Edition 106 + SPECIAL EDITION no.1 by theplayatimes

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RESERVA TOH

t h e p layat i m es .c o m

At kilometer 19 on the ruta de cenotes in Puerto Morelos sits this 124 acre reserve dedicated to conserving the land in that is increasingly under siege by tourism development >P. 7

DISCOVER MEXICO Coastal Dunes

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ENTERTAINMENT StrEat Park

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Photo: The Playa Times

· ANIMAL WELFARE

· ART & CULTURE

BANNING BULLFIGHTS

ADN MAYA

Animal welfare laws are in place, so why is bullfighting not considered torture of sentient beings? Quintana Roo Sin Tauromaquia challenges the powers that be

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Photo: : Alejandra Campo

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

APRIL 5 - 18

Rap and reggae Maya style! Meet the young musicians from the Yucatan Peninsula who are expressing themselves in their traditional language

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2017 Looking for something to do? Check out our What’s On section online at www.theplayatimes.com for a list of things to do including live music and dancing, yoga, markets and special events

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April 5 - 18 2017

Editorial DIRECTORY Rebecca Page General Manager & Editor edition@meridianmedia.mx

Ian MacKenzie Copy Editor copyeditor@meridianmedia.mx

Efrén Velázquez Art & Design design@meridianmedia.mx

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

Erika Serra

A turquoise-browed motmot / Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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

Escaping the Heat

Sales Cell: 984 -147 5597 & 147 5571 info@meridianmedia.mx

BY REBECCA PAGE

Omar Coral

ince the end of March, the talk in our little office has been about how hot it is (and how hot it is going to get). The hot, sunny weather is great for tourists, and while those of us who live here love a nice sunny day, sometimes we need a break. Two weeks ago, I drove up to Puerto Morelos to visit Reserva TOH. It was a hot day, and I was looking forward to escaping to the jungle for a little while. Reserva TOH is a reserve that is focused on environmental conservation activities. They offer the public many activities that allow them to connect with nature in, well, a natural way. It´s not like the big tour companies that whisk you off in air-conditioned vans and deposit you with hundreds of other tourists in their ¨eco¨ park. This is a place

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where you can truly experience the land as it was before tourism was king. The name Reserva TOH is taken from the Mayan word (toh) for the motmot, a beautiful bird with a long tail. In addition to the two motmot species found here, the reserve is home to about 170 species of birds, many of whom can be seen during Reserva TOH´s guided birdwatching tours. Unsurprisingly, a huge variety of flora and fauna can be found throughout the reserve, including the elusive jaguar although the staff admits they´ve only seen footprints. During my visit, I had the pleasure of taking a tour of their small plantation where they are growing a variety of fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants. I spoke at length with Alfredo Tuyu Pech, who is in charge of the plantation. Originally from Tizimin in the

state of Yucatan, Alfredo showed me which plants could be used, following traditional Maya practices, to relieve burns, alleviate headaches, and even to help treat diabetes. He then walked with me to the open cenote describing how they believe a god used to inhabit the area, due to its proximity to the large cenote. I asked if there were aluxes in the area, to which he replied, ¨Of course!¨ He explained they make sure to leave offerings to the aluxes to honor their presence and keep them happy. If you´re not sure what an alux (pronounced aloosh) is, head to our Art & Culture section to learn about this mischievous Maya legend. Walking through the jungle, enjoying the significantly cooler temperatures thanks to the native trees and plants, the jungle is just the place for an escape from a hot Playa del Carmen.

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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: Calle 2 entre 45 y Carretera Federal, Mza. 088 lote 003-1. 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., Calle 2 entre 45 y Carretera Federal, Mza. 088 lote 003-1, Playa del Carmen, Solidaridad, Quintana Roo C.P. 77710.

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(Some of) Our Favorite Beaches

April 5 - 18 2017

Here is a small sample of our favorite beaches that we head to when we aren´t working…

Xpu Ha Photos: The Playa Times

There are multiple entrances to this beach that is just south of Playa del Carmen. We usually go to the entrance for La Playa where you pay 40 pesos per person. When you buy food at the beach club La Playa, they will reimburse you when you leave but keep your receipt to prove you paid. On weekends, they have live music. The beach is flat, white, and beautiful!

Located just north of Tulum, this beach is part of the National Park system in Tulum. There is an entrance fee of 150 pesos per person and includes the use of lounge chairs at the beach club and access to the beach and cenote. The beach club offers for food and drinks - you can´t bring your own.

Photos: The Playa Times

Caleta Tankah

Xcacel Photos: The Playa Times

Located just south of Akumal, this beach is a turtle sanctuary that is open to the public. Bring your own cooler and snacks as there are no beach clubs here. Cost is 20 pesos per person and you must adhere to their rules - no smoking, no sunscreen in the cenote, and when it is turtle nesting season, maintaining at least one meter distance between you and the marked nests.

With stunning sights and almost virgin powdery sands, it’s unbeatable for wind sports. Located just north of Cancun, there are a couple restaurants in the area, but we suggest bringing your own basic supplies. Isla Blanca remains untouched by any major developments and camping there is a million-star experience.

Photos: The Playa Times

Isla Blanca

BEACH LIFE

April 5 - 18 2017

Dear Landscaper: Sunny Climbers & Cool Water In our Dear Landscaper section, our friends at Greenway Landscaping answer all your gardening and landscaping questions BY GREENWAY LANDSCAPING

ear Landscaper: We have a large area in our backyard with an ugly wall and lots of sun. What are the best vines and climbing plants for sunny areas? Dear Reader: Most plants that have colorful blooms need a lot of sun (my personal favorite is #1): Bugambilia: It has a variety of bright, beautiful colors including one called “Surprise”. You can prune and grow it into any shape you wish. It does not attach to the wall and will need direction with wire. Copa de Oro: Can be used as a climbing vine or pruned to be a shrub or hedge. Also, does not attach to walls and can be directed. Mandeville: Comes in a few different colors, the most popular here is the bright yellow. It also does not attach to the wall but can be directed. It does take a little while when you first plant it, but once it starts growing - look out! It’s speedy.

All of the above mentioned do not have full coverage to the ground. I suggest you put both medium and small size plants in front, so you are not looking at dirt and sticks. Monedita and Sissus: Together they give a 3D green wall effect. They do not have blooms and attach directly to your wall. Future painting could be a pain, as once you remove them they do not reattach. Dear Landscaper: When is the best time of day to water my sod and plants? Dear Reader: Early morning and late evening are the ideal times. This is not only to save water but because during the heat of the day much of the water will evaporate before it hits the plants. Heated water can burn the plants and sod, so you will have to use more to cool down the soil and plants for better and needed saturation. We suggest an irrigation system to many of our clients, as it saves on water bills, keeps the plants and sod happy and doesn’t turn on when it has rained enough.

Ask Allan: Granite Countertops Photo: Agency

Send your questions to greenwaylandscaping@email.com

BY ALLAN LOCKHART, OWNER OF NORTH AMERICAN STANDARDS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE SEASIDE ROTARY CLUB IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN Hi Allan, I have beautiful granite countertops in my new kitchen, and there seem to be some stains. I think they might be water or some other liquid. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can get rid of these stains? Thanks, Lee Hi Lee, thank you for your question. The first thing I would like to mention is that whoever put in your countertops must not have sealed them. If they were sealed, you would not have this problem. The only home remedy that I know of is to find some type of poultice. A poultice is a combination of a porous material such

Copa de Oro can be used as a climbing vine or pruned to be a shrub or hedge / Photo: Public Domain Pictures

as flour, baking soda or paper towel and a solvent such as ammonia or peroxide which is applied to lift the molecules of the stain out of the surface. This is going to take some time and a lot of patience. Pour the solvent over the stain, let it set for a few hours and then pour the poultice over the liquid. Let this stand for 24 hours, and you should notice some change after you clean up the poultice and solvent. Repeat this process until the stain disappears. If this does not work, you might check your local home improvement store for a professional product. If this does not work, you might want to contact a professional and ask them to check the stain and make some suggestions. If any of these suggestions work, please remember to seal the countertop, so you won’t be dealing with this again in the future. Thanks again for your question. Allan

April 5 - 18 2017

BEACH LIFE

Emergency Medical Evacuation: What s Covered? John Klug, a Senior Representative for Travel MedEvac answers questions people ask about emergency medical evacuation.

John Klug / Photo: John klug

the Bahamas or Bermuda. Some 37 countries. Here’s more details:

By John Klug

o John, we know that Travel MedEvac covers you for a medical transport back to the States or Canada when you have a serious incident here. But, exactly what all is included? Ba s ica lly TME assure s you of M e di cal Evacuation Services directly to your home when you are in a hospital with a serious condition in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean,

• Air Medical Transport to Your Home Hospital of Choice: Your Hospital, Your Doctors, Your Health Network – Travel MedEvac will provide Air Medical Transport every step of the way. No deductibles, no add-on’s, no hassle. One phone call. • Ground Ambulance: All ground ambulance transfers from the hospital where you are being treated to whatever hospital you chose back home are covered. No cost. • Organ Transplant: We will bring the needed organ to you at no additional expense. • Traveling Companion or Family Member: They will accompany you every step of the way. No cost. • Return of Children & Grandchildren: We will bring your minor children or grandchildren back home, with an escort as needed. No cost. • Return of Stranded Vehicle, RV, Motorcycle and Watercraft: We’ll bring everything home for you. No cost • Mortal Remains: If you, your spouse, or a covered family member dies while traveling, we will arrange to prepare and transport the remains home. We will also cover the cost to have a family member or designated friend accompany transport of the remains.

Photo: Agency

In Addition, Five Year Plans Include the Following Enhanced Services • Emergency Ground Ambulance: We cover any out-of-pocket local ambulance expenses that are not covered by your medical insurance. • Stranded Pet Return: We pay to return your dog or cat, including an escort by a family member if necessary. • Visiting Grandchildren Covered: If an underage grandchild visits you without their parents, they’re covered, same as you.

fications of the crew. We own or control some 57 aircraft, and all pilots and medical crew are employees. The pilots have a minimum of 10,000 hours of flight experience. The EMT’s must have 5+ years of emergency room certifications. In many cases, we can have a plane on the ground in Cancun ready to evacuate you in less than 3 hours.

