Category: La Loteria

Amazing México Instagram Feeds You Should Follow

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My favorite amazing Mexico instagram feeds

Eighteen amazing México Instagram feeds you should follow have given me an escape from my ‘shelter-in-place’ lifestyle that feels like it’s never going to end. Even though I’m sheltering in place in Puerto Vallarta (I may be a little spoiled) I have been living vicariously through these accounts which beautifully showcase the country that I’ve fallen in love with and now call my home.

Did you have to cancel your travel plans to México this summer?

Are you dreaming of your last trip to a Mexican beach in the Caribbean?

Are you thinking about selling everything you own and moving to México like I did? (Do it!)

I wanted to share with you my top picks of absolutely amazing México Instagram feeds that feature the beauty, charm and culture of this incredible country.

@mexicodesconocido

The Mexico desconocido Insta feed (run by a news and blogging website) is one of my go-to spots when I’m researching a new part of México to visit. If you want to learn about spending the night in a tree house in a Kali-Tree in Puebla or visiting a hobbit town in the mountains of San Luis Potosi, this is your website. They have great articles on their site about normal spots throughout México as well, but who doesn’t want to visit a hobbit town in the mountains of México? Come on…am I right? BTW, “desconocido” means “unknown” en Español!

@mexicotravelchannel

Thumbing through the México Travel Channel is like walking through a museum of must see locations throughout the country. You can cool off in the sparkling clear water of the cenotes in the Yucatan, get blasted on the blue agave nectar in Tequila and feel the sand between your toes on the beaches of Oaxaca.

Pueblo Mágicos, Volcanos and National Parks are all covered in this feed. Put on your imaginary hiking boots because all of these photos feature the outdoors of México.

@mexicosorprendente

I couldn’t describe this feed any better than how these guys describe their own page so here you go…

A page dedicated to show how beautiful México is. Landscapes, culture, traditions and more!

Well said mis amigos! And this is exactly why I stalk your page! I never knew that México has vast deserts and dunes in Chihuahua or has massive mountain peaks in Nuevo Leon. México Sorprendente ventures off the beaten path and delivers stunning views of the sites off of the normal road trip routes. BTW, “sorprendente” means “surprising” in Español!

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Las dunas de samalayuca en chihuahua un asombroso paraje desertico impresionante!! ???️ . . . . Son dunas errantes en tono sepia. Las más pequeñas miden 100 metros, casi la altura de la columna del Ángel de la Independencia, pero también hay montículos que superan los 300 metros, casi como la Torre Eiffel. Su forma nunca es la misma, el viento se encarga de diburjarles líneas o dejarlas bien lisitas para deslizarse sobre tablas de madera. . . . . Ese espectáculo natural se ubica en el desierto chihuahuense, a 45 kilómetros de Ciudad Juárez, y son las dunas de Samalayuca, catalogadas como las más grandes de Latinoamérica. Desde la carretera que conduce a la reserva natural, se aprecia el extenso mar de arena y cómo sus olas inmóviles son conquistadas por los aventureros que practican sandboarding. La actividad consiste en deslizarse sobre la arena con la ayuda de una tabla. A pie, subes el costado de una duna y en la cresta, te colocas sobre la tabla para que sea atada a tus zapatos. Solo es cuestión de flexionar un poco las rodillas e inclinar el cuerpo hacia adelante para avanzar a toda velocidad sobre la arena. ?????. //. The dunes of samalayuca in chihuahua an amazing impressive desert spot !! ???️ . . . . They are wandering dunes in sepia tone. The smallest measure 100 meters, almost the height of the Angel of Independence column, but there are also mounds that exceed 300 meters, almost like the Eiffel Tower. Its shape is never the same, the wind is responsible for drawing lines or leaving them very smooth to slide on wooden boards . . . . This natural spectacle is located in the Chihuahuan desert, 45 kilometers from Ciudad Juárez, and they are the Samalayuca dunes, classified as the largest in Latin America. From the road that leads to the nature reserve, you can see the vast sea of ​​sand and how its motionless waves are conquered by adventurers who practice sandboarding. The activity consists of sliding on the sand with the help of a board. ????? . . . . ?: @unmexicanoporelmundo

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@Mexico_Amazing

I really wish I would have thought of this Instagram handle, but I guess I’ll have to stick with TexMex Fun Stuff. México Amazing is well, the name says it all. I look at each photo and think to myself, is that place real and how fast can I get there?

The diversity is crazy from one pic to the next. They go from snowy hills to humid swamps to erupting volcanos to crashing waterfalls. This feed truly is amazing.

