Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Cris Birthday
Without words, a very happy day, the 25th birthday of Cristal!!!! Thanxs to Kathya, Roberto, Angeles, Adolfo, Zaniah and Mariel. I love you Cristal!
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Important news: Mimi in Mexico
Friday, Saturday and Sunday 20-22th
This weekend, we went to the magic village of Mazamitla, a remote village in the mountains. Crazy adventures, horse riding in the rain for hours, trying to get on work a fire (not easy), visiting the central plaza or "El Cerro del Tigre". Que lindo viaje!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Sunday 15th
"Expo Ganadera", a nice day with a lot of animals, cows of different races, ranch-style cowboys, cowgirls and steaks :-). A funny exposition. I liked it.
Saturday 14th
After the 28 hours on plane and in airports, mmmmm, "Mariscos Veracruz" was the right place to get back to life and enjoying beeing surrounded by wonderful friends. And: We have to watch "The Illusionist" in cinema again. Of course, I was sleeping haha.
Welcome back home
Hi, back in MEX and starting with some pics about flooded streets after the rain season, about poverty and about interesting ideas how to make of the upper part of a mobile home a second floor (hehehe).
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Chipilo, a venetian village
Very close to the capital of State Puebla, we find a village called Chipilo. I once sat in a little restaurant with some good friends and other inhabitants of this calm place and I felt... like in Italy :-). The foundation of Chipilo was done in 1882 by Italian inmigrants from the town Segusino in Venetia, Northern Italy, and until today almost everybody from there has an Italian background. Italian restaurants, Italian social clubs, Italian food, Italian language, Italian style cheese, Italian first & family names.
If you are an Italian, you should feel the atmosphere. You will be at home.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Thanx to CriCri for the gift and here is my dorm :-)
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
La Palma, maximum-security prison
The worst place to end in México is behind fences in the little town Almoloya de Juárez, Edo. de México, west to México City. In this place we'll find the maximum-security prison "La Palma". I don't know, why they gave it such a beautiful name, but in any case, you don't wanna find out :-).
A list of "famous" inmates and their criminal background:
Osiel Cárdenas Guillén: chief of the Gulf Cartel ... transporting drugs to the US ... responsible for various assassinations ... behind his organization are "Los Zetas", a fully-armored group of paramilitary-like murderers acting on his behalf ... brothers Ezequiel and Mario in charge now.
From the Gulf Cartel other important inmates are Gilberto García Mena "El June", Óscar Malherbe de León or Rogelio González Pizaña "El Kelin".
Benjamín Arellano Félix: mastermind of the Tijuana Drug Cartel ... operating mainly at Tijuana border in northwestern México ... locked up since March 2002 ... ordered various assassinations ... extremely dangerous ... his whole family is involved ... brother Ramón was shot by the Sinaloa cartel ... brother Javier arrested in 2006 on a yacht ... brother Francisco in a US maximum-security prison ... brother Eduardo in charge now.
Other representatives of the Tijuana Cartel in La Palma are Jesús Labra Avilés "El Chuy", Ismael Higuera Guerrero "El Mayel" and Óscar López Rochin "El R-1".
Mario Villanueva Madrid: ex-governor from the State of Quintana Roo ... accused of trafficking for the Juárez Cartel ... most prominent politician arrested.
Daniel Arizmendi López "El Mochaorejas": chief of a whole group of kidnappers ... they cut the ears of their 24 victims and sent them to their families ... 3 kidnapped were killed later ... extremely violent person.
Alcides Ramón Magaña "El Metro": he is one of the most important men in the Juárez Cartel which was led by Amado Carrillo Fuentes (until his death in 1997). With Amado Carrillo actually everything started and after his death the Cartels were formed, split up and now they are in war against each other.
Adán Segundo Pérez Canales and Jesús Gutiérrez Rebollo from the Juárez Cartel are imprisoned as well.
Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo "Don Neto", Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo "El Padrino": the czars of cocaine during the eighties ... Miguel is the uncle of the Arellano Félix brothers.
Both are old men, gangster in their 50ies, who started the Guadalajara Cartel, which got large amount of cocaine from Colombia.
The brothers Jesús and Luis Ignacio Amezcua Contreras: the family Amezcua Contreras runs the Colima Cartel at the Pacific Coast.
Jesús Castro Pantoja "El Pantoja": last prominent survivor of the Sinaloa Cartel after the assassinations (scroll down a little bit).
Andrés Caletri "El Italiano": a very dangerous bank robber and kidnapper.
Marcos Tinoco Gancedo "El Coronel": 12 victims kidnapped ... he cut the little finger and sent them to their families ... in prison since March 2000.
Carlos Morales Gutiérrez "El Águila": head of the Neza Cartel and biggest narcotics distribuitor in México City's Nezahuacóyotl suburb (called Nezayork or "México's Bronx")
Nicanor Guzmán González "El Nica": boss of a brutal kidnapper gang ... counted on the help of some policemen.
