LOCAL

Taxi Rates Increase

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DISCOVER MEXICO

Campeche is located 285 miles from Playa, on the Gulf of Mexico. Discover what this tranquil colonial city can offer in our section for independent travelers

Riviera Highlights

·SPECIAL ·

The Lázaro Cárdenas Drivers Union in Playa del Carmen has announced that the new minimum fee is $25 pesos

ART & CULTURE

From Jan 17-24, the FICMY aims to attract the film industry to the peninsula through projections in Merida and other locations

Yucatan Film Festival

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www.theplayatimes.com

Biweekly · Year 02 · Number 50 · 20,000 copies · 16 Pages · January 7-20, 2015

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Hopes for a tourist gold rush to the Caribbean island are deemed unlikely straight after the opening of US relations

READY TO FACE CUBA,

Says the Hotel Association

BY CARLOS UNDERWOOD

In 2014, Cancun and Riviera Maya reached record levels of hotel oc-cupancy. According to the state’s statistics, in 2012 Cancun had an

average occupancy rate of 65.8 per-cent, in 2013 this increased to 70 and in 2014 reached 82.1 percent. In Riv-iera Maya, the average for last year was 77.51 percent. This is also a re-cord for the area considering that in 2012 occupancy rate was 69.92 per-cent and in 2013 it was 73.65 percent. Although the Riviera Maya Hotels Association (AHRM) have yet to pub-lish data for 2014, estimates indicate that it would be another record year since over 4 million tourist arrivals to the state were registered.

Despite these positive results, Riviera Maya is now facing a new challenge: Cuba, a country that will receive a notable wave of tourism now their doors have opened to the American market. The start of dip-lomatic relations between the USA and Cuba will allow the island to compete as a world class destination in the Caribbean, meaning that Quin-tana Roo -mainly Cancun and the Riv-iera Maya- should start worrying about the future as the state will have to fight for tourism as well as keep generating revenue for the country.

This said, there are two schools of thoughts on the subject: those in Riviera Maya who are more pessi-mistic and think that we should keep a watchful eye on Cuba, and those who do not see it as a com-petition as they trust the regional infrastructure. The state has an un-paralleled level of hotel development with more than 80 thousand rooms in the Riviera Maya alone. This merged

with the fact that the state has re-ceived Reader’s Choice Award 12 times as voted by Travel Weekly sub-scribers, which is glaringly apparent from the increasing influx of tourists year to year.

Nonetheless, Cuba is an attrac-tive tourism option considering it is strikingly different to any other place in the Caribbean due to the blockade of nearly half a century and during which, time stood still on the island subsequently converting it into a liv-ing museum, with the added bonus of its unique natural landscapes, un-explored by mass tourism.

Manuel Paredes Mendoza, di-rector of the AHRM, stated that even though they reestablished their diplomatic relations, “it does not pose a threat nor is it a concern for destinations such as Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen.”

The AHRM’s argument is based on the idea that, for starters, Cuba will not receive the expected large influx of American tourists quite yet, since the primary market is still the Riviera Maya and Cuba’s status is still “complicated”. According to Paredes, the opening of the island will be gradual “and the process of change of US-Cuban economic measures and sanctions have yet to be defined especially after 50 years of discrepancies.”

If anything, the opening of Cuba will help expand tourism opportuni-ties in the Caribbean without com-ing into direct competition with the Riviera Maya. However, the reality may prove otherwise. The reestab-lishment of diplomatic relations -broken in 1961-, opens up a wide range of opportunities for Cuba as it is likely to receive thou-sands of American tourists in the following years.

The hotel chain Meliá was the first to arrive to the island, 25 years ago, and they own 27 hotels with 13 thousand rooms across the whole island. The main tourism market for Cuba are Canadians, Ger-mans and the Brit-ish. They also re-ceive a significant number of Mexi-cans and Spanish tourists. With its close proximity with the USA, it is expected that American tourism will benefit Cuba.

4 million i n te r n a t i o n a l to u r i s t s

i n Q u i n ta n a Ro o i n 2 0 14

2.6 millions i n te r n a t i o n a l to u r i s t s i n

Cu b a i n 2 0 14*

82.1 % and 77.51 % h o te l o cc u p a n c y fo r Ca n c u n a n d t h e

R i v i e ra M aya re s p e c t i ve l y i n 2 0 14

Havana’s Capitol / Photo:Carlos Underwood

*Source: ONE Cuba

Diplomatic relations

between Cuba and the

USA were broken in

1961

2

BY WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Caribbean has always been a place to encounter and exchange a wide variety of goods and cultures. To this

day, the Riviera Maya kept up this tradition, gaining the reputation for being a melting pot of languages and cultures from all around the world.

For this reason, we believe it is high time the Caribbean has its own world music event and join the likes of similar festivals in Europe such as Womad Festival -founded by Peter Gabriel- in the UK. As a result, Zanzi-bar World Music Production and Úni-

co Beach decided to hold the second edition of the World Music Festival in beautiful Puerto Morelos and its sur-rounding heavenly beaches.

The World Music Festival is going from strength to strength with each year by incorporating more inter-national talent, such as one of this year’s main act The Original Wailers with the guitarist Al Anderson who worked with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh as well as other musical greats like James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Ben Harper, amongst others.

