Edition 87

B i w e e k l y · Ye a r 03 · N u m b e r 87 · 20,000 c o p i e s · 24 Pages · J u n e 2 2 - J u l y 5 , 2 0 1 6

S MASP IDE

t h e p l a y at i m e s . c o m

IN

Descending to depths of up to 65 meters, this local freediver is breaking records and studying sustainable development engineering to protect the environment that challenges her to go deeper >P. 7

T PT Food i es :

Great Breakfast Spots

>P. 16

Live Bands: >P. 14

Photo: Camila Jaber

Footprints

· ART & CULTURE

· DISCOVER MEXICO

EL HONGO

COPPER CANYON

Careful when walking through the jungles of the Riviera Maya.

You may encounter the chechen tree. If you do, you better hope its brother, the chacah is close by!

>P. 18

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

M AYA A L M I G H T Y

· TPT FOODIES

Larger than the Grand Canyon, this region, in the state of Chihuahua, is home to the highest waterfalls in Mexico and some of the best runners in the world

Take a trip to the west side of the highway and discover why this restaurant is a neighborhood favorite. Here´s a hint...it isn’t just the food

>P. 9

>P. 17

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June 22 - July 5

2016

Editorial DIRECTORY Rebecca Page Editor edition@meridianmedia.mx

Edgar E. Mena Copy Editor copyeditor@meridianmedia.mx

Efrén Velázquez Art & Design design@meridianmedia.mx

Fabián Muñoz Key Account Manager Cell: 984 179 2110 ventas@meridianmedia.mx

Ana Martínez Brand Manager Cell: 984 169 1637 marketing@meridianmedia.mx

Erika Serra Public Relations Cell: 984 119 1586 publicrelations@meridianmedia.mx

Camila Jaber, Freediver and Riviera Maya homegirl! / Photo: Camila Jaber

Octavio Moreno

Freediving with the Fishes

Sales Executive Cell: 984 179 8347 octavio@meridianmedia.mx

Missey Dee

BY REBECCA PAGE

Sales Executive Cell: 998 127 6071 melissa@meridianmedia.mx

I

n this edition, for our cover, we chose to profile Camila Jaber. She is a young, record-breaking freediver from right here in the Riviera Maya. We thought she was an appropriate story for our cover because we love to profile residents who are making a difference, either by challenging themselves or giving back to the community and the environment we call home.

Another reason we think Camila is perfect for the cover? She is right at home in the environment that brought most of us here in the first place - the sea.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with freediving, it is a practice that involves diving without a breathing apparatus like scuba equipment. One breath and down you go. Professional freediv-

Milton Rosel Distribution Supervisor distribution@meridianmedia.mx

CONTACT US AT: 984-803 1446 info@meridianmedia.mx /theplayatimes

ers train extensively to be able to reach the depths they do. Depending on their discipline (with or without weights, with or without fins, etc.) divers have been recorded reaching depths of up to 214 meters. That is 702 feet. Herbert Nitsch, the freediver who reached 214 meters, attempted to break his own record by descending to depths of 253.2 meters (a staggering 831 feet) but passed out on the way up and needed the assistance of safety divers. Yes, much deeper than you would ever hope to go while heading out for a recreational scuba dive. The deepest I have dived was in Cozumel at Devil´s Throat, and we hit around 130 feet. Deep enough for me thanks! And I was scuba diving!

Whether a freediver is looking to break records professionally, or to feel a greater connection to the environment

they enter, they challenge their bodies to do things that most of us would consider impossible. Their connection to the sea is unmatched by those of us who choose to snorkel or scuba. Even if for a short period of time, they are part of the sea. Recreationally, they swim with bull sharks; they play with dolphins, and they enter shipwrecks. Hearing the sounds of the sea, without the interruption of bubbles and sucking regulators.

Camila´s experiences under the water have lead to her commitment to protecting the environment through her studies.

She is currently studying sustainable development engineering. We look forward to following this young freediver´s accomplishments whether it be diving deeper and continuing to break records or in her future career in sustainable development.

@ThePlayaTimes playatimes

THE PLAYA TIMES RIVIERA MAYA'S COMMUNITY PAPER Periódico Quincenal.

Número de Certificado de Reserva otorgado por el Instituto Nacional de Derechos de Autor: (PENDIENTE). Número de Certificado de Licitud de Título: (en trámite). Número de Certificado de Licitud de Contenido: (en trámite). Domicilio de la publicación: Plaza Paseo Coba, 2do piso local 301, Playacar fase II, Playa del Carmen, Solidaridad, Quintana Roo C.P. 77710. Impreso en talleres Grupo Megamedia Prolongación de Montejo número 301, entre 40 y 42, fraccionamiento Campestre, Mérida, Yucatán. Distribuidor: Meridian Media, S.A. de C.V., Plaza Paseo Coba, 2do piso local 301, Playacar fase II, Playa del Carmen, Solidaridad, Quintana Roo C.P. 77710.

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June 22 - July 5

2016

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N E WS I N B R I E F

June 22 - July 5

2016

Regulating All-Inclusive Hotels Some business owners feel the ¨everything included¨ business model creates an uneven playing field and are asking for greater regulations of the industry

BY MELISSA ROBLES

S

ince the tourism boom in the Riviera Maya began, the all-inclusive hotel system has played a major role in the destination. The intent of this model was to combine the amenities desired by tourists in one place: lodging, meals, drinks, and entertainment.

However, some local businesses believe it creates a one-sided business environment.

These businesses have seen economic losses that they believe are a result of the concentration of vacationers in one place.

For Marciano Toledo Sánchez, hotel owner and counselor to the National Chamber of Commerce, it is urgent to regulate the all included hotel concept. He believes, “it is a cancer that affects all business because it takes business away from the majority of hotels and doesn’t give the tourists a chance to see other businesses.”

He said that there is no real windfall for the community. He said that the lodging tax (3%), is not fully paid by those types of hotels, as they deduct food and beverages. He explained that in European cities like Mallorca, this system was already regulated in a successful manner.

Restaurateur César Navarro Medina said that this competition is unfair, as the all inclusive not only offers lodging, but also have restaurants, bars, nightclubs, handicraft stores, and even supermarkets.

“I would call these hotel practices predatory because there are hotels that even have shopping centers, something which the authorities should be watching,” he lamented.

Concerned business owners believe that it should be a government priority to intervene to support the local economy.

General Director of Tourism, Elda Clementina del Tejo Corral, indicated that all included hotels began in the region many years ago. The all-inclusive concept allowed trav-

Photos: pixabay

50%

of all-inclusive guests participate in activities outside of the hotel property

elers who didn´t know the language to be comfortable knowing they could safely travel on vacation to the Riviera Maya, a new region that wasn’t well known at the time. ¨You would arrive at a hotel where the brand was familiar to you because they were (large hotel) chains,” he explained.

However, with more information about the safety of the Riviera Maya and the significant growth in popularity, the behavior of tourists is changing, and the all-inclusives are changing with it. More than 50 percent of the activities a vacationer at an all inclusive hotel does are outside the hotel, and many of those activities are purchased and managed through the hotel.

Business owners are asking for demanding that a fairer competitive environment, one that allows them to have greater participation in the tourism market in the region.

Obtaining Residency in Mexico

By Mexlaw Canadians and Americans are seeking temporary and permanent visas for residency in Mexico. Many decide to buy a home for retirement in the Riviera Maya or spend a longer vacation to avoid the chilly temperatures in their hometowns.

Adriana Vela, immigration specialist from MexLaw, commented that some foreigners who buy properties in the Riviera Maya are looking to obtain their residency because of the advantages it offers, including the exemption from capital gains tax when selling said properties. She also mentioned that the majority of foreigners who approach the firm she represents are Canadians (60%) followed by the US (39%) while Europeans represent 1%.

The immigration specialist explained that usually, foreigners arrive in October or November, and return to their homes in spring or summer when the weather is milder. To avoid paying for hotels for long periods, they choose to buy a house or an apartment and rent it to tourists when they are not occupying it.

Other foreigners come to spend their retirement in the region, so they choose to get their permanent residency. In this case, they should seek support from a specialist in matters of immigration.

Ms. Vela explained that there are various requirements to apply for a residency, and currently, foreigners must apply for a temporary or permanent visa from abroad and can no longer apply in Mexico. The specialist noted that three fundamental steps should be taken: They should apply from a Mexican consulate

Photo: The Playa Times

in their home or another country.