Mario Aburto Martínez: assassin of presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio in the election year 1994. It was sure that he would get elected as president. Nobody still knows who ordered it.
Daniel Aguilar Treviño: assassin of PRI party general secretary José Francisco Ruíz Massieu.
Arturo Guzmán Loera "El Pollo", brother of drugpin Joaquín Guzmán "El Chapo" who could escape maximimun-security prison Puente Grande, Jalisco in 2001, was murdered in 2004 by the alliance of Cárdenas-Arellano in La Palma prison, alongside with two other high ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel, Miguel Ángel Beltrán Lugo "El Ceja Güera" and Alberto Soberanes Ramos "El Socorro".
Still on the list of the "most wanted" are Joaquín Guzmán Loera "El Chapo", Ismael Zambada "El Mayo", José Albino Quintero Meraz "El Beto", Juan José Esparragoza Moreno "El Azul" and a lot more :-(
A list of "famous" inmates and their criminal background:
Osiel Cárdenas Guillén: chief of the Gulf Cartel ... transporting drugs to the US ... responsible for various assassinations ... behind his organization are "Los Zetas", a fully-armored group of paramilitary-like murderers acting on his behalf ... brothers Ezequiel and Mario in charge now.
From the Gulf Cartel other important inmates are Gilberto García Mena "El June", Óscar Malherbe de León or Rogelio González Pizaña "El Kelin".
Benjamín Arellano Félix: mastermind of the Tijuana Drug Cartel ... operating mainly at Tijuana border in northwestern México ... locked up since March 2002 ... ordered various assassinations ... extremely dangerous ... his whole family is involved ... brother Ramón was shot by the Sinaloa cartel ... brother Javier arrested in 2006 on a yacht ... brother Francisco in a US maximum-security prison ... brother Eduardo in charge now.
Other representatives of the Tijuana Cartel in La Palma are Jesús Labra Avilés "El Chuy", Ismael Higuera Guerrero "El Mayel" and Óscar López Rochin "El R-1".
Mario Villanueva Madrid: ex-governor from the State of Quintana Roo ... accused of trafficking for the Juárez Cartel ... most prominent politician arrested.
Daniel Arizmendi López "El Mochaorejas": chief of a whole group of kidnappers ... they cut the ears of their 24 victims and sent them to their families ... 3 kidnapped were killed later ... extremely violent person.
Alcides Ramón Magaña "El Metro": he is one of the most important men in the Juárez Cartel which was led by Amado Carrillo Fuentes (until his death in 1997). With Amado Carrillo actually everything started and after his death the Cartels were formed, split up and now they are in war against each other.
Adán Segundo Pérez Canales and Jesús Gutiérrez Rebollo from the Juárez Cartel are imprisoned as well.
Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo "Don Neto", Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo "El Padrino": the czars of cocaine during the eighties ... Miguel is the uncle of the Arellano Félix brothers.
Both are old men, gangster in their 50ies, who started the Guadalajara Cartel, which got large amount of cocaine from Colombia.
The brothers Jesús and Luis Ignacio Amezcua Contreras: the family Amezcua Contreras runs the Colima Cartel at the Pacific Coast.
Jesús Castro Pantoja "El Pantoja": last prominent survivor of the Sinaloa Cartel after the assassinations (scroll down a little bit).
Andrés Caletri "El Italiano": a very dangerous bank robber and kidnapper.
Marcos Tinoco Gancedo "El Coronel": 12 victims kidnapped ... he cut the little finger and sent them to their families ... in prison since March 2000.
Carlos Morales Gutiérrez "El Águila": head of the Neza Cartel and biggest narcotics distribuitor in México City's Nezahuacóyotl suburb (called Nezayork or "México's Bronx")
Nicanor Guzmán González "El Nica": boss of a brutal kidnapper gang ... counted on the help of some policemen.
Mario Aburto Martínez: assassin of presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio in the election year 1994. It was sure that he would get elected as president. Nobody still knows who ordered it.
Daniel Aguilar Treviño: assassin of PRI party general secretary José Francisco Ruíz Massieu.
Arturo Guzmán Loera "El Pollo", brother of drugpin Joaquín Guzmán "El Chapo" who could escape maximimun-security prison Puente Grande, Jalisco in 2001, was murdered in 2004 by the alliance of Cárdenas-Arellano in La Palma prison, alongside with two other high ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel, Miguel Ángel Beltrán Lugo "El Ceja Güera" and Alberto Soberanes Ramos "El Socorro".
Still on the list of the "most wanted" are Joaquín Guzmán Loera "El Chapo", Ismael Zambada "El Mayo", José Albino Quintero Meraz "El Beto", Juan José Esparragoza Moreno "El Azul" and a lot more :-(
Monday, October 02, 2006
Being on the way to return
This article I dedicate to one of the beautiful specialities Mexico is offering to the rest of the World: Banda Music, Duranguense, Norteño.
Don't think, I am mad now :-). Indeed this is for me an astonishing kind of music, I really enjoy listening. To the people who are farer away from México with their heart, I would like to explain a little bit of history and point out some famous musicians of this kind of music.
