Tag Archives: advice

Safety in Mexico City. Advice for Travelers. Featured in Mexico News Daily.

Posted on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 | 6 comments

Mexico News Daily asked me to write about SAFETY IN MEXICO CITY.  The feature story was published today! Let me know what you think.

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When The New York Times picked Mexico City as the #1 among 52 places to go in the world in 2016, I felt like doing a somersault. Finally, my much beloved and unfairly maligned Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX)—so deserving because of its remarkable history, culture, architecture, archeology, fashion, great food, and sophistication—was being recognized as a top tourist destination.

Recently, the World Tourism Organization Mexico named Mexico City the eighth most popular travel destination, garnering 35 million foreign visitors a year.

Yet, many still consider Mexico City a dangerous place, fraught with robbers, drug lords, pickpockets, scammers, muggers, kidnappers, purse-snatchers and other sordid folk ready to take the unsuspecting visitor for a ride to who knows where.

Read the Complete Feature Story Here!

The Mexico News Daily feature story includes tips for travelers, what to see, how to make a personal safety plan, and other advice based on my years of visiting there.

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Mexico City, Travel & Tourism

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Aye, My Aching Back! Keep the DSLR or Opt for Lighter Camera?

Posted on Sunday, September 27, 2015 | 2 comments

For the past three weeks I’ve been traveling in buses, airplanes, vans, taxis and collectivos in Mexico City, and the States of Mexico and Michoacan to discover more of Mexico. I’ve walked a fair piece over cobblestones and uneven pathways. I’ve climbed pre-Hispanic archeological pyramids with steps that are taller than me. All the while, hauling my wonderful Nikon D7000 (now getting a little beat up) and the big honker Nikkor 17-55mm photojournalist lens. I get great photos from this equipment, but I’m tired and can feel the weight in my back and shoulders. Is it time to give up this camera and lens?

I asked Italian photographer Alex (Alessio) Coghe, who lives in Mexico City, why he uses a lighter-weight mirrorless camera. Here is what he said. Perhaps this will interest you as you consider how much you want to schlepp around, too! All advice welcome.

My Choice by Alex Coghe

Many times people ask why I moved to mirrorless and compact cameras for my photography. As a commercial photographer, this has been my choice since 2010. In 2009, I spent two months in Mexico. It was my first visit and during it I never used my Nikon equipment, preferring to use an high-end compact camera: the Panasonic Lumix LX3.

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When I returned to Italy with a plan to get back to Mexico, I decided to sell all my Nikon gear to buy an Olympus E-P1 with its 17mm pancake lens which is equivalent to a 34mm in full frame. I can remember many friends saying I was crazy.

Well, now I use one camera and one lens and became a converted professional photographer with no remorse. Today, I see many photographers who decide to switch from DSLRs to mirrorless. In particular, I have colleagues who are choosing Fujifilm X series cameras, mostly X100 and XPRO.

Now I need to clarify that I never particularly loved digital reflex. I come from analog photography and I always preferred point & shoot cameras. I never liked the design and the approach of a DSLR, hiding my face behind a black plastic piece simply doesn’t work for what I do in the street.

Moreover, I always preferred to see what my eyes are seeing and not a reflection of the mirror system through the lens. This is an important part of my choice: I prefer to frame through an optical viewfinder. I do not fear the parallax error: Is it not the way the masters have photographed for almost a century?

As of this moment, I work with a Leica X2, a Fujifilm X100S, a Fujifilm X30 and sometimes I still use film cameras.

I am a commercial photographer, mostly working with models.  I am into fashion and and street photography. Small compact cameras allow me to have visual contact with the subjects. This is very important for my kind of approach and way to work because the psychological aspect is very important.

As a street photographer, I need compact, light cameras that allow me to work all day in the street. I also need the discretion and the “invisibility” offered by a small camera. For this reason I think the new rangefinder cameras are perfect for my work. Most of the cameras like this have a fantastic pre-set focus system, so I usually use full manual and zone focus when it comes to street photography.

A camera should not be an obstacle but something that can be an extension of my arm, just to satisfy my approach and get close to my vision.  My choice with the cameras is perfect for me and my work.

Norma’s Note: Thanks so much, Alex for contributing to Oaxaca Cultural Navigator. Now, I have some direction about what I may choose next. So hard to give up what you are used to. But, that’s true in almost anything that requires change, verdad?

Check out Alex’s website for 2015 Day of the Dead photo workshop in Oaxaca!

 Faces & Festivals Photography Workshop in Chiapas, early January with Denver photographer Matt Nager. Discounts for 2 people. Budget options. 

