Eco-Yucatán

Snorkeling Puerto Morelos Reef National Park

2010-04-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

A video from Reef Adventures, Puetro Morelos:

Snorkeling Puerto Morelos Reef National Park from Reef Adventures Puerto Morelos on Vimeo.

Underwater scenes taken at popular snorkeling sites at Puerto Morelos Reef National Park in Puerto Morelos Quintana Roo, México.

All sites are reached easily by boat in no more than 10 minutes. Depths vary between 6 and 18 feet of water.

Yucatán government buys Chichen Itza

2010-04-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

From an article on American Egypt:

The state of Yucatan announced yesterday that it has purchased much of the archaeological zone of Chichen Itza from owner Hans Thies Barbachano for $220 million Mexican ($17.6 million US).

This groundbreaking transaction ends more than 500 years of private ownership of the land under the monuments of Chichen Itza.

For more than a decade the owners of the archaeological zone have been engaged in a battle of wills with the Mexican government, Yucatan government, and with other special interest groups over control of the ancient city. The previous owner, Fernando Barbachano Gomez Rul (grandfather of the current owner) had been forced to reassert his ownership claim in the Mexican courts in the early 2000s after the state of Yucatan began withholding monies from the sale of tickets into the site. In 2004 the federal courts confirmed that Chichen Itza was private property.

Since that time, tensions continued to escalate. When the state stopped paying Barbachano his portion of ticket revenues, Barbachano took over two large palapas inside the archaeological zone from which families of those who worked at Chichen Itza in security and maintenance had been selling trinkets and other tourist-related merchandise. In retaliation, these families organized a daily “invasion” of Chichen Itza, in which hundreds from the local villages would enter the archaeological zone and set up tables and blankets from which they sold trinkets and handicrafts. More than a year ago the vendors established an association that has regularly been calling for the government to take Chichen Itza.

Chichen Itza has been private property since colonial times.

Seeking lasting knowledge and inspirations in Mexican Riviera Maya

2010-03-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

From an article by Stefanie Baeker in the newsletter of The International Ecotourism Society:

As one of the supporters of ecotourism in this region, I have launched Project Mayan Encounter in 2008, to offer group tours and escorted trips to Riviera Maya, with the primary goals of promoting ecotourism and making available the unique experience of the rich Mayan culture and nature reserves to active seniors, students and special needs groups. Our trips can be adapted to wheelchair users and travelers with other physical needs.

Due to our individualized service, we see travelers from all walks of life. Our tours always include healthy food, and sufficient time left to enjoy some of the world’s top-rated beaches. We work with guides certified by INAH (Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History), for tours inside the archaeological sites, and with Mayan natives and biologists in the nature reserves. We offer small group tours (no larger than 20 travelers) to ensure each participant can follow the guide’s presentation inside the archaeological sites, and that our impact on the local Mayan communities is kept as low as possible.

In January 2010, we launched a new small-group 8-day Study Trip, which is primarily geared to school classes, but equally fitting for active seniors or any adults who love to learn. The focus of this trip is to learn about the unique ecosystems of the Yucatan peninsula with its underground river network and cenotes, rich marine life and the world’s second largest barrier reef, as well as Mayan history, culture, and archaeology.

Our goal is to help students interpret Mayan history and sharpen their analysis skills and chronological and spatial thinking. Depending on the age group, tours are designed to match school curriculum requirements, and we set the focus accordingly.

The Mayan ruins of Chicanná, Mexico

2010-03-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

An article from Polyglot Travel:

The Mayan site of Chicanná, located in the Mexican State of Campeche, in the Yucatan peninsula, is one of the smaller archaeological sites of the area, but certainly not a less interesting one. The ruins were discovered in 1966 and it is estimated that the site was inhabited from 300 BC to 1100 AD. The original name of the site is not known. After its discovery it was named Chicanná (meaning “house of the serpent mouth” in Maya) with reference to its most impressive building, structure II, which represents a monster’s face with a wide open mouth showing long teeth.

Le site maya de Chicanná, situé dans l’État mexicain du Campeche, dans la péninsule du Yucatan, est l’un des plus petits sites archéologiques de la région, mais il n’en est pas moins intéressant. Les ruines ont été découvertes en 1966 et il est estimé que le site était habité entre l’an 300 avant J.-C. et l’an 1100 de notre ère. Le nom original du site n’est pas connu. Après sa découverte, on lui a donné le nom de Chicanná (signifiant « maison de la bouche du serpent » en maya) en faisant référence à son bâtiment le plus impressionnant, le bâtiment II, qui représente le visage d’un monstre à la bouche grande ouverte dévoilant de longues dents.

El sitio maya de Chicanná, situado en el estado mexicano de Campeche, en la península de Yucatán, es uno de los más pequeños sitios arqueológicos de la región, pero aun así es interesante. Las ruinas fueron descubiertas en el año 1966 y se piensa que el sitio fue habitado entre el año 300 antes de J.C. y el año 1100 de nuestra era. No se conoce el nombre original del sitio. Después de su descubrimiento, se le dio el nombre de Chicanná (lo que significa “casa de la boca de la serpiente” en maya) con referencia a su edificio más impresionante, el edificio II, que representa la cara de un monstruo con la boca abierta mostrando largos dientes.

Destination:PEACE and PEACE Isla Mujeres join together to create an incredible volunteer vacation

2010-03-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

From an article on Mexico Premiere:

Destination:PEACE Volunteer Vacations is branching out to Isla Mujeres to provide a beautiful experience for travelers who want to take their vacation one step further with a Vacation for the Soul

Destination:PEACE is making its way from the Pacific Ocean to the turquoise Caribbean waters and landing on Isla Mujeres, a quaint tropical island located just eight miles east of the coast of Cancun, yet worlds away. Destination:PEACE was born out of an idea to couple volunteer opportunities with the amazing landscapes throughout Mexico. During a Destination:PEACE Volunteer Vacation, guests will experience another culture while making a difference in the lives of others: children, women, families, animals and the environment. A volunteer will help raise awareness and contribute to the overall love, community and hope to the people and animals affiliated with PEACE Mexico, a non-profit organization currently operating in Punta de Mita and Isla Mujeres. Destination:PEACE gives a portion of their proceeds to PEACE in order to further their mission.

Founded in 2008, PEACE Isla Mujeres provides support to established nonprofit/community groups and develops initiatives focused on educational opportunities, youth development, environmental responsibility, animal care and protection and economic empowerment. Community grants, volunteerism, educational initiatives, and animal spay/neuter clinics are among the various projects.

From the Destination:PEACE Web site:

It’s not all work. Each five-day volunteer vacation combines volunteerism with the relaxing practice of yoga, taught by credentialed yoga instructors, spoils you with authentic Mexican cuisine, and enables you to explore the region and experience either cultural or adventure activities. Cultural activities might include salsa dancing, preparing fresh dishes using native plants or turning clay into masterpieces. Adventure activities might include hiking, surfing, mountain biking, whale watching even guiding baby turtles into their new world. There is a beautiful balance between the volunteer opportunities and the time to reflect and relax here in Mexico. We want you to enjoy yourself so much that you come back year after year.

Volunteer at Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA)

2010-03-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

From the newsletter of Centro Ecológico Akumal:

CEA is an organization that depends heavily on volunteers. If you have the willingness to have fun while you help to preserve the environment, come and be part of CEA! You can participate in different programs.

Our next Reef Monitoring phase begins this March 28, while our Sea Turtle Program will start May 10. Other programs are already running, but you may still apply. Don’t forget to send your application forms now!

For further information visit our Web site or send an e-mail to info@ceakumal.org.

Belize is a winner, by a nose

2010-03-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

From an article by David Bird in The Gazette (Montreal, Canada):

Toucans, kingfishers offer magic moments

Every birdwatcher has a story or two about a feathered epiphany - what I call magic moments. I had two such moments in my recent trip to Belize.

This small country nestled on the east side of Mexico is a jewel of a place for birders that has retained a large portion of its wildlands. I went there in the last week of February to create contacts for setting up birding excursions and to investigate the state of ecotourism for my wildlife conservation course.

My magic moments occurred near Hopkins, a sleepy little town on the coast just south of Dandriga.

While staying at the comfortable and affordable All-Seasons Guest House, run by Ingrid Stahl and her cook, a Canadian expat, I had foolishly left it too late to book a guided bird-watching excursion. With her usual pleasant smile, Stahl said: "Why don't you take one of the bicycles and ride just down the road a mile or so? You will likely see some parrots and toucans along the river there."

Toucans! I could not grab my binoculars and get on that bike fast enough. I had never seen a keel-billed toucan, which happens to be the favourite bird of my daughter, Erin. She tells me that it has nothing to do with Froot Loops cereal.

About a half-hour later, I was driven out of the woods by voracious mosquitoes. These little monsters were biting right through my safari shirt and were drinking the DEET in my repellent.

Then I spotted a young man hacking vegetation with a machete. I asked him if there was any place nearby to see toucans. He directed me down the road to Toucan City.

Toucan City? Five minutes down the road, I turned into the driveway of Toucan Sittee. The place was named after the Sittee Rive,r upon which it is located. I was there for less than five minutes when I heard a frog-like, scratchy "krrk" from above. There, just above my head, was my very first keel-billed toucan. It was a magnificent bird, resplendent in black, yellow and red with that humongous beak of lime green, red and orange. A magic moment, indeed.

Mexico Simplifies Visa Procedures

2010-03-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

From an article on Mexperience.com:

Mexico’s National Immigration Institute (INM) has announced a range of amendments to its immigration and internment procedures to be implemented starting May 1, 2010. Although the amendments do not significantly alter the core rules and regulations which underpin current immigration law, the changes will make the paperwork and procedures less complicated for foreigners wishing to enter Mexico; particularly for those coming to Mexico to do business and those who wish to live, work and retire here.

The current entry form completed by all foreigners entering Mexico and traveling beyond the 20km ‘frontier’ zone, known as FMT-Forma Migratoria Turista-will be replaced by a FMM, or Forma Migratoria Multiple.

The new FMM will cover visits of up to 180 days for tourists, business visitors and technical visitors, with sections on the form for each category type. Business and technical visitor categories are clearly defined and the entry extension to 180 days is a significant change to current regulations which allow business visitors only a 30-day window to remain in the country.

All American oceanic birds threatened by climate change, research finds

2010-03-15T14:56:00.001-07:00

From an article on NatGeo News:

All 67 oceanic bird species in the United States are imperiled by the changing climate, the authors of a comprehensive assessment said today.

Many land-based birds are also at risk as habitat and food sources change.

The findings are published in the State of the Birds 2010 report, a collaborative effort as part of the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, involving federal and state wildlife agencies, and scientific and conservation organizations.

Partners include American Bird Conservancy, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Klamath Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey.

State of the Birds 2010 is the first comprehensive vulnerability assessment of bird species to climate change across the United States. U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the report's release at a press conference in Texas today, along with several environmental organizations that had collaborated on the publication.

"As climate change impacts are increasingly felt throughout the United States and beyond, conservation efforts affecting birds will take on a doubly important role in protecting not only birds that are already threatened, but also more common birds as well," said David Pashley, vice president of American Bird Conservancy, in a news release about the report. Pashley was one of the authors of the report.

Scientists reinvent the corn tortilla

2010-03-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

From an article on Tierramérica by Verónica Díaz Favela:

Mexican scientists are working to make "nixtamalization," the ancestral technique for preparing maize to be made into tortillas, a more environmentally sustainable process.

MEXICO CITY, Mar 1 (Tierramérica).- The process for making corn tortillas, the tasty and millennia-old food for much of Mexico and Central America, contaminates huge volumes of water and consumes a great deal of energy.

"Some years ago, a group of millers came to ask us if we had done anything in this area, and we realized that with thousands of mills in the country, the problem was big and something should be done," Gerardo Ramírez Romero, researcher at the biotechnology department of the Autonomous Metropolitan University of Mexico (UAM), told Tierramérica.

That is how the study, "Nixtamal Mills: Towards a Sustainable Enterprise", began.

Corn tortillas are consumed by people of all socioeconomic levels in Mexico and, like bread, accompanies nearly every meal. It is also the basis for tacos, a popular dish.

At the mill, the maize is cooked in limewater, a calcium hydroxide solution, and then ground to make the dough for tortillas. The process, nixtamalization, was developed by indigenous peoples of the pre-Hispanic era. To make the tortilla, about 30 grams of the dough are made into a ball, then rolled out to form a circle, approximately 14 centimeters in diameter. It is then cooked on a hot surface on both sides.

Cooking the maize in limewater produces a byproduct that is rich in starch, cellulose and calcium, a mix known as nejayote, and dumped directly down the drain, said Ramírez Romero.

Every kilogram of maize uses two liters of water. And a small mill can contaminate 1,000 liters of water each day. There are 20,000 of these mills in Mexico. In the first phase of the UAM study - which lasted three months - the experts were able to reduce water contamination 80 percent, by removing the solids and producing more dough with them.

The next step will be to use solar energy to heat the water in which the maize is boiled, as a means of reducing consumption of natural gas, said Juan José Ambriz García, head of UAM's department of engineering processes and hydraulics.

But the sun barely heats the water to 50 degrees Celsius, and the maize cooks at 90 degrees. The temporary solution is to pre-heat the water with solar energy and then make up the difference using gas, Ambriz told Tierramérica.

This way, the mills would be able to save 40 percent on gas.

Scientists settle on Yucatán asteroid as end of dinosaurs

2010-03-09T01:50:00.000-08:00

From an article by Thomas H. Maugh II in the Los Angelese Times:

A 'dream team' of researchers concludes that the massive Gulf of Mexico impact 65.5 million years ago -- not volcanoes or multiple impacts -- indeed caused the greatest extinction event of all

It's official: The extinction of the dinosaurs and a host of other species 65.5 million years ago was caused by a massive asteroid that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, creating worldwide havoc, an international team of researchers said Thursday.

The 7.5-mile-wide asteroid was traveling at a speed about 10 times that of a rifle bullet when it hit, releasing a billion times more energy than the Hiroshima atom bomb. The impact blew dirt and rock around the world, set massive wildfires, knocked down forests worldwide, triggered massive tsunamis and earthquakes of magnitude 11 or larger and even caused parts of the continent to slip into the ocean.

Those events wiped out more than half of all species on Earth in what has been called the greatest extinction event of all time. The species lost included not only the dinosaurs, but also the bird-like pterosaurs, large marine reptiles and many smaller land and sea creatures, clearing the way for the emergence of mammals as the dominant life form on the planet.

All of this may sound familiar. In fact, the idea was proposed 30 years ago by Nobel laureate physicist Luis Alvarez and his son Walter after they found abnormally high concentrations of the element iridium in sediments from what was then known as the K-T boundary. This 65.5-million-year old layer of Earth separates fossils of the Cretaceous period from those of the Tertiary period.

