“My father would take us out into nature, and that’s where I fell in love with animals,” Prieto told Mexico News Daily. As a result, I studied veterinary medicine and zootechnology, but then along came a course in photography in the Colegio de Fotografía del Occidente. And I found my niche.”

Confluences is a hard-backed, large-format book of 208 pages published by Artes de México, 2024. It has 65 color photos, all taken by Alejandro Prieto, with seven chapters of text written by various naturalists.

Photographing jaguars in the wild

Prieto’s extraordinary skill at taking photos both on land and underwater brought him into projects that might have discouraged many another photographer.

One of these is the work he carries out for Alianza Jaguar, an organization that needed quality photos of jaguars in their natural habitats, to promote their projects to protect and ensure them a future in Mexico. To get those pictures, endless hours of effort and patience were the order of the day. Later, when Prieto got involved with photographing certain elusive species of the Mexican axolotl, which live in the remote mountains of Michoacán, the problem was surviving ice-cold temperatures underwater.

The roadrunner and the border wall

One of Prieto’s more recent projects, photographing animals whose habitat has been cut in two by the border fence separating the USA from Mexico, brought a new sort of problem.

“It’s a dangerous place,” the photographer confided. “On one hand, you’ve got border patrols that will grab you and take you out of there, and on the other, you’ve got drug runners who will do something even worse if they catch you… and on top of that, you have to put up with both extreme heat and extreme cold.”

Nevertheless, from that hostile environment came Prieto’s unforgettable photo of a roadrunner eyeballing an insurmountable wall wrapped in great coils of razor wire: winner of the 2020 World Press Photo Award for Nature.

That’s just one of 53 International awards that Alejandro Prieto has received so far, an assurance that Confluences is just the sort of book you’ll want to leave lying on your coffee table accidentally.

Canyons, forests, deserts and swamps

Why is this book entitled Confluences?

University of Wisconsin Professor Eduardo Santana makes this clear in the first chapter. West Mexico, he says, “does not have a monolithic identity… What defines its essence is the confluence of dissimilarities.”

Santana is referring to the astounding variety of natural wonders lying in wait for anyone who wanders about West Mexico.

These include smoldering volcanoes, 500-meter-deep canyons, mangrove swamps, tropical jungles, grasslands, hot springs, oak and coniferous forests, desert scrub lands, and much more.  Each environment has its own flora and fauna, not to mention the long-distance migrants: flying creatures of all sorts from hawks and pelicans to bats and butterflies. Put all these together in a relatively small space, and you have geodiversity and biodiversity in abundance.

And, of course, wherever two or more systems come together, you have confluences.

A jungle on a mountain top

Academic studies are not required to appreciate what happens in the many places where ecosystems merge. An excellent example was given to me by another Santana named Aldo, a member of the Cuzalapa people living in the heart of the picturesque Manantlán Biosphere Reserve, located along the state line dividing Jalisco from Colima:

“The Sierra de Manantlán is unique!” exclaims Aldo Santana. “In it, you will find things that are normally seen only in Chiapas, or you’ll find other things typical of Sonora. So, it is mega-diverse! It is as if you were seeing all the ecosystems together in one place. And if you are here during the rainy season, you will find everything green, a jungle. It’s a tropical jungle on a mountain top!” 

Underwater in the Gulf of California

The photographs in Confluences take us on a tour of West Mexico’s extraordinary geo and biodiversity, whether on land, in the air or, underwater.

We are introduced to marine life in the Sea of Cortés, home to an enormous array of environments, from deep basins to some of the largest tidal zones in the world. Thanks to Prieto’s skills as a diver and underwater photographer, we are introduced to silky sharks, dolphins, sea lions, surgeon fish, needle fish… as well as the marine birds flying overhead.

Among the many delightful creatures we find photographed in this book, three fascinating species stand out: jaguars, axolotls, and “flying white sheep,” otherwise known as American pelicans to those of us with less imagination than the Mexicans living on the shores of Lake Chapala.

Friends of the jaguars

An entire chapter is dedicated to this emblematic feline. Award-winning journalist Agustín del Castillo dives into the story of why and how the Jaguar Alliance came into being, and what they are doing today to transform hostile ranchers into friends of the big cats. We also follow Alex Prieto in his quest to photograph these magnificent animals in their natural surroundings: no easy task!

Flying sheep and walking fish

Del Castillo devotes two additional chapters to axolotls and American pelicans.

Axolotls — incorrectly known as “Mexican walking fish” — are among the strangest creatures on the planet. These photogenic amphibians are famed for their ability to regenerate just about every part of their bodies, including their brains and hearts. Once abundant in Mexico, their numbers are now dwindling due to the ever-increasing pollution of the country’s lakes, ponds, and rivers.

The American pelicans, on the other hand, seem to be doing better than ever. These huge birds live in Canada and along the northern US border. Every year around September, they begin their 4000-kilometer migration to warmer climes, in particular to Lake Chapala.