Other companies use the Internet and bid everything out to the lowest bidder. This takes time, and you never know the quali-

Call or email me. John Klug, Senior Consultant Travel MedEvac 984-169-2600 (Mexico) 720-570-7883 (US) John@MexicoTravelCare.com www.MexicoTravelCare.com

Marvelous Merida For those of you planning a visit, here are some of the highlights of what this city has to offer BY CATHERINE PAWELEK The convenience of getting to Merida is evident in its annual increase in visitors. Some arrive by highway from Playa del Carmen and Cancun, others via air from Miami and Mexico City. Maya, Spanish, French, British and even Dutch influences can be noted in the town’s architecture, from the museums and churches to the mansions and haciendas. As you enter the town, you come upon Merida’s visually stunning zoo arch, which looks more like the gateway to a colonial village. There are water fountains, free entrance and also a miniature train, and it is open from As you enter the town, you come upon the visually stunning zoo arch, which looks more like the gateway to a colonial village / Photo: Flickr Tuesday to Sunday. There are more parks and plazas In the Plaza Grande de Merida en by combining its colonial architecture than you can visit in a week, so we start Domingo, you will find dozens of small with contemporary art. The MuseThe zoo arch looks at the Parque de la Madre. It is easily kiosks selling homemade tamales, um Casa de Montejo has an amazing recognized by the mother and children tacos, turron and grilled corn. These ballroom which hosts galas, and each more like the marble statue standing outside it, mirwill sate your appetite for a full day of its doorways is made with a differgateway to a colonial roring the original which is found in of walking through its cobblestoned, ent molding. Some are made of wood, village, rather than Paris. It is surrounded by landmarks while others are made of stone. multi-colored streets. like the Teatro Felipe Carillo Puerto The photographers among you In front of the colonial facade of an educational and Teatro Jose Peon Contreras and is the Palacio de Gobierno, you will find will appreciate the town’s hidden and recreational only two blocks away from the famous two of my favorite, well-preserved his- courtyards. They are enveloped by Cathedral de Merida. It is open to the torical buildings. The Museo Fernando multi-colored tiles, with massive experience. public and allows photo-taking. Garcia-Macay personifies yin and yang weather-worn double wooden doors

and quaint stepped gables, reminiscent of Dutch villages. The many arched promenades are ideal for getting some respite from the sun, as is stopping for a café while planning your next move. During our trip to Merida, we had the distinct honor of being invited to both the Hacienda San Diego Cutz and Quinta Alsina Masso, and both of these experiences will be shared with you in future articles.

April 5 - 18 2017

BEACH LIFE

Reserva TOH is a nature reserve just off the ruta de cenotes in Puerto Morelos / Photos: The Playa Times

Reserva TOH: A Leader in Environmentally Responsible Tourism At kilometer 19 on the ruta de cenotes in Puerto Morelos sits this 124-acre reserve, dedicated to conserving the land that is increasingly under siege by tourism development BY REBECCA PAGE

met Cindy, the Director of Reserva TOH, in Puerto Morelos at the beginning of the ruta de cenotes (cenote route). We headed up the long, straight road that cuts through the jungle, once unspoiled and wild. Compared to other areas in the region, this road is still wild. It wasn’t that long ago that you would drive up that road, trying to dodge the tarantulas and be one of three cars you´d see on your way to Leona Vicario. However, the road is ever changing, with busloads of tourists headed to organized cenote, zipline, and ATV tours. Reserva TOH is not such a place. We turned left at kilometer 19 and drove in through the northeast border of Reserva TOH. They have two entrances: the main visitor entrance and the less traveled northeast border entrance. We headed up the road less traveled, creeping slowly along in Cindy’s car, listening to the long grasses and occasional rocks scraping along the bottom. The owner, Fernando Barranco, bought the property in 2002 with the aim of preservation. In 2005, Hurricane Wilma hit and not long after, a fire destroyed a few hundred acres in and around the reserve. Cindy points to an area to the right that is missing the dense jungle that borders our left. I can see young trees which seem to be recently planted. “These are the cedro rojo (red cedar),” she explained, “Part of the (post-fire) reforestation plan,” during which they replanted 124 acres of red cedar. She notes that the reserve works with biologists and conservationists from groups such as ECOSUR (el Colegio de la Frontera Sur), a public scientific research center which contributes to sustainable development along the southern border in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America (www.ecosur.mx).

The reforested area is fairly young, a few years, and with lots of low-level vegetation surrounding the recently planted red cedars. Cindy explains that when they started the reforestation project, they didn´t want to cut down all the vegetation while planting the young cedars. ¨When you work with conservation, you have to do everything more carefully. It isn’t the same as creating a tourist activity or destination. In conservation, it´s different because you have to take care of everything - animals and their habitats, how they are going to interact with people.”

For more information visit: Facebook/Reserva TOH Or contact them directly at: contacto@reservatoh.org Cindy, originally from Costa Rica, has been working at Reserva TOH for three months and was given the task of directing a new project - more tourism-based activities but with conservation in mind, similar to how tourism is done in Costa Rica. ¨The main thing in Costa Rica is that there are a lot of people who are concerned about the environment and taking care of their resources. There is a consciousness in the population, and that is one of the main things we want to do here through environmental education. We want to make adults and kids conscious about how important it is to keep nature as it is and enjoy it. People are so used to large hotels and these big impacts to the environment, and they don´t know how to enjoy real nature.¨ In addition to environmental education workshops, the reserve offers a variety of activities including meditation, guided walks, hiking, bicycling, camping, and

birdwatching. Cindy points out that she doesn’t think tourism is a bad thing. The bad thing is how it has been managed. Using the reserve as an example, she says they could load it with thousands of people but then what would that do to the land? They have almost 170 species of birds throughout the reserve. They have seen footprints of jaguars. The impact to the environment must be taken into consideration when developing their tourism plan. We get out of the car to take a tour of the plantation area run by Alfredo Tuyu Pech. Originally from Tizimin, Yucatan, Alfredo proudly showed me the raised beds of lettuce, cilantro, jicama, cucumber, epazote, onions, and the list goes on. We walked through their beautiful fruit tree orchard that included limes and mandarins. They have also planted trees in this area including mahogany (caoba), breadnut tree (el árbol ramón), and more red cedar (cedro rojo). Alfredo discusses how many of the plants they are cultivating are used in traditional Maya treatments for a variety of ailments including headaches, cuts and burns, and diabetes. Their goal is to create a botanical garden that would support traditional medicine. As we ended our tour and I prepared to head back to the hustle and bustle of Playa del Carmen, I felt a renewed sense of hope. There are people in this beautiful region of Mexico that are working incredibly hard to not only conserve the incredibly diverse ecosystems that exist here but also to conserve and respect the history and culture of the Maya. We can only hope that others follow in their footsteps. For more information on tours and guided activities, please contact them at 998 235 7143. They will arrange food service and transportation for bigger groups, and yes, they speak English.

DISCOVER MEXICO

April 5 - 18 2017

Coastal Dunes: Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coastal Defense and Sand Keeper Coastal dunes play an important role in protecting the coastline as they are a natural barrier to wind and waves BY FLORENCIA CERUTTI

ver wonder why some locations have lost their pretty white beaches? I ask you, do you see sand dunes above the beach line? Do you see mangroves nearby? Most likely your answer would be: nope. Coastal sand dunes are (usually) a common feature along the shoreline and fringe thousands of kilometers

of coastline around the world. Most beaches are backed by vegetated sand ridges (dunes), built up by dry sand blown inland and trapped. Plants play a vital role in this process, acting as a windbreak and trapping sand particles. As sand accumulates, the dunes become higher and wider. Coastal dunes play an important role in protecting the coastline as they are a natural barrier to wind

Coastal dunes are eroding due to increased sediment loss from increasing levels of human activities in coastal areas

Providing a raised walkway through dunes can help protect them from human activity / Photo: Florencia Cerutti

and waves. Coastal dunes (and mangroves) are our first line of defense against storms and beach erosion. They absorb the impact of storm surge and high waves, preventing or delaying flooding of inland areas and damage to inland structures. They are also sand storage areas that supply sand to eroded beaches during storms and buffer windblown sand and salt spray. Coastal dunes are vulnerable and are threatened by human activity. They are eroding due to increased sediment loss because of increased coastal human activities, and they need to have limited interaction with humans to survive. Structures built too close to the shoreline are inhibiting the landward movement of the dune. Driving and walking on the dunes causes deterioration of beach grass and other vegetation that help

trap and hold the sand in place. Without vegetation, the dune is exposed to wind erosion and without the sand-catching dunes (and mangroves), the beach has no way to replenish its sand. To avoid this, protecting the vegetation and the ecosystem is vital. Damaged and sensitive dunes might need to be fenced and access tracks for vehicles and people provided. However, the success of restoration and dune management depends a great deal on public education because not all aspects of dune management are obvious or important if the public does not understand why. To preserve any ecosystem, improvement and protection efforts should not only be the responsibility of the governmental entities involved. The efforts of those individuals who live on and use the shoreline can be even more valuable.

April 5 - 18 2017

PUERTO VALLARTA

A Page in the Sun is open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. / Photo: Frank van der Burgh

The Perfect Gift for Living Abroad - Part 1 FRANK VAN DER BURGH I know what the perfect gift is. The reason is because I received it myself, but before I tell you what it is you need to know a little bit more about me. Almost two years ago, I met the woman of my dreams! Good news, but with her being Mexican and me being Dutch, it complicates matters. After traveling back and forth numerous times a decision had to be made. Would she move to Holland or would I go to Mexico?

After traveling back and forth numerous times, a decision had to be made. Would she come to Holland or would I go to Mexico?

Being a very rational person I talked about this decision with her, my parents, my brothers and friends. I made a list of pros and cons, thinking about how to manage our finances and what to do about work and family. Before I tell you what the decision was, I will talk about how we celebrate Christmas in Holland, and about receiving my gift. In our family we celebrate Christmas by having everyone write their name on pieces of paper, which we then distribute randomly among us. You need to buy, draw or create a gift for the person whose name you receive, with an explanation and a personal touch that shows your affection for that person. My secret Santa turned out to be my brother, who gave me five envelopes with pictures on the front. He told me this: “Frank, we talked about your move to Mexico. From a rational point of view we looked at all the angles and made the decision accordingly. What you are forgetting, however, is the romantic part. You are moving to a country over 9000 kilometers away for the love of your life. Each of these envelopes contains Mexican pesos and symbolizes a date. When you are in Nuevo Vallarta, you are going to take your girlfriend to the places I found and live this romantic story. Enjoy each other and feel great that you overcame everything to be together.” Would you like to hear more about the different dates my brother selected for us and how they went? Join me next time as I continue with the rest of the story.