Once they obtain the pre-approval, they have 180 days to return to Mexico and begin their exchange process.

In the case of those who want to obtain their visa due to a job offer, they can apply in Mexico, and later, leave the country to return again to do the exchange.

Ideally, foreigners should contact an immigration specialist to obtain information, advice and to complete the process.

For immigration advice contact adriana@mexlaw.ca

June 22 - July 5

N E WS I N B R I E F

2016

5

PAN & PRD Win Elections in Quintana Roo For the first time in its 42-year history, the young state elected a political party other than the PRI

BY MELISSA ROBLES

with 178,667 votes.

After confirming his victory in the polls, Carlos Joaquín said that he will lead an honest government “of clear accounts, going against corruption and the impunity that exists in Quintana Roo today. A government that offers an alternative, a new way of seeing things, and without a doubt, one that will make a change, but a change with growth, with order and one that is close to all citizens, differently from what has happened in these last few years”.

The local government will be headed by a woman for the first time, Cristina Torres Gómez, who won an arduous campaign. She won 20,383 votes and will be mayor of Playa del Carmen.

The state Congress will be represented by two legislators. In District X, the representative is Laura Beristain Navarrete, who has advocated for public beaches for all, while District IX will be represented by ecologist Carlos Toledo Medina, who comes from a political family, as his father was mayor of Playa del Carmen and his brother is currently a Federal Representative.

O

n September 25, a new democratic era will begin for Quintana Roo. For the first time in its history, the state will be governed by a party other than the PRI. In Playa del Carmen, the situation is the same, as in the elections on June 5, the Nueva Alianza (New Hope) alliance, formed by the PAN and PRD parties, were able to defeat the PRI ruling party.

Carlos Joaquín González will be the new governor. He was the President of Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen) from 2005 to 2008, pushing the Riviera Maya as a tourist destination for visitors worldwide. He was, previously, the head of the Department of Tourism for the state of Quintana Roo, a Federal Representative and Subsecretary of Tourism in the Federal Government.

After a disagreement with his party, the PRI, he decided to leave them and to join the PAN-PRD alliance for the state government. He received 228,703 votes, surpassing the former mayor Mauricio Góngora Escalante (PRI), his closest contender

Cristina Torres, the new mayor, next to Carlos Joaquín, the new governor / Photo: Cristina Torres

Travel+Leisure Hotel Awards

“Best of the Best”: Rosewood Mayakoba “Reader’s Choice”: Grand Luxxe by Vidanta Riviera Maya “Beyond Business”: Four Seasons Mexico City “Design+Deco”: Grand Luxxe by Vidanta Riviera Maya “Tropical Getaway”: Nizuc “Pet Friendly”: Rosewood San Miguel de Allende “Spa Experience”: Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa “Welcoming”: Viceroy Riviera Maya “Gourmet Experience”: Dos Casas “Bar Experience”: Rosewood San Miguel de Allende “Best View”: Capella Ixtapa “Best Beds”: Nizuc “Eco Friendly”: Escondido “Local Immersion”: Hacienda Uayamón “Wellness”: Matilda “Hotel Morelia”: Cantera Diez “Room Experience”: One & Only Palmilla

BY JOE MALDONADO On May 27, the First Annual Hotel Awards took place in Morelia, Michoacan, through which the magazine Travel+Leisure recognized the best of the country’s hotel industry.

Awards were given according to service toward tourists.

In this ceremony, the Rosewood Mayakoba hotel won “Best of the Best” while the Grand Luxxe by Vidanta Riviera Maya won “Reader’s Choice”, and “Design+Deco”; while the Viceroy won first place in the “Welcoming” category.

The Rosewood Mayakoba, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, Viceroy Riviera Maya and Vidanta Riviera Maya came away with first prize nominations, among 45 hotels that competed in 17 categories. The Rosewood Mayakoba directors were very pleased with the final results. According to Edna Vega of Marketing and Public Relations in the complex, “This prize recognizes hotel hospital-

The complete list of prizewinners:

Rosewood Mayakoba took home the “Best of the Best” award / Photo: Rosweood Hotels

ity in Mexico and this year it is more complex because tourism is in vogue.

There are a lot of hotels. There are small hotels and large hotels who want to provide new experiences. It is not just the hotel room, but other concepts like food, spa, and culture”.

“This year, Rosewood Mayakoba

won best of the best, and this experience shows we have the best rooms, the best food, the best spa,” she explained. It is important to know that this is not the first prize that the complex has received. They also have received more than 10 different prizes like “5 Diamond Award” from

the American Automobile Association; the Sustainable Award from Rainforest Alliance, and others like the National Council of Education, Life and Work (CONEVyT), and the Equal Opportunities Prize from the Secretary of Labor. However, all of these prizes for Edna Vega are “an

encouragement to keep being the best and look for more experiences to provide guests,” she added, “it is important to innovate.” The director of Hotel Awards México, Patricia Vasconcelos, is looking to give back to all hotel workers to make them happy and have happy travelers.

June 22 - July 5

2016

BEACH LIFE

7

2016 Income from Tourism Up From 2015

BY JOE MALDONADO

A Single Breath: Freediving with Camila Jaber Descending to depths of up to 65 meters, this local freediver is breaking records and studying sustainable development engineering to protect the environment that challenges her to go deeper

BY MELISSA ROBLES

Tourist activity continues to generate positive news not only for Quintana Roo but for Mexico as a whole. Because of the fall in petroleum prices (which is the top source of income for Mexico), remittances (money sent by Mexicans working in the United States to their families in Mexico) and tourism have become the main contributors to the national economy.

The Secretary of Tourism recently announced that during the first quarter of 2016 income from international tourism grew 7.4% when compared with the same period from 2015. More than eight million tourists visited Mexico, which represents an increase of more than 11% of international visitors.

Not surprisingly given its proximity, The United States is the country with most tourists visiting Mexico. In the first three months of 2016, they represented 57% of people who entered the country by air.

Because of the increased tourism, Mexico experienced a 12.7% growth in income during the first quarter of 2016, when compared to the same period in 2015.

SECTUR (Mexico´s Secretariat of Tourism) detailed that from January to March of this year 8.8 million tourists visited, an 11% growth over the same period in 2015. The increase in the number of tourists flying in from the United States was 15.9 percent, around 2,556,000 passengers, the majority who flew in through Cancun, Quintana

C

amila Jaber Lara submerges herself into the depths of the ocean.

She takes a big breath, and without flippers, oxygen tank or equipment, she goes as deep as her lungs let her (up to 65 meters). Before beginning the ascent to the surface, she feels like the ocean hugs her.

She is the youngest, certified freediving instructor in the world and hails from right here in the Riviera Maya. At only 20 years old, she holds an international and two national records which she won for coming in 4th place as the best freediver.

The modern mermaid also practices recreational scuba diving with bull sharks, the second most dangerous fish in the world, and with whale sharks and sea lions.

What is freediving?

Freediving is a water discipline in which it is important to hold your breath for as long as you can and go the deepest you can. It comes in three categories: constant weight with flippers, constant weight without flippers and free immersion, which is pulling a cord attached to a floating platform. With a deep breath of air, you can practice freediving in the open sea, in ideal conditions, without a current or when there are not many waves on the surface.

How did you begin in this sport?

I started in the cenotes, more for the fun of exploring cenotes and reefs on my own. But I ended up doing freediving because I felt like I wasn’t totally free, as I depended on something else. I tried this new sport, and I fell in love with it because it gave me the opportunity to interact with the environment without using any extra equipment. A semester later, I decided to try competitive freediving because I took a training course in the Bahamas with the world champion.

In my first competition, I broke a national depth record.

Camila has broken national and international records in freediving / Photo: Camila Jaber

What was the record?

The first one I broke was 65 meters deep, which is equivalent to a 22 story building.

What techniques do you use?

All three disciplines. The last competition I went to was Vertical Blue, which is very prestigious. It is known as the “Wimbledon of Freediving”. There, three world records were broken and 38 national ones. We were a total of 20 women, and I came in 4th place. Now, I am specialized in freediving because it is more demanding and pure at the same time, you don’t have anything to support you, and I like that challenge.

What is Freediving for you?

Freediving creates awareness of the environment and makes you realize that the ocean is a fragile ecosystem, and we have to take care of it. For this reason, I am studying Sustainable Development Engineering.

Camila Jaber’s next goal is to enter the Caribbean Cup in Honduras and the Individual World Competition. She is asking for help from companies and people interested in sponsoring her. Those who wish to do so, please contact her at Facebook/Camila Jaber Freediver.

