Chichén Itzá est une ancienne ville maya située entre Valladolid et Mérida dans la péninsule du Yucatán, au Mexique.

Chichén Itzá était probablement le principal centre religieux du Yucatán et reste aujourd’hui l’un des sites archéologiques les plus importants et les plus visités de la région.

Le 7 juillet 2007, l’endroit a été désigné comme l’une des sept nouvelles merveilles du monde après un vote organisé par la New Seven Wonders Foundation.

Si la pyramide Kukulkan est si connue,  c’est grâce à au spectacle qu’elle offre durant les équinoxes : le serpent prend vie grâces aux ombres des pierres. Une expérience vraiment troublante qui nous laisse imaginer les connaissances accrues des mayas en matière d’astronomie.

Au Yucatan, faire de la plongée permet d’approcher des espèces animales incroyables.
C’est le cas du requin baleine. Malgré son nom, cet animal n’est pas un cétacé mais bel et bien un poisson. Il est même considéré comme le plus gros poisson vivant sur Terre.
Un regroupement de requin-baleine se produit annuellement dans le golfe du Mexique, au large du Yucatan, c’est à dire à côté de la ville paradisiaque de Playa Del Carmen. Passer ses vacances au Mexique permet donc d’avoir la possibilité de nager en compagnies de ces poissons très impressionnants.
Cette espèce, malgré sa grande taille, ne pose aucun danger pour les êtres humains. En effet, qui pourrait croire que l’une des plus grosses espèces marines ne se nourrit essentiellement que de krill, ces petites crevettes que l’on trouve en grand nombres dans les mers du mondes.

“El Infierno” de Bandidos Films et Luis Estrada. Un film assez épique et assez réaliste sur la vie de narco trafficants dans le nord du Mexique.

Attention, je veux justeent ne pas mélanger les destinations, bien que retraçant des faits malheureusement réalistes, nous sommes ici à 4000m de nos côtes, n’allez pas nous faire des amalgames justifiant des non-vacances dans notre paradis !!!

We just drove back some friends to the airport, and as a goodbye sign the sky has turnend a little cloudy, a few drops of rain calmed the recent heat of the morning…

Let move on, we’ll see them soon again.

 

Let’s plan the week end in Isla Mujeres, wanna join?

 

Everybody really wonders what is it all about around these hurricanes in Mexico… When I see what people say about it , it really worries me, and I feel the urge to clarify certain things. We have been living in Mexico for the past 10 years, and until I could really report on what was happening all my friends and family abroad were terrified.

So what is it all about? is it really dangerous? I mean, for you and me just living or coming in a hotel, vacation rental in Mexico?

Well I can tell you of my experience, and reassure you, and even if I am good enough at it, decide you and coming down right for hurricane season ;-).

It is such a worrying subject that you can’t actually find a “normal” article about it.

So let’s start with facts:

Hurricane season lasts from June until November, though most hurricanes occur between August and October. Hurricanes and tropical storms in Mexico can affect weather on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Gulf Coast, and the Pacific coast.
There are some advantages to travel during hurricane season: there are fewer crowds, and hotel rates and airfares may be lower – you can find some great travel deals. This season also coincides with summer holidays and it may be tempting for families to take advantage of lower prices to enjoy a family get-away.

Now what about the risk? and what risk?

Well in 8 years of living here, we really had 2 hurricanes: Emily and Wilma, both in the same summer.

Emily was short (6 hours), we were still all hanging out in the streets late afternoon, checking on everybody’s arrangements, eating a last hamburger on that place on 5th (the only one still open) when policemen urged us to go back home.
Rough night, rain, winds… nothing really to worry about, and the next morning hurricane was gone, sun was back!
So  we all walked out on the streets and counted a couple of “palapas” blown away, shacks, electrical wiring… nothing bad really.

Now Wilma was a little tougher… actually,  it was not that it was blowing harder… but it lasted, lasted… forever… 3 days.

October 19th 2005.
As usual, and as everybody, we had these 3 to 4 days to realize this one was coming for us (because out of the 15 – 20 hurricane NHC predicts each year most of them burst out in the oceans) and prepare ourselves. So we went for water supplies, dry food batteries and candles. We protected our windows with wooden panes, as we had done it for Emily, carved a little hole to be able to see what was happening ;-), shut the door, and waited.

Soon they cut electricity, and we just started an early evening, candle lighted. Wind was blowing, it was raining, barometer was falling, but nothing frightening, almost through the whole hurricane we were cell phone connected, and we checked on one another. But time went on, barometer went down, lower than minimum, and was still going around the other way!!! We knew little of what was really going on, and days went by, still windy, still raining… until we could come out on the 4th day.

