So far, July has registered 26.6 mm more rainfall than the average. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
More rain is on its way through Mexico this week.
According to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), the seasonal Mexican monsoon in combination with tropical wave 14, a low-pressure trough in northern Mexico and cyclonic activity on the Pacific Coast and in the Atlantic basin, will increase rainfall in many parts of the country.
July has been rainier than usual. From July 1 through July 25, Mexico registered 130 mm of total rainfall across the country, 26.6 mm more rainfall than the average for July.
Find the rain forecast for Monday below:
Rain forecasts by state
Intense rainfall (75 to 150 mm) is expected inChiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tabasco and Veracruz.
Very heavy rainfall (50 to 75 mm) is forecast in Chihuahua, Colima, México state, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit and Sonora.
Heavy rainfall (25 to 50 mm) may hit Mexico City, Durango, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa and Tlaxcala.
Showers (5 to 25 mm) are expected in Aguascalientes, Campeche, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Quintana Roo, Tamaulipas, Yucatán and Zacatecas.
Isolated rains (0.1 to 5 mm) are forecast in Baja California and Baja California Sur.
Strong winds and potential whirlwinds are also expected across most of Mexico.
The SMN has warned residents in these states that winds could cause trees and billboards to fall.
Rainfall will continue throughout the week, with more rain expected over the weekend due to a new tropical wave.
This week, the seasonal Mexican monsoon will combine with tropical wave 14, a low-pressure trough and cyclonic activity on the coasts. (Conagua)
Hot weather to continue
Here are the maximum temperatures forecast for Monday:
40 to 45 degrees Celsius: Baja California and Sonora.
35 to 40 degrees Celsius: Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tamaulipas and Yucatán.
30 to 35 degrees Celsius: Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosi and Veracruz.
In contrast, the highlands of Durango, México state, Hidalgo, Puebla and Tlaxcala will see minimum temperatures of 0 to 5 degrees Celsius.
Is it rainier than usual in Mexico this year?
Overall, Mexico is having a very rainy summer. Between Jan. 1 and July 25, Mexico recorded rainfall of 338.3 mm — that is, 18.7 mm more than usual.
Since the rainy season officially began on June 19, Mexico has seen Hurricane Alberto in northern Mexico, Hurricane Chris in the south and Hurricane Beryl in the Yucatán Peninsula.
These storms in combination with tropical waves and low-pressure systems have reduced drought conditions across the country. As of July 15, the area of the country affected by drought was down to 51.2% from 73.9% — since before the rainy season began.
As per the weather agency Meteored, the states that have benefited the most from the rainfall include Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Veracruz, Hidalgo, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
Meanwhile, Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Durango, Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, southern Veracruz, Tabasco and northern Chiapas have seen less rain this year.
The rest of the country has seen moderate rainfall.
The people aboard the fishing charter made it back to dry land by Saturday evening, after spending more than a day adrift at sea. (Mara Lezama/X)
Six people adrift in a fishing boat off the coast of Quintana Roo were located and rescued Saturday afternoon after a 24-hour search involving the Navy, state officials and private citizens.
On Sunday morning, Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama thanked the Naval Ministry, the Quintana Roo Civil Protection agency (Coeproc) and state security officials for their tireless efforts to rescue the lost fishing charter.
— Panorama Sin Reservas 620 AM (@sinreservas620) July 28, 2024
A small private plane was the first to spot the fishing boat.
Five residents of the state of Tabasco hired a boat out of Isla Mujeres on Friday to go to Arrowsmith Bank, a popular sport fishing spot about 41 km due east of Cancún.
The group of friends boarded the 28-foot “Jigging” at 5 a.m. They lost communication a few hours later and family members notified the captain of the port. After efforts to contact the ship failed, the families reported the missing boat to federal and state authorities.
The concerned relatives also utilized social media to alert the public about the missing adventurers and the response was immediate. Fishermen scouted the area around Arrowsmith Bank to no avail on Friday.
By Saturday morning, a full-scale search-and-rescue operation was underway with the Navy taking point, assisted by the Coeproc. Private individuals continued to participate and, in fact, it was a private plane that located the stray ship. A video of the ship’s sighting was available on social media within minutes.
The friends pose with family and Navy officials after their rescue. (Mara Lezama/X)
First on the scene was a fishing boat, which transmitted the coordinates to the Navy. Marines hauled the six castaways aboard a Navy ship, where they received medical treatment. All were determined to be in good health except for mild dehydration, and were transported back to dry land where they were reunited with their families.
The captain explained that the boat had suffered engine trouble a few hours after setting off, leaving them dead in the water.
In the shadow of the historical 17th-century Hôtel des Invalides, the archers each hit the bull’s eye with their final arrows to defeat the Netherlands in the Women’s Archery Team event.
Mexican Olympic archer Ángela Ruiz turned 18 years old on Sunday. (Conade/X)
The triumph was extra special for Ruiz — Sunday was her 18th birthday.
The Olympic medal was the first-ever for the women’s team and the fourth for Mexican archers. Valencia and Luis Álvarez won a bronze in Mixed Team Archery at the 2020 Tokyo Games, while Aída Román won silver and Mariana Avitia won bronze in the Women’s Individual Archery event at the 2012 London Games.
