1 comments about Global Etiquette Guide to Mexico and Latin America.

1. Good books for a first timer to the region and Latin countries. Nothing can seem to fully prepare you for a visit and this will have some more basic applications if you plan on staying for a longer duration of several months and plan to immerse yourself in the day to day life of the local culture. For the short term business travler, may be interesting but not completely applicable.

5 comments about Searching for Steinbeck's Sea of Cortez: A Makeshift Expedition Along Baja's Desert Coast.

1. Parts of this book are highly interesting, but others would have better been omitted. What I liked most about the book were the author's insights into the book that inspired her and her husband's journey - Steinbeck's Log from the Sea of Cortez. For anyone who shares a fascination with the Log from the Sea of Cortez, as I do, the author provides valuable background information on the book and the trip that inspired it. On the downside, the author seems fixated on trashing her brother-in-law, who piloted the boat her family used in attempting to re-create Steinbeck's journey. Obviously there was a personality conflict here, and her extended diatribes (which seemingly take up a full third of the book) seem mean-spirited and unwarranted. The book would have been vastly better if all of this material had been removed.



2. I love Baja (visited at least annually for 20-plus years), and Steinbeck books, so the title of this book snookered me into buying it. When I heard someone had written a book to recreate the destinations of that earlier trip I eagerly sought it out. Misleading and disappointing. Frequent allusions/comparisons to Steinbeck/Ricketts' "Log" don't change the fact that this wasn't an expedition in any way, shape, or form...but simply an extended family vacation conducted on the cheap! The resultant book (with nothing but an intriquing title)was merely the way to pay for it. The first half of the book was mostly spent unnecessarily beating up on the poor brother-in-law, whom had volunteered to accompany the author (and her husband and small kids)and sail the very small borrowed sailboat. Five people on a 26 footer. Nearly anyone whom has spent much time in Baja has readily duplicated or exceeded the experiences reported in this book. Unfortunately I read the entire thing, presuming it would just have to get better, but no such luck. Funny how a title (and a pretty cover) can sell a book.



3. I agree with another reviewer who stated that the continual and constant trashing of the author's brother-in-law gets old real quick. But to make matters worse - she has a whining attitude about almost everything. Read Sparky's book - good tales by a contemporary who was on the cruise with Steinbeck. Worst of all - THE BOOK HAS NO INDEX - no way of looking up place names, creature names, etc. It's worthless as an on-the-spot guide.



4. There were so many ways of tackling what could have been a splendid sea voyage. Instead, it appeared to have been a taxing, challenging, emotional and financial disappointment for the crew.
   
   Although the book picks up in pace and focus at page 133 on, the author was confusing toward the reader in not letting us know at the beginning what this book was about. Was it truly to discover Steinbeck's old route, was it to explore the sealife of the Cortez waters? Was it a family sailing trip with a grumpy captain and a toddler who wailed and vomited almost daily? Was it just a mundane journal of a sea voyage gone wrong? I really wanted to enjoy this book and tried hard.
   
   Sometimes I felt lost with the nautical or marine terminology. That's why I only gave this book three stars instead of four. The author becomes more of an environmentalist toward the end as well, ranting about how Mexico and its people and the tourists should take better care of the shores and the Marine life or else so many fragile ecosystems will perish, as they surely have since Steinbeck's time.
   
   The family didn't truthfully follow the Steinbeck/Ricketts voyage as the four spent more time in northern Baja along the coast, a region so unlike the southern Baja with its colder climates and gustier winds. Since I live in Arizona and the Sea of Cortez is only a four-hour drive on Mexican backroads, I was especially wanting to read more on that part of the waters. But, that part of the trip came toward the end of the journey and was a hasty finale void of many more detailed observations given at the start of the book.
   
   I will agree with other reviewers who said Andromeda was very critical of her former brother-in-law. She seemed critical of EVERYONE. Sometimes her descriptions of the Mexicans was downright rude, based on whatever bad experience she was going through at the time. In fact, she comes across as a very critical person toward everything, which makes enjoying her book hard.
   
   The end, like many mediocre travelogues, ends anticlimactically. Time and money ran out and so did the book. The end meant an end of the sour mood and that was a relief. Still, I was left wondering what the main purpose was of this book? There were so many things the travelers should and could have done better through more thorough planning and better accomodations. The two young children would have been happier, too and not been so traumatized by some of the incidents that they endured toward the end.



5. but I am not sure that anyone could really recreate the voyage of the western flyer and capture the same magic. The Sea of Cortez is different and so are the players.

3 comments about Fodor's Puerto Vallarta 2007: With Excursions to Guadalajara, San Blas, and Inland Mountain Towns (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. I thought this book was excellent. Also bought Lonely Planet. Lonely plant covered more area (Manzanillo, Mazatlan, etc.) but, if your destination is Puerto Vallarta, then the Fodor's book focuses more on what you bought the book for (Puerto Vallarta!)



2. This newest book on the Puerto Vallarta area is filled with helpful and interesting information. I have several other books about the Vallarta area and find this a great additon to my reference book libarary. Very good maps!



