Hints of sustainability at Cancún resorts

From an article by Verónica Díaz Favela on Interpress Service News:

CANCÚN, Mexico, Mar 30 (IPS/IFEJ) - Antonio Moreno is the banquet manager of a four star hotel in the south-eastern Mexican resort city of Cancún, but for more than a year his duties have included digging through the trash.

Why? To ensure that the waste has been properly separated out for recycling, he explains. The containers are "blue for plastics, yellow for cardboard, grey for metals and green for organic waste."

With 213 rooms, Le Méridien Resort & Spa, where Moreno works, is one of the more than 60 hotels in Cancún and the latest to receive sustainable tourism certification. The seal is granted by the Australia-based Green Globe, says Alma Quiñones, head of human resources.

Three other hotels in the area are ready to begin the process to earn certification, and nine already have it, according to Green Globe's representative in Mexico, Gustavo Ramos.

All are located on a 130-kilometre stretch of coastline in Quintana Roo state, which includes Cancún, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Tulum - together known as the Mayan Riviera. Renowned for its turquoise waters and white beaches and coral reefs, the strip has more than 70,000 hotel rooms and receives three million tourists each year.

For the past three decades, this part of Mexico, home to the Maya culture and important archaeological sites, including the monumental pyramids of Chichén Itzá and Tulum, has been a magnet for visitors from the United States, Canada and Europe. Here they find sun, beaches and culture. In return, they bring in revenues totalling five billion dollars annually.

However, the lack of environmentally sustainable practices has led some of those tourists to turn their backs on Cancún.

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The silver of the Mayas

From an article by Neil Waugh in the Edmonton Sun:

PUNTA ALLEN, Mexico -- Punta is one of those end-of-the-road places to which anglers naturally gravitate.

Sure, there are expatriots, too, drawn here for any number of the reasons why some folks can't go home anymore.

The area on the southern extremity of the Yucatan Peninsula has also been discovered by a new breed of cat called the "eco-tourist," especially after the place was declared the Sian Ka'an Biosphera Reserva.

That's kind of a national park - to everyone except the Maya. They have been living here since the time their ancestors threw up massive temples at Chichen Itza and Tullum, created a form of writing and mathematics, and did complex astronomy when most American civilizations were pretty much hand-to-mouth operations.

So, on a good night, under the swaying coconut palms of Cuzan's, while Pepe mixes margaritas - served classically with freshly-squeezed lime juice over the rocks, not whizzed into a brain-freeze slush - many languages and accents are spoken.

But the one that comes through the loudest and clearest is the language of bonefish.

Bonefish are unique in that they have only one purpose to man: to catch them. As the name implies, anything involving eating is out of the question.

It's where bones are found that makes them most intriguing, out there in the dazzle of quays, bays, mangrove jungles and azure and emerald shallows known - in bonefish lingo around the world - as the "flats."

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Violence as seen by a Mexican mayor

From a commentary on Mexidata.com by Hugo Torres, mayor of Rosarito Beach (Playas de Rosarito), Baja California, Mexico:

Rosarito Beach, Baja California – In Rosarito Beach, as in much of Mexico, we are fighting two battles these days.

One is against organized crime. The other is against misleading media coverage that wrongly implies that much of Mexico is unsafe for visitors and residents – which is devastating our economy.

Some reporters, stories and outlets have been responsible and balanced, including some of those who know this area best. Many, perhaps most, have not.

The war that Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon has launched against drug cartels (which are fed in part by a US$38 billion yearly U.S. drug market) is indeed a serious one, one of vital concern for both our countries.

We welcome and invite serious and analytical coverage of this struggle. Such coverage can be of significant help to both countries, which have much at stake.

What we don’t welcome is inaccurate, sensationalized, unbalanced and unfair coverage, which provides no insight but only promotes fear and misunderstanding. There has been far too much of this and it continues largely unabated.

Some media reports are simply biased and inaccurate. They are from individuals or media outlets that have an agenda against Mexico and will publish anything to promote it, whether or not it is true.

What is more troubling are reports from mainstream media that present an unbalanced, superficial and worrisome portrait of what life is like in Mexico, including Baja California.