Iridium is rare on Earth, but common in space, and the Alvarezes proposed that a giant asteroid had hit the Earth, producing the sudden decline in species diversity previously observed at the K-T boundary -- which is how the boundary got its name in the first place.

Then, in 1991, researchers discovered a 120-mile wide, 1.5-mile deep crater called Chicxulub in Mexico with the same age as the K-T boundary. Most considered it the smoking gun for the extinction.

In recent years, however, some scientists have speculated about alternative causes for the extinction, arguing that it could have resulted from multiple asteroid impacts or, more likely, massive volcanic eruptions at the Deccan Traps in India.

To settle the question, European researchers decided to assemble what Kirk R. Johnson of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science called "a K-T boundary dream team," a collection of 45 internationally renowned scientists in a broad spectrum of disciplines to analyze the possible causes of the extinctions. Funding came from the National Science Foundation in the United States and from similar groups in other countries.Their conclusions will be published Friday in the journal Science.

'Women of Yucatan' are a force to be emulated

2010-03-08T02:34:00.000-08:00

From a book review by Rekha Basu in The Des Moines Register:

The first female mayor of her Mexican city was overcome with shyness before becoming a forceful public speaker.

The farmer creating a community garden had to fight rumors she was planning a house of prostitution.

The first woman theater director faced stereotypes about women in theater being immoral, crazy, lesbian.

Those are just three of the people profiled in “Women of Yucatan: Thirty Who Dare to Change Their World,” (McFarland & Co.) by George Ann Huck and Jann Freed of Central College in Pella. Others fought to bring electricity or water to their village, stood up for the rights of Guatemalan refugees, lobbied for contraception, and started a school for children with Down syndrome. One challenged the view that people in wheelchairs shouldn’t go out, much less compete in sports.

It’s a book that speaks to the commonality of women’s experiences globally — and is a good gift for a woman you care about on International Women’s Day (Monday).

While younger readers may be shocked at patriarchal traditions that endure in Yucatan, older ones will have “Aha” moments about similar struggles American women faced, or still do.

As Ana Rosa Payan, Merida’s first female mayor, says, “When we attempt to bring forward women’s issues, they say, ‘Oh no, not the woman thing again!... As we move forward, we take up spaces they had before.’” Physician Sandra Peniche observed of government programs for women, “We can all participate behind men, or for men, but we can’t participate on our own.”

Father, daughter hike Mexican coastline

2010-03-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

A story by Sarah Delage on WLBZ-TV (Bango, Maine). For more about her trip see Wendy's blog:

BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- A father and daughter from Maine are pursuing their dream of hiking the coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

Wendy Morrill of Bangor always dreamed of hiking from Cancun to the Mexico/Belize border. In 2005, she asked her father Richard Bailey to join her on the trip. They started the journey that year, and every year since they have walked another leg of the five hundred mile coastline. This May they plan to complete the trip, walking the remaining 50-100 miles to cross the border into Belize. Morrill presents slideshows of her photos from her travels to schools all over the state encouraging students to chase their dreams.

"I never know where i'm going to sleep," Morrill said. "I never know where i'm getting my food for the next meal. "It's just the excitement of surviving. Simple, surival."

Morrill hopes to get sponsors for their final trip so that she can raise money for cancer research.

Scientists reinvent the corn tortilla

2010-03-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

From an article by Verónica Díaz Favela on Tierramérica:

Mexican scientists are working to make "nixtamalization," the ancestral technique for preparing maize to be made into tortillas, a more environmentally sustainable process.

MEXICO CITY, Mar 1 (Tierramérica).- The process for making corn tortillas, the tasty and millennia-old food for much of Mexico and Central America, contaminates huge volumes of water and consumes a great deal of energy.

"Some years ago, a group of millers came to ask us if we had done anything in this area, and we realized that with thousands of mills in the country, the problem was big and something should be done," Gerardo Ramírez Romero, researcher at the biotechnology department of the Autonomous Metropolitan University of Mexico (UAM), told Tierramérica.

That is how the study, "Nixtamal Mills: Towards a Sustainable Enterprise", began.

Corn tortillas are consumed by people of all socioeconomic levels in Mexico and, like bread, accompanies nearly every meal. It is also the basis for tacos, a popular dish.

At the mill, the maize is cooked in limewater, a calcium hydroxide solution, and then ground to make the dough for tortillas. The process, nixtamalization, was developed by indigenous peoples of the pre-Hispanic era. To make the tortilla, about 30 grams of the dough are made into a ball, then rolled out to form a circle, approximately 14 centimeters in diameter. It is then cooked on a hot surface on both sides.

Cooking the maize in limewater produces a byproduct that is rich in starch, cellulose and calcium, a mix known as nejayote, and dumped directly down the drain, said Ramírez Romero.

Every kilogram of maize uses two liters of water. And a small mill can contaminate 1,000 liters of water each day. There are 20,000 of these mills in Mexico. In the first phase of the UAM study - which lasted three months - the experts were able to reduce water contamination 80 percent, by removing the solids and producing more dough with them.

The next step will be to use solar energy to heat the water in which the maize is boiled, as a means of reducing consumption of natural gas, said Juan José Ambriz García, head of UAM's department of engineering processes and hydraulics.

But the sun barely heats the water to 50 degrees Celsius, and the maize cooks at 90 degrees. The temporary solution is to pre-heat the water with solar energy and then make up the difference using gas, Ambriz told Tierramérica.

This way, the mills would be able to save 40 percent on gas.

Yucatán and Mayan History

2010-03-01T05:55:00.000-08:00

From an article on History.com:

Mayans flourished and established one of their greatest cities, Chichén Itzá, in what is now Yucatán. Because it was relatively isolated from the rest of Mexico until recently, the state developed its own unique culture.

One of the most advanced indigenous cultures of the ancient Americas, the Mayans began as hunter gatherers and migrated into the Yucatán around 2500 B.C. During the pre-classic period (500 B.C.-250 A.D.) they appeared in Quintana Roo, where they established ceremonial centers at Coba, Dzibanche and Kohunlich. Quintana Roo was considered to be the gateway to the Mayan world. Between 300 and 900, the Mayans built several cities in the Yucatán region, two of the most spectacular being Chichén Itzá and Uxmal.

Henequen in Yucatan

2010-02-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

From a post on the blog Gorbman.com

Henequen represents slavery, rope, the conquest, heavy labor, and haciendas. It is, of course, the plant and fiber produced on most of the the huge haciendas of Yucatan. Henequen, a type of agave, is uniquely suited to northern Yucatan’s rocky, torrid terrain. It takes at least five years for a henequen plant to mature on its own (there are chemical ways to accelerate this) to the point that the leaves are fibrous and useful. The plant is sterile; it does not reproduce on its own. As it is dying, at about the age of twenty, it shoots off seven baby plants, which are gathered and cultivated.

The Maya, of course, were using henequen hundreds of years before the Spanish got to Yucatan. They used the fibers for string and clothing. But the Spanish mechanized production and shipped henequen products and fiber all over the world, making Yucatan one of the wealthiest states of Mexico by the early 1800s.

Maya towns were built up to serve the haciendas. Haciendas were similar to American southern plantations in that they had closed monetary systems and horrendous work practices. Owners supplied housing (so to speak), access to medical care (truly so to speak) and other amenities, to keep workers close. The company store sold food with “money” earned from field labor. If a man incurred a debt, such as a medical one, upon his death, the debt was transferred to his son. This was slavery, or at the very best, indentured servitude.

These haciendas are the origin of the old money of the Yucatan. They were hugely profitable.

Club de Exploraciones y Deportes Acuáticos de México, A.C.

2010-02-22T14:57:00.000-08:00

From an article on Undiscovered Mexico:

CEDAM stands for Club de Exploraciones y Deportes Acuáticos de México, A.C. In English, it translates to The Museum of Mexico’s Explorations and Water Sports Club, Civil Association, which is quite a mouthful in either language. Whatever it's called, it's a museum, and a rather interesting one, filled with treasures from Mexico's nautical and historic past.

The museum was founded by Pablo Bush Romero and first opened its doors in 1958 in Mexico City. Mr. Bush Romero later moved it to Akumal, and then finally to Puerto Aventuras. Most of the objects on display came from El Matancero, a ship built in Matanzas, Cuba that shipwrecked on February 12, 1741 close to Akumal, about 18 km. (12 miles) to the south. Other pieces came from other shipwrecks, like El Candelero (The Chandlier). Among the objects recovered and on display are dishes, cups, weapons, gold dentures, coins, silverware, decorative objects, glasses and other items. Other exhibits include archaeological pieces, both originals and reporductions, from Xel-Ha, located 28 km. (19 miles) to the south.

The museum is open Monday through Saturday all year long from 9:00 to 13:00 hrs. (9 AM to 1 PM) and from 14:30 to 17:30 hrs. (2:30 PM to 5:30 PM). It is located by the main entrance of the commercial center and marina on the second floor of a pink building. There is no entrance fee, although donations are always welcome.

Help fund turtle director's trip to international symposium

2010-02-19T14:56:00.001-08:00

From the home page of Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA):

In April 2010, the International Sea Turtle Symposium will take place at Goa, India. Our Sea Turtle Program will present information on our conservation efforts to protect Akumal's turtles.

We have registered Armando (above), our "Turtle Man," to participate but a trip to India costs more than our budget allows. We need you! We raise 1,200USD and we still need about 1,800 USD.

CEA's Sea Turtle Program and Armando have worked for many years for our turtles, and we have a chance to share our experience and results internationally, as well as to learn from so many other programs from around the world.

Want to help? Special donations.

Our ball games are rooted in earliest Mexico

2010-02-18T14:28:00.000-08:00

The Maya used their hips to thrust a ball through a goal-line ring. (Photo courtesy News Canada.)

An article by Jane Stokes on News Canada:

(NC)—Mexico attracts millions of beach loving vacationers every year— and yet amigos until you venture inland to sing and dance with this culture of such vigorous expression, or until you walk and wander through a-day-in-the-life of a people with 62 native languages — each one putting their heart and soul into a homeland of colliding Indian and Spanish civilizations—you will be missing out on some of the most moving experiences for your own heart.

Did you know, for example, ball games were as exhilarating to the earliest people of Mexico as they are to the sports fan of today? Indeed, as early as 1500 B.C., the Olmecs are thought to have invented the ball court, a rectangular surface with a goal at each end. The Olmecs are also recorded as the first nomadic people to settle into communities, farm the land, domesticate animal food sources—and are duly revered as “the mother culture” of Mesoamerica.

The ball game retained its social importance throughout the Maya kingdom supremacy, culminating at around A.D 300. Witness the ball courts unearthed today at sites like Tulum, Coba, Chichen Itza and San Gervasio on Cozumel. Each court, measuring 20 meters or so, is shaped like the letter 'I' with sloping sides. Modern anthropologists used pictographs to piece together a game in which two teams of between two and 10 players used mainly their hips to thrust a large and heavy rubber ball through a ring on the opposing goal line.

The game was both a social sport and a religious ritual, possibly played to illustrate the Maya prowess in upholding their beliefs in cosmological forces. Their own folklore depicts that in death, ballgame winners are allowed to return to the world of the living. What is also known about the Mayan ballgame is that it involved human sacrifice. What is unknown, however, is which team was sacrificed: the winners, or the losers.

Take action during International Year of Biodiversity

2010-02-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB), a unique opportunity to increase understanding of the vital role that biodiversity plays in sustaining life on Earth. Declared by the United Nations, IYB now has a multitude of international partners, will host many celebrations and events and provides key information about the importance of biodiversity.

The key message of the IYB is: Humans are part of nature’s rich diversity and have the power to protect or destroy it. Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, is essential to sustaining the living networks and systems that provide us all with health, wealth, food, fuel and the vital services our lives depend on. Human activity is causing the diversity of life on Earth to be lost at a greatly accelerated rate. These losses are irreversible, impoverish us all and damage the life support systems we rely on everyday. But we can prevent them. 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity. Let’s reflect on our achievements to safeguard biodiversity and focus on the urgency of our challenge for the future. Now is the time to act.

WILD is proud to be a partner of IYB and will continue to post news about biodiversity on the blog and in other publications throughout the year, especially the “Species of the Day,” which features a different IUCN red list species each day!

Dates announced for 2010 Whale Shark Festival in Isla Mujeres

2010-02-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

From a news release posted on PR Log:

Feb 16, 2010 – Ecotourism travel agency Ceviche Tours and the Isla Mujeres Department of Tourism announced today the dates for the Third Annual Whale Shark Festival, a community extravaganza celebrating the beauty and culture of Isla Mujeres, Mexico, and championing the need to preserve a fragile marine ecosystem.

Last year thousands flocked to the family-friendly Whale Shark Festival, which offers guests an opportunity to participate in ecotourism adventures such as swimming with whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean and an endangered species.

WHEN: July 16-18, 2010
WHERE: Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico

See the Riviera Maya from the air

2010-02-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

Locogringo.com has aerial photos of nearly every inch of coast line, including homes, businesses, and resorts, along the Riviera Maya.

Take Ruta 2010 to celebrate Mexican revolution

2010-02-11T15:02:00.001-08:00

From an article by Christine Delsol in the San Franciso Chronicle:

In a country famous for turning an obscure saints' day into a weeklong bacchanalia, just imagine the revelry this fall as Mexico celebrates what President Felipe Calderón has declared the Año de la Patria ("Year of the Nation"). This year brings two huge milestones: the bicentennial of independence from Spain, and the centennial of the Mexican Revolution. The official countdown — marked by a towering red digital clock in Mexico City's Zócalo — began on Independence Day last September. And just to make it interesting, the whole celebration has an undercurrent of wariness, as some Mexicans take a prophetic view of history and fear a new cataclysm as they close in on another hundred years.

The national organizing committee got to work in March of 2007, and the fruits of their labor include art exhibitions in numerous capitals and cultural events in hundreds of cities around the world, the creation of historic routes, the opening of 10 new archaeological sites and the remodeling of dozens of museums. Calderón laid the cornerstone last spring for El Arco Bicentenario ("the Bicentennial Arch"), which will rise over the Paseo de la Reforma much as the Arc de Triomphe towers over Paris' Champs-Elysées, after which Reforma was modeled. Ironically, it will share a venue with the Angel of Independence monument, built in 1910 by Profirio Díaz, whose iron-fisted dictatorship begat the revolution.

