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October 2, 2023
Religious Icons: Part One
Catholicism is the major religion south of the US border. But it is different here.
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September 4, 2023
Murals in Tepoztlán
Part of the magic of the "Magic City" of Tepoztlán comes from its many colorful murals adorning buildings. Some are quite imaginative and whimsical.
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August 7, 2023
The Santiago Trails in Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán, where I live, is a "magic city' in the central Mexico volcanic region. It is in the state of Morelos. Santiago is a small village that's part of the Tepoztlán municipality on the outskirts of the city.
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July 3, 2023
Chalcatzingo-
Morelos Archeological Site
Chalcatzingo is an ancient Olmec site (1,500 BC) an hour's drive from Tepoztlán, where I live. The Olmecs are the oldest known Mesoamerican civilization. A group of us went on an excursion there. we first examined the bas-reliefs carved into the rocks and protected with overhanging roofs. We took a long hike up the mountain. After coming down, and before leaving, we investigated the pyramids at the site.
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June 5, 2023
In the Time of Nick
Nick Kruser's talents are multifaceted and highly developed.
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May 8, 2023
Valle de Bravo
Valle de Bravo is a two hour drive southwest of Mexico City. Its Lake Avándaro was man-made in the 40s as a water reservoir for the city.
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April, 3, 2023
La Sombra, Tepoztlán
La Sombra del Sabino, a bilingual bookstore and restaurant, is a cultural center in Tepoztlán.
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March 6, 2023
Carnival Tepoztlán, 2023
Carnival in Tepoztlán is a big production. The population doubles from added celebrants during this four day event, with the focus in the town Centro. A lot of work is involved in setting it up and cleanup afterwards. It brings in a lot of income to the community, but also generates problems mostly stemming from drunkenness.
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February 6, 2023
Tepoztlán Hiking Club
Our hiking group began as a mushroom expedition led by a professional mycologist on September 24, 2022.
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January 2, 2023
Consejo de Visiones, Tepoztlan, 2022
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.
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December 5, 2023
Dia de Los Muertos- Tepoztlán
Dia de Muertos is an important fiesta celebrated in all Latin American countries. Every town in Mexico has different customs, and Tepoztlán is no exception.
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November 7, 2022
As do many tourists, Ulli enjoyed visiting Mexico. After enjoying exploring beaches for a few months, she wanted to be at a cooler place and heard about Tepoztlán.
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October 3, 2022
Camps in Tepoztlán, Part Two: Meztitla
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.
September 5, 2022
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Camps in Tepoztlán
Part One: Camohmila
In Tepoztlán, there are two major camps within the city limits. This is about the YMCA camp, Camohmila.
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August 1, 2022
Parks in Tepoztán
Parks are outdoor public recreation areas. There are several types in Tepoztlán, and we'll not cover all of them here. Many have mixed uses.
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July 4, 2022
Eli Pig Sanctuary
Eli Pig Sanctuary is in a remote part of Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. It was founded by Janis, a Mexican, in 2019. She follows a vegan diet and believes that animals have personalities just as we do and should not be treated as resources.
June 6, 2022
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Dagen Visits Mexico
Mexico attracts many creative people. Dagen Julty is one of those.
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May 2, 2022
DaVida: Artivist Priestess
DaVida, originally from Spain, now lives in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. Mexico attracts many internationally acclaimed creatives like her.
March 26, 2022
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Valle de Atongo
Valle de Atongo is the largest section of metropolitan Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. It is mostly residential and it is the wealthiest neighborhood.
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February 26, 2022
Morelia, Michoacon, Mexico
Morelia, the capital of the state of Michoacan, is in central Mexico. It's a four hour drive northwest of Mexico City.
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January 29, 2022
World Rainbow Gathering at Palenque: December 2021
During the month of December, the World Rainbow Gathering, an international event, had its camp out at a site near the ruins of Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico.
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November 27, 2021
Construction in Tepoztlán:
Part Two
Adobe is the characteristic and distinctive building material in this region. Continuing from Part One, we'll look at this material and how it is used locally.
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October 30, 2021
Construction in Tepoztlán: Part One
Across the street from me a crew started pouring the cement roof on a house. I grabbed my camera to film the work.
September 25, 2021
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Pets in Tepoztlán
Pets are very popular in Mexico. Like everywhere, their owners love them. They become part of the family.
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August 28, 2021
Lana Visits
Tepoztlán
Are you interested in how a first time visitor experiences this place?
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July 31, 2021
Hikes to Pyramids
This documents the two main pyramids in Tepoztlán, focusing on nearby back trails.
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June 26, 2021
Mountain Hike/Retreat in Tepoztlán
Follow my adventure climbing a mountain and sleeping in a cave.
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May 29, 2021
"Jazz Is"-Tepoztlán
This newly formed jazz trio had their debut on Sunday, May 2, at La Sombra del Sabino, in Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico.
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April 24, 2021
Craig Lewis:
Cultural Creative/Mexican Immigrant
In this article, we'll look at how Craig Lewis, a refugee from the US, adjusted to living in Mexico, and we'll explore his projects.
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March 27, 2021
Trails From Tepoztlán Centro
There are many trails in the area through the mountains and woods. Recently I discovered two trails that are only a fifteen minute walk from Centro.
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February 27, 2021
A Trail in Amatlán
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 there.
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January 30, 2021
The Sacred Fire
Community
Around the world, at the Sacred Fire, people take part in one of humanity’s oldest traditions—sitting together around a fire.
