Carl Franz - The Peoples Guide to Mexico

The Peoples Guide to Mexico

14th Edition

Carl Franz and Lorena Havens

Published by

Avalon Travel

a member of the Perseus Books Group

1700 Fourth Street

Berkeley, CA 94710, USA

www.moon.com

Text 2012, 2006, 2002, 1998, 1992, 1990, 1988, 1986, 1982, 1979, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1972 by Carl Franz and Lorena Havens.

Maps by Avalon Travel.

All rights reserved.

Some photos and illustrations are used by permission and are the property of the original copyright owners.

ISBN-13: 978-1-59880-960-2

eISBN: 978-1-61238-049-0

Editor: Sabrina Young

Acquisitions Director: Grace Fujimoto

Copy Editor: Justine Rathbun

Cover and Interior Design and Production: Elizabeth Jang

Map Editor: Mike Morgenfeld

Indexer: Greg Jewett

Proofreader: Cinnamon Hearst

Illustrator: Glen Strock

Printing History

1st Edition 1972

14th Edition October 2012

5 4 3 2 1

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Printed in Canada by Friesens

Portions of this book were previously published in The Peoples Guide to Camping, Backpacking, & Boating in Mexico; The Peoples Guide to R.V. Camping in Mexico; The Peoples Guide Travel Letter; and The Tour Express Insiders Guide to Mexico and are used here by permission of the authors.

Avalon Travel is a member of the Perseus Books Group. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be translated or reproduced in any form, except brief extracts by a reviewer for the purpose of a review, without written permission of the copyright owner.

Although every effort was made to ensure that the information was correct at the time of going to press, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, or any potential travel disruption due to labor or financial difficulty, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

Please send all feedback about this book to:

The Peoples Guide to Mexico

Avalon Travel

1700 Fourth Street

Berkeley, CA 94710, USA

feedback@moon.com

www.moon.com

Acknowledgments

Editing and research: Lorena Havens, Steve Rogers, Felisa Churpa Rosa Rogers, Linda Reybine, Lety Hall, Stephanie Hopkinson, David El Codo Eidell, Beatriz, Vee Webber, Bill and Claire Gray, Paul Balbin, Robert Heston and many others.

As we celebrate this books 40th birthday in 2012, we want to extend a very warm abrazo and special acknowledgment to Avalon Travel. Grace Fujimoto has supported us with great patience through many editions, never once resorting to arm-twisting or other dramatics when we miss yet another deadline. Updating a book of this size and complexity is no small task. For all of their fine work, we offer special thanks to Sabrina Young and Elizabeth Jang.

Encouragement, suggestions, criticism and more: Ken and Barbara Luboff, John and Eve Muir, Susan Fiksdal, Tom Scott, Dr. Matt Kelly, Lic. Napoleon Negrete, Nacho and Teresa Espinosa, Mauro Lopez, Felicia and family, Martha Brewster, Stephanie Hopkinson, Kimberly Brown.

Design: Lorena Havens.

Lorena and I sincerely thank those of you who have taken the time to write us about your travels in Mexico. Your letters and emails not only provide much appreciated moral support, but they also contribute valuable information that we pass on to other readers through regular revisions of this book and The Peoples Guide to Mexico websites, www.thepeoplesguidetomexico.com. Qu le vaya bien! to you all.

Cover, Illustrations and Graphics:

Glen Strock

Special Thanks:

Toby Williams for contributions marked TW,

Peter Aschwanden for Day of the Dead cartoons and

Nancy Gale for Mayan temple, Chichen Itza

Introduction to the 14th Edition, 2012

We can scarcely believe it ourselves, but this edition marks the 40th anniversary of The Peoples Guide to Mexico. To say that it has been an amazing journey is certainly an understatement. Weve seen tremendous changes in Mexico over the years, but like so many of our readers, our long love affair with the country and deep respect for its people are as strong as ever.

This edition, like all the others before it, required many hundreds of updates and corrections, both small and large. The least agreeable of these has been the need to expand our warnings about personal safety because of the increase in narco violence. Tourists are seldom directly involved in the conflict between the drug cartels and Mexican law enforcement, but it isnt easy to ignore the worrisome presence of the Army and special police units, especially in northern Mexico and along the U.S.-Mexico border.

On a far more positive note, with this edition Lorena and I are very happy to introduce Churpa Rosa Rogers as our official coeditor and contributing author. Previous readers of The Peoples Guide to Mexico will recognize Churpa as the daughter of Steve Rogers, our much loved but long departed coauthor. Churpa not only grew up while traveling in Mexico but also inherited her fathers now legendary affection for good food, hot chilies and offbeat adventure. To top it off, she combines these with a delightfully twisted sense of humor and a very serious talent for writing. In addition to an increasing presence in future editions of this book, you will find much more of Churpas writing on our website,www.thepeoplesguidetomexico.com.

Introduction to the 13th Edition, 2006

Have you heard the expression The more things change, the more they stay the same? There have been many changes in Mexico and also in the lives of the authors since the last edition of this book was published in 2002. Fortunately, however, it takes far more to alter the true heart and soul of Mexico than a chain of superstores and golden arches.

Back in the so-called good old days, when it could easily take all day to make a long-distance phone call from Mexico, we used to say that wintering in Mexico and spending the summer up north was the best of both worlds. That is still a highly desirable routine, but to be quite honest, the changes weve seen on both sides of the border in the past few years make it tempting to stay even longer in Mexico.

To begin with, many practical aspects of living and traveling in Mexico continue to get easier and more convenient. Highways around the country are being built and improved, airports are modernizing and communications have improved drastically. Internet access is now taken for granted virtually everywhere, and cell phone service is widespread and affordable. Discount airlines are also just starting to take off, offering fares within Mexico in direct competition with buses. Theres even a chance that passenger trains will eventually return.

Dont let me forget Wal-Mart. In the interests of full disclosure, I have to admit that I am drawn to their extra-virgin olive oil and shelves of hot sauces like a moth to a flame. I bemoan the impact that this form of progress has on small Mexican businesses, but like many others we occasionally take advantage of their bargains and selection.