Mexico's Pacific Coast Adventure Guide

By Vivien Lougheed

The Pacific coast of Mexico is a playground for active travelers. Warm waves and sunny skies attract the beach crowd with watersports, while volcanoes, mountains and jungles appeal to hikers, naturalists and the culturally curious. Visit a pearl farm in S

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hunter Publishing
• Release date: Jun 15, 2007
• ISBN: 9781588435637

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Adventure Guide to Mexico’s Pacific Coast

Vivien Lougheed

HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC,

www.hunterpublishing.com

Ulysses Travel Publications

4176 Saint-Denis, Montréal, Québec

Canada H2W 2M5

514-843-9882, ext. 2232; fax [phone]

Windsor Books

The Boundary, Wheatley Road, Garsington

Oxford, OX44 9EJ England

01865-361122; fax [phone]

© Hunter Publishing, Inc.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, liability for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

Maps by Kim André, © Hunter Publishing, Inc.

Introduction

History

Paleo-Indians

The Spanish

The Mexican Revolution

Government

Officials

Military Service

Economy

People & Culture

Cultural Groups

Traditional Arts

Dress

Music

Dance

The Land

Geology

Environmental Concerns

Parks

Climate

Tsunamis

Plant Life

Ecological Zones

Animal Life

On Land

Airborne

Birds

In the Ocean

National Emblems

National Anthem

Coat of Arms

National Flag

National Prayer

Travel Information

Facts at Your Fingertips

When to Go

National & Religious Holidays

Seasonal Considerations

What to Take

Required Documents

Traveling with Pets

Packing List

Health Concerns

Medical Insurance

Water

Common Ailments

Treatment Options

IAMAT Clinics

Money Matters

Banking/Exchange

Credit Cards

Planning Expenses

Taxes & Tipping

Measurements

Dangers & Annoyances

Airport Security

Common-Sense Precautions

Toilets

Tourist Assistance

Police & Other Agencies

Communications

Telephone

Mail

Mexican Newspapers

Internet

Culture Shock

Public Affection

Gay & Lesbian Travel

Special Needs Travelers

Human Rights

Food

Booking a Room

Getting Here

By Air

Overland by Bus

Overland by Car or RV

By Sea

Getting Around

Author’s Top Picks

Northern Pacific Mexico

Guaymas/San Carlos

Getting Here

History

Services

Fiestas

Walking Tour of Guaymas

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Nature

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Shopping

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Nightlife

Ciudad Obregón & the Yaqui Valley

History

Festivals

Sightseeing

Adventures on Foot

Adventures in Nature

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Shopping

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

History

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Adventures in Nature

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad

The Ride

Organized Tours

Los Mochis

Getting Here

Getting Around

Services

Festivals

Sightseeing

Adventures on Water

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Places to Eat

Nightlife

El Fuerte

History

Services

Sightseeing

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Nature

Adventures in Culture

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Témoris

Adventures

Choix

Adventures on Water

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Bahuichivo & Cerocahui

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Adventures on Horseback

Outfitter/Tour Operator

Places to Stay & Eat

Urique

Adventures on Foot

Places to Stay & Eat

Batópilas

Getting Here

Adventure on Foot

Guides

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Divisadero

Adventures on Foot

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

La Bufa

Creel

Getting Here

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Adventures on Wheels

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

South of the Copper Canyon

Guasave

Services

Sightseeing

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Culture

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Central Pacific Mexico

Mazatlan

Getting Here & Around

History

Services

Sightseeing

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Adventures in Nature

Adventures of the Brain

Day Trips

Estacion Dimas

El Quelite

Concordia

Copala

Aguacaliente

Rosario

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Shopping

Places to Stay

Teacapán

Isla de la Piedra

RV Parks

Places to Eat

Nightlife

South to Puerto Vallarta

Getting Here

History

Services

Sightseeing

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Nature

Adventures in Culture

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Nightlife

San Blas

Getting Here

Services

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Adventures in Nature

Birding

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Places to Stay

Camping

Places to Eat

Jaltemba Bay

Getting Here

Services

Fiestas

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Adventures in Nature

Adventures on Horseback

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Day Trips

Shopping

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Nightlife

Puerto Vallarta Region

Puerto Vallarta

Getting Here & Around

History

Services

Sightseeing

Adventures on Foot

Hiking & Walking

Golf

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Water Parks

Boating

Scuba Diving

Adventures in Nature

Adventures on Horseback

Adventures in the Air

Adventures of the Brain

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Day Trips

Shopping

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Nightlife

Movie Theaters

Music Scene

Guadalajara

Getting Here & Around

Services

History

Sightseeing

Museums

Adventures on Foot

Adventures in the Suburbs

Tlaquepaque

Tonala

Zapopan

Adventures in Nature

Adventures of the Brain

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Day Trips

Shopping

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Nightlife

Laguna Chapala

Getting Here & Around

History

Services

Festivals

Sightseeing

Historical Walking Tour

Exploring Lake Villages

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Shopping

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Nightlife

The Costalegre

Tomatlan

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Culture

Places to Stay & Eat

Quemaro

Place to Stay

Chamela Bay

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Nature

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Costa Careyes

Adventures in Nature

Adventure on Horseback

Cuitzmala

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Tecuan

Tenacatita

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Nature

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Cihuatlan

Adventures on Foot

Adventures in Nature

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Playa Boca de Iguanas

Places to Stay & Eat

Playa Manzanilla

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Nature

