Tuesday, April 29, 2025

What to do when you lose your dog in Mexico — A reunion chronicle

By
Sarah DeVries
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A woman and her golden retriever
Microchipping pets in Mexico is not a thing. So, what do you do if you lose your four-pawed friend? (Adam Griffith/Unsplash)

“But isn’t she chipped?” my friends and family back home asked me when I told them about my lost dog.

No, she wasn’t chipped. And while I can’t speak for all places in Mexico, I can for my own city. Microchips in pets are not a “thing” here. Even if I’d had my dog microchipped somewhere else, no one where I live would even have a scanner to read it.

A dog with a collar behind a fence
Doggie day cares are the safe way to go when you need to travel and your pet can’t come along. (Osvaldo Florez/Unsplash)

So how did she get lost in the first place?

Now that my partner has started working in a nearby city, I travel quite a bit to see him. Unfortunately, dogs aren’t allowed where he’s renting, nor is the place suitable for a pet. Until we can find something better, I’ve simply got to find someone else to care for her when I’m away.

One option is a pensión, a doggie care facility where she can stay. These can come in all shapes and sizes, and aren’t all that expensive by U.S. standards. Sadly, I’m acclimated to Mexican prices, and 250 pesos a night adds up quickly when it’s frequent! It will do in a pinch, but like many hopelessly soft gringas, I’d so much rather she stay with someone she knows and trusts.

So when a friend who works from home offered to keep her, I breathed a sigh of relief and packed her little doggy bag.

A dog sleeping soundly in a couch

In Mexico, doggie day cares are known as “pensiones”. (Joshua Chun en Unsplash)Their time together was nice. Each day, I got cute photos and videos of Lola, lounging comfortably in her home-away-from-home. On the morning I was set to pick her up, though, my friend called me, shaken.

There had been fireworks early that morning. Because as we all know, saints love morning fireworks, and this was not going to be the year we disappointed Saint Jude!

Here’s what happened: my friend briefly left Lola on her enclosed front patio while she took her daughter to catch the bus. When she got back, Lola was gone, having slipped through the wider bars that had seemed much too high for her to reach.

But a panicked dog can jump to great heights. Oh no.

What to do if your dog gets lost in Mexico

Lost dog sign
Talking to neighbors and those in charge of nearby business is a good way to go when losing your dog. (Foto de Randy Laybourne en Unsplash)

Still, we tried. Had someone picked her up? Doubtful, as she’s quite skittish around strangers. Was she hiding in someone’s yard, or a park or one of the other million possible places she could fit? Perhaps.

Was she using her magical doggy nose to slowly but surely make her way back home, many kilometers away? This I felt sure of, but it was impossible to know what route she’d have taken, and the streets she would have had to cross were formidable.

My  friend and I got to work. We wandered the surrounding area for hours over three different mornings. We printed Lost Dog signs and put them up. We knocked on doors and talked to the people who notice things that go on in neighborhoods: the merchants, the trash collectors, the older people who sit on their porches all day. We posted on Facebook’s many local lost pet groups, over and over again. My friend paid for a lost dog service that promised to use geography-specific targeted ads to get the word out in the areas she was likely to be. I cried in despair and worry more than once.

A labrador in a busy street
Lost dogs often get anxious and confused, especially in neighborhoods they don’t feel familiar with. (Redd Francisco en Unsplash)

On the third day driving back home, what my religious friends call a miracle and my atheist friends call a wonderful coincidence occurred: I spotted Lola on the street.

Miraculously — I’m going with miracle — as I was driving back home in tears, I looked to my right. There was my little dog, crossing the street perpendicular to the one I was on. I quickly pulled into an X24’s tiny parking lot and rolled down the window to call to her. She looked around, confused, and finally spotted me when I opened the car door. She hopped in, and we had a happy, tearful reunion in front of a very confused X24 employee.

Now that all this has happened, I’m prepared: Lola has a new collar that never comes off, and an AirTag on her collar, as well. For good measure, she has her regular metal tag with my phone number on it, too.

There might not be any microchips, but this dog is not getting lost again. Although I do still need to figure out what to do with her when I have to leave town.

Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.

Sheinbaum denies textile tariffs are aimed at China: Friday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
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4
President Claudia Sheinbaum smiles from the podium during her morning press conference, or mañanera
Mexico's recent textile tariffs were a point of discussion at President Sheinbaum's Friday press conference. (Presidencia)

Among the topics President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her final press conference of the week were Mexico’s new textile tariffs, the Senate’s approval of the controversial judicial reform bill in September and the still-incomplete Mexico City-Toluca rail project.

She also told reporters that she won’t hold morning press conferences on Dec. 24 and 25.

New tariffs not aimed at China, Sheinbaum says 

Sheinbaum bluntly declared that the new tariffs on clothing and textiles announced by the federal government on Thursday are not specifically aimed at China, even though that appeared to be the case.

“Some media outlets are today interpreting [the imposition of the tariffs] as if it were a message to China. No,” she said.

When a reporter suggested that the aim of the tariffs was to please Donald Trump, Sheinbaum said that wasn’t a motivation for the protectionist measure either.

“It has to do with the protection of the national [textile] industry. It’s part of what we call Plan Mexico, which we’re going to present at the start of January,” she said.

Chiapas woman making yellow woven textiles on a hand loom
Sheinbaum said the tariffs were designed to protect Mexico’s textile businesses from general competition, not just from cheap Chinese imports. (Alan de la Cruz/Unsplash)

“… There are a lot of family companies — they’re not even large companies — that have been working on the manufacture of products and creating their own brands for decades,” Sheinbaum said.