And that's just on the national level. Many states have their own bicentennial commissions that are restoring historical buildings and sites, improving roads and parks and planning special events. Guanajuato, cradle of the independence movement, is building a 245-acre Bicentennial Expo Park that will host four months of cultural celebrations beginning in July. It's all a lead-in to the official blow-outs: Sept. 16, when Miguel Hidalgo's "El Grito" called for Mexicans to take up arms against the Spanish government in 1810, and Nov. 20, the day Francisco I. Madero called for a national revolt against Porfirio Díaz.

To a visitor, the most concrete evidence of the goings-on right now are the burgundy-colored Ruta 2010 signs on major highways that mark itineraries linking the most important sites of the revolution and independence movements. There are no fewer than 22 separate routes, organized by military campaigns, through 11 states. Maps are available for most routes on the Ruta 2010 Web site.

Whale sharks of Holbox

2010-02-10T11:11:00.000-08:00

A description of a stunning video from Kip Evans:

The waters around Isla Holbox off Mexicos Yucatán Peninsula teem with plankton, a feast for giant whale sharks—10-meter giants that gather by the hundreds from June through September. These super-sized but toothless filter feeders are the core of a local tourism industry, but over-development could threaten this delicate balance. Dr. Sylvia Earle narrates. Kip Evans - Producer and Director of Photography

Photo: (c) Wolcott Henry 2005/Marine Photobank

Akumal festival and gala dinner, Feb. 17-18

2010-02-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

From an announcement issued by Centro Ecologico Akumal (CEA):

Yes, on February 17 & 18, the CEA Festival will take place and you can’t miss it; we will have many activities and fun for you and your family!

Wednesday, Feb. 17 -- Yoga, Drumming, Theater, Music, Maya Ceremony, Silent Auction, Cocktails and more.

Thursday, Feb. 18 -- More Yoga, Drumming, Theater, Music, Sports, Workshops, Lectures, Fire Dance, Silent and Live Auctions, as well as our gorgeous Gala Dinner, with a beautiful mix of romantic jazz and Latin grooves with the sultry voice of Paula Liebe and, for dancing, DJ Bob from La Buena Vida!

For the Gala Dinner on the 18th, you can buy your individual tickets (50 USD each) or a full table of 10 (500 USD) at CEA in Akumal, or with a click here.

There is a space on the PayPal site to note how many reservations you are making; they are non-refundable. $30 of each reservation is tax deductible, using PayPal.

For further information on our scheduled programs, please contact Paula or Alma at: info@ceakumal.org.

A place with troubles

2010-02-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

National Geographic Traveler rated 133 world destinations. The Riviera Maya landed in the next to last category: Places in Trouble.

This survey—our sixth "places rated" list—isn’t a popularity contest. It is an assessment of authenticity and stewardship, evaluating the qualities that make a destination unique and measuring its "integrity of place." Thus the remote islands of the Grenadines can rate notably higher than popular St. Maarten. . . .

Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments [about the Riviera Maya] from the panelists. They are not necessarily the views of the National Geographic Society:

"Once a low-key, charming alternative to the generic mega-development in Cancún. Now all that has changed. From Cancún to Tulum the coast is just one gated resort after another. The two-lane coastal highway has been replaced with a 4-to-6-lane, billboard-lined expressway. Fast-food franchises have replaced the locally owned eateries. Playa del Carmen, once the charming heart of the region, is now filled with wet-T-shirt contests and bad Mexican food. The sea is still beautiful and the ruins, Tulum, and Coba are still worth a visit, but expect huge crowds."

"Major risks to environment, culture, landscape, and authenticity. Mexico has exceptional environmental regulations on the books; the problems are enforcement and corruption, which allow illegal or quasi-legal development. The area is fascinating and beautiful and could be saved, but depends largely on larger institutional cultural shifts (with regard to corruption) and enforcement of regulations and laws."

Spotlight: MayaSites Travel Service

2010-02-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

From About Us on MayaSites Travel Service:

MayaSites Travel Services was founded in 2000 and specializes exclusively in travel to the Maya regions of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. Our mission statement is "To provide the very best experience for those visiting the Land of the Maya".

While living and traveling in the Maya world (and with travel industry backgrounds) we recognized that there were very few companies meeting the individual needs of the client, providing attentive personal service, and offering world class guides in the fields of Maya archeology and modern Maya culture. At the same time we discovered that these high quality service providers and guides did exist - they just were not being utilized and were not easily accessed by worldwide travelers. As a result, we decided that rather than create a "tour company" MayaSites Travel Services would act as a bridge between the already existing premium service providers and the world of people who want to discover the very best of the Land of the Maya. Our decision not to become another business engaged in "exploitive-tourism" means more money goes directly into the hands of the wonderfully hospitable and hard working people who are actually doing the work which in turn is reflected in their attentiveness to each of our client's needs.

Riviera Maya turtle trip, July 25 - August 1, 2010

2010-02-04T08:06:00.000-08:00

From a trip announcement from Maya Riviera Vacation:

This trip is designed for families with all ages. It is during the height of Turtle Season when you will see juveniles swimming and feeding in the bay, mothers nesting and babies hatching. In addition to a great vacation it will also be an eco-trip that will benefit Centro Ecologico Akumal.

What's included:
Accommodations at either Hotel Akumal Caribe or at Casa Romero's Complex.
Turtle Talk by Centro Ecologico Akumal
Turtle Walk by CEA
Eco-Beach Walk by CEA
Snorkeling Tour of Akumal Bay by CEA
Entrance into Yal Ku Lagoon
Sunset Sail
Admission to Xcaret
Entrance to Xel Ha
Picnic at Xcacel
Welcome Dinner at Lolha
Ground Transportation
Spa Credit for Adults

Akumal Beach Webcam

2010-02-03T14:27:00.000-08:00

See weather and water conditions in Akumal day or night through LocoGringo's Webcam.

Spotlight: Alma Libre Books in Puerto Morelos

2010-02-02T14:39:00.001-08:00

From the Web site of Alma Libre Books:

Alma Libre Books is the largest New & Used English Bookstore in the Yucatan.

You'll find an eclectic selection in more than 20 genres. We have the best selection of books of local interest, such as books on local birds, fish, mammals, Mayan culture, Mexican cooking, maps, language books, as well as dictionaries and Spanish phrase books. We also have a good selection of local travel guides.

Trades are welcome on used books, so our selection is always changing and growing.

Though the majority of our books are in English, we also have books in Spanish, German, French and Dutch and other languages.

Mexican leader seeks climate commitments ahead of 2010 Cancun conclave

2010-01-29T14:25:00.000-08:00

From an Associated Press article posted on Yahoo!News:

DAVOS, Switzerland – Facing down the skeptics, Mexico's president urged governments and companies on Friday to cough up the cash to fight climate change and avoid a repeat of the failure at Copenhagen to set binding targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

With a worldwide shaky economic recovery under way, Felipe Calderon pleaded for aid and investment from executives and political leaders at the World Economic Forum, hoping to unite the world on a firm blueprint to slow the warming of the planet.

This year's big U.N. climate change meeting — being held Nov. 29-Dec. 10 in the Mexican resort of Cancun — will be challenged to succeed where the 2009 meeting in Copenhagen failed.

"We need to try to learn from our mistakes in Copenhagen," Calderon said. "If we can find an economic mechanism ... we will be on track."

Calderon spoke a day after the United States took an important symbolic step by submitting targets to the U.N. climate body, pledging to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020 — using 2005 levels as a standard. But the commitment must be approved by Congress, which is not guaranteed.

Find your way with a MapChick map!

2010-01-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

From an introduction to the MapChick:

Our first trip to Mexico was 1982, from that very first vacation, we knew we were hooked!

Of all the many adventures (aka "trouble") Perry [MapChick's husband] has gotten me into over the years, this map business has to be the best.

You have to understand that Perry has that entrepreneurial spirit that won't rest until it's fed!

We started out writing a guidebook to Cancun, which had to have a map, Perry is a graphic designer, so the visual aspect had to be there. We realized as we got into the map that we may not need a book at all, why not turn this into a "guide map". Can-Do Maps & Guides was born, our first edition of the Cancun map was published in 1997, and we've been adding new maps and updating them ever since.

Rage and the economics of the environment

2010-01-27T14:20:00.001-08:00

From an interview of British economist Tim Jackson by Stephen Leahy posted on Tierramerica.info:

"The continued pursuit of growth endangers the ecosystems on which we depend for long-term survival," says the British economist, ferocious critic of the Copenhagen Accord on climate change.

TORONTO, Canada, Jan 25 (Tierramérica).- "Rage is sometimes the appropriate response" to the failure of the world's leaders to craft a new climate treaty in Copenhagen, says British economist Tim Jackson.

The Copenhagen Accord, the outcome of the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December, not only revealed global environmental governance as a fiction, but also demonstrated a continuing blind adherence to the mantra of economic growth, says Jackson

Professor of sustainable development and director of the Research Group on Lifestyles, Values and Environment at Surrey University in Britain, Jackson is also a British government advisor and economics commissioner for the Sustainable Development Commission.

Jackson is also a professional playwright with numerous radio-writing credits for the BBC, based in London.

Tierramérica's Stephen Leahy spoke with Jackson by phone about his new, controversial book "Prosperity without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet", the Copenhagen Accord and prospects for a real climate treaty, continuing a conversation they began last month in Copenhagen.

TIERRAMÉRICA: Your book "Prosperity without Growth" argues that economic growth in developed countries is making people less happy and destroying the Earth itself.

TIM JACKSON: It's clear the continued pursuit of growth endangers the ecosystems on which we depend for long-term survival.

There is also ample evidence that increasing material wealth in developed countries is not making people any happier, but just the opposite in some countries. Beyond a certain level of income, there is no correlation of greater income with greater happiness.

Birds, Wildlife: Cozumel

2010-01-25T09:33:00.000-08:00

From a post on the blog of Chritian Artuso:

The Island of Cozumel lies a mere 20km off the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and is only 45km by 15km in size. There are mangroves around the island's coast but the habitat is mostly "semi-humid" scrub, a fascinating tropical habitat type that does not grow particularly tall despite receiving reasonable quantities of water (rainfall). This habitat type is also found in the eastern Yucatan Peninsula.

The theory of island biogeography would predict that such an island have moderate biodiversity, limited by its small size but augmented by frequent arrivals from the mainland. Cozumel, however, is something of an enigma, since it has four endemic species and many distinctive endemic subspecies, perhaps surprising given its proximity to the mainland. The avifaunal mixture of Cozumel is also intriguing in that, although it shares some species with the mainland, there are a suite of species with a more Caribbean distribution, including for example the Western Spindalis that occurs on Cozumel but not on the mainland. Other bird like Yucatan (Yellow-lored) Parrots and White-crowned Pigeons don't mind making the crossing on a regular basis, apparently even twice daily in some seasons.

The four Cozumel endemic species include a hummingbird, a vireo, a thrasher and a wren. The hummer is the Cozumel Emerald, and what a beauty! Unfortunately, the long, deeply forked tail of the male doesn’t show very well in these photos... but you get the picture [in the following photos on Christian's blog]!

Choosing a Spanish school in Mexico

2010-01-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

From an article on MexConnect:

The reasons to learn a foreign language are many. "For those of us traveling or living in Mexico, there is no doubt that learning Spanish enriches our lives," says Ohio native Anne Meyer, a social studies teacher.

Spanish differs from region to region, so studying Spanish in Mexico gave her advantage for retiring in the Lake Chapala area, where she plans to move in a few more years. But language schools abound. Which one do you choose? And how?

Ask questions
First of all, you want to make sure the school and staff are qualified. For example,

How long has this school been in business?
With what professional organizations is it affiliated?
Has it been approved by any official government entity?
Is the staff highly qualified? For example, do teachers hold a university degree?
Can you obtain college credit for your efforts?
Do you have access to a media lab? The Internet?
Also important are your own needs. You'll learn best when there's a good fit.

Are there specific courses available to suit your needs, budget, and interests? Are the Spanish courses designed for you to use the language on a daily basis? Is there a home-stay program for total immersion?

Finally, how much does it cost and what is included in the price?

Does your Spanish course include conversation classes?
What is the cost of living for a week or a month while you study?
Does the school organize tours? Are they included or charged separately?
Are there specials available where you can save money?

Minnesota students learn and contribute in Akumal

2010-01-19T14:44:00.000-08:00

In a course called The Maya Riveria. Its Land. Its People, students students fro the University of Minnesota learned and served by helping Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA). From CEA's newsletter:

They cleaned up the mangroves in front of CEA's property, picking up more than two tons of trash!

They also helped restore Akumal Bay's dune, painted CEA's dorms, built a big game for the children at the Akumal Library, cleaned CEA's wetlands, conducted beach clean-ups, and many other things.

We are more than happy with the results, their enthusiasm and everything they gave us. We hope you enjoyed your stay. Thanks lots! Akumal will always welcome you!

From the students' blog for the course:

We left Akumal with mixed feelings. Sad that our time together was coming to an end, but excited to be returning to our homes, families and friends (oh, and of course the begining of the spring semester). I will miss the tropical weather and amazing beauty of the Maya coastline. But most of all, I will miss the students.

Hope for Haiti fundraiser, Akumal, January 24

2010-01-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

On Sunday January 24th, fund-raising events will be executed simultaneously in Playa del Carmen, Akumal and Puerto Morelos to raise much needed funds for Doctors Without Borders who is helping the victims of the earthquake that wracked the small island nation last week. “Hope for Haiti” is a local, grassroots campaign whose mission is to raise badly needed funds to support the relief efforts.

"Hope for Haiti - Akumal" will be held on Sunday, January 24th 2010 from 2:00pm to 9:00pm on the stage in the center of Akumal. Live music, DJ, food and beer, a raffle for great prizes.

Proceeds from the event will be sent to Doctors Without Borders.

I hope you will all join us on Sunday to enjoy the live music, good friends, food. and help us help our Caribbean neighbors.

WHO: Akumal community and visitors
WHAT: Live music festival Akumal Main Stage
WHERE: Centro Akumal Plaza Ukana
WHEN Sunday January 24, 2010
TIME: 2 pm - 9 pm

2:00 - DJ
3:00 - Caribbean Soul Band
4:15 - DJ
5:00 - Video presentation on Haiti
6:00 - Mayan ceremony by Charlie and Maria for good prayers to Haiti
7:00 - Bandikoro

Raffle prizes include:
- 4 tickets to Xel Ha
- 4 tickets to Rio Secreto
- 4 day passes to the Day spa at Hacienda Vista Real
- Spa Services from Bahia Principe

THANKS to these businesses for help and support:
- Club Akumal Caribe, staff and some security
- Buena Vida
- LocoGringo
- Yoga Akumal
- Akumal Beach Resort
- Turtle Bay
-other contributors to be announced.