This World Music Festival is a feast of rhythms and colors, tak-ing us to distant lands like Argen-

tina with Gabriel Palatchi Trio and his JazzFunk, all the way across the ocean to Spain with flamenco from Ensemble Quelar, coming back to some national roots from Monterrey with the Cumbia Reggae of Son del Barrio, and Playa del Carmen’s own Biofunk, a proj-ect from the famous alternative singer of the band Caifanes Saul Hernandez. Reggae, Flamenco, Cumbia, Son Cubano, Latin-Jazz, Funk, Balkan beats are just a small taste of the rhythms that the audience will get a chance to enjoy on January 17 in Único Beach in Puerto Morelos, starting at 4 p.m. Come join us on this musical journey!

World Music FestivalPuerto Morelos gears up for the second annual event with international bands on January 17 at Único Beach

The Original Wailers and Gabriel Palatchi are some the artists showcased at the festival / Photo:World Music Festival

ADVERTORIAL

ON THE DAY:

January 7-20, 2015 3

Happy New Year dear readers! At The Pla-ya Times, we started the year in great spirits while creating useful and innovative content, with the intent of encouraging you to contact and tell us about whatever topic you may find interesting or worries you. Feel free to email us at edition@meridianmedia.mx.

The beginning of the year is also the time when new regulations come into force. Here are some of the most commented stories in national newspapers that we think may affect you, either as a foreign residents or tourist:

1. THE END OF LONG-DISTANCE CALLS CHARGES. From January 1, every call to cel-lular phones or landlines within Mexico will be charged as a local call. For example, in or-der to call the state´s capital, Chetumal, you will have to dial 01 – 983 (Chetumal´s area code) and the phone number. The local call rate does not apply to international calls.2. ANALOG SWITCH-OFF. According to the Ministry of Communications and Transports the states of Mexico City, Guerrero, State of México, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, Puebla and Mo-relos will be the first to change to the digital television transmissions. The rest, including Quintana Roo, will be joining this regulation from August 1 to December 31.3. COMPULSORY CAR INSURANCE. Vehicles newer than 2008 will be fined if they circulate on federal roads without a third-party insur-ance (seguro de responsawbilidad civil).4. MINIMUM WAGE INCREASING. From January 1, the minimum wage in the zone A -which corresponds to Quintana Roo together with 70 percent of Mexican states- increases from $67.29 to $70.10 pesos and from $63.77 to 66.45 pesos in zone B.5. ENERGY COMPANIES´ HELD ACCOUNT-ABLE. The Federal Commission of Electricity and other private energy companies will be fined if they cause power outages.

DIRECTORY: María Morote: Editor, editor@meridianmedia.mx, Beatriz Lucas: Copy Editor, Claudia Salas: Director of Operations, operations@meridianmedia.mx, Fabián Muñoz: Sales Executive Cell: 984 188 3951 ventas@meridianmedia.mx, Ana

Martínez: Community Manager & Marketing marketing@meridianmedia.mx, Efrén Velázquez: Senior Designer, desing@meridianmedia.mx, Karla Mora: Distribution Supervisor, distribution@meridianmedia.mx

LOCAL NEWSLOCAL NEWS

>Editorial

BY CARLOS UNDERWOOD

On December 20, new taxi rates were introduced in the municipality. Ac-cording to official documents from the Quintana Roo Ministry of Infrastruc-

ture and Transportation (SINTRA), available on our webpage www.theplayatimes.com, the mini-mum fee - that is, the base fee for a taxi ride with-in the same zone (there are 20 zones in Playa del Carmen)- increased from $20 to $25 pesos.

The general secretary of the Lázaro Cárde-nas Taxi Drivers Union in Playa del Carmen, Jacinto Aguilar, explained that the increase was approved by the state authorities to help counteract 2014 as the year of “bad revenue” for union members as well as the continual gas price increase.

According to the general secretary, the rate has not risen in four year, and it was due time in order to help taxi drivers. Although the rate increase is justified, the previous fee was only made official last August. Additionally, the state authorities have not imposed taxi drivers to display the official taxi rate cards, ensuring the transparency of the charges and, consequently, avoiding some to overcharge for their services, which is common at the turn of the year.

“The rate increase took place on the 20th:

some zones are more costly than others, but the base rate is set to $25 pesos. This is also the same price for all rides taking place within the downtown area, which used to be $20 pesos a ride,” stated Aguilar. Despite the fact the new fares are now official, complaints of taxi driv-ers’ overcharging are still coming in. The main claim is that drivers charge double the official rate or simply invent a cost without checking the new taxi rate card, which were devised by SINTRA. Furthermore, taxi drivers are not al-lowed to charge an “extra” fee to tourists. All type of abuse carried out by taxi drivers must be reported in order to improve the service. If passengers are in doubt of the rate given to them by the driver, they should demand to see the taxi rate card, and if the destination of your trip is not listed within the official zones, pas-sengers must agree to the rate with the driver before getting into the taxi.

Those who wish to make a complaint of abusive drivers must go the SINTRA offices, lo-cated on Ave. 30 on the corner with 36th St. To file a complaint you must have the taxi’s li-cense number and the time at which the inci-dent happened, in order to identify the driver by their shift. You can also contact the Ministry by phone: (984) 873 18 06, office hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

BY CARLOS UNDERWOOD

The government of Solidaridad will take in your old natural Christmas trees starting from January 9 until March 6, confirmed the munici-pality’s Environment Minister, Liane Aké Canto.

The aim is to turn them into compost and use it for other activities and projects. The tree collection will be combined with the recycling programs “Reciclatón” and “Kilo Verde”. According to Aké Canto, the main col-lection point is at the 28 de Julio Square, in front of City Hall, all the trees collected will then be transported to a company who will be in charge of the composting.