Many such businesses (whose products have to compete with cheap Asian imports) have shut down in recent years due to “the entry of products” from abroad, she said.

Sheinbaum noted that some textile products — as Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard explained on Thursday — are exempt from “certain” importation taxes on the proviso that they are used as inputs for final goods to be exported. However, “in reality” they are imported as final goods to be sold in Mexico, she said.

In light of the situation, the government announced Thursday that some textile products won’t be allowed to be imported at all.

Colorful bolts of textile fabric
The new tariffs ended tax exemptions for some textile products that were being abused, Sheinbaum said. (Yuen Tao Chun/Pexels)

Sheinbaum said that the sale in Mexico of textile products that were imported as inputs for products destined for export is “in reality a trick.”

“And who does it affect? All these family companies that provide a lot of employment,” she said.

“So what was done yesterday was to avoid this trick being used. If you look at it, it is in fact a form of corruption,” Sheinbaum said.

“… Asian products” are not specifically “the issue,” she said.

President asserts there was no ‘negotiation’ with PAN senator who voted in favor of judicial reform  

As the ruling Morena party and its allies are one vote short of a two-thirds supermajority in the Senate, they have to convince at least one opposition party senator to vote with them in order to approve constitutional reforms. In the case of the judicial reform, that senator was Miguel Ángel Yunes Márquez, who was accused of being a “traitor” at the time and was ultimately expelled from the National Action Party (PAN).

As Mexico News Daily reported when the Senate approved the controversial judicial reform in September, there was widespread speculation that Yunes Márquez and his father, former Veracruz governor Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares, reached a deal with Morena that would result in the withdrawal of criminal charges against the two men and Yunes Márquez’s brother Fernando.

PAN Senator Miguel Yunes Márquez stands with other senators in suits and ties, holding documents
Miguel Ángel Yunes Márquez (at right) was expelled from the PAN party after he voted in favor of a constitutional reform to radically reshape Mexico’s judiciary. (Cuartoscuro)

Yunes Linares, who stood in as a “substitute senator” for his son the day before the judicial reform vote, also indicated he would vote in favor of the reform if presented with the opportunity.

On Friday, Sheinbaum said it was her understanding that supporting the judicial reform was a decision that Yunes Márquez and Yunes Linares reached on their own without any discussion with Morena.

“It has been said that it was to … remove investigation files [against them]. … It was their decision to vote in favor of the reform to the judicial power. There was no negotiation,” she said, also dismissing the suggestion that a deal involving the Yunes’ defection from PAN to Morena was reached.

Asked whether Yunes Márquez and his father could formally join Morena, Sheinbaum said that was a decision for the party’s leadership.

“I’m not going to get involved in that issue,” she said.

Project to complete CDMX-Toluca train line is ‘advancing,’ Sheinbaum says 

Sheinbaum noted that the final stretch of the Toluca-Mexico City passenger railroad is not yet complete, even though ex-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador said earlier this year that the section between the Santa Fe station and the Observatorio station would be finished by the end of the year.

“One part to get to Observatorio is missing,” she said, referring to the Mexico City terminus, where a subway station is also located.

“The project is advancing. At Observatorio the entire station has to be integrated with Line 1 of the Metro,” Sheinbaum said.

“We’re waiting for a bridge as well, it’s a suspension bridge that is being built before the entry to the fourth section of Chapultepec [Park], she said. “… They’re still working [on it].”

Sheinbaum didn’t say when the entire railroad — construction of which began a decade ago — would be finished. Trains are currently running between Zinacantepec, a municipality that adjoins Toluca, and Santa Fe on Mexico City’s west side. Much of the railroad is elevated.

Sheinbaum noted that she recently saw a “very cute video” on social media of a boy riding the train, known as El Insurgente.

In the video — which the president played near the end of her press conference — the boy declares that the train “can fly” and says that riding on it is “a dream.”

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])

With state oil company Pemex behind on payments, small suppliers face financial crisis

By
MND Staff
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3
Floating rigs of a Pemex offshore oil drilling field, made possible by suppliers of goods and services
Many of the companies affected are based in the Gulf of Mexico's port cities, where they provide goods and services to keep offshore drilling fields. (Especial/Cuartoscuro)

Some suppliers and service providers for state oil producer Pemex are facing severe financial difficulties as the beleaguered company has fallen behind on payments.

Several businesses have been meeting with Pemex officials to address the mounting debt, but as of Thursday no payment plans had been announced, according to El Economista newspaper.

A crowd of people walk down a street bearing a banner reading "PEMEX: El trabajo ya se hizo. PAGAR es tu compromiso"
Pemex local suppliers in Ciudad Carmen, Campeche, protest lack of payment by the state oil company. (Petroleros al Aire)

“I can confirm that no payments have been made nor is there a tentative date for payments to be made,” one oil drilling company rep told El Economista. “It appears possible that we might not get paid until February.”

Oil and Gas Magazine reported on Wednesday that Pemex canceled a Monday meeting with Senate Energy Committee members during which the debt to subcontractors was to be discussed.

Committee member Óscar Cantón Zétina, a senator from the oil-producing state of Tabasco, expressed a desire to reschedule the meeting in the near future. Before the congressional session went into recess last week, Cantón had presented a point of order demanding that Pemex’s debt with suppliers be made public.

