Tijuana Lady Trivia Quiz

Answer: axolotl

The axolotl is a distinctive-looking creature; although it appears to be a fish with legs, and is nicknamed the 'Mexican walking fish', it's actually a salamander. In the days of the Aztecs, it was a popular food staple, and it is also often kept as a pet. Wild axolotls are typically brown in colour, but black, grey, pale pink and gold/albino colour mutations also exist; the albino ones are particularly popular as pets. Unlike other amphibians such as frogs, they do not undergo metamorphosis (unless dosed with iodine) and keep their gills.

They are indigenous to the Lake Xochimilco area, which has been converted into canals over time; however, introduction of invasive species such as tilapia has had a negative effect on wild axolotl populations.

Answer: chichen itza

The site where the Mayan city of Chichen Itza once stood is in Tinúm Municipality in Yucatán. Its focal point is a step pyramid known as El Castillo, which was once a temple to the god Kukulkan (a feathered serpent-type god similar to the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl).

It also contains a ball court, a former steam bath and a plain known as the Sacred Cenote, where human sacrifices were believed to have taken place. Its coastal location, with the port site of Isla Cerritos made it an important trading point and enabled its people to obtain materials such as gold and obsidian from other areas.

It is believed to have been at its peak from the Late Classic period to the Postclassic period, and fell into decline in the 11th century, though it was still inhabited when the Spanish conquistadores arrived in Mexico. Today, it is one of Mexico's biggest tourist attractions.

Answer: acapulco

Acapulco is a port city and resort in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, and was one of Mexico's most popular tourist destinations, favoured by Hollywood stars, before gang crime started to put international tourists off coming; it is considered to be one of Mexico's most dangerous cities.

However, it still attracts a large tourist population from within Mexico. Its many attractions include the CICI water park and sealife centre, the cliffs at La Quebrada - where groups of divers regularly perform - and the Dolores Olmedo House, featuring art by Diego Rivera, and it has a thriving nightlife.

It is also a popular fishing and golf destination.

Answer: guacamole

Guacamole is a (delicious, in my opinion) green dip made from mashed avocados, salt, lemon or lime juice and chillis (though some recipes also use tomatoes or sour cream), and if you've ever been to a Mexican restaurant, you may well have seen or eaten it.

It is often used as a topping for nachos or a side condiment, along with grated cheese, sour cream and/or tomato salsa. In the US, it is especially popular on Super Bowl Sundays and Cinco de Mayo. The avocado is a fruit indigenous to Mexico and has been cultivated there for thousands of years; the word 'guacamole' comes from an Aztec dialect word which literally means 'avocado sauce'.

Answer: zapatistas

'Zapatistas' is a nickname for the Liberation Army of the South, a rebel army formed by Emiliano Zapata during the Mexican Revolution. Zapata had previously led a peasant revolution in his home state of Morelos, in protest against rich landowners who monopolised local land for sugar cane production.

Many Zapatistas, like Zapata himself, came from rural backgrounds and would divide their time between serving in the army and farming their land. The Zapatistas were disbanded after Zapata was killed in an ambush in 1919 arranged by Jesús Guajardo, a subordinate of one of Zapata's opponents, General Pablo Gonzalez.

The predominantly indigenous Chiapas-based socialist group, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, were named for Zapata and his image often appears in their territory.

Answer: tequila

Tequila is probably Mexico's most well-known alcoholic drink, praised in song by musicians from British rock band Terrorvision to American rock 'n' rollers the Champs. It is made from the blue agave plant and named for the town of Tequila in Jalisco, where it has its roots.

A popular way to drink it involves the drinker licking salt off the back of their hand, downing a shot of tequila and then sucking a slice of lime. It is used in various cocktails such as the Tequila Sunrise (with orange juice and grenadine syrup) and the Matador (with pineapple and lime juice). Contrary to popular belief, however, bottles of tequila are not supposed to contain worms or scorpions!

Answer: guillermo del toro

Guillermo del Toro's films include 'Pan's Labyrinth', 'The Shape of Water' (for which he received two Academy Awards) and 'Mimic'. He has also directed superhero and fantasy movies, such as 'Hellboy II', two movies in 'The Hobbit' trilogy and 'Pacific Rim', and was the executive producer of animated films such as 'Kung Fu Panda II' and 'Puss in Boots'.

He is heavily influenced by fairy tales, monsters and religious imagery, as seen in the nightmarish world of 'Pan's Labyrinth'. Del Toro and fellow directors Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro G Iñárritu have been dubbed the 'Three Amigos' of Mexican cinema.

His first attempt at making films as a child involved 'Planet of the Apes' toys and his father's Super 8 camera.

Answer: jalisco

'El mariachi desperado', Gomez sing in 'Tijuana Lady', and fittingly, the state of Jalisco is the place from which mariachi originates. Mariachi bands feature brass, violins, accordions and various guitar-like instruments such as guitarrons, and are recognisable by their elaborate outfits, known as 'charros', which are traditionally black and silver. Jalisco is also the home of Jaripeo, a sport involving real-life bucking broncos, the famous sombrero often associated with Mexico, and tequila; the fact that so many things associated with Mexican culture come from there has resulted in the saying 'Jalisco is Mexico'.

Its capital city is Guadalajara, and it is home to several churches, making it popular with Catholic pilgrims.

Answer: veracruz

Veracruz is a port city with a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico, and the biggest city in the state of the same name. It is also Mexico's oldest port, established by the Spanish conquistadores; it was used for slave trading, as well as the exportation of food and precious metals, and at one point had one of the biggest African slave populations in the Americas. During the Mexican War of Independence, it was used to maintain sea links with Spain. Today, it has a diverse population and a culinary style which makes use of Spanish staples such as olives, capers and olive oil, thanks to its long history of Spanish involvement. Ritchie Valens' 'La Bamba' is heavily inspired by son, a mixture of Spanish, Latin and indigenous styles, which originated from Veracruz.

Answer: xoloitzcuintli

Tricky one, this! You might know this dog as the Mexican hairless dog, but its original name, from the Nahuatl language, is Xoloitzcuintli, or Xolo for short. Similar dogs have existed since the days of the Aztecs, when it was kept as a pet and sometimes as food as well; Spanish accounts report dogs being served at banquets, and they were also eaten at marriages and funerals.

It gets its name from Xolotl, the Aztec god of death, who is said to have made the dog from a piece of the Bone of Life from which humans were created, and instructed it to guide the dead to the Underworld.

They come in either completely hairless varieties or varieties with sparse coats, and are often black or grey in colour. Frida Kahlo was a fan; she owned a few Xolos, and they appeared in her paintings.