Adventures on Horseback

Outfitter/Tour Operator

Shopping

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Barra de Navidad/Melaque

History

Services

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Adventures of the Brain

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Places to Stay

In Barra

In Melaque

Isla de Navidad

Places to Eat

In Barra

In Melaque

Nightlife

Manzanillo Region

Manzanillo

Getting Here & Around

History

Sightseeing

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Scuba Diving

Sportfishing

Beaches

Adventures in Nature

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Shopping

Places to Stay

In the Old Town

On the Bay

Places to Eat

In the Old Town

On the Bay

Nightlife

Colima

Getting Here & Away

History

Sightseeing

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Nature

Adventures in Culture

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Day Trips

Shopping

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Nightlife

Manzanillo to Playa Azul

Cuyutlan

Getting Here & Away

Sightseeing

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Nature

Shopping

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Tecoman

History

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Places to Stay

Playa Azul/Caleta de Campos

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Nature

Places to Stay

Patzcuaro to Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo

Patzcuaro Lake & Village

History

Getting Here & Around

Sightseeing

Lake Villages

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Adventures in Culture

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo

Getting Here & Around

History

Services

Festival

Sightseeing

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Beaches North of Ixtapa

Beaches South of Ixtapa

Diving

Adventures in Nature

Adventure on Wheels

Adventures in the Air

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Shopping

Places to Stay

Playa Troncones

Barra de Potosi

Places to Eat

Playa Troncones

Nightlife

Heading to Acapulco

Acapulco & Southern Pacific Mexico

Acapulco

Getting Here & Around

History

Services

Sightseeing

Adventures on Foot

Golf

Tennis

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Cruises

Diving/Snorkeling

Adventures in Nature

Adventure in the Air

Adventures on Horseback

Adventures of the Brain

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Shopping

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Nightlife

Heading to Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido

Getting Here & Around

History

Services

Adventures on Foot

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Adventures in Nature

Adventures of the Brain

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Nightlife

Puerto Angel/Zipolete

Getting Here & Around

History

Adventures on Water

Beaches

Places to Stay & Eat

Huatulco

Getting Here & Around

History

Adventures on Foot

Adventure on Water

Beaches

Diving

Adventures in Nature

Outfitters/Tour Operators

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Oaxaca

Getting Here & Away

History

Services

Adventure in Culture

Monte Alban

Other Villages

Places to Stay

Places to Eat

Nightlife

Appendix

Recommended Reading

Glossary

THE CALENDAR

NUMBERS

CONVERSATION

TIME

DIRECTIONS

ACCOMMODATIONS

FOOD

Consulates

Introduction

The lure of isolated beaches rimmed with palm trees brought John Huston to Puerto Vallarta in the 1960s to film Night of the Iguana. His cast included Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. While working, the two fell in love. Richard bought Elizabeth a house similar to his own that was perched on the side of a hill overlooking Bandera Bay. The houses were across the road from each other. The couple then built a walkway between the two places so they could visit each other more discreetly. Elizabeth left Eddie Fisher, her husband at the time, and married Burton. Their story became one of the great love stories of that century.

This romance resulted in thousands of people swarming to the shores of Mexico’s west coast in search of sun, sand, palm trees and love. Some even came looking for iguanas. The Mexicans soon realized the potential of tourism and, with the help of international companies, built a first-class infrastructure of hotels, shops and restaurants around the bay.

However, not all visitors wanted what had been built, so they moved up and down the coast to little villages where they could ride horses or donkeys, snorkel among the tropical fish, trek in the jungle looking for exotic birds and animals, watch cliff divers perform or just lay where it was quiet and sip on tequila.

In the jungles along the shore, Mexicans built viewing stations connected by cables where tourists could swing like monkeys while looking for exotic birds and strange amphibians. The usual adjustments took place. Some Mexicans and tourists didn’t like the environmental effects caused by chasing around in motorboats looking for big fish, building hotels on the beach, and bungee jumping off bridges. Ecologically-sensitive practices were followed so that wildlife was protected. Garbage was picked up and pollution-control devices were put on vehicles. They left some of the jungle in its wild state and planted flowers in their gardens. More people came.

Today, the west coast of Mexico is as popular as ever. This is because it offers every possible recreational activity, suitable for almost any skill level and budget. The area has both economical and lush accommodations. The food is safe to eat and the bottled water, found in every hotel hallway, grocery store and café is safe to drink. The crime rate is low in tourist areas and the locals are friendly, though the usual pressures of tourism often show. But the best draw of all is that the price for a comparable vacation in any other tropical paradise is about twice what it is here.

The best time to visit the Pacific coast of Mexico is between November and May, when humidity and temperatures are down. This is when most North American and European countries are cold. It is also when the whales move south looking for warmer waters and when the migratory birds are passing by on their way to winter nesting grounds.

But Mexico also has lots to offer during the summer. The Sierra Madres butt up against the ocean, offering relief from the heat just a few hours away by car or public bus. At higher elevations, muscle-powered sports like hiking or cycling are possible any time of year. Museums in the state capitals offer endless intellectual stimulation and the live entertainment often found in towns and city plazas is enthralling. There are ruins to visit and architecture to admire, history to relive and exotic foods to taste.

Regardless of when you come or where you go along Mexico’s west coast, you can enjoy any style of vacation, and your trip will be one that you will remember for a long time.

History

Anywhere I go I want to know who was there before me. I want to know their stories.

