Search results matching tag 'Cenotes'

12 Days/12 Ways 2012 - Society of Akumal´s Vital Ecology A.C. (SAVE)

435836 — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 11:18:00 GMT

"On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me...."

This beloved traditional holiday song is the inspiration for our Holiday Giving blog series, "12 Days/12 Ways", a promotional effort of goodwill we started last year to draw attention to 12 not-for-profit groups or charitable organizations in Playa del Carmen and along the Riviera Maya. So many people from around the world travel to the Riviera Maya during the holiday season. Many reach out to us via regional message boards and Facebook looking for a way to give back to the less fortunate residents in our local communities. 12 Days/12 Ways was started to help these generous, kind-hearted visitors find legitimate and worthy charitable organizations to support, addressing their particular needs for this holiday season.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, the BuyPlaya Blog, better known as "Life's a Beach", will spotlight a charitable organization or giving opportunity. Some may already be familiar to locals and frequent travelers to this area. Others, perhaps those most in need of recognition and support, may be new to our readers. It is our hope to do this every year, with updated information and wish lists.

The "12 Day/12 Ways" list has not yet been completed for 2012. If you have a favorite charity that you feel belongs on this list, collect all of the information you can and I will be happy to consider your group for inclusion.

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The Society of Akumal´s Vital Ecology (SAVE) is a grass roots not-for-profit organization created in 1998 to protect the fragile and most valuable natural resources in central Quintana Roo, Mexico. Akumal, in particular, offers to the world a delicate and unique interconnected ecosystem, containing a fresh water filled cave systems gently flowing to the sea, a thriving coastal mangrove, the sandy beach bluff, and most important of all, the Mesoamerican Reef, the second largest reef system in the world.

Mangrove damage, reduction, and degradation due to rapid tourism growth have occurred in the Riviera Maya. SAVE's mission is to keep this unique and fragile ecology safe from the dangers of unsustainable development, for our children’s futures, and their children´s children. Today, SAVE is proving that with determination, changes can be made.

SAVE is currently involved in the following programs and activities:

Aguas Con Los Cenotes:
The Yucatan Peninsula, particularly the Caribbean coast has witnessed rapid tourism development over the past forty years. Unfortunately this development has not been met with sufficient policy or planning to ensure it has a minimal impact on the Peninsula’s fragile environment. Like the Maya thousands of years earlier, developments rely on the underground aquifer for their potable water resources. Yet because these rivers lie underground little is witnessed of the damage that poorly planned developments have caused to the aquifer. Large developments destroy the caves systems beneath disrupting necessary hydrological flows, while sewerage waste is frequently flows underground, joining the water that is drawn for drinking. Protection of these tremendous underground water ways needs to be established to ensure that cenotes and the connecting fresh water systems are protected, so that they can be visited and enjoyed by future generations. The livelihoods of all people on the Peninsula, both tourists and locals, require a healthy and safe aquifer.

Mangrove Protection:
In the past 20 years, the State of Quintana Roo, has lost over 100,000 hectares of mangroves (1 hectare = 2.5 acres) to hotel rooms. This is 1/3 of all mangroves in the entire country of Mexico. The mangroves also filter out what is needed and not needed for the corals, which comprises the paralleling Mesoamerican Reef. The mangrove traps and cycles various organic materials, chemical elements, and important nutrients. Mangrove roots act not only as physical traps but provide attachment surfaces for various marine organisms. Many of these attached organisms filter water through their bodies and, in turn, trap and cycle nutrients also. The relationship between mangroves and their associated marine life cannot be overemphasized. Mangroves provide protected nursery areas for fishes, crustaceans, and shellfish. They also provide food for a multitude of marine species such as snook, snapper, tarpon, jack, sheepshead, red drum, oyster, shrimp and lobsters. Mexico’s important recreational and commercial fisheries will drastically decline without healthy mangrove forests acting as filters and nurseries. Mangroves also help to prevent erosion and sand loss by stabilizing shorelines with their specialized root systems. Mangroves filter water and maintain water quality and clarity. These mangroves take out of our atmosphere and store 50% of our carbon dioxide, the oceans 30% and the trees and forests 20%. Thus, mangroves are the lungs of our earth. The laws that protect the environment MUST be followed and enforced.