By chance, there is a successful fish-filleting operation on the tiny island of Petatán, Michoacán, at the southeast end of the lake, and here the pelicans gather by the thousands to enjoy the scraps. Among the many visitors to Petatán — fascinated by the site and sound of ten thousand “flying white sheep”  taking off and landing — was photographer Alejandro Prieto, and thanks to him, owners of Confluences can vicariously enjoy the show. 

To get your own copy of this extraordinary book — whether in English or in Spanish, you are asked to donate to the Jaguar Alliance. For full information, send an email to alianzajaguar@gmail.com.

John Pint has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of “A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area” and co-author of “Outdoors in Western Mexico.” More of his writing can be found on his website.

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García — in Spain on a working tour as part of her participation in Madrid’s International Tourism Fair, FITUR 2026 — said the new Bajío-Madrid air link is the result of an agreement her government signed with Air Europa. 

“We are very pleased, particularly that it will be a direct flight,” she said after her meeting with Richard Clark, Air Europa’s CEO. “This contributes to the effort we are making to promote Guanajuato as a world-class destination.”

The Bajío International Airport — located in Silao about 45 kilometers from the state capital, Guanajuato city — is the state’s main international airport.

The frequencies and dates for the new route have not yet been determined, but García indicated that the goal is for the flight to begin operating this year. 

“This will strengthen the state’s international connectivity, boost European tourism and generate economic benefits for various productive sectors,” she said.

This new air flight is expected to strengthen economic activity in sectors such as hotels, restaurants and services, consolidating the state as a strategic hub in the global tourism and business network.

In a social media post, García said the agreement is “the result of the work we are doing here at [FITUR 2026], knocking on doors, building alliances and demonstrating that Guanajuato is an international-caliber destination, with identity, vibrant culture and a lot of heart.”

During the current tour, García presided over the signing of the Framework Agreement of Understanding between the state of Guanajuato and the Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha. The goal of the FAU is to promote tourism, cultural exchange and bilateral collaboration.

“We continue to strengthen our ties with the world,” she said. “Today we have a full agenda here at FITUR, and what we see is that there is a large European market for traveling to Guanajuato.”

With reports from Quadratín Bajío, Milenio and Guanajuato.Travel

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At President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference, García Harfuch said that “an individual nicknamed El Botox” had been detained “a few minutes ago” in an operation carried out by federal and state security forces in Michoacán.

En un operación conjunta de @Defensamx1 @SEMAR_mx @SSPCMexico @FiscaliaMich y autoridades del estado de Michoacán fue detenido el Carlos Alejandro N “Botox” objetivo prioritario y generador de violencia en Michoacán. Principal extorsionador de limoneros y responsable de varios… pic.twitter.com/HlpOlEqwVt

— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) January 22, 2026

“El Botox” is César Alejandro Sepúlveda Arrellano, alleged leader of Los Blanco de Troya, a crime group described in media reports as the armed wing of Los Viagras, a criminal organization affiliated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

García Harfuch said that Sepúlveda is “responsible” for extorting lime growers and other agricultural producers, and for homicides, including that of Bravo, who was killed last October.

He said that the suspect attempted to escape from the address authorities raided on Thursday morning, but a female security agent detained him. The arrest reportedly took place near Apatzingán, a municipality in the notoriously dangerous Tierra Caliente region of Michoacán.

García Harfuch said that “a woman very close to” Sepúlveda was arrested around midnight on Thursday. He noted also that three people within Sepúlveda’s “close circles” were detained last week.

On social media, García Harfuch wrote that “El Botox,” who has previously spent time in prison, was a “priority target” of authorities and a “generator of violence in Michoacán,” one of Mexico’s most violent states.

The Michoacán Attorney General’s office accuses Sepúlveda of both planning the murder of Bravo and carrying it out. A warrant was issued for his arrest before he was taken into custody on Thursday morning. The Milenio newspaper reported that Sepúlveda recently posted videos to social media in which he asserted that he didn’t murder Bravo and that he was in fact a defender of the citrus industry in Michoacán.

The arrest of the suspect came three months and one day after Bravo, president of the Apatzingán Citrus Growers Association in Michoacán, was found dead in the front seat of his pick-up truck, killed by a bullet to the back of his head.

The next day, García Harfuch announced that a man identified as Rigoberto “N” had been detained.

“As a result of investigative work following the homicide of Bernardo Bravo, leader of citrus growers in the region, an operation was carried out in Michoacán … during which Rigoberto “N” was arrested,” he wrote on social media on Oct. 21.

“The detainee is identified as one of those responsible for collecting extortion payments from lime producers in Apatzingán,” García Harfuch wrote.

Though Rigoberto “N” was not charged with the murder of Bravo, he is suspected of playing a role in his death.

Before he was murdered, Bravo had been urging lime growers in the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacán to resist the extortion scheme that has long plagued producers in the area.

The US Treasury Department announced sanctions against ‘El Botox’ last year

Last August, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced that it was “sanctioning two notorious Mexican cartels — Carteles Unidos (a.k.a. ‘United Cartels’) and Los Viagras — and seven affiliated individuals linked to terrorism, drug trafficking, and extortion in Mexico’s agricultural sector.”

