IS MEXICO SAFE?

I was asked by the folks at www.thetruthaboutmexico.com to comment about safety in Mexico City.
Click here to read the article.

THOUGHTFUL WORDS ABOUT MEXICO

This article in today's New York Times by prominent Mexican intellectual Enrique Krauze is well worth reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/opinion/24krauze.html?_r=1

HOTELS IN MEXICO CITY

By coincidence, two blogger friends recently wrote about their favorite Mexico City hotels. I'm often asked to recommend a hotel ('buy my book' is the quick answer), but here are tips from some folks-in-the-know about where they like to stay in the city.

Click here for Deb Hall's advice on her great travel blog.

Click here for David Lida's tip--one of many on his intriguing DF blog.

I asked my friend Patrice Wynne who leads tours to Mexico City. She offered options in the centro histórico at three price categories, low to high--

The old stand-by Hotel Isabel, The reliable Tulip Inn, and the elegant
Gran Hotel de la Ciudad de Mexico

I've also had thumbs-up reports on the following places: NHHotel (centro histórico),
The Stanza Hotel (Colonia Roma), and
The Red Tree House (Colonia Condesa)--it gets booked up fast these days.

Check this link for a list of cheap hotels in Mexico City.

Be aware, especially in older hotels, that rooms can vary greatly in terms of street noise and ventilation. Ask to see more than one room if you're not happy with the first.

VIOLENCE IN MEXICO

I'm blogging twice today as I've received requests on this topic several times lately.

For anyone living outside Mexico, relying solely on newspaper coverage for your impressions of daily life here, the situation looks dire.

While news of drug violence may reflect a certain truth about Mexico, it does not reflect the whole truth. In fact, for me and just about everyone I know here, it greatly distorts the truth.
I live my life without fear in Mexico City. Friends who have visited have been pleasantly surprised at how delightful it can be. I receive frequent emails from people who have used my book or read my blog telling of positive experiences.

The following two blog entries say it even better. Read on:

http://www.midwesternerinmexico.com/2009/03/07/am-i-going-to-be-a-victim-of-violence-in-mexico-take-this-simple-quiz-to-find-out/

http://travel.booklocker.com/2009/03/06/the-real-travel-story-mexico/

WRITING FOR 'THE NEWS'

My career as a writer has taken a new direction--freelance writer for 'The News', Mexico's English language daily newspaper. I've been writing about whatever catches my interest, mostly cultural topics related to Mexico City. I'm scanning my published articles and putting them on my website, or you can click the links below to go directly to some of my recent articles.
(You may need to use the plus or minus signs on the toolbar to make it a legible size.)

http://jimjohnstonart.com/images/TREE.pdf Book Review

http://jimjohnstonart.com/Camilla%20Johnson.pdf Interview with a singer

http://jimjohnstonart.com/images/LITERARYLIFE.pdf Writers in San Miguel de Allende

http://jimjohnstonart.com/images/BRAD.pdf An apartment in Colonia Roma

http://jimjohnstonart.com/images/HOUSE.pdf Architects in San Miguel

MEXICO CITY'S NEWEST MUSEUM

The Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo is the hottest new thing on the art scene here. But I'm going to take a break and let another Mexico City blogger tell you about it.
Here's the link. (the link may not work from an email message--click onto my blog)

Catherine's blog, 'Small Fish in the Big Taco' is also great for anyone interested in traveling in Mexico. She goes to some smaller, lesser known places, takes great photos, and
has infectious enthusiasm and detailed insights into where she goes--check it out.