Marine Turtle Protection:
The State of Quintana Roo, has 14 areas legally protected by state or federal legislation. Two areas belong to the continental zone and the other 12 to the coastal zone, in which are found important sea turtles nesting sites. Yum-balam, Isla Contoy and Sian Kaán Biosphere reserve are hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricate) nesting sites. Green (Chelonia Mydas) and loggerhead (Caretta Caretta) nest at these sites as well as on the eastern part of Isla Cozumel and Tulum National Park. Studies have been conducted that determined that the beaches with the greatest density of turtle nests in the area are: Chemuyil, X’cacel and Aventuras DIF; in addition they recommended legal actions to be taken for their protection due to their biological characteristics, their bio-geographic importance, their state of conservation, and the threat that prevails within the tourist corridor Cancún – Tulum, the Riviera Maya. Both Green and Loggerhead sea turtles are considered under protection by the Mexican laws and by international conventions. But both species are in danger of extinction, due to damage of their beach nesting grounds. SAVE recommends an overhaul of the environmental impact studies, laws that are followed, and a permanent monitoring of development in these areas. SAVE is pursuing Federal Sanctuary Status for Playa Xcacel/Xcacelito. This area is vital to sea turtle reproduction and needs to be protected in a meaningful way.

How Can YOU help?

Become a SAVE Akumal Member!

Depending on your annual contribution you will be given a SAVE Membership status as follows:

$25 Jungle: Membership Card, Aguas Con Los Cenote Sticker.
$50 Mangrove: Membership Card, Aguas Con Los Cenote Sticker, T-shirt.
$100 Reef: Membership Card, Aguas Con Los Cenote Sticker, Aguas Con Los Cenote Poster.
$250 Ocean: Membership Card, Aguas Con Los Cenote Sticker, T-shirt & Poster.
$500 Sea Turtle: Membership Card, Aguas Con Los Cenote Sticker, Website Listing, T-shirt & Poster.
$1,000 Cenote: Membership Card, Aguas Con Los Cenote Sticker, Website Listing, “Cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula” by Steve Gerrard.

You may make a donation of any size or make an annual membership contribution through Paypal with your credit card or Paypal account.

Spread the Word!

Follow SAVE Akumal on Facebook and share their efforts with your friends!

Be Alert and Ready!

Be a SAVE activist! If you ever see anyone damaging the ecosystem or causing harm to its inhabitants, help us by taking photographs and/or videos. Just send in all the pertinent information you can (i.e. what happened, how it happened, where it happened, and with who it happened) and SAVE will do the rest. Please email your information and photo/video content to cenotes@prodigy.net.mx and SAVE will make the proper letter of accusation, known as a "denuncia", to the relevant Mexican governmental office. Activities to be aware of may include:

Destruction or poisoning of the mangrove
Taking of fish, birds, reptiles or other wildlife
Destruction of turtle nests or the taking of eggs by unauthorized groups
Snorkel groups touching marine turtles or other marine life
Illegal shark fishing
Dumping of trash and debris on the beach or in the jungle

For more information:

+52 (984) 87 59204 land line
+52 (984) 87 59021 land line
+52 (998) 845-4528 mobile
Skype ID: savemaya
Email: cenotes@prodigy.net.mx
Website : http://www.saverivieramaya.org

I moved to Mexico with my family in 2004 with the hope of offering our children a more global education and world view. Since then, we have traveled through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, gathering friends and life experiences and learning a lot about ourselves along the way. When we are not out and about exploring, Rob and I own and operate BuyPlaya, a Playa del Carmen real estate company and FurnitureMex. "Life's a Beach" is a catch-all blog where you may find anything from restaurant reviews, to recipes, gardening tips, commentary about expat daily life, local events, information about moving to Mexico and educating children in Playa del Carmen. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Hacienda Tres Rios Hosts Permaculture Conference

435836 — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:48:00 GMT

Recently, my pal Mitch and I enrolled in an interesting conference to be held over a weekend at the nearby Hacienda Tres Rios Resort. Having had the good fortune to be a guest at the resort for previous events, I had a feeling that this would be an interesting weekend. Certainly we would be in luxurious accommodations and enjoying fabulous food. Hopefully, we would both come away with some systems for sustainable development and living that we could both apply in the design and building of our new homes in the jungle. As Birdie attends Ak Lu'um International School, the Riviera Maya's only not for profit ecological school, I also hoped that I might bring back some fresh ideas that might be implemented there as well.

