Riviera Maya Jazz Festival, November 27
November 30, 2009 by edicion
Filed under Events, Reviews, riviera maya
By Melissa Bañuelos
Last Friday, November 27th was the third day for Riviera Maya Jazz Festival at Playa del Carmen. This event has been under the eyes of the world for the last 7 years. Under a silver moon, with the fresh breeze of the Caribbean and over the sand, thousands of people and jazz lovers enjoyed the finest rhythms of Jim Beard, Spyro Gyra and Sergio Mendes.
The evening started at 7pm with the whimsical and electrical style of Jim Beard’s piano. A mix of smooth jazz and fusion jazz, caught the attention and opened the senses of the audience, astonished by the different elements that Jim Beard seemed to blend with so much harmony.
Spyro Gyra continued the concert with its ability and obvious passion in each one of its members. This mythical group from NY, started by giving a small bite of its new album “Down the Wire”, highlighting, once more, its avant garde jazz tendencies. The Cuban guitarist Julio Fernandez shared a song made for his mother, and the drummer Bonny B boosted the audience euphoria with his solo.
The concert ended with the legendary music of Sergio Mendes. Together with his vocalists, drummer and guitarist, he played his major hits like “Scarborough Fair”, “Mais que nada”, and the Brazilian anthems “Aqua de beber”, “Chica de Ipanema” and “Aquarela do Brasil”. Plus, at some point, he mixed his rhythms with the energy of hip hop and an incredible capoeira performance.
Riviera Maya hotels offer great deals this summer!
Riviera Maya hotels launched a joint strategy to attract tourists for this summer season through packages and promotions that will be the highlight of the destination.
According to a report submitted by the hotels industry, a total of 60 establishments will participate with endless options for tourists to enjoy the Riviera Maya beaches, basically for all budgets and tastes.
The agreement includes packages with additional free nights, free park admissions, breakfasts and lunches, free accommodation for people younger than 17 y.o., alcoholic drinks, discounts and many other attractive features.
The packages are for low budget hotels to five star hotels. The prices may vary according to packages, and of course, to facilities category.
According to hoteliers, the effort is being carried out on every establishment of the Riviera Maya with the purpose of offering alternatives for everyone.
“Our idea is to give the opportunity to everyone that wants to live an adventure in these gorgeous paradise beaches”.
Besides, they expressed all the options to get to the destination that are cheaper than ever.
Cruise Lover’s Dinner, the most romantic tour!
By Ana Rojas
Wow!…. I could tell you so much about this tour, but it would be so long that nobody would read my review. I want to share with you this awesome tour under the stars floating over Nichupte bay in Cancun. The highlight of this experience is a deep feeling of peace and tranquility that lasts for a couple of hours joined by light words and smiles, a beautiful melody played by “Don Pepe” of Cuba and his sax that made me sing all songs! Besides, the dinner was absolutely delicious.
I will put it this way: the tour is one of those moments that will endure and make you realize that it was worth it to find again that special one inside a magical world!
dTraveller The Tour Experts Recomend
Activities - Tours and attractions - Romantic Tours
CDC Travel Health Warning Fly in Mexico Removed
CDC’s Travel Health Warning recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico, in effect since April 27, 2009, has now been downgraded to a Travel Health Precaution for Mexico.
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has been monitoring the ongoing outbreak flu in Mexico. There is evidence that the Mexican outbreak is slowing down in many cities. In addition, the United States and other countries are now seeing increasing numbers of cases not associated with travel to Mexico. Finally, the risk of severe disease from novel H1N1 virus infection now appears to be less than originally thought.
At this time, CDC has removed its recommendation that U.S. travelers avoid travel to Mexico. CDC continues to recommend that travelers visiting Mexico take steps to protect themselves from getting novel H1N1 flu.
Whale Shark tour in Holbox
Holbox island which means “black hole” is located at the northeast of Cancun (Mexico); separated by Yalahao lagoon, it belongs to Yum Balam Reserve. Besides fishing, inhabitants are dedicated to offer boat rides to “passion island” and “birds island” or tours to swim in the “water eye” of Yalahao, where sport fishing is a common activity and mostly, the Whale Shark tour.
To get to Holbox Island you can take the free highway to Merida up to Chiquilá village and leave your car in any parking lot (they are safe). If you come from Cancun, the bus ride will take about 3 hours, from Merida it will take 5 hours. Once in Chiquilá there are some boats departing towards the island or an express small boat service, private planes are also a quick option (30 minutes flight).
From May to September, Holbox island hosts Whale Shark groups in search of warm waters and full-nutrient cool water springs that enhance plankton development -their diet ingredient-. The whale shark is docile, gentile and harmless for human beings, they don’t feel divers or swimmers to be a threat for them. There are available tours to swim with these incredible and majestic animals.
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish on Earth, with12 -15 meters of length. Size is the only similarity with whales. The first species was identified on the year 1828 in South Africa. Its belly is totally white; its back is of dark color with spots, horizontal and vertical lines just as a chess table. Each whale shark has a unique spotted texture. These creatures swim at 5 km/hrs.
dTraveller The Tour Experts Recommend
Cancun without Influenza virus
“Health State Services of Mexico confirmed that Cancun and all Quintana Roo region -Cozumel, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, Riviera Maya- have been totally out of influenza virus during the last fours years, as a result of strategic measures taken by the sector”.
