5.9 million passengers flew on domestic flights in August, making it the busiest month this year. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
In August, over 5.9 million passengers flew on domestic flights, Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco Marqués reported, making it the busiest month for domestic air travel in Mexico this year.
With a total monthly capacity of 7.2 million seats, the occupancy rate reached 83%, the highest figure reported for 2023.
Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco Marqués reported that 80.5 million seats have been scheduled on domestic flights so far this year, an 8.4% increase over 2022. (Edgar Negrete Lira/Cuartoscuro)
According to Torruco, 80.5 million seats on domestic flights have been filled so far this year, which represents an 8.4% increase from 2022.
Volaris and Viva Aerobus led the way
The two airlines with the highest number of scheduled seats on domestic routes are Volaris and Viva Aerobus. Volaris holds 38.7% of the total occupied seats while Viva Aerobus has 32.6%. Together, they provide 57.4 million seats, which is equivalent to 71.4% of the national market.
Torruco said that the number of passengers on domestic flights in the first eight months of the year surpassed 42.2 million.
Volaris holds 38.7% of the total domestic seat capacity, making it the leading national airline. (Volaris/Instagram)
Cancún, Mexico City and Guadalajara were the busiest airports
This year, the routes in Mexico with the highest number of scheduled seats are the following: Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to Cancún with 2.43 million seats;. Cancún to AICM with 2.42 million seats;, and AICM to Monterrey with just over 2.59 million seats.
Meanwhile, the top three airports with the most scheduled seats on international flights to Mexico in 2023 are Cancún International Airport, AICM, and Guadalajara International Airport. Together, these three airports offer 25.6 million seats, which accounts for 73.3% of the total seat capacity.
Dallas and Los Angeles were the busiest international routes to Mexico
Flights from the United States and Canada make up 75.7% of all international flight traffic to Mexico. (American Airlines)
As for international routes to Mexico, the ones with the highest number of scheduled seats are Dallas to Cancún with 702,392 seats, Los Angeles to Guadalajara with 659,297 seats, and Toronto to Cancún with 626,127 seats.
American Airlines and Aeroméxico are the two carriers with the highest number of scheduled seats for international service to Mexico in 2023. American Airlines will have 13.9% of the total share while Aeroméxico will have 12.3%. Together, they will offer a total of 9.1 million seats.
Throughout 2023, flights from the United States and Canada to Mexico will offer 26.4 million seats, which represents a 75.7% share of the international flight market.
Beyond their surface humor, each saying carries a wealth of tradition, history, and insight. (Photo Priscilla Preez/Unsplash)
I love dichos, those sayingsthat we often blurt out to illustrate or lighten the mood in certain situations. In Mexico, it’s not uncommon to hear locals effortlessly pepper their conversations with sayings that seem as curious as they are colorful. To an outsider, these expressions may appear to be amusing linguistic quirks, but in reality, they are profound windows into the cultural fabric that binds Mexicans together.
Most Mexicans hold a vast repertoire of these nuggets of wisdom. Wrapped within the humor and charm of Mexico’s dichos lies the essence of our identity, and there’s no better way to teach and remind us of our values than through the phrases we’ve heard since childhood.
Beyond their surface humor, each saying carries a wealth of tradition, history and insight.
In this article, we delve into some of the most popular and endearing phrases, exploring how they reflect Mexican values, beliefs and even the challenges faced by a nation with a complex history.
Remember that dichos don’t translate very well because the humor and recall are in the rhyme, but they are a fun way to practice your Spanish pronunciation and an ace under your sleeve when you need to say something clever.
Cuando el hambre entra por la puerta, el amor sale por la ventana.
Translation: Love leaves through the window when hunger enters through the door.
This saying conveys that romantic matters take the back seat when people are struggling to meet their basic needs. In other words, relationships weaken during times of hardship. This reminds people to go out and make a decent living so they can get cozy after dinner. Happy wife, happy life!
Para todo mal, mezcal; para todo bien, también.
Translation: For every bad [thing], mezcal; for every good [thing] too.
This saying encourages drinking mezcal on every occasion, from coping with adversity to celebrating the good times. It’s true, mezcal is a wonderful elixir and Mexicans never run out of excuses to drink it. People use this phrase to cheer when sharing a round of mezcal on both good and bad occasions because… why not?
El muerto al pozo y el vivo al gozo.
Translation: The dead to the grave and the living to delight.
This saying may seem a little dark and impertinent, but its underlying message is a reminder to those grieving the loss of a loved one that they must embrace life again. It encourages individuals to move forward, find happiness, and appreciate the time they have left. While it may sound a bit blunt, it prompts people to shift their focus and take a positive approach to life after loss.
Tanto peca el que mata a la vaca como el que le agarra la pata.
Translation: The person who kills the cow is sinning as much as the person who grabbed its leg.
This dicho conveys that all who are involved in wrongful acts are equally guilty and share the blame with the main perpetrator. It emphasizes that individuals who assist in or contribute to an immoral or illegal action are not absolved of responsibility. It is a reminder to stay a safe distance from people who get into trouble, as being an accomplice is no less of a crime.
Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo.