We checked into our room early Saturday morning and met the other participants and group leaders who would be accompanying us throughout the conference. First on the agenda, an ice-breaking exercise designed to get us more in tune with our surroundings and ourselves and in the right frame of mind for the events ahead. The Sense Adventure Experience took us, blindfolded, on a tour designed to awaken each of our other senses and break down some of our social defenses. Some people love this tour...others, not so much. Naturally, I have no pictures of this experience but should you find yourself staying at the resort, I would recommend the experience. It takes a few moments to relax and allow yourself to get into the moment but, by the end, you should feel much more alert and aware of everything around you, the perfect state of mind to carry into the conferences ahead.

The weekend was designed to be a grand overview of permaculture, the ideology and the systems. For those participants embarking on a certification process, this weekend builds the foundation on which all other workshops are built and was certified by the Latin American Institute of Permaculture, Ecoaldea Gratitud A.C., and the Ecovillage Network of the Americas. Without a solid understanding of permaculture, past present and future, the various components of the certification will not be as useful or meaningful. The sessions were long and presented in Spanish by Maria Ros, a certified designer for self-sustaining and permaculture human settlements and a representative of the Latin American Ecovillage Bio-Regional Council. Mitch and I, the only non-native Spanish speakers in the room made good use of translation help from Hector Reyes, Maria's partner and founder of Casa Sanarte. The concepts were not terribly complex and having done quite a bit of research on my own, I was pretty familiar with many of the systems already. Still, there was a lot of information to digest. With only nuts, fruits and raisins and herbal tea to hold us over between meals, it was rather exhausting, both mentally and physically. I made good use of my camera, taking pictures of the slides rather than having to copy and translate everything on the spot.

There were almost 20 students in the group, including Mitch and me and it was an interesting mix of people. Each individual had arrived with their own preconceived notions about permaculture and their own unique motivations for attending. We shared the weekend with doctors, teachers, eco-farmers, builders, students and parents. Daniel, at 18 was the youngest and represented the hope of a new generation. At this young age, he is already building his own eco-farm on some land outside of Cancun. I don't know what you were doing when you were 18, but I can tell you the last thing on MY mind was the health of the earth and saving the future of humanity. Vanessa, 23, had completed a bachelors degree in nutrition but became passionate about permaculture and is now traveling around the globe, living and working in villages where she can learn more and put her skills to practical use.

In general, I was struck by the genuine interest and seriousness with which everyone approached the subject at hand and the interesting experiences and questions they brought to the table for discussion. I was not surrounded by tree-hugging long-haired hippy freaks (although I did feel compelled to warn Vanessa of the social stigmas attached to cute blond girls considering dreadlocks). Rather, I looked around the room and saw people not so unlike myself. I was particularly impressed with the depth of experience that Maria was able to share with us and the professional manner in which the information was relayed throughout the sessions. We covered a lot of information including eco-design, bio-construction materials and techniques, sustainable energy resources, heating and cooling systems, composting and organic gardening, the establishment and prerequisites for an eco-village and much, much more. I felt, in the end, that I would be well prepared to pursue more intensive certification workshops in any one of these components of permaculture although my motivation for attending this conference was not the certificate.

During breaks, we were served beautiful and nutritious meals especially designed for our group to have detoxifying effects while nourishing our bodies and minds. During the course, were to be free of all meat, dairy, saturated fats, refined salt and sugar and any chemical preservatives. The meals were vegan and reminded me quickly that my portion control is out of whack. As Rob and I have been giving serious consideration to our diets and lifestyles, it was not a complete shock to my system and I was pleased with most of the meals. I did come to realize how much salt affects my enjoyment of food and will endeavor to decrease my dependence on it as a seasoning and to make use of more sea salt and natural sweeteners in my cooking.

