“This is the nicest cruise ship I’ve ever been on” said my 85 year old mother as she surveyed the promenade area of Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas. The Navigator is loaded with lots of luxurious light fixtures, bronze statues, beautiful nautical themed areas and a funky sofa that frames the person sitting in it. The main deck is kind of like walking...
Mexico has been one of our best friends during the pandemic. While practically every other country in the world has shut Americanos out of their borders, Mexico has welcomed gringos with open arms. They’ve spearheaded responsible tourism as well. Every plane, bus, hotel or store has a temperature checker, masks are required in public places, there are...
Do you believe in trolls? Not the cartoon characters from the recent Dreamworks movie or the mythological figures your Norwegian grandfather warned you about. I’m talking about Alux (or Aluxob if there’s more than one); Mexican trolls.Impish little beings who vandalize things and play tricks on humans. They are usually dressed in traditional Mayan...
If you’re not from Mexico, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Huasteca. Americans tend to stick with the tried and true vacation spots they’ve heard of such as Cancun and Cabo when traveling to Mexico. More intrepid travelers might visit Oaxaca, Mexico City and San Miguel Allende. However, one of the most beautiful spots in the entire country is...
“Where did you come from?” the official asked. “San Luis Potosí” I answered. “Why? Do you have family there?” “No” I replied. “I just wanted to see some waterfalls and get away from the cold weather”. He eyed me suspiciously. Very few people do such a thing and he thought I might be up to questionable activities. I got sent into the “check them extra good” lane...
I was sitting at a table in the zocalo of Oaxaca enjoying the perfect weather. A young boy approached me with a package of combs. “What was he trying to tell me?” I wondered as I ran my fingers through my hair self-consciously. Next appeared a newspaper guy, followed by a wooden craft lady, and then an older woman selling jewelry. Who needs a Walmart when...
It was lunch time and I was meandering through the San Juan Mercado in Mexico City looking for weird foods to try. I was a little nervous because most of the comestibles I’d heard about were outside of my eating comfort zone. Before I could even navigate past a few stalls, menus were being offered from several of the miniature restaurants...