Rose Georgina Kingsley (1845-1925)

 Authors, Non-fiction  No Responses »
Apr 222012
 

Rose Georgina Kingsley (1845-1925) was the oldest child of the Rev. Charles Kingsley, the celebrated English clergyman and novelist, who contributed the prologue to her book South by west or winter in the Rocky Mountains and spring in Mexico.

Rose Kingsley had crossed the Atlantic to Colorado Springs in November 1871 to join her brother, Maurice, who was assistant treasurer of the company developing Colorado Springs. Even by 1872, there were less than 800 residents, so both Kingsleys were pioneer settlers. The founder of Colorado Springs, General William Jackson Palmer, a railway entrepreneur, also owned a newspaper Out West which published several columns and sketches by Rose Kingsley.

The Denver and Rio Grande train had been operating for only a week when Rose Kingsley boarded it en route to Colorado Springs. She quickly felt at home and rapidly made friends in the ever-changing community that she grew to love. She taught in the local school, begun by Palmer’s wife, Queen, for a short while, but did not enjoy the experience. Little did she realize at that time that she would, in 1884, and with the help of Dr. Joseph Wood, later Headmaster of Harrow, found The Kingsley School, in Leamington Spa, England.

Rose Kingsley went on to write many more books, including A History of French Art, 1100-1899 (1899) and Roses and Rose Growing (1908).

When General Palmer decided in 1872 to examine possible routes for a railway linking Texas to Manzanillo, Rose Kingsley was invited to join his wife Queen and General William Rosencrans on the trip. The group landed in Manzanillo and then headed inland to Colima, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Querétaro and Mexico City.

In chapter XVII of South by west or winter in the Rocky Mountains and spring in Mexico, Kingsley describes the route from Guadalajara past the northern shore of Lake Chapala on the way to Mexico City. Following a common convention of the time, she uses only initials to identify important people; several of the individuals referred to have been identified by historians. For instance, “Mrs. P.” is Mrs Queen Palmer, and Mr. C. is Mr. Duncan Cameron.

Kingsley’s account of this route serves as an introduction to set the scene for so many other travelers, who would follow this exact same route from Guadalajara to Chapala in years to come. It is 1872…

April 13.— Guadalajara to Ocotlan.

At 6.15 A.M. we left hospitable Guadalajara, carrying away none but the pleasantest reminiscences of our stay of six days.

Pablo, a pleasant young fellow, who had been our cochero in Guadalajara, came with us as mozo, and was in a state of supreme delight at being armed with a Henry rifle and revolver. Mr. M. also came with us as far as La Barca.

The usual route from Guadalajara to the capital is by La Venta, Lagos, Leon, and Guanaguato; but for two reasons we chose the more southern route, past Lake Chapala and up the Rio Lerma. First, because the engineer’s party from the north (of whom we had heard nothing as yet, which made us very anxious) must pass along that route, and so be able to give a report on it. Secondly, because we were told the Chapala route was shorter and better, if there can be anything “better” in one Mexican road than another. Certainly, after the first few miles it was bad enough—rough and stony, and in the softer places there were clouds of dust.

At San Pedro [Tlaquepaque] we stopped and got three men as escort, and at 9.30 came to San Antonio, a hacienda where we changed mules, and had breakfast in a hut by the roadside. The women in the hut, which was only made of sticks and thatch, gave us eggs, frijoles, tortillas, and carne seca, in chilli colorado sauce, which for hotness almost beat the mole de guajalote at Atenquique. But besides these native viands we got capital chocolate, made from some cakes we had brought with us. So, on the whole, we fared well.

At 12.15 we came to the summit of a small pass (4850 feet), and there before us lay a splendid valley, rich with golden wheat-fields, with a fine river flowing through it on our left to the north-west; and we knew we had struck the great central valley of Mexico, commonly known as the Valley of the Lerma.