We also were treated to a backstage tour of the Hacienda Tres Rios nursery where the resort horticulturists cultivate many of the indigenous plants that populate the 326 acres of nature park that surround the hotel. When the resort was built great care was taken to not disturb or destroy the mangroves and the hundreds of forms of animal life that call the dense aquatic forest home. Since its inception, Hacienda Tres Rios has been at the forefront of sustainable development and is recognized as a model for eco-tourism both regionally and nationally by Mexican environmental authorities. Current eco-projects include the reforestation of some of the wetlands in Cancun and we were able to see the thousands of small plants ready to be moved to their permanent home. The resort’s nursery has produced more than 80,000 mangrove trees in four years. This year, Hacienda Tres Ríos donated 3,000 mangrove trees to help the Cancun reforestation efforts. This donation represented over 90 percent of the red mangroves planted in the protected areas of the Nichupte Lagoon. Quite impressive.

On the second day of the intensive conference, the group was invited to tour the lush mangroves by kayak. This was a first for many of the participants and navigating the small wobbly crafts through the dense jungle proved to be challenging (and humorous) for some. Once we all got our bearings about us and managed to control our kayaks, the journey through the mangrove proved to be a real highlight of the weekend. With our newly awakened senses, we experienced the mangrove not just with our eyes. I don't think I have ever been anywhere that smelled so ALIVE. We kayaked all the way to the ocean and back and took a break to cool off with a swim and some snorkeling in the natural cenote. Invigorated, we returned to our rooms to quickly change and return to the conference room for the final session of the workshop and the presentation of the diplomas.

Now, after all the notes have been reviewed and the information has been absorbed, do I want to cast off all my worldly belongings and live in an eco-village? Nope. Sorry, I'm not sold on the whole idea of living by consensus. I get it and I understand why for an eco-village to be successful it must be run as such. Still, it is not for me. There is too much U.S. capitalist left in me for that kind of living situation.

So, what did I take away from this weekend that I can apply to my life and our daily activities? Quite a bit actually. While the idea of living in an actual eco-community is not at all appealing, I do see how many of the concepts and systems can be applied to our existing community structures. For example, I think that Ak Lu'um is perfectly poised to incorporate many of the permaculture concepts and systems, not only within its physical facility but in the virtual fabric of the school community. As the sum of our skills and expertise is far greater than that of any individual teacher or parent, why should we not be looking to each other first for support rather than looking outside of the group. If my needs and the needs of our family business can be filled by another Ak Lu'um member, is that not who should receive our patronage first? Can we not make the fibers that connect our community stronger in this way?

The cost for this weekend workshop was 2600 pesos per person which included lodging for one night, the conference, a backstage tour of the plant nurseries, the kayak cenote expedition and all meals. Reasonable by my standards, but still WELL out of reach financially for most people, especially those who would perhaps benefit most from the information provided. It is my hope to develop a relationship with the organizers and in the future identify and/or organize small informal groups that might meet occasionally to learn specific techniques that can be integrated into a family's daily life and routines. Whether it be building a compost bin, starting a small bio-dynamic garden, setting up a rainwater catch system or teaching our children how to recycle we can all do our part to move toward a more sustainable, healthier future.

"Adios y hasta pronto!" from Swiper and Hacienda Tres Rios

Building in Mexico - Mitch and Sev - Part 3

435836 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:34:00 GMT

I was super curious about how the dry cenote was looking now that it had been opened up a bit, so Mitch and I took a trip down to the job site. A few decisions needed to be made about the retaining wall for the cenote stairs and the "jumping platform" at the end of the pool. Sev had worked up some new drawings that Jeff would need to move forward. Lots of progress made in the past week. It's really starting to look like a house now!

The frame and track for the main gate and door are done and covered in plywood for now.

Retaining wall for the shallow end of the pool. Plumbing and lighting begins as well.