Translation: The devil knows more due to his old age than to being the devil.
This conveys that knowledge and expertise are acquired through life experiences rather than solely due to one’s innate character or abilities. It reminds us that elders hold a unique wisdom, a profound understanding, and insight that can only be acquired through time.
Now, you can spice up your conversations with a dash of local attitude. Share these with your expat friends so they, too, can chuckle, ponder and appreciate the folk wisdom that shapes the soul of this remarkable nation.
Sandra is a Mexican writer and translator based in San Miguel de Allende who specializes in mental health and humanitarian aid. She believes in the power of language to foster compassion and understanding across cultures. She can be reached at: sandragancz@gmail.com
On Monday, Nuevo León Governor Samuel García announced that Lingong Machinery Group (LGMG) will invest in a 10-hectare industrial park to open in 2024. (LGMG/Facebook)
Samuel García, governor of the northeastern Mexican state, announced this week that the Lingong Machinery Group (LGMG) will bring billions of dollars in investment to Nuevo León and create 7,000 new jobs.
Governor of Nuevo León Samuel García posted a video from the LGMG headquarters during his visit to China this week. (@samuel_garcias/X)
In a joint statement, the Nuevo León government and LGMG revealed plans to invest US $5 billion in the development of a 10-hectare industrial park with three clusters of activity: processing and manufacturing; warehousing and logistics; and business support services..
García boasted about the LGMG news on Monday, saying via his social networks that his party, Movimiento Ciudadano (Citizens’ Movement), is proactive in generating new investment while officials from other parties remain “on the grid.”
He highlighted how he travels to other countries to court their business leaders, “So they come to Nuevo León, the epicenter of nearshoring and the best place to invest and do business,” he posted.
LGMG’s specialties are scissor lifts, vertical lifts and boom lifts. (lgmglifts.com)
In citing “this historic investment,” García swiped back at Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and National Action Party (PAN) leaders who he claims have been trying to muck up his efforts. “If we put together all their governments of the last 40 years, they don’t even come close to us,” the 35-year-old governor said.
Founded in 1972, LGMG says on its website it is “one of the top 100 enterprises in [the] machinery industry, and one of the top four groups in [the] construction machinery industry in China.” In 2020, it reportedly entered the global top 10 of the largest construction equipment manufacturers in the world.
The company expanded to Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2018 and to the United States in 2019. Its North American headquarters was relocated from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania to just outside Dallas, Texas earlier this year.
García meeting with Chinese solar panels manufacturer Trina Solar earlier this week. (@samuel_garcias/X)
Land for the industrial park in Nuevo León will be acquired this month, García said, with the first phase to be completed in July 2024.
LGMG highlighted the location as a gateway to the North American and Latin American markets.
On Monday, García announced a deal with Japanese motorcycle maker Kawasaki and said Chinese solar panels manufacturer Trina Solar is “interested” in investing in Nuevo León, as well.
García has cited other interested firms such as Changan Automobile, which makes compact and electric vehicles; tech giant Huawei; and Toupu, which specializes in driving control systems. He also said he had meetings with Intertech, Opple, CF Moto, MG, JL Mag and Apple during his Asian tour.
Protesters in Mexico City blocked roads for several hours on Tuesday until they were dispersed by police. (Cuartoscuro)
Employees of Mexico’s judicial system protested across the country on Tuesday morning against a proposed cut to funding for the federal judiciary.
Court workers in Mexico City, Morelos, Tamaulipas, Puebla, Michoacán, Veracruz and Jalisco were among those who joined protests convened by the Union of Federal Judicial Power Workers (STPJF) and the College of Secretaries and Court Clerks of the Federal Judiciary (CSAJF).
Protesters in Mexico City and other parts of the country came out on Monday and Tuesday against proposed cuts to the federal judicial system budget. (Cuartoscuro)
Court workers also protested in some parts of the country on Monday, including in Mexico City, where they blocked several roads.
What exactly are they protesting?
On Oct. 10, the Budget and Public Accounts Committee of the lower house of Congress approved a bill that seeks to eliminate 13 of 14 public trusts that provide funding for the Supreme Court (SCJN), the Federal Electoral Tribunal and the Federal Judiciary Council (CJF).
Their elimination would cut funding for the federal judiciary by 15.45 billion pesos (US $858.7 million) in 2024.
The president has said the bill is about “ending privileges” enjoyed by members of the judiciary. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
The bill, backed by President López Obrador and the ruling Morena party, is yet to be considered by the broader Congress. Morena and its allies have a majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
The bill, which seeks to modify the Organic Law of the Federal Judicial Power, will pass Congress with the support of a simple majority.
What is Morena’s view?
Morena argues that the trust funds are not managed with transparency and afford Supreme Court justices and other senior judges undue privileges, such as allowances for gasoline and highway tolls.
The president and his administration have been critical of the judiciary, frequently calling out judges accused of corruption at the daily press conferences, or mañaneras. (Cuartoscuro)
The bill states that the existence of “economic benefits of privilege” that go to “a very small group of officials” is “absolutely unacceptable.”
It also says that the trusts have been subject to criticism due to the vast amount of money held in them and “the fact” that the money is mainly used to pay “special benefits.”
