Situated 14 km outside of San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico, you’ll find the sleepy hamlet of Atotonilco (ah-toe-toe-NEAL-co). As you enter the town, you’ll be greeted by a statue of Miguel Hidalgo and an unremarkable whitewashed church. The simple exterior of the church, known as El Santuario de Atotonilco (Sanctuary of Atotonilco), belies the unexpected Baroque gem found within. Continue reading The Mexican Sistine Chapel: Santuario de Atotonilco
The city of Guanajuato (gwah-nah-HWAH-toh) is a cobblestoned colonial gem in the mountains of central Mexico. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a charming and picturesque city with a distinctive European flavor.
The Spanish found abundant deposits of silver here in the 1540s and for over 250 years, Guanajuato was the source for one third of the world’s silver supply. Evidence of the city’s enormous wealth can be witnessed in the beautiful architecture, museums, theaters, and dozens of shady plazas dotted with sidewalk cafés. Continue reading Visiting Don Quixote in Mexico
I came across a brief article today on the Past Horizons website noting that archaeologists at the site of Tehuacan in Puebla, Mexico believe they’ve identified a mid-fourteenth century shrine to the Aztec god Mictlantecuhtli (pron. Mict-lan-te-cuht-li) or ‘Lord of the Land of the Dead’.
Just last night I wrote a post about hosting my first Dia de los Muertos celebration, so I’d already been thinking about Mexico’s deeply rooted views that life and death are fundamentally interconnected. Continue reading The Afterlife and Human Sacrifice
For Mexicans, death is as natural as life itself. It’s seen as an inevitable part of the natural cycle. Birth leads into life, and life leads to death. The worlds of the living and the dead are deeply intertwined, two parts of a whole.
Pre-Hispanic cultures believed that when someone died they went to Mictlán (Place of Death) where they more or less continued their existence. For example, if someone was a baker in life, then they were also a baker in death. This is why you see skeletons (calaveras) decorated to represent different personalities from all walks of life. They aren’t meant to be scary. Instead, they represent the playfulness of the Dead, as they mimic the Living. Continue reading Hosting Our First (Mostly) Authentic Dia de los Muertos Celebration
Mexico Isn’t Safe for Tourists
Mexico is roughly the size of Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany combined. There are indeed a handful of places experiencing violence related to drug wars and visitors should avoid those, but the vast majority of Mexico is safe and friendly. Continue reading Some Common Misconceptions About Mexico
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it’s not always love at first sight. For me, it wasn’t. In fact, I’d sort of dismissed Mexico as a desirable travel destination for most of my life. I mean, I guess I like the beach as much as the next guy, but if I’m going to rough it in Latin America, then why not go somewhere more exotic, more beautiful, somewhere less… boring? I like history and culture and gourmet food. After all, isn’t the beach pretty much all Mexico has to offer? Continue reading Unexpectedly Enchanting Mexico
Meandering Family: Beyond the Nest 