This is when evetything got more complicated… still no electricity, every shack on the beach blown away, Cancun control tower was devastated, waves had done a lot of damage on the buildings facing the sea.

Conclusion:
Well then, for us, nothing happened, we just had 4 days off.
For the beach business owner: they usually did not have any any longer, but insurance would cover.
For the more humble housings, things had flown away a little more, everything was wet, but no one died, and legendary Mexican happiness groomed it all away in no time as you could see shops on 5th avenue selling “I survived Wilma” T-shirts right on the next days and taking advantage of the humid stocks to start big sales – life was back in Playa.

For the tourists? They could enjoy an incredible experience they would recount in great detail, maybe get their return delayed a little.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying it was just a light rain. but Mexican State organization are highly efficient and the situation and all folks, locals as tourist are perfectly aware, taken care of, under control so nothing happens.
For everyone else? Mexico is a very dangerous country you shouldn’t head to any longer… until people forget because it hasn’t been on the papers for a while.

The harm is there: Medias kill the destination for at least year, and that is what Mexico dies of!!!

So stop being another Sheep of Panurge and come over right now and get your part of the show… the hurricane season has just begun!

Le patriarche des lettres mexicaines s’est vu remettre la semaine dernière la Grande Médaille de Vermeil de la Ville, la plus haute distinction qu’offre Paris. L’écrivain a évoqué ses liens avec cette ville et en a profité pour annoncer sa participation à l’année du Mexique en France.

Le maire socialiste Bertrand Delanoë, qui assure avoir lu entièrement l’œuvre de l’écrivain a remis mercredi dernier la Grande Médaille de Vermeil de la ville au mexicain Carlos Fuentes en récompense de son parcours dans le monde des lettres.

« Je le remercie d’aimer autant Paris. La ville de tous les amoureux de la justice, de la liberté, de la beauté » a déclaré le maire de Paris, qui a mis l’accent sur l’engagement de Fuentes dans son œuvre « face à l’impérialisme et face à la volonté de domination ».

Carlos Fuentes et la France, une longue histoire
fuentes Carlos Fuentes décoré par Bertrand Delanoë: Paris sera une ville mexicaine en 2011

Venu pour la première fois à Paris à l’âge de 21 ans, l’affection de Fuentes pour la France et sa capitale ne se sont jamais démentis.

En 1974 il accepte le poste d’ambassadeur du Mexique en France. Durant son mandat il ouvrira généreusement les portes de l’ambassade aux réfugiés politiques latino-américains et aux résistants espagnols. En 77 il démissionne, révolté par la nomination de l’ancien président mexicain Diáz Ordaz (responsable du massacre du Tlatelolco) comme premier ambassadeur du Mexique en Espagne après la mort de Franco.

Les visites de Carlos Fuentes en France continuèrent régulièrement tout au long de sa vie d’adulte, et il fut la grande star du Salon du Livre l’année dernière à Paris.

« Quand je suis arrivé à Paris la première fois je n’avais aucun amis, il y avait seulement Balzac. Je passais mon temps à le lire » s’est rappelé l’homme de lettres lors de sa décoration, « la lecture de Balzac donnait une âme à Paris. Paris comme loyauté et comme trahison. Paris comme gloire et comme amour ».

Paris, « ville Mexicaine » en 2011!

Rappelant l’échéance prochaine de l’année du Mexique en France, l’auteur a affirmé que « la ville de Paris sera le grand centre de cette célébration ».

« Il y aura beaucoup d’évènements en tout genre, de type culturel, social ; une très forte présence de la culture mexicaine ». a-t-il précisé au sujet du programme élaboré conjointement par la France et Mexique. « Paris sera, l’espace d’un an, une ville à nous, une ville mexicaine » s’est enthousiasmé l’ex-ambassadeur.

C’est en toute logique que l’écrivain a annoncé sa participation aux évènements de 2011, « à l’invitation du maire de Paris».

« Je suis très heureux de participer. C’est un évènement réellement extraordinaire parce que c’est la première fois qu’une année sera consacrée à un pays de langue espagnole, il y a eu l’année du Brésil, mais c’est la première fois qu’un pays comme le nôtre est honoré. »

Interrogé par un journaliste sur le lien existant entre la capitale française et la ville de Mexico, l’auteur a répondu (en toute modestie!) : « Moi ».