The Mexican archers earned their spot in Sunday morning’s quarterfinals by finishing third in the qualifying round. After a slow start, the trio dispatched reigning world champion Germany 5-1 to advance to the semifinals, with Vázquez hitting the bullseye with both arrows in the third and decisive set.
Competing against a strong team from China in the afternoon, Mexico struggled with the wind but took the Chinese to a fourth set before succumbing 5-3. Ruiz, a promising youngster who rose to No. 22 in the World Rankings heading into the Paris Games, was inconsistent early, but two of her last three arrows hit the bull’s eye.
The team beat the Netherlands 6-2 to win bronze on Sunday. (Conade/X)
In the bronze-medal match, the trio was on target, scoring 57 (out of 60) in the first and fourth sets — including four straight bull’s eyes to close out the contest — defeating the Netherlands 6-2.
Valencia — a four-time Olympian — spoke to PanAm Sports Channel afterward: “We are happy. We fought well and we dedicate this victory to our families, to the people who came here to support us, and to all of Mexico… but particularly to Ángela [Ruiz], since today is her birthday.”
The bronze medal is the 74th Olympic medal for Mexico, which is participating in its 23rd Olympic Games. Mexico has won 13 gold medals, 24 silver medals and 37 bronze medals in its history of participation in the global event.
Mexico hopes to extend its medal count in Paris, with strong possibilities in the diving and taekwondo events. Mexico has 15 Olympic diving medals, the most in any single event.
Cleland will compete in round three of the men's Olympic surfing competition on Monday. (CONADE)
Alan Cleland Quiñonez, the first Mexican surfer to qualify for the Olympics, is one of eight men to advance to round three of the surfing competitions at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The venue is Teahupo’o in Tahiti, French Polynesia, home to some of the most dangerous waves in the world, with “death-defying” heights up to 50 feet, according to The New York Times.
The Mexican surfer advanced to round three after defeating Spanish surfer Andy Criere in round two on Sunday. Cleland will compete in round three on Monday at 12:48 p.m. Mexico City time, up against French surfer Joan Duru.
Who is Alan Cleland?
Alan Cleland, 22, was born to an Irish father and a Mexican mother in Boca de Pascuales, a remote fisherman’s village in Colima, on the Pacific Coast. His father, a free surfer, pushed Cleland into the sport when he was two years old.
Cleland has said that he does not remember his first time in the water, but that he remembers surfing frequently with his father after he turned four. By age six, Cleland was surfing by himself or with friends.
According to Cleland, people living in Boca de Pascuales were either surfers or fishermen. Thanks to that environment, he is now an Olympic athlete.
“For me, representing Mexico is just representing where I’m from,” he told Olympics.com. “I wouldn’t be the same person […] if it wasn’t for the place, the wave, my family and everything in general about where I grew up.”
Cleland secured his Olympic spot in June 2023, after winning the World Surf League Championship Tour in El Salvador. He rode three of the top 10 highest-scoring waves of the competition and won the championship with the highest score among men and women, with 9.73 points.
With that victory, Cleland became the second Mexican man to win the World Surfing Games, after Oaxacan Jhony Corzo in 2017.
In an interview with the news magazine Proceso, Cleland said that “by participating [in the] Paris [games], I want more people to see surfing for the beautiful [sport] that it is, to take it seriously […] and to understand that it is not for hippies. It is a high-performance sport.”
Today, Cleland is the only Mexican in the surfing competition at the Olympics.
When did surfing become an Olympic sport?
Surfing became an Olympic sport at the 2020 Tokyo Games in 2021, with events held at Tsurigasaki Beach in Japan.
It is the only Olympic sport that depends entirely on the weather. During the Olympic competitions, forecasters assess the likely surf conditions throughout each day to determine the most suitable time for competition.
You can watch Cleland compete from Mexico by tuning into Claro Sports on YouTube.
The boy and his family were on a beach behind Hotel Riu in the hotel zone of Cancún. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
A 12-year-old boy was fatally wounded on a beach in Cancún on Sunday by aggressors who intended to shoot at rival drug dealers, authorities said.
The attack occurred on a beach behind Hotel Riu in the hotel zone of the Caribbean coast resort city. The boy, identified as Santiago T.M. in media reports, was shot in the stomach or chest and subsequently died in hospital.
A stray bullet fired on a beach in Cancún on Sunday killed a 12-year-old boy. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
The Quintana Roo Attorney General’s Office (FGE) said in a statement that “first investigations” indicated that the attackers reached the beach from the water on board a jet ski. The perpetrators also reportedly fled the scene on the jet ski.
The FGE said that the aggressors shot at “people presumably in a dispute over drug sales, but injured, without being their target, the minor who was with his family.”
“The authorities arrived immediately and transported the minor to hospital where he unfortunately lost his life,” it added.
The FGE said that “the members of the affected family are of Mexican nationality” and live in the municipality of Benito Juárez, where Cancún is located.
“The State Attorney General’s Office, in collaboration with the members of the Organization for the Construction of Peace and Security in Quintana Roo, is working to bring to justice the person or persons responsible for this crime,” the FGE said.
Disputes between gangs over drug dealing and other criminal activities have intensified in Quintana Roo in recent months, the newspaper Reforma reported.
The best part of Mexican rum is the cakes you can bake with it (and the cocktails you can shake up). Try this rum 'n' raisin delight for yourself.
