Los Altos Te Quiero

Según yo, there's no other place on earth more beautiful than Los Altos in the middle of the rainy season. Although the turquoise agave fields outlined with rust-colored soil are marvelous to behold, it's the generous and hospitable people that really make it worth the trip.

Herdez Salsa Halucination

This is the most frightening piece of advertising I have ever seen from any county, or any known universe whether parallel or otherwise. I think the Herdez people have been eating too many jalapeños.

Mexico City: Shadows and Primary Colors

Happiness

Tonight I was supposed to go watch The Shining at The Ex Convento Del Carmen with a friend but she got stuck in traffic. I was too scared to watch Jack Nicholson wield an ax by myself, so I decided to roam the city. Instead of watching a creepy Stanley Kubric film, I got some great shots of shiny, happy Tapatíos.




This homeless man, who looks strikingly like Tracy Morgan's Woodrow the Bum character, was showing these kids how to fly an airplane on a string.

One crazy bag lady at a time.

Contrary to popular belief, there are hippies in Mexico.

They just get stared at and mocked by small children.
On Saturday Mexico's Environmental Ministry orchestrated the planting of 9 million trees across the country.Organizations like Greenpeace are saying it wasn't good enough. I'm saying, it's one giant freaking leap.
I wanted to celebrate the tree planting by going out and buying a canvas shopping bag because I go to the super at least three times a week and every time I end up with like 17 different plastic bags.I picked out a super lame gray bag with a picture of an earth with a Band-Aid on it. I'm trying to be as literal as possible, ok, and I'll tell you why. After I bought the bag the woman at the cash register told me that I couldn't leave the store without putting my new canvas bag in a plastic bag. I told her, I was buying the bag because I don't like plastic bags.
She had to staple the receipt to my new earth Band-Aid tote and personally escort me to the security guard who gave me permission to leave the store. It's an uphill battle here folks, and I haven't even taken it to the grocery store yet. I have a feeling that the little old ladies who get paid loose change to bag groceries are going to chase me down with a pitchfork.

Dancin' in the Street

Here's a group of Aztec warriors in their street clothes. Every year the Grupo Ritual Azteca de los Hermanos Placencia practices three nights a week for three months to prepare for the tribute to the Virgen de Guadalupe in Zapopan.

I promise I'll get better at video soon!

Salmonella Sandwich

You know me, always willing to put my life on the line in the name of journalism. After reading report after report about people freaking out about the salmonella tomatoes coming from Mexico I decided to be like "12 on Your Side" and take action. Alegría Tapatía went to the streets to see what it's actually like to eat a sandwich filled with killer Mexican tomatoes.


The sandwich in question, served with a side of tasty lime and pepper potato chips.


Contemplating Mortality


Not bad, although I could have done with less of the jalapeño flavored carrots.BTW this shirt is the mandatory fashion for Mexico. ALL HAND-EMBROIDERED ALL THE TIME!


Here I am two hours later, still alive and back at work serving the public good.


It's not that I don't believe that the evil tomatoes are coming from down here - lord knows I've been to many a tianguis where the vendor stacked produce and car batteries like one giant lasagna. However, it seems to be getting to the point where we had an "Africanized killer bees"situation. It's like, "oh no, don't let in the Mexican tomatoes they'll steal your lawn mower and date your daughter." The FDA still can't even figure out where the outbreak is coming from.
“It’s important to control expectations, and it’s possible that this investigation will not ultimately provide a smoking gun,” David Acheson, the FDA’s associate commissioner for foods, said at a recent news conference, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. “That’s not that unusual with tomato outbreaks.”
At least now they can count out my loncheria, GDL Frutylact.

Foreigner in Stereo

I wanna know what love iiiiiiiis and I want you to show me!
In case you were wondering, "Foreigner Unplugged" is even better in a pimped out Guadalajara Taxi cab. Thursday I was lucky enough to hitch a ride with Aaron, the coolest taxista this side of the Sierra Madres. Not only did he have a sweet DVD player and a mountain of music videos at the ready, but he also had enough woofers and tweeters and the like to provide a true surround sound experience.
During the Foreigner portion of the trip he turned to me and said, "Do you know who sings this song? These are some great lyrics."
Indeed, Aaron, indeed.