One of the sanctioned individuals was Sepúlveda.

“César Alejandro Sepúlveda Arellano, a.k.a. ‘El Botox,’ is a Los Viagras leader responsible for the killing of a citrus producer,” the Treasury Department said in an Aug. 14 statement, released more than two months before Sepúlveda allegedly murdered Bravo.

In the same press release, Treasury wrote that “Los Viagras has extorted avocado and citrus growers, cattle ranchers, and entire towns to generate revenue.”

Highway blockades reported after arrest 

Highway blockades set up by armed civilians were reported at three different points in the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacán following the arrest of Sepúlveda. Two of the blockades were set up in Apatzingán and one in the neighboring municipality of Buenavista.

It is relatively common in Mexico for crime groups to set up highway blockades in response to arrests, and to hinder additional actions against their members. Sometimes the blockades include burning vehicles, but that didn’t appear to be the case in the Tierra Caliente region on Thursday morning.

With reports from Reforma, El Universal, Milenio and Latinus

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The museum is named for Gene Byron, a Canadian artist (related by birth to the British Romantic poet Lord Byron), who bought the former silver and gold hacienda in 1962 with her Spanish husband, Virgilio Fernández.

Who was Gene Byron?

Gene Byron was a Renaissance woman — originally a successful Broadway actress and radio performer, she later became a painter. Influenced by Mexico’s muralists, she moved to Mexico in the 1940s, visiting diverse parts of the country like Veracruz, Guerrero, Chiapas, Yucatán, Campeche and Oaxaca. 

In Mexico, she continued to paint, but added design and restoration work to her repertoire. She specialized in mid-century modern design, creating distinctive tin and copper lighting, wall sconces and decorative items, often incorporating hand-painted tiles. Her artwork was exhibited in museums in Houston, San Antonio, Chicago, New York and Mexico City.

Meanwhile, Fernández, born in Morocco, became a Communist at a young age and was working as a nurse in Madrid when the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936. He spent much of the war as a medic on the front lines of Madrid and Guadalajara, Spain, participating in some of the most decisive battles of the Civil War alongside volunteers from across Europe and America. 

How Gene Byron and Virgilio Fernández met

In 1938, Fernández was captured by Nationalist forces and interned in a concentration camp in France. He later escaped and was exiled to Mexico, where, along with over 25,000 other Spanish refugees, he was welcomed. He spent the rest of his life in exile in Mexico.

Fernández studied pediatrics in Monterrey, where he met Byron. They moved to Guanajuato in 1958, buying the former Santa Ana hacienda, which they restored, transforming it into both their home and a gathering place for artists and creatives. 

Byron decorated and furnished the ex-hacienda with many of her own designs. The couple lived there together until she died in 1987. Today, it is still full of her furniture, paintings and even the light fixtures and other metal accessories that she designed. 

Byron’s home becomes a museum

 

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In 1997, Fernández and his second wife, Estela Cordero, decided to convert the house into a museum. This was no small task because the property was an immueble catalogado (listed on Mexico’s historic register) and they had to acquire lengthy permissions for any changes, even minor ones, from INAH, the federal department that protects and preserves Mexico’s archeological and historical structures.

Today, the property encompasses a museum, gardens, a restaurant, a gift shop and the apartment where museum director Estela Cordero now lives, and where she and Fernández lived until he died in 2019. One of the last surviving members of the International Brigades fighting the Spanish Civil War, Fernández passed away in 2019 at age 100.

The museum maintains a permanent collection of Byron’s work but also offers visiting exhibitions, literary presentations, book talks, art workshops and weekly classical music and jazz concerts. With its extensive gardens and courtyard, the museum is also a popular venue for large functions. 

A popular venue for art exhibitions and special events

The restaurant, located on the grounds with a view of trees, offers Mexican cuisine with European influences, and is open from 8:30 to 1 p.m. and then reopens from 2 to 6 p.m. The gift shop sells artisanal products, designs by Gene Byron — such as lamps, mirrors, and ashtrays — and rebozos and other fabrics.

In her role as the museum director, Estela Cordero selects Mexican and international artists to display their work there. Currently, there are shows by the Canadian oil painter and part-time Guanajuato resident Martine Bilodeau, as well as two Spanish artists, Luis González and Miguel Sánchez de San Bernardo. 

Speaking with Cordero, she said she sees several trends in contemporary Mexican art: the fusion of pre-Hispanic and folk art with modern techniques and perspectives; art as a social commentary on cultural issues such as violence, machismo, inequality, migration, gender, feminism and identity; and the mixing of traditional art forms with experimental, immersive techniques like multimedia, digital art, videos and performance art.

Only a 10-minute taxi ride from Guanajuato’s center, the museum is well worth a visit. And while you’re in Marfil, you can enjoy two other local assets: Stroll along the nearby tree-lined Camino Antiguo (Historic Walk) and visit another ex-hacienda, San Gabriel de Barrera, which contains 17 themed gardens. 

