 |
|
|
 Entertainment | Books | January 2007 
Indie Books Indulge the Senses in Latin American Life
 Christine Delsol - SFGate.com
| | "Travellers' Wildlife Guides: Southern Mexico" by Les Beletsky (Interlink, $27.95) |
Those fleeing to southern climes will find that some of the most interesting books about Mexico and other parts of Latin America right now are coming from independent presses; many are self-published.
"Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide for the Curious Traveler," by Jim Johnston (iUniverse, $13.95, 124 pages). This is the best of the lot. The author, an artist living in Mexico City, manages in his brief introduction to evoke the cacophony of colors, sounds and smells endemic to the world's second-largest metropolitan area. He is clearly besotted with the place, willing to seek out its beauty and tolerate its difficulties, and he invites readers to do the same.
Only the hardest heart could refuse. Johnston is the friend you wish you had in every great city, toting you from palace to museum to park but never missing the exquisite pastelería, the grand hotel lobby or the clean public bathroom. Most of this is presented through walking tours in the Centro Histórico, Coyoacán, San Angel, Chapultepec Park, La Condesa and Colonia Roma.
Little tips make the big difference -- getting tickets to a performance at the Palacio de Bellas Artes (the only way to see inside the ornate, Aztec-cum-Art Deco theater); suggested "tranquility breaks"; finding the full-size replica of Michelangelo's David, sans fig leaf.
One glaring omission is a city map locating the neighborhoods. Individual walking tour maps are fairly detailed, but the reproduction is poor and labeling inconsistent. But these are quibbles.
Even a Mexico City veteran should be able to learn something new and gain a fresh perspective ("Mexicans are the most Buddhist-like of Westerners, embracing instability, change and death as normal parts of daily life, and as a result they seem remarkably calm").
"You Decide Travel Guide: San Felipe," by Brett Wyatt (Riley Books, $15.95, 134 pages). The layout is kind of clunky, and the writing cries out for a stern editor, but this self-publishing venture is a Baja explorer's friend.
For several years, Wyatt has been covering worthy Mexican destinations inexplicably relegated to a quick once-over in most guides. Earlier titles covered Loreto, Mulegé and Santa Rosalia; La Paz and Ensenada were due out this month.
Wyatt claims to have details on all of the local hotels, and you never know what amenities he'll tout: One has a foosball table, another is "easy to find after a hard night of adult beverage consumption."
Restaurant descriptions in this unusually well-endowed town are sparse unless the author has eaten there.
And he steers readers to a dizzying array of activities, from massage to fireworks, mechanical bull riding to sports betting.
Who knew? Next time, I'll pass some time in San Felipe before I pass through.
"People's Choice Guide: Cancún," by Eric Rabinowitz (Turbulence Music, $13.95, 364 pages). If TV can turn viewers into rock stars, I guess a guidebook can turn readers into travel critics. It sounds like sort of a Zagat-meets-Lonely Planet or a TripAdvisor in print. But it needs some fine-tuning.
Eating and drinking are this guide's main concern. Despite some grammatical faux pas and a fondness for unwarranted exclamation marks, the idea of having thousands of reviewers weigh in on each establishment does have appeal.
There's plenty of information here, but some listings have no details because, apparently, no one submitted ratings or comments. It seems reasonable to let the reader know how many votes each commentary is based on, but this is one bit of information the author did not divulge.
"Rio for Partiers," by Cristiano Nogueira (SolCat Publishing, $27.95, 184 pages). Underneath a modicum of breathless prose and awkward translations lies a trove of useful yet amusing tips. Though aimed at young travelers looking to get lucky in one of the planet's most sensual cities, it also has practical advice on the usual suspects, woven with tips you'd never suspect you needed (e.g., don't lie down on the sand if you're a guy).
Much about this guide will appeal to any age, though party-hearty types get special nurturing. Bars and clubs are not only categorized by the type of night you want -- clubbing, live music, street party, chilling -- but also by day of the week, as venues have their on and off days.
A special section tutors young men in the art of picking up women, and maps indicate suitable motels for those who succeed. The emergency section includes a recommended lawyer for those who wake up in jail.
Travelers of any age can make good use of the maps, shopping and touring and sports recommendations. A painstakingly detailed guide to the proper sequence of activities during a day at the beach is provided, as are rainy-day activities and "Spoiled-rotten girly pampering options" (including a quick face-lift).
The hotel section is cursory and lacks prices. The food section, however, includes jewel-like color photos a la DK guides and descriptions you can almost taste, from avant-garde cuisine to street food and snacks.
Also on bookshelves
"Moon Handbooks: Puerto Rico," by Suzanne Van Atten (Avalon Travel Publishing, $17.95, 280 pages). The Island of Enchantment's first Moon treatment, by a journalist and former resident: suggested itineraries followed by explorations of the island's six geographical regions, each introduced by quick highlights and short special features.
"Travellers' Wildlife Guides: Southern Mexico," by Les Beletsky (Interlink, $27.95, 488 pages). Conceived by a wildlife biologist and teacher to bridge the gap between travel guidebooks and stacks of heavy field guides, with beautiful color identification plates and natural history sections in plain English.
"Food and Drink in Argentina," by Dereck Foster and Richard Tripp (Aromas y Sabores, $14.95, 128 pages). Regional dishes, wine and drink; restaurant protocol; food shopping; a brief glossary and even a few recipes, with color illustrations, all in a tome that fits neatly into the hand.
"Rum & Reggae's Costa Rica," by Jonathan Runge and Adam Carter (Rum & Reggae, $18.95, 592 pages). Best-known for his Caribbean guides, the Simon Cowell of the travel world dishes out similarly irreverent assessments of Costa Rica's hotels, restaurants, party venues and sights.
"An Ecotraveller's Guide: Costa Rica," by Hannah Robinson (Interlink, $23.95, 304 pages). A more sedate approach to Costa Rica, organized for ecotourists. Tells where in the cloud forests, coral reefs and volcanoes you'll find the wildlife you're looking for; liberal use of color photos.
Email Deputy Travel Editor Christine Delsol at travel@sfchronicle.com. |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us