This is sometimes done because sensationalism sells; other times because of lack of understanding: many reporters never even visit. At other times, the situation in one city is presented as if it represents all of Mexico, a vast country. . . .

What the reports also don’t mention is that in 2008, according to MSNBC, the murder rate in New Orleans was much higher than that of Tijuana. (Yet you will not see many if any stories warning people not to go to New Orleans. Much of the U.S. media uses far different standards when reporting stories outside the U.S.)

More troubling, the reports seldom state clearly that 90 percent or more of the killings in Mexico are drug-related. The typical resident is not targeted, nor is the visitor. As in New Orleans – as in gang wars in Los Angeles – the tourist is not the target.

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Geotourism Challenge 2009: “Power Of Place—Sustaining World Destinations”

From the National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations:

Are you a savvy traveler, alert to the unique quality, history and character of the places that you visit? Have you been to destinaitions that work to sustain or enhance their unique characture? If so, let us know where you have been and what you have discovered.

Join National Geographic and Ashoka’s Changemakers in the global search for innovative ideas in tourism that honor culture, cherish history and enhance the environment. Our competition launches January 28, 2009 on Changemakers.com where the most creative geotourism practicioners will be highlighted.

As a core approach for National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations, this competition is based on the power of tourism to help alleviate poverty, educate the public, and motivate preservation and conservation of unique cultural, natural, and historic resources. In other words, tourism done right.

The National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations defines geotourism as "tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place—its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents."

Several Mexican destinations have been nominated:
+ Maya Foundation in Laakeech A.C.
+ Universidad del Valle de Atemajac
+ Finca Cafetalera Monte Carlo
+ Red Indígena de Turismo de México
+ High Hikking Tours
+ Campamento Tlatempa programa Rally YO no tiro basura
+ TrotaMexico

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Safe travels in sensational Mexico

From a story by Maria Finn on ABC News:

Just in time for spring break, violence along the U.S.-Mexico border has brought a rash of bad press to the popular tourist destination.

Riviera Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula, such as Playa del Carmen [just south of Cancun], is Mexico's most popular travel destinations.

But for those still planning a trip to Mexico, the U.S. Consulate in Merida, Mexico, recently released a Web video on how to stay safe, have fun and avoid bringing trouble upon oneself.

"If you're not going to do it at home, think twice about doing it in Mexico," one consulate employee says in the video. "Always stick with a friend. Watch what people put into your drinks."

"It's not a theme park, it's a sovereign country with laws," another reminds travelers.

Likewise, State Department spokesman Robert Wood weighed in from the podium recently, when he declared his love for Mexico and for spring break.

"OK, I'm guilty," Wood conceded. "I have gone down at least once in my life for spring break."

"But look," Wood added. "Mexico is a wonderful place to go and vacation. People just need to, you know, take sensible precautions to protect themselves. I don't have anything more to say on it than that. I mean, it's just using common sense and taking necessary precautions."

President Obama announced this week that he will personally travel to Mexico in April to meet with President Felipe Calderon to discuss curbing the violence, among other issues.

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The quiet side of Yucatan

From an article by David Yates on Canada.com:

Our walk along the Yucatán beach on the Gulf of Mexico is turning into a voyage of discovery, despite the fact that we are a half-hour drive from the closest Mayan ruins.

We stride by fishing boats leaning over in the sand and wave at fishermen returning with coolers full of grouper, which will end up on dinner plates in nearby homes and restaurants in the port city of Progreso.

We pick up shells washed up by the tide and stop to snap pictures of kids playing soccer in the sand. It all seems very ordinary, but the backdrop is not.

What really blows us away are the extravagant beach houses, complete with pools, palms and huge windows, that go on for mile after mile as we head for the village of Chicxulub.

Many of the houses are owned by wealthy people in Mérida, the handsome colonial capital of Yucatán, and are evidence that the descendents of the Maya, who built fabulous cities throughout Central America before the arrival of the Europeans, are still amazing builders with a penchant for bold architecture.

They serve as second homes for rich people and their staffs - even the units in low-rise condo buildings in Progreso come complete with maids' quarters.

