Technology adds power to your batteries

Think of how dependent we’ve become on mobile devices and it’s suddenly clear that the humble battery has assumed new importance for businesspeople on the go. We need reliable, dependable and long-lasting power for a growing list of essential equipment.

Batteries power our cellular phones, laptops, PDAs and digital cameras to name just four of the most commonly-used tools in today’s business kit. To that list can be added a huge list of entertainment devices including MP3 players, DVD players and camcorders. Although it is hard to say exactly how many portable electronic devices exist worldwide, conservative estimates put the number at more than 1 billion.

Statistics tell us that batteries have a level of penetration about as high as that of toilet paper into households. In other words, almost every home has at least one battery-powered device, and the same can be said for offices. But while we once had a choice of just three sizes of battery – A, C and D cells, there are now literally thousands of different sizes, shapes and power outputs to choose from.

Battery makers work with equipment manufacturers to develop batteries for specific purposes, such as Duracell’s lithium-chemistry CP1 battery CP1. The company worked with camera makers that included Nikon, Samsung and Hewlett-Packard to design the 7-millimeter-thick CP1 to fit the extra-slim digital cameras that are popular with amateur photographers.

Business users are heavy users of high-technology, high-drain devices. They need superior-performance batteries and are apparently willing to pay the price. Battery failure at a key moment could be a business disaster, so manufacturers are concentrating on improving their products to meet existing and future needs.

Surprisingly, there have been no major new battery technologies presented to the consumer market since the introduction of the alkaline battery more than 40 years ago. If any rapid strides have been made it’s in the area of rechargeable batteries, growing quickly in use as they become longer-lasting and more dependable.

However, in January 2005 Panasonic launched its new ‘Oxyride’ battery range using just two AA batteries to power a 40 pound (18kg) vehicle and its 100 pound (45kg) driver at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas The new battery is said to be the next generation in technology and is made with oxy nickel hydroxide, manganese dioxide and graphite.

In Japan the Oxyride battery has been proven to power twice as many photographs as an alkaline battery in a digital still camera. It’s also claimed that the new battery will deliver 50 percent longer life than its alkaline-based counterpart, but users have to pay a premium price for these benefits.

Price can drive thrifty users to consider alternatives such as the familiar ‘heavy duty’ batteries so common in retailers. These zinc-based batteries were the forerunners of alkaline batteries and even though the name sounds like they should be a source of long-lasting power the reality is that they’re inferior to alkaline batteries and shouldn’t be considered for business purposes.

“Our research shows that there is a high level of consumer confusion regarding the meaning of ‘heavy duty,’” said Mark Bertolami, Duracell’s vice president of marketing. “We believe that it is vitally important to continue to drive home the message that 'heavy duty’ zinc batteries are significantly inferior in performance to alkaline batteries.

Panasonic’s Oxyrides may eventually overtake Duracell’s alkaline batteries as the preferred source of power for mobile devices, but there are even more exotic technologies under development. Energizer Holdings, Inc. and Israeli firm Techtium, Ltd. are working together on the development of hybrid battery solutions for high-drain devices. The new power source will draw on two battery systems including a rechargeable system and a secondary battery system.

What else is new in batteries? Physicists in Singapore have created the first paper battery that generates electricity from urine. This new battery will be used as a power source for cheap, disposable test-kits for diseases such as diabetes.

The battery unit is made from a layer of paper that is steeped in copper chloride and sandwiched between strips of magnesium and copper. This “sandwich” is then laminated by passing the battery unit between a pair of transparent plastic films through a heating roller at 248ºF (120ºC) and finishes up at just 0.03937 (1mm) thick.

On the rechargeable side of things, Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. recently announced that it had achieved a breakthrough in Lithium Ion battery electrode materials which will allow rechargeable batteries to be manufactured that have three times the power of existing Lithium Ion batteries at the same price and with recharge times measured in a few minutes rather than hours.

So it seems that our increasing demands for long-lasting power and versatility will be answered by battery manufacturers that use everything from exotic metals to urine in their ongoing quest to give us better batteries.

John Major  - Accountant and Prime Minister of England

“He may have been grey to the world, but he was a very exciting lover.”