Paleo-Indians

The main pattern of Paleo-Indian settlement in the Americas (20,000-7,000 BC approx) is generally agreed upon, though dates and details keep changing and infighting among anthropologists and archeologists is intense. By about 20,000 BC, the last ice age was into a long decline. The ice pack that covered most of Canada and Northeastern United States receded, creating a corridor from Beringia (connecting Asia and North America) down into ice-free southern Alberta. From there the rest of the Americas was wide open, but the migrants kept moving south down the mountain chains. They stuck to the highlands because these areas supported the large herbivores that they ate: mammoth, mastodon, caribou, bison, horse, giant armadillo, giant sloth, guanaco (ancestor of the llama), llama and vicuña.

The dating of sites in the Americas shows the progression, first north to south, then east and west. These dates also show how long the process took. Sites like Monte Verde in southern Chile have been reliably dated to about 12,000-10,000 BC. Estimates are that in Mesoamerica, the occupied parts of pre-Columbian Mexico and Central America, the highlands may have been populated as early as 18,000 BC.

Archeologists also learn from the sites how the Paleo-Indians lived. In Monte Verde, wood and skin huts contained brazier pits. Mastodon and other large herbivore bones were found, along with the remains of seeds, nuts, berries and roots. Tools included stone hand axes, choppers and scrapers; some of these tools may have had wooden handles. The weapons were wooden lances and stones chosen or shaped so that they could be hurled from slings.

Once the Americas were occupied from top to bottom, population pressure and global warming resulted in movement into the lowlands, along the coastlines (which at that time were farther out to sea), and onto the Caribbean islands. Increasing temperatures changed the highlands in particular, leaving them less habitable. In Mesoamerica the grasslands turned to deserts, and the large herbivores disappeared, leaving smaller game like rabbit and deer.

Along the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, grasslands turned into forests. Since Mesoamerica was, and still is, rich in edible plants – like mesquite, cactus and agave – people ate more grains, fruits and vegetables and less meat, though ducks and dogs were being domesticated as a meat supply. By 11,000 BC, people were eating wild corn, onions, amaranth, avocado, acorns, piñon nuts, chili peppers, maguey and prickly pear. By 8,000 BC, the Paleo-Indian period of Mesoamerica was coming to an end. Chasing game was giving way to clearing land, cultivating domestic plants, and raising domestic animals.

By 7,000 BC, the nomadic hunters were growing crops, especially squash, avocado and chili pepper. By 5,000 BC, maize – a small, wheat-like ancestor of corn – was being grown in the Tehuacan Valley of Southern Mexico. By 3,000 BC, pit house settlements were popular. A pit house was a tent-like wood, wattle and daubed-mud structure erected over a hole dug into the ground. By 2,300 BC, pottery replaced stone jars and bowls, village life was the norm, and population growth was exploding. One of the sites, found in 1947 at Tepexpan, confirmed many of these facts for archeologists.

As civilization grew, four classical groups formed in Mexico. They were the Teotihuacans, who lived in and around Mexico City; the Zapotecs, who lived in the Oaxaca and Tehuantepec areas; and the Olmecs and Totonacs, who lived in the Vera Cruz part of the country. The Maya lived mostly in Southern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala and as far south as Honduras and Nicaragua.

The Olmecs and Totonacs were most powerful around 1700 BC and had developed a unique artistic style in the carving of huge stone heads. In contrast to these stone heads, they also carved intricate jade figurines. However, their greatest contribution was the development of hieroglyphic writing and of the calendar that had dots for days and dashes representing months. The Olmecs disappeared around 600 BC. Archeo-logists have not decided what ultimately happened to the Olmecs. The present evidence shows that they could have disappeared because of starvation, invasion and assimilation, or genocide.

The Teotihuacans were so impressive to the Aztecs, who came later, that the Aztecs named the city as the place of the gods. The Teotihuacans had good town planning with all activities taking place in the main plaza that was marked by an impressive pyramid. From the plaza, a complex road system splayed out into the countyside, where the urban population worked the fields. Their trade was so extensive that evidence of their presence was found as far south as Guatemala.

While Teotihuacans grew, the Zapotecs to the south also gained power. Their city of Monte Alban grew to about 20,000 people, almost as big as the powerful Maya center of Tikal in Guatemala. The people of Monte Alban continued to flourish until about 700 AD, when they fell into decline. They are mainly known for their black pottery.

The Maya became the next prominent civilization, followed by the Toltecs who, like the Maya, disappeared due to drought around 1100 AD.

The Aztecs were a warring group who, by forming alliances with lesser groups, soon took control of central Mexico. Their empire eventually included over five million people. They had a hierarchy that was headed by a king and queen, followed by nobility and then the military. Those in commerce, farming and art belonged to the lower classes. The Aztec’s religious ceremonies were complex and included human sacrifice to appease the gods.

Man in traditional dress

AZTEC Lore

The Aztecs believed that the sun and earth had died and been reborn four times. They also believed that the fifth cycle of birth and death would result in the final death.

All in all, Mexican civilizations developed organized religions, written language, monumental architecture, sophisticated art forms and an understanding of mathematics and astronomy. They also had an accurate calendar. But their main focus was, as with modern people, on war and trade. This resulted in the Toltecs from the north interbreeding with the Maya and, by 1200 AD, the Aztecs intermingling with southern tribes. The most famous leader of this group was Montezuma, who is credited with uniting most of the tribes of Mexico as far south as Oaxaca. He was also the leader who had to deal with the Spanish.

The Spanish

In 1511 a boat loaded with Spaniards traveling from South America to the Caribbean was marooned on the coast of the Yucatán. Among the shipwrecked survivors was Jeronimo de Alguilar who, rather than returning to South America, chose to live among the Maya and learn their language.