The story of Mexican rum cake might be best understood by beginning north of the border. Was American independence fought over tea or over rum? Why would the Colonists throw crates of tea overboard in protest at The Boston Tea Party, when Americans were basically coffee drinkers? That “party” was the culmination of their anger over the British tax on molasses, which threatened their very existence and their most precious commodity: rum. By 1770, 6.5 million gallons of West Indian molasses was purchased by the Colonists, who turned it into five million gallons of rum per year. 80% of the Colonies’ exports were rum. Was the tax devastating? Would they start a war over it? Yes!
If you consider rum as something to eat, rather than drink, it will open up a whole new world of possibilities. (Anna Bruce)
History says that raisins were discovered by accident when they dried on the vine as early as 1490 BC. The Ancient Romans and the Greeks loved raisins. They ate them, offered them to their gods, and even traded them for slaves.
Hundreds of years later at the end of the 15th century, Queen Isabella of Spain sent missionaries to Mexico to educate the natives in the ways of Christianity. But the missionaries also passed on the people their knowledge of grapes. Following the Spanish conquest of 1521, seeds and cuttings of the Listán Prieto grape were introduced by Hernán Cortés, conquistador, and de facto ruler of New Spain, where they flourished. He ordered Spanish settlers to plant vineyards.
Mexicans caught onto dried fruit like grapes, apricots, apples and pears, fast. The Spanish and missionaries produced it in abundance, and eventually a region in Baja (now California) overtook the Valencia region of eastern Spain in raisin production.
Today Mexican raisins (called “pasas”) are two to three times larger than the ones north of the border and are sweeter too (and are mostly available at local markets). They have been used in traditional Mexican recipes since the 16th century, so why not up the ante and combine some Mexican raisins with a little Mexican rum and make a luscious tiramisu. While we’re at it, let’s not forget that classic, iconic rum cake made famous by Bacardi, who opened their first rum distillery in Mexico in 1931.
For the moment, let’s think of rum as edible, rather thandrinkable. Can there be anything more decadent than a rich rum cake or an elegant tiramisu?
Mexican Rum Cake (Pastel de ron mexicano):
Recipe adapted from whiskaffair.com. (whiskaffair)
For The Cake
1 cup (250 g) chopped walnuts (la nuez)
¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter* (mantequilla) *softened at room temperature
1 and ½ cup (300 g) granulated sugar (azúcar estándar)
4 large eggs (huevos)
½ cup (120 mililiters) milk (leche)
¾ cup (180 mililiters) Mexican dark rum* (ron oscuro) *Gustoso Aguardiente; Deadhead Cask Aged Rum; Espiritus Pixan; Pa’Lante
2 teaspoons (10 g) vanilla extract (extracto de vainilla)
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour* There is NO substitute for American all-purpose flour in Mexico. But you can buy it easily at amazon.com.mx.
¼ cup (32 g) cornstarch (maicena)
3 teaspoons (14.4g) baking powder (polvo de hornear)
Rum Syrup
½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter (mantequilla sin sal)
½ cup (100 g) white sugar (azúcar estándar)
¼ cup (60 mili liters) Mexican dark rum (ron oscuro)
¼ cup water (60 mililiters) (agua)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F (180 Degrees C).
Grease a 10-inch bundt pan with any neutral oil. Make sure to grease all the crevices in the pan.
TIP: After greasing the pan, coat it with a layer of *breadcrumbs* NOT FLOUR! Flour leads to a splotchy surface & clumps of uncooked flour in the cake. Breadcrumbs create a stronger barrier for easier release and a better-tasting cake.
Make sure ALL ingredients are at room temperature.
Make The Cake
Sprinkle walnuts in the base of the pan.
Whisk butter and sugar until light and fluffy, with a stand- or handheld-mixer, medium speed, for 5-6 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl while whisking.
Add eggs, one at a time; mix well after each addition.
Add milk, Mexican dark rum, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Add all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder and mix until combined. Do not overmix. Mix until everything comes together and stop.
Pour the batter in the pan and spread evenly.
Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven.
Make The Soaking Syrup
Heat butter, sugar, Mexican dark rum, and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until syrupy (3-4 minutes).
Soak The Cake
Pour the hot syrup over the warm cake very slowly. Let the syrup soak in for 5 minutes. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Cut into slices and serve with whipped cream, if desired.
How about sipping a Dark n’ Stormy to go along?
Recipe adapted from cocktail society. (cocktail-society.com)
Ingredients:
* 2 ounces Mexican dark rum
* 1/2-ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
* Ginger beer (cerveza de jengibre)
* Fresh lime
Steps:
Add rum and lime juice to a glass filled with ice
Top with ginger beer
Garnish with fresh lime… Imbibe!
Or, how about a Rum N’ Raisin (Mexican) Tiramisu?
Recipe adapted from taste.com.au. (The Salty Cooker)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup (125g) raisins (pasas, available in local markets)
1 cup (250ml) dark rum* (ron oscuro) *Gustoso Aguardiente; Deadhead Cask Aged Rum; Espiritus Pixan; Pa’Lante
6 egg yolks (yemas de huevo)
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar (azúcar estándar) *To make caster sugar, pulse granulated sugar in a food processor until fine, but not powder.
