"Life's a Beach"

Oceanviews!

• Playa del Carmen Real Estate - 2 Bedroom Condo for Sale - $245,000 USD - AMAZING PRICE!!

Coco Beach, Oceanview  -  Completely furnished, ocean view condo! Priced well below market!!

This luxurious condominium is being offered fully-furnished including top of the line leather furniture and custom-made window treatments. Rich paint colors bring out the gleaming mahogany cabinetry in this contemporary, 2 bedrooms 2 1/2 bath condo. This a quiet corner unit with over-sized windows which bring in plenty of sunlight and cool ocean breezes. It is completely equipped including washer and dryer and ready for immediate occupancy. The unit has an excellent history with Playa del Carmen vacation rentals.

'The Meridian' is a 36 unit condominium complex conveniently located just 100 meters from the world-famous Coco Beach in Playa del Carmen. Situated between 40th and 42nd street, The Meridian features a one-of-a-kind rooftop pool with unobstructed views of the turquoise waters of The Caribbean Sea. Truly the most beautiful beach in the Riviera Maya, Coco Beach has white sands and Caribbean blue waters, perfect for snorkeling, diving, boating, or just relaxing on the beach on another perfect day in Playa del Carmen.

Click here for more pictures and property information

 

To arrange a viewing of this lovely condominium, please contact Rob@BuyPlaya.com
or call 984-115-4611 (Mexico) or 518-250-1269 (US/Canada)

Restaurant for Sale

• Playa del Carmen Real Estate - $75,000 USD - Restaurant For Sale

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo  -  Restaurant for Sale in Playa del Carmen.

Beautifully designed, well located restaurant for sale in Playa del Carmen. The restaurant is 100% furnished and equipped for a turnkey sale. Sale of the business includes all furnishings (tables and seating for 40), all kitchen equipment, computer system and LCD TV. Please inquire for more information and a complete inventory.


Square footage of dining space: 35 m2 (inside) 25 m2 (outside)
Square footage of kitchen space 28 m2
Square footage of common areas (restroom) 4 m2

Current rent monthly: $ 975 usd (1st year)
$ 2000 pesos monthly plaza maintenance fee
$ 25,000 pesos approx. monthly utilities
Lease termination date: December 2014 (option to renew for another three years)
Existing company website to be transferred in the sale.

 Click here for more pictures and property information.

Please contact Rob@BuyPlaya.com for more information
or call 984-115-4611 (Mexico) 518-250-1269 (Us/Canada) 

Recently, Wicky's Restaurant and Beach Club played host to a group of the Riviera Maya's top chefs, a squad of culinary masters representing some the region's finest luxury resorts. Wicky's Chef Pepe Barientos was joined by Chef Humberto Macedo from Parque Xel Ha, Chef Jorge Hidalgo from Hotel Valentin Imperial Maya and Chef Efrian Adrias of Hotel Dorado Maroma were all on hand showing off their favorite marinade recipes and demonstrating various grilling techniques. Hector Escobedo also participated representing Asociacion de Chefs de la Riviera Maya injecting his own unique sense of style and colorful commentary. The charming and talented chefs showed a variety of cooking methods for meat, poultry and fresh fish to an attentive and hungry audience of invited guests.The workshop, set up on the beach with the stunning Caribbean Sea as a backdrop, was organized in cooperation with VATEL CLUB Quintana Roo and sponsored by Weber Grills, Revista Le Chef, ProKarne and Wicky's.  All the guests had a chance to observe the chefs in action, sample the delicious food and ask questions about the equipment, the techniques and recipes from the event.

Wicky's Restaurant and Beach Club

Kat Carroll (Cat Eye Creations)

Wicky's Head Chef Pepe Barientos

Chef Jorge Hidalgo (Hotel Valentin Imperial Maya)

Our Grill Masters for the day!

Sabrina Filatow and Chef Efrain Adrias (Hotel Dorado Maroma)

 

Chef Hector Escobedo

Chef Efrain (Hotel Dorado Maroma) and Chef Humberto Macedo (Parque Xel Ha)

Jaime Valenzuela (Weber Grills Playa del Carmen)

Event Sponsor Ramon Lozano Chavez (ProKarne) and Chef Jorge Hidalgo

 

Chef Hector and Chef Pepe

 

Chef Umberto Macedo (Parque Xel Ha)

 

 

Sponsors and Chefs

 

Kat Carroll with Cat Eye Creations came along with me to film the day's events and we had the opportunity to speak with and interview each of the participants before the event. What really stuck with me from the day, besides the beautiful scenery and the delicious food, was the comradery of the Chefs. Working together in the hot sun surrounded by even hotter grills, the chefs didn't break a sweat. They laughed and joked and genuinely enjoyed each others company. If there were big egos in the room, you would never know it watching these great chefs working side by side, everything perfectly orchestrated. It was clear that they considered the food the star of the show!