A Page in the Sun Where coffee and cakes meet books and good company in Puerto Vallarta BY FRANK VAN DER BURGH

e all have a list of things that we want to see, buy, read. For me, it’s a list of books, comprised of recommendations from family, friends and fellow travelers. Being in a Spanish-speaking country makes finding English books (or Dutch for that matter) very difficult. So you can imagine my happiness when I walked into café-bookstore A Page in the Sun for the first time. Imagine the smell of an old book that has been sitting in storage for ages, and combine that with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and cakes. Now you have an idea of what it’s like to sit inside the store. A picture says more than a thousand words, but the distinctive smell of old paper adds much to the experience of reading.

A mostly English-speaking crowd bonds over shared interests, perusing the café’s excellently sorted bookcases, looking for their new adventure.

Frank´s secret Santa turned out to be his brother, who gave him five envelopes with pictures on the front / Photo: Frank van der Burgh

The shop has a mostly English speaking crowd that bonds over their shared interests, perusing the café’s excellently sorted bookcases looking for their new adventure. It is a welcome change to what you see in cafés nowadays, where asking for the wifi password is the highest priority. Almost two years ago I walked away with Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants, and since

then every visit has given me another book to last me for a while. So whether you are looking for some company, a good book, or for a place to get some work done as a digital nomad, there is something for everyone at ‘Page’. The store is located next to the Parque Lazaro Cardenas, which is really close to the Playa de los Muertos. If you visit on a Saturday, you can combine it with a trip to the farmers market in the park mentioned above. All of their coffee is organically grown and handpicked around the area. They have breakfast and lunch menus with many pastries to choose from, and you can bring in your unwanted books and exchange them for credits to buy more books. A Page in the Sun is open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

TULUM

April 5 - 18 2017

The Playa Times Meets

Denis Jimenez and The Ocean Cleaner

Photo: Fab Lab Maya

BY ANDRÉS MENDOZA DEL VALLE III

Fab Lab Maya, or How to Make (Almost) Anything - Part Two Learn more about the Fab Lab Team and their work, in this second installment BY ANDRÉS MENDOZA DEL VALLE III • Fab Lab Maya Team

ab Lab Maya began with just two people, Trini and Mike, Masters in Advanced Architecture. It was a good way for us to learn about other fields, but we were definitely biting off more than we could chew. So we started looking for people that could help us to offer faster, more effective solutions. Right now the team consists of five multidisciplinary members, architects, systems engineers, and a business administrator; we also have mechatronics and environment engineering students collaborating with us on weekends. • Fab Lab Maya projects and workshops. One of the best known is Luis Fernando’s low-cost irrigation system for houses and greenhouses. His effort was the project winner of Expociencias 2016. Now he’s going to the international phase, which takes place in August in Fortaleza, Brazil. On March 31, Academia Artesanal will be held in conjunction with the Cancun organization Identidades Comunidad. It’s a seven-month workshop aiming to train 40 craftsmen to apply digital manufacturing technology to improve their products’ final presentation and standardization. We also offer weekly workshops: 3D impression, laser cutting, digital embroidery, basic Arduino, etc. We offer a workshop called Maker Kids,

where we introduce 8 to 12-year olds to digital manufacturing, so they learn how to use these machines and start solving local problems through their own creativity. People are confident approaching us to develop their ideas and projects. It was complicated at first because it’s a new and complex subject, but they have gradually understood, and they are very interested now, especially in matters of innovation. The response from the community has been positive.

Fab Lab Maya

offers a variety of workshops aimed at educating children and adults about digital manufacturing technology • Working with Fab Lab Maya The Maker movement will allow us to create an entrepreneurial community in science, technology, and innovation. Our facilities are a little far from main cities, but that should not impede co-working; our tools allow us to share information in real time. If you have a great idea but cannot develop it or is very complex in manufacturing matters, do not hesitate to contact us. We are always willing to help!

Denis Jimenez, boat designer and builder, and his wife Christine created The Ocean Cleaner. They left a catamaran company in France to sail for years around the world with their two sons. In 2004, they chose to settle in Puerto Morelos, due to its location in the heart of the Caribbean Sea and its developed nautical sector. Puerto Morelos We chose the small village of Puerto Morelos for its coral reef and its long, white sandy beaches. Life is quiet here, it is a family village where everyone likes to get together to spend the day on the beach on weekends. We are lucky that access to the beach is easy and free, which is very rare on the Riviera Maya. We also love the charm and authenticity of the place. Puerto Morelos is a very attractive village, and the municipal team tries to preserve its soul despite the growing tourism. The Health of the Riviera Maya Ecosystem The problems are plastic pollution, invasion of sargassum seaweed, and erosion of the littoral. We urgently need to implement durable solutions. We have been researching for months and have made real discoveries, especially concerning what we call “sand war”. Based on our experience, we have devel-

oped real solutions. We can protect the environment by reducing our plastic consumption and throwing our garbage only in waste bins. Did you know that eight million tons of polluting waste end up in the sea every year? Much of it is reduced into micro-particles by natural erosion, and it is too late to recover it. It is an irremediable pollution of our oceans with serious consequences for the fauna, tourism, fishing, and everything that touches the sea. The sargassum seaweeds invasion is also a serious pollutant. theoceancleaner.org We have created theoceancleaner.org, a website through which we cover all these subjects, their consequences and the solutions we propose. I am convinced that once the public understands the problem, they will be interested in taking action. The Riviera Maya is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world, and it must set an example for future generations. I invite interested people to join us soon at the ArtHumus shop in Playa del Carmen which, along with sponsorship from Sunset Dental Cancun, is organizing a conference very soon.

Denis and Christine Jimenez created the website theoceancleaner.org / Photos: theoceancleaner.org

Maya Week at Cha an Ka an A program packed with activities made for an interesting day out at Cozumel planetarium

BY VANESSA NINI

he name of the Cozumel planetarium is Cha’an Ka’an, which means ‘enjoy the sky’. It is located just a few blocks east from the main cruise ship port and is the first 3D full-dome planetarium in Latin America. Cha’an Ka’an was host to Maya Week, which ran from March 14 to 20. It had a program full of events about Maya traditions, archeoastronomy and Maya astronomy, including conferences, workshops, dancing, and handcrafts, so I decided to check it out. It was 4 p.m., and Emanuel was giving a course on the Maya num-

ber system. This vertical place-value, base-20 system is made up of three symbols: a dot represents 1, a line represents 5, and a shell represents 0. The symbols are repeated to represent larger numbers. Now I know how to write my birth date in Maya numbers! Next, I went to the traditional handloom weaving workshop. An Amuzgo lady showed us how to weave on a backstrap loom. Amuzgo textiles are those created by the Amuzgo indigenous people who live in the Mexican states of Guerrero and Oaxaca. Most weavings are still made with traditional designs and techniques, all with natural fibers, principally cotton, and dyes. If

If you wonder why textiles and handcrafts are more expensive than factory-made goods, you have to see the amount of work, detail, and effort that goes into each piece.

Photos: Vanessa Nini

you ever wondered why textiles and handcrafts are more expensive than factory-made goods, you have to see the amount of work, detail, and effort that goes into each piece. At the fair trade artisanal market, everything is made by women from the indigenous Amuzgo cooperative called Ljaa. I asked a Ljaa representative, “Is it important to be present today?” She told me, “Yes! We want to build a fair trade network to recover the dignity of our work and find a way for the girls who will succeed us, to keep the handloom memory alive.” I followed the roasted smell to a workshop on the preparation of traditional Mexican chocolate. It’s a

fascinating process, and the children loved watching the grinding of the cacao beans with ancient stones. The workshop was conducted by El Pueblo del Maiz, an interactive pre-Hispanic park in Cozumel that fuses the art of moving theater, culture, music, dance and the ingredients of the ancestral heritage of the Maya culture. The planetarium Cha’an Ka’an organizes many events, so check online for information on their movie projections, astronomy club, observatory day and nighttime Maya room. http:// www.planetariodecozumel.org Facebook/@CooperativaLjaaTejedorasdeesperanzas/ Facebook/@pueblodelmaiz/

Catherine Salis bury

Underwater Photography Lover BY VANESSA NINI From March 2 to March 22, a beautiful exhibition of underwater photos and paintings was held at the Museum of Cozumel. Entitled “Love of Sea and the Spirit of the Calypso”, it was the work of art duo Catherine Salisbury and Dominique Serafini. I met with Catherine, and she shared her story and feelings about Cozumel. The Playa Times: Catherine, please tell us about your personal diving history and this beautiful exhibition. Catherine: It is my first exhibition in Cozumel, and we are really happy with it. The people from the Cozumel museum have been so kind and helpful. I’m in love with the sea and the creatures that inhabit it, so I decided to use my artistic talents to protect what I love and to inspire other people to love the underwater world.

I’m from a cold country called Canada - Montreal, to be exact. I have a degree in Fine Arts from Concordia University, specializing in film and photography. When I discovered scuba diving 25 years ago, it was like a revelation. In 2000 I moved to the Caribbean island of Bonaire. And then you met Dominique Serafini, who is internationally known for his work with Jacques Cousteau? Yes, I met Dominique in 2000 on Bonaire, on one of the Caribbean’s most exceptional wrecks, The Windjammer. We fell in love, and he became my dive and life partner. In 2001, together with Dominique, I wrote the book Dreamwrecks, The Most Spectacular Wrecks of Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao. What do you think about the reef of Cozumel? I’m completely amazed! It was a

huge surprise when I started diving here last year. It is full of life, the corals are beautiful, and the reef is very healthy. I found it to be more beautiful than Belize, with the Palancar reef and the natural caves. The drop-off is one of the best dives I’ve done in my life. Dominique thinks the same, so we will definitely come back. Unfortunately, after hurricane Wilma in 2006, a lot of people thought that the Cozumel reef was dead, and there was nothing left to see, but this is absolutely false. After Wilma, the reef was saved by the constant strong marine current. It came back to life in under two years.