What does President López Obrador say?
López Obrador, a frequent critic of judges, said last week that the purpose of the bill is to cut privileges enjoyed by those occupying the highest ranking positions in Mexico’s judicial system, including Supreme Court justices. He said that at least one judge even had cosmetic plastic surgery “at the expense of the treasury.”
López Obrador asserted that the proposed elimination of the trusts won’t affect lower level court employees.
“It’s about [ending] privileges. [Ordinary workers] won’t be left without salaries, without their basic benefits. No court will be closed, nobody will be dismissed,” he said.
The president prides himself on leading an austere government that has already cut the salaries of many high-ranking officials. He said Tuesday that money saved through the elimination of the judicial trusts would be used to fund educational scholarships for “more than 2 million poor children.”
The judiciary’s opinion
The Supreme Court said in a statement that the elimination of 13 trusts would indeed “affect the work rights” of federal judiciary workers.
“At least six trusts are related to employer obligations,” the SCJN said, adding that meeting those obligations is necessary to guarantee workers’ labor and social security rights, including “pension, housing, health coverage and retirement” rights.
The 11 justices of Mexico’s Supreme Court. (SCJN)
It said that those rights are outlined in the Constitution of Mexico, the Federal Law on Workers at the Service of the State and in various “legal instruments.”
“The operation personnel of the Federal Judicial Power [PJF], which represents more than 60% of staff, are the main beneficiaries of the work benefits linked to the trusts,” the SCJN added.
“The elimination of the trusts DOES limit the operational capacity of the PJF and, with that, the right to access justice, to the harm of society as a whole,” the court said.
It also said that “the management of the trusts is transparent and has mechanisms of accountability.”
The protests
Court workers on Monday protested outside the Chamber of Deputies and set up traffic blockades at at least eight different points in Mexico City, according to media reports. The El País newspaper reported that court employees in other states also took to the streets on Monday to express opposition to the proposed elimination of the trusts.
Trabajadores del Poder Judicial de la Federación. durante sus protestas que se llevaron simultáneamente en varios partes de la #CDMX quemaron una piñata de #AMLO. Los manifestantes piden que no haya recorte al #Presupuesto. Afectaciones viales en la zona de @BJAlcaldia. #ULTIMOpic.twitter.com/BBFVBzDML0
Protesters in Mexico City set fire to a piñata effigy of AMLO on Monday
At one protest in the Mexico City borough of Benito Juárez, court employees set fire to a piñata effigy of López Obrador and chanted “fuera AMLO” – a directive for him to leave office.
The SCJN and the CJF later condemned the “symbolic expressions of hate” that occurred during the protests.
The STPJF and the CSAJF issued a statement last Friday calling on court employees across Mexico to protest outside their workplaces starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday. The workers have also been asked to dress in white to demonstrate their opposition to the proposed funding cuts.
Protesters in Toluca held signs saying “The law is the law” and “Don’t touch the court”. (Cuartoscuro)
Jesús Gilberto González Pimentel, secretary general of the STPJF, said that the protests were against the proposed elimination of the trusts as well as the “constant dismissive insults” López Obrador directs at the Mexico’s judicial system and its employees.
“If we don’t make our voices heard in defense of our rights … we’ll create the idea in society that we’re unable to defend [the rights] of those who come to courts and tribunals to seek justice, he said.
Court workers on Tuesday blocked roads in Mexico City, Zapopan, Cancún, Ciudad Victoria and Puebla City among other locations around the country, according to the news website Infobae. Clashes between workers and police were reported at two locations in Mexico City.
Protests were also held outside the Supreme Court and the Chamber of Deputies in the national capital.
What’s next?
A protest is planned at the Chamber of Deputies on Oct. 24, the day on which an “open parliament” session to discuss the 2024 budget will be held.
Deputies are reportedly scheduled to vote on the judiciary funding bill on Tuesday, but as of 3 p.m. a vote hadn’t been held.
Mexican tae kwon do champion Carlos Sansores and basketball player Karina Esquer are the two flag bearers for Mexico at the upcoming Pan American games in Santiago, Chile. (Conade/X)
The Pan American Games begin this week in Santiago, Chile, where Mexico will be represented by more than 475 athletes in 35 sports.
The games will host approximately 7,000 athletes from 41 countries competing in 39 sports — from archery to basketball to artistic swimming to mountain biking.
The opening ceremony will be held at the 48,600 seat Estadio Nacional on Friday. (Santiago2023.org)
Countries in the Americas participate in the games quadrennially, in the year before the Olympics.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday night, but preliminary rounds in sports such as baseball and boxing will begin before that. The closing ceremony is slated for Nov. 5.
Who will be Mexico’s flag bearers?
When the Mexican contingent marches in, Karina Esquer Vila and Carlos Adrián Sansores will have the honor of carrying the green, white and red.
President López Obrador presented the flag to Karina Esquer in a ceremony on Monday. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
Esquer, 22, a native of Hermosillo, Sonora, led Mexico to a gold medal in 3-on-3 basketball this past summer in the Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador. In Mexico’s thrilling 21-20 come-from-behind victory over Puerto Rico in the final, the 5-foot-6 player scored 14 points and nailed a clutch long-range shot worth two points.