@Pinche_Raf_Art

Rafael Gonzales Jr. is an artist from San Antonio, TX who is combining the classic Mexican La Lotería and the Covid19 pandemic into works of art. La Lotería is México’s equivalent to bingo and is steeped in tradition here. I even wrote a blog post about it title, La Lotería Ain’t Your Grandma’s Mexican Bingo.

?? Buy La Lotería Papel Picado Flags on Amazon ??

Rafa is combining entrepreneurship and artistry by launching Pandemic Lotería, an entire game featuring his newly inspired creations! Taking pre-orders again…

@geraldinesgram

Geraldine is a México-based YouTuber and photographer who has a perfectly curated and diverse Instagram feed. I’m wicked jealous. I like how she focuses on outdoor scenes of México and blends the colors of facades along the streets with the oranges and blues in the sky.

When I’m walking through the streets of México, I’m typically sweating my nuts off with a drink in each hand and stains on my t-shirt, but not Geraldine! She always looks amazing. You go girl! #sisterlove

@planbviajero

The Plan B Viajero (Plan B Traveler) feed is managed by Camilo and Gaby, Eco-Travel bloggers from México and Argentina that are based in Oaxaca. They are clearly living their “Plan B” and have built a blog that is dedicated to practicing and promoting responsible and sustainable tourism. I’m totally crunchy granola too, so there’s that. Check out their blog here and one of my favorite amazing Mexico Instagram feeds below.

@pueblosdemexicoconhistoria

The Pueblos de México’s Insta account was created by San Luis Potosi-based photographer Didier Palomo who captures the ‘Magic Towns of México’ brilliantly. The ‘Magical Villages Program‘ is an initiative led by México’s Secretary of Tourism to promote a series of towns around the country that offer visitors a “magical” experience – by reason of their natural beauty, cultural richness, traditions, folklore, historical relevance, cuisine, art crafts and great hospitality.

?? Buy Piñatas and Papel Picado Flags on Amazon ??

The most unique characteristic of earning the designation of being a Pueblo Mágico is that the village has to be a unique, bustling town (state capital towns/cities are not qualified).

A “Magical Village” is a place with symbolism, legends, history, important events, festivals, traditions, great food, and fun interactive shopping, day-to-day life – in other words, “magic” in its social and cultural manifestations, with great opportunities for tourism. 

@elfotografodeguanajuato

Guanajuato-based photographer Chema Sanchez has the feel of this Disney movie level magical town nailed. When we lived there I fell in love with the singing minstrels who danced me up and down the winding alleys in this one-of-a-kind city. I miss it everyday, but Chema’s amazing México Instagram feeds takes me back to this college town/state capital that includes the mummy museum, El Pípila on the mountain top and the minstrel music that constantly echos off of the surrounding mountains. This is literally the town that the afterlife kingdom in Pixar’s ‘Coco’ was fashioned after.

@MexicoDF

Mexico DF is managed by the 3 person team of Manuel Portillo González, Alex Revilla and Chac B who are photographers, bloggers and street artists. The ‘DF’ in the name is a throwback to when México City was referred to as ‘Distrito Federal’. The city went through a rebranding campaign in January, 2016 and completely changed the abbreviated name to CDMX, otherwise known as Ciudad de México. Rebranding a whole freaking city…amazing!

“CDMX” is now seen everywhere in México City from the city street signs to the sides of buses. It really is amazing how quickly they got rid of the “DF” moniker and rebranded in less than a year. This feed feels like you are wandering down the streets of México City.

@enigmatino

Edward Nygma is a Oaxaca-based photographer who takes me back to when I spent 5 amazing weeks in the capital city of…you guessed it…Oaxaca, Oaxaca. When Mr. TexMex Fun Stuff and I first drove into Oaxaca, we followed a local’s advice and went straight to the Benito Juárez Market.

?? Buy Piñatas and Papel Picado Flags on Amazon ??

We could not get enough of the market’s smoke alley, lined with taco vendors grilling up fresh meat served with fresh tortillas, avocados and bright red salsa. Oh, and several cold cervezas brought to us by a nice teenage kid. The food, colors and native Zapotec culture are clearly the focus and passion of Edward’s feed.

