guide to Mexican Tamales
by Jim Benning | 09.04.08 | 12:40 PM ET
I’ll never forget arriving by bus in Mexico City a few years ago, famished, and finding a well-stocked tamale stand in the middle of the bus station. At that moment, I felt as though I’d never seen a more beautiful sight. Behind the counter, steaming pots were stacked high with half a dozen kinds of tamales: peppers and cheese, chicken, pork, seafood. I bought two or three, unwrapped them on a narrow bar and dug in. They were moist and savory, and their hot masa dough wrappings practically melted in my mouth. I was in heaven.
Travel in Mexico Getting More Expensive, Too
by Jim Benning | 08.07.08 | 11:34 AM ET
More bad news for American travelers. The dollar has lost 10 percent of its value against the peso since the beginning of the year, making Mexico trips too costly for some. USA Today reports on the fallout. One bit of good Mexico news for the pocketbook: As we noted recently, it’s still not a bad place to fill up your gas tank.
Photo by ClinKER via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
‘Gas Tourists’ Head for Mexico
by Michael Yessis | 06.25.08 | 10:53 AM ET
It’s simple math for those along the border: The average cost of a gallon in the U.S. has risen above $4, while government subsidies keep prices more than $1 lower in Mexico. It’s been a boom for Mexican gas stations, which have seen a 50 percent surge in sales in border areas from the Gulf of Mexico to Tijuana. The Mexico Tourism Board is even promoting gas tourism, according to the New York Times.
Related on World Hum:
* The $4 Gallon Survival Guide
* Hypermiling Rises Again
The Procession of Black Hats
by Jonathan Levin | 06.13.08 | 12:52 PM ET
Jonathan Levin hadn't lived up to his father's expectations. But when he moved to Mexico City, he was told something he thought he'd never hear.
New Travel Book: ‘First Stop in the New World’
by Frank Bures | 06.12.08 | 5:57 PM ET
Full title: “First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century”
Author: David Lida
Released: Today
Travel genre: Into the big city
Territory covered: Mexico City
Second Deadly Shark Attack Off Mexican Beach
by Jim Benning | 05.27.08 | 12:24 PM ET
For the second time in a month, a shark has killed a surfer near the Mexican beach resort town of Zihuatanejo. Saturday’s fatal attack of a Mexican surfer occurred at a beach called Pantla, Reuters reports. Less than a month earlier, an American surfer was killed by a shark at Troncones beach. They’re the first fatal shark attacks in Mexico in 30 years, according to experts.
Hello Kitty Named Japan’s Tourism Ambassador to China
by Jim Benning | 05.21.08 | 1:00 PM ET
Congrats, Hello Kitty. You earned it. See, Tijuana? For your tourism mascot, you went with Xuani—frankly, an unknown quantity—and look at the mess you’re in now. I suggest following Japan’s lead. Think big. Think branded multilingual animated icon with global reach. Think of someone who’s not afraid to holler, “Vamanos!” Yes, Tijuana, I’m talking Dora the Explorer. Now that’s a mascot.
Related on World Hum:
* Eva Airways Harnesses the Power of Hello Kitty
Photo by antigone78 via Flickr, (Creative Commons)
How Bad is the Violence in Mexico?
by Jim Benning | 05.16.08 | 5:41 AM ET
“Three Mexican police chiefs have requested political asylum in the U.S.,” the Los Angeles Times reports. Total locura—and another reminder to be particularly cautious when traveling in the country’s danger zones.