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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Photography

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Inside the Nasrid Palace: The Alhambra, Granada, Spain

Posted on Tuesday, May 5, 2015 | 12 comments

GranadaDay3_29-7  Carved wood, intricate plaster arches and decorative columns,  outstanding 13th century mosaics, and water, water everywhere define the palaces of the Nasrid kings at the Alhambra, Granada, Spain. The best description I have found is this one from Islamic Arts that offers you a virtual walking tour.

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How to Buy Tickets

It is not easy to gain entry. One must buy tickets online a month in advance of your visit. They are not available any earlier. My sister did this by staying up all night the day the tickets went on sale for the dates we wanted. There is a nine hour time difference between Spain and San Francisco.

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Tour groups seem to get priority, so within the hour of opening sales, the only tickets remaining were those in the afternoon time slot. That turned out to be a good thing for us since we still hadn’t adjusted to the time difference, we were moving slowly and we were inside the shade of the gardens and palace during the hottest part of the day!

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Tips for Visiting the Alhambra

  • Buy tickets for two days. One day is not enough. It takes one day to cover the Alhambra. There are two palaces — The Nasrid Palace and The Generalife, known as the summer palace. The territory is vast. There is a lot of walking and stair climbing.

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  • Rent the audio guide. It’s a must and definitely worth the extra euros. There are two stations: one at the entry by the ticket office and another inside by the Charles (Carlos) V Palace. You must return the guide to whichever place you picked it up because you have to leave an ID card as security.

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  • Eat lunch or dinner on the patio of the beautiful Parador Granada hotel. The cost is comparable to other venues, the views glorious, the gardens enchanting and the history is deep. It was the Franciscan monastery here where Isabella of Castile was first buried. Her remains were later removed to the Granada Cathedral by grandson Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

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  • Take your time in the Nasrid Palace. Once you enter at your appointed time there is no limit to how long you can be there. We had the afternoon time slot that allowed us to enter the grounds at 2 p.m. with an 8 p.m. exit. Our ticket gave us access to the palace at 3 p.m. We lingered and let all the rushing tour groups pass us by. We were inside for over two hours just savoring the experience.

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  • Sit wherever you can and listen to the water. Fountains and running water were part of Moslem art and an integral function for living a prayerful life. It is meditative and tranquil.

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  • Look up. The ceilings are filled with surprises. Honeycomb domes have been able to withstand centuries of earthquakes with little or no damage.

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  • Step into archways and niches. Even the backs of the openings are filled with messages and prayers, inscriptions in Arabic, remains of polychrome frescoes.

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It’s hot in Granada in April. Walking shoes, lightweight clothing, sun protection (cream and hat) are musts. The locals say in summer it can get close to a hundred degrees Fahrenheit. So, please plan your packing accordingly. Early mornings and night were chilly for us so we had shawls and jackets along, too.

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And, we were constantly thirsty. Water, water everywhere also means slurping down Gatorade to stay hydrated! Of course, the locals prefer to drink beer the beverage of choice beginning as early as 10 a.m.

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One afternoon we decided to walk down to the Darro River from the Alhambra to return to our hotel Casa Morisca. It’s a steep slope and in the descent you can understand how the Moors were able to rule the Iberian Peninsula from here for seven hundred years from this strategic mountain top.

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In 1492, at the beginning of the Inquisition, when Spain unified under the Catholic kings, Moors and Jews were required to convert to Catholicism or leave. Those who converted were always suspect of practicing their religion in hiding and were often brought before the Inquisition to test their faith.

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There were no surviving Jewish communities in Spain after 1492 and mosques are forbidden here. Many conversos moved to New Spain where they practiced Catholicism embedded with ancient Jewish rituals. We are in Girona now, north of Barcelona, where we are visiting the best surviving medieval Jewish neighborhood in Spain under the shadow of the most amazing Cathedral that was started in 1038 A.D. atop a Roman forum.

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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Photography, Travel & Tourism

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Post Knee-Replacement Surgery and Return to Oaxaca

Posted on Thursday, December 11, 2014 | 8 comments

You haven’t heard from me since Thanksgiving, two weeks ago.  That’s because I’ve been flat on my back recovering, calmed by a drug-induced stupor from ample doses of powerful pain medications Oxycontin and Oxycodone.

I can’t remember ever having such surreal dreams, supercharged, electrified, day-glow wonders.  My mind took me to worlds I’ve never been, to the middle of a lightening storm of a Fourth of July fireworks show, up in space surrounded by the sounds of a rock band amplified for the universe to hear in one blast. No wonder there’s a black market for these meds.

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It was then I realized I was hallucinating, I was on an emotional roller-coaster and needed to get off the drugs as soon as I could. As I sat in the hospital bed posing for the post-op glamour shot in my last post, I had no idea that moving through the recovery would be so difficult. And, I expected to be driving a car after two weeks.  Huh!

