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Oaxacan feast: Mole, Molotes, Mezcal & Motown

Like many travelers before me, I was drawn to Mexico by its fiery and flavorsome foods. A Mexican friend in my home city of Bristol, had assured me that if I loved the burritos from the generic Tex-Mex takeaways of England, then I would be like a child in a sweetshop when I arrived in her country. My friend, Jackie, has since moved back to Mexico where her parents run a traditional restaurant in Oaxaca. I was invited to visit the restaurant last Saturday as friends and family would be celebrating her mum’s birthday via a day of delicious food followed by a 1970s-themed disco. Needless to say, I was there like greased lightning! This is the story of the delicious food that I encountered on that trip.

An unforgettable flight to Guadalajara: Treating passengers worse than guitars?

Writes Reporter contributor John Pint: “In 2008, Canadian singer David Carroll was on a United Airlines flight to Nebraska. During a change of planes at O’Hare airport he and other passengers looked out the window and were shocked to see baggage handlers literally throwing around the guitars that Carroll´s band had checked as luggage. Carroll complained to airline staff but got nowhere. When he found the neck of his 3,500-dollar Taylor guitar broken, he tried to get compensation from United (for nine months), but again to no avail. Finally, in 2009 Carroll wrote a song entitled ‘United Breaks Guitars’ which went viral on YouTube and, to date, has been seen by 14,295,662 people. After the event, adman Laurence Boschetto told CNN that United was learning from the error and was even using the Guitar Song in their personnel training program.”

The Day of the Dead: How death became a national symbol

In his famous tome “The Labyrinth of Solitude,” the poet Octavio Paz claims that “the Mexican chases after death, mocks it, courts it, hugs it, and sleeps with it. He thinks of it as his favorite plaything and his most lasting love.”

Ofrenda de Muertos: a reflection of Mexico’s mixed ancient roots

November 1, All Saints Day, and November 2, All Souls Day, are special dates set aside throughout Mexico as a time of remembrance and communion with the dearly departed. With a unique mix of elements rooted in ancient Mexico and the European continent, the altar de muertos exemplifies the fusion of old and new world beliefs, rituals and customs.

Science ‘geek’ steps off work treadmill after 50 years in Mexico

Royce Wheeler has retired. After 20 years working for Jaime Niembro at Ajijic Realty, the 80-years-young former physics teacher had decided to take a break.

US footwear giant & Huichols team up

A hipster alert resounded through Guadalajara and a sea of black-clad “under 30-something’s” descended on Andares Mall last Thursday as Boutique Elnierika hosted a launch party for a limited edition sale of VANS footwear – not just any model of the globally popular skateboard shoe, mind you, but sneakers and high-tops with designs created and hand-sewn by Jalisco’s native Huichol Indians.