México is a country with a broad spectrum of music forms, like Mariachi, Marimba, Trova, Cumbia, Huapango, Danzón, Electronic, Hip-Hop, Pop, Rock and even Hardcore. Nowadays you can find a lot of different kinds and the music business is a tough one, since there are so much different groups. Interesting to notice is the regional difference of popularity. I make some examples: in the southern states of Chiapas or Oaxaca, especially Marimba has a very high reputation. Marimba is based on xylophone instrument and is popular in neighbouring Guatemala as well. Huapango and Trova are very popular in the Gulf of Mexico states and on the Yucatán Peninsula. In this region, you can recognize the feeling of the Caribbean Sea, fast "hot" rythms, similar to Cuba. The Western style rock and electronic music has its concentration in the bigger cities.
On the other hand, there is Northern Mexico, vast prairies, high mountains, low population density. Here is the home of Banda!
Banda bands usually consist of 15 male members and generally they have a lead singer and a second voice. They use a variety of brass instruments: the tambora, a kind of drum and the loudest instrument in the banda; the tarola, a snare; two other drums; trumpets; clarinets; trombones; tubas; baritone horns; saxophones.
Especially the States of Sinaloa (Banda) and Durango (Duranguense) are famous of producing this kind of bands. Since the ninetees of the 20th century, Banda music has left the North to become popular among old and young Mexicans throughout the whole country and in the "Mexican belt" in the United States. High volume on the stereos guaranteed :-). Only very few female singers exist.
Some of the bands are well known (maybe more important then Emiliano Zapata) and of high popularity. To make it short, I just mention some of them:
La Arrolladora Banda El Limón, Banda Cuisillos, Grupo Montez de Durango, Patrulla 81, El Chapo de Sinaloa (to distinguish from the famous druglord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán), K-Paz de la Sierra, Los Originales de San Juan, Pancho Barraza, El Coyote y su Banda, Jenni Rivera, El Chalinillo, Adan "Chalino" Sánchez (son of famous Rosalino Sánchez), Yolanda Pérez, Intocable, Los Tiranos del Norte, Banda El Capiro, Los Alegres de la Sierra, Banda Maguey, Banda Jérez etc.
Patrulla 81
El Chapo de Sinaloa
Adan "Chalino" Sánchez
Conjunto Primavera
Montez de Durango
Yolanda Pérez
Don't think, I am mad now :-). Indeed this is for me an astonishing kind of music, I really enjoy listening. To the people who are farer away from México with their heart, I would like to explain a little bit of history and point out some famous musicians of this kind of music.
México is a country with a broad spectrum of music forms, like Mariachi, Marimba, Trova, Cumbia, Huapango, Danzón, Electronic, Hip-Hop, Pop, Rock and even Hardcore. Nowadays you can find a lot of different kinds and the music business is a tough one, since there are so much different groups. Interesting to notice is the regional difference of popularity. I make some examples: in the southern states of Chiapas or Oaxaca, especially Marimba has a very high reputation. Marimba is based on xylophone instrument and is popular in neighbouring Guatemala as well. Huapango and Trova are very popular in the Gulf of Mexico states and on the Yucatán Peninsula. In this region, you can recognize the feeling of the Caribbean Sea, fast "hot" rythms, similar to Cuba. The Western style rock and electronic music has its concentration in the bigger cities.
On the other hand, there is Northern Mexico, vast prairies, high mountains, low population density. Here is the home of Banda!
Banda bands usually consist of 15 male members and generally they have a lead singer and a second voice. They use a variety of brass instruments: the tambora, a kind of drum and the loudest instrument in the banda; the tarola, a snare; two other drums; trumpets; clarinets; trombones; tubas; baritone horns; saxophones.
Especially the States of Sinaloa (Banda) and Durango (Duranguense) are famous of producing this kind of bands. Since the ninetees of the 20th century, Banda music has left the North to become popular among old and young Mexicans throughout the whole country and in the "Mexican belt" in the United States. High volume on the stereos guaranteed :-). Only very few female singers exist.
Some of the bands are well known (maybe more important then Emiliano Zapata) and of high popularity. To make it short, I just mention some of them:
La Arrolladora Banda El Limón, Banda Cuisillos, Grupo Montez de Durango, Patrulla 81, El Chapo de Sinaloa (to distinguish from the famous druglord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán), K-Paz de la Sierra, Los Originales de San Juan, Pancho Barraza, El Coyote y su Banda, Jenni Rivera, El Chalinillo, Adan "Chalino" Sánchez (son of famous Rosalino Sánchez), Yolanda Pérez, Intocable, Los Tiranos del Norte, Banda El Capiro, Los Alegres de la Sierra, Banda Maguey, Banda Jérez etc.
Patrulla 81
El Chapo de Sinaloa
Adan "Chalino" Sánchez
Conjunto Primavera
Montez de Durango
Yolanda Pérez