December 26, 2020
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Food Markets in Tepoztlán, Mexico
November 28, 2020
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Off-Grid Living in Mexico
Have you ever thought of simplifying your life? Living off-grid and in closer harmony with nature?
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October 31, 2020
Equinox Ceremony at Finger Rock
On September 22, the day of the fall equinox, I hiked alone into the mountains near where I live, in Tepoztlán, to honor the transition of seasons.
August 29, 2020
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My Neighborhood in Tepoztlan
Part Two
I’m sharing what my neighborhood is like in Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico. This is the second part, where we explore the streets away from the my apartment.
July 24, 2020
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My Neighborhood in Tepoztlan Part One
This is a personal description of my neighborhood in Mexico. It is not just any neighborhood, or an average one.
June 27, 2020
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Gardens in Tepoztlan
The climate in Tepoztan is temperate, making it an ideal place to grow plants. The soil is from volcanic deposits, and very rich.
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May 30, 2020
Trash in Tepoztlan
In order to continue the federal funding normally paid to a "magic city" in Mexico, Tepoztlan needs to meet a certain level of cleanliness.
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A Mexican
Abstract Painter
Christina Del Valle Macleod is an abstract painter who lives in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
April 25, 2020
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March 28, 2020
A Bilingual Hiking Group In Tepoztlan
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.
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February 29, 2020
Tourists in Tepoztlan
Tepoztlan, in the state of Morelos, is in central Mexico, in the "volcanic region." It has the designation, "Magic City." The federal government recognizes its tourist potential and provides funding.
January 25, 2020
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Cloud Atlas Tepoztlan
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.
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Housebuilding in Mexico
Dec. 28, 2019
Buying 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.
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Nov. 30, 2019
A Music Festival in Tepoztlan
This was an all day outdoor music festival in Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico, on Sunday, November 3, 2019.
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Oct. 26, 2019
A Musician in Tepoztlan
Jim Doney is a drummer extraordinaire! Not only is he a skilled and creative jazz drummer, but also a good teacher, and an inventor of a special musical instrument, based on his research of tunings.
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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.
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Aug. 31, 2019
A Mexican Artist
Alejandro Aguirre Hernandez is an artist and musician in Tepoztlan, Mexico.
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This is a continuation from the previous blog, Cuernavaca Part One.
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Cuernavaca, with a population of 350,000 is the capital of the state of Morelos.
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May 25, 2019
The Silver City
Taxco, pronounced Tasko, is noted for its finely crafted silver.
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Tlayacapan, 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.
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The most used trail in Tepoztlán is the one to its pyramid, Tepozteco.
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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.
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In Mexico, the holiday is celebrated differently than in the US or other parts of the world.
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Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico. Only an hour away is Mexico’s largest fresh-water lake, Lake Chapala.
In Mexico, where law enforcement is more relaxed than elsewhere, one finds numerous ceremonies using psychoactive plants.
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From the regular mainstream practitioners to far out forms of alternative healing and traditional indigenous medicine--you'll find it all, side by side, in Mexico.
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I interviewed Jose Rodriguez, an expat from the US with relatives in Mexico. He’s an excellent filmmaker/photographer.
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In this blog, I’ll introduce you to two places where water runs year round. These places have been “spiritual sites” since antiquity.
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Water In Mexico
Mexico is a dry country. Then how does it deal with water? In this blog, I'll be introducing a local organization, in Tepoztlan, state of Morelos, that develops and educates on different aspects of water sustainability.
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Sounds of Tepoztlan
Tepoztlan, in Central Mexico, is a "magic city." It is tourist oriented and the streets are crowded on weekends. During the week there are many fiestas.In a prior blog, I wrote of how noisy Tepoztlan is, and how one acclimates to the noise in time. What kinds of sounds are there?
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The major factor that drew me to move to Mexico was experiencing it's fiestas. They are loud and colorful, a feast for the senses, with nothing like them in the US.
READ MORE . . .
This Letter features murals feeding the eye and soul the colorful nourishment of the Latino culture.
More Than Beaches and Banana Boats
When Mexicans and international visitors think of Acapulco, beaches, water sports, and the famous cliff divers come to mind. Less seemly images are narco trafficking and high homicide rates.
When you live in another country don’t expect it to be the same as yours. It’s an adaptation requiring patience. This is what I call “becoming Mexicanized.”
What’s daily life like living in Mexico? I’ll share experiences of what I do.
Nov. 25, 2017
Mexico Is Fiesta!
Fiestas were the major reason I moved to Mexico. I love this part of the culture! The music and dance, costumes, foods, parades, and ceremonies—different for every occasion.
READ MORE . . .
Oct. 28, 2017
Beaches of Mexico
Not long after I moved to Mexico (2003), I spent two weeks in Tulum. It’s the best for swimming I’ve visited.
READ MORE . . .
Sept. 30, 2017
Fiasco with the Federales
At three AM the red-eye bus going home from the coast ends at a service control stop.
July 29, 2017
Myths About Mexico
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.
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Aug. 26, 2017
Mexico's
Click and Clack Culture
I’m walking along one of the main streets in the center of Tepoztlan where I live. I bump into a friend. CLICK!
June 26, 2017
Get Lost!
Is getting lost an entirely bad thing? It’s disorienting, disturbing, and problematic. But I think there can be upsides.
READ MORE . . .
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