President Sheinbaum orders review of Pemex debt

Pemex has been the world’s most indebted oil company for years and owed national and international service providers nearly US $22 billion back in April, according to the news agency Reuters.

Earlier efforts to reduce its overall debt of nearly US $100 billion have done little to ease the debt owed to suppliers which now sits at around US $20.5 billion, according to El Economista.

On Nov. 28, President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered a review of the debt owed to suppliers, saying that a variety of payment mechanisms were being studied and refined, though she provided no details.

That same day, it was reported that Pemex had placed a freeze on new contracts with service providers.

The news agency Bloomberg News reported that an internal company document described the action as a temporary halt by Pemex’s exploration and production arm that applied to new agreements with contractors that had not been previously formalized.

Alkylation unit at the Olmeca Refinery
With nearly US $100 billion in debt, Pemex is the most indebted oil company in the world. (Refinería Olmeca-Dos Bocas/X)

A Pemex statement explained that it would be performing an analysis of pending deals coming due before year-end and that select contracts deemed necessary could still be signed.

The Finance Ministry is reportedly working “to enlist a group of banks to provide Pemex with financing to pay off the company’s debts to service providers,” Bloomberg reported, but such loans may come too late for some suppliers.

Suppliers in Campeche sound off

Mexico Business News reported on Dec. 3 that business leaders in the state of Campeche sounded the alarm over the delayed payments from Pemex.

Many local companies are having difficulty meeting year-end obligations, such as employee bonuses, social security contributions, taxes and payments to Infonavit, Mexico’s public housing agency.

Some of the debt dates back to 2023, El Economista reported. Several businesses face threats of asset seizure due to their own unpaid loans, Mexico Business News reported, and the situation is so dire that an organization called “The Broad Front of Subcontractors Serving Pemex” was formed.

The Front staged several demonstrations in November, threatened to blockade a bridge in Ciudad del Carmen and announced a protest march for Friday.

A Pemex refinery
Commercial associations have tried both public requests and collective organization to pressure Pemex into paying its debts to suppliers. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)

Around the same time, Reuters reported, the Mexican Association of Oil Service Companies (Amespac) sent a letter to Pemex asking the company to pay its members overdue debts totaling US $5.1 billion. The association represents some of the most important oil service providers in Mexico.

Amespac argued that just setting up a schedule “would provide certainty for operations and allow companies to fulfill their commitments.”

“This situation has caused an adverse effect on our finances and a negative impact in the areas where we operate,” it wrote.

The financial difficulties impact a variety of businesses, including multinationals such as Baker Hughes and Halliburton.

Small companies also have been hit by the debt crisis. El Economista reported that a Campeche helicopter company that transports oil workers to offshore rigs closed down this month.

In the state of Tamaulipas, state Energy Development Minister José Ramón Silva said roughly 700 local businesses have been affected, including 400 companies that had bid on contracts or applied to be formally registered as suppliers.

With reports from El Economista, Bloomberg News and Mexico Business News

Annual Christmas Verbena sets Mexico City Zócalo aglow with light

By
MND Staff
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0
A child sits on an adults shoulders at the Mexico City Christmas Verbena, with giant Christmas trees in the background and fake snow falling
Families enjoy the Christmas Verbena in Mexico City Zócalo. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

Running through Dec. 30, Mexico City’s annual Christmas Verbena at the Zócalo entertains visitors with a wide array of Christmas events.

A verbena refers to a public outdoor party in honor of a saint, religious figure or holiday where the community can enjoy music, food, and drinks in a festive atmosphere.

A crowd, including someone dressed as Santa with a calavera mask, inside a tunnel of Christmas lights
Chilangos crowd into the Verbena light tunnel in the Zócalo. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

This year’s Christmas Verbena commenced with the lighting of colorful Christmas decorations on Dec. 17.  The event, which drew hundreds of residents to Constitution Plaza, also known as the Mexico City Zócalo, was led by Mayor Clara Brugada and other city officials.

Holiday lights illuminated buildings around the plaza, including the National Palace, Old City Hall and the Grand Hotel of Mexico, among others. Additional decorations include a tunnel of hundreds of lights, three monumental Christmas trees made up of over 6,000 poinsettias or nochebuenas, and a gigantic Nativity scene featuring Iztapalapa’s monumental Niño Dios (baby Jesus).

This baby Jesus, also known as the the Child of Peace and Good, was handmade in 2013 by the Gómez Reséndiz family of artists and sculptures in the Mexico City borough of Iztapalapa. It has toured the country over the last decade and is now a major attraction at the Christmas Verbena.

A Christmas bazaar has also been set up by the local government, where over 250 artisans from different parts of the country sell their products. The bazaar, dubbed Artisans at Heart, features everything from piñatas to Nativity sets, clothes and various types of traditional handmade crafts. Food stalls selling Mexican delicacies have also been set up at the Zócalo.

A crowd takes pictures of a giant baby Jesus statue next to Mary and Joseph statues, at Mexico City's Christmas Verbena.
The Niño Dios of Iztapalapa rests in his cradle, accompanied by his human parents. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

Furthermore, the Verbena offers free musical shows featuring 56 artists from Mexico and abroad, including Regina Orozco, Los Tecolines, La Perla (Colombia), Los Mirlos (Peru) and others.

The Verbena will feature daily shows and live performances, including traditional pastorelas — Nativity plays that often feature a bit more humor than their English-language counterparts.

