TRAVEL JOURNAL & OTHER THINGS

Ancient Mogollon City, Paquime, Chihuahua Mexico Photo by J. Bjarnason December 2018 "It has been said that in Chihuahua there is no green and burgeoning Eden; that it is a kingdom of yellowing plains: eroded, dry and desolate; a land of high rugged mountains shot through narrow passes. The scarce and torrential rain when it falls forms stagnant pools in the desert bowls, which later evaporate or hurl themselves down among the rocky canyons. The sun blisters and cracks, the w

Jipijapa hat weaver Alfredo, Becal, Campeche Mexico Photo by J.Bjarnason December 2023 The Lonely Planet was clear about buying a Panama Hat in Merida, back in 1996 when my family began researching hat dealers. One of the first rules was to avoid stores with salespeople bookmarking a Lonely Planet review from years previous, as some would purportedly use an old review to hock lower quality pieces for a high price. If the edition was current, there was a stronger possibility