Six years later, Diego Velasquez decided that Mexico should be explored and exploited so he sent Francisco Fernández de Cordoba to start the process. Cordoba did some exploration and was soon followed by Hernan Cortez. After two years of exploration under the command of Cortez, thousands of Aztec people and all the Aztec chiefs had been executed, and thousands had succumbed to smallpox, typhoid and dysentery. Others who resisted Spanish intrusions were killed. The land was open for grabs. Cortez became the Marquis of Oaxaca, with 25,000 square miles/65,000 square km of land and 100,000 Indians to control.

By 1528 the first court with executive powers was established in Mexico and Antonio de Mendoza became the first viceroy of New Spain. Mendoza was succeeded in 1535 by Luis de Velasco, who ruled until 1564. This was the beginning of 300 years of Spanish dominance in Mexico, during which time the Indians became impoverished slaves and the Spanish became ruling landowners. The Spanish wanted a feudal system like they had at home – only in Mexico the Indians would be the serfs.

Under Spanish leadership agricultural practices were extended, mining was modernized and new crops (such as citrus fruits, wheat, sugarcane and olives) were introduced. Also, chickens, horses, mules and donkeys were brought into the country. The Spanish secured the caste system and placed themselves at the top of the heap. They ensured expansion by bringing in Catholicism and allowing the missionaries to go into the hinterland to secure more souls.

Independence

Exploitation of the masses caused discontent mostly among the miners in Mexico. Miners, who had the sympathy of most peasants, were drawn by an inspiring speech by Miguel Hidalgo, a Creole, in Guanajuato on September 16, 1810. They started the War of Independence that resulted in Hidalgo and his machete-wielding army meeting the Spanish royalists near Mexico City. Intimidated by the enemy, Hidalgo retreated to Guadalajara and then to the north. He and some of his men were captured, executed and had their heads hung on a granary wall as a warning to other would-be rebels. Today, September 16th is celebrated as Independence Day and Hidalgo is considered the hero, although true independence didn’t come for a long time.

After Hidelgo’s death, his loyal follower, José Maria Morelos, another Creole, became the leader of the areas now known as Guerrero and Oaxaca. His main goal was to establish independence for Mexico by forming a constitution and improving the economy. In November of 1813, and before he could accomplish what he wanted, Morelos was executed. Two years later, civil war broke out with the royalists fighting the Indians and Creoles. It lasted a total of five years. Although peace of sorts followed, the Spanish government continued to rule without a constitution.

In Spain, liberal revolts influenced the Creoles (Mexican-born Spaniards) of Mexico to change sides and join forces with the Indians in the hope of bringing true independence to the country. On September 27, 1821, Agustine de Iturbide entered Mexico City. He declared Mexico a nation with independent rule and himself Emperor. His promise to the peasants was independence, Catholicism and equality. Although Mexico was now independent of Spanish rule, the people had no experience at governing themselves. Iturbide lost power within a year.

The country continued to be surreptitiously ruled by a clergy that was backed by a wealthy Spanish-ruled church. By 1824 a constitution was adopted as the Creoles managed to gain equality with the Spanish. The Indians, on the other hand, along with the mestizos (people with a mixture of Spanish and Indian or Negro blood), were still considered inferior. Power struggles were fierce between the clergy and the ruling Creoles who controlled the military. The government, on average, changed hands yearly.

Antonio Lopez Santa Anna, a Creole who became the governor of Veracruz under Iturbide, rebelled and became the elected president of Mexico. The following year, he decided that Mexico was not ready for democracy and became a dictator. Santa Ana was elected to power six times in all and when others became president, he ruled almost as strongly from position of vice president.

In 1836, Santa Anna led forces to Texas in order to keep the Americans at bay and the land in Mexican control. However, during an afternoon sleep when he failed to post guards, the Americans attacked and won. The battle resulted in Santa Anna becoming prisoner. He quickly signed a treaty giving Texas to the US.

It wasn’t long before Santa Anna’s errors, oppression, high taxes and personal extravagance irritated the people. This resulted in the middle class professionals taking power. Their leader was Benito Juarez who, in 1854, drove Santa Anna out of office and into exile.

Juarez brought economic reforms, had the military and religious courts abolished in regard to civil matters, and outlawed corporate ownership of land. The last law caused discontent with the Indians when it was used against them in their communal land holdings. However, in 1857, Juarez also drafted a new constitution that gave more freedoms to the people and declared Mexico a democratic republic.

It took three years of war for the government to implement the idealism it had written into the constitution and secularize the state. But during that struggle they nationalized church property.

The French still regarded Napoleon’s conquest of Spain as a claim on Mexico. By 1862 the French marched toward Mexico City with the intention of pushing Juarez out of power and installing a conservative king. With the help of the right-wing groups in Mexico, this happened, but it took two years.

Although he retreated into the hills, Juarez continued to have a strong following. The French were beaten at the village of Puebla on May 5th (a day still celebrated in Mexico), but the following year, the French regrouped and successfully took the city. They put the Hapsburg prince, Maximilian into power. Within five years, Juarez and his followers overthrew Maximilian’s government and had the flamboyant emperor executed. Juarez then brought in more social reforms, one of which was compulsory education for everyone.

Nationalism strengthened and the constitution was amended in the hope of improving life for ordinary people. In 1876, Porfirio Diaz took over administration and ruled for 35 years. Any opposition to him was instantly snuffed, but the economy flourished. Railways were built and telegraph lines were hung, banks were established and industry grew. Economic growth benefitted the ruling class and foreign investors, but the Indians and mestizos continued to live under difficult conditions. When inflation became a problem, the lower classes starved. This became fodder for another revolution.

