September 5, 2008
Being published from Greece at the moment as the Bell's are on the road in Europe
 

Statement by US Ambassador Antonio O. Garza

Passport Cards Simplify Travel for Frequent Border-Crossers

Mexico City, September 4, 2008 - “Today I received one of the first of the new passport cards being issued by the Department of State to help make crossing the border easier for U.S. citizens.  Now, when I visit family along the border where I grew up, with the passport card in my wallet I can have lunch in Mexico and head back to the U.S. for dinner. 

“These new passport cards will simplify travel for the millions of U.S. citizens who live along the border by giving them an easily portable, secure and less expensive alternative to the traditional passport book for use when crossing from one side to the other. 

"The passport card may be used to enter the U.S. via land and sea at ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.  It may not be used for air travel.  U.S. citizens will still need their traditional passport books to travel by air, or to travel to other countries.

“U.S. citizens can apply for a passport card at the Embassy in Mexico City or any U.S. Consulate in Mexico.  The wallet-sized cards will be mailed to applicants three to four weeks after the application is filed.  The card will carry the same rights and privileges as the U.S. passport book and will have the same validity period: 10 years for adults; five for children 15 years of age and younger. 

“Adults (ages 16 and over) who already have a passport book may apply for the card for only $20; first-time adult applicants may apply for $45.  The fee for minors is $35.” 
For more information on applying for a U.S. passport card or passport, please visit: travel.state.gov

The Spirit of Mariachi Music              

            The only thing more Mexican than tequila is mariachi and it seems a shame to have one without the other.  Throughout the country, strolling musicians are commonly seen in restaurants or on the streets, decked out in matching silver studded (Charro) outfits playing a variety of instruments that include violins, guitars, vihuelas (5 string guitars) and trumpets.  They sing about machismo, love, betrayal, death, politics, revolutionary heroes and even animals (one famous song is “La Cucuaracha”-the cockroach).  Mariachi goes beyond entertainment, it is the sum of a cultural revolution that began in the southern part of Jalisco state in the 19th century.  This popular grassroots music encompasses the essence of Mexico and its people. Mariachi music embodies the culture, spirit and traditions that are unique to this country, an experience not to be missed 

       Click here to read the entire story

MEXICO HEADLINES

Mexico City launches community gardens

The 21 community gardens are part of the mayor's bid to improve the city's quality of life.

Teresa Trujillo's family income took a hit when her husband, a carpenter and the family's sole breadwinner, lost his job due to an illness just as food prices in Mexico started to skyrocket. So she looked for help with putting food on the table wherever she could find it. ….More 

Drug violence affecting Mexico's economy

The Mexican government estimates that growing drug-related violence in the country has slowed economic growth by as much as 1 percent….More

Money sent back to Mexico drops dramatically

The amount of money Mexicans sent home suffered its sharpest drop on record in July as the U.S. economy slowed and the dollar fell, Mexico's central bank reported Monday.

Remittances - Mexico's second-largest legal source of foreign income after oil - dropped by 6.9 percent in July compared to the year before…..More

Guanajuato is a colonial gem in Mexico

Mexico has more than its share of weird and wonderful things. If you are a traveller that enjoys something out of the ordinary, a trip to Mexico is not complete until you have visited Guanajuato…..More

Mexico energy reform debate

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Driving down to Mexico

For our 10th winter vacation in Mexico, my wife Linda and I decided to drive there for the first time. We have sojourned on the island of Cozumel off the east coast of Mexico, stayed at resorts in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Playa del Carmen, and rented a house for a month in the colonial San Miguel de Allende…..More 

Looking for the Best Place in the World to Retire?

During the past 15 years, International Living magazine has calculated its Annual Global Retirement Index; a resource intended to assist retirees and future retirees in evaluating and comparing the world's most popular retirement destinations. It is based on a number of criteria, giving various weights to each, depending on its importance to retirees. ….More

200,000 Thousand Protest
More than 200,000 white-clad demonstrators have taken to the streets in Mexico to protest over rising violent crime which has claimed 2,700 lives this year…..More

Mexican politician Rincon Gallardo dies at 69
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Gilberto Rincon Gallardo, a former socialist presidential candidate who gained respect in Mexico for defending the rights of the disabled, gays and other marginalized groups, died on Saturday. He was 69…..More
2nd Annual Copa Puerto Vallarta Tennis Tournament at Canto Del Sol, Sept. 2nd - 7th
The 2nd Annual Copa Puerto Vallarta professional tennis tournament will be held beginning Tuesday, September 2nd and will conclude on Saturday, September 7th, 2008 at the Canto Del Sol Resort and Tennis Club. Tennis Director Martin Parra announced on short notice that Puerto Vallarta and the Canto Del Sol has landed this important professional tournament for the second consecutive year…..More
 

Helpful Plant Lady: Angelina Frias Lopez

Chili plant

By Tara Spears

           Vivid colors! Lush greenery!  Tantalizing textures! Like a butterfly I am drawn to the weekly market plant displays in the church square. No matter how often I tell myself on Tuesday no more plants, I begin to salivate as soon as the flora comes into view.  Angelina greets me- there is no language barrier between kindred spirits- for we are true plant enthusiasts.  We move among the plants, discussing each plant’s requirements.  Angelina knows her stuff!

to read the entire story on the plant lady click here

 Learn Spanish Today  - Learn Spanish on-line for free, using interactive audio/visual lessons.

Ancient Pompei

 Photography by Bill Bell  to view Mexico Photography click below