MOON HANDBOOKS MEXICO

Beneath Mexico's glossy travel posters depicting looming volcanoes or honeymooners waist deep in tropical seas lies a land of somber ritual and festival ecstasy, peasant politicians and Spanish heirs—a vast mosaic comprising one of the most complex and intriguing nations on earth. This book provides:

• A thorough introduction to Mexican culture and history
• Handpicked recommendations on the best lodging and dining values in each region
• The nitty-gritty on kayaking, scuba diving, fishing, cycling, hiking, and other outdoor recreation

"Beyond question the most comprehensive Mexican vacation resource available for those who prefer deep travel to shallow tourism. But don't worry: the fiesta-fun stuff's all here, too." —New York Daily News

Moon Handbooks Mexico
2nd Edition
Joe Cummings & Chicki Mallan
ISBN 1-56691-123-0
$21.95
Purchase here through Amazon.com or visit Booksense.com to find your local independent bookseller.

Joe Cummings was born in New Orleans and raised in California, France, Texas, and Washington, D.C. He spent a good part of his childhood in San Antonio, Texas, where he ate his first taco in the 1960s during one of his family's frequent Mexican border town visits. After that he always preferred tacos to burgers, so his mom had to learn how to make them—well ahead of the Mexican food craze that would sweep across America in the 1970s.
   Joe's love of Tex-Mex border culture drew him deeper into Mexico, where he explored the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts and the famed Copper Canyon, to research and write Moon Handbooks Northern Mexico. He took an epic road trip down Baja's Transpeninsular Highway in 1991 to write Moon Handbooks Baja. Impressed by the juxtaposition of history, nature, and solitude that suited his restless spirit, he eventually built a Baja hideout five minutes from the Pacific Ocean.
   In addition to authoring Moon Handbooks to Baja, Cabo, Mexico, Mexico City, Northern Mexico, and Texas, Joe has written numerous other guidebooks, phrasebooks, and atlases for countries around the world. As a freelance journalist, Joe has also contributed to dozens of periodicals, including Ambassador, BBC Holidays, Car & Travel, Geographical, The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, Los Angeles Times, Outside, San Francisco Examiner, South China Morning Post, Via, and The Wall Street Journal. He has twice received the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Gold Award, and twice been a finalist in London's Thomas Cook Guidebook of the Year awards. In 2001, the government of Mexico awarded the Pluma de Plata (Silver Quill) to Joe for "outstanding foreign journalism" on Mexico. Joe divides his time between homes in Baja and Thailand.

Other travel guides authored by Joe Cummings:
Moon Handbooks Baja
Moon Handbooks Cabo
Moon Handbooks Mexico City
Moon Handbooks Northern Mexico
Moon Handbooks Texas

Chicki Mallan discovered the joy of traveling with her parents at an early age. The family would leave their Catalina Island home yearly, hit the road, and explore the small towns and big cities of the United States. The first foreign country she visited, at about age five, was Mexico. Destiny? Since then she has lived in France, Indonesia, and Mexico, and traveled all over Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Central America. In between, she raised eight kids who, after a lot of traveling and living in intriguing places, are now teaching their children what fun it is to travel.
     Chicki’s first book was published by Moon in 1983; today, she is also the author of Colonial Mexico, Moon Handbooks Cancún, and Moon Handbooks Yucatán Peninsula, and co-author of Moon Handbooks Mexico. Between books, she enjoys her home in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills, writing newspaper and magazine articles, and devoting time to her newest hobby, sculpting.
     In 1987, Chicki was presented the Pluma de Plata writing award from the Mexican Government for an article she wrote about the coast of the Yucatán Caribbean, which was published in the Los Angeles Times.

Other travel guides authored by Chicki Mallan:
Moon Handbooks Belize
Moon Handbooks Cancún
Moon Handbooks Yucatán Peninsula
Colonial Mexico