The Mexican Revolution

By the early 1900s conditions in Mexico for the peasants were unbearable. They rebelled, demanding, food, water, land and schools for their children.

The first rebellion, started in 1908, was called the Madero Revolution and was led by Francisco I. Madero, who came from a wealthy Mexican family. He tried to beat Diaz in the 1910 election but failed, so he decided to use force. In November of that year he overthrew the government and sent Diaz into exile. The following year Madero was elected by public vote, but he held power for only 15 months before he was murdered by one of his turncoat military leaders.

The death of Madero and the reign by his successor Victoriano Huerta caused the different factions to again take sides. Those wanting a constitutional government joined forces. The leaders of this group were Francisco (Pancho) Villa, Alvaro Obregón, Venustiano Carranza and Emiliano Zapata. In 1914, with the help of the Americans and then-president Woodrow Wilson, they brought down Huerta. The four split up the responsibilities of ruling the country, with Obregón taking Mexico City, Carranza ruling Veracruz, Pancho Villa ruling in the north and Zapata in the south.

Internal scuffles soon – including a few with the United States – but it also resulted in a new constitution, one that offered free elementary schooling for everyone, labor laws that were in favor of the worker and land reforms stating that the subsoil belonged to the nation. However, passing a law and enforcing it are two different matters. Unrest continued until about 1920, when Alvaro Obregón took power and tried to appease the people with actual change. Opposition and corruption prevailed until Obregón was assassinated in 1928.

By the mid-1930s a new form of campaigning took place. A man by the name of Lazaro Cardenas approached the people directly, gaining their support. As the new ruler, Cardenas started a period of prosperity. Land was redistributed, education became prevalent for everyone and labor conditions improved. Cardenas also expropriated foreign petroleum enterprises, thus allowing the profits from that industry to benefit the country.

The 1940s sent the government to the right and, with the help of the United States, they strengthened the peso, constructed the Pan American Highway and modernized industry.

After the war and until the early 1960s, the government saw a period of expansion – hydroelectric dams were built, the Pan Am highway was completed, and a modern university was constructed in Mexico City. Social services were expanded and women won the right to vote.

Even after all these changes, the country remained an agrarian nation struggling toward industrialization and a piece in the global economy. Inflation and debt resulted in more poverty for the working class.

The 60s saw discontent, and many people were killed in demonstrations or riots that opposed the practices of the rich. In 1982, Miguel de la Madrid came to power. At that time, the world oil crises caused huge financial troubles in Mexico and, as a result, the country was unable to pay back foreign debt. Inflation was rampant and the peso dropped so much it became one of the world’s most devalued currency.

The 1988 elections resulted in Harvard-educated Carlos Salinas de Gorari winning, but only after numerous recounts. It was the worst showing that the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) had ever gotten. But Salinas was dedicated to improving life for the poor, for women and for the indigenous groups. His biggest claim to fame was that he signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and the US. It came into effect on January 1, 1994. On the same day, the Zapatistas in the Chiapas rebelled and captured a number of small towns. While the government tried to settle the problems in the north, Luis Donaldo Colosio, the man many thought would be the successor to Salinas, was gunned down in Mexico City. Ernesto Zedillo became the next PRI ruler of the country. The next 10 years resulted in economic problems with the peso dropping and being artificially propped up, and the struggles with the Zapatistas in the Chiapas causing massacres of police, military and peasants. There was a killing of 45 indigenous people in Chiapas that was linked to PRI officials, and then a second event where anti-government speeches in Ayutla, Guerrero resulted in torture of those who supported the Indians. These atrocities are still being studied by human rights groups in the hope of getting restitution for people who were mistreated.

The biggest news of all for Mexican politics was the coming of  leader Vincente Fox, former president of Coca-Cola Mexico and National Action Party (PAN) governor of Guanajuato State. He put an end to the PRI’s 71 years of rule.

The signing of NAFTA was done with the hope that prosperity would finally arrive. While traveling through the western coast of Mexico, you might believe that this may, in fact, have happened. The inflation rate has dropped below 15% and investment dollars are again returning. But best of all, Mexico has repaid all the money it received to help in the bailout of the economic slump.

Political Parties

The three main parties active today are the National Action Party (PAN) headed by Vincente Fox, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) that is headed by Francisco Labastida, and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), headed by Cuauhtemoc Cardenas.

Government

The United Mexican States is the official name of the country commonly known as Mexico. The capital of the country is Mexico City. Mexico is a federal republic with 31 administrative divisions called states.

Mexican States

The following is a list of all Mexican states. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are covered, either partially or in whole, in this book.

Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Chihuahua*, Coahuila, Colima*, Distrito Federal, Durango*, Guerrero*, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco*, Mexico, Michoacan*, Morelos, Nayarit*, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca*, Puebla, Quntana Roo, Sinaloa*, San Luis Potosi, Sonora*, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatán, Zacatecas.

Officials

The government is made up of an executive branch headed by a president, who is both the chief of state and the head of government. The elected government includes a National Congress and a Federal Chamber of Deputies.

The Cabinet is appointed by the president after an election, but the assigning of an attorney general requires the consent of the Senate. The National Congress is made up of 128 seats, with 96 of those being elected by the people in each district. The 32 non-elected seats are given to members of the elected parties and are proportionally split up according to the number of votes won in the election. This provides for fairer representation. Each member serves a six-year term.

