Bus Across Mexico is a unique guide that takes the mystery out of Mexico's bus system, the largest and most efficient in the world. Bus Across Mexico takes the mystery out of bus schedules. Over 40,000 bus schedules are available at www.mexicobusschedules.com. Here is the first chapter.

Copyright © 2008 Robert Berryhill

We couldn't help but smile at the stunned looks the other couple gave us. They had approached us in the sunny Mexican plaza because we were reading an English language newspaper. Clearly they were exasperated.

"We paid $250 for our flight from Mexico City to Morelia," the man sputtered. His wife shook her head. "And the plane," she added, "was two hours late in taking off."

They asked if we had flown in or rented a car. That's when we smiled and put the other travelers in shock.

Chichen Itza Is One of the New Seven Wonders of the World

By Erick Laseca

The Mayan city of Chichen Itza, located in the Mexican state of Yucatan, was chosen as one of the "Seven New Wonders of the World" by approximately 100 million people around the globe, who cast their ballots by phone and Internet.

"The selection of Chichen Itza is recognition of the extremely vast and ancient historical and cultural heritage of Mexico, of which very few countries in the world can boast," said Francisco Lopez Mena, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board.

The announcement of Chichen Itza's selection by the New7Wonders Foundation was made during a spectacular ceremony at Lisbon's Stadium of Light.

The archaeological center of Chichen Itza, the most important Maya capital at the end of the classic period (750 to 1200 A.D.), was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

Chichen Itza, which in the Mayan language means "at the mouth of the well of the Itza," was one of the most important Mayan political, commercial and religious centers of the classic period, but it fell into decline after the emergence of Mayapan as the new focal point of regional power in the Yucatan Peninsula.

The city is home to several buildings that are remarkable both for their architectural design and their religious and scientific significance. Among these are the Temple of Kukulkan (Feathered Serpent), the Observatory, the Temple of the Warriors and the Sacred Cenote (Well of Sacrifice).

The Temple of Kukulkan, one of the tallest and most notable structures in Mayan architecture sits on a 55.5-meter wide rectangular platform and rises to a height of 24 meters. Each of its four sides has 91 steps and the platform that crowns the pyramid is considered the 365th step, meaning there is one for each day of the solar calendar.

During the spring and fall equinox (March and September), visitors can enjoy a breathtaking spectacle: a corner of the Temple of Kukulkan casts a shadow in the shape of a giant "feathered serpent" that appears to slither its way down the side of the North staircase with the sun's movement. This natural phenomenon of light and shadow is a unique experience that attracts visitors from all parts of the world.

The Observatory, also known as "El Caracol" (The Snail) for its stone spiral interior staircase, is a cylindrical building with a dome that was used as an astronomical observatory, with its doors aligned to view the spring equinox, the declinations of the Moon and other astronomical events that helped determine the complex but extremely exact Mayan calendar.

Other popular sites at Chichen Itza are the Great Ballcourt – which, measuring 168 meters long and 70 meters wide, is the largest that has been discovered in the region known as Mesoamerica – and the Sacred Cenote, a large sinkhole 60 meters in diameter from which great treasures have been recovered: rings, necklaces and objects of gold and jade.

Chichen Itza today is a new wonder of the world, considered an icon of universal importance for humanity. As a result of this global and democratic selection process, the world will know Mexico for one of its 173 archaeological jewels, tangible evidence of the plurality and ethnic richness of the country's past.

The 100th birthday of artist and feminist icon Frida Kahlo will be honored with the largest-ever exhibit of her paintings, the Museum of the Fine Arts Palace in Mexico City said Tuesday.

"The 354 pieces will be the largest exposition of Frida Kahlo," director of the National Fine Arts Institute Teresa Franco told reporters. It will also be Kahlo's first comprehensive exhibit in Mexico, she said: After Mexico proclaimed Rivera paintings to be national cultural heritage, foreign owners feared lending her work to Mexico. Besides one-third of her artistic production, manuscripts and 50 letters that have not been displayed previously, she said. Works are on loan from Detroit, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Nayoga, Japan. Kahlo (1907-1954) twice married muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957) and was a close friend of Russian communist leader Leon Trotsky. She suffered intense emotional pain inflicted by the philandering Rivera and physical pain after being stricken by polio and bus crash. Pain and her inability to have children were common themes in her paintings, many of which were shocking, bloody self-portraits. After her death, Frida became "first a legend, then a myth and now a cult figure," Hayden Herrera wrote in a 1992 biography of the Mexican artist. The most recent international exhibition of Kahlo's work was in 2005 by the Tate Modern in London, which brought together 87 works. The exhibit is tentatively slated to open June 13 until August 19. The museum is open 10:30 am to 6:30 pm Tuesday through Saturday.

