Mexican Days: Journeys into the Heart of Mexico [Hardcover]

Don't not buy this book as a travel guide. This is a book about the "state of mind" of Mexico and those drawn to it as much as it describes unique places in the country. The majority of American's knowledge and stereotyping of Mexico are nowhere near the charm, culture and people of Mexico when you meet them in their environment.

I first read Tony Cohan's "A New Life in San Miguel" where he moved in the mid 80s when living in Mexico in the devalued peso era was not very popular. Cohan described the charm of San Miguel to perfection. This book revisits San Miguel during the filming of a movie with Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas and relevant disruption this causes to his formerly quiet little town. In addition, his town is now overrun with American touristas, who he quietly dislikes and he also blames for runaway housing prices which helps to destroy his quiet little town's character.

An invitation to write an article of unique places to visit in Mexico leads to this book which is not a tourist guide but rather a description of these unique little towns and the effect on the soul of this expatriate American. To further this introspective traveling review, Cohan now goes through the year with minimal time seeing his wife Mosaka, an accomplished author and photographer in her own right who prepares books on Mexican Tile and Mexican color in design and architecture. Thus begins a yearly journey into the soul of Mexico and Tony Cohan.

Cohan visits many towns like Guanajuato, Xilitla, Jalpan, Oaxaca City, Xalapa, Tlacotalpan, Palenque, and Merida. All have their unique charm and geography. Many of these towns he compares to San Miguel twenty years ago before the arrival of the tourists. Some of my favorite stories are of the mountain villages with constant drizzle or chipichipi on the East Coast near the Caribbean Ocean and also the "son jarocho" music festival where Cohan studies the whole history of the music dating back to the early 1900s. But my two favorite stories are of Katanchel in the Yucatan jungle and Palenque. Katanchel is described as an enchanting place which a subsequent tragedy brings into perspective. Palenque is the site of a documentary filming of a famous Mayan ruin. Cohan weaves a great story of lovers, honeymooners, hippies and other members of society who check out into the jungle on their own quest.

This is an excellent internal perspective that Cohan shares with his readers. I strongly recommend that you read "A New Life in San Miguel" first and then the continuation of the journey in this book. There are many parts of this book to discuss but would be giving up the story. In many respects Cohan seems to be enjoying his life but struggling through his personal relationships and his love of Mexico which he doesn't want to see change.

Without having read any of Cohan's other books, discovering "Mexican Days" was like finding a new friend. I loved Cohan's writing, and more than that, I came away from the book having been truly inspired to return to Mexico. In the meantime, I have a whole list of new things to explore through the Internet and other books. Cohan has piqued my interest in a variety of topics: new Mexican artists to discover, details about Mayan history to flush out, new dishes to make, and a list of places to visit on my return.

As an expat, Cohan's approach to travel writing is among the best that I have found. His tastes and interests parallel mine; he writes about much of what I would like to explore myself, never getting bogged down. His infusion of personal friendships and meetings into his writing makes it feel like you are there with Cohan, as the ultimate insider.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves travel or Mexico. There is much to enjoy here. I really feel like Cohan has given me a new door into a country that I thought I knew. It doesn't get any better than that.

This is a book that was obviously written to cash in on the previous (and rather good) "On Mexican Time". This one fails on almost every front -- the prose is lurid and self indulgent, the content is all about the author, and not about the subject, and should the reader ever make it to the end he will be no wiser and only better informed insofar as it relates to Mr Cohan's personal life.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 23 reviews  3.9 out of 5 stars