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Historic haciendas of Zapopan Part 4: La Soledad de Nextipac
Shown are Hacienda La Soledad's casa grande (far left), bodega (middle) and stables (right). The casa grande houses the hacendado (owner) and his family, and stables are where he keeps his horses. In...
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Tepalo Canyon to the Indigenous Ceremonial Grounds
Tepalo Falls after a heavy rain. During a recent hike, my friend Chuck (the handsome guy on the left) and I paused at the base of the largest of several waterfalls in Tepalo Canyon. It only contains...
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Mexican Independence Day--what's it all about?
A pennant with Mexico's national colors and symbol hangs in Ajijic's plaza. September 16 is annually celebrated in Mexico as Independencia - the date the War for Independence from Spain began. I...
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The Globos Fiesta of 2015
A colorful hot air balloon rises majestically against backdrop of Ajijic's mountains. The Globos Fiesta is one of the most popular events during Ajijic's annual Independencia celebration. Globos are...
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Zamora Part 1: Michoacan's often-overlooked treasure
Zamora's plaza offers inviting benches under shady trees near lovely old fountains. The fountain in the background is one of several in the plaza. For a long time, Carole and I had discussed visiting...
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Zamora Part 2: Lake Camécuaro National Park
The serenity of Lago de Camécuaro makes it a delightful place for a quiet morning stroll. In planning our visit, Carole and I were as interested in the area outside Zamora de Hidalgo as we were in the...
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Zamora Part 3: The Old Cathedral
View through the entrance gate of the Old Cathedral. Back in Zamora after our visit to Lago de Camécuaro (see Part 2), Carole and I decided to visit one of the city's two co-cathedrals. The Catedral de...
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Zamora Part 4: Tangancicuaro, a tranquil little jewel
Plaza de Tangancicuaro, with the Templo Virgen de la Asunción in the background. Several fountains ring the perimeter of the Plaza. They surround the quiosco (bandstand), which is partially visible in...
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Emiliano Zapata, Hero of the Mexican Revolution
Emiliano Zapata takes time out from the Revolution for a portrait. November 20 is Revolution Day in Mexico, so I thought a posting on one of the most dashing and brilliant of the Revolutionary generals...
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Zamora Part 5: The soaring Sanctuary of Guadalupe
Santuario de Guadalupe is located four blocks east of Zamora's Plaza de Armas. After my break to cover Emiliano Zapata and the Mexican Revolution, we'll now return to my series on Zamora. The church...
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Zamora Part 6: Cowboy saints and devils on motorcycles
Indigenous mask from the Purépecha pueblo of Ocumicho. During our visit to Zamora, Carole and I scheduled a day trip to investigate several of the small pueblos in the mountains surrounding the city....
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Zamora Part 7: Random rambles in the Centro Historico
Tidy, well-kept streets with lovely old architecture characterize Zamora's Centro Historico. One of the activities we like best, when visiting a new place, is to simply wander the streets. This yields...
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Zamora Part 8: Patamban, a window into the past
A local couple sits across from Patamban's plaza. Portales (covered walkways) line all four sides of this small pueblo's plaza. Patamban is a very picturesque community located in the mountains to the...
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Costa Rica Part 1: The San Jose, the Capital City.
Skyline of Costa Rica's capital San José, with high mountains rising in the background. Carole and I visited Costa Rica in December of 2015. We had heard from friends and relatives that the country is...
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Costa Rica Part 2: Pre-hispanic history and Volcán Poás
Ceramic feline from the Middle Polychrome Period (800 AD - 1200 AD). The figure comes from the Gran Nicoya area of Costa Rica's northwest coast. Jaguars and other large predators were viewed with awe...
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Costa Rica Part 3: Zoo Ave Wildlife Conservation Park
An iguana strikes a pose. I found this extraordinary creature perched atop a wooden box along one of the trails in the Zoo Ave Wildlife Conservation Park. We stopped at the Zoo Ave facility after...
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Costa Rica Part 4: Sarchi's colorful carretas
A vividly painted carreta is displayed in the center of Eloy Alfaro's oxcart workshop. Notice the two bow yokes resting on the top of the carreta (ox cart). One of these would be fastened over the...
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Costa Rica Part 5: Zarcero's topiary garden & the Church of San Rafael Archangel
The steeples of Iglesia de San Rafael Arcángel are framed by Zarcero's remarkable topiary. The fanciful shapes of the main plaza's hedges caught my eye when our Caravan tour bus stopped for a break....
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Costa Rica Part 6: The Doka Estate Coffee Tour
Coffee cherries growing on the same plant ripen at different rates. The cherries first turn from green to yellow and then are picked when they become bright red. Dora Estate, owned by the Vargas...
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Costa Rica Part 7: Wildlife along the Rio Frio
A Mantled Howler monkey pauses while feeding to stare down intruders. Notice how he uses his tail to help brace himself on a tree limb so that he can safely use his left arm to gather leaves. I took...
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