Tulum Ruins

TULUM,Quintana Roo-- It's an overwhelming feeling to be in the middle of indigenous archaeological ruins and try to take in the meaning of centuries worth of history. The first time I went to Teotihuacan, the enormous Aztec ruins on the outskirts of Mexico City, and climbed on top of the Pyramid of the Sun, it was definitely an out-of-body experience.

Though the archaeological ruins in Tulum are much, much smaller, it was really amazing to see the ruins of an entirely different civilization--the Mayans. Unlike the ruins of Central Mexico, the structures were made with a lighter-colored material and were built next to the turquoise Caribbean Sea. The word "tulum" is Mayan for "wall." And back in pre-Columbian times, this walled city was a major port and its fort helped protect it against invasion.

Jungle Living

We've been traveling like crazy the last couple of weeks. But yesterday we came back to the megalopolis safe and sound after some interesting, weird, awesome, uncomfortable and fun experiences. That's the joy of being on the road. Our journey began in the Yucatan Peninsula (near Cancun)....

TULUM, Quintana Roo--The first time I saw the small beach town of Tulum was during Hurricane Dean last year (remember these horrible pics? http://floresnancy.blogspot.com/2007/08/arrival-of-hurricane-dean.html). I had heard such great things about Tulum so it was devastating to see it in that state. I was ecstatic to have another chance to check out what everyone loves about this place.



Its turquoise waters, soft white sand, relaxing atmosphere and tons of interesting day trips and fun things-to-do definitely make it must-see in Mexico. But while most visitors choose lodging right on the beach, we stayed in the jungle. It's actually why we were there--reporting on new eco-developments in Tulum's exotic jungle that are much cheaper options right now than oceanfront properties.


A Temazcal, or ancient steam bath or sweat lodge, in the jungle.

The jungle hotel we stayed in definitely exceeded my expectations. Apart from the great art, design and architecture of the bed and breakfast itself, it was really amazing to wake up in the morning to the song of exotic birds. It was truly peaceful and fun at night to try to stay very quiet and listen to all the beautiful sounds of the jungle.



Striking a balance between enjoying the jungle without disrupting nature will be serious challenges for developers. Luckily, Tulum's environmental consciousness spreads to the jungle as well since future developments there will be solar-powered with a natural waste water filtering system and private wells. Strict regulations will only allow a person to build on 5% of their property, in order to keep it safe for all of the animal and plant life.

From the Morelia Film Festival Red Carpet

MORELIA, Michoacan--Glamorous actors/actresses, style and flashing bulbs were no exception at this fabulous red carpet. As a newbie to the scene, I admit there were times when I was star struck. I mean, come on, I've been following some of these celebrities since their novela days, others opened my eyes to the possibilities in Mexican cinema.

As the stars strutted their stuff down the 200-foot-long red carpet, the press stayed on the sidelines shouting the name of whatever celebrity was coming their way. Eventually the graceful and even not-so-graceful stars would wander over and answer the media's questions. Some blew kisses at the camera while the TV videographers (mostly men) all whistled and hollered. Others showed off by doing a little vuelta for the cameras.

Here are some highlights for the celebrity follower in you.


Remember her from Amores Perros? Yes, it's Vanessa Bauche. Since her breakthrough performance she's been in dozens of films and recently co-produced the documentary "Bajo Juarez," which I wrote about in my previous entry.

Before Ximena was Mexico's hottest jazz/pop star, she was Luz Clarita's evil step-sister. Yes, think back to your "Luz Clarita" novela-watching days. It's Mariela all grown up. Remember that cute/annoying Luz Clarita theme song? Yup, an 8-year-old Ximena sang it. Who would have thought she would eventually have an amazing voice. Oh, and that's her little brother in the background--her "red carpet date."

Ana Claudia Talancon was probably the actress with the most buzz, given the phenomenal success of the novela-turned-movie "Arrancame la Vida." But the highly sought-after actress was there promoting her movie "Purgatorio," which was getting a lot of hype at the festival. It is no surprise since the film is based on stories by the legendary Juan Rulfo.

Irene Azuela strikes a pose for the cameras. She made her Mexican film debut with "El Bufalo de la Noche" and then later acted in several films including the disturbing "Quemar las Naves." She was promoting her new film, "Bajo la Sal."

Bajo Juarez

Yes, I admit it. I'm a documentary film junkie. I have been for a long time. But since we moved to Mexico City, I also became a Mexican film junkie. It has been my dream to attend the Morelia Film Festival (Mexico's version of Cannes) and surround myself with other weirdos who talk about cinematography, who research Mexican directors and dream about one day producing my very own documentary.

This year we made it to the Morelia Film Festival! Yay! Though the festivities officially begin tomorrow, earlier this week we got a glimpse of what was to come when we attended the premiere of the documentary "Bajo Juarez," directed by Alejandra Sanchez and Jose Antonio Cordero.


photo by bajojuarez.com

The films tells the story of how a town and its people are transformed after suffering through almost 15 years of femicide. The situation has been described as the most embarrassing human rights scandal in modern Mexican history. Sadly, there has been no justice for the families and no peace for this industrial town where women continue to be victims of this silent war.