For more information about Catherine and her work, visit: www.dreamwrecks.com/DreamWrecks/cathy_salisbury and http://www.catherinesalisbury.com/

I’m in love with the sea and the creatures that inhabit it Ca t h e r i n e Sa li s b u r y U n d e r wa te r p h o to g ra p h e r

DISCOVER MEXICO

April 5 - 18 2017

Chale Cold

Brew

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BY ASHLEY CAMPO

hale Cold Brew is the first company to craft and bottle cold brew coffee in the entire country. When it comes to finding the inspiration to be the first of its kind, Chale co-founder and Tulum resident Jake Russell says “Tulum is an easy place to become inspired. It has a magical environment where opportunities are always there. You just have to be open enough to recognize them and creative enough to execute them.” Having drawn inspiration from the local culture, Chale is keenly dedicated to giving back to the community as much as possible. Rather than shipping off to the U.S. for supplies, Chale is committed to supporting local businesses and communities. All of the raw ingredients that they use are from small producers here in Mexico. But what about the name? “Chale is an expression to show disbelief when something happens or doesn’t quite go your way, “ Jake explains. “But the connotation is positive and

light-hearted. Like, when the water runs out when you’re showering (happens in Mexico!). Definitely a ‘chale’ moment. We love the charming ways Mexicans express themselves. Everything is so stress-free!”

Chale is an expression to show disbelief when something happens or doesn’t quite go your way. But the connotation is positive and light-hearted. Jake Russell Co-founder of Chale Cold Brew So, they’ve got a great idea, great values, a great name and a great attitude. So what about the coffee? It is smooth and refreshing, the perfect cool drink for us here in the Caribbean climate. You can take it to the

MEXLAW is Expanding to the Pacific Coast of Mexico BY MEXLAW Mexico is the top destination for foreigners wanting to live, retire and invest abroad. Two of the most popular locations for expats investing in Mexico are the Riviera Maya and the Pacific coast, Nayarit, and Jalisco. We are excited to offer our comprehensive legal services in Puerto Vallarta & Riviera Nayarit. The MEXLAW professionals provide assistance in every area of law, covering both states Nayarit and Jalisco. Our team is guided by international standards and are experts in Mexican legislation with the competence to represent you in any legal matter and meet your business or personal needs in Mexico. A one-stop legal firm, providing assistance with immigration proce-

Chale Cold Brew is the first company to craft and bottle cold brew coffee in the entire country / Photo: Chale Cold Brew

beach or enjoy it while sitting in front of your computer getting some work done. Chale has this easygoing, mellow taste that mirrors the culture and personality here in Tulum.

dures, helping you purchase a home, start a business and any other legal assistance you may require. • Real estate services • Real estate investment, from reviewing contracts through closing • Title search & due diligence • Insured escrow services • Condominium agreements • Homeowners Association • Commercial and residential leases • Mortgage and construction liens • Construction agreements • Beachfront permits • Financing • Title guaranty • Assistance for Foreigners doing Business in Mexico Foreigners investing in Mexico may find the accounting and tax system daunting, but our services are available to help you work through the labor laws and taxation responsibilities of being a business owner in Mexico. • Incorporation for your business • Business law and labor laws • Accounting services MEXLAW’s extensive network of business contacts in both regions is at your disposal to help you increase revenue and strengthen relationships in both Mexican and international markets. Immigration Services for Foreigners and Mexican Nationals Visa applications in Mexico can be a challenging endeavor. There are several types of visas available for foreigners, and the process and requirements seem to change frequently and may vary from one Mexican consulate to another. Leave it to the professionals, just provide the essential documents and MEXLAW will complete your visa process. MEXLAW, located in Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Nuevo Vallarta and Montreal. Contact us at contact@mexlaw.ca

As of now, Chale is sold exclusively at Tulum Art Club on the Main Avenue in Tulum but will be expanding to other shops in town very shortly. I encourage you to stop by and en-

joy a bottle. I highly recommend the Smooth Original. And make sure to keep an eye on Instagram/@chalecoldbrew for updates as they become available in more shops around town.

TOPMEXICO · SPECIAL EDITION No.1

Special Edition: theplayatimes.c o m

S P A M E ID INS

Investing in Mexico

You came to the Riviera Maya on vacation, and you fell in love with the Caribbean lifestyle. Now, you want to stay forever! In this special edition, we walk you through how to make your dream a reality. SPONSORED BY:

OWNING PROPERTY IN MEXICO An option for foreigners

I N V EST W I S E LY

Choosing the right property

Photo: Big Stock

· BUYING

· INVESTING INVEST IN THE RIVIERA MAYA

Reduce your risk! Check this list before making a deposit for that perfect condo just a short walk to the beach.

Photo: Top Mexico Real Estate

SIX DO’S WHEN BUYING PRECONSTRUCTION This destination attracts a wide range of travelers all year round, making this region ideal for real estate investment.

>P. XX

Special Edition No.1 / The Playa Times Investing in Mexico | TopMexicoRealEstate.com

Owning Property DIRECTORY:

Using a Bank Trust

Thomas Lloyd Founder & CEO tom@topmexicorealestate.com

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Bea Lozano Marketing Director blozano@topmexicorealestate.com

BY THOMAS LLOYD

Brittany Elchuk Editor belchuk@topmre.com Dalila de León Content dalila.deleon@topmre.com Yuyi Estevez Design yestevez@topmre.com

alling in love with the Riviera Maya is normal, as is wondering if it’s possible for a foreigner to own property here. The answer is yes. Foreigners have two options to own a property in Mexico, and one of them is by using a Bank Trust. But why do you need a Bank Trust? Well, according to the Mexican law, only Mexican citizens can own and purchase property in the restricted zone, the area 50 km (30 miles) from any coastline or 100 km (60 miles) from any international border. But the Bank Trust is a legal way to own a property in these areas. If it is for residential purposes, you can set up a Mexican bank trust for real estate (fide-

icomiso in Spanish), which is an agreement between you as a buyer and a Mexican bank. The bank will hold the title of the property, but will act on your behalf and has a fiduciary obligation to follow your instructions and wishes, allowing you to enjoy, use, rent out, improve, build on and even sell the property keeping 100% of the income and profits. The term of a bank trust is 50 years, and it is renewable indefinitely for 50 year periods. In practical terms, you enjoy full rights of usage and may do anything to the property, as long as it is permitted under Mexican law, and you have the same rights of dominion as any Mexican citizen who has direct title to the property. You may construct a building, tear it down or modify it in compliance only with the local zoning and planning ordinances and, if applicable, the homeowners’ condominium regime. As the beneficiary, you have full control of the property, and you may direct the trustee bank to lease, mortgage or sell it. If you’re also interested in other areas of Mexico, outside the restricted zone you don’t need a bank trust; property can be held with a simple title. Learn more! Download our guide about ownership in Mexico: https://topmre. com/owninmexico1

info@topmexicorealestate.com MX (984) 980-0508 TopMexicoRealEstate @TOPMXRealEstate topmexicorealestate Top Mexico Real Estate TOP Mexico Real Estate

Thomas Lloyd is a graduate of Purdue University - Krannert School of Management and has a nationally regulated Real Estate degree in Mexico. He founded Top Mexico Real Estate to ensure Americans and Canadians have the best experience when purchasing and investing in real estate in Mexico.

TopMexicoRealEstate.com | The Playa Times Investing in Mexico/ Special Edition No.1

Choosing the Right Property for You How you plan to use the property pbee a^ei rhn ]^Û g^ ma^ eh\Zmbhg% lbs^% Zg] _^Zmnk^l maZm rhn g^^] BY DALILA DE LEON

hen looking for a property in the Riviera Maya, there are so many options offering all sorts of amenities and services, that it can be hard to choose the right one. So what can you do to narrow down your choices? Actually, it’s easy: define the use of your property. When you have this clear, choosing the rest of the features will come easily. Are you investing in a rental property or a full-time home? Maybe you’re using it a couple of months and renting it the rest of the time? How you plan to use the property will help you define the location, size, and features that you need, so let’s see these three in detail. • Location Someone looking for a permanent home will usually choose a quiet location close to services like schools and supermarkets, while someone looking for a rental property will focus on the best available location in the tourist area. If you are planning a ‘mixed use’ of your property, try to find a balance between what you want and what would be attractive to potential renters.

Have a clear idea of what you want before choosing a property / Photo: Top Mexico Real Estate

• Size This will depend a lot on the time you’re planning to spend at home. For example, living full time in a one bedroom unit would be uncomfortable if you need a home office or if you have visitors often. In that case, it is better to look for a more suitable property, even if the location is not what you had in mind at the beginning. • Features A rental property won’t need a laundry room, while it is vital for a family. A kitchenette is enough for a rental but limiting if you love cooking. Other things to consider would be the number of bathrooms, storage room, parking spaces, garden, etc. Have a clear idea of what you want before choosing a property, and communicate your needs to your buyer’s representative so they can help you look for the perfect home. Learn more about purchasing property in Mexico safely.Download our free eBook: https://topmre.com/buysafely1

Six Do’s When Buying Preconstruction BY DALILA DE LEON There are many benefits to buying a preconstruction condo. Reserving and purchasing during the initial stages allows for discounted prices and a chance to choose among the best units; you can also customize your unit or get financing. But it also has some risks that you need to consider. To protect yourself from those risks, here is a list of six things you should do when buying preconstruction. 1. Check the developer’s background. Do some research and find out about their experience and reputation and other projects built by them. You can ask your real estate buyer’s representative for their input as well. 2. Get a good team. Make sure to work with a realtor who is certified and has strong recommendations. Having legal counsel is also very important; ask your agent for a list of local lawyers experienced in real estate. 3. Try to negotiate a payment plan based on construction progress and milestones instead

of dates. This will give you peace of mind, knowing that you are paying as the construction of your unit advances. 4. Ensure that your reservation money is refundable. Most developers offer seven to 15 days to reserve a unit with a 100% refundable deposit, which gives you time to review the promissory contract in detail. Double check the conditions of the developer you are dealing with before turning in any money. 5. Check what’s included. Finishing standards are different in Mexico; therefore make sure to confirm if your condo will be delivered with air conditioning units, closets, kitchen cabinets, light fixtures or with ceiling fans, to name a few often overlooked items. Other details to consider are parking spaces and hurricane shutters. 6. Keep in close contact with the developer. Once you have signed the contract, keep yourself updated regularly. If you have any custom changes for your condo, define and communicate these changes as soon as possible. Protect your interests by taking these simple steps. And remember asking your buyer’s representative to help you in the process. Find an agent here: https://topmre.com/buyersreps1

The / Photo:

side in Mexico. However, if you plan to apply for Mexican Citizenship, you need to prove you have lived in Mexico most of the year. 6. Typically, you leave Mexico to apply for temporary residence. Exceptions include marriage to a Mexican citizen or family ties to a Mexican citizen. 7. As a temporary resident, you need to apply for a work visa. A permanent resident can work in Mexico without separate approval. 8. It is imperative that FMM documents are filled in correctly. If they differ from what is in the system, you will have problems and delays. 9. Remember to inform immigration any changes to your status, marriage, address, or employer. 10. Procedures change frequently and differ from one state to the other; consult an immigration specialist for the most up-todate information.