“Every year we carry out the same collec-tion. Instead of people throwing them away, which can be hazardous since they make the perfect kindling for fires as they dry out, we would rather be safe than sorry and take them away from people. We only take the tree, without the ornaments of any decora-tion. A designated company is in charge of shredding them so they can be turned into compost,” explained Aké Canto.

The minister launched an appeal for all local residents to come to the recycling events. The first of which will take place on January 9, at the 28 de Julio Square from

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., up until March 6, at the same locations and at the same time. “The Christmas tree collection will take place on the ‘Reciclatón’ days of January 9, Febru-ary 6 and March 6, and will only be collected at the 28 de Julio0 Square,” she said.

The “Kilo Verde” program takes place on January 17 (in the Forjadores colony) and February 21 (in the Guadalupana colony).

info@meridianmedia.mx

/theplayatimes

@ThePlayaTimes

984-803 1446CONTACT US AT:

THE PLAYA TIMES RIVIERA MAYA'S COMMU-NITY PAPER Periódico Quincenal. Número de Certificado de Reserva otorgado por el Instituto Nacional de Derechos de Autor: (PENDIENTE). Número de Certificado de Licitud de Título: (en trámite). Número de Certificado de Licitud de Con-tenido: (en trámite). Domicilio de la publicación: Plaza Paseo Coba, 2do piso local 301, Playacar fase II, Playa del Carmen, Solidaridad, Quintana Roo C.P. 77710. Impreso en talleres Grupo Megamedia Prolongación de Montejo número 301, entre 40 y 42, fraccionamiento Campestre, Mérida, Yucatán. Distribuidor: Meridian Media, S.A. de C.V., Plaza Paseo Coba, 2do piso local 301, Playacar fase II, Playa del Carmen, Solida-ridad, Quintana Roo C.P. 77710.

Local taxi / Photo: Carlos Underwood

Getting around has become more expensive as municipal cab fares increased to $25 on December 20, 2014.

Taxi Rates Increase

in Playa del Carmen

Old Christmas Trees to Be Turned Into Compost

Puerto Morelos gears up for the second annual event with international bands on January 17 at Único Beach

4 LOCAL NEWS

By-Law on Urban

Woodland Protection

BY CARLOS UNDERWOOD

According to the National Statistics Insti-tute (INEGI), Quintana Roo is one of the states with the poorest reforestation efforts in the country. The number of trees felled is higher than those planted, drastically affecting the ecosystem balance of the state.

In 2011, former Deputy General Juan Car-los Pereyra proposed the Urban Woodland Pro-tection By-Law to the state’s Congress in order to stop the destruction of local flora, lowland forest and trees located on plots of land for de-velopment. It is hoped that Congress will meet to discuss the by-law as of January and have the bill enforced by 2015.

The by-law was modelled on that of Nuevo León, the first state in Mexico to establish a regu-lation in 2012, banning developers from all unsus-tainable felling. Nuevo León´s by-law aims are “to protect, preserve, replace and develop urban trees in the state in order to keep the ecological balance.”

In its 2012 report, INEGI published that only one tree is planted for every 100 felled trees in Quintana Roo. This disproportion is due to the lack of regulations on deforestation.

Urban trees provide numerous benefits in-cluding: reducing summer temperatures and noise levels; increasing property value; intercepting thou-sands of gallons of rainfall a year preventing excess flooding; absorbing airborne pollution (dirt, dust and soot) and greenhouse gases; and releasing ox-ygen (two medium-sized healthy trees can supply the oxygen required for a single person for a year). Currently, Playa del Carmen is a “no-shade city”, and as a result, local residents do not experience

many of these benefits. In particular, the high tem-peratures are noticed mostly downtown, since it is largely just concrete and asphalt.

Since the law was proposed, nonprofit organi-zation Arboricultura A.C, local activists and some congressmen have fought to achieve its approval. Nevertheless, developers are working hard to have it vetoed and ensure citizens do not hear about the bill. This may be because of the high cost of land in Playa del Carmen and Cancun, developers avoid leaving green spaces in the city to pack in as much profit into a space as possible.

The Urban Woodland Protection By-law would establish restrictions on the construction sector who would have to adapt their projects to the existing vegetation. If the law is approved, the greening of Quintana Roo would result in a great number of associated perks that far outweigh the current con-crete extension that today abounds.

BY CARLOS UNDERWOOD

Those interested in the protecting the jaguar -as well as all other species who share their bio-logical corridor with humans-

have come together to form a “conser-vation network”. Through workshops, lectures, activities, reporting and census surveys, this network educates local residents and people on the protection of wildlife and the jaguar.

Martín Porta, member of the Jag-uar Community Net-work, explained that the jaguar covers a very extensive terri-tory in the area, from Yum Balam Jungle -lo-cated in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas, north of the state, and a protected area since 1994 established by resi-dents- all the way into Belize. Mexico has a population of two thousand fe-lines, of which an estimated 200 are in the state.

Martin, whose work is focused on the area around Puerto Morelos all

the way to Tulum, is currently conducting cen-

sus surveys to evaluate the density of wildlife to the north and far side of the ejido in Playa del Carmen. He says that we are in an area which is rich in di-versity and abundance, but we are also increasingly “cornering” more species.

For instance, each individual jaguar needs to roam over their own large territory. Whenever man delves deeper into the forest, inevitably “wildlife has to relocate and try to accommodate.”

“We have a lot of ‘living wealth’ that must be preserved. Whenever [wildlife] moves it is because we take

over more. On ranches, for example, farmers give us animal sightings. We always tend to these calls,” he says.

There are no reports of jaguars attacking people, a fact which needs to be brought to people’s attention to ensure that the jaguar is seen as “not

a threat.” Under no circumstance is hunting or even tracking permitted, since jaguars are protected by law.