The Federal Chamber of Deputies consists of 500 seats, 300 of which are elected by popular vote. The other 200 seats are given to members of the elected parties and, as in Congress, are proportionally split according to the number of votes each party has won in the election. The deputies serve a three-year term.

Mexico officially won independence from Spain on September 16, 1810 and celebrates that day as a national holiday. The present constitution, drawn up on February 5, 1917, is a mixture of constitutional theory and civil law. It ensures voting rights to all citizens over the age of 18 and makes education compulsory for everyone between the ages of six and 15. Also, education is to be free of religious doctrine.

The Supreme Court of Justice is appointed by the president, but must have the approval of the Senate. There are 21 judges who function as the full court or tribunal. Circuit judges and district judges are appointed by the Supreme Court and they must all have law degrees awarded from recognized law schools.

Military Service

Men and women can enter the military at the age of 18 and the forces consist of an army, navy and air force. There are presently almost 200,000 active persons in the military working under an annual expenditure of $4 billion. There are also 300,000 on reserve. It is compulsory for men at the age of 18 to enlist and those 16 years of age may volunteer to receive training as technicians. Women may volunteer at the age of 18. Conscientious objectors are not exempt from service. Which sector of the military one serves is a game of chance. Those who draw a white ball from the bag go into the army or air force, while those who get a blue ball must enter the navy. Mexico offers those in the service an opportunity for secondary education or special training in fields such as social work.

The Police Force

The Mexican police force is notorious for its corruption. Getting into trouble is usually dealt with by paying a bribe. Because of the low pay, police officers are often people with low education, and many are interested only in expanding their criminal connections. These facts were researched and reported in the World Policy Journal, Volume 17, No. 3 in the fall of 2000. The story was also published in Nexos, a monthly magazine based in Mexico City, in April and August of 1998. Andrew Reding, a director of the Americas Project at the World Policy Institute, translated the article. For a complete report, go to www.worldpolicy.org/globalrights/ mexico/2000-fall-wpj-mexpolice.html.

But there is a good side to the Mexican police force. The tourist police found in areas popular with visitors don’t seem too corrupt. It appears to me that they have managed to clean up most of the crime in those regions of the country. While walking around I never felt threatened or that I was being watched by potential robbers.

However, I still wouldn’t take a chance of walking on the beach alone after dark. I also highly recommend that you don’t wander around drunk in a public place, that you stay away from the drug trade (of which there is plenty) and that you avoid things like nude bathing except on beaches designated as such. These things are not tolerated and will get you a jail sentence.

Those driving may be stopped and asked for a small contribution, called a mordida. Whether you are guilty or not, I suggest you ask for the ticket, or boleto. The best that can happen is that the officer will walk away and let you go.The worst that can happen is you will pay a fine for the infraction you have committed. If you pay a traffic ticket within 24 hours, the cost is half.

Economy

Mexico is a free market economy with industry, public services and agriculture owned mostly by the private sector. Tourism is a big draw for the Mexican government and it works hard to attract investors to build the infrastructure tourists require. When visiting the resorts, you will find high-quality rooms, service, food, entertainment and security.

A devaluation of the peso in 1994 threw Mexico into economic disaster that caused a recession. Concerns included wages, underemployment, unequal income distribution and few advancement opportunities for the Indians. At time of writing, the exchange rate was 9.6 pesos to US $1.

The signing of NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, was done in the hope of improving the economy. According to The New York Times, November 19, 2003, the agreement has tripled trade with the US and Canada, but the wages of workers in the manufacturing industry, in agriculture and in the service industry has decreased. The inequality of wages between the middle class and the peasant class has increased, and immigration to the US has continued to rise. The World Bank reports that Mexico has benefited from the agreement. The main problem seems to be that small farmers, who were no longer subsidized for growing staple crops, left the farms for the factories, but there weren’t enough jobs to go around. The farms were bought out by big producers who, in turn, sold the crops at higher prices.

Mexico is now looking to negotiate a new bilateral trade deal that would include the rest of Latin America and improve Mexico’s situation.

At present, Mexico has free trade agreements with the US, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Europe. Over 90% of the country’s trading power is under these agreements. In 2002 this increased Mexico’s purchasing power to $900 billion, which resulted in a growth rate of 1%.

The Maquiladoras

An unpredicted result of the free trade agreements and foreign investment was the emergence of the Maquiladora. Maquiladoras are towns along the Mexican/American border where there are no tariffs on exports. Mexico has few ecological restraints in these areas, so cheap construction and operation costs are also a big draw. Additionally, the companies can hire cheap labor. The results are cheap goods going back into the rest of North America with no tariffs attached. The backlash of this is that the people of United States and Canada have lost millions of jobs and, in turn, millions of dollars in tax revenue.

People & Culture

Cultural Groups

After the Spanish came, it took just two generations to depopulate Mexico of its indigenous peoples. This happened through disease, war and intermarriage. The population is now predominantly mestizo, people with a mixture of Spanish and Indian or Negro blood. Today, this group makes up about 60% of the total population. Pure indigenous people are 30% of the population, and whites are about 9%.

There is an unspoken class system that puts the pure European white person at the top. These are the Creoles, those born in the country but originating from unmixed European stock. The first Creoles to populate Mexico were the children of the Spanish settlers. Later, they came as refugees from the Spanish Civil War.

Beneath the Creoles on the class scale are the mestizos and beneath them are the pure Amerindians.

There are also a number of Asians in the country, who arrived after they were refused entry into the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This group shares equal status with the Amerindians.

The total population is presently over 100 million, a figure that has doubled in the last 30 years. However, recently the rate has slowed due to the migration of workers to the United States and Canada.