John Major was often thought of as a fairly drab politician, and his accounting background was often referred to in stories that described him as ‘dull’ and ‘colorless’. It was only after his political career had ended and he had faded from public view that the world learned this former accountant had engaged in a flaming four year affair with a fellow Member of Parliament before he entered the Cabinet.

John Major was born in London in 1943, the son of a former circus trapeze artist and vaudeville manager who owned a firm that made and sold garden gnomes. After his father’s business went bankrupt he left his education at Rutlish Grammar School at 16 to go to work and help support his family.

He worked at whatever jobs he could find, working as a laborer and insurance broking clerk while studying banking in the evenings. He then worked as a bank accountant for few years and then tried to enter politics, twice running unsuccessfully for Parliament in 1974.

His political career began as a Conservative councilor in the London borough of Lambeth, and continued when he won the constituency of Huntingdon for the Conservatives in 1979, in the election that brought Margaret Thatcher into power.

He was brought into the Cabinet in 1987 as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. In the summer of 1989 he became Foreign Secretary and then Chancellor of the Exchequer less than 100 days later when Nigel Lawson dramatically resigned.

Over the next year Margaret Thatcher’s leadership came under increasing pressure, and John Major supported her in the leadership election of November 1990. When she stepped down, Major entered the contest and with Thatcher’s support he became the youngest Prime Minister of England for over a century.

He led Britain successfully in the first Iraq waged by the Allies against Saddam Hussein. He personally drove the introduction of the Citizens Charter, a code designed to introduce greater accountability to public service and improve standards of performance.

Under Major the Conservatives won the 1992 election despite opinion polls which had predicted a hung parliament. However, over the next five years by-election losses and defections whittled down the government’s majority to single figures.

In 1995 Major made reasserted his authority within the Conservative Party when he resigned as leader - but not as Prime Minister, and submitted himself for re-election. He won, but in 1997 the Conservatives were defeated by the Labour Party in the General Election, and John Major resigned as leader.

One of Major’s more memorable actions was the 'Back to Basics’ family values initiative, which was followed by eleven resignations by members of his party over the next year for sex and financial scandals. It was later discovered that he had engaged in a long affair with a fellow MP before entering the Cabinet.

For four years John Major dallied with fellow MP Edwina Curry at their lovenest - her apartment in London. She wrote in her diary, extracts from which were published in The Times newspaper: “He may have been grey to the world, but he was a very exciting lover.”

Liverpool-born Edwina was portrayed by the media as outrageous and brash. She took credit for inducing John Major to begin their affair, which lasted from 1984 to 1988. It ended shortly after he joined Margaret Thatcher’s Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

John’s wife, Norma Major was a teacher and wrote the official biography of the opera singer, Dame Joan Sutherland. She also served on the Board of the Welsh National Opera for several years.

John Major has now retired from the House of Commons and in 1999 published his political memoirs.

Mexico – a land of contrasts, past and present

This month we travel to Mexico, home of so much of North America’s history as well as a place of beauty and excitement for travelers. Mexico is also the home of two new RAN ONE members, both with their offices in the capital, Mexico City.

The first is DMG Consultores, a firm of accountants and business advisors with 20 years of experience in tax, audit, accounting and business coaching. It’s headed by Mario Geyne Guerra, managing & founding partner DMG Consultores (Despacho Mario Geyne y Asociados, SC).

The firm’s clients include a broad range of national and international companies, from industries that include Financial Services, Healthcare, Commerce, Manufacturing, Construction, Professional Services, Transport and Tourism.

The origins of our next RAN ONE member firm, Galan Arontes Contadores Asociados SC, go back to 1981, when Mrs. Gloria Arontes Fernandez left her activities in the government and established her own firm. By the end of 1982, Mr. Victor Manuel Galan Granados had joined the firm. They are still the partners in the firm and have fifteen people working with them.

Auditing, accounting, payrolls, taxes and special works are the areas in which the firm focuses. ‘Special works’ includes negotiations with the National Import Register and the National Office of Foreign Investment, tax compensations and returns, company liquidations, special authorizations with the Economy Ministry, and supervision of events such as the Annual Horse event in Texcoco.

