MEXICAN OPALS One cannot deny the beauty of the Mexican Fire Opal also known as the Mexican Diamond. The Aztec’s called them Vitzitziltecpa which means hummingbird stone and rightly so, the bright iridescent colors of the bird’s plumage mimicked the colors of the brilliant fire opal. According to historians, Aztec’s as early as in the 1200’s used the Fire Opal as embellishments for ornaments as...
MEXICAN AMBER Amber´s beautiful hue is eye candy for any amber connoisseur; just knowing how these gemstones are formed brings a new appreciation to the wonder of nature. Imagine, resin being produced from the core of a tree and expelled through the bark to a broken branch, a surge of insects or a threatening fungus. The resin then hardens, seals and sterilizes to prevent any further injury to the...
Obsidian’s Edge In the Sierra de las Navajas (Razor or Knife mountains), about two hours outside of Lake Chapala, is a modern mine that recently crossed paths with pre-Hispanic tunnels used to quarry obsidian by the Aztecs. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed into a kind of rock by the rapid cooling of lava. The majority of obsidian is black or gray but a rarer green obsidian was...
A beautiful harbinger of the tropical spring has arrived Lakeside – The explosive floral blossoms of the Jacaranda, Primavera and Plumeria trees. Offset by the stark brown contrast of the Sierra Madre Mountains, this vivid, floral explosion precedes the arrival of the seasonal rains. The flowering Jacaranda (pronounced Hackaranda) is a tropical beauty with clusters of fragrant, pale indigo,...
Mexico’s Amazing Monarch Migration “Butterflies can't see their wings. They can't see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well.” ― Naya Rivera The Monarch butterflies fly as much as 100 miles a day on their 3000 mile + journey south to migrate from the US and Canada every year to the middle of nowhere over 10,0000 feet high up in the mountains in...
A Capirotada is a Mexican grandmother’s culinary equivalent of a warm hug during Lent, which is mostly known for abstaining from such pleasures. This Mexican bread pudding served over the Easter season combines crusty bolillos (like French bread), spices, fruit, nuts and aged cheese creating a savory note that balances the sweetness of the piloncillo (unrefined brown sugar) and fruit...
Or “Pointed Setters” as my 3-year old daughter used to call them! There is no other plant synonymous with Christmas as the poinsettia. What a delightful addition to every home to brighten up a dark and dreary winter day during the holidays! Here in Mexico, however, discovering that poinsettias grow with wild abandon practically everywhere, is also truly delightful. The plants tower over...
Standing proudly on the Ajijic malecon, the creative Ajijic sign with the stunning backdrop of Lake Chapala and Mount Garcia, skillfully depicts the various facets of life in this area. The flora, the architecture, food, art, the lake and the ever-present music are all part of the ambiance that makes Ajijic an enchanting place to live. The A sign represents the flora of Lake Chapala, where palm...
Church bells have been the timekeepers of towns and villages for centuries, as most people didn’t have clocks or watches for many years. Almost every town in Mexico, regardless of size, has the church as its centre so everyone can hear the bells. Large cities may have several churches in close proximity in the centre of the city all ringing at the same time and in different areas and the bells of each...
The textiles of Mexico represent the cultural diversity of the country. Cloth fragments discovered and dated from as early as 1800 BC, were made from chichicaste – a plant we know as stinging nettle, which grows easily and yields a great deal of linen-like fibre. All fibres were originally of a vegetable source such as cotton, yucca, palm and other plant fibres, depending on the region. During...