500g (2 1/3 c) mascarpone
1 tsp (5 g) vanilla extract
Juice of 2 oranges (naranjas)
16 sponge finger biscuits (Savoiardi, Italian, and available in Mexican supermarkets)
Dark chocolate curls, to serve *Easily make chocolate curls by shaving the edge of a good-quality chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler. Put in refrigerator until ready to use.
Cocoa Powder (polvo de cacao), to serve.
Directions:
* Place raisins and 2 Tbs. rum in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Cool.
* Beat yolks and sugar, with a mixer on low speed, until pale and thick.
* Gradually add mascarpone, vanilla, 1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice and 1/2 cup (125ml) rum.
* Place remaining orange juice and 1/3 cup (80ml) rum in a shallow dish.
* Dip half the biscuits in the rum mixture and divide among four 1-cup (250ml) serving glasses. Top with half the raisin mixture, then half the mascarpone mixture. Repeat, finishing with a layer of the mascarpone mixture.
* Chill for at least 2 hours for flavors to infuse.
* Top with chocolate curls and dust with cocoa and serve.
If you enjoy this delicious Mexican rum cake (and the cocktails!) why not let us know in the comments?
Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream, bridal-reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter on Facebook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” (available at Amazon). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals.
With the 20th anniversary of the San Miguel de Allende Writer’s Conference and Literary Festival around the corner, what can we expect in celebration? (Bonnie Lendrum)
I smiled when she told me this, and I must confess, it has also touched my heart. Isn’t it amazing how words can do that? Words and sentiments like this are among the main reasons Susan founded the conference, which has grown rapidly from just 26 people at their first conference to over 3,000 attendees last year.
The festival has grown exponentially in recent years, thanks to world-class speakers and and a dedicated following. (Bel Woodhouse)
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary next year, the Conference is scheduled for February 25 and has a big line-up, with the announcement of the keynote speaker just days away. All Susan would tell me is that he is “a literary legend in his own time.” It seems like I’ll have to wait for the announcements on August 1st, just like everyone else, no matter how much I pleaded for a sneak peek.
Not just for writers
It’s easy to see why it’s among the biggest cultural events in San Miguel de Allende each year. As well as attracting thousands of attendees, the conference brings in millions of dollars in tourism revenue. And the best part is, it’s not only for writers. There is something for everyone: authors (aspiring or otherwise) and avid readers alike. It’s an all-inclusive literary and cultural gathering where everyone is welcome.
“We’re a unique cultural festival,” Susan explained. “This event is tri-cultural with U.S., Canadian and Mexican authors taking part, and bilingual in English and Spanish. It’s designed for readers as much as it is for writers.”
There’s no problem understanding each other either “The ballroom events are simultaneously translated via headsets. This year we’re introducing roving interpreters,” Susan says. For both English and Spanish speakers the lines of communication are well and truly open.
A jam-packed 5 days of fun
I’ll admit, I’m tempted to get on a plane. Susan told me to expect “five full days. Forty-nine workshops. Eight keynote speakers. Plus receptions, dinners, and storytelling. We also provide excursions for people who want to explore the area. It’s a great way to discover Mexico if you’ve not been here before.” What’s not to love?
Literature, food and cocktails abound at the conference, with attendees drinking in the party spirit. (Bel Woodhouse)
The best part is the Mexican fiesta halfway through. Susan explains it as “a major Mexican fiesta, with Mariachis and a wide variety of festivities. Folklorico dancers, an Aztec ceremony with huge feathered headdresses. Plus giant puppets and lots of food.” For a foodie like me, this sounds like heaven.
As a big fan of traditional Mexican food, I had to ask what was on the menu. Smiling Susan said, “We try to recreate a jardin on a Saturday night with traditional foods. Plus, there’s a margarita station.” I’m sold.
Do you have to be a writer?
No. Susan founded this to include everyone of all skill levels. There’s something for novices and hobbyists, through to published authors. “Workshops are very inclusive,” she adds. “The four main categories are fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and memoirs. It’s a cross-genre of all styles of writing.”
It’s about support, inspiration and learning from the best. To give you an idea of what’s in store. Previous keynote speakers have included celebrities, famous writers and poets. Last year saw former Hollywood star turned author Molly Ringwald. The Conference has also hosted big names like Margaret Atwood and U.S. feminist icon Gloria Steinem. NovelistWally Lamb, Pulitzer Prize winnerBarbara Kingsolver, and one of my personal favoritesIsabel Allende have all graced the lectern here. The list goes on and on.
Actress and author Molly Ringwald at the 2024 edition. (Alistair Palmer)
Susan told me there are screenplay writing and storytelling workshops. Hollywood comedy favorites such as Tom Hanks have also been keynote speakers in the past. Having Tom Hanks tell me a story is something I would sign up for!
The story behind this phenomenal event
“When I arrived in San Miguel in 2003 there was nothing going for writers. San Miguel has a rich literary history and so I put an ad in the paper.” Susan said.
“We started monthly authors readings, where writers gathered to showcase their works. Then we started a bookstore where we sell our books, which is hugely popular. Then we started the Literary Appreciation Program for children in rural communities.”
All of these were successes. So, a year later they started the San Miguel Writer’s Conference and Literary Festival.
What are your visions for the future?
