The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Mazatlan is a gorgeous building, not unlike many similar cathedrals around the world – and especially around Latin America. Apart from the Star of David stained-glass windows. But more on that later. Religion, and especially Roman Catholicism, has played an integral part in the life of Mexico.…
One of my guilty pleasures as a young married man was was watching TV’s “Love Boat” on a weekend evening with my new bride – and each week, they’d transport us via the magic of television to Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas. So when Shirley and I got the chance to go on a…
This week’s travel theme is Mexico and today we are at one of the busiest border crossings in the world – where Tijuana in Mexico becomes San Ysidro in the United States. It’s possible to catch a tram (or light rail, to be more accurate) from the heart of San Diego right to the border…
This week’s travel theme is Mexico and we are going to consider the similarities – and the differences – with its neighbour to the north. At roughly the same time as kids in the US are celebrating Halloween, south of the border it’s the Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos. But while there…
Hooray for Cahuenga! Somehow, it doesn’t have the same ring, does it? The area now called Hollywood was once known as Nopalera (or Prickly-Pear Field in Spanish) and later as Cahuenga Valley. Then, in 1896, developer HJ Whitley supposedly asked a local Chinese merchant what he was doing with his wagon-load of timber. The response came…
So, who knew you’d find the Artic in the Southern California sunshine? Well, to be fair, it’s ARTIC, not Arctic – but there are some chilly breezes surrounding this story. The ARTIC in question is the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center. For everyone else, it would be the Anaheim train station and bus interchange –…
You know, for many years I wondered why so many US cities had a “Union Station” I mean, I’d heard of Union Station in Washington, and Union Station in Chicago – but on a recent trip to the US, we actually caught trains to (or from) Union Stations in Denver, Colorado, and of course in…
I don’t remember exactly what comic book it was in – or what age I was – or how much the price was – but it left me with an unquenchable desire. Good story so far, huh? 🙂 The details, as best I remember them, were this: it was a comic book ad – you know,…
Imagine, if you can, what it must have been like to stand in the gun battery on a floating weapon of war – where the barrels of your guns are 16 inches, or nearly half a metre in diameter. Imagine that the shells that scream away from its innards can travel up to 23 miles, or…
Candied Corn doesn’t have a great deal of nutritional value … but don’t try telling that to your kids – or your furry friends! Oh, I don’t mean the horrible pure-sugar vaguely corn-shaped candies that are a staple for many American kids at Halloween. I mean real corn, sweetened with honey or caramel or powdered…
Cairns Communications 