I'm often asked what it is that brings me to Mexico over and over again. I usually reply with some lame answer like, "Tequila!" or "Beans!" But, after Thursday I think I"m closer to my answer. This country has some of the best free entertainment you could ever imagine. After my cab ride, I took a bus home and was treated to a serenade by this adorable blind girl whose guitar was held together with duct tape. Her voice was clear, sincere and it took my breath away.

Urban Art Discovery

After long days of staring at my computer screen, my favorite activity is going out and wandering the mean streets of Guadalajara.


According to my new friend, Jesus the house's maintenance man, the house belongs to the Jalisco Secretary of Tourism. When I asked him what the significance was, he said, "I don't know I don't speak English." I'm still intrigued, and I'm going to try to find out more.

Here's another piece of urban art. I call it, "Sad Che Guevara."

Aaaaaand I'm Back

This...


is why I'm back in town. Why was the cast of "Cats" hanging out in the middle of the street? I don't know and I don't care.

Would you say it is a multimedia?

So, today I went of Oficina Depot to get a new keyboard because I've been writing so much on my tiny iBook that my wrists were starting to feel like peanut brittle. There were several keyboards I was considering and I wanted to take the ergonomic one out of the box and try it out before I spent 367 pesos. So, I approached two salesmen, but I guess I interrupted their heated discussion because this is how the conversation went:
Me:Hi, can I open this keyboard box?
Guy 1:No, see it's taped shut. Why do you need to open it. Its the same as all the other ones.
Me: No its not.
Guy 1: Oh I guess it has multimedia.
Guy 2: Yes, yes, multimedia.
Finally, I decided on the cheap one rather than sit around and prolong the conversation that
It reminded me of this:

Tart Tangy Travel Deals

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade, or like at my uncle Jesus' birthday party, squeeze them up and put them on the pollo rostizado. This week, Mexico's travel industry was handed a giant basket of lemons when the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for the U.S.-Mexico border region. So, where does the limonada come in?
Well, now is the perfect opportunity for those folks who consider driving down to TJ to pick up their Xanax to be a Mexican getaway, to finally explore more diverse regions of Mexico. (BTW prescription drugs can be found in just about any major city)
Just in time for the travel warning, here are some of this week's best Mexico travel deals:
-Frontier Airlines has some crazy low rates posted including $103 round trip from Oklahoma City to Cabo San Lucas.
-Orbitz is offering 20 percent off on all hotels booked on the website this week.
-Travelocity has a special for $150 off last minute Mexico deals

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Puerto Rico's Coffee Country

Disposible camera magic in San Juan

The powers of American Apparel, the official San Juan color pallet and my keen eye for the ridiculous have come together to create this once in a lifetime opportunity. Yes, I matched the building.
This guy sells some darn good sesame seed candies.

A view of the Governor's Palace. Not a bad pad for a guy charged with 19 criminal counts.

They really dig the mint mojito color scheme here.

Being THAT girl

It seems whenever you go on a tour there’s always that one person who the rest of the group scoffs at for being a true fool. The lady who goes out on an eight-hour boat ride, forgets her sunscreen and ends up being mistaken for lobster dinner or the guy who takes a call from his divorce lawyer in the middle of a serene cathedral. “I want you to fry her ass!” Well this time the schmuck was me.
While I was packing for five days on a tropical island my grandma came into my room to offer me a bright orange poncho that she had kept in a mission tortilla bag. “No thanks, Grandma I bought this great windbreaker at the Gap.” Twenty-four hours later, the rain is coming down in ropes in the el Yunque Rainforest and the gift shop won’t accept my debit card for the $5 poncho. The windbreaker is no match for the tropical downpour and I end up soaked to the bone, dripping all over the tour bus as the rest of the Texans and Midwesterners marveled how their khaki shorts and Bacardi T-shirts were kept dry under their ponchos.
I also had the brilliant idea of trying to document this harrowing experience with my ancient digital camera. I got some great shots of me looking like a a sad version of the Jack Johnson Brushfire Fairytales album cover before my camera died of water inhalation. I spent the rest of the trip hanging around a group of international writers snapping pictures with a disposable camera.

