Fredrick Catherwood’s Lasting Legacy

Fredrick Catherwood’s Lasting Legacy


In  the early 1840’s, two haggard men on mules emerged from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula telling stories of a lost civilization discovered and unknown cities explored, long before the days when Nikon cameras and National Geographic magazine told us of these things. Between the years of 1839-1842, American John Lloyd Stephens...

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Buying on the Beach

Buying on the Beach

Defining Mexico’s Federal Maritime Zone


  Defining and measuring the Federal Maritime Zone The Federal Maritime Zone is legally described as the 20 meter wide strip of land that is transitable and next to the beach (playa mar). Let’s break this down to make sure we are clear on what we are talking about: 1....

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The Secret to Raising Fish

The Secret to Raising Fish

The Holy Trinity of Resonance


Do some boats raise fish better than others? You bet they do, but why? And, how can a 25 foot Mexican panga raise more fish than a “no expenses spared” 45 foot sport fisher? It is all about the Holy Trinity of Resonance, Vibration and the Horsepower to Weight Ratio....

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Wine and Cheese

Wine and Cheese

Breaking with tradition


The theme of an eternal discussion among sommeliers, the pairing of wine and cheese is without a doubt the most difficult.  This despite the fact that both are a result of the blending of yeast and bacteria.  A good cheese can better a low quality wine or a powerful cheese...

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Pacific Coast Pirates


…a 27 year old English Captain by the name of Thomas Cavendish, was bearing down on him with distinctly unfriendly intentions.”   An account of the Manila Galleon and English pirates off the coast of Mexico The Spanish galleon Santa Ana slowly tracked the coast of Baja California in November 1587 under clear skies and favorable sailing conditions. She was four months out of Manila and only days away from dropping anchor at her home port of Acapulco. She carried in her hold an immense fortune in Oriental treasure: gold, pearls, silks from the China, ginger, cloves and cinnamon from the Spice Islands, jewels from Burma, Indian ivory. Lookouts from the Santa Ana spotted distant sails as the overloaded ship passed by Cabo San Lucas. Captain Tomas de Alzola reduced sail and ordered camouflage netting to be hung. Weapons were issued to those among the 160 passengers and crew capable...

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Latest ADIP Articles
The Bookstores of Donceles Street, Mexico City

The Bookstores of Donceles Street, Mexico City

Step into any one of the dozen or so bookstores on Donceles Street in Mexico City´s historic center and you might find yourself in a predicament similar to the following: Do you stick to the game plan, zeroing in on that novel about the Mexican Revolution that you haven’t been able to find anywhere else,...

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J.C. Superstar ! Julio Cesar Chavez: Boxing legend

J.C. Superstar ! Julio Cesar Chavez: Boxing legend

If you mention the words “J.C. Superstar” to an American, the chances are they will think you are talking about a Broadway play. Utter those five syllables south of the Rio Grande, and get ready for an onslaught of words about Mexico’s most beloved practitioner of the sweet science. Julio Cesar Chavez is emblematic not...

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Mexican Cuisine: Over Five Centuries in the Making

Mexican Cuisine: Over Five Centuries in the Making

Mexican cuisine is one of the best known and loved the world over, and for a reason, its flavors, sometimes robust and varied and sometimes mild and subtle, always have a haunting, mysterious quality that hints at the range of spices, herbs and condiments that it uses. Mexican food can be delightfully different from the...

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Introducing Financing for Foreigners in Mexico

Traditionally, foreigners buying property in Mexico had few options other than to pay in full in cash, and the little financing that was available usually required substantial down payments, short terms and very high interest rates. In the past financing for foreigners in Mexico just did not work. From the difficulties in closing escrow in...

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AMPI and NAR Sign Joint Venture Agreement

The National Association of Realtors© has formally signed its first joint reciprocal membership agreement with a foreign real estate organization. NAR President-elect Pat Vredevoogd Combs executed the agreement with the Mexican real estate association, Asociacion Mexicana de Professionales Inmobiliarios, (AMPI) at AMPI’s 50th anniversary meeting in Mexico City, in October, 2006 Because of this historic...

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Interior Design, Getting Started

  Welcome back to town for the 2006-2007 season in Ixtapa-ihuatanejo. To those of you that are still in the construction process, or close to finishing, I congratulate you. Congratulations on your new investment. Building a home or investment property in Mexico will change your life and hopefully bring you many years of smiles, friends,...

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La Sombra del Sabino Bookstore & Cafe hosts Diana Kennedy

Oprah’s best efforts notwithstanding, books have taken a serious hit at the hands of competing media. It’s easier to watch a movie, listen to a CD or turn on cable than it is to read a book, and unfortunately, most people do prefer easy. Additionally, buying books in México can be an expensive undertaking, assuming...

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Karma Surf 2006

The 1st National Championship of the Mexican Surfing Circuit, Karma 2006, took place this year from September 12 through 17, at Playa Escolleras in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo. This was the fourteenth year for the annual invitational surfing tournament; it was comprised of 12 categories and for the first time included adult and children’s categories in a National...

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Private Contracts

Private Contracts

...between Buy and Seller. When acquiring property in Mexico, are they really necessary?


¡A las palabras se las lleva el viento! Words are gone with the wind – Mexican saying When I meet with a client who has the idea of acquiring property in Mexico with a private contract between buyer and seller, my recommendation is always the following: 1. First, Obtain a copy of the registered title...

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April 2006 / 45

Letter from the Editor “With a wave she walks out the door*…” Welcome to another day in paradise. Welcome to issue 45, the sixth issue of our seventh season and the final issue of 2005 – 2006. Ars Gratia Artis- Art for Art’s sake. So they’re always saying, but what I want to know is...

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The Mexican Will

The Mexican Will

Is it Necessary? Protecting your assets through proper planning…


United States and Canadian citizens living in Mexico frequently ask: Do I need a Mexican Will? While there is no legal requirement to have a Testament, or Will, executed in Mexico, it often makes sense for people whose only Mexican asset is a home or condominium, to be proactive and draft a Mexican Will. The...

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March 2006 / 44

Letter from the Editor “Mixing pop and politics he asks me what the use is / I offer him embarrassment and my usual excuses…” (1) Does art imitates life or does life imitate art? The age-old question becomes ever more poingnant when rock stars get nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Academy Awards...

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