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Los Engrillados of Atlixco: Mexican men in shackles with cacti stuck in their skin walk in pain to wash away their sins

If I had to explain the meaning of the word "penance" to someone, I would bring in the so-called Engrillados of Atlixco, Mexico. The faithful who have chosen to wash away their sins through the path of suffering at Easter.  Engrillados of Atlixco - Easter tradition in Mexico

We know who kidnapped them and to where. Desperate relatives search at their own risk for the missing abductees in Mexico

Tens of thousands of missing people, a state apparatus on the payroll of drug cartels and mothers digging up the corpses of their children. Welcome to Mexico, a land of colours and contrasts. ČESKY (Czech Version) No, this is not meant to be a criticism of Mexico. It's

Needles and rum in Havana

I fulfilled a dream I've had in my head since forever. As soon as I saw the first images of Cuba as a child a long time ago, I knew I wanted to go there one day. And the older I got, the stronger that desire became. And

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Death in the Afternoon: Bullfighting has returned to Mexico City

Bullfights has returned to the Mexican capital Ciudad de México. But not only it flooded the Plaza de toros arena with blood, but also streets with people protesting against violence against animals. Plaza de Toros in the central zone of Ciudad de México is the biggest bullfighting arena in the

Go see the Aztecs! A Christmas story from Tepoztlán and a New Year's Message

Why I went to see the Aztecs and why you should too. A photo story from the pre-Christmas Tepoztlán, one reflection and one thank you. Sometimes you just happen to get up in the morning and want to see the Aztecs. Then I can't do anything, I even

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PHOTO: Acapulco recovers from the Hurricane Otis

Even a month after the hurricane hit, Acapulco, Mexico, is not out of the woods. We visited again a few days ago and I was able to catch a glimpse of how locals are trying to cope with the aftermath of the disaster. Even two weeks after the devastating hurricane

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Beer and jo*nts and warm people: Santa Muerte's mass in the gangsta neighborhood

The first of November is the day of Santa Muerte, the patron saint of outcasts of all kinds. I couldn't miss the mass of her followers at the altar of Saint Death in the dreaded Tepito district of Ciudad de México. The Tepito district, near the historic center

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PHOTO: Acapulco is falling apart after it got smashed by the hurricane. Who is gonna help the people?

To say that Acapulco is recovering from the tragedy would be far from the truth. The tragedy in the city of milion people is happening right now, even though Hurricane Otis devastated it last Wednesday. The city remains virtually isolated, without much outside help.  Note: This text was written on

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Cempasúchil, the flower that guides the dead to the world of the living

The yellow-orange dome-shaped flower represented the sun's rays in Aztec culture. According to legend, it was supposed to illuminate the world of the dead and show the deceased the way to the world of the living on Día de Muertos. That's why Mexico is covered with

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Ciudad de México: The Paradise of Craziness

Ciudad de México, the city of Aztec descendants, the city of poverty and dirt, the city of glitter and opulent decadence, the city of sirens and red rooftops, sinking deeper into the swamp under the torso of the ancient ruins of Tenochtitlan year after year. The city of gangsters, the

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Biden's deconstruction of Friendship Park between San Diego and Tijuana

Just a few weeks remain to complete the nine-meter iron fence at the westernmost tip of the US-Mexico border. Separated migrant families have been legally reunited for years at Friendship Park between Tijuana and San Diego. Biden won't allow it anymore. "Tijuana is gone," a girl

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I kept this place a secret for years. Then came a hipster and asked for Wi-Fi

It was the very first place I visited in Mexico and I have never publicly mentioned its name ever since. I tried to keep it distanced from the masses. But things had changed. A lot. ČESKY (Czech version) It was love at first sight. My Mexican friends showed me this

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The day punks beat up emos. The epic battle of subcultures was only ended by singing Krishnas

It was a scene straight out of the surrealism manual. Hordes of Mexican punks and emo's going head to head, with a hundred cops in between. But the battle was only ended by the intervention of Hare Krishna's followers. These days mark 15 years since that

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International Women’s Day in Mexico: Girls hit the streets to fight for their safety

On March 8th, in the developed countries, women are given flowers and the virtual world is overrun by pathetic confessions. In Mexico, windows are boarded up and monuments fortified. Angry women go to get justice. ČESKY (Czech Version) According to statistics, an average of more than ten women are murdered

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The kidnapping in Mexico has changed. Nowadays they take you even for 5000 pesos: Saskia Niño de Rivera

Kidnapping is an established business in Mexico. Specialized gangs resemble precisely organized enterprises. We took a closer look at the subject with well-known local criminologist and crisis communication specialist Saskia Niño de Rivera. ČESKY (Czech Version) Saskia Niño de Rivera worked, among other things, in a security agency as a

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The record murder of journalists in Mexico condemned by the whole of Europe. Except one Czech ultra right-wing MEP

Mexico has had the blackest year in history in terms of the number of journalists murdered. A total of 17 were killed last year - the most in the world - and it is not only the victims' colleagues who are ringing the alarm bell. Journalists are being targeted

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New Year's Message: Of man who decided to be happy

The guy was a revelation. In a hostel full of cheerful and horny backpackers, there he was with his bald and wrinkled face. And yet he outclassed everyone with his appetite for life. ČESKY (CZECH VERSION) I'll never forget getting up one morning and walking to the hostel

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SHROOMED: Sweating with daemons in a real Temazcal - part 2/2

This is the second and final part of my first-hand reportage about my experience with "magical mushrooms" in a temazcal in a Mexican suburb. If you haven't done it yet, I recommend you to first read the first part here. Alfredo and Mary continued to talk

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SHROOMED: Sweating with daemons in a real Temazcal - part 1/2

Long before sauna became a teambuilding venue, a place to achieve beauty ideals and wash away the stress of work meetings, sweating in a heated room was part of sacred rituals. In various cultures, even maternity wards and morgues were substituted by sweat lodges. This is also why people went

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Tlatlauquitepec: Road to Nowhere or The Eternal Magic of Getting Lost

One of the wonders of Mexico is that you never know what it will throw at you next. Will it be an earthquake, a hurricane, or a spontaneous, exuberant party on a Monday morning? Will it take you to the jungle, the desert, or the beaches of the Caribbean? Will

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Reportage: The most bizarre Halloween tradition? Cleaning and displaying bones of beloved ones in Pomuch, Yucatán

I arrived in Pomuch, or rather the town of Campeche in the state of the same name in the Mexican Yucatán, accompanied by tropical storm Zeta, which messed with us already during the flight and which was shortly afterward upgraded to a hurricane. ČESKY (Czech Version) I had been longing

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In the name of the law, cash me! My life with Mexican Cops

Going to the authorities in Mexico to report that you were mugged and robbed by a policeman is like complaining in the Vatican that you were molested by a priest. But my Mexican friend insisted that this had to be sorted out. Otherwise, his other solution was to get armed

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Visit of the Saint Death: In the lair of Mexican Narcos

We entered through an ordinary metal gate into the imaginary hallway of the safe house, and I placed my life on an imaginary hook on a key ring made of hair. When I leave, I'll pick it up again, but in the meantime, it won't be

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The Journey of the Vagabond: Czech Immigrant in Mexico

How the fuck did I end up here? In the heart of Ciudad de México, one of the World's largest and oldest human settlements? In a house whose one wall is decorated with an unremarkable and shabby-looking golden plaque letting passersby know that the legendary Mexican movie Amores