We are interested in visiting Oaxaca this fall. We are interested in purchasing Oaxaca black clay pottery and woven textiles. We have a retail shop and want to introduce Mexican art. Can you give me information on which factories or artisans are the ones we should visit and who to deal with? Is Oaxaca the best place for us to purchase these items, or are there towns outside of Oaxaca to consider- if so which ones.... (more)

•RV, Van & Trailer: Classifications for Mexico's Toll Roads & Money-Saving Tips

Who else to ask but the experts! My wife and I plan on doing some extensive "adventure travelling" throughout Mexico. As part of the budgeting process I am trying to figure out how a Class B motorhome would be classified on the "cuotas". Would it be a "pick-up/panel", an "autobus" or a "C2"?... (more)

•A Ten Day Vipassana Meditation Course in Mexico

...a midlife crisis led me to Vipassana. Friends who were aware of my distress after a bout of radiation treatments and the breakup of a relationship quietly suggested that I investigate the practice that had catalyzed positive change in their own lives, and I said, "What have I got to lose?" (more) by Sareda Milosz

•Selva Del Marinero: Community Eco-tourism In A Rainforest Village

... visitors are received by the families with whom they eat... they sleep either in a lodge or in tents. Local guides give explanations along the trails that bring visitors to a water fall, to a bat cave and a 2.5 hour mountain top walk through a cloud forest. (more)

•2002 Tax Changes In Mexico

During the closing hours of 2001, and early on January 1, 2002, Mexican lawmakers approved a US $7.5 billion hike in taxes. Expat residents and tourists alike are subject to these increases. (more) by Bill Masterson

•Strangers In The Night

We were awakened in our tent late one night by a strange sound.... Who could it be? And at this hour of the night, when all respectable and superstitious campesinos were safely barricaded inside their houses?... (more) by Carl Franz, an excerpt from The People's Guide To Backpacking, Boating & Camping In Mexico

•Tamales Dulces (Sweet Tamales)

Tamales are a true labor of love. Considering the work involved you'll want to make fair sized batches and recruit help! ...Complete recipe and delicious step-by-step instructions. (more) by Taylor Benson

•My Low-Budget Mexican Bus Vacation

I always seem to have more time than money for my vacation. A combination of daydreaming and shrewd planning focused around my tiny budget allowed me to arrive at numerous options. The first point was that I shouldn't commit myself to a round-trip ticket even though it meant passing up a ten percent discount on the fare.... (more) by David "Cheapskate" Eidell

•National Identity Cards? How Many Americans Live In Mexico?

Bill Masterson revisits the topic: "...Mexico has announced a national identity card program for foreign residents, and the creation of a database to track their whereabouts. The national identity card program may finally produce an the answer to the question, "How many Americans live in Mexico?" (more) by Bill Masterson

Letters From Our Readers #9

•Finding Reasonable Car Insurance

We are planing our first RV trip into Mexico, motor home and car. We can not seem to find reasonable insurance.... (more)

•Taking my dog to Mexico?

I would like to drive to Mexico via Tijuana by myself with my beloved Rottweiler dog in a VW camper. I want to make sure I have no problem bringing the dog back to the US. What is required on shots etc.? Would appreciate your help. (more)

•Living & Working in Puerto Vallarta

We are not interested in a retirement lifestyle, but rather to work there. I don't know if it is possible for us ( as being Americans) working in Puerto Vallarta?.... (more)

•Driving a Hornet RV?

I looked at a Hornet RV----and was wondering how good of an RV it was or is. I have always been a tent camper, but I'm looking for something a little easier so that I can plan more long weekends, now that my kids are in college.... (more)

•Bahia de Los Angeles by Bus? Rental Cars?

We live in Chicago and are planning to visit Bahia Los Angeles this Summer. We think to fly to San Diego and drive down to Bahia. Do you know any charters bus companies that may get us there? ... (more)

•What ID do I need?

If I fly to Cancun, is a tourist card with a birth certificate and driver's license adequate as before, or do I now need a passport also? .... (more)

Jan 5, 2002

New Home/Index pages

The Copper Canyon: Transportation: Driving, Trains & Buses

Buses In Mexico

November 10, 2001

•Discovering the Roots of Enchantment in Guatemala and Honduras

What does an elder Honduran or a Guatemalan Mayan have to offer a vacationing Jewish woman from the U.S.A. about her past? About her sense of place or of culture?

Sharon Lukerman wearing a Guatmalan headdress

As I prepare the last minute details for my journey to Guatemala and Honduras, I detect a peculiar anxiety beneath the typical pre-trip jitters. Though I haven't been to Honduras before, my first trip to Guatemala four years earlier was a spectacular adventure. From the moment I saw Guatemala City from the air at night and mistook the ring of volcanoes for forest fires, I never doubted the country's magic; I thought and felt little else whether climbing the jungle ruins of Tikal or exploring the misty mountain village of Todos Santos.... (much more) By Sharon Luckerman

•Driving to the Copper Canyon

We are a church hiking club from Phoenix, AZ interested in exploring the Copper Canyon. We were told that the Canyon was in the vicinity of Puerto Penasco, but none of your articles mention driving from Arizona. Is this possible? Could we cross the border at Puerto Penasco for the shortest route, rather than at Nogales? This is my first question. I am still deeply engrossed in reading your website. It is wonderful!.... (more) from Susan D.

•Mexican Auto Insurance: A brief introduction

To drive in Mexico, the minimum required insurance coverage is Civil Liability Insurance. This coverage protects you in the event you cause bodily injury or property damage to third parties... (more) by Peter Bassel, Mexican Auto Insurance

•Towns & Villages of the Copper Canyon

....• Areponapuchi, locally known as "Arepo", is a village a few miles west of Divisadero, toward Mochis. Arepo is also the Posada Barrancas train stop. I have many friends here, some of whom now operate simple, family-style posadas. There is nothing to do in Areponapuchi but hike, sightsee and enjoy the true flavor of Sierra Madre life..... (more) from the upcoming The People's Guide to Mexico, 13th edition

•The Copper Canyon Train

Service and comfort are much improved on the famous Copper Canyon train from Chihuahua City to Los Mochis (on the Pacific coast). Along with these improvements, however, we also have much higher ticket prices.... (more) by Carl Franz

• Copper Canyon Itineraries

Planning a trip into the Sierra Madre is complicated by a lack of "infrastructure" and a dearth of reliable information. I’ve listed several itinerary options below, followed by a more detailed, place-by-place description. Whichever itinerary you follow, do your best to make at least one side trip by bus or hired vehicle to the deeper canyon bottoms at Batopilas (from Creel) or Urique (from Bahuichivo). The roads to these ancient mining villages provide views that rival and even surpass those seen from the train.... (more) from the upcoming The People's Guide to Mexico, 13th edition

•Copper Canyon Bus Schedule

I’d like to open this Notebook with something sexier than a bus schedule, but the information below is very important for anyone planning an overland trip to and from Creel, which is fast becoming the epicenter of Copper Canyon tourism. Unlike central and southern Mexico, buses don’t run as frequently in the Sierra, so having a reasonably accurate schedule can be very important.....(more) by Carl Franz

•Toll Road Quotas

Mexico’s extensive system of toll highways cause a good deal of groaning and teeth-gnashing from tourists. Those who drive “big rig” RV’s and motorhomes are especially vocal in their complaints about the high toll costs involved in an extensive Mexican road trip.... (more)