A mix of modern and traditional

Mexico is a wonderful place to visit, offering a variety of attractions that include desert landscapes, snow-capped volcanoes, ancient ruins, teeming industrialized cities, colonial towns, fancy resorts, lonely beaches and amazing flora and fauna.

This mix of modern and traditional is the key to Mexico’s charm. It’s the kind of place that always pleases visitors, whether you enjoy margaritas, listening to howler monkeys, surfing, or scrambling over Mayan ruins.

Mexico is rich in reminders of ancient civilizations. It’s also a modern nation where temples and cathedrals contrast with futuristic buildings and modern beach resorts.

Outside the cities there are many elements of the ancient and colonial cultures. Fêtes and festivals are celebrated with enthusiasm, and the markets in towns and villages are always colorful.

People

Approximately 60% of Mexico ’s population are mestizos (mixed European and Amerindian descent) and 30% Amerindian (including Nahua, Maya, Zapotecs, Mixtecs, Totonacs, and Tarascos or Purépecha). 10% of the population are classified as ‘other’.

Culture

Incredibly rich and colorful, Mexico’s vibrant culture is evident wherever you look. It has a spirit that imbues Mexico ’s art, architecture, food and literature. Mexico carries a deep folk-art tradition and has produced some of the world’s most renowned painters.

Its ancient civilizations have produced some of the most spectacular structures ever built, while its modern architects produce ground-breaking examples of contemporary design.

Mexico City

The capital of Mexico stands at an altitude of 2240m (7350ft) beneath two snow-capped volcanoes, Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl. It is a huge rambling city with a distinctly colonial feel.

Many of the buildings are in the exuberant Latin American Baroque style. Despite its pollution and sprawling size, Mexico City – or ‘El DF’, standing for Distrito Federal (Federal District) – is a very attractive city made up of 16 delegaciones (districts) and about 400 colonias (neighborhoods), with many green spaces and quiet back streets.

Exclusive residential areas, such as Polanco and La Condesa, have their own village-like centers. The street names in each district have been given particular themes such as philosophers, European cities, rivers or writers, which lend a certain charm and atmosphere to each area, as well as helping the visitor navigate around the city.

In the center of the Centro Histórico (Historic Center) is the Plaza de la Constitución, more commonly referred to as the Zócalo – the Aztec word for ‘plinth’ or ‘pedestal’ – all that was actually completed of a monument to independence planned by General Santa Ana.

Construction of the square began in 1573 and was finished in the 19th century. Vast in scale, it is surpassed in size only by Red Square in Moscow. Each evening, the enormous Mexican flag that flies in the middle of the square is taken down and folded with great ceremony by the Mexican army.

The Catedral Metropolitana, on the north side of the square, was begun in 1563 and exhibits a plethora of architectural styles (mainly Gothic, Baroque and Neo-Classical). The highlight of the ornate gilded interior is the Capilla de los Reyes (Kings’ Chapel) and its altar. Just east of the cathedral is the excavated site of the Aztec Templo Mayor (Great Temple), part of the sacred complex of Tenochtitlán, which was demolished by the Spaniards in the 1520s. Remains of the temple layout can be viewed from raised walkways.

The adjoining museum displays artifacts excavated from the site in the 1970s, including the first artifact to be discovered – a huge votive disk to the goddess of the moon, Coyolxauhqui. On the east side of the zócalo, the National Palace, built in 1692 on the ruins of the Palace of Montezuma, is now the office of the President of the Republic.

With so many sites of architectural, religious and cultural merit, it is not surprising that the capital has museums with world-class collections. In particular, the Museo Nacional de Antropología, in Chapultepec Park (‘Grasshopper Hill’ in the Nahuatl language), holds an enormous and absolutely fascinating collection of Pre-Hispanic artifacts within 12 halls on the first floor, including the 24-ton Aztec Sun Stone – the Calendar Stone.

Excursions outside Mexico City

Some 20km (14 miles) south of the Zócalo are the floating gardens and tree-lined canals of Xochimilco. Engineered by the Aztecs, the gardens are now a weekend haunt of the city’s inhabitants who hire brightly painted trajineras (gondolas), often accompanied by ‘mariachis’, to cruise the canals.

