The Guadalajara Reporter
Guadalajara's Largest English Newspaper
Regular readers of my columns will by now surely know of “The Magic Circle,” the name I have coined for an easily reachable area around Guadalajara – including Jalisco, Colima and Aguascalientes, plus parts of other Mexican states – that contains all five of Mexico’s ecosystems.
Valle de Santiago is a small town in the state of Guanajuato, located 200 kilometers east of Guadalajara. “Valle de la Luna” might be a better name for it, because it is surrounded by at least a dozen very impressive volcanic craters.
In 2009, artist Jorge Monroy surprised everyone by creating “Under the Wings of Mercury,” a stunning mural adorning the lobby of the Guadalajara Chamber of Commerce on Avenida Vallarta.
In 2010, Mexico’s traditional cuisine was declared part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It was the first time the food of any country had received such an honor.
All but forgotten and hidden away inside the little town of La Venta del Astillero can be found an ancient arch which for centuries welcomed visitors traveling to Guadalajara via the famed Camino Real (Royal Highway).
My neighbor Richard is a hydraulic engineer with a talent for finding waterfalls. After a quick look at the area around Amatitán using Google Earth, he put his finger on the screen: “Right here there has to be a waterfall,” he declared.
In 2013 I paid my first visit to Selva Negra, the popular name for the Ahuisculco Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, located 30 kilometers southwest of Guadalajara.