Louisa Rogers and her husband Barry Evans divide their lives between Guanajuato and Eureka, on California’s North Coast. Louisa writes articles and essays about expat life, Mexico, travel, physical and psychological health, retirement and spirituality. Her recent articles are available on her website, authory.com/LouisaRogers

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2026 begins with critical repairs to Guadalajara’s water systems

Earlier this month, 892 neighborhoods across the Guadalajara metro area experienced disruptions to their water service as the public utility SIAPA addressed critical infrastructure issues.

The affected areas included Tonalá (375 neighborhoods), Tlaquepaque (247 neighborhoods), Guadalajara (205 neighborhoods), and Zapopan (65 neighborhoods), spanning more than 2 million residents and 800,000 customer accounts. These areas are primarily supplied by the Miravalle and Las Huertas water treatment plants. 

With a budget of 38.4 million pesos ($2.1 million USD), SIAPA stated that the work was urgently needed to prevent major failures, reduce the risk of system collapse, and ensure the safe operation of the metropolitan area’s main water system.

Among the most critical system components addressed was the electrical substation at the Chapala Pumping Plant, a facility that has been in service for 34 years without meaningful improvements. This substation supplies power to the pumping and control equipment that transports water from Guadalajara’s main water source. 

In addition to improvements to the Chapala substation, SIAPA’s work this month involved replacing power circuit breakers, Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) meters, hardware, surge arresters, and disconnect switches, as well as installing new control panels and reprogramming electromechanical equipment. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality and reliability of water service across the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area.

While the work was underway, residents of the affected neighborhoods experienced low water pressure or a complete cutoff. To mitigate the inconvenience, local officials mounted a special operation to distribute drinking water to affected residents via hundreds of water trucks and stationary tanks around the city. 

As of January 6, SIAPA reported that water services had been fully restored to its customers. Moreover, this month’s intervention eliminates the need for additional maintenance to the system in 2026, traditionally completed over the Semana Santa week.

Guadalajara Airport adds 4 new international routes

As the city prepares to welcome millions of visitors for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, expanded international service is being added at Guadalajara airport to support the anticipated increase in demand. New flights launching in recent weeks connect Guadalajara with Calgary (WestJet), Montreal (Air Transat), Toronto (Air Canada), and Bogotá, Colombia (Volaris). These new routes are expected to support continued passenger growth at Guadalajara’s international airport in 2026. 

WestJet’s non-stop flights between Calgary (YYC) and Guadalajara are offered twice weekly, on  Tuesdays & Sundays. This service was originally conceived as a seasonal winter route, but was recently extended to year-round service.  

Air Transat offers nonstop flights from Montreal (YUL) to Guadalajara (GDL), twice weekly on Thursdays and Saturdays. This service is expected to run through mid-year in 2026.

The two new Canadian routes come on top of two other international destinations added late last year. In November 2025, Air Canada began offering nonstop service between Toronto and Guadalajara three times a week, and Volaris began nonstop service between Guadalajara and Bogota, Colombia twice weekly.

According to Michelle Fridman Hirsch, Jalisco’s Secretary of Tourism, the state is also in talks with several European carriers about potential new destinations. This is exciting news for Guadalajara’s five million residents, who would no doubt embrace more connectivity to Europe, building on Aeroméxico’s successful introduction of a Guadalajara to Madrid route in 2021. 

Air pollution reached record levels in 2025

Air quality in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area set a dubious record in 2025, with a dramatic increase in days with unhealthy air compared to 2024.

According to the official report “Air Quality Statistics 2025,” issued by the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development (Semadet), Guadalajara’s metro area saw 239 days with poor air quality in 2025. The rate was nearly five times higher than in 2024, when the city experienced 68 days with air pollution exceeding recommended safety levels.

As in prior years, Guadalajara’s worst air pollution in 2025 was recorded on the south side. Guadalajara’s southern neighborhoods see higher industrial emissions, alongside epic traffic congestion and less tree cover than other parts of town. On top of those man-made contributors, the south side’s lower elevation, combined with thermal inversions, exacerbates pollution levels in winter.

The most dangerous pollutants afflicting Guadalajara are PM10 and PM2.5 particles. These terms refer to the types of particulate matter (PM) in the air, based on their size. PM10 particles are small enough to enter human lungs, whereas PM2.5 particles are so small that they can pass into the bloodstream.

Despite multiple initiatives by the state government to improve the city’s air quality, results in 2025 suggest the need to find new and better ways to improve air quality, to fulfill Jalisco’s public health and environmental sustainability goals. 

Public transportation set to rise 27%

The general fare charged for the city’s public transportation is increasing from 11 pesos to 14 pesos in 2026. The new fare, which will take effect in April 2026, affects passengers on all modes of public transport, including buses and light rail.