Today, I get the staples removed. My plan is to return to Oaxaca just before Christmas. We shall see.  Meanwhile, I’m down to one oxycodone a day. I must say I could miss that dream I had last night, being somewhere amid an extravaganza of indigenous Oaxaca clothing at an expoventa the likes of which I have never attended before. Gourmet chefs in the adjoining hall prepared the most dazzling buffet of roasted root vegetables, squashes, corn, blue tortillas. The colors were a palette of freshness, goodness, deep magenta, ochre, spring green.  Perhaps this is a signal I’m getting my appetite back!

It’s what Blanche DuBois said,  “…. I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.”  Well, not exactly. I’ve been in the wonderful care of dear friends Chris and Jeff in their home. Cindy rescued me for outings when I thought stir crazy is a permanent state of mind. Dear Oaxaca and North Carolina friends called, emailed, visited and sent flowers. My Facebook friends gave me incredible support and lots of value advice. My family connected from California regularly via FaceTime. This helps immensely. Being alone, physical or virtual, during this type of recovery is not recommended.

Even with my partial knee replacement, great physical therapy sessions from Phil, and an excellent Duke Medicine orthopedic surgeon Rhett Hallows, M.D, the discomfort is real. But, the medications put a heavier burden on the body than I expected.  Here is my advice:

  • Talk with your care team before you leave the hospital. Understand the power of the medications and how to taper off the use of them before the Rx runs out.
  • Don’t go cold turkey. Don’t let the Rx run out without making your escape plan.
  • See when you can begin substituting Tylenol or acetaminophen instead of the Oxycodone to wean yourself off.
  • Take the laxatives prescribed regularly, your body shuts down with the drugs. Drink lots of water.

Most people go home from this “half knee” surgery in two days. I wanted to stay three. I was not allowed because insurance would cover it.  I’d say right now, I’ve turned the corner and by New Year’s Eve, perhaps I’ll be ready to dance again.

Today, I’m walking with one crutch, climbing stairs to a second story and eating breakfast.

And, by tomorrow, I will have quit the drugs completely!  Hurray. When I will have something else to say, I don’t know.

 

 

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Posted in Health Care

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Norma Hawthorne’s 9 Tips for Living in Mexico Successfully (Mas o Menos)

Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 | 6 comments
Norma Hawthorne’s 9 Tips for Living in Mexico Successfully (choose your own priority order):
  1. Speak the language. Learn to speak the language. Try to learn to speak the language. Keep trying.  Hire a tutor.  Take a class.  Don’t give up and expect Spanish-speakers to understand you!  Otherwise, you will stay isolated within the gringo community.
  2. Before driving to Mexico, sell your high-performance vehicle in the U.S. and buy something simple that Mexican mechanics know how to repair, like a Ford, a Nissan, or a Honda.  I recently sold my 10-year old Saab 900s and bought a 2003 Honda CRV in preparation for my Oaxaca move.
  3. Visit many times (at least three or four) for at least several weeks at a time before you make the commitment to even rent in a particular location.  Stay with friends.  Talk to people.  Get the “lay of the land.”  Don’t let the romantic notion of living in Mexico — where it is warm, friendly and inexpensive — turn your head too quickly.
  4. Rent, don’t buy or build immediately.  Start out with several weeks in the winter.  Then, come in the off-season – during the rains or in the hot and dusty months.  Know what you are getting into regarding the climate.   It’s not pure blue sky and balmy days year ‘round.
  5. Create a base of friends and a support system before you make the move.  Get connected with local cultural organizations or volunteer groups.  For example, expats gather at the Oaxaca Lending Library for educational infrastructure, connection, and doing good in the world of Oaxaca.
  6. Expand your multicultural lifestyle and friendship circles – get to know the locals to appreciate and share history, culture, wisdom.  Understand that you are a guest in someone else’s country.  Treat all with respect and kindness.
  7. Understand that cultural competency means accepting things the way they are rather than trying to change them or make things “better” (in our own image of what is right).  Mexicans know what is best for them in their country — they have been living this way for thousands of years.  There is a lot we can learn from them without trying to “fix” it to suit U.S. standards.
  8. Stay open to adventure, to change, to the unpredictability of what each day might bring, to opportunity and who you might meet, what unusual delicacy you might taste, an impromptu invitation.
  9. Relax and enjoy yourself.  Saving money should not be your primary motivation for moving to Mexico.  It should be to expand your cultural competency, improve your language skills, and to stretch yourself through exploration and discovery.

Want to add your tips in the Comment section?

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