After the Influenza outbreak in some parts of Mexico, specially in Mexico City and Estado de México -about 1040 miles from Cancun- the different authorities are multiplying efforts to avoid an epidemic expansion. State authorities, integral hospital directors and Cancun General Hospital directors were gathered to unify surveillance criteria. A test will be applied to all the persons with the following symptoms: bone pain, runny nose and fever, To rule out all influenza possibilities.
The influenza is a highly contagious virus easily confused with the flu that mainly attacks children and elderly people. More than 24 thousand vaccines were applied to the vulnerable population of the aforementioned region last year.
Cancun is still at the top of traveler’s list
Despite economical crisis, Cancun is still Mexico’s top beach destination with a growing number of visitors per year. This holiday season, the occupancy rate was of more than 90% and experts are waiting a 85% for next winter.
The main reason for this constant-increasing tourism is that this Caribbean destination offers great deals specially for US citizens due to the decreasing peso, being of 10 in respect to the dollar last year and now 14 to the dollar; additionally the price of fuel are dropping, making airplane tickets a lot cheaper.
It is also the ideal place for everyone, specially springbreakers,, the beaches are awesome and money seems to go a long way. Orbitz Worldwide Inc., a leading global online travel company, has informed that there has never been a better time to travel to Mexico than right now.
Even the turtles love Cancun
By Johanna Kruse
One night, I was strolling around Cancun with my friends and after having dinner we decided to walk along the beach. It was a cool night and we went directly to Marlin Beach.
As soon as we get there we walked towards the sea, but a girl came to tell us that it was not allowed to get any closer to the sea as there were turtles laying their eggs. It was something we didn’t expected, but we went to a place from which we could see the turtles better.
It was an incredible spectacle to see the effort of the huge turtles getting from the sea to the shore, 4 meters from the water, and later trying for hours to dig a deep hole to leave their eggs protected from cold and water.
We stayed for about 4 hours, watching the astonishing and beautiful animals. That night 4 turtles got to the shore to leave their eggs. That was something I will never forget.
dTraveller The Tour Experts recommend
Xcaret Plus: Xcaret protects the two species of turtles that nest in Quintana Roo`s beaches.
Río Secreto, a journey to the center of the Mayan Earth. PART 2
By Melissa Bañuelos
We descended a few meters up to a chamber that seem to be the door of the center of the earth. We carefully sited on some rocks, as if they were made of crystal to avoid any damage to that place so perfectly designed while million years went by. From time to time we felt some bats flapping over our heads and we smelled the mixture of dampness and purity, as we listed to the fine process of caves formation.
It was astonishing when we entered to the first of many galleries hidden by the underground. The floor has the color of marble and pearls due to the amount of calcium; it is covered with water so pristine that you couldnt tell where the dry area really began. Paths are not dangerous or deep, you become part of this crystal world, you get used to your own delicate swim and steps.
The floor and the endless roof of each chamber are filled with speleothems that are still alive and that slowly keep shaping through time. Minerals leakage through rain that runs in the subsoil and the huge roots of trees that penetrate the gaps of the cave fed by the underground water, make of this place, the reflection of the upper world. Seems like some formations were sprinkled by star dust and that the sinkholes’ water was really sacred. Rio Secreto explorer was accurate on his description about that place: “it is a shortcut to the moon, pure jewelry of silver and gold”.
There were all kinds of rocky formations of all sizes, colors and possible textures; suddenly we could visualize also chandeliers, curtains, steps, everything as if it was a perfect palace designed for the Mayan spirits. We were in a place above Earth, or inside of it. For moments we heard the planet breathing, the sound of the natural leaks, deep echoes that filled our mind with peace. We saw a ray of light, no very far from the last gallery; we knew we were returning to the surface.
At the end of this magical journey, when the sunlight started to warm us again, with all the oxygen in our lungs we started to identify the scent of every living being, we breath at the same compass of our beloved Earth and of all the life in it. Because of all the white and glossy shades, we could perceive the intensity of the thousand greens that surrounded us.
Río Secreto, a journey to the center of the Mayan Earth. PART 1
By Melissa Bañuelos
Close to Playa del Carmen and Cancun, is located one of the most amazing works of art of nature. Río Secreto (“Secret River” as in Spanish), is an underground cave that seems to have been built by the Mayan gods and that my team and I had the chance to explore a couple of weeks ago.
The day was perfect to begin a new adventure that until then, we didn’t imagine to be the path up to an underground palace of blue rivers, silver formations and a perfect silence. We depart from Cancun and in less than an hour we were at one of the accesses to the Mayan jungle, home of endemic species and where all trees are brothers.
We jumped in an Unimog, better known as all-terrain vehicle. It had to be a special car, as the path didn’t have trails of human work, no paving, no cobble, no asphalt, no nothing. In that same moment we knew that we would forget about our hectic lives to immerse ourselves in nature.
After a 20-minute ride through the jungle, we arrived to a leved area. We were welcomed by a guide and he gave us the necessary equipment to guarantee our safety and comfort. You don’t need much to get to Rio Secreto: helmet with head torch, neoprene suit and water socks. We walked while we curiously watched the strange vegetation and all kinds of insects. Very soon we realize that the jungle was greeting us as if we were part of its endless ecosystem.
We saw a small bottomless hole on the floor. Our guide told us the story of the casual discovery of this speleological treasure “Don Cleo, owner of this parcel, was tiding up his land when he saw an iguana and tried to catch it for that day dinner. He dug trying to find the reptile when he heard some rocks falling into the void. Something was strange in that place”, said with excitement our guide as if he was already part of that cave.