“We want to continue this tri-cultural conference,” Susan said. “An equal blend of Canadians, Americans, and Mexicans. Attendees are always surprised and delighted. To learn about the literary styles and authors from other countries. It’s very unique.”
To get in touch, like me, you’ll have to wait until August 1st. Susan laughed at my groan and said “We reveal the names of the keynote speakers on the first. And open registration for the February 12-16 2025 Conference.”
Before parting she offered a helpful tip. The popular workshops sell out fast so it’s suggested you register early. There’s an early “bard” special. If you register before August 31st you won’t miss any of the amazing keynote speakers. There’s quite a lineup for the 20th Anniversary of the SMA Writer’s Conference and Literary Festival.
Mexico Correspondent for International Living, Bel is an experienced writer, author, photographer and videographer with 500+ articles published both in print and across digital platforms. Living in the Mexican Caribbean for over 7 years now she’s in love with Mexico and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.
Name a more iconic combination than ice baths and chocolate. If you can, it's because you haven't tried the experience on offer at Puerto Vallarta's Raices Chocolateria. (Raices Chocolateria)
I didn’t know what to expect from my first ice bath experience. I’ve always thrived in the heat. The decision to move to Puerto Vallarta came one frigid February morning in New York City when it had snowed for the fourth time that season. I was done with the cold. I won’t even go in a swimming pool if the water is below 26 degrees. So when I told my husband I would try an ice bath wellness experience in Raices Chocolateria, Puerto Vallarta, he just looked at me and laughed.
If there’s one thing I hate more than the cold, it’s being told I can’t handle a challenge.
Raices Chocolateria in Puerto Vallarta is home to not only an ice bath experience, but also (as the name suggests) an ethical chocolate store. (Raices Chocolateria)
So off I went one Sunday to Raices Chocolateria, a local artisanal chocolate shop with a side business of ice baths. Run by husband-and-wife duo Laura and Eduardo out of their former home-turned-chocolate shop, the ice bath experience has become a buzzy Sunday activity for locals and expats in Puerto Vallarta.
Taking the Plunge
It’s hard to describe the feeling of your body being swallowed by near-freezing water. Your brain goes haywire in the first 20 seconds as the shock hits your nervous system. Your mind scrambles as your body tries to decipher if it’s in danger. Your eyes go wide; your lungs gasp for air; in those first 20 seconds, your brain is literally thinking it’s fighting for your life. My thoughts were jolting like bolts of lighting between “Get out of here” to “You chose this. Just hold on.”
And then the chaos stops. The scramble clears, and there’s a break in the bedlam. You come back to your breath. It softens. I could smell the burning copal, hear the soft music, and feel the warm breeze on my face. Eyes closed, I focused on Laura’s voice guiding me through breathwork, telling me that I was okay. After what felt like two excruciatingly long minutes, Laura told me I had finished the full five-minute session. It was over. I did it, and I felt more alive than ever.
The combination of ice, warm air and scented copal smoke all contribute to a magical experience. (Raices Chocolateria)
After you come out of the ice bath, Laura takes you to a sunny patch in the tropical backyard, where you start to slowly move your limbs, clearing the energy around you and letting your body adjust back to normal. An overwhelming sense of euphoria comes over you. Your brain works in a heightened state of calm, yet your mind is on fire. I have never felt anything like that. It’s high-speed meditation, yoga, and therapy all in one system-shocking five minutes.
“What was that?” I kept asking over and over.
“As ice baths have become more popular, they are finding more and more benefits to deliberate cold exposure,” said Laura. She said some of the top health benefits are increased circulation throughout the body, clarity and focus in mental health, energy boosts, activation of the brown fat organ in the body, which helps sugar levels and metabolism, a decrease in inflammation, and an increase in oxygen in the body.
Research on the mental benefits of ice baths is still in its infancy. However, small studies have shown that five-minute dips in cold water boosted feelings of alertness and attentiveness and decreased perceived anxiety.
It’s these benefits and that feeling that Laura and Eduardo want to share with their community in Puerto Vallarta.
The Roots of Raices
Of course, as is common in travel, love, and wellness, nothing happened on purpose. Laura moved to Mexico to teach. She met Eduardo at a restaurant, and the two fell in love. Their path to opening a chocolateria started by simply experimenting with making chocolates between them.
“We started making chocolate for ourselves at home, playing around with this seed in its many forms,” said Laura. “As we kept exploring and learning more, we decided that we wanted to share our knowledge, love, and passion for cacao and all its properties with others.”
The Raices experience was first born from a love of chocolate and the cacao bean. (Raices Chocolateria)
They opened Raices Chocolateria out of their home, creating bars of chocolate, truffles, and cacao based beverages based on Indigenous recipes. It was after that they opened their backyard to the ice bath experience, bringing guests in to plunge in two metal tubs set up amid lush plants and burning incense.
“I had no idea how medicinal, diverse, and transformative cacao truly is,” she said. “The ice bath experience was definitely a surprise aspect to Raices Chocolateria, as it is not our main focus and never was in our original thoughts. But we are so grateful that it has become a part of our lives here and that the benefits of cacao and ice complement each other so well.”
Safety first
As with anything body related, it is essential to talk with your medical professional before you try something new. “As wonderful as the benefits of ice baths are for some people, there are certain people who are not recommended for deliberate cold exposure,” she said. “If you know your body has negative effects when you are exposed to extreme cold, it’s not a good idea to start with something so extreme.”