The majority of travelers are from the United States / Photo: Agency

Mexico experienced signficantly higher earnings thanks to an increased number of international toursists, especially from the United States.

12.7% growth during 1st quarter 2016 Roo, followed by Los Cabos Baja California.

Mexico is one of the top ten countries for tourism. These previously mentioned figures show a very positive improvement.

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BEACH LIFE

June 22 - July 5

2016

Moving Here: To Bring or not to Bring

BY CATHERINE PAWELEK With an increasing influx of foreigners moving to the Riviera Maya, we spoke to dozens of expats and found out what they should have brought down and what just wasn’t worth the hassle.

MUST-HAVES Bed: Sheets and pillow cases. Most of the quality here is not what you are used to back home. Three bottles of Downy won’t soften most linens, while pricing is triple of what you would pay back home.

Towels: The quality, thickness and softness of most products you can get back home can’t be beaten.

Hair color: If you color your own hair, bring your own. Especially lighter shades. Here, many have been on shelves past expiration dates, and may turn your hair green-blue.

Dogs: Don’t forget their treats and toys. Most of those items cost significantly more in local pet stores.

Pots and pans: High-quality cooking utensils, skillets and nonsticks are higher-priced here.

Lamps: Many expats brought these up as hard to find, especially when they have a certain style in mind.

Clothing: Swimsuits, crocs and your favorite T-shirts and shorts.

DON’T BOTHER Glassware: Other than grandma’s beautiful china crystal for memories sake, it isn’t worth it. Playa has inexpensive glass stores to buy beautiful, locally made glassware. Or there is always Mega, Soriana and Walmart, where you can find cheap glassware.

Small Appliances: You can purchase packages for a coffeemaker, toaster or iron for under USD $90 at most stores.

Furniture: Unless it is your favorite chair or memory-laden bed, by the time transport, duty, import fees, etc. are paid, you can get a locally handhewn, embellished headboard.

MAYBE Medication: Many pharmacies charge less, some charge more, and some runout. Compare U.S. and Canadian pharmacy online prices and those at YZA, Similares and Ahorro.

With the arrivals of major stores from north of the border, like Costco, Home Depot, Sam’s Club and Walmart, many products are readily available. You might pay more for Thomas’ English Muffins, Bon Maman preserves, Marzetti dressings and Ocean Spray juices, but they aren’t worth putting in your check-in luggage and bringing down on a plane. Check the airline’s cost and remember that companies like Amazon and eBay are growing entities in Mexico.

So, is schlepping it down worth your time and money? Weigh all the elements, and if you forgot anything, consider asking a friend to bring it down the next time they visit. In the meantime, throw on those shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops. You are home.

Activities include practicing English, arts and crafts, yoga and meditation / Photos: Good Intentions

Good Intentions with

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BY BARBARA MARTIN DANIEL

G

ood Intentions Playa del Carmen is a fantastic organization with the goal ¨to provide children from neighborhoods of poverty a safe place to attend, learn, grow and enable them to see the bigger picture, the world of possibilities.¨ We have already had the pleasure to introduce you to this lovely group created two years ago

by Aimee Kristie, originally from NYC. We are so impressed by this group we had to reintroduce them to all of you.

Alexandra, marketing coordinator for Nichol and Diamond Consulting, passionate about supporting programs like this, is the voice of the organization.

Her company also donated a website to the program. “About eight to 15 children attend the pro-

8 to 15

children attend the program every Saturday

Plan ahead and make your checklistw / Photo: Agency

gram every Saturday morning. Others are welcome to join us. We currently have a donated space at Palapa Suuk (CTM, between Quinta and 10th Avenue). This space is up for rent. We urgently need a permanently donated space for every Saturday¨.

Activities include practicing English, arts and crafts, yoga and meditation. Alexandra explained that they plan to bring in working professionals to speak about their jobs. The purpose of the program is to get kids socializing outside of their home, broaden their horizons and aspirations. Some of the children attending Good Intentions do not go to school. For example, 12-year-old Rocio and 8-year-old Aaron are now able to communicate on a basic English level. All the children demonstrate personal growth and language.

Yoga and meditation are ways to teach them how to relax, and it is a good physical exercise. ¨As a philosophy, we always emphasize that it is good having `Good Intentions´ to humans, animals and the environment. We provide a healthy snack at the end of every class. This week, we introduced a fresh baked banana, bread from the “Grumpy Bakers.”

The group is sponsored by the Seaside Rotary Club and my company (Nichol and Diamond Consulting). At this point, the main priorities are, along with the space for Saturdays, volunteer yoga teachers and reliable, dedicated and trustworthy volunteers who can assist us with tasks like transportation and organization. We also accept donations such as art, school and cleaning supplies, yoga mats, books and other materials to learn English, first aid kits, a computer to show educational documentaries, a movie projector, water, healthy snacks, fresh juices and fruit, and a volunteer nurse or doctor once a month. Health care is important too!”

For more information visit www.goodintentionsprogram.com of Facebook/Good Intentions Playa del Carmen.

June 22 - July 5

2016

DISCOVER MEXICO

9

Exploring Mexico:

Copper Canyon Mexico has some of the most incredibly diverse landscape in the phke]' Bg mabl ^]bmbhg% p^ e^Zo^ ma^ Ü Zm Zg] anfb] <Zkb[[^Zg \hZlm _hk ma^ ]kr% o^kmb\Ze pZeel bg ma^ lmZm^ h_ <abanZanZ'

BY CATHERINE PAWELEK

N

ot only is Mexico’s State of Chihuahua known for its namesake dog breed, but also for the world-renowned Copper Canyon, which is larger and deeper than the Arizona’s Grand Canyon, and features the country’s tallest waterfall, Piedra Volada.

To see this amazing natural wonder of burnished copper-green walls, you can travel through this wonderland of flora and fauna via horseback, train, bike or hiking on a guided or non-guided tour. You can even perform a remarkable feat and duplicate the efforts of the local inhabitants. The Tarahumara (or Raramuri), known for their endurance at running, travel great vertical distances, often running for hours or playing a running game called rarajipari, where a

wooden ball is kicked non-stop up the paths of the steep canyons.

Booking a seat on the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico may be a faster and more scenic way to travel, but starting in Chihuahua and ending in Topolobampo, this 418-mile ride will still take approximately 15 hours.

Your journey winds through the canyon walls and small towns, where many of the indigenous Tarahumaras showcase their crafts and sell food.

The Copper Canyon is formed by six rivers that merge into the Rio Fuerte and flow into the Gulf of California, and with a more tropical climate at its base, palm and fig trees thrive. As you make your way up this mountainous terrain, the variety of flora will amaze you with the encounter of brushwood, alder and poplar, with pine and over 200 species of oak prevailing above its 4,000 ft. range and in the higher altitudes of 8,000 feet.

Although the Copper Canyon’s annual weather reflects Mexico’s overall tem-

5 9, 5 4 5 k m Total span of Copper Canyon

Longer & Deeper than Grand Canyon in Arizona

Contains Mexico´s Highest Wa t e r f a l l s

453 meters Height of Piedra Vo l a d r a Mexico´s Highest Wa t e r f a l l

246 meters Height of Basaseachic Falls Mexico´s 2nd Highest Wa t e r f a l l

Its Spanish name is Barrancas del Cobre / Photo: Wikimedia Commons

perature ranges, fluctuations of 30 degrees in one day can occur, so be prepared. Consider a hike through the canyon. Doing so July to September might be best. You’ll be surrounded by lush greenery, fewer mosquitos and other than the occasional rains, more comfortable temperatures. If scarlet red, amethyst purple and sunflower yellow are what you want to see, then travel through the canyon at the end of the rainy season, early fall, when starbursts of wildflowers like spider lily, sage or trumpet bush blanket the hills and valley.

For more information, go to w w w. v i s i t m e x i c o . c o m / e n / c o p per-canyon Editor’s Note: If you are a runner and haven’t read Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, I highly recommend it. The Tarahumara are featured prominently in the book and his descriptions of running through the canyon will make you want to strap on your running shoes and head to Copper Canyon.

10

DISCOVER MEXICO

June 22 - July 5

2016

Magical Towns in

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Photo: Wikimedia commons

Morelet’s Crocodile

BY CATHERINE PAWELEK

BY JOE MALDONADO

W

hat do the towns of Izamal and Valladolid in Yucatan, Palizada in Campeche and Bacalar, Isla Mujeres, and Tulum all have in common? If you answered they are all Pueblos Mágicos, you’re right! Every State in the country has at least one Pueblo Mágico (Magical Village), and the Yucatan Peninsula is proud to be the home of six of the 111 identified throughout the country.

