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

Review

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

Mexico still seems to me to be a very exotic place --- it's
high on my list of places I would most like to visit in the near
future. And Ron Butler takes you there in a way that no one has
before. His DANCING ALONE IN MEXICO: From the Border to Baja and
Beyond is a wondrously fascinating look into this mysterious,
age-old country and its many characters.
Combining his succinct personal observations and travel
experiences with the history of the different places in which he
finds himself, Butler explores the multifaceted world that Mexico
has become. As rich in ancient culture as it is thriving in today's
tourist market, Mexico is a patchwork quilt of landscapes and
adventures, most of which it seems that Butler has experienced for
himself.
However, I think I would have preferred to have read something
more along the lines of UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, in which the story
would have a through-line, a real narrative that would help explain
Butler's love of the country better and make sense of his
wanderlust. Granted, the wonders of Mexico are clearly appealing
and exciting to any tourist looking for ancient culture and
contemporary narcissistic fun, but I was hoping for a more personal
diary type of book than Butler has written. Sure, he lets us in on
why he was in a certain place at a certain time, and his adventures
with Mexican plumbing, food, and language are all amusing; but I
never felt like I had a complete grasp on his attraction to the
place and thus felt shortchanged at the end of the book.
DANCING ALONE IN MEXICO could be very helpful to those who are
venturing out to discover Mexico on their own --- his descriptions
of lodging and food establishments are the type of thing that would
help somebody plan their own trip in order to avoid or not miss a
certain spot. Butler has really been around, and his insights will
be key to those of us looking for a way around the resort life onto
the unbeaten paths of this huge country.
An
interesting travelogue with some great helpful hints.

Reviewed by Jana Siciliano on January 21, 2011

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

  • Publication Date: July 1, 2000
  • Genres: Nonfiction, Travel
  • Paperback: 205 pages
  • Publisher: University of Arizona Press
  • ISBN-10: 0816520232
  • ISBN-13: 9780816520237