As part of the deal, service providers committed to a fare freeze from 2026 to 2030, meaning that no additional price hikes will occur until after 2030. Public transportation authorities have also committed to numerous improvements, including increasing the frequency of routes, hiring more staff, putting more focus on safety, and increasing operator pay to improve quality.

For senior citizens, teachers, people with disabilities, and heads of household, a 50% fare reduction is available, while Mexican citizens with the “La Única” card will be eligible for a subsidy, paying only 11 pesos. Additionally, following a successful negotiation with student activists, students with a valid ID will be eligible to ride public transit for 5 pesos. 

Despite the concessions to vulnerable groups, many Guadalajara residents remain displeased with the fare hike. A public march on January 13th attracted an estimated 500 people, with one participant stating flatly, “The quality of transport is not worth the increase.” 

After discovering that life in Mexico was a lot more fun than working in corporate America, Dawn Stoner moved to Guadalajara in 2022, where she lives with her husband, two cats and Tapatío rescue dog. Her blog livewellmexico.com helps expats live their best life south of the border.

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“This is not so surprising, considering that Jalisco is one of the richest sites in the world for obsidian deposits, ranking number four after Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula,” added Esparza. “Nevertheless, we are losing it. Our obsidian is starting to vanish!”

Esparza’s observations come after the recent publication of a book entitled “La Obsidiana en Jalisco” (375 pages, El Colegio de Michoacán, 2025), of which he is a co-editor.

“Twelve writers contributed to this book,”  Esparza said, “giving us an up-to-date picture of what’s happening with obsidian in this state, and by extension in all of Mexico since Jalisco has more deposits of this traditional resource than any other part of the republic.”

The sharper edge

Obsidian is natural glass produced when lava flowing from a volcano cools quickly. For example, if it flows into water.

Curiously, obsidian is chemically the same as pumice, a rock which is ejected skyward from volcanoes and is so light that it floats.

Obsidian is an excellent material for blades and spearheads because it can produce a much sharper edge than any metal. The best scalpels in the world, in fact, are those made of obsidian. But, of course, they are very fragile.

The deadly Mexica sword

Because it can be used to make excellent knives and cutters, artisans have been working it since the dawn of time and have developed ingenious techniques for producing efficient blades. The Mexica even came up with a kind of machete called the macahuitl. This was a wide, flat sword made of wood with small obsidian blades glued into a slot all around the perimeter. Spaniards testified that with one blow, a macahuitl could easily decapitate a horse.

The remains of hundreds of ancient obsidian mines and workshops can be found in many parts of Jalisco, together with thousands of discarded artifacts bearing witness to a once-thriving industry that also had an impressive artistic component.

Ancient obsidian spangles

Take pre-Hispanic spangles, for instance. These are polished, coin-sized obsidian discs, only 1 or 2 millimeters thick, each perforated with a small hole. These were apparently meant to be sewn on clothing or strung together to form necklaces or bracelets. The finest of these are not discs at all, but small figures of animals or humans.

Even more astonishing are polished obsidian ear spools, just as thin as the spangles.

Today’s obsidian artisans can’t duplicate either of these, but they are using tools and techniques quite different from pre-Hispanic ones.

Still, with their grinding wheels and polishing discs, modern artisans turn out everything from spheres, hearts and butterflies to sophisticated works of art, taking full advantage of the many colors and sheens of Jalisco’s obsidian.

From Indian blood to rainbow

“We’ve found more than 20 colors here,” says Esparza. “There’s a mixture of red and black called meca, or Indian blood, which is much sought after, along with subtle meldings of gray and green. But, without doubt, the most popular kind of obsidian is arcoiris (rainbow), which gives you a mixture of almost every color.”

Some obsidians exhibit a deep sheen that almost seems to glow. Gold and silver sheens are the most sought-after.

Some of Mexico’s finest sculptors take advantage of obsidian’s special characteristics, bringing their works of molded clay to skilled artisans who reproduce them in natural volcanic glass.

In Chapter Six of “Obsidian in Jalisco,”  Esparza lists modern workshops in the towns of Tequila, Teuchitlán, Magdalena, San Marcos and Navajas. 

A visitor to any one of these workshops will have a golden opportunity to examine a variety of obsidian. Because all the workshops are continually exchanging pieces, you can quickly see everything available in the region. That would be the perfect moment to say: “Don Eleno, do you think you could turn this gorgeous piece of blue obsidian into a dolphin?”

Cheap rubble

But you’d better not wait too long to do this; the varieties and quantities of obsidian in Jalisco are on the decline.

“A key factor behind this problem,” says Esparza, “is that obsidian — which was once highly valued in Mexico — is now officially classified as cascajo (rubble), a category that also includes gravel and clinkers. Believe it or not, today you can buy obsidian for 1 peso per kilo.”

This means that forward-looking opportunists around the world can afford to purchase Jalisco obsidian in great quantities and ship it home.

Chinese connection

Naturally, the first to disappear are rarities like rainbow obsidian. For example, it was once abundant in the remote village of La Lobera, the last place in the world you’d expect to find a representative of China out looking for bargains.