The houses are occupied mainly in the summer when the heat in Mérida, 30 kilometres south of Progreso, becomes stifling and residents head to the Gulf coast seeking relief provided by the ocean breezes. Apart from that, the houses are used by the owners during holy week (semana santa) when Easter celebrations become non-stop parties.

That leaves almost 10 months of down time for these mansions and a golden opportunity for people from the north seeking the sun. A clutch of bargain-wise Canadians has discovered that there are good deals to be had renting these mansions, some of them costing as little as $500 a month. They have become winter bases for the snowbirds - many of them retired - who have decided to take a pass on cold, snow and slush for several weeks or even months.

Many arrive here by flying directly to Cancún, the main centre of the adjacent state of Quintana Roo and the raucous hub of the Mayan Riviera, on the other side of the peninsula. Some rent cars for the trip to Progreso, but we hopped aboard an air-conditioned bus for the four-hour ride to Mérida, making the last leg to Progreso by taxi.

The port is on what is called the Costa Esmeralda, and here they roll up the Malecón, the wide sidewalk along the beach, early in the evening, compared with the noisy nightlife of Cancún and the rest of the Mayan Riviera.

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Akumal library needs summer interns

From Hekab Be Library:

The library offers one or two Spanish-speaking summer internships to assist with Hekab Be Summer School from July 6- August 9, 2009. Summer school students are 5 to 15 year olds. The person selected must be fully fluent in Spanish, with a documented record of volunteer activities with children, and able to live on their own in an economically diverse environment. Maturity (18 years old minimum) and 3 non-relative references required. Serious inquiries only. If interested please send a resume with references to: akumallibrary@gmail.com

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Mexico City bans use of plastic bags

From an article by Nacha Cattan posted on The News:

Mexico City's Assembly on Tuesday passed a ban on all plastic bags at grocery stores and supermarkets.

The ban will go into effect in one year, giving the plastic industry time to adopt new technology - such as plastics made of corn that would disintegrate within weeks - the law's sponsors said.

"This is an environmental achievement without precedent in Mexico," said Leonardo Alvarez Romo, a Green Party lawmaker and sponsor of the bill. "This should serve as an example for other states as well as the federal government."

Modeled after bans in China and San Francisco, the restriction states: "No commercial establishment may give away a plastic bag for transporting, handling or packaging their products."

The strict law applies to all stores, including dry cleaners, which will no longer be able to return clothing in plastic covers, said Assemblyman Xiuh Tenorio, another sponsor of the bill. Store owners who give away plastic bags for free risk arrest of up to 36 hours or fines of as much as 1 million pesos. The only exceptions will be granted for sanitation purposes.

Currently, Mexico City and the metropolitan area use 20 million bags per day, each of which takes hundreds of years to decompose, Alvarez Romo said.

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From an article on Yucatan Today:

Dzibilchaltún . . . is the "place where there is writing on the stones," referring to the many memorial stones found at the site. Dzibilchaltún is a great Mayan city that is only nine miles from Mérida.

There were settlements here from 500 BC until the Spanish conquest, around 1540 AD. It covers an area of about 19 square kilometers, with somewhere around 8400 structures in the round enclave. It is believed there may have been a population of as many as 40,000 inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities of Mesoamerica.

To reach the ruins, walk the winding path past ancient Mayan stone sculptures. Enjoy the comprehensive and well-designed air-conditioned Museum of the Mayan People, tracing the steps of the Mayas from antiquity to the present. One of its highlights is a typical Mayan house. Then follow the ecological path flanked by trees from the region, identified with their names. This will take you to the Temple of the Seven Dolls.

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Community Tours of Sian Ka'an

From Community Tours Sian Ka'an:

Community Tours Sian Ka'an is a tourism service alliance of three tour operators based in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. Mayan for "where the sky is born," Sian Ka'an is the home to dozens of families as well as an abundance of wildlife. The commitment of each tour provider and guide to ecologically sustainable tourism distinguishes Community Tours Sian Ka'an from any other tour operator in the Biosphere Reserve.

The members of Community Tours Sian Ka'an are based in Punta Allen and Muyil, two small communities within the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve. In an area that can likely see more than 30,000 tourists each year, Community Tours Sian Ka'an is committed to ensuring the highest quality tourism experience to each visitor. Our commitment to conservation in our tourism practices, and the local knowledge of our guides makes for a genuinely different and exciting adventure.