 

 

In The Roo Travel Guide and Buy Playa Real Estate Advisors are sponsoring a Trip Report Competition each month through the end of 2010. The best trip report submitted each month will win $100 USD in cash, while a runner up will win $50 USD in cash. 

To be eligible, entries must be posted on the Trip Reports section of the InTheRoo.com forum. Travel must have been completed in 2010, and include destinations within the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Eligible travel locations include the popular travel destinations of Cancun, Isla Mujeres, the Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, and the Costa Maya. 

“Everyone loves to read trip reports, whether to live vicariously through other travelers or to help plan future travels. Although writing a trip report takes some effort, the writer is rewarded with a lasting memory of his travels.” said John Bekas, Jr., owner of IntheRoo.com  “Often, we intend to write up a trip report just as soon as we get back home, but then life gets in the way, and the trip report goes on the back burner. We at InTheRoo.com and BuyPlaya.com want to give travelers an incentive to record their trip memories. There's no better incentive than cold hard cash!”

The trip report contest will run through December 31, 2010 with prizes being awarded monthly for the best submissions. Trip reports are evaluated by an impartial judging panel, consisting of residents and seasoned travelers of the state of Quintana Roo. Visit InTheRoo.com for complete details. 

http://intheroo.com/articles/trip-report-competition

 

 

InTheRoo.com is an interactive travel guide and online community covering the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The Roo includes the popular travel destinations of Playa del Carmen, the Riviera Maya, Cancun, and the Costa Maya. Popular features of the website include an extensive directory of local businesses, interactive map, a forum for visitors as well as expatriates, and a growing collection of travel articles. http://www.intheroo.com

Buy Playa Real Estate Advisors is a family owned and operated real estate company located in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Offering comprehensive Buyer Broker services to investors from the United States and Canada, Buy Playa has recently expanded its portfolio of listings to include long term and vacation rentals and concierge services. http://www.BuyPlaya.com

 

 

POSITION AVAILABLE - TEACHING CHEF

 

Personable, charismatic Teaching Chef needed for Tourist Cooking School on Riviera Maya, conducting classes in Authentic Mexican cuisine to curious travelers. Classes conducted in English but Spanish spoken to our 2 Mayan women assistants.

WHAT IT IS: Tourists book in advance and come for a 5-6 hour adventure that includes

• a light breakfast (we prepare)

• a  4 hour cooking class time

• a full sit down lunch of all dishes that were prepared with the help of our 2 Mayan women assistants.
  

Established Curriculum, 1st season completed with 500 happy students already passed through our doors. Many 5 star reviews on TripAdvisor.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR: It's an asset if you have a Mexican heritage or connection, and can share something of Mexican culture with little stories along the way, while demonstrating the recipes. We really want someone who is totally in sync with authentic Mexican food. This is not strictly a business but is also a passion of the owners.

WHAT WE PROVIDE: We provide a set schedule of 2 - 4 confirmed classes every week from October through June; a competitive salary; and an opportunity for other activities like catering or selling prepared food items in our shop. We have successful recipes but welcome your input on new ones. We also do significant promotion and marketing so this might be a chance to get your name and profile 'out there'.

WHEN: School starts up for Season 2 in October.  We are looking for the right person, now.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please email teatimetango@gmail.com and put Cooking School Chef in subject header. Send CV, and phone number and importantly the reason why this opportunity is of great interest to you. We will follow up with selected candidates with a phone interview.

 

• 6,500 square feet, 5 bathrooms, 4 bedrooms - $995,000 USD - Priced to sell!

Akumal, Quintana Roo  -  This luxury villa sits on 39,142 sq. ft., and has a deck, ladder, and private entrance to Yalku Lagoon (which was featured in the 2008 September issue of National Geographic magazine as one of Mexico's top 50 secrets). The property also includes a cenote with viewing benches, waterfalls and lighting.

This exclusive, 26 lot community of Yalku has 24 hour security, private gated entrance, tennis court, and sewage treatment facility. High speed internet is provided by satellite. Water and electric are city maintained.