Her tagline on X, formerly Twitter, reads “Proud to be a Mexican Girl.”
Sansores, 26, who hails from Chetumal, Quintana Roo, is a standout competitor in taekwondo. In the heavyweight division (192 pounds and above) at the World Taekwondo Championships, he won a gold last year in Guadalajaraand took home a silver this year in Azerbaijan.
He is still looking to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and could do it in these games. He’ll be trying to improve on the bronze medal he earned in the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima.
Mexican women archers Alejandra Valencia, Aída Román and Ángela Ruiz are all top competitors. (Comité Olímpico Mexicano/X)
Who are the Mexicans to follow?
In archery, one of Mexico’s top Olympic sports, Aída Román and Alejandra Valencia are the ones to watch. Román won a silver medal at the 2012 London Summer Olympics and also has a team bronze from Tokyo 2020. On the rise is 17-year-old Ángela Ruiz, who already has a World Cup silver and is ranked 29th in the world.
In gymnastics, two-time Olympian Alexa Moreno, 29, might not compete due to an injury, but Mexico still has a competitive women’s team, notably 21-year-old Natalia Escalera. Morena recently qualified for her third Olympics at the World Championships in Belgium. Among the men, Isaac Núñez, a specialist on the parallel bars, is one to watch.
Mexican star gymnast Alexa Moreno may miss the games due to an injury. (Alexa Moreno/Instagram)
In surfing, check out Alan Cleland, a 21-year-old phenom from Colima who has already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, meaning he’ll be the first Mexican surfer ever to compete in the Olympics (the sport made its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2021). Cleland honed his craft at Pascuales, a surfing paradise on the Colima coast.
In artistic swimming — formerly known as synchronized swimming — the Mexican squad will be led by captain Nuria Diosdado, a 33-year-old from Guadalajara who competed in women’s duet in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.
In taekwondo, Daniela Souza and Leslie Soltero are the ones to watch in addition to Sansores. Each of the women won titles in the 2022 World Taekwondo Championships held last November in Guadalajara. Souza, 24, arrives in Santiago looking to defend the gold medal she won in Lima in 2019.
Mexican swimmer Miguel de Lara won gold at the Central American and Caribbean games earlier this year. (Comité Olímpico Mexicano/X)
In swimming, Miguel de Lara will be looking to improve upon his bronze at the 2019 Pan Am games and qualify for the Olympic in the 200-meter breaststroke.
Diver Osmar Olvera is coming off a silver medal in 3-meter individual springboard at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Diego Balleza and Viviana del Ángel won silver medal in the mixed synchronized 10-meter platform event.
Mexico in the Pan Am Games
This year is the 19th edition of the Pan Am Games, and Mexico has competed in every one of them since the first one in 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mexico hosted the games in 1955 and 1975 in Mexico City, and in 2011 in Guadalajara. The 1975 hosting completed a run during which the Mexican capital also hosted the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
Mexico’s best showing in the team standings are a pair of third-place finishes, one as the host country in 1955, finishing behind the United States and Argentina.
Mexico’s athletic delegation for the Pan American Games 2023 with President López Obrador and other officials. (Lopezobrador.org.mx)
Though Mexico has never finished higher than third place, the country has finished lower than sixth only once — an eighth-place showing in 1963 in São Paulo, Brazil.
How to watch
The Panam Sports Channel is the official channel of the Pan Am Games and is available online and through a free mobile app of the same name. Other broadcasters in Chile and beyond include TVN, Canal 13, Chilevisión, CDO, TNT Sports, Zapping TV and DSports.
The world's "richest fishing tournaments" return this year in Los Cabos. (Shutterstock)
Two of Bisbee’s annual sport fishing tournaments kick off in Los Cabos this week and next, with combined cash prizes of US $10.5 million.
The 2023 Los Cabos Offshore fishing tournament takes place over Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21 and will award the top three fishing teams based on the single heaviest qualifying black or blue marlin.
The world-famous Bisbee’s Black and Blue tournament starts on Oct. 25. (Bisbee’s Offshore Fishing Tournaments)
Next week, the 43rd annual Bisbee’s Black & Blue Tournament will take place over three days from Oct. 25 to Oct. 27. Overall top teams and captains’ awards will be given for the five largest qualifying black and/or blue marlin weighed during the tournament.
Registration for Los Cabos Offshore is open Oct. 18-19 with a base entry fee per team of US $1,500. Teams can find registration booths at Luxury Avenue in Puerto Paraiso Mall, Cabo San Lucas, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Black & Blue requires a US $5,000 entry fee per team, and registration will open Oct. 24, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Both tournaments are hosted and organized by the family of the late Bob Bisbee, who founded the first competition in 1981.
Winners at the 2022 Bisbee’s Black & Blue awards banquet. (Bisbee’s Offshore Fishing Tournaments)
In a press conference announcing this year’s event, Tournament Coordinator Clicerio Mercado shared that last year’s tournament saw the participation of more than 160 fishing boats.