@gustavomoguel

Gustavo Moguel travels from the deserts of Sonora to the haciendas of the Yucatan to the museums of México City to craft his Insta feed into a total México journey. From underwater shots swimming with tropical fish to views from his kick ass drone, Gustavo has an eye for showcasing the beauty of México’s land, sea and air. Check it, yo…

@rogb12

Rodrigo GB loves architecture and reflections. It really comes through in his vivid photos which primarily focus on México City. He is based out of CDMX and tends to shuffle in some of the top ballet dancers from the city. I love the evolution and diversity of his feed and how he is displaying his art. #fabulosa #reflectonthis

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Hace más de un mes que no posteaba por acá, me había tomado un descanso de Instagram, me di cuenta que mucho de lo que hacía lo hacía por crecer en esta plataforma o por likes y no necesariamente porque a mi me gustara; justo ayer usé la cámara después de mucho tiempo para hacer fotos de la ciudad y debo decir que, este descanso que tomé, me hizo dejar de estar enamorado completamente de las fotos de la cdmx, quizá por la costumbre de vivir aquí, ya que soy una persona que necesita cambios constantes para no sentirme cansado de algo… Y también he aprovechado este tiempo para darle duro a otros proyectos que tengo en mi vida, retomar la arquitectura, darle mucho peso a @theartprojectmx, entre otros, pero principalmente he empezado un proyecto fotográfico colaborativo que me emociona muchísimo, quizá comparta un poco en Instagram, aunque no es el tipo de contenido que subo normalmente, si es el que quizá más me emociona en este campo de la fotografía. Mientras tanto les dejo una foto de hace tiempo, que no había subido porque técnicamente tiene muchos errores hahah y pensé que le iría mal, pero de aquí en adelante verán contenido que me gusta al 100 aunque quizá no sean fotos perfectas ?

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@gastronautadf

Gastronautadf is a food blogger based out of México City. You know you’ve made it as a food blogger on Instagram when Rick Bayless follows you! Foodie greatness.

My mouth waters over this account. This. dude does a great job of combining food and booze, my two favorite things. #nohashtagneeded #yum

@MexicanCoolture

The Mexican Coolture® feed and brand has been created by the soul and talent of Mexican artists who make handmade masterpieces. inn the form of beaded hat bands, purse straps and handbags. “Mexico in your hands” = Hecho a mano for sure. These guys are promoting goods curated from artisans in México and they have never looked better.

@cmll_mx

I experienced my first Lucha Libre event a few years ago and literally laughed, cried and screamed the entire time. I even wrote a blog post about it, My Lucha Libre Experience – Laughing, Crying & Screaming which details the sheer exhilaration and hilarity of The Big Show.

?? Buy Lucha Libre Papel Picado Flags on Amazon ??

I have not found anything else in my travels throughout this country that had me saying to myself over and over, “holy fuck, only in México.” The amazing México Instagram feed that captures the essence of Lucha Libre is definitely the World Wrestling Council. Feast your eyes on ‘the most Spectacular of Sports and the most Sporty of Shows’.

@DosHombres

I couldn’t live with myself if I made a list of my favorite amazing México Instagram feeds you should follow and not list my boys from “Breaking Bad”. Yep, mis hombres, Brian Cranston and Aaron Paul teamed up again! But this time it they aren’t cooking meth!

They have invested in one of my favorite delicacies of ALL OF México…and one that I only recently acquired a love for while in Oaxaca…mezcal! Yeah baby!! The Blue Meth Boyz feed mixes their friendship and their passion for mezcal and México. Una mas mezcal por favor! Plus, they are both pretty hot when not tweaked out and wearing tighty whiteys!

@TexMexFunStuff

I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t include my own Instagram feed in this list of amazing México Instagram feeds you should follow! I have wistfully created a random-ass feed while traveling through México in search of handmade goods for you.

I’m still learning the ropes on what a ‘professional feed’ should look like, but as you know by now, I’m not a very professional broad.

I hope you enjoy the pictures, video and stories that chronicle my road tripping travels through México as I build TexMex Fun Stuff and search for handmade treasures (tesoros en Español!). Viva México! ?????✈️

Are you looking for more inspiration from México? Check out the TexMex Fun Stuff Blog for more sights, sounds and badass-ness uncovered while exploring México searching for handmade fun stuff for you!

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?? Shop the TexMex Fun Stuff online storefront on Amazon!  ??

La Lotería Ain’t Your Grandma’s Mexican Bingo!

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La Loteria mexican bingo banners of paper papel picado.

I had seen those Mexican Bingo images everywhere. The Drunk, The Mermaid, The Crown, The Heart, etc. Cute and silly and there are a helluva lot of them. Except for all the names being in Spanish, I never really noticed that they are particularly Mexican (even though I had seen them all over Mexico). Mostly on paintings, cards, t-shirts, mugs, matchboxes, whatnot, what have you.