“People think that jaguars will at-tack them in the jungle, which is not true. Anyone can come and attend our free workshops. The idea of the network is to teach, empower and raise awareness that we share land with wildlife.”

The Jaguar Community Network includes volunteers, neighbors and community members. The members work with their own resources and contribute their talent. In Martín Por-ta’s case, he is responsible for docu-menting local fauna and the jaguar’s movements using audio-visuals. The images published in The Playa Times are courtesy of the Porta, showcasing the work he has done over the years and that of other network members.

Through camera traps, photogra-phy and video, Porta and the Jaguar Community Network are registering the living wealth of this biological corridor and recording information on a species which, imminently, must be conserved. The Playa Times will be announcing the network’s upcoming workshops in future editions.

Jaguar Community Network,

Conservation in ActionThe environmental group studies the dwindling population of these endangered felines

Human invasion of the jaguar’s habitat / Photo: Red Comunitaria del Jaguar/ Anta Balam / Carlos Underwood

200jaguars

are left in Quintana Roo

Up to a 3%

increase in property value

on streets with trees

2 medium-sized trees

supply oxygen for one

person per year

1000 gallons of rainfall

absorbed by trees

Source: Friends of the Urban Forest

Benefits of Urban Trees

January 7-20, 2015 5

BY JESÚS SIERRA

December saw the birth of the first quadruplets in Cancun, a histor-ic moment for Quintana Roo, and the most recent case of quadruplet births in all of Mexico -the last one being seven years ago.

The proud parents of four girls, Eduardo Pérez Méndez, 21, and Ale-jandrina May Morales, 18, had been married for a year and were previous-ly told they could not conceive. When they found out they were expecting the ultrasounds showed that they were going to have twins. It was only at the birth that two more came out, much to the parents’ pleasant surprise. “We were expecting twins, but all of a sudden they told us there were four babies. We were excited, hap-py and we thanked God,” said Pérez Méndez. All babies were born healthy.

Originally from Cancun, May Morales’ parents are helping them financially. Her husband, Pérez Méndez, who only completed el-ementary school, works at a juice bar and earns $150 pesos a day; al-though he had just started working in a hotel weeks before the birth. The father of the quadruplets says

that they were promised financial aid from the government through the National System for Integral Family Development (DIF).

“At the moment, they have giv-en us a bathtub, diapers and some milk,” said the father. “I’m now earn-ing just over double at the hotel than what I get at the juice bar.” Pérez says he wants to give his daughters a bet-ter life but he is aware that his lack of education is restricting his options and that raising four girls is going to be financially very difficult. He says

he has worked as a gardener, a plumber and in land clearance. He is willing to do anything that allows him to earn more. “The truth is I do need to find a better job now. Some people have supported us and have given us baby clothes, but the girls will grow, they will

need other things as well,” said Pérez Méndez.

The hospital has also made an appeal to find financial help for the couple. “If someone wants to help, they can take things to the General Hospital ‘Jesús Kumate Rodríguez’ in Cancun, or contact me on my cell phone and see how to go about it,” says Eduardo Pérez Méndez.

COMMUNITY

BY PAUL HARRIS, TERESA JIMÉNEZ, AND WEBB ELKINS

After more than a year of raising funds and working through the extensive pa-perwork, the local Red Cross

Hospital took delivery of medical items donated by the local English-speaking Rotary Club Playa del Carmen Seaside on Sunday December 14.

The equipment and supplies were specifically requested and reviewed

by the local Red Cross officials and will result in the hospital being fully equipped for the local community’s medical needs.

Over $500,000 USD of donated us-able and workable hospital equipment and supplies to the new Red Cross Hos-pital in Playa del Carmen was donated with financial and administrative help from Denver (Colorado) Rotary Club, represented by John Klug and Martin Wohnlich -both also residents of Puer-

to Aventuras-, John Schwenke of the Chicago (Illinois) Financial District Rotary Club, the Denver South Rotary District 5450 and Project Cure led by CEO Doug Jackson, a non-profit orga-nization based in the USA (and their Mexican company Curado Mexico), the Rotary Club Playa del Carmen Seaside, with President Bob Hyde´s leadership.

Playa del Carmen’s English-speak-ing Rotary Club raised half of the $20,000 USD necessary to finance

the shipment from the USA, with funds raised from the Club’s Annual Seaside Rotary’s Charity Golf Classic

at Grand Coral and from its private sponsors and donors. Support also came from a summer fundraising event sponsored by the four Cancun Rotary Clubs and local clubs in Puer-to Morelos, Cozumel, Tulum, and Pla-ya del Carmen.

Over 60 Red Cross and Seaside Rotary volunteers helped to unload a huge 53 foot semi-trailer loaded with supplies. Those on hand included Seaside President Scot Lyall and past President Doug Morgan, the adminis-trator of the hospital, Horacio More-no, Teresa Jiménez, President of Fe-male Volunteers, and Sr. Schmidt, the vice president of the local Red Cross welcomed the Rotarians along with special guests and volunteer Cynthia Gongora, wife of local mayor and president of the National System for Integral Family Development (DIF) Mauricio Gongora.

With the successful completion of this project, especially during the Christmas season, the Rotary Club Playa del Carmen Seaside made a suf-ficient contribution to the Playa com-munity in support of the club’s mission statement “to improve the lives and prospects of Playa’s less advantaged children and families” and Rotary Inter-national’s motto”Service Above Self”.