Two of Mexico City’s prettiest colonial villages on the southern fringes – Coyoacán and San Angel – are best visited at the weekend, when the attractive squares and cobble-lined streets are alive with students, artists, craftspeople, musicians and other Mexicans out strolling with their families. The Bazar del Sábado (Saturday Market) in San Angel’s Plaza San Jacinto is one of the best places to buy good-quality handicrafts and artworks.

Other places you can visit

Southcentral Mexico

Teotihuacán

The ‘City of the Gods’, 48km (30 miles) northeast of Mexico City, was built about 2000 years ago. It was the largest pre-Hispanic city in Mexico and, at the height of its power, controlled most of Mexico Visitors to the site can see the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, the Citadel with the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (the plumed serpent) and the Palace of Quetzalpapálotl (the plumed butterfly), all found in a mile-long stretch called the Calle de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead).

Cuernavaca

Cuernavaca, 85km (53 miles) from the capital, is built around two large squares. On one stands the Palacio de Cortés (built in 1538), now a museum containing frescoes by Diego Rivera. The Cathedral dates from the 16th century. The town also contains the 18th-century Borda Gardens and the Indian market which sells huaraches (sandals), leather goods and articles made of straw.

Oaxaca

Known as the ‘Jade City’ due to the green tinge in the stone used in the construction of many of its buildings, Oaxaca is a culturally diverse city. It is the capital of a state whose pre-Hispanic, colonial and indigenous roots are vividly expressed through its architecture, craft traditions, Zapotec and Mixtec archaeological sites, gastronomy and festivals – the Noche de Rábanos (Night of the Radishes) and the Guelaguetza in particular reflect age-old traditions.

Within its 95,364 sq km (59,258 miles) live 16 ethnic groups, each with its own dialect or language, making the state one of the most linguistically and culturally varied of any in Mexico

Monte Albán

Situated 14km (9 miles) drive from Oaxaca, Monte Albán was a sacred city in prehistoric times and the religious center of the Zapotec culture, which flourished 2000 years ago. The remarkable Central Plaza, the Ball Court, and many of the tombs, are open to the public. It is an amazing complex situated on a leveled mountain top.

Aldous Huxley wrote that ‘even today this high place of the Zapotecs remains extraordinarily impressive...Monte Albán is the work of men who knew their architectural business consummately well’. The best time to appreciate the spectacular beauty of the buildings in the changing light is either early in the morning or at sunset.

Central Mexico

The central highlands, benefiting from a milder climate, constitute the most populous region of Mexico. Many of the colonial cities of this region include a unique blend of indigenous and Spanish culture; these historic centers have remained virtually intact since the time of the conquest. The conquistadores built very Spanish-looking villages near the silver mines.

Today, the main attractions of this region are the architecture, the views, and some very good local cooking. One of the most popular driving circuits is the one following the so-called Independence Route, which links all of the major colonial cities in Central Mexico Beginning in Mexico City, the route takes the traveler north to Querétaro, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Morelia, Patzcuaro and Guadalajara Another circuit picks up in Guadalajara, again going north, to Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí

Guadalajara

The capital of Jalisco still has a Spanish colonial atmosphere, despite being the agricultural, commercial and industrial center of the western highlands. The Cathedral has 11 altars, 30 columns and a big art collection. There are also a lot of parks: the Parque Agua Azul (‘Blue Water’) is noteworthy for its forest-like atmosphere; the Parque de las Armas is where the boys and girls of the town court each other.

North Central Mexico

The north central part of the country is mostly desert: a vast, high, windswept plateau flanked by the Occidental and Oriental chains of the Sierra Madre. Most of the population is gathered in several large cities; parts of the plateau are used for agriculture, but much of the north bears little trace of human habitation.

The remarkable Copper Canyon Railway passes through Chihuahua on its way from Ojinaga on the Río Grande to the Gulf of California It is an engineering miracle in itself and also provides a good way of seeing the canyons, mesas and bare peaks of the Sierra Madre Occidental The view at the Barranca del Cobre, where the Urique River has cut a 1840m- (6136ft-) deep chasm through the mountains, rivals the Grand Canyon. The journey lasts about 13 hours.

Chihuahua

Chihuahua, capital of the state of the same name (Mexico ’s largest), is an important industrial and commercial center. There are many edifices dating from the colonial era, including the 18th-century Cathedral, the Government Palace, the City Hall and Quinta Luz, which is the Villa Museum (containing Pancho Villa memorabilia).

