Customer Reviews

Dancing Alone in Mexico: From the Border to Baja and Beyond

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Book Review: "Dancing Alone in Mexico--From the Border to Baja and Beyond", paperback, by Ron Butler (U. of Arizona Press)

Travel is something of a perpetual elixir for my wife, Sally, and me. The surprises we encounter are much more important than any specific trip, since as septuagenarians, we have pretty much seen it all. Last year a well known travel magazine wrote an article about "50 of the top places in the world you must see". It turned out we had been to 42.

Taking yet another unique trip in early January of this year, up and down the Copper Canyon (Barranca de Cobre) on a fancy train called the Sierra Madre Express proved no exception. One goes to Tucson, boards a bus for Nogales, crosses the Border into Mexico and takes this spectacular train trip up into a canyon deeper than our Grand Canyon on a train with liveried men ready to meet your every need for food and drink. The best part is that you only sleep on the train one night going and one night returning. The other nights are spent in quaint posadas, enjoying excellent food and real Mexican countryside ambiance, not the noxious fumes of Mexico City. But I digress.

We joined some 30 well traveled, mostly older folks, all calm and congenial, each with his or her own fascinating life experiences, . One fellow traveler proved particularly interesting. Ron Butler, a Tucson based veteran travel writer, has successfully sold stuff over a long career to Fodor, Ladies Home Journal, Travel and Leisure, etc. This avuncular, white haired sometime raconteur brought along his attractive thirtyish daughter, Alexandra, and a copy of his recent book, his life story, which those suffering from marital malaise will especially relish. With over half of American marriages ending in divorce, he has a large de facto audience! While this book was just recently written, it comes out of a long incubation: Divorce many years before, then potential loss of children, job and self worth, recovered by only by his inner strength.

Years ago now, his beautiful but footloose (spoiled with her public success as a model) wife left him and abruptly drove from New York City with their 2 children, a son and a daughter, then 6 and 12 respectively, to Guadalajara, Mexico to live. To keep in touch with his children, Butler is initially forced to commute from Manhattan, where he had just quit his job at Esquire Magazine. As time passes however, he moves to Tucson.

He starts to come to Mexico frequently, but not wanting to stay in or near the ex wife's home in Guadalajara, the way he "wins" quality time with his children is to take them traveling around Mexico. The process is nurturing and ultimately bonding with them. Travel in those years in Mexico was cheap, even for first class accommodations, and the 3 travelers soon found the ambience of Mexican travel enchanting.

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Unlike your typical travel article, this book is about a real life saga, an author in pain, letting his hair down, but professionally most capable of giving you a sweeping, opinionated account of
atmosphere, the details of a place which exude authenticity. "The world's best cup of coffee ....can be found in right here in Veracruz....Vienna coffeehouses, so pretentious and dainty, are for sissies." Butler treats each Mexican city are if it were a separate country, which is fair, as Mexico is indeed a land of contrasts, each place with its own personality. Examples of his deft summaries: Mexico City: fine art, elegance; Morella: approachable, the "candy capital of Mexico", or Veracruz: la musica.

In light of the current hit movie, "Frida", about the stormy Khalo's life and relationship with Diego Rivera, his in-depth exploration of that tangled relationship of these two world famous artists should intrigue all readers.

His Mexican travel log gives delightful cultural insights for would be visitors. At one point he finds Christmas decorations still up in March. How long do they stay? His daughter says, "As long as they enjoy them."

The title is after all only partially accurate. He is of course "dancing alone in Mexico" without a wife, but certainly at times his children keep him far from being alone. His recent trip on the Sierra Madre Express up and down the Barranca de Cobre with his daughter, now over 25 years later, proves his earlier fatherly fealty was the real thing. Also real is his pain, even perhaps now. You people who have experienced divorce will find his account helpful. As one reviewer notes, "Butler gives of himself in these pages. His sentiments are fiercely expressed--often as veracious loneliness or estrangement." Butler writes, "The trip seemed incomplete somehow; I was sorry it was over. I imagined that, meanwhile out at sea, deep below the water's surface, a bearded figure with ghostly flowing hair paused briefly and then continued on, content in the knowledge, for the moment at least, that someone, somehow, shared his ceaseless wandering." Dancing Alone in Mexico is as alluring and sweet as cajeta, the caramelized Mexican candy, and will draw any reader into reveries of this magical land."

To write fiction and bare the soul of fictional characters is one thing, but to actually expose your inner self to such scrutiny as Butler has done so fully takes bravery beyond most of us. Try this man's personal path of travel writing, a path not often taken, and you will be pleased you did.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Don Collins, who often travels to less developed countries to observe family planning programs, was especially pleased on this non business lark to find such a delightful, interesting author with whom to share this awesome Mexican railroad trip.