Rotary International and the local chapters are a worldwide community service based charity with over two million members. The local Seaside Rotary Club is two years old and has been very ambitious in giving back to the community. They meet for lunch and to discuss contribution plans ev-ery Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. at the Soho Hotel, on Ave. 10 and 24th Street. All are invited and welcome.

Red Cross Receives Equipment

Denver Rotary Club,Project Cure and the Rotary PDC Seaside come together to improve the facilities in Tulum

The arrival of equipment to the Red Cross facilities in Tulum / Photos: Rotary Club Playa del Carmen Seaside

The General

Hospital Jesús

Kumate Rodríguez is located on

Supermanzana 65,

Andador 05, before Route 4.

Eduardo Pérez Méndez

cell phone number is:

998 820 3494

BY CARLOS UNDERWOOD

After years of confronting prejudices from au-thorities at the Civil Registry -even though the law does not prohibit same-sex marriage-, May 2015 will host the very first official gay wedding in Pla-ya del Carmen, confirmed Carlos Enrique Guerra Sánchez, director of the Solidaridad’s Civil Registry. Previously, same-sex couples celebrated their union in hotels of the Riviera Maya or in Playa del Carmen with-out receiving the validation of the Civil Registry, as a result of judges refusing to marry homosexuals due to ignorance and fear of personal opinions that surround the subject. The Civil Code was never impaired, since it does not distinguish between gender or sex in people.

For Guerra Sánchez, “there are no obstacles” in uniting people of the same-sex. Despite this announce-ment, at present there is only one gay wedding sched-uled in Playa del Carmen.

“It will be the first gay union, the date has been saved with those in charge of organization. It will be

the first of its kind and we don’t know whether more will come in the following months,” explained Guerra Sánchez, who insisted that there are “no impediments for such unions”, and whom ever wants to marry a per-son of the same sex can.

“The requirements are the same as those for het-erosexuals. A form of ID, fill out the application, have witnesses, a blood test and have letters confirming they are not married. It’s the same deal for foreign-ers,” he specified.

On the other hand, in 2014 alone, Playa del Carmen held 2,364 weddings, of which 977 were for foreigners. For the month of November, 120 weddings were sched-uled out of which only 60 percent were for Mexicans.

In late 2011, the first same-sex weddings took place. Paty and Areli, Sergio and Manuel, were the first couples to marry in the municipality of Lázaro Cárdenas.

The Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen are known as gay friendly destinations and millions of pesos have been generated by holding events for the pink triangle (a.k.a. gay community).

The Quintana Roo state law permits same-sex marriages / Photo: Agency

First Same-Sex Marriage Confirmed

Help Needed for the Historic Birth of Quadruplets in Cancun

$500 ,000

USD in donated

hospital equipment

and supplies

6 DISCOVER MEXICO

Compared to the lifestyle of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya, Campeche caters for the tranquil traveler who is looking to avoid the party atmosphere. Campeche is one of the best kept secrets in the Yucatan. It is beautifully preserved with innumerable natural and historical wonders, unspoiled

beaches, the colonial district of the city brimming with historic sites, museums, restaurants, frenetic market, peaceful malecón (boardwalk) and old fishing docks. Few tourists visit Campeche, which means that its citizens -Campechanos- are known for their unobtrusive hospitality.

Distance from Playa del Carmen: 285 miles

Campeche

BY CARLOS UNDERWOOD

According to the director of the Riviera Maya Ho-tels Association (AHRM), Manuel Paredes Mendo-

za, 130 out of 360 hotels in Riviera Maya have certificates for their good environmental practices. Due to their energetic and water saving plans and their social responsibil-ity programs, he described Riv-iera Maya hotels as being at the forefront of environmental care in Mexico and the Caribbean region.

Paredes Mendoza said that there is no compulsory certification for eco-hotels but instead they devel-op their own, which are endorsed by international organizations and who also ensure the hotels meet cer-tain established standards. One of the most common in Riviera Maya is the Green Globe certification for sustainable tourism.

“Sustainability is a relatively new trend: AHRM promotes sus-tainability practices. 80 percent of hotel rooms in Riviera Maya have an environmental administration program,” Paredes explained. He added that the association has been working for eight years developing “hotel sustainability programs” even though in the beginning this term did not exist.

“We want to bring these envi-ronmental care criteria to other ar-eas. 39,000 hotel rooms in Riviera Maya have a certification; this is a great advance. AHRM is also a pio-neer in social responsibility. Tour-ism activity is transversal so we must work responsibly in relation to the environment and communi-ties,” said AHRM´s director.

He explained that the Hotel Car-

bon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) is an international program which calculates hotels´ carbon footprint in order to help minimize it. Only 10 hotels have met HCMI standards and all of them are in Riviera Maya.

Paredes said that, unfortunate-ly, the term eco-hotel is quite flex-ible so there must be a methodol-ogy to follow in order to measure and minimize the environmental impact. “Once we have detected carbon emission levels we can compensate them. There are var-ious institutions and organiza-tions which grant certifications on that subject like the Ministry of Environment and Natural Re-sources (SEMARNAT), WWF and many others.”

Manuel Paredes ended with the statement that Riviera Maya is in the lead for hotel sustainabili-ty compared to other destinations of the Caribbean: “environmental care, social responsibility and cli-mate change are our priorities.”

Riviera Maya, Progressing

in Hotel Sustainability

Aerial view of a hotel in Playa del Carmen / Photo: Pitaya Media

HOW TO GET THERE

Flights

Flights available from Cancun to Campeche In-ternational Airport take an hour. For more infor-mation check www.mayair.com.mx. There are no flights available from Playa del Carmen airport. Flights are also available from within Mexico, including Mexico City, Oaxaca, Chihuahua and Michoacan, see www.interjet.com.mx and aero-

mexico.com.