But, “it’s all gone!” a local craftsman told me some years ago. “It’s all in China now.”

Another thing international bargain hunters are looking for is high-quality obsidian in large chunks. If you’d like to create the Pietà in obsidian, you have to start with a big piece. The place to go for blocks of obsidian, a cubic meter or larger in size, is a certain quarry near Magdalena, Jalisco. 

But if you go there today, they’ll tell you, “Sorry, amigo, you are too late. The Chinese cleaned us out years ago.” Alas, you may have to forget about creating the Pietà in obsidian and sculpt a pizza instead.

Another place to which Jalisco’s obsidian is escaping is Teotihuacán.

The depletion of obsidian in Mexico

“Tourists love to buy obsidian souvenirs at this famous site,” Esparza said,” but local deposits [in México state] have been depleted thanks to entrepreneurs who have shipped the obsidian to places like Saudi Arabia, Japan and China. So artisans in the Mexico City area now come to Jalisco to buy their raw materials.”

This means if you have no obsidian knick-knacks on your shelves, you’d better visit a Jalisco workshop pronto … or buy yourself a ticket to China. 

You’ll find the book “La Obsidiana en Jalisco” (entirely in Spanish) in the Colmich Bookstore. Co-editor Manuel Prados’ obsidian photo dossier can be accessed here.

John Pint has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of “A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area” and co-author of “Outdoors in Western Mexico.” More of his writing can be found on his website.

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The accidental discovery of more than 750 fossilized bones of Ice Age-era megafauna — mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, giant ground sloths and various horse species that disappeared from the Americas before the Spanish arrived with modern breeds — was first revealed more than a year ago. It was the subject of a detailed article in MND last April, which can be read here. 

More recently, however, the find has burst into the public limelight after Luis Espinasa, a biologist from the Marist University in New York and graduate of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), briefed the media on what he called “the largest paleontological deposit identified so far in the Huasteca Potosina region.”

If all goes according to plan, part of the collection will be housed locally in the Huasteco Regional Museum AC, located in Ciudad Valles, the Huasteca’s major city. The rest will remain in the Institute of Geology of the UNAM, where specialized analyses will continue.

According to Espinasa, budget limitations are hampering the full scientific potential of the discovery. Of the 750 bones found, only five have been dated using carbon-14 testing, with results showing the oldest specimen — a saber-toothed tiger — dates back 30,000 years, while the most recent, a bison, is 8,000 years old. The research team is now seeking sponsors to finance pending scientific analyses, including ancient DNA extraction from key specimens like the giant ground sloth, bears, saber-toothed cats and dire wolves.

This cave in San Luis Potosí was hiding Ice Age giants

For safety reasons related to bats, potentially dangerous fungi and steep drops, the exact location of the cave hasn’t been revealed. The site has legal protection and authorization from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

According to Espinasa, the exploration was originally intended to study blind cavefish, a species adapted to subterranean ecosystems. However, during the expedition, the team located numerous bone fragments that did not belong to present-day fauna.

Espinasa explained that the cave’s mineral conditions fostered an exceptional fossilization process, allowing the remains to be preserved in a remarkable state, uncommon in this type of environment. He added that the discovery will bring more insight into the food chains that existed in the region during the Pleistocene era.

This is not the first time Ice Age-era fossils have been found in San Luis Potosí. In 2015, scientists in Cedral, a small municipality not in the Huasteca but in the dryer altiplano region north of the state capital of San Luis Potosí, found bones of a mammoth and other animals in what was an ancient basin with springs where they had become trapped.

With reports from El Universal, La Jornada de Oriente and Potosí Noticias

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In an announcement made at the Regional Mariachi School in the town of Cocula, Governor Pablo Lemus said the new academic degree intends to honor Jalisco’s status as the cradle of Mexicanidad (Mexicanity), with mariachi representing a cornerstone of the country’s cultural and historical identity.

Jalisco announces a degree in mariachi music

“Here at this mariachi school, we’re going to certify the first-ever bachelor’s degree in mariachi,” Lemus said amid live mariachi music played by students. “Because mariachi comes from Cocula!” 

Cocula is widely accepted as the cradle of the mariachi tradition — which has given rise to the popular saying “De Cocula es el mariachi” (Mariachi comes from Cocula), which Lemus repeated in his announcement. The genre originated in the late 19th century and rapidly grew to become a staple of Mexico’s traditions. 

The academic degree is part of a larger effort by the state to strengthen this genre, which includes a renovation project to beautify the school, provisions for new musical instruments for students, and promotional initiatives designed to get more children and young people interested in mariachi in order to preserve its legacy. 

Preserving an authentic Mexican tradition

In a separate announcement, Jalisco’s Culture Minister Gerardo Asencio said that this degree “reinforces the state’s leadership in traditions that represent an entire country.”

“We’ve designed this program as a response to our interest in safeguarding the traditions that make us all very proud,” Asencio said in a video shared on his social media channels. “Knowledge that was previously transmitted orally will now have academic backing for posterity,” he stated.

