Posts from ‘January, 2009’

Photo by Marina Avila A significant cultural difference between the U.S. and Mexico is the formality with which people address their superiors. In the U.S., the common practice is to call your boss by his or her first name. But professional relationships in Mexico are more hierarchical. One way this manifests itself in Mexico is [...]

President Obama’s executive order to close the detention center at Guatanamo Bay, Cuba has focused the world’s attention on the U.S. military base and the policy considerations involving the future status of the prisoners. In this interview, Julie Schwietert Collazo–managing editor of the Matador Network–describes a visit she made to the detention center in October [...]

With a new U.S. President whose election platform promised change, it’s clear that we can expect a break from the previous administration on important issues such as the war in Iraq, the environment, and economic policy. One of the most dramatic changes already under way was triggered recently by  President Obama’s executive order to close [...]

There is a first-class bus line called Autobuses Americanos that offers  a routes starting from as far north as Chicago to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. In his e-book Bus Across Mexico, Robert Berryhill says that the Mexican bus line that operates in the U.S. is a well-kept secret to most gringos because it offers [...]

Besides being more affordable than flying or renting a car, traveling by bus offers an opportunity to meet Mexico’s residents and see the country’s landscape. Most people in Mexico don’t own a car, Berryhill explains. Instead, they rely on the nation’s highly intricate bus system.

When he heard that brothers John and Mike Logsdon had set out to bike down the full-length of the Pan American Highway–from Alaska to southern Argentina–Nateon Ajello became obsessed with joining them. It wasn’t just the possibility of adventure that captured Ajello’s imagination, but the cause the Logsdon brothers were fighting for. Like John and [...]

From time to time I post short interviews with people who have made a life for themselves in Latin America. Making this transition usually means abandoning old stereotypes and coming to appreciate different cultures and values. This interview is with Steve King, who goes by the name “Sumajman” on his blog–The Andean Trekker. Steve has [...]

A recent episode (Jan. 5) of the Food Network  show No Reservations features Mexico and its cuisine.  Those in the U.S. who missed it can download it from iTunes, blogger Mexile says The book upon which the show is based– Anthony Bourdain’s travel-foodie classic A Cook’s Tour–includes a chapter entitled “Where Cooks Come From.” Bourdain [...]

As I mentioned in this earlier post, Twitter is  an effective  resource  for finding and communicating with fellow Latin America enthusiasts. A new page has been added to Travelojos called Twitter 411. It is a directory of people who consistently tweet about Latin America. I’ve divided the group into three basic categories: media pro, blogger, [...]

San Miguel de Allende is the second favorite city in Latin America to visit, according to the 2008 Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards. The cities in region that took five of the 10 slots designated for cities in the Americas but not in the U.S. were: Buenos Aires, San Miguel de Allende, Cuzco, Oaxaca, [...]