Haiti quake occurred in complex, active seismic region

2010-01-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

From a news release issued by the Woods Hole Oceanogrphic Institution:

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that triggered disastrous destruction and mounting death tolls in Haiti this week occurred in a highly complex tangle of tectonic faults near the intersection of the Caribbean and North American crustal plates, according to a quake expert at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) who has studied faults in the region and throughout the world.

Jian Lin, a WHOI senior scientist in geology and geophysics, said that even though the quake was “large but not huge,” there were three factors that made it particularly devastating: First, it was centered just 10 miles southwest of the capital city, Port au Prince; second, the quake was shallow—only about 10-15 kilometers below the land’s surface; third, and more importantly, many homes and buildings in the economically poor country were not built to withstand such a force and collapsed or crumbled.

All of these circumstances made the Jan. 12 earthquake a “worst-case scenario,” Lin said. Preliminary estimates of the death toll ranged from thousands to hundreds of thousands. “It should be a wake-up call for the entire Caribbean,” Lin said.

Snorkeling with turtles in Akumal Bay

2010-01-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

From a post by Marisa Marchitelli on Up Take:

Akumal is a small beach town nestled between the popular tourist destinations of Playa Del Carmen and Tulum along the Riviera Maya on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. While I have been to this region of Mexico several times, I never thought to stop in Akumal until my most recent trip. After asking locals for snorkeling recommendations, I was consistently told that I could never expect to see as many sea turtles as I would in a matter of breaststrokes from the shore of Akumal.

When I arrived at the beach, my “common sense” told me that it wasn’t really possible. The beach was littered with sunbathers emerging out of the hotels that line the coast, and the waters were packed with small fishing boats and snorkelers. How could turtles be casually hanging around all this activity? I gave it the benefit of the doubt and took the plunge.

I swam as far away from shore as was safe and saw nothing but an infinite field of kelp and felt disappointment. I decided to turn back. Then, all of the sudden, I saw three turtles feeding! It was incredible and as I kept snorkeling around I came across at least a dozen more.

Akumal library gets challenge grant for 2010

2010-01-12T01:33:00.000-08:00

From a post on the blog of the Hekab Be Biblioteca de Akumal:

Once again, faithful library supporters have offered Hekab Be a challenge grant of $2250 U.S.

Every dollar donated to Hekab Be between January 1- February 28, 2010 will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $2250. If we are successful in meeting this generous offer, we will have raised enough money to cover our operating expenses for 3 months. This will put us in good stead for a prosperous New Year!

We realize people may be feeling financially drained after the holiday season, but hope that you will consider giving whatever you can, since every dollar you give will count twice. Remember that your donations are tax-deductible.

To make a donation to help us meet the challenge, go to our donation site, where you find information on how to donate using paypal or by sending a check:
http://hekab-be-paypal.blogspot.com

Remember we are a tax-exempt organization, so your donation is tax-deductible!

Please be sure to write in “challenge grant” on your check memo or paypal form so that your donation gets counted twice!

Top winter eco-destinations

2010-01-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

In an article on Earth911.com, Lori Brown lists Sian Ka'an among the top eco-destinations:

If your trip to visit the extended family didn’t qualify as a “vacation,” we’ve got the solution to the post-holiday-deflated-and-jaded feeling.

Whether you’re escaping the 9 to 5 grind or the stifling snowstorms that keep you locked inside, these destinations are sure to perk up your mood and kick off the New Year in ultimate eco-style. . . .

Centro Ecologico Sian Ka’an, Mexico - This small lodge located near the Mayan ruins of Tulum in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Sit and is truly an industry leader for its environmental initiatives.

Operating completely on solar and wind energy, the non-governmental organization center has developed a wetland waste treatment system to recycle greywater and treat blackwater and use a rainwater collection system for all non-drinking water needs.

The modestly priced cabins are perfect for the eco-minded traveler looking for an environmental education experience without all the unnecessary bells and whistles.

Whale of a time

2010-01-07T14:25:00.000-08:00

From an article by Jimmy O'Leary on News of the World:

SO there I was in the depths of the Caribbean Sea with the world's biggest shark heading straight for me.

Frozen with fear, the only sound I could hear was my heart beating along to John Williams' Jaws theme.

Dum, dum . . .

There was no escaping the 36ft beast, its giant mouth wide open ready to gobble up anything in its path.

Dum, dum . . .

But there was no girlie scream or calls for a bigger boat.

Because the mammoth creature was in fact a whale shark, which only eats algae, plankton and other tiny sea creatures - a kind of veggie monster.

One of nature's most spectacular wonders, it was oblivious to little me swimming alongside it.

Only moments earlier I had been sitting on the side of a boat off the Mexican coast with our guide Eva, who had asked: "Who wants to go first?"

While the other divers looked down at their flippers and adjusted their masks, I watched in horror as my hand shot up. I've no idea why - the pounding Mexican sun must have got to me.

We were floating on beautiful blue waters an hour's boat ride from Isla Mujeres (Island Of Women).

This is a Mexican hidden jewel and one of the greatest places on earth to see the migration of turtles, dolphins, manta rays and blue marlin.

Oh, and let's not forget the whale shark, which by now was sliding off into the distance.

Only 150 days until World Oceans Day; start planning!

2010-01-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

From The Ocean Project:

Start the year off on an ocean theme! The more you learn about our amazing blue planet, the more you will find that a healthy ocean is essential not only for the future of the fish, the coral reefs, and all life in the ocean, but also for our own future. No matter where you live, your actions impact the ocean and you can make a difference!

Remember to plan an event for World Oceans Day 2010 - it promises to be the biggest and best one ever. It seems far off but is only 150 days away so start planning an event soon!

Please visit www.WorldOceansDay.org to get ideas, inspiration, submit your event online, and connect with others. We also welcome feedback on how best to improve the website for our partners and other friends. A new design and new content is coming soon! Send your thoughts to Bill at bmott@theoceanproject.org. We are also looking for help in translating the site so please contact if you are able to help.

Mexico tourism secretary invites gays from all over the world to get married

2010-01-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

From an article on Travel Video News:

Mexico City enacted Latin America’s first law recognizing gay marriage Tuesday and said it hopes to attract same-sex couples from around the world to wed. The law, approved by city legislators on Dec. 21, was published in Mexico City’s official register and will take effect in March. It will allow same-sex couples to adopt children and municipal officials say it will make Mexico’s capital a “vanguard city”-and attract extra tourism revenues.

“Mexico City will become a center, where (gay) people from all over the world will be able to come and have their wedding, and then spend their honeymoon here,” said Alejandro Rojas, the city tourism secretary.

The law, approved by city legislators on Dec. 21, was published in Mexico City’s official register Tuesday and will take effect in March. It will allow same-sex couples to adopt children and municipal officials say it will make Mexico’s capital a “vanguard city” - and attract extra tourism revenues. . . .

The annual economic impact of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travelers is about $70 billion in the United States alone, according to Community Marketing Inc., a tourism research company that specializes in gay and lesbian consumers.

Haciendas in Yucatán

2010-01-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

From an article on Latido de Mexico:

Haciendas in Mexico were the basis of an economic system introduced by the Spaniards in the 16th century, similar to the feudal system of Europe. Many of them were originally cattle ranches which in the 19th century converted to produce rope from henequen. In Yucatan, the hacienda owners used the local Mayan population to work the fields and factories at slave-like wages or no wages at all. Over time, haciendas became symbols of wealth and culture, decorated with architecture, furnishings and art from around the world. There are over 170 haciendas in Yucatan, some of them completely renovated and turned into 5 star hotels and historical museums while others are left unrestored, sometimes abandoned, to collapse and fall apart over time.

A hacienda usually consisted of the Casa Principal, or main house, where the hacendado and his family lived and the administration of the business took place. The processing of the henequen took place in the Casa de Maquinas, the machine house, the overseer lived in the Casa del Majordomo, many of the haciendas also had a chapel, La Capilla, and several other smaller buildings used for storage and living quarters.

How 14 Days In The Yucatan Made Me Realize The Value of Planet Earth

2009-12-31T09:58:00.000-08:00

From a post by Shawna Coronado on her blog Gradening Nude on Chicago Now:

. . . My family and I took the eco-journey of a lifetime in 2009 into the jungles, caves, and ocean of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Above you see me getting ready to zipline across a jungle - note the giant grin - it was a blast! I wrote and posted a blog every day for fourteen days about our journey using greening and eco-nature information as a tool to educate readers about environmental concerns in the world. . . .

Understanding the fact that we impact all of the world, not just our little corner is so important. For example, areas of coral are dying out in the Yucatan from our fertilizer run-off. If the chemicals do not go down into our water aquifer, they are whooshed out through the storm water system. All those chemicals then react with ocean life - ultimately causing green blooms and death where ever the chemicals settle. This is disastrous for coral.

Who taught me that? An amazing man in Akumal, Mexico named Paul Sanchez- Navarro who is the Director of Centro Ecological Akumal (Photo to the right). He explained how nearly one quarter of all marine species are believed to depend on coral at some stage of their development. Many fish live their entire lives on reefs, while others use them as nurseries; if the coral dies out it is assumed the fish will too. The economic impact of losing coral is also significant - in the billions of dollars worldwide.

There were so many questions I wanted answered when I returned from the trip. What will happen if we are unable to provide fish for the world to eat? Will people starve? Without the coral and fish, millions of people will lose their jobs and be unable to support themselves. Without smaller fish which inhabit the coral reefs will all the larger fish die such as tuna and shark - the very same fish we use to feed our nation?

We went to jungles, beaches, caves, and protected eco-parks throughout the Yucatan Peninsula area and experienced some incredible things in nature, but one of the most powerful messages I saw everywhere we went is that you have an impact on planet earth. What we do here in the U.S. directly touches the rest of the world - the water supply issue is just the beginning.

Make a difference for planet earth - start paying attention to the chemicals, fertilizers, and products you use at home that might be making a difference half-way around the world.

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community!

New Year's Eve traditions in Mexico

2009-12-30T14:13:00.000-08:00

From an article by Daniel Wheeler on Mexconnect:

The year-end holidays in Mexico are always known for time honored traditions and a family oriented spirit. You can sing Christmas carols with your friends and family and enjoy some buñuelos, tamales and ponche spiked with rum.

Then comes New Year's Eve. And while it has its traditions, this holiday is not so family-oriented.

The most important beach destinations in Mexico are packed with young people looking for a good time. The most visited ones are Acapulco, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. They are always packed with young Mexicans who travel in groups to get together and have fun with friends on the last night of the year.

Upscale hotels and restaurants host New Year's Eve dinners with festive menus and orchestras for dancing.

What you wear on New Year's Eve is thought to influence your destiny during the next 12 months. Some dress in white from head to toe to invite good vibrations and assure a good year spiritually. Green clothing attracts a year of good health. Wearing red underwear is said to bring love, while yellow underwear brings wealth. And no, it's not fair to wear both colors. You have to decide which is more important.

Sustainable travel to Chichén Itzá

2009-12-29T14:27:00.000-08:00

From the Insider's Guide to Chichén Itzá published by the World Heritage Alliance:

Like the slithering shadow that snakes down the Pyramid of Kukulkán at the spring and autumn equinoxes each year, the influx of tourism—which draws 5,000 visitors to this site each day—carries its own threat. Here are eight actions you can take to enjoy, protect, and enhance Chichén Itzá.

• Respect the monuments. The structures of this Maya city are more than a thousand years old. Climbing the monuments is forbidden. Tread lightly and take out all that you carried in.
• Take your time. Give yourself at least four hours to explore all of Chichén, its old city as well as later-period monuments.
• Learn about Maya achievements. The Observatory of Caracol conveys Maya notions of astronomy, time, and math.
• Hire local guides. Support the regional economy and see the site as locals view it by selecting guides that are recommended by community-based tour operators.
• Refrain from bargaining for crafts. Visit the official center for local artisans in the nearby town of Piste.
• Spend the night at a local inn. Stick around after the daytrippers depart for a taste of regional culture and cuisine.
• Explore the region around Chichén. Visit the cave of Balankanché, a Maya ceremonial space, and the Cenote Zací, at the heart of the town of Valladolid.
• Preserve the environment. Reduce, reuse, and recycle.

For more information on responsible travel and for ideas about preserving destinations, visit www.friendsofworldheritage.org

Maya built elaborate subterranean aqueducts to deal with streams

2009-12-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

From an article by Charles Q. Choi on MSNBC:

The ancient Mayans may have had enough engineering know-how to master running water, creating fountains and even toilets by controlling water pressure, scientists now suggest.

Perhaps the earliest known example of the intentional creation of water pressure was found on the island of Crete in a Minoan palace dating back to roughly 1400 BC. In the New World, the ability to generate water pressure was previously thought to have begun only with the arrival of the Spanish.

Scientists investigated the Mayan center at Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico. At its height, this major site, inhabited from roughly 100 to 800 AD, had some 1,500 structures — residences, palaces, and temples — holding some 6,000 inhabitants under a series of powerful rulers.

The center at Palenque also had what was arguably the most unique and intricate system of water management known anywhere in the Maya lowlands. These involved elaborate subterranean aqueducts to deal with the spring-fed streams that naturally divide the landscape and could otherwise cause flooding or erosion.

"The ancient Maya called this city Lakamha' or 'Big Water' because of its nine perennial waterways, 56 springs, and hundreds of meters of cascades," said researcher Kirk French, an archaeologist at Pennsylvania State University in University Park.

One peculiar finding at Palenque was a buried, spring-fed conduit some 216 feet long (66 m). While other aqueducts under the site's main plaza stayed relatively level and maintained a roughly constant width, the rectangular conduit was located on a steep slope and abruptly narrowed at its end.

Assuming this sloping conduit was smoothly plastered as the aqueducts were at Palenque, the researchers calculated the resulting water pressure could drive a fountain shooting water roughly 20 feet high (6 m).

Continentally important proposal for the Yucatan Peninsula

2009-12-24T09:46:00.000-08:00

From a proposal by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative:

The Yucatan is extraordinarily important for the conservation of both terrestrial and aquatic species. Its habitats are remarkably diverse, consisting of savannas, palm forests, a wide variety of deciduous and semi-evergreen tropical forests, fresh and coastal wetlands, caverns, and sink holes. The northeastern portion of the Yucatan is a high priority region for Jaguar conservation in Mexico. The region’s coastal mangroves and freshwater wetlands are the prime reproductive habitat for the endangered American Crocodile and the Moreleti´s Crocodile.

Unfortunately, the last five years have seen massive investments in tourism projects,
such as golf courses, marinas, and resorts, particularly in Quintana Roo. ...