Mexico City’s first annual Christmas Verbena was in 2019, replacing the ice rink that had formerly graced the Zócalo during the holidays. This year, all boroughs of Mexico City feature an ice rink free of charge during the holidays.

Upcoming Christmas Verbena concerts

As part of the festivities, the Zócalo will host various live music performances in upcoming days, including:

  • Guatemalan feminist rapper Rebeca Lane: Dec. 21 at 8:15 p.m.
  • Los Tecolines (bolero genre): Dec. 22 at 7 p.m.
  • Colombian vocals and percussion ensemble La Perla: Dec. 22 at 8:15 p.m.
  • Singer/actress Regina Orozco: Dec.  23 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Mexican-American flutist Elena Durán: Dec. 24 at 3:45 p.m.
  • Los Mirlos (Peruvian psychedelic cumbia): Dec. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Ronda Bogotá, formerly led by Celso Piña (cumbia): Dec.  27 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Chetes (Rock en español): Dec.28 at 9:30 a.m.
  • Austin TV (progressive rock/instrumental): Dec. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

With reports from Milenio, Chilango and Infobae

Texas launches billboard campaign referencing sexual assault to deter US-bound migrants

By
MND Staff
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Donald Trump, former President of the United States, and Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, toured the banks of the Rio Grande, which is currently surrounded by a dense mesh of barbed wire to prevent the entry of migrants. There, the president praised the immigration policy of this entity.
Billboards endorsed by Gov. Abbott feature aggressive anti-migration messages, referencing sexual assault and incarceration. (Greg Abbott/X)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has unveiled a billboard campaign aimed at discouraging illegal border crossings into his state — especially by migrants who are hoping to cross illegally before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

The billboards, which began going up on Wednesday along major migrant pathways — mostly in Mexico but also in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — warn that undocumented entry into the U.S. through Texas risks incarceration by U.S. authorities and rape by the traffickers.

Posters set up in a desert display messages in various languages
The billboards feature warnings in multiple languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian. (Greg Abbott/X)

One billboard in Spanish translates to “Danger ahead: If you cross into Texas illegally, you will regret it forever.” Another reads: “How much would you pay to have your daughter raped?”

The campaign, which the Republican governor estimated will cost $100,000, is part of Abbott’s broader efforts to combat undocumented crossings along Texas’ 2,018-kilometer border with Mexico — which accounts for two-thirds of the Mexico-U.S. border.

The billboards feature warnings in multiple languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian.

Another message reads: “Your wife and daughter will pay for the trip with their bodies. Coyotes lie. Don’t put your family at risk.” A coyote is an individual or group that facilitates the illegal smuggling of people across borders, often charging significant fees for their services.

Donald Trump, former President of the United States, and Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, toured the banks of the Rio Grande, which is currently surrounded by a dense mesh of barbed wire to prevent the entry of migrants. There, the president praised the immigration policy of this entity.
About 1,400 acres of land in Texas will be destined for detention centers to support mass deportations. (Cuartoscuro)

“We’re here to expose the truth to immigrants who are thinking about coming here — the truth about the traffickers who assault so many of the women and children along the way,” Abbott said during a Thursday news conference at a private ranch in Eagle Pass, Texas, which can be viewed on the governor’s Facebook page (starting at the 11-minute mark). “Our goal right now, immediately, is not only to discourage them from coming, but to help them understand the consequences.”

The number of migrants caught illegally crossing the Mexico-U.S. border soared to record highs after President Joe Biden took office in 2021. Trump has pledged mass deportations and aggressive border security efforts after he takes office next month.

“There are many people who may make a last-gasp effort,” Abbott said. “The message is: Do not risk a dangerous trip just to be arrested and deported.”

The initiative complements Operation Lone Star, launched in 2021 and which, according to Abbott, has resulted in over 529,000 migrant detentions and nearly 50,000 criminal arrests.

Texas has also allocated 1,400 hectares (acres) of land for detention centers to support Trump’s plans for mass deportations and border wall expansion. “We’d be more than happy to build the wall as long as the federal government pays for it,” Abbott added.

Migrants pasted posters on the fence of the San Ysidro border crossing. In order to commemorate Migrant Day, a group of people on the move marched from the Youth 2000 shelter located in the North Zone to the San Ysidro border crossing. The contingent of around 150 people of all ages, including children and women, of different nationalities, demonstrated on the side of the vehicle access to the neighboring country. With banners in their hands, they began to shout slogans against former President Donald Trump, who will officially take office at the end of January 2025. With adhesive tape, they pasted some of the posters they carried on the fence that separates Mexico from the United States.
Texas installed razor wire, stacked containers and erected other barriers that injure migrants. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)

Eagle Pass, Texas — where Abbott spoke on Thursday — was one of the busiest crossing points for illegal migrants a year ago. Then the Texas National Guard installed razor wire, stacked containers and erected other barriers that injure migrants trying to get around them.

According to reports from Human Rights Watch, the operation has caused injuries and deaths of migrants, along with harassment of organizations that provide humanitarian assistance to migrants. The Border Patrol, controlled by the federal government, says that the razor wire cuts off access to the Rio Grande and closes off the spaces needed to process arriving migrants.

However, Abbott’s office points to declines in border crossings as evidence of success.

In a report released Thursday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, it was noted that there has been a “meaningful decrease in unlawful border crossings — including a more than 60% decrease in encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border from May to November.” It tied the decrease to the June 4 Presidential Proclamation on Securing the Border.

