On the fourth Friday of Lent (this year on March 12) a special celebration known as La Samaritana takes place in Oaxaca. Aguas frescas, refreshing fruit drinks, and ice cream are given out free to passersby. Originally this was done in church atriums, but now schools and businesses also join in. This tradition is inspired by the biblical passage that describes Jesus' encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well (John 4).
The Día de la Samaritana is a great time to sample traditional Mexican drinks such as horchata, a drink made with rice and flavored with cinnamon, and agua de jamaica, made with dried hibiscus flowers, as well as many other refreshing drinks made from fruit.
03/08/2010 Tell Us About Your Mexico Blog Do you write a blog about Mexico? We're compiling information about Mexico blogs in order to create a resource for people planning a trip to Mexico, those planning to move to Mexico, as well as people who just love reading about Mexico. Your blog can cover Mexico travel, any city or region of Mexico, Mexican food or culture, or just about anything else related to Mexico. Share your blog with Mexico Travel readers by using this form: Submit your Mexico blog.
A new rule brought into effect by the Mexican government this week will require U.S. and Canadian citizens to present a passport or equivalent travel document to enter Mexico. Until now, whether or not a passport was required for travel to Mexico was determined by the United States' Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which brought in passport requirements in several phases. The rules were phased in gradually depending on whether travelers entered by air, land or sea, with the intention of keeping disruption to travel to a minimum, but did cause a lot of confusion. Many people have been unclear about whether or not they need a passport to travel to Mexico.
There are still exceptions to the rule: people traveling within the border zone and staying in the country for 72 hours or less, will not be required to present a passport.
A year ago I wrote about concerns of prospective visitors about safety in Cancun. Many readers commented on that blog post, several who were in the process of planning a trip and were concerned about the safety of their destination choice. Two people who have recently returned from Cancun have written about their experience, and their perception of risks to travelers there.
Singlemom writes:
I left a comment on November 25 asking if it was safe to travel with my two daughters alone. Well we have gone and returned and I can tell you that I never once felt in danger. I used my common sense. I was very worried before I left and swore I would not leave the resort. I ended up not being on my resort very much, as we did so many activities like swimming with the dolphins, jungle tour, captain hook cruise, going to the mall.. etc. We were always back at our resort for dinner and tired from our days of excitement we were in bed by 11. So in answer to is Cancun safe... absolutely. Just don't put yourself in a situation that it may not be. It was an awesome family vacation that we will always remember but if you are looking to go get drunk in an unfamiliar place, well then yes, you are taking the chance of putting yourself in danger.
John writes:
Just spent a week in Cancun at the Gran Melia Resort earlier this month and had a wonderful vacation! People are extremely nice and definitely make you feel very welcome. Always felt safe along the main strip in the hotel zone (Avenida Kukulcan) and even when I ventured out into town. The only warning: only drink bottled water. Other than that, have a great time in Cancun!! I would definitely return to Mexico.