The West Coast

The west coast of Mexico incorporates the Baja California; a peninsula 1100km (700 miles) long that extends south from Tijuana into the Pacific Ocean. It comprises two states, Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur. The enclosed Gulf is rich in marine life and offers excellent opportunities for experienced divers and anglers (although the currents are treacherous).

Baja’s Pacific lagoons are an important breeding ground for whales, particularly the gray whale, which is often referred to as the ‘Mexican Gray’ whale. The estuary of the Colorado River lies at the top of the Gulf; only a trickle of fresh water now reaches the sea, most having been diverted for agriculture far upstream. The interior is mountainous desert, for the most part waterless and inhabited by only the hardiest plants and animals.

Tijuana

Tijuana claims to be ‘the world’s most visited city’, receiving more than 20 million visitors every year, many of them day-trippers from California With San Diego just a few miles away across the border, it is the land gateway to and from the USA, thriving on the sale of souvenirs.

Beach Resorts

On the Baja Peninsula, Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo are the main tourist destinations, offering miles of excellent beaches. At Cabo San Lucas on the tip of the peninsula, 260km (162 miles) from La Paz, seals may often be seen.

Mazatlán

Famed as an angling center, Mazatlán also has numerous beaches and facilities for surfing, skindiving, tennis, golf, riding and shooting. The name of the town means ‘Place of the Deer’ in the Nahuatl language, an indication of the town’s longstanding association with sporting activities.

Excursions

Manzanillo, a major seaport, has recently become an important resort. The emphasis is on watersports, but the spacious beaches afford good swimming. Fishing is of a world-class standard. Ixtapa, to the south of Manzanillo, is a new resort complex with moorings for yachts and a golf course.

Acapulco

Situated on Acapulco Bay, Acapulco is probably the most famous beach resort in Mexico The town stretches for over 16km (10 miles) round the bay. It has many beaches as well as numerous top-class hotels. The malecón (seaside promenade) runs along the beaches.

There is a square in the center of the old town to the west of the Bay. This lively and fashionable resort offers skindiving, angling, parachute sailing, water-skiing, golf, tennis, riding and the unique spectacle of the Quebrada divers. The waters of the Bay are famous for their calmness and safety, though the beach of La Condesa has rougher waters and good surf for those who want it.

The East Coast

Monterrey

In the North, Mexico ’s industrial powerhouse stands beneath the highest peaks of the Sierra Madre Oriental in a setting of great natural beauty. The remnants of Monterrey ’s more tranquil past (the Cathedral, the Palacio del Gobierno, the Obispado) compete with its present-day preoccupations.

Veracruz

The capital, which shares the state’s name, is a lively seaport, with excellent seafood cuisine – the visitor will particularly enjoy carnival time in this easy-going city, which is also well known for its lively nightlife. For centuries, Veracruz was Mexico ’s main seaport, and it has seen invasions by the French and the Spanish, as well as numerous attacks by pirates. Its colorful history is reflected in its architecture, the highlights of which date from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Yucatán Peninsula

More than 3000 years ago, there emerged a highly sophisticated civilization, the Mayas, in the diverse landscape of what is now Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras and part of El Salvador, as well as the Mexican states of Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Chiapas and Tabasco. The variety of landscape is matched by the abundance of flora and fauna, unrivalled anywhere else in the continent.

At the height of their development (AD 250-900), the Mayans built extraordinary temples and ceremonial centers, many of which are now engulfed by the rainforest. Among the most important archaeological sites to be found in this region are Palenque and Bonampak (Chiapas); La Venta and Comacalco (Tabasco); Edzna, Chicanna and Becan (Campeche); Chichén-Itzá and Uxmal (Yucatán) and Tulum and Coba (Quintana Roo).

Palenque

Nestled in the foothills at the edge of the Chiapas rainforest lies Palenque, this small but important Mayan site is one of the most aesthetically appealing sites of the Mayan world, with its exquisite stucco façades. The Temple of Inscriptions (above the crypt of a Maya king), the Multileveled Palace and the Temple of the Count are other highlights. It is easily reached in a couple of hours’ drive from Villahermosa or San Cristobal de las Casas.