“November encounters between ports of entry are now at their lowest level since July 2020,” the release added.

It also noted that “from June 5 through the end of November, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security removed or returned more than 240,000 individuals to over 160 countries, not including CBP repatriations of noncitizens encountered at airports or the northern border.” More than 740 international repatriation flights occurred from June 5 through the end of November, the release noted.

With reports from El País, Reuters, Texarkana Gazette and Fox Texas Digital

Cancún releases nearly 1 million sea turtle hatchlings to the ocean

By
MND Staff
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0
Sea turtle hatchlings on a beach
Local authorities considered this hatching season a success, with a 97% survival rate. (Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)

As this year’s sea turtle spawning-and-nesting period nears an end, Cancún municipal officials have reported that roughly 950,000 hatchlings have been released and made their way to the ocean.

Fernando Haro Salinas, director of ecology for Benito Juárez municipality, told reporters this week that the majority of the hatchlings were green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), locally known as tortuga blanca.

Sea turtle hatchlings on a beach
A reduced number of arrivals was recorded this year, due to erosion caused by the hurricane season. (Jolo Díaz/Pexels)

While three or four of the more than 50 incubation sites were still active, Haro called this year’s season a success.

“The total number of arrivals was slightly less than last year, but still quite a high number,” Haro told reporters. 

Haro said this is not unusual, explaining that it is common for a high spawning season to be followed by a lower one, according to Diario Cambio 22.

Last year in the municipality, more than 11,000 nests were identified with an estimated 1,282,839 eggs from which roughly 1,205,000 hatchlings made their way to the sea.

A baby turtle swimming in the sea
Benito Juárez municipality and authorized hotels protected 7,500 nests this year, for a total of roughly 978,000 eggs. (Jeremy Bishop/Pexels)

On the other hand, Haro said, the survival rate at the incubation sites was approximately 97% this year, an improvement over the 94% hatch rate in 2022 and 2023. 

In response to a question, Haro said meteorological conditions were also a likely contributor to the reduced number of arrivals, as this year’s hurricanes impacted nesting areas by causing beach erosion. 

In all, the municipality and participating hotels protected 7,500 nests, which contained an estimated 978,000 eggs. Haro said the municipality operates four nurseries and the hotels — with permits issued by the federal Environment Ministry — manage the rest.

“We provide training [for hotel personnel] and work with the public to protect the nests,” he said. 

It is a curious phenomenon that female sea turtles return to the precise location where they were born to lay their own eggs. 

Four different turtle species laid their eggs along Cancún beaches this year (Cancún is the municipal seat of Benito Juárez), according to Haro. In addition to the green sea turtles, loggerhead (Caretta caretta), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) turtles were spotted laying eggs.

With reports from Noticaribe, Cambio 22 and Luces del Siglo

Know Your Neighborhood: San Ángel

By
Bethany Platanella
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Photographs of the "Saturday Bazaar". Federal District, Colonia San Angel, Alvaro Obregon.
Colorful crafts, cultural centers and Colonial architecture make San Ángel one of Mexico City's most picturesque neighborhoods. (Inakiherrasti/Wikimedia Commons)

Borough: Álvaro Obregón
Established: 1867
Location: 10 km south from of the Ángel de la Independencia

Who lives in San Ángel

San Ángel is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Mexico City, comprising a mix of professionals, academics and retirees. A significant number of residents are middle-aged and older adults. However, its proximity to the Autonomous Technological Institute (ITAM) and National Autonomous University (UNAM) draws in graduate students and young families, and its flair for the arts attracts creatives in droves.

El puente de san Antonio en el camino de San Ángel, junto a Panzacola
“El puente de san Antonio en el camino de San Ángel, junto a Panzacola” (1855), by Eugenio Landesio, depicts what San Ángel in Mexico City looked like in the 19th century. (Eugenio Landesio/Wikimedia Commons)

A brief history of San Ángel

The area that is now San Ángel has been an important agricultural area since pre-Columbian times due to the Magdalena River, now Mexico City’s last living river and flowing through San Ángel underground. In the 16th century, the Spanish established convents and monasteries here, notably those of the Discalced Carmelites. By the 18th century, wealthy families looking to move outside the urban hub of Mexico City began building haciendas and colonial-style mansions in San Ángel. With the Mexican Revolution came the redistribution of property, resulting in the loss of many family homes.

A few decades after the Revolution, San Ángel transformed into a creative center, drawing in painters, musicians and writers. Mexico’s most famous artistic couple, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo briefly lived and worked in San Ángel Inn in a duplex connected by a glass-enclosed bridge, now open to visitors. 

Francisco de Urquiaga, a notable philanthropist, lived near the center square during the early 20th century. Rumor has it Urquiaga hid Chucho El Roto — the Mexican Robin Hood said to have once stolen a gold watch from Porfirio Díaz — right here in his San Ángel home. 

A guide to San Ángel today

A stroll over San Ángel’s cobblestone streets and colonial architecture is a bonafide blast from the past. Between pastel-colored family homes overtaken by bougainvillea are contemporary galleries, trendy restaurants, cultural centers and churches that look as if they were lifted off a postcard from Spain. It’s historical yet artsy, residential yet bustling, quaint yet vibrant. It’s a bit more humid than the central zones of Mexico City, resulting in a lush ambience with a hint of tropical air.