3. What a pleasant surprise. This guide was a true departure from those stuffy Fodor's books that I have used and certainly much more comprehensive that the #1 competitor - apologies to A. Frommer whom I dearly love and consider the guru of smart travelling. The depth AND breadth of each section plus the "out-of-PV" stretch locations add some new horizons for visitors who feel hemmed in and choked by the number of tourists and condos frequenting Vallarta these days.
   
   It's a great companion guide and I highly recommend Fodor's PV 07.

1 comments about A Guide to Historic Missions & Churches of the Arizona-Sonora Borderlands.

1. This is a very carefully researched book and it is reflected in the balanced and thorough text. The photos, however, are the reason I give it "5 Stars". They are not just "nicely shot" - they actually give you the feel of the place (I've been to a few of the Missions written about). It is an exicitng book - inspirational. I've read it a couple of times and each time, I want to pack up my bag and head for the Arizona-Sonora border. It is like entering another world! And the photgraphers and author have accurately captured its essence...

No comments about The Panama Canal conflict Between Great Britain and the United States of America.

No comments about Touring New Mexico Hot Springs, 2nd (Touring Guides).

No comments about The Rough Guides' Cancun & Cozumel Directions 2 (Rough Guide Directions).

5 comments about Foghorn Outdoors Baja Camping: The Complete Guide to More Than 170 Tent and RV Campgrounds.

1. I've traveled throughout Baja the last 2 years and found the book is very out of date. Many of the campgrounds mentioned have closed and some of the sites are no longer suitable for camping, for others, the nature/quality of site has changed. This can be a big problem if you've traveled to some out-of-the-way location expecting a certain level of accommodation and find it less than sub-par. HOWEVER, being a person who normally avoids the 'organized, Americanized' campgrounds the book is very useful and it is book worth having.



2. I found this book to be by far the most helpful and user-friendly guide to camping in Baja that I've yet seen. While it is purported to be The Complete Guide to More Than 170 Tent and RV Campgrounds, I found it to be much more than that. More accurately, it is, in fact, the complete guide for every aspect of venturing south of the border into Baja. This book tells you not only where to go and how to get there, but when to go and what to bring. It even discusses how to deal with such varied potential dangers as unsafe drinking-water and ice, stingrays, jellyfish, heatstroke, sunburn, getting hopelessly stuck in sand, or tangling with the police over a traffic accident. It even shows you how to clean a fish. In short, it had everything I needed to prepare for my trip to Baja. I highly recommend it.



3. I had bought 3 books for my drive through Baja this winter 2004. The Lonely Planet Baja Guide, this Foghorn book, and the Traveler's Guide to Camping Mexico's Baja.
   
   First off there really doesn't exist any detailed map of Baja, so travelers typically rely on word of mouth, description of areas and any small map provided to the traveler through guide books. This book does not give nearly enough detail to accurately find the RV parks described AND it is extremely outdated. If you're looking for a guide to RV Parks and campsites the book "Traveler's Guide to Camping Mexico's Baja" gives a more accurate assesment of each site and most importantly the best amount of insight into how to reach the sites off the 1.
   
   This Foghorn book has a great deal of traveling and preparatory information that is somewhat helpful BEFORE the trip, but during the trip is for the most part useless. Overall the information in this book can be found by some simple research from other websites or books. And as an actual guide through Baja it is seriously lacking compared to the "Traveler's Guide to Camping Mexico's Baja" and even the Lonely Planet guidebook for that matter.



4. Minimal change from previous edition, and the rates have gone up but this book still quotes the old ones. It's a good choice as there are only two to choose from, this and church's (top notch book); but why not keep or get the old editon and save money?



5. First off let me say that I've been camping in Baja for close to thirty-five years. Did I say thiry-five? OMG!! I've camped everywhere from San Felipe to Mulege, Rosarito to Cabo and everything in between.I've seen the changes and it is changing currently(just down there this past weekend)at an incredible rate. In one month without a visit the landscape changes. Hotels are grabbing up all the beaches. That said , be aware that the information in this book(and any about Baja for that matter) may be old only because the rate of change is currently at hyper-speed, even by Mexican standards. It seems manana has arrived. I have a copy of this book and use it only as a loose guide consequently. Much of the information is useful and helpful. There are tons of listed camp sites ,each area is not very detailed and many of which are gone or will be gone. Be flexible, be aware that many new ones are going up too. Locals will gladly tell you where a new one has gone up. New camping areas go up literally overnight. Certain areas remain the same for the most part, basically those away from the ocean.This is not a book you can count on for being accurate but it is useful as a genreal guide and for basic roughing it rules. If you are a rigid traveler, plan ahead and visit the websites listed for the most up to date information. Remember life is a journey not a destination. The maps included are ok but you need to buy one right away once you hit Baja. The touristy towns of Rosarito or Ensenada would be a good place to get a detailed map cheap, they are often posted on the shop exterior windows. Ask around , people are more than glad to help. Basically this book is only a general guide to camping, things are just changing too quickly. Gone are the days of just pulling off and camping along the beach between Rosarito and Ensenada. However, once you pass Ensenada, along the coast, there still exist remote off the beaten path camping areas. Expect the unexpected and your camping trip will be a good adventure using this book whenever possible.

No comments about Rock Climbing New Mexico (Regional Rock Climbing Series).

No comments about Mexico in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture (In Focus Guides).