Matching retaining walls for the "hot tub" and the stairs to the cenote

The stairs have been completed

Into the abyss

The cenote getting cleaned out...but what to do with the space?

Next step, the second floor goes on. Stay tuned......

What Lies Beneath.....

435836 — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:00:00 GMT

So, I though you all might like to see what some of the cenotes look like that have been found in our little Xpu Ha neighborhood. This is the cenote that is on Jeff's lot. He is Mitch and Sev's builder and has completed several homes in the same enclave. His experience dealing with his own cenote has given him invaluable insight as to what they can bring to the process....the good and the bad. With his own property, be decided to make the cenote a real center-point for the back yard plan. As you can see, the pool is built around it with the entertainment palapa (that's a fancy word for bar) serving as an observation point and entry point.

When the opening was found, it was considerably smaller. Jeff decided to enlarge the entry point in order to build a staircase down into the cave. The cavern has been dug out slowly over time and sand brought in to make paths and a more comfortable sitting areas. One of the nicest features is a waterfall created by a recirculating pump which keeps the water in the cave fresh and algae free. It is incredibly dramatic.

Ruins, Cenotes, Monkeys and More

435836 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 22:14:00 GMT

Yesterday, the kids had a day off from school to celebrate (early) Benito Juarez' birthday, so I packed them and their bikes into the Xterra and we set off on a much needed adventure. Our first stop was Coba, about an hour and a half from Playa del Carmen, where, for $81 pesos ($51 pesos for my entry fee and $30 pesos for my bike rental), we spent a wonderful few hours riding through the jungle, spotting coatimundi and iguanas with green parrots flying overhead. On bikes we easily managed to see the whole site and all the various ruin formations. Our kids love visiting ruins and I can really see their fertile imaginations at work as they try to read the hyrogliphs and decifer the mystical carvings worn by centuries of weather. They looked for "footprints" along the paths made by civilizations long gone. They concocted fanciful stories about the renegade chicle farmers when we would happen apon a tree with the tell-tale machete marks.They played on the ball courts pretending they were ancient Maya youth competing for the pride of their city and the favor of the Gods. What more could a child want than this fantastic backdrop on which to paint their fantasies!

Our last stop was the grand pyramid which I was obliged to scramble up behind my two intredid explorers. As always, it was worth it to see the look of accomplishment on their faces.

The next stop on our trip was a well deserved cool off in a nearby cenote. Recommended by like minded adventurer Sara Moen of Playa Maya News, Cenote Tamcach Ha was a spectacular find. Cool, deep and unbelievably clear this cenote is almost completely underground, accessed only by a twisting, narrow wooden staircase that disappears before you into the eerie darkness. Once inside, the enormous cave is well lit by floodlights running off of a generator, casting dramatic shadows on the stelagtites and stelagmites and allowing us to see to the very bottom of the cavern. Cole was brave enough to leap from the jump off point and encouraged some of the older swimmers to follow. A mere 10 minute drive from Coba, this is the perfect place to cool off and relax after a hot day at the ruins. There are 3 other cenotes nearby to explore as well. Adult entry for each cenote in the area is $45 pesos. My kids, at 5 and 7, again entered for free.

Now, well into the afternoon, we dried off and once again set off on an adventure to find Punta Laguna, also recommended by our pal Sara. Some 20 kilometers down a well paved but perilously narrow "highway", we found the tiny Mayan village supported primarily by tourist activity at Punta Laguna. To say that there are more dogs and chickens than human inhabitants is NOT an exageration! We pulled in, quickly paid $20 pesos admission to the park (again, kids were free) and trudged off with our towels down to the water's edge. We shared the lagoon for just a while with a group of French tourists and then we had the whole place to ourselves! We rented a kayak ($70 pesos for an hour) and the kids took turns paddling while I laid back and enjoyed the sunset.