The Regional Mariachi School is located in a historic building that previously served as a primary school. Classes are held in the afternoons, and until last summer, it had around 160 students. While most students are from Cocula, many others travel from nearby municipalities such as Tecolotlán or San Martín Hidalgo to study there. 

What the Regional Mariachi School teaches

The curriculum includes instruction for choral groups, vocal ensembles, a children’s choir and instruction in music theory. 

Students aged eight and above can enroll. The most popular musical instruction is in guitar and the violin. 

In addition to operating as a school, the facility offers areas for established mariachis to rehearse. Located just a few steps away from the main plaza, passersby can hear live mariachi music drifting out from the school every morning and afternoon.

With reports from Conciencia Pública, El Occidental

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The singer — whose video of his song “Sueña lindo, corazón” (“Sweet dreams, sweetheart”) went viral earlier this year with more than 14 million views — is scheduled to perform on the same bill with Latin Grammy winner Paloma Morphy and indie rock band Little Jesus.

Tickets range from 920 to 1,265 pesos (US $52 to $71) and the concert will be held at Foro del Lago, a venue at the Guanajuato state fairgrounds.

His first large-scale, ticketed, festival-style show will mark a new milestone for Macario, who has been on a rapid rise from an unknown 23-year-old when his song went viral a year ago.

The former sanitation worker now counts more than 300,000 monthly Spotify listeners, and his songs are featured on over 37,000 playlists. In October, he performed on NPR’s celebrated “Tiny Desk Concert” series at the network offices in Washington, D.C.

His León concert is part of a lineup that has already included Foo Fighters, the post-grunge rockers from Seattle who played to a packed house of more than 20,000 on Saturday.

Other big names in the 14-concert slate include Dutch DJ Tiësto and alternative rock band Zoé from Cuernavaca, Morelos, along with cumbia stalwarts Los Ángeles Azules from Iztapalapa (a borough of Mexico City) and regional music stars La Arrolladora Banda El Limón from Mazatlán.

The annual Feria Estatal de León (FEL) — or León State Fair — is celebrating the city’s 450th anniversary this year as well as its own 150th edition. It opened Jan. 9 and runs through Feb. 4.

More than 6 million visitors are expected, according to the digital news site Líder Empresarial, with about 85% of its shows and activities free of charge.

The fair’s offerings range from family spectacles like Disney’s “Where Dreams Are Born” to “Illusion on Ice Quantum,” a futuristic skating show.

Macario’s highly anticipated debut will be on the same bill as Morphy, a singer-songwriter from Mexico City highlighted by Billboard magazine as a Latin “artist on the rise.” Three years ago, she left her career as a criminal lawyer after gaining popularity for her TikTok song covers, and in 2025, she won a Latin Grammy for best new artist after the release of her debut album, “Au.”

For more details on the fair, visit FeriadeLeon.mx.

With reports from La Silla Rota, Quadratín Bajío, Líder Empresarial and Milenio

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A sampling of these events is detailed below, but first, take a look at some unique artwork gracing the city at two related venues through the end of the month.

The Namuh furniture galleries in Centro and on Camino a Alcocer past the Liverpool department store are featuring, through the end of this month, portraits by Greg Mayer built with painted LEGO and other plastic bricks.

Portraits by Greg Mayer

Mayer buys these plastic pieces by the kilo and paints them in shades of grey and a few other colors to create portraits that resemble optical illusions that are clear from a distance but pixelated up close.

Mayer, who lives in San Miguel and Arizona, said he chose to show his work here to honor “the beauty and dignity of the Mexican people” he observes in his daily life.

“The people at the bus stop, in the mercado and throughout the countryside,” he explained. “I have a deep respect for the quiet strength and grace present in everyday moments, and the work began as a way to honor that in my own home.”

Mayer said he’s drawn to faces that tell a story, and that his favorite is the one he’s currently working on.

“Some of the larger works take months to create, so by the time I’m finished, that piece had better be my favorite,” he said.

One of his favorite portraits, “La Sanadora” (“The Healer”), was prominently featured and quickly sold at the exhibit, which opened Oct. 31, 2025. Namuh owner Cecilio Garza described a “huge turnout” that evening, which he called “very unusual for an unknown artist in San Miguel.”

Mayer, humbled by the enthusiastic response to his work, hopes to have another exhibit here after he returns this spring. For now, you can see his work until the end of January at Namuh’s two locations: at Cuna de Allende 15 and at Camino a Alcocer, Km. 2.2. 

Water-related murals unveiled

“Dialogues with Mother Earth,” an environmental art collaboration between San Miguel artist Erica Daborn and the nonprofit clean-drinking-water organization Caminos de Agua, is coming to the Camino al Arte artists’ colony outside San Miguel in the town of Atotonilco on Jan. 15 and 16.