Examples of Lotería merchandise from El Estudio! in Merida, MX! I Photo: Julie Beinke

THEN I opened a store in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico with another gringa loca (crazy white girl) who was way more in the know than me. Her name is Julie and she was unfortunately in charge of teaching me a lot of shit about Mexican culture before our first buying trip in Guadalajara pre-grand opening. She told me we were gonna “Get our La Loteria on!” in a big way.

La What? La Profitable!

La Sirena papel picado flags from TexMex Fun Stuff.
Classic, Millenial and Papel Picado versions of La Sirena from La Loteria – just a taste. | Photo: TexMex Fun Stuff

The Hardcore Backstory of La Lotería

Gambling is fun, let’s face it. Even Bingo is a good time…and I’m relatively young! Cards kill time and build friendships in ways other games can’t. Uppity folks in Italy and Spain knew this and played regularly as early as the 1400’s. It made sense for Hernan Cortés and his troops to bring a few decks of cards with them to play during the Spanish Conquest of México while plundering the natives of “New Spain”. Basically, when the Spaniards took time out from stealing land and enslaving Mexicans, they would kick back and enjoy a few games for laughs, money, pride or whatever.

I guess one good thing the Spanish conquerors did was introduce a taste for cards into México. Cortés himself was a great card player as it turns out. This introduction led to 2 very distinct, yet equally important games:

Lotería Nacional on the left, La Lotería on the right. I Photo: Julie Beinke

The Difference Between La Loteria and The Lottery

After all the battles of the War of Independence were over, lotteries and raffles were set up all over Central and South America. Lima, Peru was the first New World place to have an official lottery. It was introduced after an earthquake destroyed a local hospital and the archbishops there decided to institute a citywide lottery to rebuild the hospital with the profits.

Mexico needed profits to rebuild its post-war everything. BIG TIME. So in 1771, it became the second country to establish a legal lottery with the first big jackpot of $84,000 pesos.

“This vice, or time-honored habit – intelligently channeled towards good, so that it might benefit the poor and deprived, relieving them in their distress – is what gave rise to the lottery. Good engendered by evil: this was the idea proposed by the kindly King Charles III, who founded the lottery in his dominions of New Spain.”

—Artemio de Valle Arizpe in ‘A Brief History of the Mexican Lottery’ in “The Art of Fortune” by Artes de México.

?? Get Your La Lotería Papel Picado at TexMex Fun Stuff on Amazon! ??

And when we say ‘good engendered by evil’ we are talking about how all of the Catholic muckety mucks declared gambling as evil…even if it was ultimately for good. By 1782, after 11 years of successful fundraising (and some exploitation to line King Charles III’s royal pockets), México’s jackpot would commonly get to BIG MONEY. The PowerBall (if you will) would get to $715,000 pesos, which was a shit ton in 1782!

Since this was clearly a lucrative business, some clergymen and nuns got in the game…creating mini-raffles similar to La Loteria cards, but naming the cards after saints and relics. Douchey.

Jeesh. I Photo: imgflip.com

Long story short…México still to this day has its own National Lottery called Lotería Nacional with scratch-offs, PowerBalls and the whole shebang. This is NOT to be confused with the fun board game that is referred to as La Lotería. Yes, both types stemmed from the games of the Spanish soldiers, Cortés and King Charlie. However, La Lotería has much more cultural significance which is steeped in 200 years of history. The images of which have become iconic. No scratch offs, just loads of history.

Traditional La Lotería from 1887

So after 100-ish years of playing versions of La Lotería, a commercial board game version was created in 1887 by French entrepreneur, Clemente Jacques. He aptly called his widely sold game, “Don Clemente Gallo”. For those who have ever shopped in a Mexican grocery store or ‘super’, you have seen that name and that gallo (rooster) image before.

It was Clemente Jacques who came to Mexico to import games, seeds and canned foods and ended up establishing the first food processing and canning factory in México. This same dude made and marketed a timeless family-friendly game while feeding Latin America. Strange connection, but the company is one and the same.

Loteria? Ketchup? Strawberry Jam? Thanks Jack! I Photo: clementejacques.com.mx

Anyway, Señor Clemente Jacques mass produced a formal game of La Lotería. His version has a total of 54 images that each include a picture, a name and a number. Each one depicts a unique characteristic of México…food, Catholic beliefs, Aztec beliefs, booze and Mother Earth essentials. Frankly, Teresa Villegas says it better…

“Every culture has its idioms and icons -certain words and images that transcend the literal and reside in the psyches of the people.  This artwork has drawn upon Mexican traditions, historical figures, gastronomy, and popular culture, translating them into images familiar and recognizable to those who have experienced this distinctive culture. ” And Teresa drops the mic…BOOM.