“It’s no longer el Bisbee’s chiquito,” or the “little Bisbee’s tournament” it once was, Mercado said.
This year’s tournaments are expected to generate over US $50 million in revenue in Los Cabos, with an anticipated 1,200 attendees, according to Mercado.
The Power of Mexican Spices: Long-believed benefits of 6 of Mexico’s most used spices. (Calum Lewis/Unsplash)
Mexican cuisine is colorful, flavorful, and deeply cultural. Far more than simply sustenance, it’s a peek into the lives of Mexicans. The backstory of Mexican food is rife with opportunities to learn about local family relations, daily customs, and the country’s highly complex history. In fact, UNESCO added Mexican cuisine to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010 due to the “comprehensive cultural model comprising farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral community customs and manners.”
Authentic dishes like mole, tacos, and tamales artfully weave a longstanding indigenous community’s farming and preparation techniques with the flavors and eating styles of its foreign, often unwanted, visitors. With the introduction of a flourishing international trading system, culinary staples like chilis, corn, and beans adapted to an array of new Eastern products, like European cutlery or unfamiliar spices. However, despite the abundance of outside ingredients available today, most Mexican chefs, from Carlos Gaytán to your “abuela”, rely on the same age-old techniques and regional ingredients as Mexicans once did.
Mexican food is known worldwide for its distinct flavors and ample use of herbs and spices. Yet, these spices have a much deeper relationship with the body than your tastebuds. Many of the most popular spices and herbs are also good for your health. During my interview with Daniela Narchi Harp, a Mexico City-based licensed nutritionist and food scientist, I learned that not only are they full of vitamins, but they also boast antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Regular ingestion has been attributed to reductions in hypertension, tumor development, and unhealthy gut bacteria. “In short, these substances decrease the development of inflammatory and metabolic disorders in individuals, therefore preventing disease,” states Harp.
So, if you’re looking to boost your health naturally, why not start by incorporating the following Mexican spices and herbs into your meals?
El Achiote
What is it:A seed derived from the achiote tree known for its bright orange-red hue.
Achiote. (Gobierno de México)
What are its benefits:High vitamin A, vitamin E, and carotenoid levels.
Used in traditional medicine for:Skin conditions, digestive issues, and respiratory diseases.
Used in Western medicine for: Currently being studied as a potential source for new drugs.
Popular Mexican foods that use achiote include: Cochinita pibil, tacos al pastor and Tikin Xic.
Mexican Oregano. (All recipes)
Mexican Oregano
What is it:Harvested leaves from a small shrub or tree with white or yellow flowers that grow in the Americas.
What are its benefits:According to Harp, oregano is similar to cinnamon due to antimicrobial properties that act as a natural antibiotic. It has also been said to lower lipids, lowering cholesterol levels (LDL) and preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Used in traditional medicine for: Digestive issues, asthma or general respiratory disorders, rheumatism, and microbial infections.
Used in Western medicine for: Oregano oil is a highly concentrated form of the herb and has been studied for its antimicrobial benefits.
Popular Mexican foods that use oregano include: Pozole, frijoles, mole and carnitas.
Hoja Santa. (Gobierno de México)
Hoja Santa
What is it:Flat, aromatic, heart-shaped leaves grown in Central American regions.
What are its benefits: It is believed to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties, as well as sedative benefits.
Used in traditional medicine for: Aztecs used it as a digestive aid, a stimulant, a pain reliever, and topical treatment for skin conditions. It’s also still used for fever reduction and as a sleep aid.
Used in Western medicine for: There is very little study of Hoja Santa’s health properties within western medicine.
Popular Mexican foods that use Hoja Santa include: Tamales, mole, and many fish dishes from Veracruz.
Cinnamon. (Unsplash)
Cinnamon
What is it:The inner bark of a specific tree, most commonly found in Sri Lanka.
What are its benefits:Antioxidants and antiinflammatory properties, as well as an ability to regulate blood sugar.
Used in traditional medicine for: A natural antibiotic or antidiabetic.
Used in western medicine for: Recent trials have explored the beneficial effects in cases of Parkinson’s and diabetes, as well as its impact on blood and the brain.
Popular Mexican foods that use cinnamon include:horchata, mole, and churros.
*Attention! A copious distribution of cinnamon does not outweigh the ample use of refined sugar in churros and horchata. Consider adding the spice to fruit, soups, or a hot beverage to reap its health benefits.
Epazote
Epazote. (Gobierno de México)
What is it: A leafy green or purple herb grown in Mexico or Central America with a pungent odor, often mistaken for marijuana.
What are its benefits: Significant levels of vitamin A and vitamin C.
Used in traditional medicine for: Treating menstrual cramps, improving intestinal function, removing intestinal worms, calming the nervous system, and increasing milk production while breastfeeding.
Used in Western medicine for:There are few references to studies of its benefits for toothaches and intestinal gas.
Popular Mexican foods that use epazote include: Salsa verde, pozole verde, quesadillas
Cilantro
Cilantro. (Unsplash)
What is it: The leaf of the Coriandrum sativum plant, related to parsley, carrots, and celery. Its seeds are known as coriander seeds.
What are its benefits:Packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, and iron, as well as dietary fiber.