This valley is one of the richest portions of the Republic. Its length, between Guadalajara and Queretaro, is about 230 miles, and its greatest width (between Leon and the mountains of Michoacán), 60 miles. About one-tenth of the available land in it is under cultivation. Wheat, maize, and beans grow freely without irrigation, yielding good crops year after year without the slightest pains being taken to improve the soil. With irrigation and better farming two crops might be obtained; and when a market for the produce, and easy means of transportation are supplied, this tract will become one of the most important wheat-growing districts of the world. The amount of wheat which could be raised in this valley alone has been variously estimated from 500,000 to 1,000,000 tons yearly, equal to or surpassing the whole yearly yield of California.

This is an extract from chapter 30 of “Lake Chapala Through the Ages: an anthology of travellers’ tales”, available as either as a regular  printed book or a Kindle e-book.

Lake Chapala Through the Ages – now released as a Kindle e-book

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Apr 192012
 

By popular demand, the much-lauded “Lake Chapala Through the Ages: an anthology of travellers’ tales” has now been released as a Kindle e-book (available via amazon.com).

The following description applies to both the print version and the e-book version:

Lake Chapala Through the AgesLake Chapala is no longer a paradise without a past

Join award-winning author Tony Burton as he explores the fascinating history of the Lake Chapala region’s formative years from the arrival of conquistadors in the early 1500s to the start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910.

Insightful and entertaining commentary enhances this unique collection of extracts from more than fifty original sources.

Poets, friars, travellers, exiles and scientists overcome bandits and natural disasters to offer captivating tales of courage, greed, delight, unexpected triumphs and much, much more.

xiv+215 pages, with map, more than twenty original illustrations, glossary, bibliographic references and index.

Illustrated by Rosemary Chan. Published by Sombrero Books, 2008.

“Ambitious and encyclopaedic; well organized and engagingly presented” – Richard Perry, Author and Publisher, colonial-mexico

“A must-read, full of little-known facts; a brilliant anthology that reveals Lake Chapala in a whole new light.” – David McLaughlin, Publisher, MexConnect

Chapter titles of “Lake Chapala Through the Ages: an anthology of travellers’ tales“:

Part One: 1530-1800
1 Conquistadors describe the lake – 1530 …………………………………. 3
2 Indian chieftains and Franciscan friars – mid-16th century ………. 5
3 Floods, comets, idols and earth tremors – 16th century ………….. 15
4 Converting the barbarians – mid-16th century ……………………… 18
5 Gathering geographic knowledge – 1579-1586 ……………………… 20
6 Visits to the Lake Chapala friaries – 1585-1586 …………………….. 28
7 Lake Chapala—as large as an ocean? – c.1600 ………………………. 36
8 A geographic description – 1601-1605 ……………………………….. 38
9 Fishing and farming – 1621 ……………………………………………….. 41
10 San Francisco de Tizapán – 1690 …………………………………….. 43
11 The south-eastern marshlands – 1746 ………………………………. 46
12 Early censuses – 1768 & 1791-1793 …………………………………. 48

Part Two: 1800-1850
13 A rift in the tableland? – 1803 ………………………………………… 51
14 The first detailed map of Lake Chapala – 1816-1817 ……………54
15 A post-Independence statistical account – 1821-1822 …………56
16 Mezcala Island—scene of rebellion – 1824 ………………………..60
17 A visit to Mezcala Island – 1826 ………………………………………67
18 From Tlachichilco to La Barca; hunting water-fowl – 1827 …..72
19 Visiting the prisoners on Presidio (Mezcala) Island – 1831……76
20 Mezcala Island: picturesque place of pain – 1836 ……………….80
21 The natural history of Lake Chapala – 1837 ……………………….82
22 Villages, farms and floods – 1843 …………………………………….87
23 Earthquake! – 1847 ………………………………………………………91