The villa and staff housing combined, are over 6,500 sq. ft., with 15' ceilings. The main living room and master bedroom have brick cupolas. The European-style gourmet kitchen has long granite counter-tops, 6-burner GE Profile range, built in oven and microwave. It also features spot lighting and hanging pot rack. There is seating for 12 at the dining room table, as well as under the pool palapa.
The home has 4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, with 8 showers (2 outdoors) and 2 large Jacuzzi tubs. A large screen TV is tucked up under the pool palapa as well. There are TV's in the kitchen, living room, and the front two bedrooms. 17 air-conditioning units are available to cool the entire villa.
The home can comfortably sleep up to 20. Bedroom #3 has a bunk-bed design to sleep up to 10 for the kids. The bathroom has 2 sinks and 2 showers.

Lighting for the property, inside and out, has been professionally installed. The pool is heated.

An outdoor spiral staircase leads to the rooftop palapa, which is wired with speakers, and has spectacular views to the Caribbean and the lagoon. The Villa is beautifully landscaped, including an atrium that is viewed from both inside and outside through the glass hallway. The outside pool bar is stand-alone and wired with electricity, speakers, and satellite. Banana trees, mango, and pineapples provide fruit year round, and the property is lush with palm trees.

Click here for more property information

As some of you may know, Rob and I have finally decided to settle down and build our home in Mexico. Almost by accident, we found the perfect neighborhood in Xpu Ha, in the jungle about 20 minutes south of Playa del Carmen. The lots are good sized, very reasonably priced, the development is gorgeous and all the services we need are available, including wireless internet. We are 5 minutes from the beach in Xpu Ha, 10 minutes to Akumal and close to dozens of cenotes.

We have quite a few friends who have also been turned on to this little piece of paradise, including our good friends Mitch and Sev. Rob and I are well into the design process of our dream home in the jungle (a process I plan to carefully document as we go along) but Mitch and Sev have already started their build and have invited us to follow along on the blog. Over the past few weeks the lot was surveyed and cleared, the pool dug and the front wall started. This week, we drove down to watch them pour the foundation.

 

 

 

 

 

It's amazing how quickly everything is moving forward and I am really itching to get started on our own build. Although, we are already well initiated to building in Mexico having completed the condos at Marina Turquesa in Puerto Aventuras, I'm sure there will be many challenges that pop up along the way. Rob and I are working with one of the most well known architects in the region and I have full confidence that we are in good hands. Mitch and Sev have designed their own home and are utilizing a local builder who lives in the neighborhood to do the construction. He has built several beautiful homes in this development and they are all lovely. It will be interesting to see how our projects compare in costs and build times and documenting the whole process. I hope you will all enjoy following along.

After the fabulous tequila tasting and dinner at Hacienda Tres Rios, Kay Walten (www.Locogringo.com) and I shuttled the group downtown for a short tour of a few of the Playa del Carmen restaurants and bars participating in the Taste of Playa 2010 culinary event. I have to admit, we put this together on pretty short notice and I credit our Restaurant Chairperson, Monica Hartlief, with all the organizational work that went into the evening. Special thanks to Casona de los Vinos, Ula Gula, Wicky's and The Dirty Martini Lounge for welcoming in the group and treating us all to cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. We had a great time and it was fun to show off a bit of Playa del Carmen nightlife!

Casona de los Vinos in the In Fashion Hotel

 

 

Rachelle, Monica and Kay

Jorge and Clau

Ula Gula Restaurant and Bar 

Matt, Janice, Clau, Jorge, Craig, Kay and Geno

Genoveva and Kay

 Cheri and Pam

Janice

 

Clau and Jorge

Wicky's Restaurant and Beach Club

 

Kay and Craig

The Dirty Martini Lounge

Getting ready to ring in Jorge's birthday!!

Paloma and Cynthia lining them up for us!

Rachelle

 

That pretty much sums up the evening.  Some of us made it home a respectable hour. Others...not so much. We all had a good time and I hope to see all of our new friends again one day soon!

The highlight of my evening at Hacienda Tres Rios, aside from meeting all the great travel writers and bloggers, was the informative tequila seminar and tasting presented by Chef Oscar. Because, I have the good fortune to live in Mexico where I have access to a plethora of fine tequilas, you might think that this would be "old hat" for me. Not so! There is much to learn about Mexico's signature beverage!

Chef Oscar told the group all about the history of tequila production in Mexico, what it is made out of, how the Blue Agave plants are harvested, how and for how long the tequila is barreled and aged. We learned about the different types of tequila and had the chance to taste several samples of each level.

 

 

 

We learned that the procedure for tasting tequila is similar to that for wine.

First we analyze the color and the viscosity.

Next, we experience the aroma.

Finally, we taste. Inhale through the nose, take the tequila onto the palate. Swallow. Exhale through the nose.