Used in traditional medicine for: Stimulating digestion, reducing inflammation, and regulating blood sugar levels.
Used in Western medicine for: Nothing, yet. Recent studies relate the ingestion of coriander seeds to a decrease in blood sugar levels.
Popular Mexican foods that use cilantro include: Nearly every Mexican dish incorporates cilantro, notably salsas, rice, guacamole, tacos, ceviche, and many more.
All of the herbs and spices listed above can likely be found in your local market. For optimal health, you want to be absolutely sure that what you’re getting is organic or pesticide-free. Many towns and pueblos have organic-specific markets. If unsure, look into local CSA programs that work with “agroecological” farms. Joy Hernandez, who runs Arca Tierra’s online pantry of Mexican products and Canasta (CSA) program, works in tandem with local chinampas in Xochimilco, as well as suppliers from Veracruz to Puebla, to provide clients with pesticide-free food. You’ll find several items above, including seasonal cilantro and cinnamon from Puebla.
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.
There are thousands of hidden cenotes waiting to be discovered close to Chichen Itza. (Unsplash)
When people say cenote, they usually imagine swimming alone in turquoise waters surrounded by natural beauty. But while images of paradise run through our minds, well-known spots tend to be overcrowded and can ruin the experience for some visitors.
Cenotes are natural sinkholes created over the ages as acid rain and sea water dissolved the porous limestone plain we call the Yucatán Peninsula. Paradoxically, although the region receives considerable rainfall and has fertile soil, it is extremely inhospitable to human life because its limestone soil makes its water table inaccessibly low. Some parts of the peninsula, like the Puuc region, have no natural bodies of surface water at all.
Cenote Lol-Ha en Yaxunah. (Turismo Yucatán)
One of the great feats of Maya civilization was managing water supply through engineering works like reservoirs to collect rain. The Mayas also collected water from cenotes: the word itself comes from the Yucatec Maya “dzonot,” or “water deposit.”
Tourist agencies in Quintana Roo say that many of the visitors to the Yucatán Peninsula travel to cenotes, some of which see around 1,500 to 2,000 visitors daily. Additionally, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chichen Itzá in Yucatán is one of the most popular attractions in Mexico, receiving over two million visitors every year.
There are thousands of hidden cenotes near the ancient Maya city, each with its own distinct flavor and charm. For nature lovers and adventure seekers who prefer to skip the lines, here’s a list of the top five best-kept secret cenotes close to Chichen Itzá.
If there is a place that captures picturesque scenes inspiring legends about the fountain of youth, it would be Lol-Ha. A medium-sized open cenote couched within a quiet village of 800 people, it’s just the place for a relaxing swim away from the crowds. Located just 14 miles from Chichen Itzá, the village of Yaxunah shares its name with a neighboring archaeological site. A key town on an ancient bustling trade route, it is the eastern gateway to the longest known road built by the Maya (over 60 miles). Today, the village is home to the famous Amazonas de Yaxunah, an Indigenous women’s softball team whose players are famous for competing barefoot and wearing a traditional huipil blouse.
Cost: 100 pesos.
How to get there: Taxis and moto taxis from Pisté and Chichen Itzá charge around 100 pesos.
Laguna Verde
The largest cenote on the list is also a place of myth and legend: locals from Libre Unión claim Tzukan, the snake guardian of the cenote, resides in its depths. The serpent spirit is said to create a whirlpool at the center of the lagoon that lifts it vertically into the air. Despite the stories, the Laguna Verde is visited by local families from the nearby villages of Libre Union and Yaxcabá, who come mostly on weekends. Wildlife is abundant on its shores, from tadpoles to colorful fish that harmlessly nip your toes, giving you a free pedicure.
Cost: Free
How to get there: Take a taxi or moto taxi from either Libre Unión (50 pesos) or Yaxcabá (100 pesos).
Located just a few hundred meters from the Laguna Verde, this medium sized open cenote is not for swimming; it’s for exploring. An astonishingly intact Maya mural – warriors and priests are depicted alongside a frog with water droplets over its head – is carved into its stone walls. Archaeologists believe the ancient Maya held frogs as sacred and associated their calls with the coming of rain. Interestingly, both Cenote X’tojil and the Laguna Verde have large populations of frogs sustained by their interconnected ecosystem today.
Cost: Free
How to get there: Take a taxi or moto taxi from either Libre Union (50 pesos) or Yaxcabá (100 pesos).
This untouched beauty is a little trickier to find, but with some help from friendly locals, it is possible and well worth the effort. An open, medium sized cenote, Popolá can be slightly intimidating to swim in because of its remoteness and wild appearance. It was once renovated for tourism but was left abandoned for some years, so the jungle has slowly reclaimed its edges. It is sometimes possible to find native stingless melipona bees hovering over its turquoise waters, occasionally darting down for a drink. This is the closest cenote to Chichen Itzá on the list.
Cost: for around 80 pesos with local guides at the village ministry.
How to get there: Taxis or moto taxis from Pisté and Chichen Itzá charge around 50 pesos.
