Suzanne's Mexico Travel Blog

In Mexico Mother's Day is celebrated on May 10th every year, regardless of the day of the week, unlike in the U.S. and Canada where it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May (May 11th this year). Mother's Day in Mexico is celebrated in a big way: moms are serenaded, offered flowers and gifts, and usually treated to a nice meal out in a restaurant.

If you'd like to offer your mom an extra-special Mother's Day this year, consider whisking her away to a luxurious vacation in Mexico. Some hotels and resorts in Mexico are offering special packages for Mother's Day that include pampering spa treatments and other treats for moms. Read more about Mother's Day getaways in Mexico.

_{Photo courtesy of Westin Resort and Spa}

In Mexico the month of May starts off with a five-day weekend this year. May first is Día del Trabajo, Mexican Labor Day, a national public holiday with union and worker marches. Friday is also a school holiday and Monday is Cinco de Mayo. If you'll be traveling in Mexico over the coming days, you can expect crowds at beaches and tourist attractions, as Mexican families enjoy their five-day long weekend.

Read about these and other festivals and events in Mexico in the month of May.

A movie adaptation of Michael D. Coe's book, Breaking the Maya Code, on the decipherment of the Mayan writing system was shown recently on PBS. The movie version is called Cracking the Maya Code. If you missed the documentary on TV, you can see it online on the PBS Web Site. Unfortunately it's only available in the U.S. so I wasn't able to see it, although I did thoroughly enjoy the book when I read it. If you have seen the movie, please share your thoughts (click on "Comments" below).

Read more about the ancient Maya:

• Mayan Civilization
• Mayan Archaeological Sites

_{Photo of a Mayan column by Regis Lachaume}

The U.S. State Department has issued a travel alert for Mexico, with the purpose of informing travelers of violence along the Mexico-U.S. border due to drug-trafficking. The alert also urges visitors to exercise caution when traveling to unknown areas and to refrain from participating in demonstrations.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Tony Garza, said:

"The Travel Alert does not advise Americans to avoid travel to any region or city; in fact, the vast majority of the thousands of U.S. citizens who cross the border by car or fly into Mexico’s airports each day do so safely, exercising common-sense precautions during their visits. However, it is also important for people to be aware of the risks they may face so they can plan accordingly and remain attentive to their surroundings."

Read the updated Mexico travel alert.

I occasionally receive e-mails from readers who tell me they've decided they won't travel to Mexico because they feel it's too dangerous. I know that incidents of violent crimes that make the headlines may be scary, but I've lived in Mexico for ten years and I don't feel unsafe.

I do know that tourists are often targeted for crime (in Mexico and elsewhere), but there are some fairly simple steps you can take to avoid being a victim. Click through for some suggestions:

• Mexico Travel Safety
• Tips for Women Travelers

What do you think? Would you travel to Mexico, or is it just too dangerous? Please answer our poll and if you have anything else to add, click on "Comments" below.

Though your clock may have sprung forward several weeks ago, Daylight Savings Time comes into effect in Mexico today, April 6th. Known as horario de verano, Daylight Savings time has been observed in Mexico since 1996, and is observed from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. The state of Sonora as well as some remote villages do not change their clocks.

The largest cultural event taking place in Mexico in April is the Festival de Mexico en el Centro Historico, from the 10th to the 27th. This will be the 24th edition of this annual festival which includes concerts, theater and dance performances, visual arts exhibits and many activities for children. Events will take place in theaters, museums and historical buildings throughout Mexico City's historic center and some are free, including the closing concert which will take place in the Zocalo on April 27th at 6 pm.

Every year the festival contributes to the rescue and restoration of art in public spaces of Mexico City's historic downtown area. This year's project was the restoration of two seventeenth Century paintings attributed to colonial painter Juan Rodríguez Juárez, in the Metropolitan Cathedral. The restored paintings will be presented at a ceremony on April 17th at 7 pm, in the Cathedral. A classical music concert by the Morgan Szymanski ensamble will follow the ceremony. Tickets to this event cost 300 pesos.

For more information, consult the festival's Web Site: Festival de Mexico en el Centro Historico
Read about other events in the month of April.

Mexico Boutique Hotels are offering a chance to win a three-night stay at one of two boutique hotels to guests who stay two nights or more at any of their member properties through June 30th, 2008. The winner will get to choose between the Villa Ganz, a restored 20th Century mansion furnished with antiques in Guadalajara, and El Tamarindo Beach and Golf Resort, on Mexico's Costa Alegre.

Mexico Boutique Hotels is an association of independently owned small hotels throughout Mexico that offer excellent service in luxurious and intimate surroundings.

_{Photo of Villa Ganz courtesy of Mexico Boutique Hotels}

Besides being Good Friday, today is the birthday of one of Mexico's great presidents. An important statesman and liberal reformer, Benito Juarez was the first and only full-blooded indigenous leader to serve as president of Mexico. Born in 1806 in the village of Guelatao, Oaxaca, he studied for the priesthood before choosing to pursue a career in law. He was elected governor of Oaxaca in 1847 and later served as president of Mexico from 1858 until his death in 1872. Widely quoted for his saying "Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz," (Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace), Juarez' legacy includes the separation of church and state, and free and obligatory education. Benito Juarez' birthday is a national public holiday in Mexico.

Read a biography of Benito Juarez by Christopher Minster, About.com's Guide to Latin American History.

The spring equinox marks the end of winter and beginning of spring. In Mexico it is celebrated with spring festivals and parades, but the main events of the day take place in archaeological sites. In Chichen Itza, in the Yucatan, one of the New 7 World Wonders, crowds assemble to witness a display of ancient Mayan ingenuity that causes the silhouette of a snake to appear on the side of the site's main temple, the Temple of Kulkulkan. In Teotihuacan, near Mexico City, thousands of people dressed in white gather to perform rituals and receive a special energy that they feel is present on the site on the day of the spring equinox.

Read more: Celebrating the Spring Equinox in Mexico