Bacalar / Photo: The Playa Times

111

Pueblos Mágicos Throughout Mexico

6

Pueblos Mágicos In the Yucatan Peninsula

Valladolid / Photo: The PLaya Times

events. Here are our Pueblo Mágicos in the Yucatan Peninsula.

These unique and beautiful towns are part of a program created and promoted by the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), in collaboration with numerous Municipal, State and Governmental agencies throughout Mexico, called Programa Pueblos Mágicos de México.

The intention of this program, launched in 2001, was to make both domestic and foreign tourists aware of the numerous unique towns and villages throughout Mexico. Each town features a rich culture and intriguing history, as well as a natural beauty, setting them apart from all the other towns. In 2015 alone over 180 towns vied to attain this status.

Although Mexico, more often than not, is associated with sunny beaches and ancient ruins, the Pueblo Mágico Program has introduced visitors to alternatives and created the magnetic pull of so much more that these towns have to offer. At least one town or village in all 31 states has been awarded the title Pueblo Mágico. Joining Bacalar, Isla Mujeres and Tulum were added to the list in 2015.

Description A Pueblo Mágico is a place with symbolism, legends, history and important

Bacalar, Quintana Roo is about three and a half hours south of Playa del Carmen and is home to its beautiful lagoon of seven colors.

Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo Let the local fishermen and divers, who have lived here for generations, show you the paradise below the sea, which they know like the back of their hand.

Tulum, Quintana Roo is a great place to relax and get away from it all. It offers Maya ruins, stunning beaches, and a laidback lifestyle.

Palizada, Campeche It has one-of-akind wood forests called Palo de Campeche, and high-pitched French tiled roofs with elegant entrances and provincial streets.

Valladolid, Yucatan is known for its rich cuisine including the world renowned cochinita pibil, escabeche oriental and Xtabentun (a liquor made of honey and anise).

Izamal, Yucatan is located about an hour from Merida and known as the City of Three Cultures (pre-Colombian, colonial, and modern).

A Pueblo Mágico is a place with symbolism, legends, history and important events. (Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo) / Photo: shuterstock

The National Commission on the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) of Mexico and the Responsible Ecosystems Sourcing Platform (RESP) based in Switzerland began an interesting partnership to save the Morelet crocodile, otherwise known as the swamp crocodile The “pilot project for sustainability, system production and tracking of crocodile skin of the swamp crocodile in Mexico” has as an objective to establish a high quality system for producing swamp crocodile skins, based in conserving the numbers of the species and its habitat. The plan is considering the installation of Management Units for the Conservation of Wildlife managed by local communities, backed by monitoring activities and sustainable scientific standards.

Instead of promoting hunting the swamp crocodile, the project promotes the extraction of a certain quantity of eggs to be taken to incubators, taking the 90% mortality rate of the eggs of this crocodile species to a 95% survival rate.

In Quintana Roo, in the community of Uxuxubi on the southern limit with Tulum, is home to the Moreleti Crocodile Sanctuary. A few years ago, as a result of hunting and exploitation, the numbers of this species was reduced considerably. However, as Miguel Pani Can, president

of the Uxuxubi Cooperative remembers, when ecotourism activity began, locals adopted a different consciousness of respect and began to let the crocodile population grow again.

With this project, the habitants of Uxuxubi are asking CONABIO to include them. Pani Can indicates, “we have the intention to continue conserving crocodiles and all the animals who live in the lagoon, but we don’t have the training to do it the right way”. The swamp crocodile is one of the three species of crocodiles that live in Mexico, along with the river crocodile and the caiman.

Currently, the commercial crocodile skin industry in Mexico yields around 1,500 skins per year and come from only those producers who contribute in a limited manner to conservation of the species and its habitat. Overall, the global market is estimated at 1.5 million skins per year and is from the species like the Mississippi crocodile, the salt water crocodile from Australia, and the Yacare caiman from Argentina, which generate earnings of millions of dollars each year. Although they have not been able to conduct a census on the number of crocodiles which live in the Uxuxubi lagoon, the increase in numbers is apparent.

“They are in their habitat. they are totally free, and we are deciding to conserve the swamp crocodile,¨ said Miguel Pani.

June 22 - July 5

2016

ENTERTAINMENT

11

SPECIAL EVENTS S O H O N I G H T A R T , Friday June 24 7 to 9 p.m. Welcome cocktail and all materials provided. Featuring local artist Edith Martinez. SOHO Skybar at SOHO Playa Hotel, 10th Avenue and Calle 24. $470 pesos.

ART CLASSES A R T N I G H T, Thursday nights at 9:00 p.m. Le Lotus Rouge, 35th Ave & Calle 2. Sing, dance, and paint. Free.

KARAOKE

MARKETS

A R T C L A S S E S , Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Le Lotus Rouge, 35th Ave & Calle 2. $200 pesos, materials included.

every Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kava Kasa, 22nd St. and 10th Ave.

K AVA K A S A L O C A L M A R K E T

every Friday, 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Jardin de Todas Centro Comunitario, Avenida 80 & Calle 3 Sur (Ejido).

E C O T I A N G U I S D E S AY U N O ,

E L Á R B O L P L AYA C A R M A R K E T,

every Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tulum Avenue, Local 6. Playacar Fase II. PA R Q U E

LA

CEIBA

LIVE MUSIC & DANCING N O C H E D E D I V A S , Every Friday, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Concert starts at 7:30 p.m. sharp. Music: Classical, Chanson and Boleros. El Jardín, 20th Street between Ave 10 and 15. Beers $20 MXN.

TIANGUIS,

every Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m, Parque La Ceiba, corner of Calle 1 Sur and Avenida 60.

JUNE 22 - 5 JULY

ANIMAL WELFARE

2016

every Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tenth St. between Ave. 100 and Av. 105, Colonia Ejido. Don’t buy pets, rescue them! Check Facebook / Acción Animal.

A C C I Ó N A N I M A L A D O P T I O N FA I R ,

K A R A O K E Every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

PG´s Mexican Caribe Bar & Grille, 6:30 p.m., Calle 26 on the corner of 1st Avenue next to the Grand Hyatt.

Tuesday 11 a.m. & 1 p.m., Wednesday 4 p.m. & 6 p.m., Parque La Ceiba, corner of Calle 1 Sur and Avenida 60, For the month of April come try bachata, salsa, cumbia, & merengue. Fee: Donation

DANCE CLASSES,

L E S S O N S , every Saturday, 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Salon Salsanera Raices, calle 12 between 5th & 10th. Free.

SALSA C H A R M S C H O O L , every Saturday, 9 a.m. for 2 to 3 hours. Have fun helping dogs become leash trained, balanced and exercised.

Volunteers are picked up at Mega Supermarket, 30th and Constituyentes. Contact info@playaanimalrescue.org.

every Saturday 1:00 p.m to 3:00 p.m. Volunteers needed to help socialize kittens. It’s also a great de-stressor! For more information, contact info@cocosanimalwelfare.com.

Coco´s KITTEN CUDDLING,

every Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Have fun giving the dogs baths while allowing them to socialize.

Check Facebook/SOS el Arca.

SOS e l A rca D O G WAS H ,

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Keep Kids in School is looking for volunteers to help with English classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For two hours volunteers have the opportunity to spend time with high school students who are eager to learn English. For more information on how to volunteer, visit Facebook/KKIS.

KKIS

VOLUNTEERS NEW CLINIC!

NEEDED

FOR

COCOS

Coco’s is looking for volunteers who can commit to one day per week to help at our spay & neuter clinic. If you would like to be part of our amazing team of volunteers please contact Coco´s at 9841200572 or info@cocosanimalwelfare.org

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14

ENTERTAINMENT

June 22 - July 5

2016

Local Musical:

Teen Beach Movie

BY CRYSTAL MITCHELL

Primarily a jazz band, but they aren’t afraid to lay down a little fusion, funk and groove / Photos: Footprints Jazz Quartet

Live Band: Footprints This quartet is taking the town by storm. Crystal sat down pbma hg^ h_ bml f^f[^kl mh Û g] hnm fhk^ Z[hnm ma^bk lmre^% lhng]% Zg] pa^k^ mh l^^ ma^f ieZr'

Dance4Fun Studio is kicking off the summer in a fun way for Playa del Carmen. This studio, which has been open for seven years and works with kids from six years old up to adults, is performing Teen Beach Movie as a musical at the end of this month on June 30.