The proposal involves collaboration with the Central Hardwoods Joint Venture in the United States to bi-nationally conserve shared migratory species, such as Wood Thrush and Kentucky Warbler. The Central Hardwoods Bird Conservation Region (BCR) is an ecological transition zone where historically extensive tallgrass prairie and oak savanna to the north and west graded into pine woodlands to the south and mixed forests to the east. The Joint Venture has identified three sites to carry out habitat projects that counter increasing development pressures, mitigate negative pressures from recreation, and introduce prescribed fire to ecosystems where fire and other disturbances once helped maintain diversity at landscape scales.

To achieve habitat goals in the Yucatan, partners are proposing over US$52 million worth of conservation activities. The Central Hardwoods portion of the proposal lays out a plan to spend a total of over US$6 million in the three locations. The main project outcomes will be:
• The protection of an estimated 45,000 hectares of bird habitat in the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula.
• The first land conservation trust established in southern Mexico and a land stewardship endowment.
• A regional bird monitoring network and database for the Yucatan Peninsula.
• A regional fire management plan, regional cattle plan and best management practices, and Sustainable Cattle Ranchers Association.
• Participation in a Pride Educational Campaign by 28,000 people in the States of Yucatan and Quintana Roo.
• The consolidation of the Yucatan Peninsula Alliance for Birds and coordination with the Central Hardwoods Joint Venture.

Mayas to have a palace in southeast Mexico

2009-12-23T14:08:00.001-08:00

From an article by Juan David Leal in the Latin American Herald Tribune:

YAXCABA, Mexico – The Maya culture, which reached its peak more than a thousand years ago, will soon have a new and enormous museum in the jungles of Mexico divulging its secrets, authorities of the southeastern Mexican state of Yucatan said.

Construction of the Palace of the Maya Civilization began Monday, coinciding with the beginning of the winter solstice, on 400 hectares (988 acres) of land in the municipality of Yaxcaba.

Yucatan Gov. Ivonne Ortega laid the cornerstone for the project, which will consist of six galleries to be built in several stages. The first two will require an investment of 300 million pesos ($23.6 million).

This cultural space will be “a building that shines with technology, but with the same mythical and mystical spirit that invests the archaeological areas of Uxmal and Ek Balam,” Ortega said.

She said that the palace, located 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza, “will attract an additional 500,000 tourists to Yucutan in the short term.”

“We’re going to promote the cultural renaissance and the international renaissance of our art and our traditions,” Ortega said to hundreds of Indians from nearby towns, most of them living in dire poverty.

Christmas in the Yucatán

2009-12-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

From an article on Yucatan Today:

The chillier nights of December mean Christmas is on the way. While we cannot offer you snow-covered lanes or chimneys for Santa, Mexico does have its own unique and memorable array of traditions.

Las Posadas: Christmas festivities begin on December 16 with posadas, nine consecutive days of candlelight processions and lively parties. Throughout Mexico, young people gather in the afternoons to reenact the holy family's quest for a place to sleep in Bethlehem. The procession is headed by a diminutive Virgen María, often sitting atop a live burro, led by an equally tiny José. They are followed by other children who portray angels, the Three Kings, and a host of shepherds, all decked out in colorful handmade costumes and carrying walking staffs or paper lanterns.

The parade of holy pilgrims stops at a designated house to sing a traditional litany in which the holy family requests shelter for the night and those waiting behind the closed door continue to turn them away. They proceed to a second home where the scene is repeated. At the third stop the pilgrims are told that while there is no room at the inn, they are welcome to take refuge in the stable. The doors are opened to the weary travelers and everyone is invited to enter. While this is an active way of teaching children the story of the Nativity, the chief attraction is the merrymaking that follows, the ruthless smashing of piñatas and a mad scramble for the shower of candies released from within.

Where to dive into Mexico's underwater wonders

2009-12-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

From an article by Christine DelSol on Seattlepi.com:

Mexico's Caribbean coast is as close to ideal for a scuba beginner as you can get. It flanks the Great Maya Reef chain, second-largest in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Capable dive instructors are as plentiful as iguanas, and when you break from the intricacies of nitrogen intake and pressure gauges, you have Maya ruins and friendly villages to explore, comfortable hotels and great restaurants at your disposal, and as much nightlife as you can handle. It may not be so for the skilled and slightly world-weary divers whose next stop is Thailand, Mauritius or the Red Sea, but for a beginner the right patch of terra firma is just as important as what's underwater. Open-water certification courses take four days, more of it on land than in the water.

Here are my best scuba spot candidates so far. Cancún dropped off the list early on; though its shallow reef and colorful marine life are certainly suited to beginners, the underwater scenery can't compare to nearby spots, and there are other places where I'd rather spend my time. Tulum was another early casualty, with a stunning reef just beyond its world-famous beaches, but dive operators who concentrate almost exclusively on cenote and cave diving, which is not for beginners. . . .

Cenotes: The Sacred Waters of the Riviera Maya

2009-12-18T13:28:00.000-08:00

From an article on Playa Maya News:

The natural wonders of the Yucatan Peninsula are countless, but some of the most unique to the area are the cenotes. Cenotes are created by an underground river system and are fresh water sink holes that the Maya considered to be sacred. In addition they were an incredibly important resource as a fresh water source, and the Mayans also believed they were the entrance to the underworld. Cenote, (say-NOH-tay) called dzonot (ZO-note) by the ancient Maya were defined by the Motul dictionary, a dictionary of Mayan hieroglyphics, as "abysmal and deep" or "hole filled with water".

Millions of years ago, the Yucatan Peninsula was covered by the ocean. Some 15,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age, the sea level descended approximately 250 feet.

For thousands of years, the porous land surface, formed by fossilized coral and limestone, has filtered rainwater, which dissolved parts of the subsoil. This process created a system formed by flooded underground rivers and caves. This phenomenon is truly unique, and makes up the largest network of caverns in the world.

Cenotes are formed when the roof of a cavern collapses due to erosion. The level of the water also contributes to the creation of cenotes: if it is too low, it does not provide enough support, which causes the roof to weaken and cave in.

The depth of each cenote depends of the amount of natural debris that has accumulated through erosion in addition to the remains of the roof that collapsed. The water that gathers in these amazing natural wonders is a crystal clear turquoise color with a very pleasant temperature of 78°.

Destination spotlight: Hacienda Chichen Resort

2009-12-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

From the introduction to Hacienda Chichen Resort's green commitment:

Hacienda Chichen Resort, is Yucatan's best Green hotel and Eco-Spa Wellness Destination. This unique eco-hotel is a Colonial historic landmark in Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico, with a high Eco-Cultural commitment and strong ecological safe practices. Hacienda Chichen is found within the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico. For three generations, the owners have kept this Mayan paradise with great environmental care, protecting Yucatan's fauna (animals) and flora (plants), respecting the Yucatan's historical legacy, and its impressive Maya and Colonial cultural heritage.

Indeed, our NGO volunteer staff and former guests have witness how the Hacienda Chichen Resort and Yaxkin Spa exercise well organized efforts in their operation and administration to make positive contributions directly related to the environment: flora and fauna, native Maya cultural traditions, and support the local-community welfare in rural Mayan towns such as Xcalacoop. For sure, no other hotel in the region of Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico, is so wholeheartedly committed to Responsible Sustainable Tourism as is the Hacienda Chichen.

Mexico Tourism Board announces its first social media giveaway

2009-12-16T14:44:00.000-08:00

From an announcement on the Visit Mexico Web site:

Mexico City- Mexico; December 16th, 2009 – The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB) is excited to announce its first Facebook giveaway- an amazing 4-Day, 3-Night trip for two guests to the popular tourist destination of Cancun. Winners will stay at the luxurious Omni Cancun Hotel & Villas, and will include roundtrip airfare.

By simply becoming a fan of the MTB’s Facebook Page by December 28th, users are automatically entered to win. http://tinyurl.com/winmexicotrip. The trip is a way to give back and thank the growing online community of Mexico fans.

The Mexico Tourism Board launched their official “We Visit Mexico” social media presence on Facebook among other sites including Twitter, Youtube and Flickr, to talk to travelers in a more personal way.

The platform allows past, present and future travelers to post pictures, stories and experiences, about traveling to Mexico. Discussions include great places, people, activities, culture and food. People can also share their pictures and videos of their trips to Mexico.

Akumal library needs toys for Christmas

2009-12-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

From a post on the blog of Hekab Be Biblioteca de Akumal:

This year we are trying something new, we asked the kids to write down what they wanted for Christmas. Below is a list of the Christmas Wishes of kids who regularly come to the library and participate in our programs. We are hoping to find sponsors to help purchase or bring all of these gifts.

To help us keep track of gifts that are already accounted for, please send us a brief email (akumallibrary@gmail.com) if you are bringing any gifts. That way we can remove it from the list, to avoid duplicates.

Christmas Gift Wish List:

--Converse Chuck Taylor all stars style sneakers-- please note that a knock-off or off-brand (not converse brand) would be fine:
2 pairs white, youth size 5
1 pair black or white youth size 4.5
1 pair, any color, youth size 4
--Mac the truck toy from Cars movie or Superman action figure
--5 shoe style rollerskates, youth sizes: 2, 2, 2.5, 4, 4.5,
--4 Max Steel Action Figure Dolls (or other superhero if you can't find Max Steel)
--10 Remote control cars (with an extra set of batteries, if possible, since many families cannot afford to buy replacements. Usually we ask people not to bring battery operated toys, we are making an exception this year for Santa!)
--5 dolls: 1 that crawls, 1 that sings/dances, 1 that cries, 1 with pacifier, 1 with stroller
--drum
--skateboard

-->Not coming to Akumal but want to help us get these gifts? You can make a donation, just let us know it's for Christmas gifts and we'll use the funds for that purpose.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

2009-12-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

From an article by Carol Wheeler on MexConnect:

The Virgin of Guadalupe first appeared in Mexico in 1531 to Juan Diego and, as proof of her visit, caused roses to bloom at the site. Because church leaders did not believe he had seen her, she instructed Juan Diego to gather a bouquet in his cloak, or tilma, and take them back with him. When the bishops opened the cloak, the Virgin's portrait appeared. The original tilma is on display in her Basilica in Mexico City.

The Virgin who appeared on Tepeyac hill on a frosty morning in 1531 was a different one than the majestic images that adorned churches and cathedrals in Europe. Her skin was the coppery brown of Mexico's indigenous peoples, and her language was their native tongue.

She spoke to Juan Diego softly, gently, with the loving tone of a mother. More importantly, her miraculous image on his tilma vindicated the Indian man before the Bishop.

A beloved manifestation of the Christian faith, Our Lady of Guadalupe is a champion of the oppressed everywhere. She is queen of the heavens — she stands on the moon and her cloak holds the stars.

Copenhagen climate conference: What you need to know

2009-12-08T13:36:00.001-08:00

From an article by Christine Dell'Amore on National Geographic News:

What Is COP15?
"COP15" acronym is short for the 15th Conference of Parties, or countries, to the UNFCC. COP15 is also the fifth meeting of parties to the Kyoto Protocol.

The Kyoto Protocol is a legally binding emissions-reduction treaty created in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan. The Kyoto agreement aims to reduce global industrial greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5 percent against 1990 levels over a five-year period—from 2008 to 2012.

The Kyoto climate treaty, which went into force in 2005, was ratified by 185 nations but not the United States.

Because the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, an "ambitious new deal" needs to be worked out this year to provide governments guidance beyond Kyoto, the UNFCC says.

What Are the Copenhagen Climate Conference's Goals?
The UN Framework on Climate Change aims to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases to a level that will not create "dangerous" interference with the climate.

Though there is still debate as to what constitutes "dangerous," the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere before the industrial revolution was 278 parts per million, contrasted with 381 today.

By 2050 the UNFCC hopes to cut atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations in half, versus 2000 levels.

The Copenhagen climate conference has four achievable goals, according to the UNFCC:

1. Make clear how much developed countries, such as the U.S., Australia, and Japan, will limit their greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Determine how, and to what degree, developing countries, such as China, India, and Brazil, can limit their emissions without limiting economic growth.

3. Explore options for "stable and predictable financing" from developed countries that can help the developing world reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change.

4. Identify ways to ensure developing countries are treated as equal partners in decision-making, particularly when it comes to technology and finance.

Possible Outcomes of the Climate Conference?
According to the International Institute for Environment and Development, there could be several outcomes to the Copenhagen climate conference, including the following:

1. No agreement: The meeting could result in a decision to resume talks in 2010.

2. Voluntary agreement: The climate conference could yield nonbinding pact that allows each government to decide its own goals and how to reach them. Opponents to this approach argue that targets need to be internationally binding and enforced. Otherwise, they say, reductions will take too long or not happen at all.

3. Binding agreement: A new legally binding agreement, ratified at the December climate conference, could replace Kyoto when the protocol expires in 2012.

2009-12-07T01:53:00.000-08:00

From Yucatán Wildlife:

Welcome to the world of nature in the Yucatan peninsula! This area is well known for the beach resorts of Cancun and the Mayan Riviera. But few nature lovers know that there are many exciting opportunities for watching wildlife, which are only hours away from the tourist hotspots of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel.

The Yucatan Peninsula has incredible bio-diversity. It is home to 50% of all the birds living in Mexico, several of them endemic, 25% of Mexican mammals, and 10% of Mexico´s flora

Yucatán Wildlife has photos and descriptions of mammels, birds, reptiles, fish, and more.

Destination spotlight: Yucatán Mayan Retreat

2009-12-04T14:05:00.000-08:00

From the Yucatán Maya Retreat Web site:

The Yucatan Mayan Retreat is for people who want to get away from the big hotels chains and receive personalized services in a private setting. Guests have the opportunity to interact with the Mayan community, making this experience one of the most unforgettable ones of their lives, especially for vacationers and adventurers who love travelling off the beaten path.

Located in the heart of Mexico’s Mayan Region, the Yucatan Mayan Retreat offers guests a personalized service of exploration and discovery of the Mayan culture and sites.

Just 10 minutes away from the Chichen Itza ruins and 2 minutes away from the Yokdzonot cenote (sinkhole), guests of the Yucatan Mayan Retreat stay in a quiet and relaxing environment, away from noise, surrounded by the mystical trees and sounds of the Mayan jungle.

Guests at the Yucatan Mayan Retreat may choose to stay in one of our fully-equipped suites or, for those who want to commune more with nature, guests may choose to stay in our camping area, where they have access to facilities to make their stay as comfortable as possible.

Day trip in Yucatan: The Puuc Route

2009-12-03T14:27:00.000-08:00

From an article on Yucatan Today:

Since Chichén Itzá was named one of the Seven New Wonders of the World on July 7th, 2007, the site has been inundated with tourism from Yucatán, Mexico, and the rest of the world. In the meantime, Uxmal and the Puuc Route are seeing fewer visitors. This means that now is the perfect time to visit this area of the Mayan world. With so few people to disturb the peace and serenity of the area, you WILL feel the mythical mysticism at all the sites.