Ten Things to Know About Temporary Residency Here are a handful of tips to make the process easier BY MEXLAW

T 1. 1.

he immigration specialist from MEXLAW shares some important facts to consider during and after your immigration process.

Temporary residency is issued for people who wish to reside in Mexico for a period longer than 180 days. It is valid for one year and renewed for one to three years. After four years, you must apply for permanent residence or leave Mexico. Once you have received your temporary resident visa from a Mexican consulate outside of Mexico, you will have to present the visa in your passport to immigration upon arrival in Mexico. It is crucial that they do not stamp

your passport as a tourist. They will advise you to go to immigration within 30 days of arrival in Mexico to complete the process. If you travel outside Mexico while your visa is in process, it is important that you apply for permission to leave at the INM office or through an immigration specialist. In Playa, exit/entry permit takes five days to be issued. Present the permit to immigration as you leave and return to Mexico. This letter allows you 60 days out of the country. Once you receive temporary or permanent residency, never come back to Mexico as a tourist or your residence visa will be void. A temporary resident may exit/enter the country as they please. There is no requirement on how many months per year you re-

If you have any questions about immigration in Mexico, please contact our specialist adriana@mexlaw.ca

Temporary residency is issued for people who wish to res

side in Mexico for a period longer than 180 days / Photo: The Playa Times

Avoid turning off potential buyers by cleaning and decluttering your home / Photos: Top Mexico Real Estate

Prepping Your Home for Sale Sprucing up your home before you put it on the market gives you the best return on your investment BY TOM ILG

hen you’ve decided to sell your home, the last thing you want to do is spend money to spruce the place up. After all, whoever buys it is going to replace those outdated kitchen cabinets and grungy bathroom tiles anyway, right? I’m often asked why any money should be spent freshening, and the answer is because to get the best return on your investment — and avoid turning off potential buyers — you need to ensure your home looks its best when it hits the market. At the same time, you don’t want to waste effort or money on improvements that won’t pay off. Here are five quick tips to get you started. 1. A fresh coat of paint: Painting is an inexpensive way to make a place feel new again. Stick with neutral tones like grays and whites, which let the best features of your home stand out, plus, the faint whiff of paint can be as alluring to home buyers as a new-car smell is to auto shoppers. 2. Clean the kitchen and bathrooms: Replacing missing tiles and re-caulking moldy areas are must-dos. Small upgrades, like swapping out plumbing fixtures, can brighten up the sinks and showers. Consider adding a new bath mat, shower curtain, and fresh towels. In the kitchen, replace worn hardware, and organize the cabinets and pantry.

The faint whiff of paint can be as alluring to home buyers as a new-car smell is to auto shoppers 3. Clear the clutter: Sellers don’t realize how much stuff they have and how it deters most buyers. Remember: Less is more. A good rule of thumb is to get rid of 50% of your stuff. This includes books, furniture and the clothes hanging in your closets, and it has the added effect of making small spaces seem bigger. Coffee tables, kitchen counters, windowsills and other surfaces should be cleared of family photos, plants, etc. Also, be sure to put away any personal effects before showings. 4. Do a deep cleaning: Wash the windows, wipe down the dust accumulated on ceiling fans. Deep cleaning is important because while a home or condo can show very neatly, it’s the details that people pick up on. 5. Light it up: Every room should have at least two or three points of light. For example, an overhead fixture and a couple of table lamps. And make sure there are no burnt out bulbs. We can help you sell your property. Email us at contact@topmexicorealestate.com

TopMexicoRealEstate.com | The Playa Times Investing in Mexico/ Special Edition No.1

Invest in the Riviera Maya A successful destination with increasing tourism indicators that attracts a wide-range of travelers makes this region ideal for real estate investment BY TOP MEXICO REAL ESTATE

ver the last 15 years, the area that includes Cancun and the Riviera Maya has been a successful destination with increasing tourism indicators. Having a constant influx of tourism, the regional real estate market has boomed, offering products for all markets and budgets. If you’re considering investing in the Riviera Maya, you can rely on the statistics of the tourism industry to evaluate the market. Here are some examples of valuable data available: • Cancun Airport Cancun and the Riviera Maya are favorite destinations for national and international tourism. The statistics available at ASUR show a constant growth of the incoming tourists arriving at Cancun airport, where the number of passengers had an increase of 101.44% in nine years and of 12.26% from 2014 to 2016. • Hotel occupancy and tourist influx The Riviera Maya Tourist Barometer, a report made up with information shared by hotels in the area, shows that over the last four years the general occupancy has remained steady with

an occupation above 80% as an average during the year. The fact that a big majority of the tourists visiting Cancun and the Riviera Maya are foreigners ensures a big influx of tourists from all over the world all year round. • A new type of traveler All-inclusive hotels are popular among tourists, but there are other types of travelers who enjoy having a local experience, families looking for a comfortable and flexible place to stay, expats looking for a six-month lease and many more looking for alternative lodgings. This is great for real estate investors as there is a chance to generate rental income throughout the year. The opportunities to invest in the Riviera Maya go beyond purchasing a condo or a home. Right now Playa del Carmen and Tulum are the fastest growing towns in Mexico, and this means that the value of real estate and land will keep going up. It’s the perfect time to invest in this area. Download our exclusive Riviera Maya Investors Analysis Report to learn more about the real estate market: https://topmre.com/investinmexicopt1

Special Edition No.1 / The Playa Times Investing in Mexico | TopMexicoRealEstate.com

April 5 - 18 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

J SPECIAL EVENTS PLAYA DEL CARMEN SPRING COURSE KIDS OF LIGHT,

Monday, April 10, Tuesday, April 11, and Wednesday April 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Music, art, yoga, storytelling, REii, meditation, massages and more! Limited space $300mxn per day or $750 for all threes days. 10% discount for siblings. Palapa Suuk Avenue CTM between 5th and 10th., Playa del Carmen. Information Monica Weber 9981518280 Facebook/Curso de Primavera Niños de Luz en Playa del Carmen

TULUM

LIVE MUSIC & DANCING

LIVE MUSIC Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

Chak Acoustic Session. Ahau Tulum Km 7.8 Carretera Tulum Boca Paila. Facebook/Ahau Tulum LIVE MUSIC Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Chak Acoustic Session. Encantada Tulum Km 8.7 Carretera Tulum Boca Paila. Facebook/Encantada Tulum YOGA Monday thru Saturday at 8:30

a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. On Sundays at 10:15 a.m. and 5: p.m. Sanara Tulum. Km 8.2 Carretera Tulum Boca Paila. Facebook/Sanara Tulum

PLAYA DEL CARMEN NOCHE DE DIVAS, Every Friday, 6

p.m. - 9 p.m. Concert starts at 7:30 p.m. sharp. A Cabaret style dinner show with 5 different singer, dancers and performers singing in 6 different languages from Opera to Jazz, Chanson and Boleros. El Jardín, 20th Street between Ave 10 and 15. Beers $20 MXN. Facebook/El Jardin - community center

during Happy Hour everyday from 12 noon to 6:00p.m. Enjoy Alfreddo in Carboncitos Calle 4 between 5th Avenue and 10th Avenue. Facebook/ Carboncitos · Facebook/Alfreddo LIVE MUSIC, Every night from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. La Bodeguita Del Medio en Playa del Carmen 5th Avenue with Calle 34. Facebook/LaBodeguitaDelMedioenplayadelcarmen/ LIVE ROCK MUSIC, Every night from

LIVE MUSIC, Every Tuesday & Friday

Avenue with Calle 22, Playa del Carmen. Facebook/McCarthy´s Irish Pub Playa del Carmen ROCK NIGHT, Wednesdays 9:00 p.m. -12:00 a.m. Live rock bands. La Choperia 5th Avenue and Calle 28. Facebook/Choperia Playa del Carmen LIVE JAZZ, Thursdays 9:00 p.m. to

11:45 p.m. Lucky Lucianos 5th Avenue and Calle 28. Facebook/Lucky Luciano Playa del Carmen.

10:00 p.m. McCarthy’s Irish Pub, 5th

THE ECOS QUEER FILM FESTIVAL,

ANIMAL WELFARE

Thursday, April 13, at 8:00 p.m. Film “Quebranto” and shortfilm “Tremulo”. Special guests Roberto Fiesco & Benny Emanuel. Centro Cultural de Playa del Carmen. Facebook/PlayaPride.

ORGANIC MARKET Saturdays from 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Plaza del Municipio.

ONENESS FESTIVAL & RETREAT,

MARKETS

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! Facebook/ACCION ANIMAL

KAVA KASA LOCAL MARKET every

CHARM SCHOOL, every Saturday,

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

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. Facebook/Playa Animal Rescue

Thursday, April 13 from 8:00 a.m. to Sunday, April 16 until 10:00 p.m. This non-profit organization is offering music concerts, yoga classes, meditations, satsangs, and a lot of good vibes for the cost of $250mxn which includes three meals a day and 8 activities per day. More than 60 artists will be there. The four days of retreat with accommodations, food and festival all inclusive for just $3700mxn for 1 person or $4700mxn for 2 people, all inclusive in a private beautiful & very comfortable room. COST OF THE TICKETS - $250 mxn pre-sale 1 day - $300 mxn at the entrance 1 day - $900 mxn pre-sale full festival 4 days OZEN COCOM, Circuito sagrado manza-

na 2 lote 4, av maya mistica, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Q.R. 984 132 9163. Whatsapp - 477 7041 441 Call 984 132 9163 e-mail - info@ozencocom.com Facebook/ONEness festival & retreat

ACCIÓN ANIMAL ADOPTION FAIR,

ECOTIANGUIS DESAYUNO, every Friday, 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Jardin de Todas Centro Comunitario, Avenida 80 & Calle 3 Sur (Ejido). Facebook/ El Jardín de Todos APRIL 5 - 18

EL ÁRBOL PLAYACAR MARKET,

2017

every Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tulum Avenue, Local 6. Playacar Fase II. Facebook/El Árbol Playacar PARQUE LA CEIBA TIANGUIS,

DOG WASH, every Saturday 11 a.m.

every 3rd Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m, Parque La Ceiba, corner of Calle 1 Sur and Avenida 60. Facebook/Parque La Ceiba

to 4 p.m. Have fun giving the dogs baths while allowing them to socialize. Facebook/SOS el Arca VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR COCOS NEW CLINIC! 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

