M E X I C O + T R A V E L + C U L T U R E

C O N T E N T S

T U L U M

I T Z I M N A

A N D R E W X E N I O S

L O S C U A D R O S D E M E R I D A

T E J O N R O J O

V O C H O

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5

T U L U M

If you stop and scan the horizon from within

this pre-Columbian walled city it’s easy to see

why the Mayans picked this particular site for

their regional trade hub. On one side, steep

cliffs fall dramatically to a protected beach on

the Caribbean Sea. On all others, the terrain

slopes gently away for many kilometres

making Tulum the highest point in the area

and the perfect lookout post for Mayan

sentries.

While they weren’t taking in the view or

defending the city from invaders, the Mayans

did a brisk business in the valuable, volcanic

glass – Obsidian.

Today Tulum has some of the most well-

preserved archaeological buildings in Mexico,

among them the impressive Temple of the

Descending God. The entire site is walkable,

the beach is open and the natural setting is

spectacular. So, bring your swimming gear

and your camera.

A n c i e n t T u l u m .

I T Z I M N Á

I t z i m n á r e m a i n so n e o f t h e m o s tb e a u t i f u l c o l o n i a l -e r a n e i g h b o r h o o d si n M é r i d a , Y u c a t á n .

Prior to the Spanish conquest of the Yucatán

this historic neighborhood was the

ceremonial center for the worship of Itzamná

the Mayan god of creation.

The Catholic church located in the plaza was

completed in 1719 and is accompanied by a

lush parish garden "Los Recreos de Itzimná".

Like many areas of Mérida, Itzimná is home to

a large number of 19th century mansions

echoing their past greatness.

Many buildings have been restored as private

residences or businesses making Itzimná a

fine choice for an afternoon of shopping,

cafe-hopping and sightseeing.

A N D R E WX E N I O S

Andrew Xenios grew up in Long Beach,

California and first came to the Yucatán in

1972, initially settling in Progreso with other

writers, photographers, painters and artists

lured by the sun and contemplative spaces of

the Mexican gulf.

Since then he has travelled extensively, most

notably in Afghanistan, Greece, Germany,

France and Cuba. The fruits of his travels are

in permanent exhibition at the Museum of

Fine Art in Boston, The Fogg Museum at

Harvard University and Bibliothèque

nationale de France.

Occasionally you can find Xenios at his home

on Cozumel but more often at his studio in

Mérida, basecamp for exploring the

fascinating confluence of ancient Mayan and

Spanish Imperial cultures that have shaped

Mexico's Yucatán peninsula for centuries.

M e d i t a t i v e ,

A d v e n t u r eP h o t o g r a p h y .

He bills himself as a fine art/adventure

photographer. But as he talks about the

Yucatán and the methodology of his

photography workshops and exhibits it's clear

he is engaged in something somewhat more

elusive. A kind of meditative photography.

Xenios makes the analogy to the act of

drawing as a child, sometimes revealing

innocence but always capturing a moment of

raw essence. He sees photography as a

means to simultaneously reveal and

empower the subject... and the artist.

Sit with his prints in person or in the pages

that follow and you begin to understand that

Xenios is guiding you into a deeper

understanding of Mexico with the purpose

of understanding yourself.

A N D R E W X E N I O S

L O S C U A D R O S

L o s C u a d r o sd e M é r i d a .

While exploring Mérida's historic Centro you

will surely discover some of the more than

one-hundred plaster corner plaques with

names like ‘El Elefante’, ‘El Loro’ and ‘La

Tortola’.

Some are literal, centuries-old land-markers

as with ‘El Arco de Santa Ana’ while others

like ‘El Motor Electrico’ are clearly from more

recent times.

But what do they mean?

Through its 400+ year existence, Mérida grew

into an often confusing grid of streets and

lanes that made finding places difficult. In

response, businesses and residents marked

their important corners with murals,

paintings and sculptures.

While most of the originals have faded away,

the City has restored the corners with iconic

plaques in their characteristic earthy-red,

hand-drawn style.

T E J O N R O J O

N u M é x i c a n a .

Upon entering this custom t-shirt & gift shop

you might think you have teleported to New

York’s Soho or Toronto’s Queen St. West… but

this eclectic bit of urban coolness is

confidently at home in Santa Lucia, Centro,

Mérida.

Tejon Rojo founders Annie Farias and Erika

Canto conceived their quirky méxicana

boutique theme in 2012 after stints in design

and business college respectively. The two

collaborate on screen and sublimation-

printed original t-shirts, re-cycled dresses and

hand-stitched streetwear.

Add in some hand-picked accessories from

local artists and a muralled patio with design

furniture from Retrorica Interiorismo and you

have a wonderfully weird boutique

experience in the heart of colonial México.

A N N I E F A R I A S

V O C H O

These are some of the affectionate names the

world has created for a car the German

government commissioned from Porsche in

the 1930′s. The Volkswagen Type 1 was

designed to be the people’s car. It needed to

be an easily mass-produced, utilitarian

vehicle for the newly-built German roads.

As spectacularly as the WWII Germans failed,

the VWI succeeded. Only a few years later it

was rolling off the line and into Japan, UK,

Africa, South America and México.

B u g , B e e t l e ,

E l H u e v i t o ,

C o c c i n e l l e ,

E l V o c h o . . .

The developing world loved this car for its

inexpensive initial cost, good gas mileage and

ease of maintenance. It proved itself

unquestionably as a trustworthy road

companion in México where ‘El Vocho’ has

come to represent the practical, do-it-yourself

spirit of the people.

Of course, the VW Beetle had many design

upgrades but its signature, dome design

prevailed. Accompanied by slick marketing in

the early 2000's it even became a hit with the

North American urban-hipster crowd.

Although the last Vocho was produced in

2003 in Puebla, over 20 million were

manufactured in México – and millions are

still rolling!

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