The studio performs a show at the end of term every year. They chose Teen Beach Movie this year because of how it delivers the topic of being yourself during adolescence in a colorful and fun way through the energetic music and dancing. The message (being yourself and not giving into what others tell you to be) is an important one that anybody can identify with at any age.

The dancers’ ages range from six to 18 years old, and will perform on the June 30 at the theater in Hotel Catalonia Maroma.

You can buy presale tickets for $70 pesos at the studio in Bosque Real or via Facebook/ Dance ForFun. You can also purchase them

These kids found a nice way to begin their summer, and you are invited! at the door for $90 pesos.

Sonia Diaz, General Director and Owner of Dance4Fun, says it beautifully, “Our main goal as an academy to have kids fall in love with this physical activity, full of art, where they can express themselves through movement while enjoying themselves. We want to pull them out of so much technology, and so that they can enjoy the focus of the mind and body that you can achieve with dancing.”

CRISTIAN MICHELL

P

laya del Carmen is an ever growing city in its music selection. That growth is evident with the emergence of this special band, Footprints Jazz Quartet. I had the blessing of interviewing Barbara Mansukhani, from the band, to get the details of this unique sound.

How did the members come together to make such a great combination?

The band was born in Alfonso Miranda’s workshop which we used just for practicing what we learned, as we studied altogether. It was January 2013 that we decided to try to find places to play. We kept the band working, even though we were facing many changes with the musicians. Our teacher, Alfonso Miranda, is the director and the bass player.

Laura Lagier is the piano player, and Barbara Mansukhani plays saxophones and flute. We know each other well musically because of all the time spent together. That’s what makes us sound good.

What type of music does your band play and what is your inspiration?

We are actually a Jazz band, but sometimes, we play a little funk, fusion, and groove to have more stuff that allows us to work here in Playa. Talking about our own original stuff, we play our own kind of Jazz.

How did you get the name Footprints?

We got the name Footprints because it is a classic jazz theme of all the times, and the composer (Wayne Shorter) is one of the greatest musicians of our time.

What makes you different to other bands in the area?

It is a little bit selfish to say, but we are the only jazz band that works here in Playa. We have two women in the band, and we are still young, about 20 and 21 years old.

Where do you guys play here in Playa so our readers can come see you?

We play every Thursday night at Lucky Luciano bar from 9 to 11:45 pm (Quinta Avenida on the corner with Calle 28.), and soon we will be playing Sundays in Almirante Pech.

Kick off the summer with your kids at the Teen Beach Movie musical / Photo: Dance4Fun

June 22 - July 5

Passion

TPT FOODIES

2016

Tepid lobster salad, marrows and vegetables.

by Martín Berasategui

The Paradisus Resort in Playa del Carmen offers guests, visitors to the Riviera Maya and residents the opportunity to experience world-class fine dining at their AAA Five Diamond Award winning restaurant

Photos:Passion by Martin Berasategui

By Rebecca Page

A

s we drive through the gates at Paradisus Resort in Playa del Carmen, my co-worker Ana and I remark at the size of the complex.

Located at the northernmost end of Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue), this all-inclusive resort owned by Melia Hotels International is two resorts in one - La Esmeralda for families and La Perla for adults.

It is Ana’s first time here and my second. I was fortunate enough to be on hand when their worldclass restaurant, Passion by Martín Berasategui, received the distinctive AAA Five Diamond Award in March. That evening, we were treated to a small sampling of what executive chef, Maximiliano Sola, and his team were capable of creating. When I was asked if Ana and I would like to attend a dinner at Passion, I did not hesitate.

We were met at La Perla by their head sommelier Vidzú Ramirez, who guided us towards the dining areas and pointed out their variety of bars, lounges, and restaurants. I was surprised when, after pointing it out to us, we walked right by Passion. I thought that was our destination, but it seemed he had something else planned for us. We continued through a series of small bridges which spanned water features, all the while Vidzú noting a coffee shop here, a Don Julio tasting bar there.

Then, I spotted our destination The Moët & Chandon bar where we were met by two members of the Paradisus Guest Experience team, Itze Pérez

For reservations, please call 984 877 3900 or email paradisus.playadelcarmen@melia.com. and Alexis Godoy, as well as, sommelier Marlen Aguilar.

The Moët & Chandon experience is available to guests of the resort (for a fee) and is a wonderful way to sample different varieties of Moët while the sommelier provides a brief history of champagne and Moët . Each sampling

had its own introduction where we learned to identify flavors, appreciate the dryness, and even which foods to pair with each. We were offered three samples, Imperial Brut, Rosé Imperial Brut, and Ice Imperial. Needless to say, I enjoyed all three very much. Bidding adieu to Marlen, we headed off to Pas-

15

sion for dinner.

The creator of Passion is Martín Berasategui, a Basque chef, and restaurateur with some of the highest ratest restaurants in the world.

Passion has been recognized for excellence with the AAA Five Diamond award. The reason for this is evident the moment you walk through the door. Passion offers visitors fine dining in an elegant atmosphere.

Ana and I were escorted through the dining room to a private seating area where we were surprised to find Chef Maximiliano Sola waiting for us. Chef Sola hails from Argentina and has

Roasted foie gras, nori seaweed with duck broth, false raifort tofu and hazelnut salt

been working for Martín Berasategui for over a decade in his restaurants throughout Europe and now Mexico.

As we sat down to enjoy a martini of vodka, strawberry, and a hint of balsamic vinegar (delicious, by the way), Chef Sola explained we would be dining from the wine pairing menu. Each plate we were offered was introduced with a different wine by Vidzú, our wine sommelier. We started our feast in New Zealand with Nobilo Icon, a sauvignon blanc. Chef Sola paired the sauvignon blanc with a black garlic with smoked tuna tartare, beetroot ceviche and hot radish cream, encouraging us to try each flavor separately and then all together to experience all the flavors at once.

The tasting continued with a German riesling paired with a roasted foie gras. Then to France with a pinot blanc and a tepid lobster salad, marrows and vegetables.

We continued our travels through Chile, the Napa Valley, and back to France, all the while sampling incredibly intricate and equally delicious creations including Wagyu beef with ragout of chard stalks and liquid brie spheres. We finished our tasting with three unique and mouthwatering desserts - my favorite being the green tea sponge cake with rosemary ice cream and lemon thyme meringue.

Many thanks to Chef Max Sola and his team of incredibly talented chefs and special thanks to Head Waiter Augusto Canul and his team who put the finishing touches on this unique experience with their professionalism and service.

Passion by Martín Berasategui is open to the public and reservations are needed. For reservations, please call 984 877 3900 or send an email to paradisus.playadelcarmen@melia.com.

16

TPT FOODIES

June 22 - July 5

2016

Breakfast is Ready!

Looking for a basic croissant or pain au chocolat to go with that simply robust cup of coffee? Need something heartier to wash ZpZr eZlm gb`am l f^fhkb^l h_ mhh fn\a ]Zg\bg`% ]kbgdbg`% iZkmrbg`8 A^k^ Zk^ ln``^lmbhgl _khf [hma \hkg^kl h_ ma^ kbg`'

BY CATHERINE PAWELEK Chez Celine. Let´s be honest, no breakfast list in Playa is complete with a reference to Chez Celine, a mainstay on 5th Avenue. Start with a fresh-baked croissant, pain au chocolat and café au lait.

HOT. A handful of locations throughout Playa. Eggs benedict or English muffins topped with scrambled egg, Gouda and bacon. If you´re staying in the north end of 5th Avenue, try their location on 5th between 38 and 40.

Kaxapa Factory. You might associate this Venezuelan restaurant more with a lunch or dinner menu, but all items are available beginning at 10 a.m. (perfectly normal for breakfast after a night of fun and games).

Greeted by the owners, you will be ready to try their namesake cachapa filled with chicken or beef, a couple of slices of avocado and some cheese. Let it soak up whatever ails you. Calle 10, between 15th and 20th Avenue.

La Ceiba adjoins DAC, a fruit and vegetable market. Granola

Don’t forget breakfast! It is the most important meal of the day! / Photo: Agency

with yogurt or eggs with potatoes, salsa or frijoles. They are located on 30th Ave with Constituyentes.