I'm not sure sure how long we were out on the water, (there was certainly noone watching us) so we returned the kayak on our own and headed into the jungle in hopes of finding some spider monkeys. On the way, we found our kayak guy and $150 pesos later, we were surrounded by monkeys, jumping, swinging and feeding in the trees above our heads. Adults, juveniles and mothers with babies all gathered in this area, close to the edge of the lake, to forage for food after the sun had dipped below the horizon. According to our guide, dawn and dusk are the very best times to view the primates in their natural habitat. Unlike the howler monkeys at The Baboon Sanctuary in Belize, these monkeys are not tame, just tolerant of our presence. We tiptoed along the ragged paths following our guide and trying not to trip or disturb the creatures around us. Our guide, a young Maya, pointed them all out to us, identifying each one by name and approximate age. Having grown up in this tiny village, he knows these creatures as he knows his family and neighbors. It was an amazing experience.

Tired and sore (just me really) from our exciting day, we wound our way back to Tulum for a quick dinner. I was so tired, I don't even remember the name of the restaurant. We all split a large bowl of piping hot seafood soup, and a couple of tamales, treated ourselves to ice cream and, sleepily, (not just me) drove back home to Playa. It was a great day and one that the kids will be sure to remember and talk about often. With all the remarkable places of interest within a reasonable drive from Playa del Carmen, we have no shortage of great destinations for special day trips and fabulous adventures. Next time you have a free day, log off the computer, turn off the TV, grab your kids, fill up the car and just go! You'll be making memories that last a lifetime!

Cenote Saturdays

435836 — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:34:00 GMT

Of the interesting features unique to this area of the world, I think the hundreds of diverse and mystifying cenotes are my favorite. Each has its own distinct attributes and characteristics......its own personality. Recently, we welcomed a new family to Playa del Carmen, our friends Wyll and Maria and their two sons, Anthony and Aidan. Saturday, we invited them to join us and another family for a day of fun at Cenote Azul. While they had vacationed on the Riviera Maya many times before making the move here, his was their first visit to a cenote. Cenote Azul, I think, provides the best all round cenote experience for newcomers and children. There are many easy points of entry to the water, a small dock and a moderately high cliff for the "kids" to jump from. In the lush jungle surrounding the cenote, there are a series of pretty walking paths and several benches to rest on and enjoy a picnic lunch. The cenote is clean and clear and is home to hundreds of species of fish and water plants. Here are some pictures from our wonderful day.

Cenote Azul

Cole and his best friend, Gabriel

Rob and Birdie

Alejandro, Cole and Gabriel sizing up the jump

"Geronimo!!!!!"

Maria

Pablo and Patricia

Aidan, suited up for a swim

Rob and Birdie getting ready to visit the fish

Rob, Birdie and Alejandro

Gabriel, Cole and new friend, Anthony

Fun for all ages, Wyll takes the plunge

Wyll and Anthony with Rob, Cole and Birdie

Patricia

Too cute

Birdie and Alejandro catching guppies

Time for popcorn

.....and sandwiches

Maria with a sleepy Aidan

Three amigos enjoy the perfect Saturday afternoon.

Cenotes in New England?

435836 — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:48:00 GMT

Well not really but my brother and his friend did take us to the Becket Quarry for a fun afternoon of "cliff" jumping and tadpole catching. Founded in 1991 by concerned local residents, the not-for-profit Becket Land Trust now owns and maintains the 300 acre Forest and Historical Quarry purchased and donated back to the trust by the ctizens of Becket Massachusetts. The quarry, an integral part of Becket's history, was the source of the granite used for many important regional monuments and buildings and was actively in use from the 1850s through the 1960s. Today, the parcel of land has miles of walking trails and a great self guided walking tour past abandoned mining equipment and other relics of eras past. The area is reportedly haunted by the ghosts of the over 200 men who died in the construction and operation of the quarry. Numerous reports of eerie events and strange sightings keep the Becket Quarry high on the list of thrill seekers and spirit chasers. For our part, the thrills we were seeking were of this world only.

Into the woods

The old quarry

Watching the cliff jumpers

Local thrill seekers

Cole sizes up his jump

And he's off....

Little fish catching tadpoles

The members of the Land Trust will neither confirm nor deny stories of hikers being chased from the forest. We found nothing more than our own high spirits on this trip to the quarry. While none of us braved the legendary 53' foot plunge, we certainly had fun watching local teens test their muster and their aerial acrobatic skills. We brought back a few tadpoles to keep company with the fish and frogs in the little pond at home and some nice memories.