Part Three: 1850-1890
24 Lake Chapala—prospects for the future – 1857 ………………….92
25 The lake’s potential value as a trading route – 1854-1863 ……94
26 Overnighting in haciendas – 1864-1865 ……………………………98
27 Request to drain part of the lake – 1867 …………………………..104
28 The opposition of local villagers – 1868 …………………………..107
29 The romantic shores of Lake Chapala – 1869 ……………………110
30 The journal of an English lady – 1872 ……………………………..112
31 A fanciful sketch of the lake – 1867-1877 ………………………..117
32 The first English-language guide book – 1886 …………………. 120
33 The marshes and wildlife of the eastern lakeshore – 1886 …. 121
34 Agriculture, trade and potential summer resort – 1888 ……. 125
35 On board a paddle-steamer – 1883-1889 ……………………….. 128

Part Four: 1890-1900
36 Chapala? Sí, señor! – 1892 …………………………………………… 131
37 Lake Chapala – a major attraction – 1893 ……………………….. 135
38 A quaint inn and romantic beauty – 1893 ……………………….. 139
39 Giant Whirlpool—a startling spectacle – 1896 …………………. 142
40 The little pottery objects of Lake Chapala – 1897 ……………. 144
41 Across the lake by steamer – 1897 ………………………………… 147
42 The new, revised complete guide – 1899 ………………………… 150
43 A dream of a throne – 1898 ………………………………………….. 153
44 The Hotel Arzapalo and a stagecoach ride – c 1898-1899 ….. 158
45 A famous ichthyologist visits the lake – 1898-9 ……………….. 162

Part Five: 1900-1910
46 Chapala the beautiful – 1900 ………………………………………… 164
47 Chapala as I saw it – 1900-1901 …………………………………….. 168
48 An anthropologist finds votive offerings – 1902 ………………. 172
49 Two bird-lovers at Lake Chapala – 1904 …………………………. 174
50 Chapala—a place for the leisure class – 1904-1907 …………… 179
51 Chapala today – 1907 …………………………………………………… 181
52 A place of contrasts – 1909 …………………………………………… 186
53 Lake Chapala, a traveller’s handbook – 1909 ……………………. 190
54 Notes on some water-fowl – 1909 ………………………………….. 195
55 Holy Week and the elite of Mexican society – 1909-1910 …… 197

 

 Posted by at 5:05 pm

Chapter titles for “Lake Chapala Through The Ages, an Anthology of Travellers’ Tales”

 Non-fiction, Travel  No Responses »
Feb 112010
 

This is the list of chapter titles for Lake Chapala Through The Ages, an Anthology of Travellers’ Tales:

Part One: 1530-1800
1 Conquistadors describe the lake – 1530 …………………………….. 3
2 Indian chieftains and Franciscan friars – mid-16th century ………. 5
3 Floods, comets, idols and earth tremors – 16th century …………. 15
4 Converting the barbarians – mid-16th century …………………….. 18
5 Gathering geographic knowledge – 1579-1586 …………………….. 20
6 Visits to the Lake Chapala friaries – 1585-1586 ……………………. 28
7 Lake Chapala—as large as an ocean? – c.1600 …………………….. 36
8 A geographic description – 1601-1605 ………………………………. 38
9 Fishing and farming – 1621 ……………………………………………. 41
10 San Francisco de Tizapán – 1690 …………………………………… 43
11 The south-eastern marshlands – 1746 ……………………………… 46
12 Early censuses – 1768 & 1791-1793 ………………………………… 48

Part Two: 1800-1850
13 A rift in the tableland? – 1803 ………………………………………… 51
14 The first detailed map of Lake Chapala – 1816-1817 ………………. 54
15 A post-Independence statistical account – 1821-1822 ……………. 56
16 Mezcala Island—scene of rebellion – 1824 …………………………… 60
17 A visit to Mezcala Island – 1826 ………………………………………. 67
18 From Tlachichilco to La Barca; hunting water-fowl – 1827 ………… 72
19 Visiting the prisoners on Presidio (Mezcala) Island – 1831………….. 76
20 Mezcala Island: picturesque place of pain – 1836 …………………… 80
21 The natural history of Lake Chapala – 1837 ………………………….. 82
22 Villages, farms and floods – 1843 ………………………………………. 87
23 Earthquake! – 1847 ………………………………………………………. 91