La Cueva del Chango. The gamut runs from fruit-filled or savory crepes (think mushrooms

Molcajete Stew (serves 4)

BY CATHERINE PAWELEK MOLCAJETE STEW (serves 4) 2 slices of bacon cut into one-inch strips 3 tsp of vegetable oil ½ kilo of sliced chicken breast ¼ kilo of sliced flank steak 1 head of garlic ½ large onion, sliced 2 cups of bell peppers, sliced 2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges 1 cup of unsalted chicken broth 1 cup of unsalted beef broth 12 oz of tomato sauce ½ tsp each of cumin, oregano, salt, pepper 1 ancho chile (reconstituted in hot water,

Photo: Agency

or cheese) to classic chilaquiles (corn tortillas with salsa verde or roja, crumbled queso fresco and sunny side up eggs). A big glass of fresh juice and nibbles on the bread basket that comes alongside the breakfast will put

then finely minced) 2 limes, juiced 1 avocado, diced 8 corn tortillas 2 nopal leaves, cleaned and blanched Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and place a large molcajete (made of lava stone) inside.

In a large saute pan, cook bacon pieces until brown and crispy. Remove to another plate, leaving the drippings, to which you add the vegetable oil and sear the chicken and steak pieces on both sides, then add the veggies.

Meanwhile, in a small molcajete (mortar), place the garlic. You can roast the garlic head in the oven, which takes 35 minutes, or cut the top off. Pour a little olive oil on top, salt, pepper, and place for 7 minutes in the microwave. The end result is an easy and quick “roasted garlic”. Add the spices, ancho chile and lime to the garlic and grind the ingredients with your pestle to make a paste. To the saute pan, add the fresh tomato. Cook for 2-3 minutes, add tomato sauce and stock, and finally, the garlic paste. Stir till fully incorporated. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Take the hot molcajete out of the oven with kitchen gloves, add the sizzling stew to the rock bowl, garnish with the avocado and nopales (after blanching, a grill would leave some nice marks and add flavor). Serve with tortillas.

HINTS Crumble cheese on top Add a pinch of dark cacao powder Double the amount of broth in the recipe and you have a deliciously hearty soup Switch out your protein with chorizo or seafood Adjust the amount of ancho chile based on your heat preference

a smile on your face. Remember, they don’t accept plastic. This long standing breakfast tradition in Playa has a unique and beautiful setting that can’t be missed!

Calle 38th just east of 5th Avenue heading toward the beach.

La Vagabunda has two locations right on 5th Avenue and one on the highway with Avenida 28 de Julio. They have a large selection of items for breakfast and have a spot on 5th in the north end between Calle 26 and Calle 28 and another location on 5th between Calles 4 and 6.

Nativo is famous for their fresh juices and hearty breakfast sandwiches. It has three locations: two located on the 30th Avenue across from DAC near the corner of Constituyentes and one located on the highway and Avenida Juarez.

Toks. You would think it looks a bit like Denny’s or IHOP, but enter the doors of this popular restaurant and you’ll notice the variety and quality of their breakfast menu. From authentic Mexican dishes like Pan Dulce Horneado (made daily, but sold out by mid-morning), mollettes (flatbread topped with ham, bacon, sausage and gratinated cheese) to huevos del huerto (scrambled eggs, nopal, broccoli, salsa verde, queso panela and frijoles). Plaza las Americas in PDC.

June 22 - July 5

TPT FOODIES

2016

17

El Hongo:

Cultivating Culture, Tradition and Love Goyo Aguilera, his wife, Pili, and their family are not just serving up delicious food in their small restaurant located in the ejido. They are giving back to the community and providing a safe place for children to grow and play.

BY CRYSTAL MITCHELL

T

he interview I had with Goyo, from the popular restaurant in the ejido, El Hongo, moved me to tears twice. The passion this family has to change the community around them runs deep. Here are some of his moving words and thoughts that will make you pause and think about life from another perspective.

El Hongo is a family business.

Where are you originally from and how did you find yourself in Playa del Carmen?

We are from Xalapa, Veracruz. I first arrived in Cancun after my son’s birth and the death of my father. A friend who told me that Cancun was a nice place to get a job. I came here for the “Mexican Dream.” I don’t believe you have to leave Mexico to follow a dream.

It was really difficult. I lost all of my papers and I was living in the streets.

I found a job in a place and started tattooing. But then, with the low season, I lost the job and that was when we moved to Playa del Carmen in 1997 and we rented a small place here.

What inspired you to open El Hongo in Playa and specifically in the ejido?

We always had a dream that we would open a place. We started to work, bought some land and started putting the first stone to make the path. We like to say that we made this place out of tips. We used to worked in restaurants and used half of what we earned to live, and the other half to buy bricks to make the house.

What makes El Hongo different from other restaurants here in Playa?

One characteristic is that we like to go

We can give back to the kids with the cultural center.

Nowadays, although it is there where you can make more connections, it is hard for two kids to play in the street. We started making the workshops two years ago with three-hour classes each Saturday, and now, on Thursday, I have a friend who makes a cooking class for the kids. He gives the kids food and shows them how to cook.

What has been the most fun part of this venture?

The first and second Saturday of the month, we have events like collecting toys for kids or select bands to come to play. This is magic. We live on a street where nothing happens, and people who come out are excited. I think one thing missing now is being able to be on the streets. Now, if you want to listen to somebody, you have to go to a place and pay a lot of money for expensive drinks just to watch a band. And why? And people with limited resources? What do they get, the radio?

There is something else that worries me. For decades now, people have been going to the stores just to find that there is not enough food for next generations.

Here is something else we want to do: to show kids how to grow food. The fun is to teach kids how to make a farm and a compost.

Kids think fruit comes from stores.

We teach them how to plant the seeds and water the plants, and the next day they come back asking where their fruit is. Don’t just grow nice plants, grow food.

Tell us more about your community projects through El Hongo.

When we were finishing up El Hongo, the kids in the community started coming around to play with my kids, just like old times, when I was growing up.

You can visit El Hongo at Calle 19 Sur, between 80 and 85 avenues in Ejido. Or go to Facebook/ El Hongo. Read Crystal´s full interview with Goyo on our website, www.theplayatimes.com.

am not going to change the world, but I am going to change the parts around me¨ I

Photos: The Playa Times

Goyo Aguilera

back a little to the old Playa. Not hippie, but more organic, more real. It is important to get the real Mexico back, in things like the lottery or the food.

People come to Mexico, eat burritos and think it’s Mexican food, when it is Tex-Mex food, actually. Our dishes are more traditional and come from family recipes. In Xalapa, everything is centered around food.

Another part is making the cultural center. Many people come here to make business and everyone is centered in getting, but not in giving.

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June 22 - July 5

ART & CULTURE

2016

By Edgar Mena

Chechen And Chacah The immortal testimony of any culture are its legends, and they are often born from actual stories. Today, we explore one that these two trees gave birth to.

I

Traditional corn tortillas being prepared in Yucatan / Photo: The Playa Times

Food: A Cultural Connection For many, sitting down for a meal is not only to provide nutrients to our bodies but a way to share our culture and family traditions

BY ALEJANDRA CAMPO, ANTHROPOLOGIST

T

he act of eating is not only physiological or simply “filling the stomach” to be able to continue with your day. In addition to a necessity, food is cultural.

Food shapes the being of a people, their customs and traditions. With time they add new ingredients from the influences of neighboring countries or far away places, perhaps as a result of invasions and commerce (in the case of Mexico), and in the majority of countries it is the same on a different scale. The result can be either a simpler or more elaborate food, as in the case of our country, which has food derived from a mixture of European, Asian, Pre-Hispanic, Spanish, and African food. For this reason it is today considered Cultural Patrimony by UNESCO. Food also has to do with the desire for certain flavors, like spicy food. To many Mexicans, food doesn’t taste the same if it is not served with a good chili pepper or salsa. We also love the acidic flavor of lime, which we put on almost everything.

Culture is also reflected in the way that we prepare food, the time we dedicate to it,

For more information on the cultural importance of Mexican cuisine, please visit www.unesco.org/culture and search for Mexico in their full text search. the ingredients, the tools used, the different ways of cooking, the time and dedication put into creating the dish.

In Mexico, the kitchen generally occupies a central part of the home, as a place to spend time as a family, to talk between mother and daughters (as it is generally women who cook in our country), for family and friends to visit and try some of the food being cooked. It is not only time to learn the secret family recipes, it is a place to share stories and teach values.