The Yucatan Today editorial staff did this trip recently to update our information, see what’s new and just have a nice/different Sunday. We came back from the excursion bursting with ideas having seen a whole new “Ruta Puuc”.

With so few visitors we almost felt like Catherwood and Stephens as we traipsed around the sites. We were the only people at Kabah (it was early), giving us wonderful photo opportunities. The Palace of the Chaac Masks (Codz Poop) with all the chaac masks on the front façade and the two statues on the back were quite special in the early morning.

Ten kilometers later we were at Sayil, where once again we had the site almost to ourselves. The stellae at the entrance are impressive and amazing when you try to imagine Mayan people carving them centuries ago. This is where you will see the pyramid on our cover. Xlapak, 5 kilometers from Sayil, is a very small site but very worthwhile, and the entry is free.

At the larger site, Labna, 4 kilometers from Xlapak, it hit me that this is a route that is perfect not only for tourists but also for locals. The caretaker’s wife has a mini-nursery where I bought eight plants – some in hanging baskets, others in cans. This is where I envisioned local women buying plants for their homes while enjoying a Sunday outing with their families. Labna’s famous arch and crested building atop a mound are the perfect backgrounds for photos.

NOAA shows turtle protection prosecution

2009-12-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

From the narrative of a video on NOAA Today:

The U.S. Government has charged NOAA with enforcing the laws and treaties related to the conservation and protection of marine resources. The Office of Law Enforcement investigates crimes, and the Marine Forensic Lab provides scientific evidence to support their cases. Together they bring Marine Criminals to justice. Here are their stories.

January 2007. Investigators in Puerto Rico were tipped off that an organized ring of poachers was selling turtle meat on the black market. All seven species of marine turtles are protected under an international treaty.

February 24, 2007. Officers observed a suspicious vessel. On board they found a slaughtered green sea turtle, a spear gun, knives, and blood. This evidence was shipped to the Marine Forensics Lab in Charleston, South Carolina. Scientists extracted DNA from subsamples of the evidence. From this analysis, scientists conclusively identified traces of at least three individuals: one Green Sea Turtle and two Hawksbill Turtles.

This evidence was used to convict the turtle poachers on charges of illegally fishing and selling the meat and eggs of an endangered species.

ID guide for Cancun-area fish

2009-12-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

A three-page printable PDF fish ID guide is posted on cancunmap.com. Here's one of the pages.

Chichen Itza headed two different ways?

2009-11-30T02:08:00.000-08:00

From an article on artdaily.org:

Chichen Itza Gets Greener
MEXICO CITY.- With the planting of 3,000 endemic trees, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) concluded reforestation of vulnerable areas at Chichen Itza Archaeological Zone, in Yucatan, with the aim of counteracting deforestation at the Maya site, caused by natural events such as draught. The forestation program was developed with the support of the National Defense Ministry (SEDENA), which donated 4,000 endemic trees such as mahogany, cedar, flamboyant and pich, being the last specie characteristic of the region.

Archaeologist Ricardo Nafate Lopez, responsible of the project, informed that this labor is part of the minor maintenance program of the site. “The most endangered zones have been reforested”. From the total of donated trees, 3,000 were planted, keeping the rest to be planted in 2010. Seed was sowed as well to recover a larger number of trees. Among the green areas repopulated outstands the path that conducts from the Observatory to the Initial Series Conjunct, as well as the route that leads from the main access to the Camp, the Main Esplanade and the Great Leveling, where 300 trees were planted, attended by a reliable irrigation system. These areas are the most visited, so grass is to be rehabilitated as well.

From a post by ejalbright on American Egypt:

Multi-billion peso tourist development slated for Chichen Itza, vendors claim
A giant resort complex, with a convention center, 5-star hotels, golf courses, gift shops, and artificial lakes, is planned for property near Chichen Itza, according to leaders of the vendors who invade the archaeological zone each day to sell trinkets to tourists.

La Jornada, a Mexican newspaper, reports that leaders of the vendors claimed to have received information that a consortium of Chinese, Canadian, and French corporations were working with Yucatan to design a resort complex that would begin construction in 2010. Investment in the project is estimated at $2 billion (Mexican), roughly $154million dollars U.S.

The reporter contacted state authorities who said they had no knowledge of the project.

Villevaldo Moo Pech y Silvia Cime Mex, leaders of the several hundred vendors, said they learned of the development from highly placed sources, but said they did not know the names of the companies involved. However, the project is coordinated by the office of Governor Ivonne Ortega Pacheco through the state Sistema para el Financiamiento (the state office of Finance). According to the article, the project must be approved by a three-quarters majority of the state Legislature.

The leaders of the vendors believe that a project of this magnitude will negatively affect their constituents as well as directly affect the archaeological zone of Chichen Itza, which is the patrimony of the Maya. Pech Moo and Cime Mex have requested information from the state government, but have received no answers, they said.

Bonefishing in Ascension Bay and Bocapaila, Yucatan, Mexico.

2009-11-25T08:28:00.000-08:00

From Pesca May Lodge:

With out any doubt, the great bonefishing pleasure is to spot the fish, cast, strip, see the fish following, fill the bite, set the hook and listen your reel scream while bonefish pulls your line, stronger, pound per pound, than most fish.

It sounds simple but it takes angler best skills to catch bonefish. Your eyes have to learn to read the water, flashes, waves, moog, birds, manta ray, sharks and many other signs. Your cast will make your fly go for 30 feet and land nice and smooth at the right place, the proper stripping and sensitivity to fill the fish and set the hook with your hand, not lifting the rod.

Riviera Maya marketing office launches consumer Website & social media campaign

2009-11-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

From an article on Travel Video News:

Riviera Maya, Mexico (November, 2009) - The Riviera Maya Destination Marketing Office announced today the launch of a new website and social media platform, Hola Riviera Maya. Targeted to the US market, Hola Riviera Maya will serve as an online resource for travelers interested in visiting the incredible destination of Riviera Maya. With the additional support of social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook, Hola Riviera Maya will keep visitors apprised of all news, happenings and events taking place in one of Mexico’s most sought after tourist destinations.

“Over the past few months, we have closely monitored various social media networks and discovered many comments related to Riviera Maya,” says Javier Aranda, General Director of the Riviera Maya Destination Marketing Office. “We realized there was a tremendous opportunity to utilize social media and engage an audience of loyal customers as well as potential travelers. We hope that through Hola Riviera Maya, we will provide our visitors and future visitors with useful information about our beloved destination.”

Travelers are invited to log onto www.holarivieramaya.com, visit the official Facebook page of the destination or follow Riviera Maya on Twitter @holarivieramaya to receive daily updates on news and happenings throughout the destination, last-minute travel deals, special contests and a plethora of useful information and exclusive content to better prepare them for an upcoming trip to Riviera Maya.

Artifacts shed light on the common Maya

2009-11-23T11:30:00.001-08:00

From an article by Tom Avril in The Philadelphia Inquirer:

The writings and illustrations of the ancient Maya civilization have told us primarily about the elite classes and religion, with rich depictions of headdress-wearing kings and mystical jaguars and bats.

Scenes of everyday life from the Central American people, on the other hand, are largely unknown - until now.

A University of Pennsylvania scholar is part of a team that is deciphering newly discovered murals in Mexico, with images of commoners handling maize, clay vessels, and salt.

Separately, scientists have extracted new information from Maya artifacts that have been in Penn's collection for decades - for example, analyzing ceramic pots for traces of ritual chocolate-based beverages.

The various findings are a reminder that when an object is unearthed, the science of archaeology has only just begun, says Elin C. Danien, curator of "Painted Metaphors," a Maya exhibit running through Jan. 31 at Penn's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Academics have spent more than a century studying this advanced civilization, which flourished for ages in what are now called Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, yet much remains unknown.

"I'm fond of saying that archaeology is a never-ending detective story," Danien says. "As soon as you get one answer, it raises 10 more questions."

(One thing that is known, by the way: The Mayans did not predict the end of the world in 2012, contrary to the suggestion in the new movie by that name.)

The new murals found in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, reported this month in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are said to be more than 1,300 years old. Alongside the scenes of everyday life are hieroglyphs that describe what's going on.

Some of the glyphs have never been seen before by modern eyes and thus are helping scholars to broaden their knowledge of the ancient language, says Simon Martin, an associate curator at the Penn museum.

These written symbols were previously unknown because they refer to common things, such as salt, not seen in the usual illustrations of royalty or gods, says Martin, one of the authors of the research in Proceedings.

"Salt doesn't turn up when they're talking about kings and queens," he says.

Chiapas looks to expand global market for its coffee

2009-11-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

From an article on TheNews.com.mx:

Tapachula, Chiapas., 17 Nov. (Notimex) .- Organizations of the social and private sectors have formed a common front to seek alternatives for selling Chiapas coffee in international markets and attracting foreign investment, coffee leaders reported.

The director of the Indigenous Ecological Federation of Chiapas (FIECH), Edgar Flores Miguel, said it is necessary to invest in the sector to expand growth, taking into consideration that the state is now third in organic coffee production in the world.

To continue with the expansion of the cultivation of coffee, Chiapas requires credits for the current cycle of at least $180 million dollars but the Cafe Financial (Fancafé) has little ability to raise 50 million, so there is a lack of funding, he said.

In this regard, the general coordinator of the Maya Organic Organizations Network, Jorge Aguilar Reyna, said producer representatives will travel to Japan to seek to
position Chiapas coffee and penetrate that market.

"Coffee is not only important to attract resources for Mexico, but it also protects the environment, generating development, social stability and emigration stops. If the crops remain profitable, more than one 1.1 million Chiapas residents benefit," he noted.

Mexico's 'giant underwater museum'

2009-11-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

From a story by Dhruti Shah on BBC News:

Visitors to a national park in Cancun could soon come face-to-face with life-sized sculptures in human form fixed in the seabed, as plans to create what could be the world's largest underwater museum start to become a reality.

On 19 November, four sculptures are due to be submerged in the Caribbean waters, off the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico's south-eastern state of Quintana Roo.

They will be the first of many hundreds of figures, which will be dotted around an area of the region's national park.

The sculptures will be made of PH-neutral concrete, which, it is hoped, will attract algae and marine life and give the local ecosystem a boost.

According to the park's director Jaime Gonzalez, one of the aims is to reduce the pressure on the natural habitat in other areas of the park by luring tourists away from existing coral reef, which has suffered damage from hurricanes and human activity.

Some 750,000 people visit the park a year, said Mr Gonzalez, with about 450,000 of them visiting Punta Nizuc, an area of just four hectares.

Link to another post with more on the sculptures.

Coastal habitats may sequester 50 times more carbon than tropical forests by area

2009-11-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

"I took a journalist interested in mangroves into a small lagoon where juvenile sharks could be found. Instead of finding sharks, we found a backhoe dredging a large sand spit across the lagoon. The work was being done without sediment traps and as we later found out, without permits. One mangrove shoot stood in the eventual path of the backhoe and I decided to get a shot of it standing tall - both condemned and yet defiant to the bitter end." Photo and explanation by Matthew D Potenski, MDP Photography/Marine Photobank.

From an article by Jeremy Hance on Mongabay.com:

Highly endangered coastal habitats are incredibly effective in sequestering carbon and locking it away in soil, according to a new paper in a report by the IUCN. The paper attests that coastal habitats—such as mangroves, sea grasses, and salt marhses—sequester as much as 50 times the amount of carbon in their soil per hectare as tropical forest.

"The key difference between these coastal habitats and forests is that mangroves, seagrasses and the plants in salt marshes are extremely efficient at burying carbon in the sediment below them where it can stay for centuries or even millennia. Tropical forests are not as effective at transferring carbon into the soil below them, instead storing most carbon in the living plants and litter," explains the paper's author and Conservation International’s Marine Climate Change Director, Dr. Emily Pidgeon. "But coastal ecosystems keep sequestering large amounts of carbon throughout their life cycle. Equally, the majority of carbon stays locked away in the soil rather than the plant, so only a relatively small amount is released when the plant dies."

This capacity for coastal environments to lock away carbon for thousands of years has largely been ignored in accounts of the global carbon cycle, according to the paper, even though the amount of carbon they are responsible for storing is very high.

Coastal habitats with vegetation "[contribute] about half of the total carbon sequestration in ocean sediments even though they account for less than 2 percent of the ocean surface,” Pidgeon writes, explaining that much of this is capacity is due to the fact that coastal vegetation usually spreads deeper below ground than it grows above with some plants going as deep as eight meters.

2012: Six end-of-the-world myths debunked

2009-11-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

From an article by Brian Handwerk for National Geographic News:

The end of the world is near—December 21, 2012, to be exact—according to theories based on a purported ancient Maya prediction and fanned by the marketing machine behind the soon-to-be-released 2012 movie.

But could humankind really meet its end in 2012—drowned in apocalyptic floods, walloped by a secret planet, seared by an angry sun, or thrown overboard by speeding continents?

And did the ancient Maya—whose empire peaked between A.D. 250 and 900 in what is now Mexico and Central America—really predict the end of the world in 2012?

At least one aspect of the 2012, end-of-the-world hype is, for some people, all too real: the fear.

NASA's Ask an Astrobiologist Web site, for example, has received thousands of questions regarding the 2012 doomsday predictions—some of them disturbing, according to David Morrison, senior scientist with the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

"A lot of [the submitters] are people who are genuinely frightened," Morrison said.

"I've had two teenagers who were considering killing themselves, because they didn't want to be around when the world ends," he said. "Two women in the last two weeks said they were contemplating killing their children and themselves so they wouldn't have to suffer through the end of the world."

Fortunately, with the help of scientists like Morrison, most of the predicted 2012 cataclysms are easily explained away.

2012 MYTH 1
Maya Predicted End of the World in 2012

The Maya calendar doesn't end in 2012, as some have said, and the ancients never viewed that year as the time of the end of the world, archaeologists say.

But December 21, 2012, (give or take a day) was nonetheless momentous to the Maya.

"It's the time when the largest grand cycle in the Mayan calendar—1,872,000 days or 5,125.37 years—overturns and a new cycle begins," said Anthony Aveni, a Maya expert and archaeoastronomer at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York.

Beyond Cancun: Discovering a Deeper Green Get-Away at CESiaK

2009-11-13T14:36:00.000-08:00

From a post by Jessica Root on Treehugger.com:

When my boyfriend had surprised me with two round-trip tickets to Cancun for my birthday, let's just say I was surprised. He's in school for a Masters of Science in Environmental Management. I like to wax poetic about the benefits of ecotourism. Cancun, the infamous Spring break destination (thanks, MTV!) known for over-developed hotel strips, excessive water usage and lackadaisical waste management hardly makes it to any greenie's get-away list.

