Hurricane Norbert and Tropical Storm Odile
Saturday October 11, 2008
Two storms have threatened Mexico's Pacific coast this weekend. Hurricane Norbert made landfall in Baja California on Saturday as a Category 2 storm, with maximum sustained winds near 105 miles per hour. The hurricane hit the Baja peninsula near Puerto San Carlos, sparing the resort area of
Los Cabos. Norbert lost strength on its way across the peninsula and is now a category 1 storm in the Sea of Cortes and is heading toward mainland Mexico. A hurricane warning is in effect for the coast from Topolobampo, Sinaloa, north to Guaymas, Sonora. Norbert is expected to weaken after hitting the mainland.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Odile is moving along Mexico's coastline off the state of Colima, with maximum winds near 40 miles per hour. A tropical storm warning is in effect from Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan, westward to La Fortuna, Jalisco. Odile's path is expected to continue parallel to Mexico's southwest coast, however a change in direction could bring the center of the storm onto land within the warning area.
If you're planning a trip to Mexico during hurricane season, find out what precautions to take. Read our article on hurricane season in Mexico, and follow the development of hurricanes and tropical storms on the National Hurricane Center Web Site.
Wordless Wednesday - Palacio de Bellas Artes
Wednesday October 8, 2008
© Suzanne Barbezat
The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Palace) in Mexico City is one of the stunning buildings you can see on a walking tour of Mexico City's historical center.
Wordless Wednesday on About
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Ancient Sites as Concert Venues
Tuesday October 7, 2008
Placido Domingo performed a
concert in Chichen Itza on Saturday. Billed as "The Concert of the Thousand Columns," the concert drew several thousand spectators who paid between five hundred and ten thousand Mexican pesos for tickets. Luciano Pavarotti performed a concert in Chichen Itza in 1997, but concerts are rarely held in Mexico's archaeological sites.
The INAH, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History which oversees all of Mexico's archaeological sites, rarely gives permission for events to be held on sites, and had initially opposed the Placido Domingo concert. Apparently the concert organizers reached an agreement that ensured that the site would not be compromised. However, a group of Mexican archaeologists continued to protest, accusing concert organizers of seeking monetary gain when federal laws state that the country's archaeological sites should be used for educational purposes only.
What do you think? Are ancient sites appropriate places to hold concerts? Please answer our poll, and if you have any comments to add, click on "Comments" below.
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Film Festivals in Mexico
Tuesday October 7, 2008
Two important film festivals are taking place in Mexico this month. The
Morelia Film Festival is on now until October 12. Mexican short films, feature films and documentaries are being presented throughout the week, and there are also workshops and seminars taking place. Set in the colonial city of
Morelia, Michoacan, which was the site of some
unfortunate events recently, the film festival aims to promote up-and-coming Mexican talents. Big names in Mexican cinema were at the presentation of the film "Rudo y Cursi" last night, including director Carlos Cuarón, his brother Alfonso Cuarón (he directed "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," for those of you unfamiliar with Mexican cinema), and actors Diego Luna and Gabriel García Bernal, who starred in the film.
The other film festival taking place in October is the Riviera Maya Underground Film Festival which will be on from October 15 to 19 in Playa del Carmen in the Mayan Riviera. This festival will present independent short films from directors around the world.
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