If you are a bird watcher, the Cenote Cantó is the place to be. This large, semi-open cenote is visited by all types of tropical winged species, from the Yucatan great horned owl to the shining bluish-green-colored Motmot bird. Roughly between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., hundreds of birds that come to the cenote to feed on insects create a kind of vortex as they fly, putting on a serene natural spectacle daily. The water at the bottom may be murky and uninviting, but for those who want to see how crucial cenotes are to the jungle ecosystem, Cenote Cantó is the perfect choice.
Another tricky place to find that may require the services of a local guide.
Cost: Free
How to get there: Walk about 40 minutes or bike for around 15 from downtown Valladolid – there are plenty of rental bikes available.
Some of the cenotes on this list may not be for the faint-hearted, and it is always prudent to take extra caution when visiting those in remote areas.
The brand started its journey in 2018 when Toshiharu Tanamachi (Creative Director) got tired of the monotony in men's clothing. (Photos Montserrat Castro)
This past September saw the runway debut of CDMX-born fashion brand, Tanamachi. Hosted by the Echo Experimental Museum in the Colonia Cuauhtémoc of Mexico City, around 200 people attended the avant-garde event produced by the cultural agency Momo Room.
The long-awaited show lasted around twenty minutes, featuring fifteen models wearing 30 different looks; each one dressed from head to toe in makeup, jewelry, clothing, and allure.
They’re looking to restore the romance and fantasy that once surrounded not only clothing but the clothing industry in Mexico. (Photos Instagram)
Most of the pieces were created from scratch specifically for the show and were brought to life by the models with a fierce and magnetic intentionality. Dresses, shorts, pants, shoes, skirts, tops, coats, boots – all were curated to the viewer’s pleasure, and in a wide variety of colors and fabrics.
The History of Tanamachi
September’s show represented a new beginning for Tanamachi founders Toshiharu Tanamachi and Mauricio López. In an interview with Mexico News Daily after the show, Tanamachi and López brought some contextual light to the catwalk.
The brand started its journey in 2018 when Creative Director Toshiharu Tanamachi felt tired of the monotony in men’s clothing. “Traditional men’s clothing has been basically the same for three hundred years: a suit coat and pants. (…) There are a thousand variations of a suit coat and pants, but they are still the same pieces from three hundred years ago,” said Toshiharu. His idea is that clothing has no gender, and at the end of the day, clothes are clothes, worn by whoever wants to wear them.
In their disregard for gender – Tanamachi clothes don’t have it. (Photos Instagram)
In the beginning, Toshiharu was more fixated on men’s suits, only working on tailored suits and doing general tailoring services. He would add interesting and different touches to his pieces and used only fabric remnants that he found in downtown Mexico City. “Sometimes we found ten meters of one fabric, sometimes twenty,” he said, meaning that sometimes, Toshiharu had to use more than one fabric on a piece depending on how many scraps he had.
When the pandemic slowed down the world of fashion and the demand for tailored suits, Toshiharu met Mauricio López, who joined the brand as Production Director and, as Toshiharu puts it, did a 180° flip on his business vision. Together, the two realized that if they incorporated ready-to-wear pieces into their tailor-made business model, they would have better access to the fashion market and would be able to explore and create more.
“The vision for Tanamachi has always been good, before and after my involvement. … It has always been a very elegant [style of] tailoring that converges with functionality… [and] modern aesthetics,” said Mauricio.
Now, the team makes tailored pieces, like the ones presented at the fashion show, as well as ready-to-wear items. They are also putting a deeper focus on daily wear, as opposed to pieces that will be worn once a year at an elegant event and suspended in time inside a closet for the rest of the year.
“We also want to make clothes that are functional, that tell a story but that you can also use every day,” Toshiharu said. “We are believers that clothes go further and deeper than something you simply put on. [Clothing] is a way of communicating and can do everything from transmitting emotions to reflecting societal problems of a particular moment in time.”
Backstage: The Fashion Show Story
Their inspiration comes first and foremost from Mexico City. (Photos Instagram)
What story were Tanamachi’s clothes conveying at the fashion show? Put simply, the story of who they are: two gay men living in Mexico City, capital of a cosmopolitan country that has it all, despite remaining largely conservative.
Their inspiration comes first and foremost from the city, which is, according to Toshiharu and Mauricio, “an oasis of openness.” “We don’t get inspired by, I don’t know, French rococo in the sixteenth century,” said Toshiharu, jokingly. “We try to find inspiration in what is real, what surrounds us.”
Not that it’s wrong to look far for inspiration. But at Tanamachi, the creators cherish the rawness of the reality they live in, for good or bad. “That’s what we try to talk about,” Toshiharu continued, “the vices and virtues of Mexico City today.”
In our interview, Toshiharu and Mauricio shared insight on the research they did before their most recent show. In the 1950s, Mexican-German artist Mathias Goeritz designed the space that now harbors the “Echo Museum,” creating it to be a platform for art without precedent in the Mexican and international context. The space has served many purposes, functioning as a nightclub, a site for political get-togethers, an experimental museum, and a restaurant.
As they continued their research, Toshiharu and Mauricio found that Goeritz and the architect Luis Barragán had a secret relationship. The restaurant at the Echo is where they would hang out, a place considered a hub for the queer community in the 50’s.
