Customer Reviews

Mexican Days: Journeys into the Heart of Mexico

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

I spent a month in SMA in 2004 partly as a result of reading Tony's first book. I realize SMA is not what it was like in the 80's and earlier - in some ways I assume it is worse but in some ways I am sure it's better. Same as where I've lived for 37 years - San Francisco, a major tourist town (much more major than SMA).

So my only complaint about his books is when he grumbles about SMA not being the way it used to be, too many touristas now, getting more expensive to live there, yada yada - that kind of stuff is boring to read, especially for people who did not move down there 25 years ago and buy a house there dirt cheap which now must be worth five times as much.

But anyway overall, his books are good reads and I enjoyed my month in SMA very much, even though it's not however it was 25 years ago. I have a feeling I would not have liked it so much back then anyway - I enjoyed having phone and internet access and cable TV in the house we rented. :)

Mexican Days is a travel book of sorts, but equally an exploration of themes and moods impinging on the author's own life. The book fails to deliver more wide ranging information and insights into lives of average Mexicans - hence my comment about Juan Fulano (Mexico's version of John Q. Public, or Joe Sixpack). The author writes mostly about people of his own disposition/situation (expatriot, artist, intellectual and world traveler).

Here are examples of missing information. After returning to San Miguel the author takes a taxi to a nearby shrine, the physical features of which (as usual) he describes very nicely, and afterward catches a ride back to town in a Coca Cola delivery truck. To my surprise - as someone who has traveled widely in Mexico - nothing, ni una palabra is written about any conversation with the truck driver, someone likely in the Juan Fulano category. In my experience, most Mexicans in this situation would be curious about their gringo passenger and eager for conversation. If no such conversation took place the driver was certainly very disappointed.

Secondly, the writer tells about spending a few weeks in the city of Xalapa (or Jalapa) Veracruz, and conveys a sense of the weather and physical features of that beautiful city. But he pretty much misses the boat regarding other key elements of local life. Yes, there are university faculty and students in the cafes, artists, etc., but a lot more - including hordes of political officeholders and hangers-on (Xalapa is the state capital, where I once lived).

In sum, Mexican Days is nicely written, at times fun to read, and informative as far as it goes. His earlier book (On Mexican Time) about San Miguel de Allende is far more credible than this foray onto a broader, national canvas. Perhaps the ecstatic reviews some have given this book reflect their own lack of in-depth experience in Mexico. Better to rely on Mexican authors (e.g., Carlos Fuentes) for a look at the real Mexico.

Cohan, again, uses great description and everyday events to bring the reader along on his journeys in Mexico. I enjoyed his first book, On Mexican Time, about life in San Miguel de Allende and I think it is definitely best to read that book first. If you've read On Mexican Time, you'll easily fall into the rhythm of this book and be able to naturally fill in all those little spaces that some readers who are not familiar with Tony Cohan or with Mexico may find difficult.

I do get a little annoyed, as has been mentioned by some other reviewers, when he goes on and on about how great this or that place "used to be" before all those US tourists showed up...or how he couldn't deal with all those folks at Chichen Itza and had to leave...or how sad it is that he has to pay more money for papayas these days because of all those other...expats. "Other" is the key word here, for Tony Cohan, too, is an expat. He's found this or that great little place and he wants to tell everyone just how wonderful the sky looks at sunset, how pretty the colors on the rows of houses, how sweet the jasmine smells...but he doesn't want you or me or anyone else to come!! A bit too snobbish, I think.

In any case, if you love Mexico or if you're just thinking about visiting, Cohan's book is a great place to start reading to get a feel for the people, the places, the food, and, yes...the sky at sunset.

I read Tony Cohan's earlier book, "On Mexican Time" after several of my friends had visited and even moved to San Miguel. It inspired me to visit and my wife and I have now been there 3 times, and will be going back soon. In just our short times there, we have also noticed the changes that Cohan points out in "Mexican Days." It is still beautiful and a great place to visit (or live) but much busier and more of a tourist destination than a few years ago.

This new book makes me want to visit other parts of Mexico. It also makes me want to learn more of the history and language. Most of us in the U.S.A. see Mexico only as the poor country to the south and have no idea of how diverse and rich the culture is, how many different ethnic groups make up Mexico, how beautiful and varied the countryside is, and how fascinating and tragic the history is. This book does a great job of telling those stories.