Sixty-two percent of the population is between the ages of 15 and 64. Those under 15 make up about 34% of the population. Life expectancy for females is 75 years of age, seven years longer than males.

The Nahuatl (Aztec language) speaking people number about two million and are concentrated in the States of Guerrero and Oaxaca. The numbers of Maya language speakers are low. The Maya are concentrated in the state of Chiapas and in the Yucatán Peninsula.

Traditional Arts

As of late, a resurgence of cultural pride among cultural groups has resulted in shows of traditional art, theater and dance.

Mexican art includes everything from painted wild fig tree bark to black Oaxaca pottery. Silver and gold have always been a popular medium and the quality of workmanship now found in Mexico is world class. Weavings and carpets have been finding their way into visitors’ homes for half a century and the embroidered pieces that can be used as place mats, pillowcases or framed pictures come in colors and designs to accent any décor. Prices for these art pieces are less than half of what you would pay for comparable art in the States.

Embroidery & Weavings

Cotton rebozos (ray-BO-zoz), which are handwoven shawls, originated in the Oaxaca area, but can be purchased throughout the western states. This style of weaving, which is rather loose and usually of cotton, is now also being used to make dresses and skirts in fashionable designs that are especially attractive to visitors. In areas where Maya live, such as the villages near the ruins of Monti Alban and Mitla, you can find huipiles (wee-PEEL-ays), women’s ponchos that are handwoven and then embroidered around the neck and shoulder areas in geometric, floral or animal designs. Huipiles are colorful and are often taken home by tourists to adorn the walls of their homes. Some people mount them on the wall with a mirror behind the neck hole.

There are also embroidered pillowcases or dresser scarves. Some are unique and of high quality, but you must usually hunt for those. Factory-made pieces are far more common and cost much less.

Wool and cotton are used to make the Zapotec handwoven carpets. The better ones are made with natural dyes that come from pomegranate, bark, nuts and flowers. They feature intricate geometric designs similar to those on Navajo rugs. The ubiquitous cotton blankets woven in simple stripes come in every color and quality.

The weaving of reeds, straw, needles and leaves has been tradition for about 5,000 years. Weavers make things like small mats that are far better for lying upon in the sand than towels. Panama hats made here last for centuries. Their soft quality allows them to be rolled into a tube for storage; when taken out, they retain their original shape.

Pine needle baskets have been used as containers for everything from food to babies and can be plain, or with geometric, floral or other intricate designs. Though these pieces are not colorful, their beauty lies in the design. Reeds, on the other hand, are often colored and woven into geometric designs, usually for baskets.

Huichol Art

Huichol art, made with beads, is seen in the shops throughout western Mexico. Some pieces are life-size replicas of animals; others are small. The work is colorful and intricate and depicts images representing stories and deities from Indian myths. Each piece is made by carving the desired shape out of wood or by using a gourd and covering it with a beeswax and pine resin mixture. The colored beads are then placed, one at a time, onto the wood or gourd to create the design.

AUTHOR TIP:If you purchase a piece of Huichol art, don’t leave it in the sun, as the wax can melt.

There are many imitations of this art form made in factories with the profits going to the industrialists, rather than artists. To avoid buying factory-made ones, ask if you can purchase another piece exactly the same. If you can, it’s a sign that the piece is produced en masse.

Huichol Beliefs

The Huichols, descendants of the Aztecs, are an indigenous group numbering about 18,000 who live in the mountains of Jalisco and Nayarit. They take a pilgrimage each year to the holy spot where the peyote cactus grows. There, they eat the plant and relive stories from the past or communicate with their gods. They sing and dance and see images that they reproduce in their art.

The deer, corn and peyote are the most sacred of all Huichol symbols. The deer represents the people, humorous and easygoing, never practicing open conflict. The peyote is the center of their religion and the vehicle with which they are able to communicate with their gods. They believe that humans are made of corn and corn is their sacred food. Before a field is planted, it is blessed with the blood of a deer. This ensures a good crop. Flowers that bloom during the corn’s growing season are also sacred and the best of these is the white Toto, a solanaceous plant that belongs to the nightshade family and includes potatoes, tobacco, chili peppers and tomatoes.

Leather Goods

There is a shoe store on every street in Mexico. Although you can see the cheap offshore imitations of good quality shoes taking their place on the shelves, there are still many shops that sell the best. Prices are usually a third of what you’ll find at home.

And the market isn’t restricted to shoes. For reasonable prices, you can purchase purses, belts, jackets, pants, boots, hats and almost anything else that can be made out of leather. The best thing to do if shopping for leather is head to the closest highland town on market day. For example, if staying in Puerta Vallarta, take a trip to Guadalajara; if staying in Mazatlan, try Tepic. Both cities are only four hours from the coast.

Masks

Masks have been worn by traditional dancers for centuries. They can be made out of ceramic, wood, leather or papier mâché and decorated with paint, stones and metals.

As long as 3,000 years ago, masks were used to imitate gods that had re-incarnated into exotic animals. During the conquest, masks were used to depict oppressors and to emphasize a specific aspect of a story. Now they are used in religious ceremonies and for artistic expression. No matter which mask you purchase, it will be an original.

Today, masks can be found in museums and in private homes. Some of the more complex ones are made by the Huichol artists (see above). For an interesting display and brief description of collectors’ masks, visit www.mexicanmasks.us.