“We found a quote from Diego Rivera, where he says in a derogatory way: ‘The Echo is just a space for the capital’s homosexuals to parade the runway.’ And we were like, wow! That’s literally what we are going to do,” they recounted excitedly.
Tanamachi chose to illuminate the rooms of the Echo with a touch of its former glory, setting the former scene of the once highly-coveted gay restaurant.
Throughout the space, they placed multiple rectangular tables, set to look like they had been dined at: sets of plates, glasses of wine and whiskey with lipstick smears, ashtrays with fake cigarette butts, and cloth napkins embroidered with Tanamachi’s slogan: “Appearances are worth more than virtues (Más valen las apariencias que las virtudes).” The runway surrounded these tables, giving the lucky guests sitting at them a close-up look at the models.
Accessibility
Since theEcho Experimental Museumis owned by The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the show was free and open to the public.
Elegant tailoring that converges with functionality, converges with modern aesthetics. (Photos Instagram)
One of Tanamachi’s values is making fashion more accessible. They opened registration more than a week before the event, hoping to give anyone interested a chance to attend. “We want to break the stigma, the structure, the elitism and classism that exists in the fashion world. We never wanted to do a runway where we’d only invite the influencers and the somethings-or-others,” said Mauricio.
Next to granting access to the public, Toshiharu and Mauricio prioritize accessibility in two other areas. First, in their disregard for gender – Tanamachi clothes don’t have one. They are for whoever wants to wear them, no matter their gender identity.
Second, the brand offers accessibility in the functionality and durability of their clothing. “You can buy a pair of pants for 3,000 pesos. But for example, our pantashort can be a perfect pair of pants, and a perfect pair of shorts at the same time. Or it can be a hybrid. You can style it based on your creativity,” explained Mauricio.
Thanks to that versatility, the lifespan of a Tanamachi piece of clothing is longer than that of any other piece in your closet. Additionally, the high-quality materials they use make that same piece of clothing more durable.
Appearances are worth more than virtues
“Appearances are worth more than virtues” is what Mauricio and Toshiharu suggest in their fall-winter 2023 collection. “Sometimes, if you dress well, whatever your sense of elegance may be, and whatever your sense of quality, you feel better. Your day changes, the way you face your daily responsibilities changes,” Mauricio explains.
The pair is looking to restore the romance and fantasy that once surrounded not only clothing but the clothing industry in Mexico. “A little of what we want to do and we’re finding it difficult, is to professionalize fashion as an industry [in Mexico]. For it to be taken seriously. So that we can create not only a ‘cool brand in La Roma,’ but a formal company that can generate jobs,” Toshiharu explained.
“We want to give dignity to the industry,” added Mauricio. “Believe it or not, this industry gave us many jobs for a long time. … Now it is somewhat punished. [In the past,] it went really well for us, then really bad, and when it went really bad, the dignity of sewing, designing, creating, was completely lost.”
Among their hopes and dreams for the future is their commitment to remain in Mexico City. The world has its eyes on the city, where there is a constant influx of interested and excited people arriving. “It is a big moment for queer culture and culture in general,” says Toshiharu.
Similarly to the ’50s, when Barragán and Goeritz found themselves succeeding the likes of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, Tanamachi finds itself at the crossroads of the past, present and future of fashion – ready for what’s to come.
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To explore and purchase Tanamachi’s creations, visit:
High-altitude areas in the country experienced low temperatures on Tuesday morning. (Cuartoscuro)
A cold weather front is sweeping Mexico, bringing below-freezing temperatures to four central states, as a low-pressure system off the Pacific coast is predicted to cause intense rains in some regions.
In itsTuesday morning report, the National Meteorological Service forecast temperatures between -5 and 0 degrees Celsius (23-32 F) in mountainous regions of México state, Hidalgo, Puebla and Tlaxcala.
Temperatures between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius (32-41 F) were also forecast in high-altitude regions across the center and north of the country, and even as far south as Chiapas. By contrast, low altitude regions could still see temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 F) in northern states such as Sinaloa and Sonora.
Meanwhile, the National Water Commission (Conagua) warned that a low-pressure area was forming off the coast of Jalisco and Colima, with a 90% probability of becoming a cyclone within the next 48 hours.
Although it is unclear whether the storm will make landfall, it will cause intense rains (75-150 mm) in Colima, Guerrero, south Jalisco and Michoacán; very heavy rains (50-75 mm) in Chiapas; and heavy rain (25-50 mm) in Oaxaca, Tabasco and Veracruz.
Conagua said that these rains would likely be accompanied by lightning and possible hail, and could cause landslides and flooding in low-lying areas. The local population is advised to take precautions and stay alert to instructions from civil protection authorities.
Winds of up to 90 km/h could hit the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and waves of 2-4 meters on the coasts of Oaxaca and Chiapas. Slightly less intense winds and waves are also predicted along Mexico’s eastern coast, easing towards the end of the day.
These conditions are linked to a weather phenomenon known as the “Norte” event, which occurs when polar masses pass through the Gulf of Mexico, often causing storms.