 

 

 

 

We were able to taste about a dozen different tequilas ranging from silver to extra anejo, each more delicious than the next. It was remarkable to register the huge variations in aroma and flavor. Chef Oscar even shared with us his signature Sangrita recipe which we sampled with a clean Don Julio Blanco.

It was an informative and fun event and one that the guests of the Hacienda Tres Rios can enjoy every Tuesday evening. Should you have the good fortune to find yourself on holiday at this beautiful resort, I highly recommend it!

 

Remember when we were kids and we had pen pals? Remember waiting for the mail everyday to see if you had received a letter from your friend from afar? Well it's still going on today, only now, we don't put pen to paper and enclose Polaroids. Now we make friends on Facebook and Twitter. Pen pals have gone high tech! We follow each others blogs via RSS feeds. We "Like" each other on Facebook and "Re-tweet" each others Tweets. When we were kids, we carried on with the understanding that there was precious little chance that you would ever actually meet your "pal" in France, or South Africa or New Zealand. Today, for those of us who indulge in social media, all that has changed. Now, we have the opportunity to actually meet our cyber friends. These meetings are called Tweet Ups and I had the good fortune to attend a fabulous Tweet Up this weekend, hosted by Hacienda Tres Rios Eco Resort.

The beautiful lobby @TresRios

Bloggers and travel writers getting to know one another

Chef Oscar and Genoveva, director of PR at Hacienda Tres Rios

Tasty fruity cocktails

 

@DonFaustPhoto, @caroundtheworld, @RobKinnon, @LocogringoCom and @Iaaxpage

@caroundtheworld and @LocoGringoCom

More creative cocktails!

 
@landlopers @LocogringoCom and @travelblggr

@travelblggr

Bloggers gone wild!!

@LocoGringoCom

@StayAdventurous

@elmalquerido and Clau

The whole crew!

It was a lovely evening that included a cocktail reception, a tequila seminar and tasting and dinner. The writers and bloggers all had a great time at the resort and later, followed Kay Walten and I into downtown Playa del Carmen for a short late night tour of a few of the bars and restaurants participating in Taste of Playa 2010.

It was such a nice opportunity to meet and get to know the wonderful travel writers who I have been following in the world of social media. I am looking forward to their reports from the weekend!

 

Sunset over @TresRios Resort

If I am not mistaken, I think that Babes on Calle 10 was one of the very first restaurants we ate in before we moved to Playa del Carmen six years ago. It came with high praise on the local message board, www.playa.info, and with good reason. Since opening the restaurant in 2000, the owners, originally from Sweden, have put every ounce of their energy, creativity and enthusiasm into the restaurant, its design and its menu. The food can be best described as Euro-Thai Fusion and includes a large selection of vegetarian options. As the name suggests, there are quite a few noodle dishes featured such as the Pad Thai and Tom Kha Gai soup. The curries are also popular and can be served over noodles or jasmine rice. Paying homage to their heritage, Per and Lena have also included their famous Swedish meatballs on the menu, a favorite of my husband.

Here we are, six years later and still coming to Babes, now in two locations, for great food. Owners, Per and Lena have become friends and we are so happy for their success. Last night, Rob and I stopped in to the Babes in Little Italy for a quick dinner. We split the crispy Crab Rolls as an appetizer and moved on to the Thai Chicken Noodles and the Vietnamese Shrimp Salad. As always, everything was fresh and flavorful. It's such a great place to sit and watch the people stroll up and down 5th Avenue and enjoy a meal.

Babes on 5th between Calles 28 and 30

Crab Rolls with Mango Sauce

Thai Chicken Noodles

Vietnamese Shrimp Salad

If this interior does not scream Per and Lena, I don't know what does.

Babes Noodles and Bar can be found on calle 10 between 5th and 10th and on 5th Avenue between calles 28 and 30.

I am pleased to report that Babes will be participating once again in the annual culinary festival, Taste of Playa on November 21, 2010.

When you think of The John Gray Restaurant Group do you immediately think of posh high end venues with fancy wine lists and haute cuisine? If so, you may want to pay a visit to Chef Gray's laid back, seaside eatery, La Suegra in Puerto Morelos. La Suegra (The Mother in Law) features the traditional Mexican cuisine that you expect to find on the beach in a Mexican fishing village. Fresh ceviches, cockteles and tacos are popular here, to be washed back with ice cold cervezas. Chef Gray's own mother in law, Sra. Mary Navarro, presides over the small but efficient kitchen and is always on hand to make sure guests are treated like family. The atmosphere is "muy tranquilo" and the view?