Image survey of the façade of the San Ángel Cultural Center
San Ángel is one of Mexico City’s wealthiest neighborhoods, sparkled with a vibrant student life. (Secretaría de Cultura CDMX)

San Ángel is great if you love: Feeling like you’ve been swept back to the 19th and 20th centuries while still enjoying modern conveniences, like excellent dining, boutique shopping and contemporary art galleries.

What to do in San Ángel

An artisan on Bazar de los Sábados in San Ángel, Mexico City
Starting in Plaza San Jacinto and features artisan crafts, typical street food and live music (Inakiherrasti/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Bazar de los Sábados: No visitor should miss the famous Saturday market that starts in Plaza San Jacinto and features artisan crafts, typical street food and live music. Just steps away you’ll find Jardín del Arte, where local artists display their paintings in an open-air art market in Plaza San Jacinto.

Museo del Carmen: The former monastery known for its exquisite baroque architecture also houses religious art and historical artifacts. Beneath the main altar of the church is a magnificent crypt with original tiled floors from the 16th century. On display are a collection of mummies, discovered by Zapatista troops during the Mexican Revolution.

Templo y Ex-Convento del Carmen: The historic church above the crypt is known for its stunning altarpiece and beautiful tiled domes. There’s also a large garden in the back for relaxing.

Mercado del Carmen: Not to be confused with everything else named Carmen, this adorably charming, multilevel collection of shops and restaurants is located on Avenida de la Paz, a lively destination in itself for dining and socializing.

Fountain built in the 18th century located in the Casa del Risco Museum, San Ángel, Mexico City, Federal District. It represents the baroque style in Viceregal Mexico and is built with materials such as plates, cups, porcelain, mirrors and mother-of-pearl shell.
The Fuento del Risco is an icon of San Ángel in Mexico City: represents the baroque style in Viceregal Mexico and is built with materials such as plates, cups, porcelain, mirrors and mother-of-pearl shell. (r Karlavgc/Wikimedia Commons)

Casa del Risco: Housed in an 18th-century mansion, this cultural center showcases art and history, surrounded by gardens and fountains. Inside are seven permanent galleries showcasing art ranging from religious to baroque to colonial. It’s open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday and admission is free.

Where to eat in San Ángel

San Ángel Inn: You can’t go to San Ángel without going to its most historic restaurant, located in a beautifully restored 17th-century hacienda. Originally a Carmelite monastery, the restaurant is renowned for its blue-and-white Talavera-style table settings and elegant Spanish-Mexican colonial atmosphere. And margaritas.

Side view from inside the San Angel Inn hacienda of the main patio, decorated with different flowers that give life to the patio, in the center there are some tables from the hacienda restaurant.
San Ángel Inn is one of the neighborhood’s historic jewels. Do not miss it for a fancy Mexican meal. (Marypaz Musi/CC BY-SA 4.0)

La Taberna del León: Founded by Chef Mónica Patiño in 1994, this San Ángel staple boasts a menu of contemporary Mexican cuisine with a French twist. This beautiful restaurant on Plaza Loreto is situated in a magnificent, historic house which dates back to 1926 and is the perfect place to bring your parents.

Bistro 83: Casual and stylish, Bistro 83 features a diverse menu that includes everything from hearty breakfast options to classic Mexican dishes with an international flair. The bistro prides itself on using fresh ingredients and is ideal for relaxing with friends after a day of sightseeing.

Cluny: Head to this chic French eatery and order the most popular dish: duck confit with raspberry sauce. Pair it with the wine of your choice from an extensive menu. It’s intimate, authentic and romantic, a great date option evening out with girlfriends.

Inside Cluny Bistró in San Ángel, Mexico City
With a beautiful Art Déco style, Cluny is your choice if you’re looking for the best crépes in town. (Cluny)

Cafetería El Péndulo: No matter which of Péndulo’s multiple locations you visit, you’re in for a treat. This one is technically in Guadalupe Inn, but nonetheless is an excellent escape for anyone who wants to cozy up with a good book, live music and moody lighting. 

Zeru: If you’re in the mood for Mediterranean cuisine, look no further than Zeru. Here, it’s all about fresh ingredients, innovative seafood dishes and Instagram-worthy presentations. The vibe here is upscale but still relaxed, so whether you want a casual lunch or a celebratory dinner, this is your spot. Don’t miss the grilled king crab with saffron.

Séptimo Ostería: Nearly ten years old, San Ángel’s favorite Italian eatery is known for its fresh pasta and seafood dishes, not to mention a warm, rustic atmosphere. The menu emphasizes high-quality ingredients sourced from local markets which are used to create authentic Italian flavors. For a true taste of Italy, order the ravioli di ricotta.

One hidden gem

If you decide to walk to Coyoacán from San Ángel, you might cross Insurgentes Sur and find yourself lost in a fairy land of sorts. This is good, because it means you’ve made it to Mexico City’s most spectacular hidden gem, Chimalistac. The name is Nahuatl for “place of the white shield” and was once home to an important town paying tribute to the Tepanecs, the major power in the Valley of Mexico before the rise of the Mexica (Aztecs). It’s lush and green, full of flowers, fountains and the occasional ancient chapel. Visitors in the know wander this little slice of quiet paradise in search of the few 16th-century stone bridges that still exist. 

Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog or follow her on Instagram.

