On the Road to Tetlama: Mexican Adventures of a Wandering Naturalist

Biologist Conrad wanted a summer with no professional duties whatever; he journeyed by bus from his home in Kentucky to Tamazunchale in central Mexico, a three-day trip. There he pitched his tent on a vacant lot next to his friend Alejandro's house on a steep slope above the village. The book is a curious assortment of impressions, observations on nature and sketches of local people. The pieces are brief, seemingly written at random. Conrad hiked over mountain trails used mainly by Indians. He describes local orchards, 29 species of birds, exotic plants and clouds of butterflies. Conrad endured squalid conditions, insects, mud and heat; living among the natives, he could not quite shed his gringo image. His story will appeal to those who dream of immersing themselves in rural foreign cultures. (June)