Nature

Places

San Cristóbal, Chiapas, Mexico

Don Karp, June 9 2025

San Cristóbal, Chiapas, Mexico. The main church at the town center, where many streets, like this one, are for foot traffic only. San Cristóbal de las Casas, in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, is a pueblo mágico, as is Tepoztlán. A friend and I decided to spend ten days there, to get away from the heat in Tepoz, which has increased over...

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Places

Atongo Housesit

Don Karp, March 4 2025

Colonia Atongo Valle de Atongo, the largest and wealthiest section of the Tepoztlán metropolitan area, sits at its northeast boundary. I was fortunate to be the live-in security for two weeks while the tenant was away. Here is a prior blog on Atongo. For me, the main benefit, besides enjoying the beautiful view of the surrounding mountains, was...

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Places

Living in Tepoztlán

Don Karp, January 13 2025

Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. View of the mountains from the new mercado (market). Photo by author What's it like to live in Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico? What are the pros and cons, based on my experience living in Tepoztlán since 2003? Of course, this is highly subjective. What's an advantage for me might be a disadvantage for you. Nevertheless,...

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Nature

Tepoztlán's Mushrooms

Don Karp, November 6 2023

The natural environment of Tepoztlán has a wide variety of mushrooms. Many varieties of  edible and medicinal ones are harvested by locals and sold in the markets. I met Sivan, a man originally from Australia, who moved here five years ago. He recently set up a table selling wild crafted mushrooms in our Friday natural and organic market.  I...

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Nature

Consejo de Visiones, Tepoztlán

Don Karp, January 2 2023

Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Camp Meztitla: One of the many tepees at Consejo. Photo by author Consejo de Visiones, Vision Council, is an annual week long camping event in the fall in Mexico that brings together different organizations promoting care of the earth by educating, sharing and networking. This year's conference was at the Boy Scout...

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Places

Camps in Tepoztlán, Part Two: Meztitla

Don Karp, October 3 2022

Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Entrance to the Boy Scout Camp, Meztitla. Photo by author Outdoor recreation areas abound in Tepoztlán. This article is about the Boy Scout Camp, Meztitla, which is a major jamboree site in Mexico, hosting both national and international events. In this series, we covered parks and one other camp. Meztitla differs in...

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Places

Camps in Tepoztlán, Part One: Camohmila

Don Karp, September 5 2022

Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. The most used feature at Camomela is the swimming pool. Here we see children on the way there. Photo by author

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Places

Trails From Tepoztlán Centro

Don Karp, March 27 2021

Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. A landscape view from the trail beginning near Santa Cruz Church, a 15 minute walk from the town center (Centro). Photo by author Tepoztlán is a "magic town" in the central volcanic region of Mexico where I've lived since 2003. Part of the magic is the very unusual shapes of the mountains, formed by secondary...

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Places

A Trail in Amatlán

Don Karp, February 27 2021

Amatlán, Morelos, Mexico. This trail features an unusual landscape. Amatlán is an ancient village in the municipality of Tepoztlán. It is the birthplace of the Nahuat god Quetzalcóatl. Its name derives from that of the Amate tree, from which a form of paper was made. I am going to introduce you to one of the trails

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Nature

Off-Grid Living in Mexico

Don Karp, November 28 2020

Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Frenando's home: school bus with tarp extensions. Photo by author During the pandemic, many people are reflecting on their lifestyle and contemplating positive changes. Have you ever thought of simplifying your life? Living off-grid and in closer harmony with

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