Part Three: 1850-1890
24 Lake Chapala—prospects for the future – 1857 ………………………. 92
25 The lake’s potential value as a trading route – 1854-1863 ………….. 94
26 Overnighting in haciendas – 1864-1865 ………………………………… 98
27 Request to drain part of the lake – 1867 ……………………………… 104
28 The opposition of local villagers – 1868 ……………………………….. 107
29 The romantic shores of Lake Chapala – 1869 …………………………..110
30 The journal of an English lady – 1872 ……………………………………112
31 A fanciful sketch of the lake – 1867-1877 ………………………………117
32 The first English-language guide book – 1886 …………………………. 120
33 The marshes and wildlife of the eastern lakeshore – 1886 …………… 121
34 Agriculture, trade and potential summer resort – 1888 ……………….. 125
35 On board a paddle-steamer – 1883-1889 ………………………………. 128

Part Four: 1890-1900
36 Chapala? Sí, señor! – 1892 ……………………………………………….. 131
37 Lake Chapala – a major attraction – 1893 ………………………………. 135
38 A quaint inn and romantic beauty – 1893 ………………………………. 139
39 Giant Whirlpool—a startling spectacle – 1896 ………………………….. 142
40 The little pottery objects of Lake Chapala – 1897 …………………….. 144
41 Across the lake by steamer – 1897 ………………………………………. 147
42 The new, revised complete guide – 1899 ……………………………….. 150
43 A dream of a throne – 1898 ………………………………………………. 153
44 The Hotel Arzapalo and a stagecoach ride – c 1898-1899 ……………. 158
45 A famous ichthyologist visits the lake – 1898-9 ……………………….. 162

Part Five: 1900-1910
46 Chapala the beautiful – 1900 …………………………………………….. 164
47 Chapala as I saw it – 1900-1901 ………………………………………… 168
48 An anthropologist finds votive offerings – 1902 ………………………… 172
49 Two bird-lovers at Lake Chapala – 1904 ………………………………… 174
50 Chapala—a place for the leisure class – 1904-1907 ……………………. 179
51 Chapala today – 1907 ……………………………………………………… 181
52 A place of contrasts – 1909 ………………………………………………. 186
53 Lake Chapala, a traveller’s handbook – 1909 ……………………………. 190
54 Notes on some water-fowl – 1909 ……………………………………….. 195
55 Holy Week and the elite of Mexican society – 1909-1910 …………….. 197

 Posted by at 11:09 am

The Tarahumar of Mexico by Campbell W. Pennington

 Maps, Non-fiction  No Responses »
Feb 042010
 

Cover of The Tarahumar of MexicoThe Tarahumar of Mexico, Their Environment and Material Culture contains a wealth of valuable information about one of Mexico’s most distinctive indigenous groups.
The Tarahumar (more commonly, but less correctly, the Tarahumara) live in the Copper Canyon region of Northern Mexico. In many ways, their way of life has remained unchanged for centuries. This area has spectacular scenery, and numerous massive canyons. The main canyon – the Urique Canyon – is longer, deeper and narrower than the US Grand Canyon, so ‘spectacular’ is definitely the right word!
The famous Copper Canyon railway, linking Los Mochis and El Fuerte to Divisadero and Creel. passes right through this area.
One subgroup of Tarahumar Indians moves with the seasons from caves near the canyon rim in summer to camps near the canyon floor (at lower altitude where the weather is warmer) during the winter.
The Tarahumar are the subject of several anthropological classics, and this is definitely one of them. This study integrated available archeological data and historical material with extensive field work among the Tarahumar in 1955. The book includes a discussion of agriculture; gardening; tree culture; food preparation; hunting; gathering and fishing; animal husbandry; beverages; ceremonies; games; drug plants; leather, fibers, textiles and personal adornment; and household articles and habitations.