Bus

From the ADO bus station in Playa del Carmen, there are three buses a day, tickets are $650 pe-sos one way, the journey takes approximately eight hours. From Cancun, there are 11 buses for Campeche on a daily basis, arriving in Campeche in just under seven hours for $578 pesos, or for $698 pesos with ADOGL. For more information check http://www.ado.com.mx/

Note, the ADO station in Campeche City is on the outskirts of the city. A cab ride to downtown costs $25 pesos. By colectivo, you can reach downtown for $3 pesos. Look for one with destination for “Centro” in the front window, it will take you to the city market.

Car

From Playa del Carmen, take the New Merida Highway from Colosio Avenue to 180D and then 180. From Cancun, just go along the 180D and 180. It takes just over five hours (287 miles). The New toll road, 180D, costs approximately $410 pesos in total. For the freeway, via Highway 307, in direction of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, and then on Highway 187 towards Maxcanú, and the 180 to Campeche. This takes six and a half hours (325 miles).

WHAT TO SEE

The city of Campeche. We suggest you take the time to walk around the downtown in the colonial fairyland, since it is still a small city it is easy to navigate on foot. Don’t forget to visit the museums of Mayan Architec-ture and Archeology in colonial forts visible from the water’s edge.

The Edzná archaeological site. This is a short detour south of Highway 180 and 188, less than an hours’ drive southeast from Campeche City. A leafy nature trail leads down to one of the peninsula’s most important ruins. Tickets are $41 pesos, open everyday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Xmuch Haltun Botanical Garden. The garden is home to a display of 200 species of endemic subtropical plants. Open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 pesos. Located at the crossroads of 49th St. and 16 de Septiembre.

Manuel Paredes Mendoza / Photo:Unidad del Vocero

January 7-20, 2015 7ENTERPRISE FOCUS

Real estate is one of the most appealing and booming activ-ities in the state of Quintana Roo. This sector has developed

substantially due to the current flow of foreigners, many of whom remain cap-tivated by this tourist destination and wish to invest their savings or pensions in the area.

Equally as important are the large number of national tourists who choose to live in Quintana Roo, who are either look-ing for a job or are looking for invesments.

In the last term of 2013, Mexico ranked third out the five emerging countries in international purchases of real estate. Mexico has appeared on the emerging market list since 2009, but always in fourth or fifth place. This reflects the fact that once more, real es-tate is a prosperous and continuously growing sector for Mexico.

The other emerging countries in the

list include China, which is in the lead, followed by Brazil, Colombia and Peru in second, third and fourth place respec-tively. This information was disclosed in the twenty-second annual survey of nearly 200 members, representing about 21 countries from the Association of For-eign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE).

To help promote this growth, the government and the private sector set as their main objective the professionaliza-tion of activities by implementing laws and regulations to help build confidence and certainty in the real estate sector of the state.

It is of utmost importance to be informed about how real estate trans-actions in the state are processed. For those who are interested in buying, renting or generally investing in prop-erty, I suggest you seek expert advice to ensure you make the best decisions to protect our acquisition.

The Legal Forum

Invest in Real EstateBy Gerardo González

Gerardo González is lawyer specializing in corporate law, and a graduate from the Interamerican University for Development in Merida, where he originates from. If you have a topic in mind you would like him to address in his column, write to him at gonzalez@mexlaw.ca

BY PATRICIA BERRY - INTERCAM

“Hopeful confusion” seems to be a good way to describe investors’ feelings at this time of year.The good news first. The US

economy is surpassing the most op-timistic expectations and markets all over the world are dancing to an American beat. The dollar is strong and getting stronger. Interest rates are slowly bouncing back and they do not look to be gaining speed. Com-modities, especially oil, are down and considered a boon for economic growth. Lastly, stock markets reflect the optimism with gains just about every day. The positive outlook is also

being supported by the governments and central banks of Europe, Japan and China, all looking to stimulate eco-nomic growth through reforms and ev-er-stronger monetary measures.

Underneath it all however, many serious risks are lurking. Europe, Japan, and China are certainly in trouble. They won’t be contributing much to world demand for some time. The strong dollar can eventually hurt companies’ profits and even the economy. The Fed could very easily react to the stellar economic improvement by hiking rates earlier than expected, unleashing a steeper rise in bond rates, which would be painful worldwide. Commodities are down, which is good for consumers

but bad for producer countries – Russia among them, currently at risk of falling into a severe crisis, possibly including debt default. Finally, stock prices, which have ignored all risks up to now, could

suddenly succumb to profit taking.To welcome in 2015, we suggest

caution to investors. The economies and the markets certainly deserve the benefit of the doubt, and sentiments

are more hopeful than anything else, but there’s no consensus or guaran-tees. In the end, there is nothing to keep you from having a very, very Happy New Year!

A Volatile Turn

of the YearInstability continues to grip financial markets

2014 was a fluctuating year for the economy / Photo:Agency

8 CANCUNCANCUN

WEDNESDAY7COMEDY PLAYA, 8 p.m. Lucky Luciano’s, Fifth St. and 28th St. Stand-up comedy in English. Local and visiting U.S. acts. Every Wednesday and Sun-day. $100 MXN.

EL EDÉN CINEMA CLUB, 8 p.m. El Eden Art Gar-den, Constituyentes Ave. and 95 St. in Colonia Eji-do. Free entrance.

DOCUMENTARY WEDNESDAYS, 8 p.m. La Cei-ba Park, First St. South and 60th Ave. in Colonia Ejidal. Free entrance. Check Facebook El Cine

Club for the schedule.