Mexico is also a place where food is linked with religion, food, rituals, symbols like corn and tequila in Mexico, and of course to the health and economy of each country.

t is common knowledge in the Yucatan that if your skin gets burned by the chechen tree, you can find immediate relief in the chacah tree, often found near the chechen. The leaves, trunk, and even the even shade of the chechen are extremely poisonous, but with the right knowledge or the perfect guide, you can easily avoid major skin problems.

As the legend goes, there once were two brothers who were warriors, both of equal strength and skills, but with completely different personalities. The beloved and kind Kinich was the youngest. Tizic, the older one, was wrathful and, despite his love for his brother, he was an evil man. Whenever his brother did something evil, Kinich even felt the urge to solve whatever problem there was because of him.

The feelings for one another were tested when they met the beautiful princess Nicte-Há, who found it very difficult to decide which to love and marry. The two brothers decided to solve the problem by fighting each other in a duel that would leave only one of them alive to marry the beautiful young princess, as she desperately begged them not to do it.

They went and had the fiercest and bloodiest of the battles, but their motivation and their equality in strength had them both die in each other’s arms.

Once in the Xibalbá (the underworld), they asked the gods for forgiveness and an opportunity to go back to the world of the living. When the gods said no, the brothers begged for an opportunity to see their loved one one more time. Ah-Puch took pity on them and offered a solution to see Nicte-Há again, but not as living people anymore, but instead, as trees able to proliferate and follow her wherever she went.

Their good and bad personalities were inevitably reflected in their reincarnations, and Tizic was reborn as the tree chechen, which secretes a black kind of poison capa-

The chechen and chacah trees can be found near to each other in the jungle / Photos: Wikimedia Commons

The chechen can be easily spotted, as its leaves and trunk often look burned by the resin of the tree itself

ble of burning anybody who approaches it, or even its own leaves. Kinich, on the other hand, was reborn as the tree chacah, which releases resin that relieves the damage caused by the poison of the chechen.

Nicte-Há eventually died of sadness, but the gods decided to, poetically, bring her back to life as the plant that she was named after, a beautiful white flower.

June 22 - July 5

2016

ADVERTORIAL

19

Now available in Cancun!

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Jintropin hGH, made by Gene Science Laboratories, tests out equal in quality to any hGH brand made by US pharmaceutical companies, at a fraction of the price.

J

intropin hGH, made by Gene Science Laboratories, tests out equal in quality to any hGH brand made by US pharmaceutical companies, at a fraction of the price.

The common practice of price controls is not prevalent in Mexico, which enjoys a more free market economy. Go into any local farmacia, for eye drops, for instance. A well known brand of hypertonic saline, selling for $23 in the US, runs $6.00 in Cancun.

The same is true with prescrip-

tion meds, even hGH. A 3 months supply, costing over $5,000 in the US, is available in Cancun for $1,500 USD. The price includes your doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consultation fee, your Rx and simple training in how to mix and administer. You will receive your hGH supplies packed in a small insulated cooler, dispensed on the day prior to your departure.

Jintropin hGH is pure and potent, but not available within the US, Canada or the UK, for no valid reason. But visitors can return home with up to a 90 day supply, for their

own personal use. So long as its accompanied by a prescription, customs must allow personal medications through, by treaty.

Decades of published research studies have proven that human growth hormone (hGH) reverses age related degenerative diseases. It can revitalize, extending longevity. Natural production of human growth hormone begins to drop off by age 40. By age 65 its nearly zero. Our immunity plunges with diminished hGH production. It makes good sense to supplement for this deficiency, as

much as for thyroid or any other.

Despite the evidence that middle aged and older patients thrive on human growth hormone, US & UK doctors who write prescriptions for hGH are often persecuted, and the cost of the big name brands is beyond reach of most patients. Why? Some say its corporate controlled politics: mainstream medicine, protecting its profits. As their natural immunity rises, and stamina and vitality return, many patients on hGH find themselves no longer reliant on the health care system. .

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This is a paid advertisement and should not be considered an endorsement of the advertised product by The Playa Times or Meridian Media

20

HEALTH

June 22 - July 5

2016

Beauty Tip: Humidity, Hard Water and Hair Ebobg` bg ma^ F^qb\Zg <Zkb[[^Zg bl rhnk ]k^Zf \hf^ mkn^ [nm rhn k^ aZbk blg m enjoying the transition? Find out how to help tame your frizzy tresses.

Photo: the gym

BY SARA JONES

H

ere in Playa, most of us have some kind of lovehate relationship with the humidity. I wasn’t blessed with poker straight hair or bouncy curls, but rather, messy waves that resist all attempts at styling during the most humid months. Hair straighteners are excellent, but a slight breeze in this humidity and that’s 20 minutes of styling wasted.

I have, however, learned a couple of tricks that can help.

Run the AC while styling your hair.

It will help you get better results.

If you’re aiming for straight hair and it’s long enough to tie back, do a low ponytail with a soft hair band to prevent creasing. This stops the humidity from puffing it out initially. If you have to walk where you are going, tie your hair back for the walk and take it out on arrival.

Embrace hair-up styles; high ponytails keep hair off the neck, and side bunches (pigtails) make the perfect yoga hairstyle.

Anti-frizz products can help a little, although I’ve never found one that’s a match for 100% humidity!

Hard water, rich in minerals with high chlorine content, can be tough for the hair. Many locals experience breakage, reduced shine and even hair loss in some cases.

Install a showerhead filter. It is hard to find here, but plentiful on Amazon if you have a friend who can mule it down for you. This filters out unwanted chemicals and reduces the mineral content of the water.

Use a chelating shampoo once a

Photo: Lindsey Western

week. A chelating shampoo will bind to minerals and remove them as you wash.

Massage coconut oil or argan oil into the scalp and through the hair once per week for a scalp treatment and deep conditioning hair mask. These can also be used for daily styling in very small quantities combed through wet hair.

Some of us dream of having our hair this smooth here in the Riviera Maya / Photos: Agency

Word of warning:

Be careful of salon treatments; whether they claim to ‘strengthen’ or ‘smooth’ your hair, many contain either formaldehyde or precursors to formaldehyde (allowing them to advertise as formaldehyde-free!). If it stings your eyes, it can’t be used on pregnant women. It’s not ‘gentle’ or ‘chemical free’.

Sara Jones Spa, Wellness & Lifestyle Expert and Founder of Spa & Wellness Mexico magazine www.spawellnessmexico.com

Photo:Aloha Paddle Club

Celebrating Global Wellness Day

BY SARA JONES Global Wellness Day was celebrated this year on June 11 in over 100 countries across the world. Here in Playa del Carmen, the action packed day was full of fun activities, spiritual practices and creative endeavors. The early birds started the day off with Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) at Aloha Paddle Club, introducing many new recruits to this core-strengthening workout. Yoga classes were held in several locations such as Yoga District, Yoga By The Sea, Kava Kasa and The Gym encouraging those who hadn’t tried it before to stretch, strengthen and tone. The Gym opened its doors to all for free during the morning and offered a multitude of classes ranging from boot camp to spinning, suspension training to mixed martial arts. Divine Dance was opened up to both men and women on this morning as the group grooved for an hour at Palapa Suuk.

In the afternoon Inti Centro Holistico taught a group class about de-

Playa del Carmen celebrated on June 11 with over 100 countries around the globe with a day filled with activities reenergized mind, body and soul tox and shared samples of their delicious green juice followed by Circle of Devotional Singing and Chants of Love & Light. The last session of the day was the art class held by local art teacher Cristina Barragan at Nest Coworking, where adults and kids got in touch with their creativity by drawing and painting.

Sara Jones is a Spa, Wellness & Lifestyle Expert and Founder of Spa & Wellness Mexico magazine www.spawellnessmexico.com Thanks to Dotto Printers for providing the promotional paddles.

June 22 - July 5

2016

ENTERPRISE FOCUS 21 How delicious their bagels were, the homey and cozy ambiance and, definitely, the fast and great service.

TPT Meets: Robin Bagels

What are you finding is the biggest challenge of starting your own business here in Playa and how do you overcome that?

Lucky for us, Julie and Hector Cordova took their craving for real, authentic, hand-rolled bagels into a business venture

The biggest challenge of starting our own business here in playa would be to overcome our impatience to get settled!

How is Robin Bagels different from your past ventures?

After spending the last 10 years working in the tourism industry, we can say that it’s an exciting challenge, very diversified a lot of fun and still get to offer an excellent service to our clients.

Besides bagels, what other products with Robin Bagels have on the menu? from other businesses here in Playa?