She suggests that people with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, pacemakers, a history of frostbite, open wounds, epilepsy, or pregnancy avoid cold exposure. Laura and Eduardo will have each guest fill out a form where these points and more are discussed. They will also remove you from the bath if they see your body reacting negatively to the cold. Your health and safety come first.
Always consult a medical professional before trying an ice bath for the first time – but rest assured that when you do, you will find the experience invigorating. (Raices Chocolateria)
Whether or not ice baths will become part of my wellness regimen remains to be seen. I would be lying if I told you my experience was not transformative. It wholeheartedly was. In all my years of consistent exercise and yoga, I don’t think I’ve ever been as mentally clear or slept as well as I did on the day of my ice bath experience.
Still, at the end of the day, my husband wasn’t too far off to think that I wouldn’t love sitting on ice. It may be a minute before I can psych myself up again for that.
The details: Raices Chocolateria is a cafe open Tuesday through Sunday, serving cacao-based beverages, chocolate bars, and food. Throughout the week, they offer different chocolate classes and workshops, including tastings, chocolate making, and classes for kids. Ice baths are available on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Meagan Drillinger is a New York native who has spent the past 15 years traveling around and writing about Mexico. While she’s on the road for assignments most of the time, Puerto Vallarta is her home base. Follow her travels on Instagram at @drillinjourneys or through her blog at drillinjourneys.com.
Home comforts meet Mexico living in Baja California, where two countries fuse together seamlessly. (Avenavaz/Shutterstock)
Most of the Mexico-U.S. border might feel like an off-limits option in today’s binational immigration and security environment. There are six Mexican states across this line in the sand and there’s not much good news coming from either side of “la frontera.” Yet one state (Baja California, which comprises of the northern half of the Baja California peninsula) should draw your attention, for a lifestyle where straddling U.S. and Mexico living might make for the perfect combination of foreign and familiar.
I get asked “Why do you live in Mexico?” by friends and acquaintances, especially when traveling to the U.S. or overseas. If I want to boil down the Mexico living rationale, I often resort to a refrain that sums up this country’s most salient advantage when comparing Mexico with other overseas living options: “foreign and familiar” — a mixture of cultural, culinary, linguistic, historical, and societal expressions co-existing with Mexico’s acceptance and embrace of many things “American” — peanut butter on your morning toast, pyramids in the afternoon; colonial cities and Costco; el Beis (baseball) and birria. I could go on and on.
Mexico and the United States collide throughout Baja California, with the two cultures existing side by side. (Barbara Zandoval/Unsplash)
It’s a region of Mexico with a high degree of familiarity for West Coasters (a Tijuana day trip is a rite of passage for those growing up in SoCal), albeit a mystery to many others exploring coastal living options in Mexico. It’s a place that has sourced many, many stereotypical portrayals of Mexican identity (sometimes unfairly), while also carving out a bicultural hybrid identity that might someday call into question whether a walled border even matters. The urban complex, San Diego-Tijuana, is already one of the hemisphere’s most energetic landscapes of cooperation and entwined destinies. Being a part of this future might just be your Mexico living sweet spot.
Hands down, Baja California is the only place to live on the coast enjoying a “Mediterranean” climate of warm (but rarely humid) summers and winters with seasonal rains and a very stable mean daily temperature. Like San Diego, there will be overcast mornings and don’t expect tropical greenspaces or forested hills.
Connectivity and Care also earn high marks, as Baja living gifts its inhabitants with the best of Mexico and the U.S. when it comes to getting back home (using San Diego and Tijuana airports for domestic and international flights) and the best of border medicine with Medicare. Sure, you’ll need to get past layers of highway obstacles and a relatively slow international border crossing reality, but San Diego is pretty much within your grasp. Well, unless you opt for Ensenada a further 144 kilometers (89 miles) away.
I would never discount or degrade the culture of Baja California, coopted by U.S. commercial and popular cultural incursions. But the state has also earned its own independence and identity when it comes to lifestyles, artistic expressions and familial and societal relations in defiance of California’s tidal wave of influences. No, you won’t find iconic Mexican relics of archaeology, Spanish colonial architecture, or jaw-dropping landscape diversity. Here, it’s mostly desert, especially if you’re heading inland away from the Pacific. You’ll need to take a flight (three hours to Mexico City) to get your fix of “real” Mexico.
That said, you’ll find plenty of reasons to explore your local surroundings: Tijuana’s sophisticated dining and multicultural performing arts scene, Mexico’s premiere wine country (just over the hill from Ensenada), beaches and more beaches, and two magnificent bodies of water (the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California).
Tijuana
Tijuana is Mexico for many in SoCal, but others might find it lacking in culture. Despite this, the city has grown into a vibrant and pleasant place to live. (tijuanacity.com)
Starting with Tijuana, there are probably more U.S. passport holders living full and part-time than in any other state. English is widely spoken. With 2.1 million metro-area residents, universities, museums, performing arts (Teatro Las Tablas, Centro Cultural Tijuana, Casa de la Cultura), and some of Mexico’s most innovative seafood, Tijuana defies the stereotypes of its past.
