New Travel Book: ‘First Stop in the New World’
Travel Blog • 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
Promo copy: “David Lida moved to Mexico City fifteen years ago in search of a kind of culture, energy, and spontaneity that he thought had been lost in his native New York City. What he found was a thriving, miraculous urban center comprising centuries of living history, even as its rapid development was making it a prominent force on the world stage. Through the eyes of an American who has become an insider, First Stop in the New World is a street-level panorama of contemporary Mexico City—from the high arts to the sex industry; from the dense jungle of urban politics to the interactions of everyday commerce; from one end of this five-hundred-square-mile city to the other. Lida expertly captures the kaleidoscopic nature of life in a city defined by pleasure and danger, justice and lawlessness, ecstatic joy and appalling tragedy—in limbo between the developed and developing worlds.”
Critical verdict, Zagat-style: It’s “a terrifically entertaining guide, displaying both intimate familiarity with the city and an outsider’s eye for its quirks and weirdness. ... Everything from street food to sex comes under Lida’s lens. The writing is lively and anecdote-rich. (Houston Chronicle, summer reading pick) Of Mexico City, Lida has “pointed out the pathways to its delectably seamy soul. If Burroughs were alive and planning a return visit to Mexico today, he’d want to take this book with him.” (Jon Lee Anderson)
Find it: Amazon, Powells, publisher
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Worldtravel 06.13.08 | 6:32 AM ET
It’s a rare thing to be able to stand at both the center of history and of present-day activity. Such an experience awaits you in the Zocalo, the historic heart of Mexico City. The Zocalo is just one of many amazing spots in this vibrant and ever-changing city, though. Everywhere you go in Mexico City, you will find the old and new living in harmony side-by-side. Chapultepec Park, the largest park within a city in the world, is a fantastic example. The park is in places exactly as it was centuries ago, but elsewhere in the park you will find a host of entertainments for adults, kids and the entire family. From mime troupes to magic shows, there’s something for everyone.
More information,please visit:
http://www.worldtravelling.cn
all in one forum 08.20.08 | 12:50 AM ET
David Lida’s vivid and fascinating word portraits provide a sense of intimate clarity for the myriad sights and scenes of La Capital. He has a real feel for the big picture of such an immense and tumultuous metropolis, as well as an adroitness for rendering closely observed D.F. moments and depicting the divers characters that inhabit its streets and colonias.
A hilarious yet poignant account of an afternoon spent in the company of a group of borrachos in a cantina is just one among several highlights, as is the chilling tale of his own kidnapping.
He presents a vision of Mexico City that is affectionate yet unsentimental. His love for the place is clear-eyed and his knowledge is hard-earned. He manages to cover it all: from Tepito to Polanco, from discussions of various art[s] scenes and popular culture to distinctive local religious practices and social/sexual mores, from Carlos Slim to faded night club singers. Lida is a true urban cicerone.
Chris Humphrey’s “Moon Mexico City” and Jim Johnston’s “Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide…” are both fine books and excellent aids for the English-speaking visitor trying to cope with Chilango-land. “First Stop in the New World…” is indispensable as a means of more deeply understanding it and will be a permanent addition to the city’s literature.