Little did I know that Cancun, home to the Yucatan Peninsula's main airport, would merely serve as our portal to the peninsula's off-the-beaten track beauty and tropical paradise like that discovered within Centro Ecologico Sian Ka'an (CESiaK).

The gem of a mid-sized beach resort is located south of Maya Tulum's hotel zone, just beyond the bumpy, dirt road entrance of the Sian Kaan Biosphere--the largest protected area (around 1.3 million acres) in the Mexican Caribbean. This also happens to be a declared World Heritage Site by the United Nation's UNESCO program.

Off-the-Grid Paradise
Within CESiaK we found a completely off of the grid paradise, powered up by wind and solar, equipped with composting toilets and a rainwater harvesting system providing the water used for bathing and brushing teeth.

The charming, private cabanas (bedroom-sized tents covered by palm-thatched roofs) dispersed through the property's snaking, jungle paths are elevated on stilts, providing roomy travel paths for iguanas, hermit crabs and blue crabs making their homes in the area adjacent to the Caribbean Sea's coastline.

Declaration calls for more wilderness protected areas to combat global warming

2009-11-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

From an article by Jeremy Hance on Mongabay.com:

Meeting this week in Merida, Mexico, the 9th World Wilderness Congress (WILD9) has released a declaration that calls for increasing wilderness protections in an effort to mitigate climate change. The declaration, which is signed by a number of influential organizations, argues that wilderness areas—both terrestrial and marine—act as carbon sinks, while preserving biodiversity and vital ecosystem services.

Entitled the Merida Message, the declaration put forth by the Chairman and Executive Committee of WILD9, describes the humanity's current situation as such: "runaway carbon emissions are driving the climate towards irreversible tipping points; we are contaminating our planet with pervasive toxicity, destroying the diversity of life on our planet, exhausting freshwater supplies and causing acidification in our oceans, and over-exploiting our oceans, causing fisheries to collapse. As a result, we are deepening poverty, weakening social structures and threatening global security."

International League of Conservation Photographers

2009-11-10T14:47:00.000-08:00

The International League of Conservation Photographers: Trailer
from The WILD Foundation on Vimeo.

The ILCP is a project-driven organization. Our mission is to translate conservation science into compelling visual messages targeted to specific audiences. We work with leading scientists, policy makers, government leaders and conservation groups to produce the highest-quality documentary images of both the beauty and wonder of the natural world and the challenges facing it.

The unique set of skills, talent and years of field experience spent documenting delicate and complex environmental subjects as well as a real commitment to conserve the landscapes, people and wildlife in the places where they work, is what sets the photographers of the ILCP apart. From poaching to global warming, from habitat loss to cultural erosion, from sustainability to biological corridors, the work of conservation photographers covers the entire range of threats to biodiversity and is indeed a critical component in the conservation toolbox.

Our mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography.

We believe that awe-inspiring photography is a powerful force for the environment, especially when paired with the collaboration of committed scientists, politicians, religious leaders and policy makers. We plan to replace environmental indifference with a new culture of stewardship and passion for our beautiful planet.

Endangered species in the Yucatán

2009-11-09T14:28:00.001-08:00

The BBC's site has stunning photos highlighting threatened wildlife in the Yucatan Peninsula in Central America.

(Sorry; copyright laws prohibit posting them here, but they're worth a click on the link above.)

Astonishing consensus on reefs -- Just save them

2009-11-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

From an article on Underwater Times:

CORVALLIS, Oregon -- One of the first set of studies to examine what tourists and recreation enthusiasts actually think about coral reef ecosystems suggests they are a rare exception to controversies over human use versus environmental conservation – their stunning beauty is so extraordinary that almost everyone wants them protected in perpetuity.

That core belief is often strong enough that if it means people have to be kept out, so be it.

The analysis, done in Hawaii by researchers from Oregon State University and the University of Hawaii, found that most people visiting the state's coral reef ecosystems care deeply about these areas and very much enjoy visiting them, but will generally endorse whatever amount of management is needed to protect them.

"It was really quite astonishing, almost shocking how much people wanted this resource protected for its own sake," said Mark Needham, an assistant professor of forest ecosystems and society at OSU. "We fish and hunt wildlife for food or sport, we cut trees for timber. In most natural resource issues, we find conflicts over management for economic value versus environmental preservation or protection, but we really didn't see that here.

Fly fishing in México

2009-11-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

From a post on Maine Outdoor Journal:

I'm in a fishing village in the Yucatan Peninsula, my time here has been wonderful, six months and counting.....the place is called Punta Allen, and the lodge is ¨Cuzan¨. You´ll find it at the very end of the road along the coast of the Riviera.

The little town has many things to offer, including fresh lobster, a reef barrier for snorkeling and many fish in the mangroves to catch and release.

Mayan Riviera: Antidote to island boredom

2009-11-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

From an article by Chris Haslam on TimesOnline (UK):

From where I’m sitting, this could be Barbados. The sun is high in a cloudless sky, the sea is brochure-blue and the sand is the stuff of dreams.

It’s that special time of day, the moment just after breakfast when you remember, deliciously, that you have no obligations other than loafing in the shade of a rustling coco palm and wonder whether it’s too early to start drinking.

From where I’m slumped in my hammock, I can see a pair of Italian air hostesses rubbing factor five into each other’s shoulders, a trio of pelicans diving for fish and a smiling waiter coming to see if I’ve made my mind up about that drink.

If this were Barbados, or virtually any other island in the Caribbean, I would be looking forward to nothing more than a gentle swim, a long lunch, an afternoon nap, cocktails, dinner, and so to bed in the certain knowledge that tomorrow was going to be exactly the same as today.

Because while the Leewards and the Windwards are perfectly lovely for the body, they offer little unction for the mind and soul. So the only real option, after you’ve done the island tour, visited the fish market and wandered around the pastel-painted historic capital, is to start drinking earlier and earlier each day in a bid to stave off the creeping feeling that you’ve flown 3,000 miles to be, well, bored.

There, I’ve said it. Boredom. Ennui. Tedium. Monotony.

Another drink, sir? Not before breakfast — ah, what the hell. But winter sun doesn’t have to be that way. Now the pandemic panic has passed, all you need to do is fly a little further, to the strip of Mexico’s Caribbean coastline they call the Mayan Riviera, and you’ll find the same perfect beaches, turquoise seas and bronzed Italian air hostesses, along with gastronomy, history and culture in spades.

Maya Rainforest: Second largest rainforest on the planet

2009-11-03T13:06:00.000-08:00

From an article by Jacqueline Jones in The Barbados Advocate:

The Mesoamerica’s Maya Rainforest, otherwise known as Selva Maya in Spanish, or Maya Rainforest for short, is the second largest rainforest on the planet. It is a massive expanse of dense tropical flora, fauna, species of animal and insects, which while it is mainly spread across Mexico, stretches outside Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula (south-eastern Mexico which separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico) borders, into Guatemala and Belize. In short, it is 13.3 million acres of rainforest, mangrove, savannah and wetland. Amazing!

This rainforests is often a buzz of activity, as along with the thousands of species of plant-life, there are 400 species of bird, five species of large cats, including the puma and jaguar, sea turtles and even endangered species like the howler monkey, just to name a small portion of what exists here.

The sometimes forgotten rainforest isn’t just home to animal and plants however. Co-existing within the forest’s impressive diversity of species and ecosystems, there is a culturally diverse population of over six million, from the 13 linguistic groups of the indigenous Mayan people. These peoples bring their own flair to the rainforest, as their thousands of years old histories, can be easily seen through their archaeological remnants.

This little piece of ecological wonder has not been spared from the effects of climate change and the effects can be seen through various occurrences. One of these are the dried up Chicozapote trees, which once abundantly dripped chicle, which is a natural gum that is traditionally used to make chewing gum. This has caused a dent in the finances of the peoples of the forest, as this was a means of income. Another financial setback comes in the form of the Mahogany, the cost of which has plummeted drastically, due to the fallen trunks scattered across the forest floor and subsequent easy access to the material.

In light of all this, it is difficult to envision tourist activities and urban life buzzing within and outside the forest's borders, containing any similarity to the jungle, but it is this very forest that supplies water to all of the 3.3 million inhabitants of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is in short, their lifeline.

Campeche, the spirit of Mexico

2009-11-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

From an article by Sophie Cook in The Guaradian (UK):

While Mexico's tourist resorts are still reeling post swine flu, the beguiling city of Campeche and its surrounds is as enchanting as ever.

Mangroves and lagoons stretch along the northern half of Mexico's Campeche coast, home to countless flamingoes, while to the south the narrow bands of white sand beaches have always been cordoned off for turtles, not tourists. In the aftermath of the swine flu outbreak, Cancún, on the opposite side of the Yucatan peninsula, has been missing its usual planeloads of holidaymakers. But Campeche has never courted vast numbers of visitors and, while welcoming the few that come, can get by just fine without them. Lacking the Yucatan east coast's turquoise seas and sweeping beaches, this ruggedly beautiful western coast epitomises independent spirit. It's certainly safe again to bring your body here for healing winter sun; but more to the point, this area has always provided a unique medicine for the soul. Its inhabitants are justifiably proud of their abundant wildlife and rich cultural inheritance, while Campeche city itself is one of the most beguiling places in Latin America.

Beat-up cars rattle through the narrow cobbled streets, a rusting Dodge parked up outside the pastel blue manicured splendour of a colonial house. The whole city centre is listed as a Unesco world heritage site: a perfectly preserved 16th-century Spanish colonial streetscape, where the fierce tropical sun tears shadows through curving wrought-iron balconies and window grilles, across the painted walls. Despite its overwhelming beauty, historical importance, and extreme safety, Campeche city is no stuffy museum piece. The vigorous thrum of Mexican daily life beats everywhere just beneath its stuccoed skin. The streets are filled with independently-owned shops selling pens, or tinsel, or radios. Women and old men pray beneath the chandeliers inside the finely-kept churches, or come to read their newspapers in the pews, finding sanctuary for the flesh as well as the soul in the cool limestone walls. Pelicans dive into the navy waters of the Gulf of Mexico beyond the city's sea walls, splashing down between small fishing boats, while Mayan women from the countryside sell mangoes on street corners and lanky boys shoot pool at battered green tables in antique colonnades.

Day of the Dead

2009-10-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

From an article on MexExperience:

One of Mexico’s most important religious holidays is celebrated on All Saint’s Day (Nov 1) and All Soul’s Day (Nov 2): Dia de los Muertos (sometimes called Dia de los Fieles Difuntos) – Day of the Dead. Traditionally, November 1st honors deceased children and November 2nd honors deceased adults.

Far from being a morbid event, Day of Dead emphasizes remembrance of past lives and celebration of the continuity of life. This acknowledgement of life’s continuity has roots which go back to some of Mexico’s oldest civilizations: Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, Purepecha. The Aztecs, too, celebrated Day of the Dead, although earlier (August) on the current calendar.

Day of the Dead is celebrated passionately throughout Mexico, and especially so in smaller provincial towns and cities.

One of the culinary highlights of the season is “Pan de Muerto” (Bread of the Dead) which is a semi-sweet sugar-coated bread made from eggs and infused with natural citrus fruit flavors. It’s traditionally taken with hot chocolate that has been mixed with cinnamon and makes for a perfect blend on a chilly November evening.

Would you fly with the flu?

2009-10-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

From an article by David Wilkeningon TravelMole.com:

A majority or 51 percent in a TripAdvisor.com poll said the high costs of change fees would make them go ahead with an airline trip despite being ill.

"While the thought of paying a $50 to $150 ticket change fee may cause heartburn for many travelers, we strongly recommend against flying while you're sick with the flu, both as a courtesy to yourself and your fellow travelers,” said Bryan Saltzburg, TripAdvisor general manager of new initiatives. He added:

"If you're worried about getting sick this season, you may want to take a look at trip insurance for flights being booked during peak flu months.”

He added, however, that participants should sure to read the fine print in the policy to make sure it covers the flu, though, as some only offer reimbursements for major illnesses.

Hanal Pixan, Maya Day of the Dead in Pac Chen, Quintana Roo

2009-10-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

From an article by Jane Ammeson on Mex Connect:

The monkeys, they tell me, are asleep in a cave across the lagoon. But other than that disappointment, my trip to Pac Chen, a micro sized Maya village in the jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula, is the perfect way to step back in time.

To get here from Playa del Carmen, our home base, we traveled the bustling four lane coastal highway to Tulum and then headed east towards Coba, one of the many archaeological sites that dot this region where the Maya empire reigned supreme centuries ago. Northeast of Coba, the road turned into a paved path that seemed endangered of being encroached on either side by the jungle. We passed a smattering of thatched wooden huts, but the villages that we had seen on the major roads had all but disappeared. So far, we had been traveling for two hours and the sophistication of Rivera Maya, with its cruise ship ports, shopping plazas and restaurants, seemed even further away.

"When you see the tall palm tree, take the first road to the right," instructed my friend Jeanette Rigter. The road to the right, which rose and dropped through lush, impenetrable looking forest, took us even further from civilization. There were, I noted, no electric lines.

"Pac Chen won't be getting electricity until the end of the year," Jeanette informs me. Needless to say, my cell phone screen reads "no service."

At first, Pac Chen looks to be almost abandoned, thatched roofs over stick sided buildings seem empty of people. But after parking and walking a long narrow stone path, we come to the heart of this village, perched on the edge of a lagoon that is ringed by jungle growth and chit palms with their fan-like fronds.

Hotel Eco Paraiso to participate in Wild9 Congress

2009-10-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

From a news release issued by Hotel Eco Paraiso:

CELESTUN, Mexico— Hotel Eco Paraiso, located within the Special Biosphere Reserve of Celestun on the northern Gulf of Mexico, in the State of Yucatan, will be taking an important part in the Wild9 Congress (9th World Wilderness Congress) that is going to be held from November 6th to November 13th in Merida, the State capital of the Yucatan.

During the month of July of 2009, the non-profit organization CAMBIOS went on an expedition to the Yucatan Peninsula, visiting its Biological Reserves and National Parks in order to measure the impacts of the Global Warming in the Peninsula and to verify its impact on the local flora and fauna. One of the first locations for the CAMBIOS expedition in the Peninsula was on the Celestun Biosphere Reserve, visiting the Celestun Inlet and the North area of the Reserve where Eco Paraiso Hotel has become established as one of the ecological lodges of more relevance in the Peninsula. A Special Biosphere denotes a zone of one or more eco-systems unaltered by man. The area is a main feeding ground for the Pink Flamingo and many other sea birds as well as a breeding ground for sea turtles.