Published by Editorial Agata, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, 1996. Soft Cover. Book Condition: BRAND NEW (may have minor shelfwear rubbing). A few copies only remain; this publisher is no longer in business.
This book has 33 b/w photographs, 12 full-colour photographs (found only in this edition), and 4 fold out maps in the back pocket (Two maps show the historical boundaries of the Tarahumar country; one map shows Mean annual precipitation, and the fourth map shows physiographic regions; all maps are 1:500,000 scale).
Price: $19.95 Buy here!

Review of Lake Chapala Through the Ages, an anthology of travellers’ tales

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Feb 032010
 

This review, by poet James Tipton, first appeared in MexConnect online mazazine.

Lake Chapala Through the AgesTony Burton’s passion is Mexico, and particularly Western Mexico. Most readers of MexConnect find his many articles on Mexico to be both fascinating and useful, articles with titles like “Guayabitos – the Family Vacation Spot,” or the four-part series, “Can Mexico’s Largest Lake Be Saved,” or “Butterflies by the Million: The Monarchs of Michoacán.” Burton currently puts together “Did You Know? Facts About Mexico,” a monthly MexConnect feature, offering answers to such questions as: “Did you know blacks outnumbered Spaniards in Mexico until after 1810?” or “Did you know the oldest winery in the Americas is in Parras de la Fuente” or “Did you know the birth control pill came from Mexican yams?” [Note: all of these articles are accessible in the Lake Chapala Maps – 2008. Obviously Burton is no stranger to our shores here at Lake Chapala.

Lake Chapala through the Ages is “a collection of extracts from more than fifty original sources.” In the Introduction, Burton tells us his book “includes extracts from every published book that could be located which makes more than a passing mention of Lake Chapala, and which was written (originally) prior to 1910. Most are first hand accounts.”

Burton selected 1910 as the cut-off because “that marks the end of Chapala’s first tourist boom.” “Later that year the Mexican Revolution erupted. Mexico, including the Lake Chapala region, was thrown into chaos for more than a decade.”

Lake Chapala through the Ages presents, then, historical accounts, beginning in 1530 when the first conquistador wrote about seeing the lake – and also the town: “The scout, going over the mountains found himself in a village called Chapala and in other places whose names were not known at that time….” Lake Chapala through the ages ends with a piece about “Holy week and the elite of Mexican society 1909-1910,” in which we discover:

“Chapala, the most frequented settlement of the lake of the same name, serves as a meeting place during Holy Week for the elite of Mexican society. Elegant villas line the edge of the lake, surrounded by colorful gardens, created at great expense on the rocky soil of the beach. One of the prettiest, “El Manglar”, belongs to Mr. Elizaga, the brother-in-law of ex-President Díaz, who gives, in this enchanting setting, splendid Mexican fiestas, where nothing is lacking: cock fights, balls and joyous dinners.”

In addition to the excerpts, Burton himself provides many historical notes. We learn that Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec capital in August of 1521, but only two years later, in 1523, two “well-placed brothers, cousins of Hernán Cortés,” were given the encomienda (the right to collect tributes and labor from Indians)” for a vast area that included the shores of Lake Chapala. The Spanish subjugation of the Indians in this area was “a relatively peaceful process, which enabled many indigenous customs to survive largely unchanged into much more recent times.”

Most of the early accounts were written by Franciscan friars. The Franciscans “saw the New World as an opportunity, not only to convert the pagan masses of native Indians to Christianity, but also to put their idealistic ideas of utopian society into practice, and demonstrate that natives and Europeans could live in peaceful and productive co-existence.”