Bonampak

The site of Bonampak, 150km (90 miles) southeast of Palenque, is famous for the finest Mayan murals ever to be discovered. Housed in the Temple of Frescoes, the multicolored murals depict scenes of Mayan warfare, sacrifice and celebration.

Chichén-Itzá

The famous archaeological and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chichén-Itzá, 120km (75 miles) east of Mérida, contains the Pyramid of Kukulcan (El Castillo), where one can find the ‘Red tiger with jade eyes’. During the spring and autumn equinoxes (21-22 March and 21-22 September), huge crowds gather to see a unique spectacle, when shadows create the illusion of a serpent descending the northern staircase.

Uxmal

The elaborate stucco work and detailed façades of Uxmal, 80km (50 miles) south of Mérida, have led to a comparison of the city with Rome Among the fine stonework are the entwined serpents in the Nun’s Quadrangle, the House of Pigeons and the Ball Court Other attractions include the Pyramid of the Magician and the Governor’s Palace.

Beach Resorts

Cancún, Cozumel, and Isla Mujeres were once little more than sleepy villages, but now these Caribbean Coast resorts are world renowned for their vacation facilities. The Isla de Cancún, made up of some of Mexico ’s most expensive beachfronts occupies the northeast tip of the Yucatán. The Punta, or point of the island, is nestled between the Bahía de Mujeres (Bay of Women) and the Caribbean Sea and boasts some of the best areas for sunbathing on the Peninsula At the tip of the point is Playa Chac Mool, a public beach area offering comfortable dining and shopping.

Although the beaches of Cancún are known for their powder white sand and exquisite beauty, the waters along the east edge of the island are subject to strong undertow and should be treated with caution. Lifeguards are posted on the beaches fronting most of the major hotels and swimming is encouraged in these areas only. On the west side of the island are the shimmering waters of Laguna Nichupté (Nichupté Lagoon) and Laguna Río Inglés (English River Lagoon), which are home to 200 species of birds and host a number of watersports.

Activities and holidays in Mexico

Mexico’s reputation for festive fun is well founded: just about every month sees a major national holiday or fiesta, and every other day is a local saint’s day or town fair celebration.

Carnaval (Carnival), held late February or early March in the week before Ash Wednesday, is the big bash before the 40-day penance of Lent; it’s particularly wild in Mazatlán, Veracruz and La Paz.

The country’s most characteristic fiesta is the macabre Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), held the day after All Saints’ Day on November 2. The souls of the departed are believed to return to earth on this day; for weeks beforehand the country’s markets are filled with the candy skulls and papier-mâché skeletons that make such great souvenirs.

Weather

Mexico’s climate varies according to its topography. It’s hot and humid along the coastal plains on both sides of the country, but inland, at higher elevations such as Guadalajara or Mexico City, the climate is much drier and more temperate.

The hot, wet season is May to October, with the hottest and wettest months falling between June and September over most of the country. The low-lying coastal areas receive more rainfall than elevated inland regions. December to February are generally the coolest months, when north winds can make inland northern Mexico decidedly chilly, with temperatures sometimes approaching freezing.

When To Go

Mexico is enjoyable year-round, but October to May is generally the most pleasant time to visit. The May-September period can be hot and humid, particularly in the south, and inland temperatures can approach freezing during December-February. Facilities are often heavily booked during Semana Santa (the week before Easter) and Christmas/New Year, the peak domestic travel periods.

Mexico’s climate has something for everyone: it’s hot and humid along the coastal plains, and drier and more temperate at higher elevations inland ( Guadalajara or Mexico City, for example). Try to avoid Mexico’s southern coast between July and September - the resorts are decidedly soggy and jam-packed, as July-August is also the peak holiday months for foreign visitors.

Transport

Most visitors to Mexico arrive by air. Around 30 Mexican cities receive direct flights from North America and Canada, and there are relatively cheap connections to the Caribbean and the rest of Latin America From Europe you can fly to Mexico City and Cancún. Aeroméxico and Mexicana are the largest Mexican airlines.