If you find yourself in the beautiful Berkshires, be sure to spend an afternoon exploring the forest and cooling off in the Becket Quarry. To get there, take Route 20 to Becket. At the intersection of Route 20, Route 8 North, and Bonny Rigg Hill Road, turn onto Bonny Rig Hill Road. At a 4-point intersection, turn left onto Quarry Road. Continue on Quarry Road, until you see the signs and parking area on the right. The quarry and trails are open from dawn til dusk. Past that, you take your chances with the restless souls that call the quarry home.

Would you like to know.....what it looks like inside a cenote?

435836 — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:48:00 GMT

Cenote Dzitnup in Valladolid

Taninah

435836 — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:00:00 GMT

In our efforts to design our own home we have been doing a fair bit of investigating. Much of this time has been spent visiting other homes in the area such as those being built in Sac Be and checking out what building materials and methods have been used in the construction of the buildings. While we are trying to employ as many "green" techniques in the design of the house and its systems as possible, we are both in agreement that the house should look like it "belongs" where it is and not like some wierd spaceship. Naturally, we want to make use of the stone that will be excavated from the property as the construction begins and retain as many trees and indigenous plants as possible. I had heard of a place in the jungle at Xpu Ha where the buildings had been constructed with local limestone and hardwoods and, while I had seen many photos of it online, I really wanted to check it out in person. Our friend Carl provided us with such an opportunity this week while we were out in Xpu Ha evaluating another residence for inclusion on our website. Playa being the small town that it is, it turns out that Carl is the primary caretaker, overseeing daily operations for this amazing jungle retreat Taninah. The property was currently being set up for an incoming group and he was more than happy to show us around the place.

Taninah loosely translated from Mayan means "the first house in the jungle". This labor of love is the creation of local businessman Marino Tomaselli and his wife Kathy. What was meant to be a private family home set on two hectares of land has evolved over the past ten yars or so into a full blown eco-resort. The compound now serves as a sought after vacation destination for family reunions and corporate team retreats. Capable of sleeping up to 38, this remarkable property with its hard working staff has drawn praise from guests and plenty of attention from the international media. There is a lovely pool flanked by an outdoor, palapa covered kitchen and dining area, a large American style hot tub, a professionally designed and installed 9 hole mini-golf course, archery areas, a basketball court, a soccer field, a fully equipped work out room with projection TV for movie nights, a padded kids play area, jungle gyms, zip lines.......ok, the list goes on and on and you can see it all on their beautiful website.

None of the enclosed rooms are air-conditioned but are naturally cool because of their placement in relation to the sun and wind patterns and the use of palapa roofs. In many of the bungalows, the walls are comprised of sets of handmade louvered "blinds", made onsite from locally harvested woods, covered with tight mosquito screen. In this way, fresh air is allowed to flow freely through the rooms. The systems on the property are powered by solar panels hidden in the jungle and a large generator. The bathrooms all have composting toilets and I was surprised to find that there was no odor at all.

My favorite part of the resort (if it's even possible to single one thing out) is the cenote. This enormous underground cavern is truly the most amazing feature of this property. The pictures, as usual, don't really do it justice.

Carl guided us through the cave and then showed us the Mayan artifacts retrieved from the cenote during its excavation. Several dive teams have been sent in to investigate the deeper underwater caverns and they have pulled out many pieces of gorgeous handpainted pottery. I can only imagine what it must have been like for Marino and Kathy's children growing up and watching this property evolve...all the incredible discoveries made along the way. While our home will not come close to the scale of Taninah, I hope we will be able to incorporate some of the unique design elements and eco-friendly systems into the plans for our property. If you are ever invited to visit this unique place, do it! Like we were, you will be amazed at what can be created in the middle of our dense Mexican jungle.