Well, take a look for yourself.

 

 

 

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Marinated pork tacos

Ceviche de pulpo (octopus)

 

 

La Suegra de John Gray located on the beach, just north of the square and is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. Credit cards are not accepted. For more information, phone 52-998-871-0774.

The name aside, when you go for a meal at La Cueva del Chango, one of Playa del Carmen most recognized and best loved restaurants, you don't really expect to be sharing a meal with regional primates. But, that's just what happened this week when Rob, Mitch and I stopped in for lunch. In fact, years ago, there were two spider monkey that lived on the property but they have long gone. So, you can imagine our surprise when this little fellow turned up on the aquifer that surrounds the back garden. He was wearing a collar but was very skittish of human contact. Clearly, at one time, he had been someone's pet who had either escaped or was abandoned. As long as he sticks around this restaurant, he will be well looked after.

 

 

This was definitely the highlight of my husband's day!  

 

We have been coming to Cueva del Chango since before we even moved here, six years ago. It had always been the perfect place to bring clients to really get them into the "Playa vibe". Surrounded by jungle and running water, the restaurant is an oasis of calm in the middle of a city that is exploding with modern development. The food is fresh and healthy and a celebration of all the flavors of Mexico. If you haven't managed to find your way there, I highly recommend that you plan at least one meal in this lovely tropical sanctuary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

La Cueva del Chango is located on calle 38 between 5th Ave. and the beach.

 

“Over the ocean and through immigration to Grandmother’s house we go…”

That’s right, the kids are off to visit Grandma in the States, their first trip flying solo. They are excited. We are excited. They will spend a week in Boston eating lobster and seeing the sites then, spend a week on the beach in Rhode Island with Uncle Mike, Dave and the girls. This is a very big adventure for our little ones.

As we will be child-free for two whole weeks, Rob and I decided to have a special kids’ night, each of us taking one child for a night of fun. Birdie and I love our “Girls’ Night Out” time and have been looking forward to an evening out on the town. So what does one do with an eight year old girl going on eighteen? Sushi and shopping of course!

I have to say, it's been awhile since I strolled the length of 5th Avenue and so much has changed. Lots of new restaurants and shops. I barely recognized it as the unpaved street it was when we first arrived 6 years ago. It's all so glamorous now!

 

 

Our favorite sushi joint, Sushi Tlan!

Placing our order

No, we didn't finish it all!

I think the new Yaxche looks gorgeous and exciting! 

Anyone remember what this area looked like right after Wilma?

Quiet at The Tequila Barrel but it was still pretty early

Next, a stop for Gelato, perfect on a hot Playa night.

Decisions, decisions....

A full house at Siesta Fiesta with live music.

Back on 5th Ave. we do a bit of shopping

She's got expensive tastes....lucky me.

Success! Two new cute tops to bring on the trip to Grandma's! She's in her 'black phase", thank you very much to this new "Twilight" craze.

Another fun night with my daughter prowling the streets of Playa. It's nice that even at the tender age of 8, she seems to enjoy and appreciate the excitement of it all. It's so easy to take for granted having lived here for 6 years but Playa del Carmen really is fabulous. I should try to capture some of my daughter's enthusiasm and remind myself to go out and explore the town more often.

 

 

Come down to Wicky's Restaurant and Beach Club on Sunday August 15th and enjoy some sun, fun, live music and an "all you can eat" BBQ extravaganza! Adult pay $180 mn/pp, children just $90 mn/pp to indulge in Wicky's fabulous buffet and listen to live music from Los Gringos Perdidos. Guests are also encouraged to bring and donate cut hair which will be collected and sent off to help "Clean Up the Gulf of Mexico"!

 

In addition, Wicky's will play host to three local Chefs, each showcasing his culinary skills on the grill. Chef Humberto Macedo from Parque Xel Ha, Chef Jorge Hidalgo from Hotel Valentin Imperial Maya and Chef Efrian Adrias of Hotel Dorado Maroma will all be on hand showing off their favorite marinade recipes and demonstrating various grilling techniques. The chefs will show the methods of properly cooking a variety of meat and seafood products to an audience of invited guests who will be able to sample the day's culinary creations. The workshop, organized in cooperation with VATEL CLUB Quintana Roo, will be set up outside on the beachfront terrace and all the guests for the beach BBQ are invited to observe the chefs in action. The culinary demonstration runs from 12:00pm - 6:00pm with the BBQ Buffet beginning at 2pm. Don't miss this special day of food, fun and sun!

 

Wicky's is located on Calle 10 and the Beach right next to El Faro (The Lighthouse).