The true story that inspired Alfonso Cuarón’s third and (maybe) final Christmas short film

By
MND Staff
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0
A stop animation still of a little boy in a scarf and and hat with a small owl on his shoulder from the Alfonso Cuaron short film "An Almost Christmas Story"
Mexican director Alfonso Cuáron has for the last three years made short films for the Christmas holiday season. His latest is "An Almost Christmas Story." (X)

Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón, the Oscar-winning director of “Roma,” has produced his third short Christmas film in as many years.

Inspired by the true story of an owl that was trapped in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree when it was cut down in the forest and transported to New York City, the 25-minute “An Almost Christmas Story” currently can be seen on the streaming service Disney+.

Cuarón and Roma's three Oscars.
Cuarón in 2019 with three Oscars he won that year for the film “Roma.”

Cuarón, who turned 63 on Nov. 28, is a five-time Academy Award winner who has also won seven BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. His 2018 feature film “Roma” won Oscars for best director and best cinematography. His Oscar for the 2013 space-survival film “Gravity” made him the first Latin American to win the Academy Award for best directing.

“An Almost Christmas Story” was written by Cuarón, director David Lowery (“A Ghost Story”) and Jack Thorne. It was produced by Cuarón, Lowery and Gabriela Rodríguez through Esperanto Filmoj, the TV and film production company owned by Cuarón.

The English-voice cast includes 8-year-old Cary Christopher (“Days of Our Lives”) as the little owl named Moon, John C. Reilly (“Boogie Nights”) as the folk-singing narrator and comedian Jim Gaffigan as Papa Owl, along with Mamoudou Athie (“Jurassic World Dominion”), Phil Rosenthal (“Somebody Feed Phil”) and Natasha Lyonne (“Russian Doll”).

A Collider review describes the short as not another routine Christmastime feature film but as one of “those sweet short-form stories that typically aren’t longer than 35 minutes [such as] ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ ‘Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town’ and ‘A Year Without a Santa Claus.’”

“An Almost Christmas Story” follows the curious young owl, Moon, who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Center. In his attempts to escape the bustling city, Moon befriends a lost girl named Luna. Together, they embark on a heartwarming adventure in which they form an unexpected bond and discover the magic of the holiday season.

The short was first seen on the 2024 film festival circuit, including an Oct. 24 screening at the Morelia International Film Festival two months ago.

“An Almost Christmas Story” is the third of Cuarón’s trilogy of Christmas shorts; he also produced “Le Pupille” by Italian director Alice Rohrwacher in 2022 and “The Shepherd” by English director Iain Softley in 2023. “Le Pupille” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Action Short Film, and “The Shepherd” was shortlisted for the same award. 

A saw whet owl looking into the camera. Most of its body, with beige and brown and white feathers, is swaddled in an orange knit fabric.
Rocky the saw-whet owl — discovered in a Norway spruce tree by the man delivering it to New York City’s Rockefeller Center — inspired Cuarón to write “An Almost Christmas Story.” (Ravensbeard Wildlife Center)

Disney+ is currently streaming all three shorts, but you have to sign up for a standard or premium plan to view them.

“An Almost Christmas Story” was inspired by the discovery of an owl in the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020. The owl, dubbed Rocky, was eventually returned to his native habitat.

“It occurred to me that it could be a good starting point for a story about a rebellious child who, finding himself lost, rediscovers the importance of solidarity and family; it was very appropriate for Christmastime,” Cuarón told the newspaper Milenio.

Cuarón credited director David Lowery with creating “a really beautiful work” by using an “aesthetic that was not refined, but rather unfinished” — similar to craft projects Lowery made as a child using boxes and cardboard cutouts.

A press release from Disney referred to the short as “the third and final installment of Cuarón’s holiday collection for Disney+.”

However, when asked by Milenio columnist Susana Moscatel about the possibility of him making more holiday shorts, Cuarón was not so definitive.

“I would love to,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. It would be great to continue doing these kinds of stories in this format. I hope we do.”

With reports from Milenio and IGN Latinoamérica

Mexican slang 101: How to talk turkey like a native speaker

By
Alasdair Baverstock
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5
From tostón to codo and marro: Get speaking like a real Mexican. (Hana Mara/Pexels)

No seas marro… Dame un milky.

With the holidays upon us, money and spending can be an important consideration over how best to spend the season.

Alasdair Baverstock holding his book
With the holidays upon us, money and spending can be an important consideration over how best to pass the season.(Alasdair Baverstock)

The author of “The Mexican Slang Dictionary,” Alasdair Baverstock, tells us how to talk turkey like a Mexican.

Agiotista n.

An informal and rapacious money-lender. A loan shark.

Bolo

  1. n. The gift given as a baptism present; usually money.
  2. exclam. Traditionally shouted when cash falls to the floor, often in the form of coins, signifying a free-for-all where whoever grabs the money keeps what they gather.
A lot of coins
“Aventar bolo” usually refers to people spending a lot of money. (Pixabay)

Codo adj. 

Stingy or tight-fisted when it comes to money. This expression comes from the idea that a person might complain that their elbow hurts when it comes to getting their wallet out. The term is often substituted by an elbow-tapping gesture.

Jinetear v. 

  1. To rob, most often with the use of violence. From the days of mounted highwaymen, who would rob from horseback.
  2. To turn a quick profit, with a small initial investment and minimal subsequent effort. To buy a six-pack of beers at the Oxxo and then sell them to tourists at the beach for double the price would be a perfect example.
  3. Of an individual, to retain money that does not belong to them and spend it for other purposes, most often with the intention of using the extra money to make more, before paying what is owed.