As someone who spends at least a month every year in Mexico struggling to perfect my Spanish and understand Mexican culture, I'm always drawn to books written by people who seem to share the same passion. This book, however, seemed to be written by someone wallowing in self-pity (not a crime) while passing through Mexico jotting down a few notes and getting them published because of his connection to National Geographic (a crime). Do yourself a favor and travel through Mexico and write your own book. Of course you may not get it published. I gave it one star because minus one star wasn't an option on Amazon's rating list and any anyone who write's anything is doing something, which is better than doing nothing. Or maybe not.

I thought the book was going to be a narrative of his travels with his children through Mexico. What I got was extremely brief blurbs about different areas, like you'ld read in a travel magazine. Which is where the articles came from,I believe. Just too brief to really get into.

The best part of the book was the last section where the articles were much longer and gave you some real insight into Mexican culture and it's effect on the author.A little dissappointing overall.

Better late than never. Please add these editorial reviews to others re DANCING ALONE IN MEXICO. Thanks. RB

"[A] love song to a country, to a people, to a way of life that is at once alien and yet irresistibly alluring." -Chicago Tribune

"Dancing Alone in Mexico captures the flavor of the country, its true essence, in a series of personal memoirs that provide illuminating insights for anyone venturing south of the border, or for the armchair traveler seeking literary adventure." -The Mature Traveler

"Whether Butler is describing an afternoon of shopping in Nogales, his search for the perfect cup of Mexican coffee, or the allure of the night ferry to La Paz, he writes with a passion that is contagious. This is an excellent book, with an intimacy more often found in love letters than travel books." -Arizona Daily Star

"If you plan to travel to Mexico, Dancing Alone in Mexico by Ron Butler is must reading. If you would like to travel to Mexico but can't get there, Dancing Alone in Mexico is well worth the price to live vicariously through the eyes and ears of a many who loves, enjoys, understands and knows the country better than any norte Americano I know." -Montgomery Alabama Advertiser

"Indispensable for the true traveler." - Jim Harrison, author of The Road Home

"Fun to read, informative, and eye-moistening for those of us who have loved Mexico for longer than we care to tell. A big ­Olé!" - Barnaby Conrad, author of Matador

Well, I have looked for the book and unfortunately haven't found it yet on bookstores (a bit rare I guess) but I won't doubt this being a rare gem. Hopefully I will buy it in the future as I truly got enticed with the sample pages here in amazon and look forward reading the full book. May I say to Mr. Butler or any reader that this has been so far a very insightful book, and, well, as a Mexican have enjoyed his insights and liked the way he's telling his story. I think there's no better way to appreciate what one has than by hearing it from others as well as one learns more by listening to others, and I really have enjoyed and appreciated what Mr. Butler had to say. If you want a really interesting travel book on Mexico well, here it is! Mr. Butler, if you're reading this, I'll be more than happy to receive the positive feedback you're received and would like to hear your own insights!

With th listing of my book DANCING ALONE IN MEXICO, you have chosen to run an "anonymous" review by a reader who seems to have turned criticizing my book into a cottage industry. Listing such items as a misplaced accent mark or a misspelled Spanish name, she has written these coments to everyone from my publisher to, I imagine, her local bookstore. I have dozens of very positive reviews and will be happy to send you a selection. Just tell me where.

Thanks, Ron Butler

As an avid reader of travel essays, especially those whose subject is Mexico, I eagerly purchased Mr. Butler's book. I quickly lost interest after seeing so many spelling and grammatical errors in the first 53 pages. I sent an email to the publisher, University of Arizona Press and await a reply.

Here are some examples:

1) On page 30, paragraph 5, the author uses the word Carnival and adds an accent on the last "a". The correct Spanish word is carnaval and has no accent. I'm guessing he was trying to use the Spanish word because of the erroneous insertion of the accent mark.

2) On page 50 the author makes reference to Mexican architect Luis Barrigan. He uses the architects name extensively throughout the page. The architect's name is Luis Barragan. Apparently Mr. Butler makes random, gratuitous and inconsistent use of the accent mark because not only is Mr. Barragan's name misspelled, but should have and accent mark above the last "a".

3) On page 52, the author mentions a recreational complex in Monterrey called Fundicora Park. The correct name for this complex is Fundidora Park or Parque Fundidora.

4)On page 53 the author refers to a Rodrico Velarde, founder of a landmark restaurant in Monterrey. The correct spelling is Rodrigo, not Rodrico.

Your $...will be better spent elsewhere. Try True Tales from Another Mexico.