Example of a Lotería tabla or board | Photo: SAMSUNG CSC

How to Play

Each player is given a La Lotería board that has 16 images and a hand full of beans, bottle caps, rocks or whatever is lying around. Then a caller gets ready to rumble…He or she draws a card like a bingo caller fetches a ball out of that whirling dervish of a metal cage.

The caller is the crucial part of the game and plays the Emcee, the ‘Fair and Balanced’ Entertainer and the Riddler. The unique aspect of calling out the randomly chosen images, numbers or names is that they don’t actually call them out at all. WHAAATT?? The caller uses riddles, puns or jokes to note which image/number/name is being called. Depending on the audience, he or she can be quite tame or risqué AF.

Remember, this game has been played in churches, schools, dirty cantinas and table dance joints all over México for over 200 years. #dontjudge

Sound confusing? I agree, but it’s actually genius and if it is used in grade schools to teach kids objects and words, it’s gotta be good! I personally think it’s pretty hilarious that one of the images is ‘El Borracho’ which is ‘The Drunk’ in English. Little kids in grade school are learning that shit pretty early in life! Foreshadowing? Si. 🙂

?? Get Your La Lotería Papel Picado at TexMex Fun Stuff on Amazon! ??

The riddles that are called out range from obvious to downright clever. Here are my Top 10 Tame Faves:

  1. El Diablito – The Devil – Behave yourself so that the little red one doesn’t carry you off.

2. La Calavera – The Skull – As I passed through the graveyard, I found a skull.

3. La Muerte – Death – She walks through the bones, waiting to catch you and take you to heaven.

Notice the Death Themes? I Photo: TexMex Fun Stuff La Loteria Collection

4. La Sirena – The Mermaid – The love of every sailor, sings with the sea, and entangles you with her hair.

5. El Nopal – The Cactus – To which all go to see when they have to eat.

6. El Corazon – The Heart – It beats, tomato in color, falls in love the very lover.

7. La Corona – The Crown – The hat of kings.

8. El Barril – The Barrel – The bricklayer drank so much that he ended up like a barrel.

9. La Botella – The Bottle – As a microphone for the drunk and as a remedy for the sick.

10. El Borracho – The Drunk – Playing goes with his body, which he cannot control and falls to the ground.

Notice the Boozy Themes? I Photo: Again, TexMex Fun Stuff La Loteria Collection

When a pun is called that matches one of the images on your board, you put a bean or a bottle cap on the square. Once you have 4 squares across or 4 squares down or just 4 squares in the shape of a square, you win and you scream out LA LOTERÍA! And the crowd goes wild.

The different ways to win at La Loteria.
The different ways to win at La Lotería | Photo: Wikipedia

Millennial La Lotería from 2019

Fast forward to 2019 and you have a new way to play! You millennials are cray cray and are always coming up with fun and fanciful shit. This is an example that I LOVE! Did you notice the ‘La Selfie’ image at the top of this post? Creator, developer and my new 20-something hero, Gerardo Guillén has created the Millennial version of La Lotería! And in typical millennial fashion, you can follow the company on Instagram at @millennialloteria. #followustoo @TexMexFunStuff

No more El Diablo, El Corazon or La Corona…now we have La Selfie, El Tinder and La Dick Pick!

The millennial loteria is the greatest ever.
GENIUS I tell ya!

It comes with 46 cards, 10 boards and 80 bitcoin tokens. Bitcoin tokens? I can’t even! I bought 10 sets. Buy yours on Amazon here. If you want one or 10 of the classic sets you can get those here…

Easy to buy on Amazon!

So I hope that clears a few things up for you…

Finally, I mentioned that my friend Julie educated me on all of this shit and she deserves some serious street cred for that. Her store (formerly our store) is called El Estudio! and it is located on the main drag in Merida, Yucatan, MX. When in the hood, stop by and see her and get some cool Lotería merch! You’ll recognize the store by the logo below…which is basically she and I as Catrinas – another blog post!! Peace out and thanks for reading!

Check Mizz Julie out on FB at elestudio41 AND on Insta @elestudio41! | Logo by Mel Blossom

?? Shop the TexMex Fun Stuff Papel Picado Collection ??

Are you looking for more inspiration from México? Check out the TexMex Fun Stuff Blog for more sights, sounds and badass-ness uncovered while exploring México searching for handmade fun stuff for you!

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?? Shop the TexMex Fun Stuff online storefront on Amazon!  ??