Pottery, Glass & Ceramics

Pottery and ceramics have been a part of Mexican culture since ancient times, even though many of the religious beliefs that inspired specific works of art have not. Indigenous styles are popular, but the most popular style is Talavera, from Arabia via Spain. Talavera pottery is produced only in Puebla. The more Persian-styled works come from Jalisco state. These pieces are usually decorated with gold and silver. If you’re in search of something more Mexican-looking, you will be able to find finely decorated ceramic pieces called the tree of life. They are very ornate and come from post Catholic times.

The black pottery from Oaxaca is famous. The most common vase shape has a round bottom and, because it cannot stand on its own, comes with an extra piece to support it.

The most famous master potter is Juan Quezada, who does work in the Mata Ortiz style. His exquisite pieces are decorated with ancient symbols combined with contemporary style that gives them a feel of sophistication.

Stoneware is also common. The most popular piece is a chess set made with Aztecs facing conquistadors as opponents. The pieces are usually made of obsidian or onyx.

Many blown glass pieces are also available. Occasionally, you can watch your selected piece being made.

There are numerous shops in all the tourist areas that sell top-quality works of art. The best guide is to purchase what you like and believe the story the sales person tells you about its origin.

Dress

Most mestizo dress like you, in comfortable pants or skirts of the latest fashions (although the women tend to dress on the conservative side). Shorts are worn in the country’s western states. Down jackets help keep people warm in the highlands of Mexico.

Although there are some Amerindians who still wear traditional clothing, they are not usually found in coastal regions of Mexico. In the highlands, on market day or during a fiesta, it is common to see hand-embroidered clothes in myriad colors adorning the Amerindian people.

Music

Mexican music has been popular in European countries as well as the US and Canada since the beginning of the last century. This is probably because of the huge Mexican population in the southern US, especially Texas and California areas, which were once part of Mexico. In recent times, artists like Joan Baez and Linda Ronstadt sang for a large Hispanic audience and popularized Mexican songs like Gracias a la Vida.

Mexican music isn’t only mariachi. Corridos are stories put to music that tell about mountain people who are in conflict with drug traffickers, vengeance killers, and robbers and bandits. They tell historical stories about the revolution or about revolutionaries fighting for peasant rights. There are also the boleros and baladas, Mexican love songs. If you don’t know the meaning of corazon (heart), you’ll never get the meaning of the love songs that cover the romance around past, present and future loves.

Mariachi

Although I often listen to the music of Ronstadt and Baez, for me, Mexican music is the traditional mariachi band. Before the Spanish came, locals used five different instruments to play mariachi. These consisted of various styles of wooden drums and rattles.

After the Spanish arrived, they used music to draw the locals into the Catholic religion. They opened a music school as early as the mid-1500s and introduced such string instruments as the violin, harp and guitar. It didn’t take long for the Mexican musician to combine these sounds and make new music not only for the church, but also for fiestas.

By the revolutionary period in the early 1800s, the music had blended traditional Indian tunes with Spanish and Negro tunes. The instruments commonly used were a harp, a violin, a guitar, a drum and a flute. During the battle for independence, music became a unifying symbol. At that time, musicians wore peasant clothing; it wasn’t until after independence that they started dressing in what we associate with the Mexican musicians today – tight pants, a black jacket fitted tightly at the waist, an embroidered belt and a wide bow tie. (See Antonio Banderas in the movie Desperado.) On their heads are huge sombreros that were not so much a symbol of music, but a symbol of wealth (sombreros were once worn only by wealthy hacienda owners).

Before the conquest, the Coca Indians called their five-tone music mariachi and, when Amado Vargas put together his five-piece band consisting of a guitar, violin, drum, harp and flute, it became a natural word to describe the music. Vargas’s son and grandson were the ones to solidify the style and continued to make it famous. However, it wasn’t until 1920 that Cirilo Marmolejo, another passionate player of mariachi music, moved his band to Mexico City. They added a trumpet and started playing for radio stations so people across the country could hear them. The Salon Tenampa opened and Concho Andrade and Cirilo Marmolejo performed there on a regular basis. The Tenampa became the center of mariachi activity.

Motion pictures of the 1940s and 1950s helped promote the image and the band of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan appeared in more than 200 movies. It became the most important group in the history of mariachi. As bands formed around the country, they added more musicians until the group consisted of 20 or more players. Today, however, the bands have become rather small again and usually have just four musicians. Of these, two play violins, one a guitar and a vihuela, a small, guitar-like instrument with a convex back and five strings. Some bands also use the guitarron, which has six strings instead of five like the vihuela.

Aspiring musicians formed bands and roamed the streets and bars looking for an audience. Also by the 1960s, Nati Cano formed Los Camperos, an American group that popularized the music among non-Hispanics. The prominence of this group resulted in mariachi schools opening and, in 1979, an international conference celebrating the music was held in Texas.

Finally, in the 1980s, Linda Ronstadt mixed a bit of mariachi with the corridos style of music and popularized it with her album Canciones de Mi Padre.

THE CLAIM ON MARIACHI

The word mariachi comes from the no-longer-used Coca language of central Jalisco state. However, the French like to think that it comes from the French word mariage, and that they gave the word to Mexico. Historical documents indicate that the Coca, not the French, are responsible for the word.

Dance

Mexican dance is a sensual expression often performed with masks. Before the Spanish arrived, dances depicted the relationship between the gods and mankind. However, once Christian priests saw the advantage of the enactment, they used dance to stress good and evil in the world according to Christ. However, the Mexicans occasionally used dance as a mockery and to poke fun at the all-powerful forces. The Christians were much too serious to do this.

Each area has its own style of dance. For example, residents of Jalisco dance the