Bøger udgivet af Sombrero Books

Award-winning travel writer Tony Burton reveals the magic of Western Mexico. Relaxed and intimate, this easy-to-read yet authoritative account features more than 35 original drawings by Canadian artist Mark Eager and 10 maps. Enjoy the author's unique insights into local history, ecology and traditions. Now in its fourth edition, the book remains a favorite among knowledgeable travelers visiting this region of Mexico. The 4th edition is one-third larger than the previous editions, and includes dozens of new places worth exploring. It incorporates several new chapters, including four devoted to the region around Zacatecas. Every chapter has new material. Maps have been redrawn and travel directions updated.A mixture of interests is represented. Included are historical sights such as Zacatecas, Lagos de Moreno and San Blas; artistic colonies like Ajijic; and lakeside communities, including Chapala and Pátzcuaro. Alongside them are ecological wonders, such as Manantlán and the monarch butterflies; old mining towns like Angangueo and Bolaños; coastal resorts such as Barra de Navidad and Puerto Vallarta; Indian villages like Angahuan, and a host of others.Many of these smaller places in Western Mexico offer a glimpse of the Mexico behind the mask; they are places where Mexico has retained her ancient culture and her ancient traditions.All the destinations in parts one and two are within day-trip range (maximum three hours driving time) from Guadalajara (Mexico's second city) or nearby Lake Chapala, a popular retirement center for Americans and Canadians. In part three, all the locations described are worth at least an overnight stay, though Tapalpa, Mazamitla and Tamazula are still within three hours driving time of Guadalajara-Chapala. Parts four to nine describe longer, three or four day trips, which are all well worth the investment of extra time.No fewer than 17 of the towns featured in the book have received the federal designation of "Pueblo Mágico" (Magic Town), in recognition of their cultural, historical or ecological significance, and facilities for visitors. There are now many excellent boutique hotels, some of them in quite unexpected places, making it far easier to explore the less traveled areas of Western Mexico. Whether your interests lie in art, architecture and archaeology; fiestas and folklore; unusual sights and natural wonders, or in Indian villages and indigenous handicrafts, this book will help you discover for yourself Western Mexico's many hidden treasures.

Lake Chapala is no longer a paradise without a past.Join this award-winning author as he shares the fascinating history of the Lake Chapala region in Mexico, now one of the most popular retirement area for Americans and Canadians. This book explores the region's formative years from the arrival of conquistadors in the early 1500s to the start of the Mexican Revolution in 1910.A unique collection of extracts from more than fifty original sources, many never previously available in English, are enhanced by insightful, informative and entertaining commentary. 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.

The vibrant community of Ajijic, idyllically situated on the shores of Lake Chapala in Mexico, is one of the most cosmopolitan villages in the world.In the 1940s it was a small, remote, parochial village of farmers and fishermen. But waves of foreigners settling in the village led to ripples that spread across the entire community. From artists, writers, entrepreneurs and philanthropists to land-grabbers, paradise-seekers, hippies and eccentrics -all brought their own ideas and aspirations, inevitably inspiring a transformation of their host community.Why, how and when did this happen? What and who were the driving forces behind this astonishing evolution?Foreign Footprints in Ajijic examines how this humble village grew, how the lives of its residents changed, and how a colorful cast of foreigners forever changed this slice of Mexican heaven.