PUEBLITO MAYAKOBA CINE CLUB (KIDS) Thursday, April 6, from 7:00p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Outdoor movie night presenting “Pete’s Dragon”. Federal Highway Chetumal-Puerto Juarez km. 298, 984 873 4900. Facebook/El Pueblito at Mayakoba FARMERS MARKET, Sunday, April 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A wide variety of gourmet products and handcraft from the community plus activities for kids. Free entry to the public. Federal Highway Chetumal-Puerto Juarez km. 298, 984 873 4900. Facebook/El Pueblito at Mayakoba CINE CLUB (ADULTS) Thursday, April

13, from 7:00p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Outdoor movie night presenting “Night Crawler”. Federal Highway Chetumal-Puerto Juarez km. 298, 984 873 4900. Facebook/El Pueblito at Mayakoba FARMERS MARKET, Sunday, April 16

from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A wide variety of gourmet products and handcraft from the community plus activities for kids. Free entry to the public. Federal Highway Chetumal-Puerto Juarez km. 298, 984 873 4900. Facebook/El Pueblito at Mayakoba

KITTEN CUDDLING, 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. org Facebook/Cocos Animal Welfare

PLANETARIUM FOR KIDS ELASTIBALL. Wednesdays at 5:30

FASCINATING GEOMETRY. Tues-

p.m. Thursdays at 1:00 p.m. Saturdays at 12:00 p.m. Learn about properties of plastics and elasticity. Ages 4 years and up. $25mxn per participant. Sayab Planetarium Avenue Paseo Central between Avenue Kanthena and Avenue 125. Facebook/ Planetario de Playa del Carmen

days at 4:00 p.m. Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Review a bit of geometry make your own colored figures such as cubes and stars. Available different levels of difficulty to match your abilities. Ages 8 years and up. $15mxn per participant. Sayab Planetarium Avenue Paseo Central between Avenue Kanthena and Avenue 125. Facebook/Planetario de Playa del Carmen

SPACE SHIP. Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. Fridays at 1:00 p.m. Want to be an astronaut? Start with learning to build your own space ship to take you on various space missions. Ages 8 years and up. $25 mxn per participant. Sayab Planetarium Avenue Paseo Central between Avenue Kanthena and Avenue 125. Facebook/ Planetario de Playa del Carmen

Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. Fridays at 4:00 p.m. Sundays at 5:30 p.m. Make your own brain hat and learn the parts that make it up and their function. Take the hot home to to help you remember all

THE BRAIN.

that you learned. Ages 8 years and up. $25mxn per participant. Sayab Planetarium Avenue Paseo Central between Avenue Kanthena and Avenue 125. Facebook/Planetario de Playa del Carmen

6 years and up. $25mxn per participant. Sayab Planetarium Avenue Paseo Central between Avenue Kanthena and Avenue 125. Facebook/ Planetario de Playa del Carmen Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. Sundays at 1:00 p.m. You are invited to know about kaleidescopes and make your own to take home. Wonder at the diverse geometric forms that you decorate to your liking that transport you to your imagination. Ages 8 years and up. $35mxn per participant. Sayab Planetarium Avenue Paseo Central between Avenue Kanthena and Avenue 125. Facebook/Planetario de Playa del Carmen.

THROUGH MIRRORS. VIRTUAL REALITY. Fridays at 3:00

p.m. Sunday (July 24) at 12:00 p.m. Sayab Planetarium Avenue Paseo Central between Avenue Kanthena and Avenue 125. Facebook/Planetario de Playa del Carmen FOSSILS. Sundays at 4:00 p.m. Trav-

el back in time and discover plants and animals that have survived until now. Learn about their story through centuries. Get your own fossil and paint is how you like. Ages

YOGA

MARTIAL ARTS JIU JITSU/MUAY THAI/JUDO Jiu Jitsu: Mondays thru Thursdays 8

p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 9 a.m. Muay Thai: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 7 p.m. Judo: Tuesdays and Thursdays 6 p.m.

and Wednesdays 10 a.m. Free trial classes for adults at Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu. Avenue Constituyentes and Avenue 95, Ejido, in the Evolve Complex. Facebook/Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu Playa del Carmen

JASANA, PRANAYAMA & MEDITATION Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. The Roof

p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Kava Kasa, 22nd St. and 10th Ave. Facebook/Kava Kasa

at Be Playa. Avenue 10 and Calle 26. Facebook/Be Roof

YOGA, Tuesdays and Thursdays from

YOGA, Monday -Sunday, 9:00 a.m.

and 11:00 a.m. Monday -Friday, 6:00

For more information and events visit: w w w. t h e p l a ya t i m e s .c o m / W h a t ´ s O n

10:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Parque La Ceiba 1st Avenue with Diagonal 60, Ejido, Playa del Carmen. Facebook/Parque La Ceiba

ENTERTAINMENT

April 5 - 18 2017

StrEAT Park Playa del Carmen Ma^ Û klm _hh] mkn\d iZkd bg mhpg BY GINGER M.

his friendly park is the first one in town and opened a little over a year ago. It now has a total of five food trucks on the premises and even a bubble soccer field. StrEat Park is part of Playa Amigable, for an environment without discrimination. Alejandro Belmonte, from the LGBT movie, Cuatro Lunas, recently visit-

ed StrEat Park with the crew of Ecos of the Queer Film Festival, a monthly LGBT movie projection. The park has live bands and DJs twice a month, affordable food and convenient restrooms. It also attracts locals with its great variety of gastronomic Mexican products. El Tata Food Truck serves a large variety of very good

burritos, alambres, garnachas, costras de queso and pasta. It is typical tasty Mexican cuisine. Enchilame Otra offers enchiladas and tecolotas. The ‘Borracha’, recommended by Sandra Yamamoto, the owner, is one of the best tecolotas on the menu and has the perfect spicy kick you are looking for! Rodri and Angeles from the El Bunker opened their food truck serving gourmet hamburgers in different sizes. They also sell their delicious homemade sauce - a must. The ‘Bunker’ is their signature dish and it is a delight. Porkavana is the newest member of the park and has healthy yet tasty

StrEat Park

Avenida Constituyentes Between 65 and 70 Enchiclame is open from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. All other trucks open at 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. food. Diana and Ramond believe that those two concepts get along and it is proven with their delicious salads and pitas. The ‘Porkavana’ and the ‘Veggie Pita’ are top of the list. David Arista established Funbol in September. It is a recreational, and I must say, intensely fun game with inflated balls on a soccer field. Various versions of the game are available for all ages. Warning, you must be at least a little in shape, otherwise you will last only two minutes!

Stay tuned for the next LGBT event in this centrally located food truck park on Constituyentes between 60th and 65th Avenue. Facebook/@StreatPark/ Facebook/El-TataFoodTruck-1629293117306598/ Facebook/@kuniseafoodtruck/ Facebook/@elbunkerplaya/ Facebook/@enchilameotrapdc/ Facebook/Porkavana-Snacks-Salads-263063867464853/ Facebook/@KnockerballPDC/

StrEat park has delicious food at affordable prices / Photo: Ginger M.

Introducing Alfreddo BY CRYSTAL MITCHELL

What has been the key to your success as a musician? I think that the key to my success is my experience of many years and the fact that I enjoy what I do so much.

Alfredo Rodriguez, known artistically as Alfreddo, crossed paths with me the other day in Carboncitos. This talented gentleman is a local musician who plays many styles of music, so I took the opportunity to get to know him better and share what I found with our readers. The Playa Times: Where are you originally from and how did you find yourself in Playa del Carmen? How long have you been here? Alfredo: I am from Guadalajara in Jalisco. My son and his family decided to move to Playa del Carmen, and he asked us if we would like to move down here too. We did, and we’ve been here since November 2015. Tell us about your music. The songs I sing are international music. Swing, jazz, bossanova, country, pop, rock, big band, and Spanish songs. What have been your most successful shows here in the Riviera Maya? My most successful shows here are in the resorts. Where has your musical career led you to travel in the world? I’ve worked in several cities in México and Central America. Alfreddo is a local musician who plays regularly throughout the area / Photo: Alfreddo

What do you want your audience to remember most when they hear your work? I want my audience to remember that they had a really good time while they were listening to me. What part of this venture has been the most fun? It has all been fun. Where do you play here in the Riviera Maya so our readers can come see you? I am performing at Azul Fives hotel, Ocean Riviera Paradise hotel, Carboncitos restaurant, and Ferron’s Jerk Chicken restaurant.

I want my audience to remember that they had a really good time while they were listening to me Alfreddo Local Musician

Carboncitos: Tuesdays and Fridays from 3:45 pm to 5:15 pm. Ferron’s Jerk Chicken: Tuesdays and Fridays from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm Azul Fives: Tuesdays and Saturdays from 7:00 pm to 7:45 pm Ocean Riviera Paradise: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10:30 pm to 12:00 pm Check out Alfreddo’s schedule on his Facebook Fanpage: Facebook/Alfreddo

Photo: Cervenauta

TPT FOODIES

April 5 - 18 2017

Guy Fieri’s Kitchen + Bar P laya d el Ca r m en BY MERA CORPORATION/GUY FIERI’S KITCHEN + BAR Last November, Guy Fieri, celebrity chef and culinary rock star, opened his very first restaurant outside of the United States. It was right here in Playa del Carmen, located on Fifth Avenue, the most important avenue for tourism and commerce on the Riviera Maya. Guy Fieri´s Kitchen + Bar is a unique concept, different from anything seen before in Mexico. In season 10 of his Food Network program, Guy visited some “hidden” restaurants around the U.S. searching for original recipes that have their own group of fans. Here, at his restaurant in Playa del Carmen, the winner of the Food Network Star and owner of franchises, such as Tex Wasabi´s, El Burro Borracho and Guy´s BBQ, offers his own versions of American classics. Guy applies his unique style to each recipe, resulting in original creations that can’t be found elsewhere in Mexico. His menu includes signature dishes from his restaurants in New York and Las Vegas, such as Las Vegas fries. You will also find the winner of the NYC Wine & Food Festival Burger Bash, the unique Mac´N´Cheese Bacon Burger. His ribs and brisket are slow cooked and smoked over firewood for fourteen hours, in the only dry smoker in town. He also offers special dishes like ceviche, for those looking for a more local flavor.