The Mazatlan bus system is easy and cheap to use. Here is the inside scoop.

The Mexico bus system can help you explore the Yucatan. This is one woman's report.

Cancun

The airport is modern in a way that suggests that a lot of money/tourists flows through this part of the world. Local buses can be caught at the far right of the airport car park. ATM at airport didn't take my Visa card. Stayed downtown for the night which is much cheaper then hotel zone and has more charm. The main drag has a few bars and resturants and there is a nice park one block away. There also is the main bus terminal which is ultra modern. Caught local bus to Puerto Juarez for 40min boat to....

Guadalajara offers visitors transportation ranging from frequent buses to a subway system, taxis and airport transfers.

Read the rest of this article for an update on Guadalajara transportation.

Tourists might think Mexico's Yucatan is spelled C-a-n-c-u-n, but the peninsula features archeological sites that rival Egypt. In addition to the many Mayan sites are several museums offering insights into Mexico's colorful history and culture.

Here's a partial list of the Yucatan museum's.

CANCUN

Pre-Hispanic artifacts from the state of Quintana Roo are featured in the small Museo Arqueologico Cancun (Cancun Archeological Museum) next to the Cancun Convention Center. It is near Cancun Point at Km 8 on Boulevard Kukulcan. Museum open 9 am to 7 pm Tuesday through Sunday. Admission except Sundays and holidays, when it is free.

By Kathleen Furore Editor, El Restaurante Mexicano ©2002 Maiden Name Press LLC

Rooted in pre-Conquest history, dishes from Mexico's street carts and markets make great additions to restaurant menus.

For centuries, native Mexicans and visitors alike have traveled to taquerias, open air markets and fondas to taste the simple, homemade dishes referred to as "street foods" today.

"When I go to Mexico, street food is the first thing I go for," reports restaurant consultant Daniel Hoyer, a former chef at Santa Fe, New Mexico's acclaimed Coyote Cafe and now an instructor at the Santa Fe School of Cooking.

Article and Photos Copyright © 2002 Khai Weyn Ong

I had a couple of weeks break between the end of spring quarter and the start of summer research work. A fellow coursemate, Henrik, had nothing to do while waiting for his flight back home to Sweden, so we decided to terrorize Mexico together.

We had no time to learn any Spanish - while boarding the plane, the only words I had in my head were "Hola", "Adios," "Buenos dias", "Como estas?" and, oddly enough, "Jugo de naranja" (orange juice). Henrik probably knew a few more words. Between us we had two mini phrasebooks and a couple of travel guides.

Cramming on the plane didn't accomplish very much. Upon arrival, we quickly realised that although Mexico City is just 4 hours flight from San Francisco, nobody there speaks English.

"What can I carry on a bus in Mexico?"

That's one of the most frequently asked questions by travellers unfamiliar with Mexico's vast bus system, the largest in the world.

Here are some guidelines from ADO GL, the major deluxe class bus company for eastern and southern Mexico, including the Yucatan. Their guidelines include:

Here in Texas I have decided to quit using those bus lines in favor of taking a bus to Laredo, then crossing over the border alone, then catching another bus. The reason is because lately the bus spends HOURS at the border, both ways. (This may not be the case at the Tijuana border crossing.) Crossing alone is just so much less frustrating. I know there are more steps involved in catching all these different buses, but I hate being stuck at the border waiting for everyone elses paper work to get done.

Mexico, March 2002: street markets, snow capped volcanoes, desolate hill towns, busy city streets, quiet alpine meadows, frozen ice gullies, wild taxi rides, and fine dining in central Mexico. - Mike Gradziel.

The Mexican volcano Citlaltepetl, often known by its Spanish name of Pico de Orizaba, is the third highest mountain in North America at approximately 18,400 feet. I'm not exact about that figure because nobody seems to agree how tall it is and estimates range by hundreds of feet. It is agreed upon that only Alaska's Denali and British Columbia's Logan surpass it in height, giving Cita claim to a respectable ...

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This is an expeditious experience of bus travel in Mexico written by Mike Gradziel ©2004 - http://www.mjgradziel.com/

Each year, 2,500 Americans are arrested overseas. One third of the arrests are on drug-related charges. Many of those arrested assumed as U.S. citizens that they could not be arrested. From Asia to Africa, Europe to South America, U.S. citizens are finding out the hard way that drug possession or trafficking equals jail in foreign countries.

As the time approaches for spring or summer breaks, many college students are getting ready for that much anticipated trip abroad. Most will have a safe and enjoyable adventure, but for some the trip will become a nightmare. A number of vacations are ruined by one or more of the following: drugs, alcohol, and disorderly behavior.