Marro adj.

Stingy, or penny-pinching. Also codo.

Milky n.

The monetary amount of 1,500 pesos. An abbreviation of mil quinientos, or one thousand five hundred.

e.g. Me debes un Milky, wey. (You owe me fifteen hundred pesos, pal.)

Milpa n.

  1. A traditional agricultural field in which the “three sisters” of corn, squash and beans are produced.
  2. The monetary amount of MXN $1,000. An adaptation of mil, or one thousand.

Peseta n.

  1. The monetary amount of 25 pesos, although not commonly used nowadays.
  2. A tax, or cut, of 25%.

e.g. Te dejo trabajar, pero me das la peseta. 

I’ll let you work, but I want 25%.

Quiña n.

The monetary amount of 500 pesos. Abbreviation of quinientos, or five hundred.

Tostón n.

  1. A squashed and fried slice of plátano macho.
  2. The monetary amount of fifty pesos, traditionally a large thick coin, and so called given its similarity to the food.
  3. A lady’s nipple, given similar size and shape to a tostón coin.
500 peso bill
The monetary amount of fifty pesos, traditionally a large thick coin resembling a fried plantain slice. (Sebastian PH/Pexels)

Varo n.

  1. Colloquial term for the Mexican peso, equivalent of ‘bucks’ for U.S. dollars, or ‘quid’ for British pounds sterling.
  2. A specific quantity of Mexican currency. Depending on the context, it can mean one peso or 1,000. 

You can buy “The Mexican Slang Dictionary” on Amazon in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

MND readers can find the physical book stocked in bookstores:

Mexico City               

San Miguel de Allende        

Puerto Escondido

Alisdair Baverstock is the Mexico City-based author of “The Mexican Slang Dictionary.”

Baja whale watching kicks off as gray whales return for calving season

By
MND Staff
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0
A leaping gray whale in Baja California
Whale watching season begins this week, as one of the world's greatest natural wonders gets underway. (George Wolf/Unsplash)

Whale-watching season began this week in Mexico, and the Baja California Sur Tourism Ministry (Sectur-BCS) is inviting the public to experience what some call “the most extraordinary wildlife encounter on the planet.”

And lest you think Sectur-BCS is trying to rope in unsuspecting tourists, even The Oceanic Society — based in California, which boasts its own whale-watching season — describes the coast off the Baja California Peninsula as “one of the best places on earth for whale watching.”

A pair of humpback whales
The Baja California Peninsula has become world-famous for playing host to the gray whales’ mating and calving season each winter. (Ryan Stone/Unsplash)

In part, this was made possible by Mexico’s decision to create the San Ignacio Lagoon Nature Reserve in 1972 in Baja California Sur (after a chance encounter that year between a gray whale and a local fisherman named Francisco Mayoral) and its subsequent designation of the lagoon as a whale sanctuary within the El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve in 1988.

These actions helped the gray whale population recover from near extinction such that they were removed from the endangered species protection list in 1994.

Human-whale encounters

At the end of each summer, up to 1,500 California gray whales leave the cold Alaskan waters and journey to the warmer climes off the coast of the Baja California Peninsula, arriving by early December and remaining there for about three months.

Grey whale and her calf.
As many as 1,500 gray whales make the journey from Alaska to the Baja Peninsula every year. (Sergio Martínez-PRIMMA-UABCS)

Here, whales mate, give birth and nurse calves conceived the year before, attracting tourists eager to see the world’s largest mammals up close. 

The Oceanic Society explains that the unique geography of the peninsula and the diverse marine topography, which ranges from protective shallow lagoons to deep trenches rich with food, attract over 30 different species of whales and dolphins.

As a result, the National Resources Defense Council has referred to San Ignacio as “the last undisturbed breeding and calving lagoon” for the gray whale. Along with the nearby Scammons Lagoon (or Ojo de Liebre, near Guerrero Negro) and Magdalena Bay, these are the only places in the world where gray whales give birth. What makes the experience even more spectacular is that gray whale mothers regularly seek out human interaction, according to one tour operator. 

The revival of the gray whale population has generated a thriving, heavily regulated and dedicated ecotourism industry, according to the BBC.

Tourist boats near a gray whale in BCS
Whale watching has become a major draw for the peninsula in recent years. (Daniela Martinez Perez Vargas)

On its website, Baja EcoTours writes that the mothers “approach our boats to present their newborn calves to us while encouraging visitors to scratch their heads, back, and baleen as they lounge around our boats.” Another firm, Baja Expeditions, describes the San Ignacio Lagoon as “whale central,” where the gray whales participate in “human-watching and interaction.” 

Protecting the whales

Mexico’s federal and state governments promote responsible tourism when whale-watching which is also possible farther south in Jalisco and Oaxaca.

Baja California Sur regulates the industry by issuing permits to tour operators and encourages tourists to rely exclusively on official operators. 

Additionally, whale-watching is only allowed in specified areas of the protected whale sanctuaries, and there are strict rules: 

  • Only 16 pangas (small fishing boats) are allowed at a time
  • All boats must turn off their motors when whales are nearby
  • Boat operators are prohibited from chasing or pursuing the whales

Although Baja California is best known for its gray whales, sightseers can also catch a glimpse of blue whales, fin whales, humpbacks, and even sperm whales feeding in the rich waters of the Gulf of California on the eastern side of the peninsula.

With reports from Tribuna de San Luis, Noro, BBC and The Oceanic Society

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