Our tour itineraries are based on three principles which reflect our local economic impact as well as our commitment to conservation:

+ Ensuring personalized experiences in small groups that minimize ecological impact.
+ Offering tours that provide adventure and education about the challenges to conservation within the reserve.
+ Providing genuine cultural exchanges.

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Turn the Tide for Turtles

From the Ocean Project's Seas the Day campaign:

With spring coming (at least in the northern hemisphere), you can begin to think of new ways to transport yourself that will also help our ocean planet . . . by rethinking your commute: Many of us are addicted to our cars, but there are many easy ways to use the car less, with the added benefits of saving money and getting healthy exercise. If you can, walk and bike more often; take public transportation regularly; actively seek carpooling partners; suggest carless days in your work place; or work from home sometimes. If you drive, park a mile from your place of work and walk the rest of the way. Do the same in parking lots: park as soon as possible and stretch those legs. Consider this for added incentive: The approximate amount of fuel wasted in traffic congestion each year is equivalent to nine billion gallons, or 800 times the amount of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez!

Fewer cars on the roads means less of the greenhouse gas emissions wreaking havoc on coral reefs around the world, better air for us all to breathe, and less water pollution from runoff from leaking oil and toxic car liquids.

By the way, if you fly a lot for work, try cutting back on air travel, a significant but often ignored contributor to climate change pollution. Before booking your next plane flight, check whether there are any good train or bus options are available; this great resource on getting around the world by train might come in handy, too. If you do fly, eliminate your CO2 baggage with contributions to carbon offset companies that invest in renewable energy to take up or save an equal amount of CO2.

Turn the Tide for Turtles by slowing down but not being idle: Remember the Aesop fable of the turtle and the hare? When driving, it’s best to become a "slow and steady" driver, with fewer fast starts and stops. It may take a new mindset, but try to accelerate more gradually and slow down on the roads. Simply driving at or slightly below the speed limit will make a huge difference.

The fuel efficiency of an average car improves significantly on highways if you don’t speed; for instance, driving at 75 mph (120km/h) rather than 65 mph (105 km/h) increases gasoline use by 25 percent. Fuel efficiency improves even further if you slow down from 65 mph to 55 mph (90km/h)! And remember, one of the easiest ways to help our planet, save money, and reduce wear and tear is by turning off your engine if parked in one place for more than 30 seconds.

Get other tips on commuting to save the seas.

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Watch your plastic (bags and bottles, that is, not just your credit card)

A common site along the Mexican Caribbean when snorkeling, diving, or just swimming on the surface. Photo by Gavin Parsons, Greenpeace, from the Marine Photobank.

Though Charles Moore's presentation focuses on the Pacific Ocean, plastic fouls the waters and beaches throughout the Caribbean.

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Akumal's 50th Celebration, May 29-31

Plans are underway for Akumal's 50th Celebration to commemorate the history of Akumal starting in 1959 when Pablo Bush Romero headed the first CEDAM expedition to the Matanceros Shipwreck.

Tentative plans include dinners, music, dive festival, activities for children, and much more. Check back often here or on Facebook.

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San Cristobal de las Casas

From Ecotourismolatino:

Since its foundation in 1528 up to now, San Cristóbal de las Casas has had ten different names. San Cristóbal (the saint) is the protector of the travelers, it would seem that it is one of reasons of the great affluence of travelers to this city.

The Ciudad Real de Chiapa (the name of San Cristóbal in 1536 when city was declared as such), consisted of only two areas: the enclosure and the neighborhood. The enclosure was the center and it embraced some blocks around the biggest square. It was occupied by Spanish families and the servitude. The neighborhood (barrio) was the area around the convent of La Merced populated by Indians, mestizos and mulattos. Around the city there were six neighborhoods of Indians: Mexicanos, Tlaxcala, San Antonio, San Diego and Cuxtitali which were founded in 1528. The first three were inhabited by"Indian friends" of Tlaxcala, Mexico and Oaxaca who came with Diego Mazariegos to conquer these lands. The last two by Guatemalan Indians. The sixth neighborhood, the Cerrillo, was founded in 1549, when the abolition of slavery was proclaimed and it was founded by zoques, tzotziles and tzetales families.