Travelers can cross into Mexico by road from the USA at one of the 40 official crossing points. Most cross-border bus services travel from Texas There are 10 border crossings between Mexico and Guatemala, and fairly frequent bus services between border points and Guatemalan towns. Frequent buses also run between Belize City and Chetumal. Trains run from San Diego to Tijuana, El Paso to Ciudad Juárez and Del Rio to Ciudad Acuña.

Mexican Cuisine

The fundamental Mexican food is based on nothing more complicated than corn, black beans and chili. Our recipe for Tacos with Chicken or Pork is both traditionally Mexican and easily prepared.

An important part of Mexican culture is its cuisine. Mexico opened the world to new culinary horizons with its many gastronomic contributions that include vanilla, avocado, corn, tomato and chocolate, just to name a few of the more familiar food elements that originate from Mexico.

In Mexico there are many regions which have their own gastronomic style. Mexican food is popular throughout the world. But the kind you’re probably used to - tacos with guacamole, quesadillas, enchiladas and other popular dishes - is only a small part of the country’s culinary repertoire.

With its variety of indigenous civilizations, each region in Mexico is marked by a distinct aroma, taste and texture.

In central Mexico you’ll find a blend of Aztec and Spanish. Typical is the centuries old “mole poblano”, a thick, dark sauce made with dried chilies, nuts, seeds, spices, cocoa and other ingredients.

Southern Mexico, with its variety of dried peppers, is famous for its savory herbed stews and sauces.

Seafood, garnished with tomatoes and herbs followed by rich coffee is the basic meal along the Pacific Coast. And in the Yucatán Península, dinner is likely to be a Mayan delicacy like “pork pibil” cooked in banana leaves with the famed “achiote” sauce.

Forbes - Greatest Business Stories of All Time

by Daniel Gross and the Editors of Forbes Magazine

John Wiley and Sons Inc, 1996

Hardcover: 362 pages

ISBN: 0471143146

Journalist Daniel Gross has trawled the pages of Forbes Magazine to produce a collection of profiles of high-achievers in business that is at the same time informative, entertaining, and inspiring.

This book contains insightful tales of twenty entrepreneurs – some famous and some you’ve probably never heard of, but each of them has changed the way we live and how we do business.

In Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All Time, the author examines twenty pioneers who accepted risks and refused to compromise on their beliefs. There’s even a happy ending to each tale as ultimately each subject of an chapter was recognized and rewarded for their efforts.

Using a wealth of well-documented sources, the author of this unique collection of biographical information commemorates extraordinary achievements, many of them unremembered today but remarkable for their time.

Who was the richest man in America during the Revolutionary war and how did he gain this position? That man was Robert Morris, whose tale parallels that of Bill Gates, the richest man of today.

Learn how Ray Kroc used a real estate strategy to create the McDonald’s fast food empire; discover how Harley-Davidson reinvented itself and rescued an American icon from bankruptcy.

Discover the characteristics that twenty industrialists, corporate kings, financiers, and visionaries shared that made them both successful and worthy of our respect. Each story is a profile of both a personality and a corporation, presented dramatically instead of being simply a dry recitation of historical facts.

We acquire an understanding of the wisdom and secrets of success that enabled great people to achieve great things, and gain some insights into why the business world is what it is today. Their industries range from oil to cosmetics; their eras take us from the eighteenth century up to the present.

‘Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All Time’ describes towering ambition, great leadership, and several ways of wheeling and dealing that paid off handsomely for the people that most of us would like to emulate.

Read about Henry Ford, J. P. Morgan, Mary Kay Ash, and Walt Disney and their unhesitating vision, their willingness to back their own beliefs, and their outstanding (yet often untrained) commercial skills. It’s not just about their great fortunes, but also how they revolutionized the business world and helped shape modern commerce and society.

These exceptional leaders managed to create some of the world’s foremost brands in history, including McDonald’s, American Express, RCA, Merrill Lynch, Xerox, Wal-Mart, Standard Oil, and many others. Along the way, Daniel Gross and the Editors of Forbes magazine reveal some interesting secrets in the careers of each of these legendary figures and their corporations that will keep you entertained from cover to cover.

Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All Time is history, but it’s history presented in a way that’s refreshingly relevant to our modern business world of today. We may never achieve the status of a John D. Rockefeller or a David Ogilvy, but we can most certainly enjoy sharing the background details of their rise to greatness.