• Home
  • Tours
  • B L O G
  • Books
  • About
  • Contact

Nature

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,...

Read More
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...

Read More
Places

A Bilingual Hiking Group In Tepoztlán

Don Karp, March 28 2020

Tepoztlan, Mexico.  Group photo on Cero de La Luz, San Juan. Photo by Jesus Vazquez Tepoztlan has many incredible trails that I've explored over the years. A man named Jesus contacted me to be a trail guide and help form a bilingual hiking group here. He'd found Letters From Mexico via a Google search on the city, and also knew of me...

Read More
Places

Deer Sanctuary

Don Karp, September 28 2019

The Deer Sanctuary (Santuario de los Venaditos) is a beautiful nature preserve with two main trails--one to a cascade, and the other to an overlook with petroglyphs and a cave. Cascade in the Deer Sanctuary, a nature preserve in Tepoztlan, Mexico. Photo by Don Karp The Deer Sanctuary (Santuario de los Venaditos) is a beautiful nature preserve...

Read More
Places

Climate in Tepoztlán

Don Karp, January 26 2019

The elevation of Tepoztlán is midway between that of Mexico City and Cuernavaca, at 5627 ft. It is 19 degrees north of the equator. These are some of the factors that make its climate a very favorable temperate one. I’ve lived here as an expat for fifteen years. It's a designated “Pueblo Magico” in the central Mexican highlands. Formerly a...

Read More
Nature

Sacred Plant Medicine

Don Karp, October 27 2018

This is the story of my experiences living as an ex-pat in Mexico since 2003. It's to culminate in a published book. With your help, I'll be editing, selecting a title, and cover art: a participatory project. Your comments encouraged! In Mexico, where law enforcement is more relaxed than elsewhere, one finds numerous ceremonies using psychoactive...

Read More
Places

Watery Places

Don Karp, July 28 2018

This is the story of my experiences living as an ex-pat in Mexico since 2003. It's to culminate in a published book. With your help, I'll be editing, selecting a title, and cover art: a participatory project. Your comments encouraged! La Posa de Quetzalcoatl Hike to the birthplace of the god, Quetzalcóatl, near Amatlan, Mexico....

Read More
Nature

Myths About Mexico

Don Karp, July 29 2017

First, I am piggy-backing off of the last letter, Get Lost! And 'll describe some of the logistics of living and traveling in Mexico after. This is the story of my experiences living as an ex-pat in Mexico since 2003. It's to culminate in a published book. With your help, I'll be editing, selecting a title, and cover art. This is a participatory...

Read More
Places

Get Lost!

Don Karp, June 26 2017

Is getting lost an entirely bad thing? It’s disorienting, disturbing, and problematic. But I think there can be upsides. I guess I’m just a perpetual optimist who sees problems as opportunities. One door closes, another opens. That sort of thing. T-shirt image that reminded me of the benefits of...

Read More