What to visit?

* The Cathedral built in 1528, dedicated to San Cristóbal.

* The Torre del Carmen, originally part of a convent of nuns erected in 1597.

* Casa de las Artesanías y Museo Etnográfico. (Open 10:00-20:00 on Niños Heroes street corner with Hidalgo, near the Torre del Carmen.)

* The house of Na Bolom the archaeologist's Frans Blom and his wife Gertrude Duby-Blom, now museum and headquarters of the Association Na Bolom that works for the Lacandones. It can only be visited in guided tour at 11:30 or 16:30, adminsiion fee $25 pesos.

* The Museum of the Amber, next to the church of La Merced. Tuesday to Sundays from 10:00-14:00 and 16:00 to 19:00 hours. Cost for students $10 pesos.


* Leñateros workshop, learn how to recycle paper by hand.

* Community Museum of Traditional Medicine OMIECH.

* The Reserve of Huitepec only 15 minutes away from San Cristóbal de las Casas.

* Convent of Santo Domingo and the Market of Crafts.

* The Cultural Feminist Center "La Luna Creciente". (Calle Cristobal Colón 9)

* Cooperative Maya Ik' (Calle Real of Guadalupe 69)

* Network of Community Tourism. For tours with a different and socially conscious focus. (Real de Mexicanos 16, Barrio Mexicanos)

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The Mayas keep their oral traditional from the waves of times

From an article in Cancun Today:

The Mayan languages (alternatively: Maya languages) form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica and northern Central America. Mayan languages are spoken by at least 6 million indigenous Maya, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, and Belize. In 1996, Guatemala formally recognized 21 Mayan languages by name, and Mexico recognizes eight more.
Mayan languages form part of the Mesoamerican Linguistic Area, an area of linguistic convergence developed throughout millennia of interaction between the peoples of Mesoamerica.
All Mayan languages display the basic diagnostic traits of this linguistic area. For example, all use relational nouns instead of prepositions to indicate spatial relationships.

Huastecan branch
Wastek (also spelled Huastec and Huaxtec) is spoken in the Mexican states of Veracruz and San Luis Potosí by around 110,000 people. It is the most divergent of modern Mayan languages. Chicomuceltec was a language related to Wastek and spoken in Chiapas that became extinct some time before 1982.

Yucatecan branch
Yucatec Maya (known simply as "Maya" to its speakers) is the most commonly spoken Maya language in Mexico. It is currently spoken by approximately 800,000 people, the vast majority of whom are to be found on the Yucatán Peninsula. It has a rich post-colonial literature, and remains common as a first language in rural areas in Yucatán and in the adjacent states of Quintana Roo and Campeche.

Ch'olan
The Ch'olan languages were formerly widespread throughout the Maya area, but today the language with most speakers is Ch'ol, spoken by 130,000 in Chiapas. Its closest relative, the Chontal Maya language, is spoken by 55,000 in the state of Tabasco.

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Beach day in Paamul

A post from the blog Life's a Beach:

One of our favorite spots for a quick beach fix is Paamul, the funky trailer park community just south of Playa del Carmen. With wide sandy beaches and calm waters this bay is great for families with small kids. The restaurant is right there on the beach next to a large pool that is open to the public. The snorkeling is good with the reef being quite close, and the dive shop onsite, Scuba Mex, can arrange dives for both experienced and beginning divers. Can't bear to tear yourself away at the end of the day? Check into the hotel for a few nights! While it can get really quite hectic on Sundays, during the rest of the week Paamul is rather peaceful and a refreshing change from the busy beaches in Playa. You can bring your own cooler with snacks but it's always good form to order a little something from the restaurant. The food is really delicious and the cervezas are ice cold! They will even serve them to you right on the beach. Lovely! We snuck away for an afternoon with Siobhan and Richard from Ak Lu'um, visiting educator and friend, David Barham, Aunt Jill and, of course, all of our children. The kids practiced death defying dives and flips into the pool and we enjoyed a few rum punches and enlightening game of "Shoot, Shag or Marry". Don't ask. Really.

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