This is a wonderfully written, very personal, account of travels in parts of Mexico that we do not often hear about. I only wish it could have been longer and that Cohan could have written about some of the other places I have heard about, but never visited, such as Morelia, Delores Hidalgo, and the Copper Canyon. Maybe there will be a volume 2. I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in or about to travel to Mexico.

I have lived in Mexico for four years and visited most of the places Tony desctibes in this book.

I marked fully 32 passages for reading to friends--both my Mexico friends (for that delicious experience of "insider" recognition and laughs) and my friends in the States, to convey glimpses of our real experience here. And several of those friends will receive this book as a gift!

This book is a MOST enjoyable read. It's a cliche to say I couldn't put it down, but I really couldn't. I read the whole thing in two sittings!

Tony captures the spirit of Mexico with great accuracy and poetry! His many fun anecdotes, and the characters we get to meet make the book both educaional and pleasurable. I like the way Tony gently weaves his own story into the narrative, making us each think about our own relationships to the issues in his life.

Here is a sampling of the passages I marked that I couldn't wait to share with others: An evocative description of "topes;" a triptych "mural" of the history of San Miguel--both idealized and actual; an amazing comment: ". .it's the noble gesture, not the result, that redeems a life!"-- (worth an evening's discussion!); a comment about the decreasing usefulness of the term "expatriate;" a great passage about not having anyone to sue in Mexico and being thrown back on our own resources; a most imaginative comparison between Junipara Serra and Edward James!! -- and between John Huston and Luis Bunuel; coming home to a party in progress on Tony's own rented patio and a comment on the cultural differences that suggests; the increasingly generic global middle class.

Tony Cohan's writing is an inspiration; his story-telling, fully engaging; his turn-of-phrase, a genuine pleasure!

Those entrepreneurs looking to add photos and create ebooks should start with Tony Cohan's "Mexican Days." I found myself wanting to see the places Cohan was visiting. Until the electronic book field reaches full bloom, we'll have to be content with Cohan's prose. That is fine since the prose is witty, supple, and heartfelt.
Timing helps make this book the fine work that it is. The timing of my reading made it more meaningful. Cohan wrote in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and I read "Mexican Days" around the 10th anniversary. The book has a "Day After" feel yet it doesn't overwhelm. The author loves Mexico and that comes through on every page.
The sense of community in Mexico strongly registers because that sense has greatly dissipated in the U.S. With Mexico providing respite from California driving, our author feels himself becoming "open to encounters, pauses..." (p. 11, hardback edition).
Although Cohan didn't realize it at the time of his writing, his conversations with his friends help us understand the Arab Spring. One friend compares Che Guevera with Osama bin Laden with Cohan linking that to the tendency of North Americans to "dismiss anything that smacks of defeat...It is the noble gesture, not the result, that redeems a life." (p. 75).
"No, Osama, is not the next Che...maybe he's bigger," Eduardo says. Interesting and true - Bin Laden helped inspire the Arab Spring even though most of the revolutionaries don't adhere to his brand of religious strictures and military tactics.
The wonderful diversity of Mexico is everywhere to be seen but utilitarianism continues to cut into the social fabric. Cohan points it out in mentioning the increase of supermarkets. The yearning for convenience is like a kind of social renunciation/suicide. But our author rejoices in what remains - "How could anyone be depressed at a (traditional) Mexican market?" (p. 134).
The concept of "dissociative fugue" is well-placed and one of the book's main meditations. I won't ruin it by trying to describe it.
John Huston's Mexican connections are detailed and they're much more than "Night of the Iguana" and "Treasure of the Sierra Madre." Our author is in deep profundity when he writes about cultural voyagers like Huston and Raul Hellmer. These people are the glue of the world, fostering friendship societies, correcting deficient education and political charlatanism, and reminding us of what the true goals of man ought to be.
Cohan is struggling with himself at book's end as begins another journey yet he should be pleased that he still has the desire to be an ambassador for peace and understanding. He is better finding himself as he connects to new people and places. "In what is our identity truly rooted? The wayfaring stranger. Who among us is not one?" (p. 179).
Considering that our "Day After" will one day be a heavenly judgment and afterlife makes Cohan's "Mexican Days" days well spent.

Having just returned from San Miguel, I felt I had to have this book, as well as the sequel to it! Like many before me, I feel that is the place where my heart and soul reside! I loved the book, as it brought back so many familiar places, senses and a deep yearning to return to this quaint little town. Having thought of taking the big plunge to move there, I appeciate the insights of the author as he adapts to life in SMA! Great book and looking forward to the next one!