Come discover the magic
By Arturo Morales Tirado June 27, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Lecture
The Magic of the Rio Laja
Tue, July 1, 1:30pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
50 pesos

For the people of San Miguel, the Rio Laja represents more than a geographic feature of this beautiful city. The intermittent water flow, compared with other streams and rivers in North America, may seem insignificant in the semi-desert region that stretches north from San Miguel de Allende to southwest Texas and southern New Mexico and Arizona.

It is actually a pivotal factor in the existence of wildlife and nearly 500,000 people in over six municipalities in the northern state of Guanajuato, who, from these waters have sustained their existence as a unique culture for thousands of years.

At present, this biological and cultural corridor, with more than one hundred archaeological sites, hundreds of indigenous chapels (similar to other communities with centuries-old identity and festivities, museums and natural and cultural monuments) offers the opportunity to be enjoyed as an alternative tourist attraction for rural tourism, adventure, ecotourism, nature and culture, of course.

I invite you to know more about this vital watershed for the residents of San Miguel de Allende and its environs in order to enjoy more of our days and nights in this beautiful corner of Mexico. Attend the presentation with slides this week at the Teatro Santa Anna at the Biblioteca Pública.

Short careers for Veracruz ballplayers 
By Guillermo Méndez

Lecture
Ancient Cultures of Mexico: Part II
Professor Guillermo Méndez
Wed, July 2, 3pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
50 pesos

Several ancient cultures of Mexico are fairly well-known: Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Aztec, Olmec and Toltec. Less known, perhaps, is the Classic Veracruz culture which flourished from about AD 100 to 900. Classic Veracruz had a unique art style which revealed itself in yokes, palmas and hachas, stone-carved ritual objects associated with the Mesoamerican ball game, which frequently ended with the sacrifice of the players. Not all the players, of course, but—what would you guess—the winners or the losers? The culture’s interest in the ball game was extraordinary. Most architectural sites of the ancient cultures had one to three ball courts. El Tajín, the major site of the Classic Veracruz civilization, had 11.

The Classic Veracruz, along with the Maya, Zapotec and Mixtec cultures, are the focus of a lecture to aid those interested in distinguishing between the various cultures. Each culture has a defining characteristic or phenomenon associated with it that sets it apart from the others. There are also images of art and architecture that differentiate and distinguish the cultures. The lecture is illustrated with over 200 digital images that reveal the uniqueness and beauty of the ancient cultures of Mexico. The lecturer is Guillermo Méndez, retired professor of humanities and a San Miguel resident.