Some of the excerpts are about those early relationships with the Indians: “Converting the barbarians” (mid-16th century),” but others are about geographical details – “Gathering geographic knowledge” (1579-1585) or “Lake Chapala… as large as an ocean?” (1600c). Still others are about a new paradise, filled with abundance, and with fascinating new fruits and vegetables: “Some roots that are called xicamas grow there, shaped like, and almost the same color as, round turnips, without any root hairs, so thick that each one weighs at least thee pounds…. It is a very delicious fresh fruit, marvelous medicine for thirst, especially in hot weather and in hot lands.” (from “Visits to the Lake Chapala friaries” 1585-1586).

We discover, through Burton’s notes, that Domingo Lázaro de Arregui (Fishing and farming” 1621) made the earliest known historical reference to the making and consumption of tequila: roasting the roots and bases of agave plants then “by pressing these parts, thus roasted, they extract a must from which they distill a wine clearer than water and stronger than rum.”

In earlier censuses taken by the Spaniards (“Early censuses 1768 and 1791-1793″) we discover that Chapala had 123 Spaniards, 451 Indians, 37 mulattos and 671 castes, figures that were particularly interesting to me because the castes (those of more mixed parentage than mestizos or mulattos) now significantly outnumber the Spaniards and Indians combined.

Throughout Lake Chapala through the Ages, Burton selects highly varied material that does not bore us with the weight of history and ponderous prose but instead actually delights us and even makes us long for more. Many passages are actually charming, and the historical notes provided by Burton are themselves illuminating and pleasurable.

In his notes to “Mezcala Island – scene of rebellion” (1824), Burton tells us the Italian author, Giacomo Costantino Beltrami, was an “incurable romantic and inveterate roamer,” who among other accomplishments discovered the northern source of the Mississippi River. Beltrami describes his visit to Mezcala Island, which by 1824 was being used as a penitentiary, where the convicts, Beltrami notes, “are less harshly treated than in the penitentiaries of our World [Europe], the dictator of civilization.” Shortly after he visits “Oxotopec, ten milles from Axixis,” Beltrami, with his youthful eye, records that it is “the largest village of all those around the lake,” but that “it has nothing worth noting except for the pretty niece of the curate….”

Even as we move toward more recent times, when there are attempts to accurately determine the dimensions of Lake Chapala, we still find high imaginative descriptions of Lake Chapala. Felix Leopold Oswald in “A fanciful sketch of Lake Chapala” (1867-1877) announces Lake Chapala is “ten times as large as all the lakes of Northern Italy taken together, and four times larger than the entire canton of Geneva, – contains different islands whose surface area exceeds that of the Isle of Wight, and one island with two secondary lakes as big as Loch Lomond and Loch Katrine!” [The Isle of Wight, incidentally, is 23 x 13 miles, almost as large as Lake Chapala. Loch Lomond, Scotland's largest lake, is 24 x 5 miles.]

By the early 1900s, tourism comes into sharper focus. One early and popular traveller’s guide, Lake Chapala, a travellers’ handbook (1909) by Thomas Philip Terry lists rooms available in Chapala, e.g. Hotel Arzapalo, “facing the lake,” at $2.50 to $5 American Plan. In his note to this excerpt, Burton tells us that D. H. Lawrence, because of this handbook, was convinced to visit the lake; and of course Lawrence ultimately moved to Chapala in the mid-twenties and this is where he wrote The Plumed Serpent.

Those of us who live here, full time or part time, or who simply visit here have been relieved that the lirio, the noxious water hyacinth, seems at least for the time being to be well under control. I, like others, thought that the lirio problem originated only a few decades ago, but Burton tells us that it was introduced around the turn of the last century, and that by 1907, articles were being published about “the invasion of the terrible aquatic lirio,” which in some places “has completely blocked some docks, and in others it has appeared in such large masses that the Indians have been forced to suppress their trips, damaging trade, scared that they will be caught up in the wave of green.”

And so, there is something for everybody in Tony Burton’s, Lake Chapala through the Ages. Whether you are fascinated by the early history of the place where you now live or visit (or would like to visit), or whether you are interested in early accounts of the natural history of the region, or of the lake itself or whether you are fascinated by those votive objects found on the bottom of the lake, or whether you simply want to connect yourself more deeply to the place you now call home (or that is “home” in your imagination), this book is for you.