Nicolas Quirion -(legrandjournal.com.mx)

When we first came to the place almost a decade ago, roads where of dirt, Playa del Carmen had many jungle lots all over the town in between the scarcely built edifications. It seemed like a little beach town, calm and protected from unorganized assaults of civilization.
You could walk to “Blue Parrot” from your place (very cheap amd calm 2BDR apartment) and it seemed almost out of town… People would gather after their day’s work, in flip-flops, to relax a while around a beer after a laid back 10us full dinner at “Pokhara”.
This was 12th street.. quiet.
Yet “Playa” as we like to call it, has become a totally different place… But we have too!! We have swapped our flip-flops for working shoes, our Blue Parrot evenings for babysitting…
Our best operation? Real Estate Investment. Part o the “normal circle of life”, when your family needs a nest, we turned to professionals to invest our eggs… Cancun Realty, Costa Realty Playa del Carmen, Costa Realty Vallarta, Emerald, Riviera Maya Realty … lots of places, helped a lot until we found what we were looking for.
Investing in Mexico is now easy, comfortable and very reliable. And what’s good about this place, as we says around here:” It is still in pampers”. We have already doubled our investment, apart from benefiting of our own sweet home, and we go for more.
Playa will continue growing and will finally be united to Cancun and Tulum at some point.
There is no other place in the world that brings to you safety, price, jungle and incredible pristine seas with sandy white beaches.
Try it our for yourself, travel to Mexico, pick Playa del Carmen, try a rental (Kaaxan) and live the Mexican way for a couple of weeks. This will be enough to make you stay!

Sweet, sweet Mexico.
Everybody has experienced the hassle of life in modern countries… But is it not what we have always fought for, eagerly looked for?
Decades of work and revolutions to be free, independent, have money, comfort, situation, security… so what was it that made me leave it all?
Probably the search for truthfulness, authenticity, risk&challenge – because this is what we are made of.
Despite all of this, the funniest part is that after that search for new challenges, virgin blank paper to write one’s life on, we write the same thing: house, family, car… Mexico brings to you the same things, but cheaper, happier, and sunnier!
In fact my point is: you do not need to wait for retirement to come down and invest here.
Lodging is cheap, counselors are good, life is easy.
Take a break from your daily race, and check it for yourself. If I did it you can.
Wherever you want to drop, we have solutions for you everywhere.
Try these: Cancun Realty, Costa Realty Playa del Carmen, Costa Realty Vallarta, Emerald, Riviera Maya Realty … and much much more. Don’t get me wrong, not EVERYTHING is good to buy in Mexico, but if you look into it and you trust the right people, you will get the best out of it.
Your investment is a first step. You can start by staying in the US and come down only for holidays, then for winter seasons. Very good american management companies will take care of your property while you are out, and rent it for you so you get more of your investment (Kaaxan).
Trust the search for authenticity there is in you, and try a bit of Mexico…
Start with a hotel or vacation rental, get a couple of real estate agents show you the way, follow the one you feel comfortable with, and come back to double check.
Good luck!

After years of marketing and buying department manager, Flies to Mexico in search for new meanings.
After 5 years of dive center, now in charge of marketing strategies for Real Estate companies.

The main point of interest at Punta Laguna is spider monkeys and the environment of the jungle.

The community of Punta Laguna is located on the old road from Tulum to New Xcan, about 20 miles north-west of the archaeological site of Coba. It is certainly not the only place where nature assumed its attractions, since in the area there are other equally beautiful lakes. However, that is where local people have tried through the years, an “ecotourism” management of the place, while showing part of their culture and traditions to the visitors, and offer locally made craft products , enriching the experience of those who venture to explore one of the most beautiful parts of the Yucatan Peninsula.

The new “ecotourist” is characterized, among other things, to show clear interest in supporting the conservation of natural sites you visit. Among the defining characteristics of ecotourism, according to the philosophy so attractive of the occupation, is to allow the financial support of rural human communities that generally inhabit areas around natural fascination exerted on the visitor.

Up there in the trees, the spider monkeys find the fruits and tender leaves which are their main food, while from below, a couple of young local naturalist guides are also involved in studying the behavior of primates. The tree species that are source of food for the spider monkey is recorded as well as the times when they blossom and bear fruit. The movements of groups of spider monkeys through the jungle of Punta Laguna is carefully analyzed and recorded in the way to identify the extent of the area that needs the species to reproduce and develop there.

The knowledge of the spider monkey groups living in Punta Laguna reserve will promote the conservation of this species and its habitat, while providing local guides interesting information to share with tourists.

While the monkeys go from branch to branch, from the incomparable lakeside attractive and quiet, visitors to Punta Laguna unbelievers provide a combination of sky, water and forest, clouds and ripples that lifts the north wind, and also heard in the distance, the unmistakable howl of the howlers or howler monkeys that live away from the community, in places of difficult access

Last night was the inauguration of “Bisto 24” (corner of Quinta and Calle 24);

In this colorful and pleasant place service was attentive and zealous.

The dishes presented gave a good impression of the quality and choice of the carte in this new restaurant in “Little Italy”: To taste absolutely Ceasar salad prepared on your table, Tequila sauce shrimps, Mushroom cream and much much more…!