AT THE PREMIERE and ON THE RED CARPET:


The film focused on the case of Ale, a young Juarez woman who was raped, tortured and finally murdered. Her mother (above) attended the festival. She is one of many strong mujeres who are demanding justice in Juarez.




This film even caught the attention of high-profile Mexican celebrities including comedian and actor Eugenio Derbez!

Bird's-eye View of Downtown Mexico City

We've been atop a few huge towers that overlook impressive skylines-- including Seattle's Space Needle and San Antonio's Tower of the Americas--but by far the coolest we've been to is the Torre Latinoamericana in Mexico City.

It's history, views from almost 600 feet, and interesting museum make it a must-see in the city.

a Wikipedia photo
Sure, the Torre now sits in the middle of the bustling megalopolis. But way back in the day the site was Moctezuma's zoo filled with beautiful gardens and exotic animals. When the Spanish arrived, they turned it into a convent and church. The convent was demolished in modern times, but the San Francisco church still sits behind the huge Torre.


photos by jeremy
The Palacio de Bellas Artes from the 42nd floor of the Torre.

Check out the intricate details on top of these domes. It's a shame no one gets to appreciate this artwork from ground level.

View of the heart of Mexico City, the Zocalo.

Homenaje a Julieta, Mami y Los Tigres del Norte

It was the summer of 2003, and I had just graduated from college. My eyes were set on my new destination for the next three months--St. Petersburg, Flordia, where I was to learn everything about journalism as a fellow with the Poynter Institute. I sold most of my junky college belongings, stashed the rest at my parent's and then-boyfriend Jeremy's house and packed the rest in my reliable Toyota Corolla (which my mom still drives.)

The plan was to cover hundreds of miles from Austin to Florida on a road trip. But my mom, worried that her youngest daughter would make the trek alone, decided I wasn't going unless she was in the car with me. So the two of us left Texas to begin our roadtrip adventure. While mom worried about safety and all the other things moms worry about, my biggest concern was music. What would we listen to that we would both enjoy? It was afterall, a looong trip.

I popped in a CD by Tijuana-born singer Julieta Venegas and the song "La Jaula de Oro" began playing. Before that trip, I really hadn't paid much attention to the lyrics but liked the music. My mom recognized the modern song, which she said was actually a remake of an old hit by the famous Norteño band Tigres del Norte. She was right. The classic lyrics and the new beat made "La Jaula de Oro" our road trip anthem.

We saw Julieta Venegas in concert last night in Mexico City's awesome Auditorio Nacional. Although she did not play this song, it made me think back to that one tune which I had not heard in a long time. "La Jaula de Oro" is by far my all-time favorite Julieta Venegas song-- maybe it's the meaningful lyrics that highlight the struggles of immigrants like my parents who sacrificed everything to follow the American Dream or maybe it's just that it always reminds me of taking that cross-country journey with my mother. Either way, after a great concert, I had to listen to that song once again. And I want to share it with all of you...

Just press the play button:

Fiestas Patrias

It's been a Flores-Schwartz tradition to head down to our neighborhood plaza for 16 de septiembre festivities. We were joined by some of our friends this time for food, drinks and silly Independence Day hats.

Aztec Mystery Continues

As promised, here's more news from the Island of Mexcaltitan. This is the island city that some historians believe is behind the founding of Mexico.

To check out my photo slideshow, click on the title link above.

To check out Jeremy's story, copy and paste this link:
http://www.coxwashington.com/reporters/content/reporters/stories/2008/30/2008/09/01/MEXICO_AZTLAN31_COX.html


These white herons or "garzas" can be found all over the island. It is believed that the Aztecs came from a place full of these creatures.


Bridges like this one connect people's houses to the mainland.

Ode to Street Food

I'm loving straight-talking chef Anthony Bourdain's memoir "Kitchen Confidential." Inspired by his love of all things meat, here's a video clip from his street food tour of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, my hometown's sister city across the border.

If you attended my wedding, then you passed through or even spent the night in this culinary heaven.



Here are some fab quotes from his book:

"No one understands and appreciates he American Dream of hard work leading to material rewards better than a non-American. The Ecuadorian, Mexican, Dominican and Salvadorian cooks I've worked with over the years make most CIA [Culinary Institute of America] educated white boys look like clumsy, sniveling little punks."

"Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonald's? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria's mystery meat...? You only go around once."

Gone Country

SEGUIN, Texas--No smog. No traffic. No worries. At my Tia Rosa and Tio Ruben's ranch-style life in rural Texas, it's all about family and home cooking.



These Boston city boys discovered they were a little bit country after all.


My Tio Ruben prefers the tranquility of his almost five acres of land to the city life any day.