Jenny's Journal Celebrates Our Readers' 100,000 Page Views!

Today's Sunrise from Our Balcony in Coyoacán, Mexico City (Click to Enlarge)
A Fitting Launch of Jenny's Next 100,000!

Reed and I cheered as we watched the All-Time Stats for Jenny's Journal turn over to mark our first 100,000!

It's hard to believe that since we launched the blog in June of 2009, we've written 124 posts across a wide range of cultural topics. It occurred to us that you, our Readers, might enjoy knowing which posts your fellow Readers are choosing most often.

So here are the All-Time Top Ten Posts along with some reflections:

• Quetzalcóatl at Xochicalco: 7,161 views. I couldn't believe the traffic. Poking around, I discovered that a photo of the quetzal bird prompted another blogger to link to the post; our stats tell us the link has driven about 1,500 views. Yet the post continues to attract readers—most likely a reflection of worldwide fascination with the mythic feathered serpent, Quetzalcóatl.
• Geography: Ground of Mexico Culture and History: 2,143 views. Reed and I are pleased that this post is so heavily visited. Reed researched and wrote the basic text. When we decided convert it into a Page, I added the sections on Cultural Diversity and Themes to Keep in Mind.
• Frida Kahlo Museum: Behind the Green Door: 1,863 views. Frida Kahlo is beloved by Mexico's younger generation. We enjoy visiting the museum—the gardens are a tranquil oasis. The vast majority of visitors are young couples, sometimes with children.
• Rebozos in Michoacán and Elsewhere in Mexico: 1,617 views. This post was fun to write. The more I learned, the more fascinated I was by the history, cultural significance and artistic ingenuity associated with rebozos. Another surprise hit.
• Méxica (Aztec) Dancers at the Basílica of theVirgín of Guadalupe: 1,469 views. Speaking of cultural diversity, this post challenged my narrative skills! As non-Catholic, non-Mexican visitors, we were almost overwhelmed by the rich, over-lapping and interlocking cultural layers.
• Mesoamerican God-Kings as City Planners: 1,358 views. Reed penned this post in response to a Reader's query, "Who in the society designed these spaces—Priests? Kings? The spaces seem so carefully designed." Reed enjoyed writing the post and, clearly, Readers continue to enjoy Clicking on it!
• Xochicalco's Engineers and Scientists:1,344 views. Readers have chosen the Xochicalco posts over other archaeological sites we've visited. The visit was special for us because we were guests of my translator at Pemex nearly twenty years ago. A treasured friendship and a special visit.
• Mexico's Volcanoes and Mesoamerican Mythology: 959 views. This may be my favorite post. The more I learn about volcanoes in Mexico, the more convinced I am that human vulnerability in the face of natural forces is an absolutely essential component of Mexican culture.
• Sunday in Mexico City: 792 views. Months ago, we took a Sunday paseo (stroll) along Reforma Boulevard, where we entered Chapultepec Park and ended up at the Rufino Tamayo Museum, which has recently reopened following extensive renovation. A reminder that we want to visit again to see the permanent exhibit of Tamayo's art.
• Diego Rivera: Artist for Mexico's People: 713 views. A complex figure, Diego Rivera played a significant cultural role in the years just after the Mexican Revolution. This post describes the era, the cultural dynamics and Rivera's artistic response. 

Finally, we thought you might enjoy a snapshot of your fellow Readers:

• United States: 63,175. This readership is gratifying; it tells us we're on the right track in finding ways to communicate the deep pleasure we enjoy living in Mexico and experiencing first-hand the kindness of the people, the richness and complexity of the culture, and the sheer majestic beauty of Mexico's homeland.
• Mexico: 12,713. We feel honored that the second largest audience segment are Readers inside Mexico itself. We don't know how many are U.S. expats who live here, yet we also know that Mexican friends read and value Jenny's Journal because they tell us. Their confidence in us is humbling.
• Canada (3109); U.K. (2597); Australia (1239): 6,945. It helps that we more or less share the English language. But I was delighted to meet a teenage brother-sister pair—Mexican Australians—who asked me for the blog's url.
• Russia: 1,049. Another surprise. I haven't a clue.
• Germany and France have each contributed about 850 views. Last year, we chatted with a young German couple visiting Chiapas. We were slightly taken aback when they commented that they wanted to visit Mexico because it is "exotic".