On Jan. 15 from 5–7 p.m., Camino al Arte will host an opening presentation, an artist talk and an exhibition of two of Daborn’s large-scale charcoal murals inspired by prehistoric cave drawings and socially engaged art. The murals will also be on display there on Jan. 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The two events are free and open to the public. Daborn’s new book, “Dialogues with Mother Earth,” will be available to purchase and can be signed by the artist. All proceeds go to support Caminos de Agua’s mission to provide access to safe water in Central Mexico.

Camino al Arte is located at Antigua Via S/N in Atontonilco, Guanajuato. 

Winter orchid workshop

A winter orchid workshop will be held Jan. 16 and 17 at the Casamada Hotel Boutique. Information on the care and uses of the Cymbidium orchid in landscaping and gardens will be presented. Each workshop costs 1,750 pesos and includes a brunch, study materials and a Cymbidium orchid to take home. Reservations are required.

The Jan. 16 workshop takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the Jan. 17 workshop takes place from 10 a.m. to noon. Space is limited. Reserve your spot by calling +52 (415) 125-4050.

Casamada Hotel Boutique is located at Potranca 16 in the Guadiana neighborhood.

Plays and staged readings this month

Two one-act plays by local playwright Roger M. Williams are coming to the Teatro Santa Ana theatre in San Miguel’s La Biblioteca in Centro on Jan. 16 and 17. 

“Gone!” is a humorous look at a U.S. tourist who gets lost in a Spanish city, and the other is entitled, “Me? A Traitor?! Iconic Gen. Robert E. Lee Confronts His Life and Deeds.” Marjorie Burren directs both and the local cast includes Burren, Frank Simons, Rick Franz and Josefina Valentini.

Admission is a 275-peso donation. Tickets are available at the theater box office. The Santa Ana Theater and its box office are located inside La Biblioteca at Insurgentes 25 in Centro.

At the Jewish Cultural & Community Center, veteran actors Fil Formicola and Alan Jacobson will be featured in a staged reading of Harold Pinter’s one-act play, “The Dumb Waiter,” on Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. The community center is located at Calle de Las Moras 47 in the Allende neighborhood. 

Doors open at 7 p.m. Donation information is available here.

Andrew Paxman at PEN

British biographer and historian Andrew Paxman, author of the recently published “Mexican Watchdogs: The Rise of a Critical Press Since the 1980s,” will discuss “Who’s Really Murdering Mexican Journalists?” on Jan. 20, at the Jewish Cultural & Community Center, Calle de Las Moras 47 in the Allende neighborhood. 

Tickets for the event, taking place at 6 p.m., are 350 pesos. It is part of San Miguel PEN’s winter lecture series, which supports threatened journalists and local literary projects.

Robert Burns Supper

The fifth annual Robert Burns Supper, held to honor Scotland’s most famous poet, returns to The Restaurant in Centro at 6 p.m. on Jan. 21. In keeping with Burns’ heritage, the meal will include haggis, roast beef with all the trimmings (vegetarian and gluten-free options upon request), wine and whisky. Entertainment will include bagpipes and a Scottish sing-along. 

Tickets are US $125 and benefit the EEESMA School for the Deaf in San Miguel. More information is available via email here.

Two art walks 

Visit local artists’ home studios during the free Guadalupe Art Walk on Jan. 24 and 25 in the neighborhood, which is home to galleries and San Miguel’s mural art district. Paintings, printmaking, sculpture and mixed media will be on hand for browsing and purchase. 

The art walk takes place on both days from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Email here for more information.

Meanwhile, dates for the annual San Antonio Art Walk have been announced. It will be happening this year on Feb. 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the San Antonio Art Walk is free.

More information will be available in the February community roundup.

Candelaria Horticultural Fair

Parque Zeferino, on the northern edge of the city, will be packed with regional growers and vendors selling flowers and plants during this year’s annual Feria de la Candelaria, which opens Jan. 30.

As always, the fair will feature a huge variety of trees, plants and cacti for sale, as well as pots and gardening tools. There will also be free music, dancing and other performances going on each day.

The Feria de la Candelaria runs through Feb. 13. Admission is free.

Live blues at Cent’anni

Local favorites the Craig Caffall Blues Band is playing at Cent’anni Restaurant in Centro on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. The show is part of the year-long series of performances associated with the San Miguel International Jazz and Blues Festival.

Tickets for the Cent’anni show are 600 pesos in advance at the restaurant or 660 pesos online here. Cent’anni is located at Canal 23.

Tickets going fast for the Writers’ Conference

Premium all-events passes to the internationally known San Miguel Writers’ Conference in February are nearly sold out. So don’t wait if you have plans to attend this week-long conference for writers, aspiring writers and book lovers alike.

The 21st annual conference kicks off Feb. 11 and runs through Feb. 15 at the Hotel Real de Minas. This year’s conference features keynote addresses from authors Abraham Verghese, Maira Kalman, Rebecca Kuang, Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil and Emily St. John Mandel and poet Andrés Neuman.

Panel discussions, workshops, readings and receptions play a major role in the conference, which expects thousands of attendees, including writers, editors, agents and, of course, readers. 

More information can be found here.

Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.

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