Guy Fieri´s ribs and brisket are slow cooked and smoked over firewood for 14 hours, in the only dry smoker in town, giving them an unbeatable flavor. The restaurant has a capacity for one hundred and people, and its facilities include a deck and terrace with views over the famous Fifth Avenue. Inside there is air-conditioning, live music, big TV screens broadcasting various sports, comfortable seating and a boutique selling clothes and souvenirs to remember your visit to Guy Fieri’s. Trino de la Torre, the establishment’s manager, assures us that “We are committed to making Guy Fieri´s Kitchen + Bar, Playa del Carmen a unique and memorable culinary experience, with dishes full of exotic flavors, prepared with fresh ingredients of the highest quality. We also serve original drinks and incredible cocktails, such as Guy’s signature drink, the Caliente Margarita.”

The best tequilas should be savoured and enjoyed, like the finest Scotches or wines / Photo: Wikimedia Commons

How to Drink Tequila =bl\ho^k _hk rhnkl^e_ ahp mh ikhi^ker ^gchr F^qb\h l _Zohkbm^ Ze\hahe BY IAN MACKENZIE

he best kinds of tequilas are just as complex as some of the finest Scotches or wines. As such, they must be savored and enjoyed in a similar manner, to get the most out of the experience. So when I was recently invited to attend an evening dedicated to teaching those present the art of drinking tequila, I was more than eager to go and learn. The first thing that I noticed upon arrival was the beautiful glassware that we would be using. They were long stemmed and resembled wine glasses. From them would be tasting four different tequilas; a blanco, reposado, anejo, and extra anejo. We began by taking in the aroma. You have to take care not to overpower your nose with such high proof alcohol, so we were told to approach it in three steps. We began by sniffing from the front of the glass, then moving to the the centre, and finally the back, to hit different parts of the olfactory. Next, we angled our glasses and swirled them around, to let the liquid splash up higher inside. Once it began to trickle down, the speed of the “tears” indicated the body of that particular tequila. Tequilas that have been aged longer, such as the final two we sampled, had a heavier, thicker body, and fell slower. Now came the fun part, the tasting. We started off with a small sip, to get our mouths accustomed to the alcohol. We moved it around our mouths to the various parts of the tongue, hitting the different re-

Guy Fieri’s Kitchen + Bar is located on 5th Avenue on the corner of calle 22 / Photos: Guy Fieri’s Kitchen + Bar

ceptors that respond to what is salty, bitter or sweet. I could feel a definite change as it moved inside.

The best tequilas

are made for savoring, just like the finest Scotches or wines

To help cleanse our palettes a bit, each tequila was accompanied by a serving of food, which also was chosen for its complimentary taste. The blanco, having hints of citrus and herbs, came with a plate of ceviche. The reposado has the taste of wood, nuts, and spices, and was accompanied by some pasta ravioli. Finally, we finished off with some tiramisu cake to go with the anejo and extra anejos. The common traits of both include cinnamon and chocolate, making for the perfect ending to a very informative and delicious evening.

April 5 - 18 2017

TPT FOODIES

Marquesitas Galore <kblir \k^i^l pbma rhnk Û eebg` h_ \ahb\^ fZd^ _hk Z mZlmr F^qb\Zg mk^Zm BY THE PLAYA TIMES

had the best marquesitas at an event in Merida last month, and although I couldn’t convince the chef to share his recipe, our version comes pretty close. This common Yucatan street snack is a simple crispy crepe, with savory, sweet and salty umami flavors. Makes 14-16 crepes • 3 eggs • 1/3 cup sugar • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil • ½ cup flour • ¼ teaspoon salt • 1/3 cup water • 1 cup shredded Gouda or Edam cheese In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar,

flour, salt and water to form a batter. Heat a 20 cm (8-inch) skillet, then brush with a touch of oil. Pour some batter in the hot pan and immediately swirl to coat the bottom, thinly. After one minute, flip the crepe with a spatula and brown the other side. Cook them longer than a typical French crepe to get them crispy. Add one tablespoon of shredded cheese, remove from the pan and roll up. If you want to be authentic, serve it in a piece of rolled parchment paper. If you use a Swedish-type krumkake iron, they get crispier. Instead of cheese, fill with Nutella, cajeta, condensed milk, banana slices or even savory ingredients. Let your imagination run wild. You can make the crepes in advance and keep them in an airtight container, but they will soften and will need a little crisping before filling and serving. Dust them with powdered sugar or Mexican cinnamon.

Photo: Agency

A Look at Alux The main dining room is spacious and romantically lit by colored lights cast up the cave walls, ornate chandeliers, and classic furnishings / Photo: Facebook/Alux Restaurante

BY TILLY KYRIAKIDES When in Playa it’s easy to stick to Fifth Avenue and the immediate area for restaurant choices. But straying off the beaten path is definitely worth it. And by ‘off the beaten path,’ I mean traveling down Avenue Benito Juarez, across Highway 307 and down a set of stairs that lead you into Alux Restaurant. This out-of-the-way eatery is a must-see for tourists and locals alike. Alux is located on Avenue Benito Juarez between Calles 65 and 70. It is easily missed from the road because the restaurant itself is underground, located in a beautiful natural cavern that is more than 10,000 years old. This makes eating a meal at Alux a memorable experience. Far from being dark or dingy, Alux could be the setting from a James Bond film. The cavern has formed a large underground loop filled with stalactites dripping into small pools, and guests take time out of their meal to walk around the entire cave. The main dining room is spacious and romantically lit by colored lights cast up the cave walls, ornate chandeliers, and classic furnishings. Smaller, naturally formed ‘rooms’

are reserved for guests wanting a more private setting. This sprawling cave seems to have no limits. There is even an events space for weddings and other occasions! Their impressive bar is crafted out of natural materials and sits at one end of the main dining area. Here the barmen mix some creative cocktails like the Mayan Sangría, which is a heady mix of vodka, rosé wine, and pear liqueur, served with fresh fruit that is reminiscent of Pear Drop candy. A discreet DJ plays soft music which quietly echoes around the cave while guests dig into their dishes. The menus add a decadent twist to traditional Mexican cuisine. The Tuna Passion is seared to perfection and finished with a red mojo sauce, while the Cenote Duck is a sticky sweet surprise set on a bed of fettuccine pasta and finished with a spinach salad. The food is fantastic, and guests can be seen quietly gazing around their awe-inspiring surroundings as they tuck in. Alux casts a perfect balance of quality food in a unique setting that creates an unforgettable dining experience.

HEALTH

April 5 - 18 2017

Power B rea k fas t s Get the day off to a powerful start with these energizing breakfast ideas BY SARA JONES

s the saying goes, you should “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper.” The theory being, of course, to get the bulk of your calories at the start of your day while you still have time to burn them off or build muscle. Healthy Pancakes Mix an egg with a banana, and you can make pancakes. Yes, that’s right, just two ingredients! You can also increase the fiber by adding oats, enhance the vitamin and antioxidant content by adding blueberries or other fruits, increase the energy and protein by adding natural peanut butter or intensify the sweetness by adding maple syrup. So simple, easy and delicious. Kefir or Yogurt Parfait Use unsweetened kefir or yogurt and layer it with nuts, seeds, fresh fruit or dried fruits. Almonds, pecans or other nuts can increase the protein content. Fruits provide some sweetness and increase the energy, vitamins, and antioxidants. Add a spice like cinnamon for heart health.

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper. Power Smoothie Use a base of kefir, natural unsweetened yogurt or almond milk and add your favorite ingredients. Banana provides sweetness and a nutrition boost and goes well with natural peanut butter for added protein and flavor. Add some cacao powder if you’re craving a chocolate fix. You can always add a teaspoon of coconut oil to your smoothie as you blend it, maple syrup or natural honey for sweetness and chia seeds after it’s blended for extra protein, fiber, and omega-3 essential fatty acids. Eggs Eggs are a great source of protein for any time of the day. Cook your eggs whichever way you like them best, just go easy on the oil if you’re frying them. I use avocado oil which has a high smok-

You can make healthy pancakes with just two ingredients - eggs and bananas / Photo: Pexels.com

ing point and won’t flavor the food like coconut oil can. When scrambling or making an omelet, remember you can use just one or two whole eggs and then add

extra egg whites for additional protein. Add in your preference of vegetables or serve with a side of avocado and some crackers, bread, totopes or tortillas.

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

Divine Dance BY SARA JONES I was introduced to the practice of ‘Divine Dance’ about a year ago and it has become something I look forward to and derive immense enjoyment from each and every week. There are no rules in Divine Dance, no steps and no wrong turns. All are welcome and no skill level or body type is out of place. After a short warm-up to mobilize the joints and loosen up the muscles, the all-female group of dancers spreads out, moving around the spacious studio ‘Palapa Suuk’. The track listing varies from 80s classics to 90s pop hits and current dance tunes, with a few slower songs interspersed so we can catch our breath. Although the sessions are often led by regular dancers with a passion for creating playlists, Divine Dance was originally started in Playa Del Carmen by Sarah Chamberlain. Sarah travels, blogs, teaches Kundalini Yoga, holds retreats and facilitates the practice of dance wherever she goes. Follow Sarah at www.sarahsomewhere.com The benefits of dancing are numerous and are both physical and emotional: Enhance your mood Moving your body feels good! If you’re happy, dance and you will feel ecstatic. If you’re sad about

something, dance and cry – it helps, I promise. Get your blood flowing Dancing counts as a cardio workout. You’ll notice your breathing increase and your temperature rise as you move to the beat of the music. Mobilize your spine Our spines are designed to move in a variety of directions, rotate, bend, extend and flex. Take it slowly at first if you’re not used to moving your spine in this way.