Alegría Boricua

Three goals for three days in San Juan:
1. Ricky Martin Sighting
2. Use the phrase "No me importa que te gusta Coldplay" in casual conversation.
3. RUM!

I leave tomorrow and I'll keep you posted. In the mean time, enjoy my special PR mix.

Tijuana Makes Me Happy

Two days before I arrived in Tijuana, a car chase ended with a pick-up truck crashing into the international airport. There was a shoot-out resulting in at least one death and from what I read there were drug dealers involved. I had no idea about this until I was back across the border in San Diego. Good thing, 'cause when I arrived at the same airport I already had all sorts of images of severed heads and duct taped federalis dancing in my head. Despite all of the negative press this town has been getting recently, I was determined to keep and open mind. I had a great time and now I'll have some street cred back in Calabasas.



I borrowed the title of this post from a song title from TJ's hippest export, Nortec Collective. If you want to understand this multi-faceted border town, you must listen to this electronic music collective. As their name suggests, they mix traditional Norteño music with modern day techno beats.

The Evolution of Nortec
1800’s – German and Polish farmers arrive in Northern Mexico introducing the accordion and polka to musicians.

1920’s -Prohibition brings American fun-seekers to Tijuana. The abundance of opportunity draws musicians from all over Mexico and exposes local musicians to new styles.

1962 A young Herb Alpert travels to Tijuana to watch a bullfight. He is inspired by the horns of a mariachi band and incorporates a live recording of the crowd into his hit tune “The Lonely Bull.”

1972 -Los Tigres del Norte release their first single "Contrabando y Traición" (Contraband and Betrayal). With more than 30 albums released since, the group is one of the most influential within the genre and continues to be a cultural force.

1980’s –Tambora, a form of norteño music from Sinaloa characterized accented horns, tuba and songs about the life of drug lords is popularized by the narco (drug-running) culture in Tijuana.

1999 - Electronic aritsts Fussible, Bostich, Clorofila, Hipoboreal and Panoptica join together to form the Nortec Collective.
Sources: Pepe Mogt aka Fussible, www.EMPlive.org, www.fonovisa.com

La Candelaria

Everyone I talked told me that I went to Los Cabos I just had to make a trip out to Todos Santos. Like, OMG you haven't lived till you've scene how AMAZING it is. Well I didn't make it quite that far, but thanks to Baja Outback Tours, I was able to make it to La Candelaria, a little pueblo oasis that's usually a pit stop on the way. If Todos Santos is anything like La Candelaria, I'll have to make sure I get there next time, too. Oregon native Lorna Hankins makes all of the expats living in gated communities in places like Lake Chapala and Loreto look like a bunch of amateur wussies. Not only does she live with no air conditioning and limited electricity, but she has also mastered a pre-hispanic ceramic ceramic style that involves digging up clay during certain phases of the moon, but she also passed the craft along to other local women. Maybe its just 'cause she's from Oregon.
La Candelaria was once known for its population of curanderos, or witch doctors. Hankins pays homage to this tradition with her choice of gate decorations.

This turquoise altar was a striking site among the brown and green hues of the desert landscape.

Did you know there was such a thing as an alpha cow? These cunning cattle have the distinct honor of being the smartest cow in the herd. When there's a fresh crop of little bovines the ranchers leave them out in the middle of the desert to see which one finds its way home first. The winner gets to wear a bell around its neck and answer, "yes" when the other cows ask,"Do you think you're the boss of me?" These guys were hanging out on the road we took through the desert. I couldn't tell which one was in charge.

San Jose del Cabo

San Jose del Cabo is to Cabo San Lucas is what Norah Jones is to Brittany Spears. You can only hit me baby so many times before you need to immerse yourself in some serious adult contemporary culture.

One of San Jose's many artisans working in sweatshop-like conditions just to fill the walls for EVIL gallery owners.


These were taken in downtown San Jose's burgeoning gallery district. For me, not being able to slow down and enjoy a coffee in one of the charming cafes was like being served up a steaming cup of no-fair trade coffee .