THURSDAY8PAAMUL ECOMARKET, every Thursday, 8.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Community Fellowship Church Palapa.

FRIDAY9THE BPM FESTIVAL. The world’s top djs, day and night parties at Playa del Carmen´s best clubs. Line-up and tickets on www.thebpmfestival.com and Facebook The BPM Festival.

COCOS BEACH ORGANIC MARKET, every Friday, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Condos Alizes, Avenida CTM and 46th St. Homemade bread and baked goods, gluten-free products, fresh herbs, organic eggs, handmade pro-ducts, cosmetics, clothing and much more.

RECICLATÓN RECYCLING. 28 de Julio Square, City Hall. 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check Facebook Medio Am-

biente Solidaridad, or call 984 877 3050 ext.10129/5.

SATURDAY10THE BPM FESTIVAL. The world´s top djs, day and night parties at Playa del Carmen´s best clubs. Line-up and tickets on www.thebpmfestival.com

and Facebook The BPM Festival.

ACCIÓN ANIMAL ADOPTION FAIR, every Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tenth St. between Av. 100 and Av. 105, Colonia Ejido. Don´t buy pets, rescue them! Check Facebook Acción Animal.

FLEA MARKET, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. La Ceiba Park, First St. South and 60th Ave. Colonia Ejidal. Yoga, wor-kshops, local food and more.

EL JARDÍN LOCAL MARKET, every Saturday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. El Jardín Community Center, 20th St. and 10th Ave.

PASEARTE COLLECTIVE EXHIBITION, every Satur-day, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Along Sunyaxchen Ave. Pho-tography, sculpture, poetry, music and more.

CYCLING EMBASSY’S BIKE RIDE, every Saturday, 5.30 p.m. Constituyentes Ave. and Diagonal 85. Bike loans and free drinks! Check out the route on Facebook Playa Bicicletero.

COMEDY PLAYA, 8 p.m. Wah Wah Beach Bar, 2 North St and the beach. Stand-up comedy in Engli-sh. Local and visiting U.S. acts. $50 pesos.

SUNDAY11THE BPM FESTIVAL. The world´s top djs, day and night parties at Playa del Carmen´s best clubs. Line-up and tickets on www.thebpmfestival.com

and Facebook The BPM Festival.

TULUM ORGANIC AND NATURAL MARKET 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Commercial Area at Aldea Zamá.

EL CARACOL GASTRONOMIC MARKET 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Plaza Bonita, Xel-ha Lote 1, Sm 28. Think local, choose handcrafted and know the producer and the product.

ORIGAMI WORKSHOP, every Sunday, 12 p.m. Ka´Yok´ Planetarium, Palenque Ave. Sm. 21. $40 MXN contribution. Children from 4 years old. Check the Facebook page Planetario de Cancún.

COMEDY PLAYA, 8 p.m. Lucky Luciano’s, Fifth St. and 28th St. Stand-up comedy in English. Local and visiting U.S. acts. Every Wednesday and Sun-day. $100 MXN.

MONDAY12THE BPM FESTIVAL. The world´s top djs, day and night parties at Playa del Carmen´s best clubs. Line-up and tickets on www.thebpmfestival.com

and Facebook The BPM Festival.

PROJECTIONS FOR CHILDREN. Everyday, 5 and 6 p.m. Ka´Yok´ Planetarium, Palenque Ave. Sm. 21. $30/$40 pesos resident children/adults. Check www.ventanaaluniverso.org.

TUESDAY13THE BPM FESTIVAL. The world´s top djs, day and night parties at Playa del Carmen´s best clubs. Line-up and tickets on www.thebpmfestival.com and Facebook The BPM Festival.

KAVA KASA LOCAL MARKET, every Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kava Kasa, 22nd St. and 10th Ave. Organic produce, fresh home baked goods, artisan crafts and more! Shop local and support Playa.

FREE TANGO LESSONS, 8 p.m. Roof of The Palm at Playa Hotel, Eighth St. and 10th Ave. Classes by Diego and Lucila.

WEDNESDAY14THE BPM FESTIVAL. The world´s top djs, and day and night parties at Playa del Carmen´s best clubs. Line-up and tickets on www.thebpmfestival.com

and Facebook The BPM Festival.

COMEDY PLAYA, 8 p.m. Lucky Luciano’s, Fifth St. and 28th St. Stand-up comedy in English. Local and visiting U.S. acts. Every Wednesday and Sunday. $100 MXN.

BICINETA BIKE RIDE, every Wednesday, 8 p.m. City Hall, Plaza 28 de Julio, 8th St. and 15th Ave. Explore the cycle paths of Playa del Carmen and meet li-ke-minded local bikers.

THURSDAY15THE BPM FESTIVAL. The world´s top djs, day and night parties at Playa del Carmen´s best clubs. Line-up and tickets on www.thebpmfestival.com

and Facebook The BPM Festival.

DOCUMENTARY FILMS, every Thursday, 8 p.m. El Eden Art Garden, Constituyentes Ave. and 95 St. in Colonia Ejido. Free entrance.

FRIDAY16THE BPM FESTIVAL. The world´s top djs, day and night parties at Playa del Carmen´s best clubs. Line-up and tickets on www.thebpmfestival.com

and Facebook The BPM Festival.

SPANISH CONVERSATION CLUB, every Friday, 7.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. Chichen Itza Language School on Fourth St. and 10th Ave. Practice your Spanish conver-sational skills for free with others students.