Improve your balance Turning and moving in different directions helps you improve your balance the more you do it, this could also help prevent injuries. Don’t worry about how you look to others, Divine Dance is a completely non-judgmental all-female dance group. It’s just about having fun so twist, twirl, stomp, sway, shake and smile! Sara Jones Spa, Wellness & Lifestyle Expert, Spa Consultant and Founder of Spa & Wellness MexiCaribe magazine www.spawellnessmexico.com

Sarah Chamberlain started Divine Dance here in Playa del Carmen / Photo: Sarah Chamberlain/www.sarahsomewhere.com

ART & CULTURE

April 5 - 18 2017

ADN MAYA: Reggae and Rap in Chan Santa Cruz Meet the young musicians from the Yucatan Peninsula who are expressing themselves in their traditional language BY ALEJANDRA CAMPO

ave you ever listened to reggae and rap in a language other than English? Nowadays, young people in Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo are making music and putting their voices and lyrics to songs of rap, reggae and other rhythms in Mayan. And no, it is not reggaeton. On Saturday, March 18, we went to the House of Culture in Felipe Carrillo Puerto (formerly known as Chan Santa Cruz), for the presentation of the first album by ADN Maya. The project unites soloists, duos and groups such as Yalen K’uj, Hermanos Poot, Primicia 983, Dino Chan, La Gruta del Mayab and many others. All of them are young people, mostly from 17 to 30 years of age, from the Maya communities on the peninsula. Under the direction of Pat Boy, the young musicians introduced us to the songs that comprise this album. They had the support of teacher, Marcelo Jiménez, recognized artists and cultural promoters of the municipality, such as Marisol Berlín, as well as the Hacienda Foundation of the Maya World. This project was born in 2014 upon the initiative of Pat Boy. He is a young rapper, pro-

moter and music producer, who, in addition to his musical career, has been given the task of helping out young people like him that feel the need to sing, to express their experiences and emotions. His lyrics speak about daily life in their communities, putting a special emphasis on the rescue of their culture and their Mayan language. They want the people who listen to them - children and young people mostly - not to be ashamed to be Maya or speak their language. On the contrary, they feel proud of their roots and heritage. This is gradually paying off, because like them, children want to learn Mayan to be able to sing their songs. This is a movement that is growing, and is increasingly being supported by broadcasters like Carrillo Puerto, social networks, and YouTube. It is reaching other parts of the country and even abroad, with a positive message about values, such as moving away from drugs so that you can achieve your dreams with effort and hard work. The sound of their music and their proposal is very good, so search for them on Facebook and YouTube. Congratulations to ADN Maya!

Aluxes / Photo: Agency

The Legend of the Aluxes BY THE PLAYA TIMES How many of you have traveled on the bridge from the Cancun airport to the hotel zone? Or driven beneath it on your way to Cancun? How many of you know that during construction, the bridge collapsed... twice. Was it from faulty construction techniques? Engineering issues? Or was it something more mischievous and dangerous - an alux? Similar to Irish leprechauns or European gnomes and fairies, Aluxes (pronounced ah-loosh-es) are mysterious and mythical creatures in the Maya culture. Born in a ceremony conducted by a Maya priest, aluxes are believed to protect their owners and their owners´property. When treated well, through offerings of food, honey, corn, and tobacco, aluxes protect fields and property from thieves or others wishing to do harm. These light and agile creatures are rarely seen and when not treated well, can wreak havoc. Stories of aluxes terrorizing children, harassing neglectful owners, and even leading people into the jungle where they become lost for days can be heard all over the Yucatan Peninsula. When property is sold or passed down, it is important for the new owners to continue to make offerings. You may even see small houses or shelters built out of respect for aluxes in some resorts, hotels and even roads throughout the Yucatan.

Born in a ceremony conducted by a Maya priest, aluxes are believed to protect their owners and their owners´property.

Recognizing Pat Boy (rapper and founder of ADN Maya) for his work with ADN Maya

Prior to concerts given by Luciano Pavarotti and Sarah Brightman at Chichen Itza, sacred ceremonies and offerings were conducted by Maya priests to please the aluxes. Both concerts went off without a hitch. Then, during preparation for the Elton John concert (also held at Chichen Itza) the stage collapsed and three workers were injured. Later, it was admitted that a ceremonial offering was not made to the aluxes. Some believe the aluxes were to blame for the stage collapse. As for the Cancun bridge problems, rumor has it, following the second incident with the bridge, a Maya priest was brought in to conduct a sacred ceremony and workers constructed a small house to honor the aluxes, which still stands. The bridge was finished without incident and millions of travelers use the bridge every year, unaware of the mischievous aluxes in their presence. The guys from ADN Maya finishing up for the night / Photos: Alejandra Campo

YouTube/ADN MAYA FILMS Facebook/ADN MAYA Producciones.

April 5 - 18 2017

ART & CULTURE

Women in their rebozos during the Procession of Silence in San Luis Potosi / Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Semana Santa in Mexico Learn about the traditions of the Easter season, which still contain many rituals of the Catholic religion BY ALEJANDRA CAMPO

lthough some aspects of the Catholic religion have been lost in Mexico over the years (even at Easter), we still have seasonal traditions. In addition to Ash Wednesday, the ritual which marks the beginning of Lent, there are other activities that combine religion with recreation and commerce. Here are some of them:

• The Friday of Sorrows On this day, people and churches often set out a table adorned with China paper, oranges with purple flags of the same material which represents pain, yellow flowers, chia seeds, lentils, candles, and gold and silver objects. It is customary to also give flavored water and sorbets to people who come, perhaps because during the days of the viceroyalty there were dances and people sated their thirst by buying water. This tradition is carried

out a week before Easter in memory of the seven sorrows of the Virgin Mary through the passion of Jesus. On Thursday night in the Guanajuato capital, they perform the dance of the flowers. After it finishes, the young people go to the Garden of the Union to give flowers to the girls. It is a quiet, flirtatious, and tranquil event which is highly recommended. • The Visit of Seven Houses This is also known as the Visit of the

Seven Altars. On the afternoon of every Holy Thursday, people travel around the seven temples recalling the coming and going of Jesus between the Roman authorities, to see who would be responsible for judging him. It is customary to close streets to ensure the safety of the people. Outside the temple, they give away fresh chamomile and small loaves of unleavened bread in exchange for a donation. On the streets, they sell traditional dishes and sweets. • Procession of Silence On the afternoon of Good Friday, parish priests walk through the streets leading a procession, carrying the cross, with the crucified Christ and the Virgin. They walk barefoot,

carrying heavy wooden crosses, as a way for the penitents to cleanse their sins. This tradition began in Mexico in San Luis Potosí during the era of new Spain, and this city is the most popular for tourists visiting the city specifically for this event. • The Burning of Judas On Easter Sunday, they hold the burning of Judas, an allusion to the apostle who betrayed Jesus, using handcrafted figures made of cardboard or papier-mâché in the form of the devil. On this day the town also takes advantage by making figures of corrupt politicians who receive their punishment by being burned. Much like the nativity play at Christmas, this act serves as a form of catharsis for the majority of people.

ANIMAL WELFARE

April 5 - 18 2017

The Fight to Abolish Bullfights in Quintana Roo BY NASH On March 17, a bullfight was held in Cancun. Although some Mexican states have banned bullfighting, Quintana Roo is not one of them. Quintana Roo Sin Tauromaquia (Quintana Roo without Bullfighting) was created with the purpose of eradicating bullfighting. Dea Flores, an advocate for the bulls, can not believe that in the 21st century we have such barbaric traditions. Mexico’s Federal Law speaks to animal welfare, however not explicitly about bullfighting, and often masked behind the curtain of “culture”, states Dea. The Protection and Animal Welfare State Law also contemplates animal abuse, mistreatment, attacks, and spectacles with animals. However, it is not specific to bullfighting either, even though this law is clear when it comes to animal cruelty in Articles 33, 34 and 35, they still allow the bullfights. People are not aware of the barbaric treatment of the bulls; they are tortured before and during the match. Dea contacted the District State Representative who is working on prohibiting fights, promised the event would not go on, but it did. City Hall stopped ticket sales. However, after paying a fine, they were able to hold the event. She has worked dili-

You Weasel! The weasel has a bad reputation, and maybe it bl cnlmbÛ ^]' Ma^l^ lg^Zdr ebmme^ \k^Zmnk^l Zk^ o^kr \aZkfbg` Zg] \nm^% r^m ma^r Zk^ ]^Z]er ik^]Zmhkl'

I still summoned people to gather outside of the Plaza de Toros to protest that day; we were 50 this time. Still not enough and still four innocent souls were massacred that night. We could hear outside the crowd cheering ‘’ole’’ and then the cry of the tortured bull. Barbaric. Dea Flores Activist Quintana Roo Sin Tauromaquia

gently, filing appeals with judges based on the Federal Constitution forbidding the killing, mutilation, or torment of any species but to no avail. Although it is dangerous for anyone to interfere in big business, she will continue her fight for the bulls in QR. Donations for legal fees or more information contact Facebook/ Quintana Roo Sin Tauromaquia.

BY NASH

here are many sayings or quotes regarding weasels such as “he will weasel his way out of it”. Many of these expressions are based on the weasel’s reputation for escape, and not being able to cage them in because they will find a way out. They are brilliant with a big personality and fun to watch, yet they can not be trusted - like people who earn the reputation of being “a weasel.” Although this creature is nocturnal, it can be spotted in the jungle in daylight hours. The long-tail weasel known to the Maya as sabin has a long, slim, brown body with a yellow underbelly. This species has two white lines forming a mask on their long, pointed snout. It can kill an animal up to ten times its weight including reptiles, birds, rabbits, and rodents. Because of their metabolism, weasels eat half their body weight a day and are known to continue killing even after they have had their meal. During the hunt, weasels performs an elaborate dance in front of their prey as a distraction, and in the case of rabbits, some have died of fright before they are attacked. There are no scruples in the weasel’s hunt. They will kill baby animals such as baby bats and birds in their nests. They also steal eggs. Their killing method is quick, similar to the jaguar, wrap-

Weasel Facts: • Can kill an animal up to ten times its weight. • Can eat half their body weight a day. • Will often continue to kill, even after a meal. • Killing method is quick, wrapping its body around the prey and biting the back of the head or spinal cord.

ping their body around the prey and biting the back of its head or spinal cord. The weasel also has a secret weapon, a stink bomb, similar to a skunk’s spray. They are solitary, territorial animals, except during the summer mating season, although the development of the egg is delayed and the young are not born until spring typically giving birth to five to eight pups. Mom feeds the young until about five weeks when she teaches them to hunt.

The long tail weasel is known to the Maya as sabin / Photo: Wikimedia Commons Bullfighting is a barbaric sport where an animal is tortured before its death / Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Roz’s Kitty Kottage Roz’s Kitty Kottage has rescued hundreds of newborn kittens in the Riviera Maya. Most of these kittens are not even weaned, they are usually found in very poor health, and need constant feeding and care. Roz´s Kitty Kottage, a non-profit, is also a dog foster home with a never end-

ing amount of dogs coming through in need of urgent medical attention and foster care. Once the animals are healthy, Roz works with various local organizations to ensure these animals find loving homes, either locally or abroad. Custom Mexican Peso Jewelry is a local fundraiser which she operates to cre-

ate income for rescue. The custom personalized jewelry is made from Mexican peso coins and created by a local artist. To order these unique custom pieces of jewelry and help animals in the Riviera check out Facebook/Custom Mexican Peso Jewelry or Facebook/Roz’s Kitty Kottage.