I think Lake Chapala through the Ages is terrific. Buy it!

Cartographic Mexico, a history of state fixations and fugitive landscapes

 Maps, Non-fiction  No Responses »
Feb 022010
 

This book by Raymond Craib (Duke University Press, 2004) is one-of-a-kind. Craib combines archival analysis of mainly 19th century documents with perceptive comments on the relationships between history and geography in Mexico from the mid-19th century until about 1930.

Craib emphasizes the significance of map-making in post-Independent Mexico as a means towards furthering nationalism and as a development tool. He traces the changing motives of map-makers, focussing especially on the key area of Veracruz-Puebla which served as Mexico’s main gateway to Europe for centuries.

Craib considers why certain place names acquired more prominence than others, and examines a case study of a mining area where the granting of water rights hinged on precisely where a particular river flowed, and which tributary had which name, a case where cartographic ‘proof’ proved to be impossible and where a pragmatic solution was required.

This is an important study, with meticulous footnotes and bibliography.

Note: This book is not stocked by Sombrero Books, but can easily be bought via amazon.com

NEW – Geo-Mexico, available on 15 January 2010

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Jan 052010
 

Geo-Mexico: the geography and dynamics of modern Mexico is a landmark new book by Dr. Richard Rhoda and Tony Burton. Advance copies have received great reviews. (See our sister site geo-mexico.com for full details).
The first edition is now printed in Mexico and being bound, and will be available, right on schedule (thank you Ediciones de la Noche), on January 15 (and YES, that is 2010…!)

For more details, visit our companion site: www.geo-mexico.com

Reader reviews of Western Mexico, a Traveller’s Treasury

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Jan 022010
 

“The area of Mexico covered by Mr. Burton’s book is filled with historical, cultural and geographical/geological riches. The problem for me as a resident of this area has been where to find them, and where to learn about them, once you have heard about them. This book has been a god-send as it has allowed us to learn and explore our “neighbourhood” with confidence and always rewarding experiences. If you are interested in more than beach, babes, and beer, then this is a wonderful book to use, or just to read, learn and dream. It is truly a “Mexico” book.
David McLaughlin, Jalisco, Mexico.

British born Tony Burton is a long time resident of Mexico and an award winning travel writer and naturalist. He has collected and updated the best of his writings over the years into what is a unique guidebook to western Mexico. Based on his frequent travels and intimate knowledge of the region, Tony offers his special insights into this scenic and culturally rich area of lakes and mountains, colonial towns and Indian villages. From San Blas on the Pacific coast to the celebrated Monarch butterfly refuge in the high Sierra of Michoacan, the author takes us to all of his favorite places along the less traveled roads of the region, revealing their history, ecology and archaeology, as well as their arts, crafts and folklore. I found the book to be especially valuable for his keen observations on, and enthusiasm for the varied natural wonders of western Mexico. Charmingly illustrated by artist Mark Eager, Tony’s guide is easy on the eye. It is well organized, packed with suggestions for the traveler, with suggested itineraries and detailed maps. A full bibliography and index is also appended.
Reader from Santa Barbara, California.

“I am very impressed with his literary style and his ability to transport the reader to the very presence of the action. I’ve never seen the villages or localities he describes but I can almost believe that I’m there, feeling the gentle breeze off the lake, hearing the birds, seeing the children in the square and seeing the changing scenes. Tony Burton adds a new dimension. He weaves in a history rich in detail and color. The book speaks about the pride of the Mexican people and their love of their homeland.”
Armchair Traveler from Vermont

“I have just finished reading your great book on Western Mexico and found it one of the most interesting and factual books on Mexico I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Even where I think I know a place, you add material that will increase my enjoyment and understanding the next time I visit.”
Editor of AIM (Adventures in Mexico).