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 MoreTepoztlan, Mexico. Whimsical "angel cloud" at sunset. Photo by Don Karp In central Mexico, there are two seasons—dry and rainy. During the rainy season, we often see spectacular skies, with clouds oozing down the strange mountain shapes that characterize Tepoztlan. I like to call them “mystical mists.” I call my photo collection “cloud atlas,”...
Read MoreBuying land and building a house in Mexico is no easy feat. This article tells the story of a friend of mine who has done it and in a very innovative and artistic way. With her imagination and tenacity, she created elegance and comfort. Her home is in the woods on a mountain in central Mexico—Tepoztlan,
Read MoreThe 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 MoreCuernavaca, Mexcio. Cityscape: with bridges, tunnel, traffic circle. Photo by Don Karp Cuernavaca Part One was the previous blog. This is a continuation from that one. Traffic is often heavy, and streets very difficult to locate, but taxis are inexpensive and drivers know how to get
Read MoreCuernavaca, Mexcio. Entrance to the Zocalo (main plaza). Photo by Don Karp Cuernavaca, with a population of 350,000 is the capital of the state of Morelos. At an hour and a half from Mexico City, it is a haven for those escaping the difficulties of living in the larger city. Cuernavaca has many language schools teaching Spanish to
Read MoreTaxco, pronounced Tasko, is noted for its finely crafted silver. It's another "magic city," and is located in central Mexico, about an hour and a half ride south from Cuernavaca. The buildings are all white, built one atop the other, and winding up the mountainside. This reminds me of Greece. My friend Jake, who produced the blog in this...
Read MoreTlayacapan, a Pueblo Magico (Magic City), in central Mexico is noted for it’s dancing Chinelos, 26 small chapels, and pottery made from the red clay in the hills. I traveled by four buses to Tlayacapan from where I live, in Tepoztlan, which is half and hour from Cuernavaca and an hour from Mexico City. The trip from my place took an hour and a...
Read MoreTrail to the Tepozteco pyramid in Tepoztlan, Mexico. Photo by Don Karp The most used trail in Tepoztlán is the one to its pyramid, Tepozteco. Parts of the trail are paved and there are stairs. It takes more than an hour to reach the summit. The pyramid is small. The view is good, but there are better ones on other trails with shorter climbs and...
Read MoreThe 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...
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