During the Wild9 Congress, the members of CAMBIOS expedition are going to show the results of this expedition and the case of Eco Paraiso Hotel as a sustainable ecological hotel in the Celestun Biosphere Reserve.

Where is everybody? Not in Mexico

2009-10-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

From an article by Tim Carman in The Washington Post:

These days, you could have Isla Mujeres all to yourself

My wife and I had the cabbie drop us in downtown Isla Mujeres so we could polish off some croissants and a plate of chilaquiles, that Mexican breakfast staple, before wandering over to Playa del Norte, the island's most popular beach. As we sat at the outdoor cafe, the early-morning sun still formulating its plan of attack on our cubicle-pale bodies, we couldn't help noticing that aside from the wait staff and the steroidal lobster lolling in a nearby tank, we were about the only creatures around.

Our sense of being the last tourists on the island only intensified as we walked those few quiet blocks to the beach. The narrow streets, crowded with shops and restaurants and hotels, were almost deserted, too. The browned, weather-beaten men and women who stood vigil outside their stores viewed us, I felt, less as tourists than as sheep that must be trapped, and not released, until sheared of our wool.

The come-hither hustle, of course, is nothing new to Mexican tourist centers, but the relentlessness, even desperation, of these street pitches underscored a sad truth about Isla Mujeres this past August: The place was dead, and merchants had far fewer opportunities to make a buck. The European backpackers who usually descend upon the island at that time of year were mostly absent. So were diners at some of Isla's finest restaurants, including Casa O's, where one Friday evening we were the only two customers sitting beneath the circular palapa with the gorgeous sunset views of Mujeres Bay. And Playa del Norte? We had the run of the sugar-white beaches once we made it through the gantlet of street hawkers.

It wasn't hard to pinpoint the troubles afflicting the local tourism industry, but I still wanted to hear it from shopkeepers' mouths. Everywhere I went, particularly if I didn't have to converse in my embarrassing pidgin Spanish, I'd ask the owner why the island was so devoid of tourists. Their answers were always the same: the global economic downturn and swine flu.

Destination spotlight: Balamku

2009-10-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

From Balamku's Web site:

Balamku is a new concept of hotel in the Costa Maya region, one of Mexico's hidden treasures.

We are in the southern area of the Yucatan Peninsula, just south of a little fishing village, Mahahual in a natural, unspoiled environment with a community of friendly people.

At Balamku, we have created a beautiful setting that respects the natural surroundings.

We are committed to providing comfort and quality services using the resources of nature without abusing the environment.

Our respect for the environment, focus on ecotourism and intimate surroundings, will suit travelers who want a change from the large resorts

8th Festival de Aves, Yucatán, Nov. 19-22

2009-10-21T14:56:00.001-07:00

From the festival announcement on YucatanBirds.org:

The Yucatan Bird Festival “TOH” takes place in a state which has traditionally served as the region’s cultural center. It’s a perfect place to combine birds with visits to Maya archeological zones and rural indigenous communities. Join us for well-packed three days of birding in company of local guides. Yucatan is home to 445 of the 548 bird species registered for the entire peninsula.

There are exhibits and conferences in the colonial city of Merida prior to going afield. An important and fun part of the festival is the birding competition for all levels of abilities called xoc ch’ich – word in maya that means “bird count”.

The festival is just a part of the local birding activities taking place this year in Valladolid, which includes workshops for children and adults, bird marathons, bird and song recording for guides. The travel agencies are actively participating in offering festival packages, as well as alternatives for pre and post tours.

Mole and other things you haven’t tried

2009-10-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

From a post on Mexperience.com:

A notable thing about Mexico is the great variety of foods and dishes that can be easily identified with the country. Most of the traditional foods are available all year round, although certain dates and holidays are associated with particular dishes.

September, the Mes de la Patria because of the Independence Day, brings chiles en nogada, hot green peppers filled with walnuts and raisins, covered with cream and sprinkled with pomegranate, and pozole, a broth with large grains of corn, red or green chili, chicken or pork, radish, and other trimmings.

Christmas dishes include bacalao, specially prepared codfish, and romeritos, dried shrimp and rosemary sprigs in mole. Tamales are eaten all year round but traditionally at Candlemas, on February 2nd. October is when bakeries bring out the “Pan de Muerto” bread for the All Souls Day celebrations, although some start selling it in late August to avoid wasting commercial time, and the Rosca de Reyes cake is cut at Epiphany (Three Kings Day) on January 6th.

For newcomers to the country, some local dishes, particularly spicy ones, take a while to get used to, and some people at first turn their noses up at the different tastes and smells. Quite understandably, many Mexicans are astounded someone wouldn’t like pozole, or mole, or some other dish that people here get excited about, and they assume you haven’t tried it. If you say you have, then obviously “no has probado el que hace mi tía” - you haven’t tried the one my aunt makes.

Perhaps one of the most acquired tastes in Mexican food is mole. This sauce is made from dried and ground chile peppers mixed with other spices and ingredients - famously chocolate used in making mole poblano (from Puebla) or black mole of Oaxaca.

2010 doomsday: Hollywood hype

2009-10-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

From an Associated Press article by Mark Stevenson posted on Newsday.com:

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Apolinario Chile Pixtun is tired of being bombarded with frantic questions about the Mayan calendar supposedly "running out" on Dec. 21, 2012. After all, it's not the end of the world.

Or is it?

Definitely not, the Mayan Indian elder insists. "I came back from England last year and, man, they had me fed up with this stuff."

It can only get worse for him. Next month Hollywood's "2012" opens in cinemas, featuring earthquakes, meteor showers and a tsunami dumping an aircraft carrier on the White House.

At Cornell University, Ann Martin, who runs the "Curious? Ask an Astronomer" Web site, says people are scared.

"It's too bad that we're getting e-mails from fourth-graders who are saying that they're too young to die," Martin said. "We had a mother of two young children who was afraid she wouldn't live to see them grow up."

Chile Pixtun, a Guatemalan, says the doomsday theories spring from Western, not Mayan ideas. . . .

The Mayan civilization, which reached its height from 300 A.D. to 900 A.D., had a talent for astronomy

Its Long Count calendar begins in 3,114 B.C., marking time in roughly 394-year periods known as Baktuns. Thirteen was a significant, sacred number for the Mayas, and the 13th Baktun ends around Dec. 21, 2012.

"It's a special anniversary of creation," said David Stuart, a specialist in Mayan epigraphy at the University of Texas at Austin. "The Maya never said the world is going to end, they never said anything bad would happen necessarily, they're just recording this future anniversary on Monument Six."

Bernal suggests that apocalypse is "a very Western, Christian" concept projected onto the Maya, perhaps because Western myths are "exhausted."

A must-have guidebook for archaeology addicts

2009-10-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

From a post by John Mitchell on Mexico Premiere:

I confess that I’m a ruins junkie. I just can’t seem to get enough of exploring ancient Mayan temples and climbing Aztec pyramids. Year after year, the mystery and stark beauty of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic ruins keep me coming back for more.

Over the decades, I’ve accumulated a large stash of archaeology guidebooks to feed my habit. But the one I always reach for first is Archaeological Mexico: A Traveler’s Guide to Ancient Cities. The author, Andrew Coe, is the son of two well-known anthropologists, and he grew up visiting Mexican archaeological sites.

Coe provides historical and touring information about popular sites such as Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan, and Monte Alban, along with dozens of less-visited ruins throughout Mexico. However, what is really outstanding about this book is how Coe examines the archaeological record and attempts to cut through questionable myths that have grown up around many of Mexico’s pre-Columbian civilizations.

Each chapter of the book highlights a different geographical region, and Coe ranks archaeological sites by assigning them different numbers of trowels. For example, Four Trowels indicate “a world-class site, a must for every visitor,” and One Trowel denotes a site for the “indefatigable archaeological tourist.” Coe also includes useful maps and sidebars on special topics relating to Mexican archaeology.

Watch Turtle Festival closing ceremony online, Oct. 17,5:30 pm

2009-10-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

A note from Paul Sanchez-Navarro, executive director of Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA):

Watch the 7th Annual Sea Turtle Festival closing events in Akumal this Sunday on a live feed at WWW.RIVIERAMAYATV.ORG - it's going to be fun (we hope; it's the first time in Akumal and all the CEA staff are working very hard to make it happen)!!!!!!

Sustainable living workshops in Playa del Carmen

2009-10-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

From an announcement on Playa Maya News:

Starting October 24th, 2009 Ak Lu'um International School will be hosting a series of Sustainable Living Workshops in coordination with BambuSur; a locally owned, ecologically responsible building company. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about sustainable building techniques, materials, and eco-friendly systems.

The cost of each workshop is $250 pesos per person including a vegetarian lunch. Child care and activities are available for $100 pesos per child. (ages 3 and up)

To reserve a place, email Stacy at bambusur@yahoo.com. This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or call 984-128-1765 (English and Spanish spoken)

Festival de la Tortuga Marina, Oct. 16-18, Akumal & Tulum

2009-10-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

Friday, Oct. 16, 16:00–19:00, Casa de la Cultura de Tulúm: Opening – Murals – Drawing Contest – Sea Turtle Season Information – Cultural Performances – Quelonios Ak, Visual Art Exposition

Saturday, Oct. 17, 07:00–14:00, Playa Pescadores, Tulúm and Akumal Bay: Beach Clean Up – Sand Sculpture and Kite Contest. 18:00, Xcacel: Live Music – Performance – Fire Dance – Symbolic Hatchlings Release. Parking at Xel-Ha.

Sunday, Oct. 18, 10:00–20:00, Akumal: PET Contest – Drums – Mayan Ceremony. 19:00, Symbolic Hatchlings Release.

For further information please contact:
Alma D. Boada S. Comunication Coordinator.

Campeche, the spirit of Mexico

2009-10-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

From an article by Sophie Cook in The Guardian (UK):

Mangroves and lagoons stretch along the northern half of Mexico's Campeche coast, home to countless flamingoes, while to the south the narrow bands of white sand beaches have always been cordoned off for turtles, not tourists. In the aftermath of the swine flu outbreak, Cancún, on the opposite side of the Yucatan peninsula, has been missing its usual planeloads of holidaymakers. But Campeche has never courted vast numbers of visitors and, while welcoming the few that come, can get by just fine without them. Lacking the Yucatan east coast's turquoise seas and sweeping beaches, this ruggedly beautiful western coast epitomises independent spirit. It's certainly safe again to bring your body here for healing winter sun; but more to the point, this area has always provided a unique medicine for the soul. Its inhabitants are justifiably proud of their abundant wildlife and rich cultural inheritance, while Campeche city itself is one of the most beguiling places in Latin America.

Hotel Akumal Caribe, an eco-friendly resort

2009-10-09T09:06:00.001-07:00

From the newsletter of Centro Ecológico Akumal (CEA):

Hotel Club Akumal Caribe, an eco-friendly resort, located on Akumal’s main bay is breathtaking, inviting and un-crowded. It’s the safest bay for children of all ages.

Close to archaeological site of the mysterious Mayan civilization and many other attractions.

Make Hotel Akumal Caribe your home base for your Mexican Caribbean adventure. You’ll feel more like a guest at a friend’s beach house than a customer at a resort.

This intimate and charming resort has something to appeal to everyone:

•Akumal Dive Center - a PADI training facility featuring certifications, tours, and equipment.
•Budha Gardens Spa - full menu of treatments in a garden setting on the beach
•Kid’s Club
•Super Chomak – Full service grocery store, and two boutiques; Mexicarte and Boutique Lamanai.
•Restaurant and Snack bar Lolha – The best food in town. Varied menu. Personal service, great ambiance, and the best view of the main bay!

Akumal, an aquatic paradise of the Mexican Caribbean

2009-10-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

From a post on Villa de Ayora:

Akumal is a quiet destination, ideal paradise for those who practice water sports. It is a beautiful bay that is located only 37 kilometers from Playa del Carmen in the Mexican Caribbean.

Its name means, in Maya land or place of turtles. And this is not a name chosen at random but that is because this is the place chosen by these animals to spawn every year. Thus, the chance to see adult species, swim with them and appreciate the birth of their children, is a show suitable for those coming to enjoy these beautiful beaches.

But of course, beyond that, its white sand beaches, clear, calm waters and coral, Akumal offers a number of attractions for all tastes. Thus, you can visit the museum created by the CEA (Centro Ecologic Akumal) whose purpose is to educate, inform and, above all, create environmental awareness in all who visit.

Meanwhile, amid so many natural wonders, a little history is present. This is so because these havens were populated by the Maya and, there stands a temple on an island of rock in the creek Xaac.

Urinating tourist attacked by crocodile in Mexico

2009-10-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

From an article orginally at dailymail.co.uk and posted on Eturbonews:

A U.S. tourist got more then he bargained for when he was attacked by a crocodile while attempting to answer the call of nature in the Mexican resort of Cancun this week.

According to Mexican police 20-year-old Andrew Dales, from Dallas in Texas, confessed that he had been on a mission to relieve himself at the edge of the local Nicupté lagoon , in the popular tourist resort of Cancun, when the crocodile suddenly snapped at him.

He suffered ‘multiple bite wounds’ to his leg and neck and was also left with a head injury after the reptile knocked him to the ground, a police spokesman said.

Cancun is one of Mexico’s premier holiday destinations for UK and U.S. tourists.

Cancun's crocodiles (principally American crocodiles, Crocodylus acutus) are non-aggressive species that feed on fish and other small wildlife.

Travel tips

2009-10-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

The latest travel tips from the World Heritage Alliance:

Traveling to World Heritage sites is rewarding! It is about exploring unique environments, engaging with cultural splendors, experiencing a different way of life, and building lasting memories. Follow these great travel tips to enhance your trip AND benefit the World Heritage sites you visit.

More than twenty-five sites lie within Mexico.

The Mayan Riviera is committed to conserving nature in Mexico

2009-09-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

From an article on Travel Video News:

As a demonstration of its commitment to environmental conservation, Mexico’s Riviera Maya has launched the Mesoamerican Tourism Reef Initiative (MARTI) to help protect the beautiful and unique flora and fauna in the area surrounding the Northern Hemisphere’s largest coral reef.

The initiative unites tourism service providers such as hotels, tourism developers, tour companies and cruise lines with civil and governmental organizations to develop and implement initiatives in favor of the environment in general and the area surrounding the Mesoamerican Reef in particular.

Created by the Conservation International Coral Reef Alliance and the local environmental organization Amigos de Sian Ka’an in conjunction with the Riviera Maya Hotel Association, the initiative aims to promote environmental best practices, further the responsible use of natural resources and foster a culture of environmental sustainability among business owners, hotel operators and even guests. The alliance is the only one of its kind in the area surrounding the Mesoamerican Reef.