2 comments about Mexican Churches.

1. Contiene una amplia colección de fotografías que muestran la gran variedad y riqueza arquitectónica de las iglesias de México, algunas de las cuales son poco conocidas, y que en cierta medida deben su esplendor al sincretismo cultural hispano-indígena. Las fotografías fueron tomadas alrededor de 1956, por el excelente fotógrafo, sobre todo de paisajes, Eliot Porter (quién abandonó la fotografía por la medicina).

   It contains a large colection of photos that shows the great variety and arquitectonic richness of Mexican churches, some of them are not well know, and their splendor is in certain way product of the cultural hispano-indian sincretism. The photos were taken around 1956 by the excelent photographer, landscape specialist, Eliot Porter (who quit medicine for photography).




2. This is a book of photographs of the interiors of Churches in Mexico, and their shrines and alters, and saints which adorn them.
   
   Porter's photographs capture a religious grace which is direct, simple, beautiful, and moving. Seeing these pictures gives an outsider into a window on a world in which life may be difficult, but heart and faith are celebrated and strong.

4 comments about Hooked on Baja: Where & How to Fish Mexico's Legendary Waters.

1. I pre-ordered this book months before it was published; the title sounded too good to pass up for a fisherman like me that travels to the baja to fish. HA! I returned the book a day after receiving it. It is insipid, written to "cover" all subjects in the table of contents in the minimum of pages. Unfortunately, it does not cover anything usefully. It is so simple it reads as if it was published by a government agency to drum up tourism.
   
   The author may (or may not) know fishing, but he did not display fishing knowledge in this book. Pages 30-80 are a reference, a list of descriptions of the fish in the waters around Baja; this should have been an appendix or deleted. It is not until page 80 that you come across a chapter with a title that sounds like it will be of use, "Terminal tackle and Fishing Suggestions", but this chapter is brief compared to the pedantic ramblings about each of the fish species along the baja and it does not deliver on its title. After that it just continues downhill. It includes fishing maps, marginally useful and less detailed than free ones on line. Follow this up with fish recipes, that is correct, fish recipes from the book with the subtitle, "Where and How to Fish Mexico's Legendary Waters". Then the author has the gaul to describe the personalities of Baja fishing--let me see did the title indicate I would get to read about the people? Let's recap, recipes, fish descriptions, resorts descriptions, descriptions of the fishermen of the baja, and 5 pages on suggested tackle that don't deliver. Thank goodness, Amazon allows returns.



2. Author Tom Gatch's insights into fishing have been published in columns and articles for issues of "The Log, Southern California's #1 Boating & Fishing Newspaper" and "Baja Times". Hooked on Baja: Where & How To Fish Mexico's Legendary Waters distills Gatch's lifetime of experience into a handy and readily accessible guide for would-be Baja fishermen of all backgrounds. Chapters extend beyond the limits of a typical fishing handbook, discussing tips on how to purchase and legally secure real estate property on the Baja California peninsula, authentic south-of-the-border recipes, and true-life tales from Baja's well-known outdoors personalities as well as the basics about a wide variety of Baja fish species, Baja fishing maps, terminal tackle and fishing suggestions, and more. Black-and-white illustrations plus a handful of color photographs enhance this premier "must-have" for anyone seeking to enjoy catching fish south of the Mexican border.



3. I am so glad to have found this book. I love to travel in Baja and this is a great resource. I actually don't fish but the descriptions of the area are very useful to me.



4. Tom loves fishing and Baja! His passion about the area shows in this informative book about Mexico's abundant Baja fisheries.
   
   With a folksy style that everyone can enjoy he shares his knowledge freely about the Baja its fish to great recipes for their preparation.
   
   Worth the read! Irene
   
   Hooked on Baja: Where & How to Fish Mexico's Legendary Waters

2 comments about Baja California Road & Recreation Atlas.

1. I was expecting a full-sized atlas like the "Rand McNally" Road atlas. What I got was a rather small book, 8.5 inches high by 6.5 inches wide. The maps are moderately detailed. The book probably has somewhat better detail, and at a somewhat larger scale, than a folding roadmap. The color graphics are fairly nice. But this book hardly has the detail that one would expect from a truly comprehensive atlas. The indexing system is slightly non-intuitive. Finding the right map to use is slightly difficult, but not really hard. I was also annoyed to see advertising within the book; however this might be helpful to some looking for a place to stay at. In my opinion, this book is not worth the price.
   
   However, this book probably OK for someone sticking strictly to the paved roads in Baja. One advantage is that the book format makes it easy to store; and easier to use, than unfolding a conventional road map.
   
   For people wanting to do more off-the-beaten-path exploring of the Baja Peninsula, who need more detailed maps; the options are currently limited. If you can find it, you may want to get the atlas by Landon. This book is currently out of print, and the cost can be exorbitant. I don't have one, so I can't personally vouch for its quality. I understand it may come back into print.
   
   You might also find an old copy of the "Topographics International" Atlas. (Which I do have.) These offer highly detailed maps with topographic information, almost like our United States Geological Survey maps, but less colorful graphics. For the cities, it may be out of date. But out in the unpopulated areas, it still should be valid for most areas.



2. I didn't get this in time for my trip, but when I was in Baja I saw many copies down there for $10. I'm glad I didn't buy this one as the pages are very small and you have to flip through a number of them to get a good feel for longer distances. Also, the atlas is full of advertising and I found this to be distractive. I saw someone's AAA map and it looked great!

No comments about Retirement Without Borders: How to Retire Abroad--in Mexico, France, Italy, Spain, Costa Rica, Panama, and Other Sunny, Foreign Places (And the Secret to Making It Happen Without Stress).