Robin Bagels is different to anything you find out here, as we are the only bakery that specializes in artisanal bagels. You can get them hot from the oven early morning.

Robin Bagels specializes in artisanal bagels / Photo: Julie and Hector Cordova

BY CRYSTAL MITCHELL

T

his week, I was able to interview Julie and Hector Cordova, who are opening up the newest hot spot in Playa in just a few days, Robin Bagels!

Where are you originally from and how did you find yourself in

Playa del Carmen?

We’re from Canada and Mexico. We both came for work here in Playa initially for a short season, but ended up staying 10 and 11 years now!

What was the idea behind opening up Robin Bagels in Playa?

How did it start and what are your goals for this project?

What has been the most fun of starting this venture?

Robin Bagels started for the love of a real, authentic, hand-rolled bagel.

After spending a season in Canada, we just couldn’t bare the craving! We started baking for ourselves, then the word got out and next thing we know, we have over 10 flavors and we’re baking up to 300 bagels at once!

What makes Robin Bagels different

The most fun in this venture has been creating new products, trying different flavors, making new clientele, adapting special catering for baby showers, kids birthday parties, executive meetings etc.

What do you want your customers to remember most about a visit to Robin Bagels?

We offer different dips to accompany your favorite bagels, great coffee for early birds and special fruity drinks.

We also have sandwiches and salads on the menu.

Check out Robin Bagel on Facebook/Robin Bagel for updates on their opening coming soon at Av 115 and Mision del Oro, in front of the new Plaza Pino, near Los Olivos.

Editor´s Note: I have a bit of a bagel obsession, having grown up in the Northeast of the U.S. and access to many a fantastic bagel. I have been lucky enough to try a few different bagels from Robin Bagels. To say they are delicious is an understatement and can´t wait till they open!

22

ANIMAL WELFARE

June 22 - July 5

2016

The King Vulture: Prettiest of Scavengers

BY NASH This giant bird never gets the credit it deserves.

Vultures are usually seen as a sign of death or evil, but they play a very important role in our ecosystem. Keeping the planet clean and preventing the spread of disease.

Normally vultures are portrayed as dark and scary, but the king vulture is very colorful with bright orange and yellow folds of skin above the beak and purple cheeks. Their piercing eyes are circled in red. The head is featherless, easier to keep clean during feeding and their body is white with black tipped wings.

Although they have a strong beak and deadly claws, king vultures do not kill other animals.

They only feed off dead carcasses. The king vulture, also known as sarcoramphus papa, can be found in Southern Mexico through to Argentina.

Chiquito, pero picoso, goes the popular saying “small, but spicy” / Photo:Wikimedia Commons

This bird was commonly represented in the Maya codices and portrayed as a god with a bird’s head and a human body. It was also believed to be a messenger between humans and the gods. The Maya believed the vultures excrement, blood and feathers could cure disease and living vultures could keep evil spirits from affecting your soul and mental health. They also believed the vulture could control the rain.

Many cultures such as Native Americans, ancient Iranians and Tibetan Buddhists consider the bird a sign of renewal and some even offer their deceased to the birds. They would leave the body in a tree believing the vulture will consume the deceased and offer a new life. The birds are disappearing due to the destruction of their habitat, but they have yet to be added to the endangered list.

The Trouble with Ticks Ma^r ehhd bggh\^gm ^ghn`a% rhn Û g] Z mb\d hk mph hg rhnk ]h` Zg] k^fho^ bm pbmahnm fn\a mahn`am' Bm l^^fl mh [^ o^kr \hffhg a^k^ bg F^qb\h% [nm ma^l^ ebmme^ \k^Zmnk^l \Zg e^Zo^ [^abg] Z ]^Z]er [Z\m^kbZ pab\a \Zg [^ _ZmZe mh rhnk i^m'

BY NASH

E The king vulture can be found in Southern Mexico through to Argentina / Photo: Wikimedia Commons

know Did you

that...

ath into re could transform de ltu vu ng ki e th d ve The Maya belie mbol of renewal. life and it was a sy male are d both male and fe an e tim at at id la Only one egg is ing. involved in parent ity. live 30 years in captiv to n ow kn en be ve They ha w rumbling but may make a lo x, bo ice vo a ve ha They do not sound during mating.

hrlichiosis is a bacterial illness which is transmitted by tick bites.

Here in the Riviera Maya, we are plagued by ticks, so ensuring your pet is treated with a tick and flea repellant is crucial. The deadly ticks are not only the familiar little brown bug, that look like a skin tag but it can be present itself as tiny black six-legged creatures, and eight legs once they reach maturity.

Ticks lie in wait in gardens or treed areas waiting for a warm body to wander by. They attach themselves by piercing the skin and stay connected by tiny barbs on their feeding tube.

Ehrlichiosis (ehrlichia) may present itself in different ways. During surgery, a veterinarian will notice the animals blood does not clot properly this is a sign of Ehrlichia. Dog owners may notice symptoms such as the dog is losing weight, enlarged lymph nodes, and lethargy.

In more advanced stages the animal will have an enlarged spleen followed by abnormal bleeding, inflammation of the eyes, joint pain, neurologic and urinary problems. Ehrlichia will eventually affect the internal organs and cause internal hemorrhaging. If ehrlichia is left untreat-

Did You Know?

Ticks can infect humans, but an infected dog can not transmit the disease to a human.

They secrete an anesthetic, so the animal is not aware a tick has attached itself.

Ticks have four life stages: egg, six-legged larva, eight-legged nymph, and adult. ed, it may lead to death.

Check your dog frequently for ticks, in particular between the dog’s toes and inside his ears. This seems to be the favorite place to hide.

Your veterinarian can test for ehrlichia as well as other diseases caused by ticks and fleas with a simple blood test.

To protect your dog apply a topical tick and flea treatment each month and consult your veterinarian about other preventative medications. If it is caught early enough, it can be treated with antibiotics.

The Snoopi Project The Snoopi Project has a mission to provide shelter from the severe elements to family dogs in the form of a dog house to families who may not otherwise be able to afford it. This nonprofit organization has already improved many lives, through donations they can help provide shelter, food, sterilization, and medical treatments.

In just under a year they have delivered 317 houses, sterilized 204 animals, rescued and rehomed 18 dogs, treated six dogs for TVT (transmissible venereal tumor), vaccinated 13 puppies and built three puppy enclosures. The Snoopi Project has been able to help countless pets by providing assistance with medical

treatment. All of this was made possible through donations.

The cost of sponsoring a dog house is $600 pesos, $37 USD (all donations are greatly appreciated) If you would like to follow this amazing project or make a donation visit Facebook/The Snoopi Project- Riviera Maya.

June 22 - July 5

Órale: Shopping

By Edgar Mena You may have needed some help when shopping for clothes or just buying groceries. Try our puzzle to learn some words on buying goods. If you get really stuck, you can always check the words in Spanish in the bottom.

2016

B E AC H B O RA D

23

CLASSIFIEDS BEACH BOARD Want to sell something? Buy something? Find something? Why not take out an ad in our Beach Bulletin Board? For as little as 20 pesos per word (10 word minimum).

Contact us at in fo@m eridianmed i a. mx.

LEARN SPANISH! small groups or private, professional teachers. Special prices for local residents 9 8 4 1 1 4 9 0 9 0 . agoralanguagecenter@gmail.com

Across 2. to buy, 4. this one (feminine), 5. this one (masculine), 7. blouse, 10. cheap, 11. expensive, 12. this Down 1. to sell, 2. T-shirt, 3. pants, 4. cash, 6. to like, 8. how much, 9. how many

Useful phrases: ¿Cuánto cuesta ésta blusa?

How much is it for this blouse Ma^l^ iZgml Zk^ dbg] h_ ^qi^glbo^ Zk^g m ma^r8 Este pantalón está un poco caro, ¿no? <k^h jn^ f^ ohr Z ee^oZk ®lm^ B mabgd B ee aZo^ mabl hg^ ¿Aceptan tarjeta o sólo efectivo?

Do you take credit cards or only cash? ¿Venden shorts aquí?

Do you sell any shorts here?

No es barato, pero es un buen precio Bm blg m \a^Zi% [nm bm bl Z `hh] ikb\^

Puzzl e S ol u ti o n Across

2. comprar, 4. ésta, 5. éste, 7. blusa, 10. barato, 11. caro, 12. ésto

Down

1. vender, 2. camiseta, 3. pantalón, 4. efectivo, 6. gustar, 8. cuánto, 9. cuántos