Tijuana is a manufacturing powerhouse and as a result, offers non-stop flights to China. Some 45,000 K-12 students and 45,000 others head into California for work and school every day. A post-COVID-19 sea of remote workers takes advantage of lower cost of living (although this has led to a rise in rental costs), income-tax savings (heard of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion?) and a cultural spark that’s just not found in the States.
But there are security issues. Crime, cartel violence, car-jackings, and the ever-menacing border tension realities loom over the area. More U.S. citizens are homicide victims in Baja California State than in any other state in Mexico. A commute to the States for work is brutal by most accounts (50 million annual border crossings happen here). Remote workers experience less stress. As one social media post highlights, “If you want to make the sacrifice, have an end game; don’t be another hamster on the wheel or you’ll go crazy.”
Rosarito
Once a quiet beach town, Rosarito has evolved considerably in recent years. (Tripadvisor)
Rosarito (population 127,000); what can you say about it? What started as a humble beach town with a wooden pier and lifeguard stations (another nod to the SoCal beach experience) has grown into a bedroom community for Tijuana and high rise condo towers for thousands of foreigners. Highway 1 and 1D form arteries that run smack dab through the center of town. In some ways, living here is more about convenience than culture or even “resort” amenities. It’s a surfer haven for some and a breakfast club or happy hour social scene for others.
Gated residential communities line the coast north and south of the city center. More a “mistake” of development than anything very cohesive, the city never rates in the top ten for Mexican beach resorts with a “wow factor.” There are some high-rise beachfront hotels, but few visitors come for long vacation stays, meaning the weekend “invasion” is more the cycle.
But it is Mexico’s lobster capital. Puerto Nuevo in particular has Baja-Med cuisine (making dining here expensive by Mexican standards), micro-breweries and Mexico’s biggest annual beach party, Baja Beach Fest, in August. There is a muted multicultural art scene centered around painting and sculpture, and two English-language theater companies. You’ve got convenience, a daily mean temperature of 70 degrees Farenheit (21 Celcius), and sandy Pacific beaches. Oh, and Rosarito was the source of rocks for the 1970’s Pet Rock craze.
Ensenada
The rocks of Ensenada provide the setting for a genuinely cool and relaxed beach city, with food, wine and tourism aplenty. (Roman López/Unsplash)
An hour’s drive to the south is Ensenada, described by one travel guide as “hedonistic Tijuana’s cosmopolitan sister.” It’s big enough (population 444,000) to stand on its own when it comes to services and amenities and it’s far enough from the border (104 km) to require some effort to get here. This all makes for a haven from the border calamity up north. And Ensenada’s Mexican and expat societies enjoy shared coastal living experiences that can be harder to find in Mexico’s “fly-in,” more trafficked beach locations.
Those who make the effort to get here (and live year round) are rewarded with a seaport personality and the arrival of 3 to 4 ships per week, Mexico’s best seafood dining and the premier wine country (just over the hill in Valle de Guadalupe), surprising micro-climates should the cool overcast weather grows tiresome and affordability. There are universities and research institutes, some offering courses in English in marine science, winemaking and other interests. Museo de la Historia, Plaza de la Patria and Ventana al Mar Park are all casual hang-outs for expats.
You’ll also find a diversity of residential neighborhoods in central Ensenada and many more toward the south of the city. You’ll want a car if you live here, and some reports say beach swimming in central Ensenada is not recommended, due to sewage spills — more prevalent in winter than summer. Sound familiar, SoCal?
Baja California living straddles the U.S. and Mexico, drawing the best conditions for a “foreign and familiar” lifestyle. It’s SoCal with an accent, a tribute to the challenges and rewards of a binational landscape.
Author Greg Custer lives in Mexico. He’s worked for over 40 years in international tourism, educating travel advisors around the world about Mexico and other Latin American destinations. He helps folks explore Mexico for living at www.mexicoforliving.com.
One small, Mexican mouse stands above all others when it comes to classic cartoons — but in the early 2000s, he came very close to cancellation before being saved by an unlikely ally. (Shutterstock)
As I passed through the streets of the Zocalo in Mexico City’s colonia Centro, a familiar phrase caught my ear. “Ándale, mijo,” a father urged his dawdling son, gently steering him through the bustling morning crowd. “Ándale.” In an instant, my mind automatically conjured the high-pitched voice of a cartoon mouse: “Ándale! Ándale! Arriba! Arriba!” The memory of Speedy Gonzales, the “fastest mouse in all Mexico,” flashed through my mind, complete with his oversized sombrero, exaggerated accent and outsized bravado.
I found myself reflecting on the pint-sized Looney Tunes character who had been a staple of my childhood Saturday mornings. How had this caricature of a Mexican mouse shaped my perceptions — and those of millions of other American children — about our neighbors to the south? Now, as a more informed adult who had immersed herself in Mexican culture, I could look at Speedy and see the ways in which he and the Mexican characters he interacted with fostered potentially negative ethnic prejudices. Yet, was Speedy a harmless bit of fun or a problematic purveyor of cultural stereotypes? How did the Mexican community feel about him? And what would become of him over time?
Is any cartoon depiction of a nation as enduring as the image of Mexico portrayed by Speedy Gonzales? (Reddit)
The origins of a controversial rodent
Speedy Gonzales made his on-screen debut in 1953 as the brainchild of animators Friz Freleng and Robert McKimson. Originally intended to be a one-show character, Speedy became so popular that he was kept on for 45 episodes of the Looney Tunes show, eventually winning an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1955 for the cartoon “Speedy Gonzales.”