1 comments about The Unofficial Guide to Mexico's Best Beach Resorts (Unofficial Guides).

1. This book is not written in the same format as the other unofficial guides. This guide only covers a handful of resorts and has very little detail on the ones it does cover. The book is split up into sections and only covers about 10 hotels per area, come on these areas have hundreds of hotels. I mean I don't expect every one to be covered but it looks like the only ones they cover are the ones willing to pay to be in this crummy book. I own several of the unofficial guide books (the unofficial guide to Disney World is a lifesaver) and in the past have found them very useful and entertaining. The other unofficial guides have a lot of relevant information and tips on how to avoid crowds, when the best time to go is and sample itineraries' to help you get the most out of your vacation. This book has none of those things, it is poorly written with little information on the resorts and even less on what is around the resorts. To give an example the resort description says "great resort for families" but then has no information on child care or child activities. Great, why don't I just check out the resorts website and save 15 bucks! I understand this stuff changes all the time but the other books I in this series have first hand reviews of most of the hotels and attractions along with a guide to what is age appropriate. This book nope, none of that the resort information looks like it was copied of a press release. This book is a waste of money, the little information contains can be found for free at any of the web sites for the few resorts that it covers. Having traveled across the US and Europe and owned many many travel books I have to say this is about the worst one I've seen.

No comments about Travels in Mexico and California: Comprising a Journal of a Tour from Brazos Santiago, Through Central Mexico, by Way of Monterey, Chihuahua, the Country ... and the River (Essays on the American West).

No comments about Nelles Mexico Map (Nelles Maps).

No comments about El Malpais, Mt. Taylor, and the Zuni Mountains: A Hiking Guide and History (A Coyote Book).

2 comments about The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike (Volume 1).

1. This review refers to Volume One.I really had to struggle to get through this book. The historical documentation/notation was overwhelmingly exhausting, boring and tedious.Simply put,too much! As far as the actual journal itself is concerned, to quote Pike in his letter of July 2, 1806 to General Wilkinson, "The journal in itself will have little to strike the imagination, being a dull detail of our daily march." I agree. This is in no way to be demeaning of Pike's exploration efforts and the hardships he and his men suffered to get to the source of the Mississippi River. Pike had monumental responsibilities to accomplish. He was to find the headwaters of the Mississippi, bring peace between various Indian tribes, select future sites for government forts and trading posts, and to confer with the British establishments in the recently expanded territory of the United States.There were some highlights of the book however, one being the chapter "Correspondence and Conferences", which show Pike's letters to various individuals, and his speeches to certain Indian tribes. Also, the chapter on ethnography details the cultural aspects of the different Mississippi Indian tribes, which I found interesting. I hope Volume 2 (explorations into the
   American West) will have more flavor.



2. Volume I: Pike exhaustively recounts his daily activities on board. In almost no instance except for the frigid winter is there much drama or dialogue between he and his men. Even when he reaches what he thinks is the source of the Mississippi, he is actually mistaken, though "correct" as far as the assumptions of the day. Toward the head of the river, it is difficult to assess where Pike even is without the notes (which in themselves almost swallow the book, but of sheer necessity to the reading). We reach the headwaters of the river and return to St Louis without much fanfare or dialogue, save that Pike spoke with the English fur traders near the source and explained America's new ownership of the territory (one of his objectives).

   Volume II: In this volume Pike is no better. There is an extremely boring journey across Kansas and into Colorado, and he the real drama sets in. Pike and his men are without winter clothing and now in the Colorado Rockies. The frostbite on some of his men forces them to stay behind, unable to continue. This occurs day after day, week after week, until the expedition reaches what is believed to be the source of the Arkansas River. Otherwise the volume meekly runs through Pike's capture by Spanish authorities and his return to the U.S. via Spanish escort. This last is a daily log of conversations with French or Spanish military figures, and of little interest in general.

5 comments about San Diego & Tijuana: Great Destinations: A Complete Guide (Great Destinations).

1. Great!! Traveled to San Diego for the first time with my 2 children. This book was so helpful. Gave such useful info on so many places.



2. Though I have lived in San Diego over 15 years, I love to eat out and get ideas of places to see and do locally so I am always looking out for a new publication with some interesting ideas. This guide is the best I've seen for San Diego. It is written in an interesting style so that I even enjoy reading about the places that I have frequented for years. The comments on the various locations are insightful and personal so that I know the author has been there and been able to get a true feel for the location. I have also used the guide to provoke explorations of new places that I have missed and found that it has led me to a few new gems. It is the first guide I hand to the various visitors who drop by from out of town. Highly recommended!



3. Being a former San Diego City resident, I found this book very interesting. It was fun to see all the changes in this beautiful city in the past 25 years since we have moved...it will be very helpful on our next vacation. The book is both informative and entertaining.



4. San Diego & Tijuana: Great Destinations: A Complete Guide (Great Destinations)This is a particularly good choice for families planning a vacation in San Diego or for local families to have on hand for weekend adventures. Moving beyond the area's acknowledged world-famous attractions, Hardin offers information on kayaking and kite-flying classes, whale-watching trips, and roar & snore sleepovers. Her dining suggestions offer more detail than most guides and include such local favorites as MooTime, Miguel's Cocina, Point Loma Seafoods, Cafe Chloe, Tony's Jacal, and the Chicken Pie Shop. Hardin covers a welcome variety of options for accommodations, restaurants, and activities for all ages and in all price ranges. Excellent travel guide.



5. I have found this book to be very informative, and completely reliable! It makes trip planning very easy, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is planning a trip to southern california. It is my only guidebook to this place!