A Daytrip to Valladolid - Part 1 (What we planned to do)

435836 — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:16:00 GMT

Early this week, our friends Dean and Jody flew in from Minneapolis to spend a week on the Riviera Maya. We met four years ago, while we were planning our move to Playa del Carmen. We have seen them again just one time since but we all get on quite well and were really looking forward to this visit. I wanted to plan a fun day for all of us, a day full of seeing new sights and doing new things. As Jody had put her foot down and declared it would be a "ruin free" day, I settled on a day trip to the quiet colonial city of Valladolid. We chose to make the drive via Tulum and Coba rather than go up into Cancun and out the cuota road. The sticker on our imported car had expired in February and we figured, on this route, we would meet with less resistance at the state line. In fact, we did encounter a small road block but they seemed more concerned with the fact that our car has no front license plate. Two hours flew by quickly and soon we arrived in Valladolid and located the picture perfect zocalo.

Finding food was the first order of the day and we quickly found a spot in the courtyard at El Mesón del Marqués, a beautiful building originally erected in the early seventeenth century. Later, after serving as a private home to the Escalante family, it opened its doors as a small hotel in 1967. Since then, the hotel has expanded to include 90 rooms, overlooking a beautiful restaurant and delightful pool. We had heard such glowing reviews of the hotel yet, on our one previous trip through Valladolid we had somehow missed this landmark. I was glad to finally be able to experience it myself.

All four of us starving, we launched into our menus and had a difficult time choosing among all of the wonderful regional dishes. I started with Gazpacho Divorciados, a soup as beautiful as it was delicious. Rob polished off a plate of "not so regional" nachos and Dean, the traditional Sopa de Lima (Lime Soup). Our entrees included enchiladas with mole, a bit too sweet for Rob's taste, chicken tacos finished with queso fresco and a chicken and masa (corn flour) stew topped with a tangy salsa of tomatoes, capers, olives, almonds and raisins. Dean, an adventurous eater like me, couldn't help but order a regional specialty called "Baby Shark Pie". I'm not sure I tasted the shark but the accompanying bean sauce was very flavorful. Served with warm corn tortillas, it was a very satisfying meal.

Having stuffed ourselves silly, we decided a bit of exercise was in order to we set off in search of one of the cenotes close to town, Cenote Dzinup. With a bit of direction from the front desk at the hotel, we easily reached our destination just outside of town off of the free road to Merida. Dzitnup is actually two separate cenotes, Xkeken and Samuyil, the first being the most popular and well known. The site has plenty of parking, the usual vendors in their stalls and bathroom facilities. This was Dean and Jody's first cenote experience and I was glad we chose this one. Xkeken is accessed by a steep flight of stairs with a rope to hang onto. The steps were quite slick and at times, we had to double over to pass through to the underground cavern. The interior of the cave was remarkably spacious and eerily lit by a narrow shaft of sunlight coming from a small hole in the ceiling. Additional artificial lighting has been added over the years for the safely and viewing pleasure of the tourists who visit this site. Fortunately, this did nothing to detract from the electric blue glow of the water. There were just a few other visitors enjoying the cool water and the beauty of the cave, one of whom was nice enough to take our picture.

This was my very first sighting of the elusive Mot Mot, a tropical bird often found near cenotes. It's not a great photo but I was pleased.

After a refreshing swim, we went off to investigate the second and newer of the two cenotes, Samuyil. Dean and I went in to snap a few photos. This cenote is equal in scale to the first but not nearly as dramatic or inviting.

Curiosity satisfied, we returned to the town square for some sight-seeing a bit of shopping. The boys didn't make it too far before finding a comfortable corner pub and settling in for a few cold ones. Jody and I visited a few of the small shops that surround the zocalo but quickly succumbed to the beers calling our name. The last time we were in Valladolid, Rob and I spent a lovely evening in this same restaurant, Las Campanas, drinking margaritas and listening to music. We were happy to see the place hasn't changed a bit.

Half a dozen rounds later, we noticed an unusual level of activity in the streets. Police blocking off the intersections hundreds of people migrating into the zocalo and a large stage being erected outside of the restaurant. We paid up and wandered outside to see what all the commotion was about. This is where my plans for the day go out the window and the wheels fall off the bus. Check in tomorrow for Part 2 of our "Daytrip" to Valladolid.