Although some have claimed that the character’s name is the result of a sexual joke (one can fill in the blanks as to why it references “speed”), former Warner Brothers animator Martha Goldman Sigall confirmed the name was born of an interaction between assistant animator Frank Gonzales and a group of the company’s story writers. Gonzales was sharing his new way of speeding up his drawing process with the group, which inspired the writers’ use of the nickname “Speedy Gonzales”.
Voiced by Mel Blanc (a white actor who was the voice behind most Looney Tunes characters), Speedy was depicted as a clever, lightning-fast mouse who often outwitted his feline nemesis, Sylvester. His catchphrases — “Ándale! Ándale!” and “Arriba! Arriba!” — became instantly recognizable, even to non-Spanish speakers.
In his later years, Speedy made appearances in films like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, “Looney Tunes: Back in Action”, and the “Space Jam” franchise. He has appeared in various media, including songs, video games, and commercials over the decades, gaining praise as one of the most successful Mexican characters ever created in Hollywood.
Martha Goldman Sigall (right) and the animation team behind Speedy Gonzales. (Animation Magazine)
With his yellow sombrero, white shirt and trousers, and red neckerchief, Speedy cuts a distinctly stereotypical figure of mid-20th century American perceptions of Mexican culture. It’s this American take on Mexican cultural garb, coupled with the character’s exaggerated Spanglish, and the unflattering portrayal of his fellow mice, that has fueled decades of controversy.
Speedy’s appearances, particularly throughout the 1950s and 60s, often featured him helping his fellow Mexican mouse compatriots, usually slow-witted and living in squalor, to steal cheese from a “Gringo” cat. These plot lines, while entertaining to many, caught the attention of cultural critics who saw them as perpetuating harmful stereotypes.
Controversy and cancellation
As awareness of cultural sensitivity grew in the late 20th century, Speedy Gonzales found himself at the center of a heated debate. Between 1999 and 2002, Cartoon Network pulled Speedy Gonzales cartoons from its U.S. broadcast lineup, citing concerns over ethnic stereotyping.
The move backfired, sparking an outcry — but not from the group one might expect. Instead of praise from progressives, the network encountered a backlash from an unexpected source: the Hispanic community itself. Many Mexican-Americans and Latinos protested the decision, arguing that Speedy was a positive character– quick-witted, heroic and always victorious. The League of United Latin American Citizens even called for Speedy’s return, describing him as a “cultural icon.” Thus, Speedy narrowly escaped being canceled, surprisingly saved by the community he is thought to portray negatively.
Despite claims that the stereotypes within the show were negative, Latino fans of Speedy Gonzales rallied to save the show from cancellation. (Reddit)
The Mexican perspective
Interestingly, the controversy surrounding Speedy Gonzales seems largely driven by the United States. Among Mexican communities and in much of Latin America, the character enjoys enduring popularity. Speedy’s reception in Mexico itself has been largely positive. South of the border, he’s seen as more of a playful cultural ambassador than an insulting caricature. This difference in perception demonstrates the subjective nature of cultural representation. Many Mexicans view Speedy as a plucky, clever underdog hero who consistently outsmarts his adversaries — a theme that resonates deeply in Mexican culture.
Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez has defended the character, likening him to a superhero for the Mexican community. “The only ones offended are the Americans, but we love Speedy Gonzales,” Derbez said in Spanish. “He’s smart. He outsmarts the cats. He’s a hero. He gets cheese for his people. He’s fast.” He told United Press International in April 2024.
This sentiment is echoed by many Mexicans who grew up watching Speedy. They tend to focus on his positive qualities: speed, wit, bravery, and loyalty to his friends, rather than seeing him as a negative stereotype. Mexican comic Gabriel Iglesias, who voiced Speedy in “Space Jam” defended the character on Twitter, declaring, “U can’t catch me cancel culture. I’m the fastest mouse in all of Mexico.”
A complex legacy
For many Americans, Speedy may have been their first (albeit cartoonish) exposure to Mexican culture. The danger lies in such siloed exposure becoming a basis for real-world assumptions. While the character certainly incorporates stereotypical elements, Speedy’s reception in Mexico suggests that reactions to cross-cultural representation are subjective, varying widely depending on the viewer’s cultural context.
Speedy Gonzales Best Moments
Are some just too sensitive to the act of poking fun at other cultures? How do we handle the representation of a character or context cross culturally? Must characters be fully canceled due to past stereotypical portrayals, or can characters be reimagined into more culturally respectful beings? Only time will tell, but the little mouse delivers a big reminder. Speedy’s case highlights the importance of looking past a distinctly North American “woke” litmus test to media, and listening instead to the actual voices of those being represented. Sometimes, they might surprise us with their enthusiasm for characters we thought problematic.
Monica Belot is a writer, researcher, strategist and adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she teaches in the Strategic Design & Management Program. Splitting her time between NYC and Mexico City, where she resides with her naughty silver labrador puppy Atlas, Monica writes about topics spanning everything from the human experience to travel and design research. Follow her varied scribbles on Medium at https://medium.com/@monicabelot.