SATURDAY17THE BPM FESTIVAL. The world´s top djs, day and night parties at Playa del Carmen´s best clubs. Line-up and tickets on www.thebpmfestival.com and Facebook The BPM Festival.

FLEA MARKET, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. La Ceiba Park, First St. South and 60th Ave. Colonia Ejidal. Yoga, wor-kshops, local food and more.

PASEARTE COLLECTIVE EXHIBITION every Sa-turday, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Along Sunyaxchen Ave. Photography, sculpture, poetry, music and more.

WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL, 4 p.m. Unico Beach, Javier Rojo Ave. Puerto Morelos. The Original Wailers, Quelar Flamenco Company, Gabriel Palatchi, Feel Doctor and Bio Funk. Tickets at Pirata FM, Unico Beach, Marco Polo Viajes, Chango Shop. $350/$450 MXN.

KILO VERDE RECYCLING, Colonia Los Forjadores. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check Facebook Medio Ambiente

Solidaridad, or call 984 877 3050 ext.10129/5.

SUNDAY18THE BPM FESTIVAL. The world´s top djs, day and night parties at Playa del Carmen´s best clubs. Line-up and tickets on www.thebpmfestival.com

and Facebook The BPM Festival.

COMEDY PLAYA, 8 p.m. Lucky Luciano’s, Fifth St. and 28th St. Stand-up comedy in English. Local and visiting U.S. acts. Every Wednesday and Sun-day. $100 MXN.

MONDAY19ACTING LESSONS, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 4.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. Caracol Marino Cultural Centre, 80th St. between 10th and Fifth. For more information contact centrocaracol@gmail.com.

every TUESDAY20FREE TANGO LESSONS, 8 p.m. Roof of The Palm at Playa Hotel, Eighth St. and 10th Ave. Classes by Diego and Lucila.

*For Cancun events, checkthe highlighted boxes!

January 7-20, 2015 9PLAYA DEL CARMEN

10

BY DR. LUIS DAVID SUÁREZ, MD

In addition to increasing our consumption of anti-cancer foods such as cruciferous veg-gies, garlic and onions, one

of the most important dietary changes we MUST incorporate is to drastically cut down on refined sugars and refined carbohydrates, which directly fuel the cancer growth.

There are dozens of herbs, spices and vegetables that have anti-cancer potential, some of the most researched are: avocado (causes cell cycle arrest and in-duces death on cancerous cells); broccoli (broccoli sprouts and most cruciferous vegetables) that help with histone deacetylation, hormone modulation, reduction in oxidative stress and carcinogen metabolism; berries of all kinds that reduce malignant transfor-mation and oxidative stress; ca-rotenoid rich orange and yellow vegetables, rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and regulate cell differentiation; curcumin, the nutrient in turmeric that

was found in a study published in 2012 on Molecular Nutrition & Food Research by Dr. Aggarwal, to block cancer-causing metabolic pathways, stopping tumor pro-liferation. As a bonus, the spice also sensitized tumor cells to the chemotherapeutic agents capecit-abine and taxol.

Other dietary recommenda-tions for cancer patients, include consuming fresh orange juice (not from concentrate), which has profound anti-inflammatory effects. Other studies point to the potent anti-inflammatory power of resveratrol, found in red wine and grapes, which suppresses dangerous inflammatory bio-chemicals called cytokines.

Patients often ask if we can give them a nutrient to cure can-cer, and the answer is no, but we can create an anti-inflammatory environment within their bodies so it’s less of a conductive host to

tumor growth and production. This

is the most im-portant thing about cancer and diet: pre-

vention.

HEALTH & BEAUTYHEALTH & BEAUTY

CHIROPRACTORFor a safe, effective chiropractor

Dr. Richard McCarthy

at The New Gym, Playa Del Carmen

Tel: 984 873 2098

BY DR. RICHARD MCCARTHY

It’s that time of year again when our thoughts turn to New Year’s reso-lutions. It’s a time to look back, reeval-uate ourselves, make a fresh goals that will improve our lives. Many people make health resolutions such as los-ing weight, quitting smoking, getting in shape. After all, without adequate health, you can kiss most of your oth-er resolutions goodbye. This year why don’t you consider a chiropractic reso-lution? Why don’t you consider getting your spine in shape?

Declining health robs you of your goals. It may have caused you to miss out on that big promotion because you have taken too many sick days from work, you may not be able to spend quality time with your family because of your nagging headaches and back pain that always dictate what kind of mood you are in and what activities you can do.

Spinal imbalance can arise from a great number of common injuries, such as bad falls, sports or work injuries and stress, both physical and emotional. The spinal imbalance results in occa-sional or regular joint pains. The chiro-practor is the best professional to help you resolve these problem. The chiro-practor’s job is to reduce pressure, elim-inate inflammation and restore normal nerve flow to your organs.

Most people have been to the den-tist and will invest time and money to have good teeth. Yet, many people have never been to the chiropractor and therefore neglect to take proper care of their spine and integrated nervous system. You can replace your teeth but cannot replace your spine!

When you feel pain, your body is telling you there is something wrong. Even if the pain comes and goes it is always better to take care of it as soon as possible.

Making a chiropractic resolution can give you peace of mind and vitality to live your life the way it was meant. Cor-recting your spine can change your life.

Best to all for the New Year.

Chiropractic Care Your New Year’s

Resolution

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Dr. Luis David Suárez is a specialist in Medical Acupunc-ture and Phytotherapy and di-rector of SANAR Center for Inte-grative Medicine.

January 7-20, 2015 11HEALTH & BEAUTY

BY ANA ACOSTA

This is a question every nutritionist hears all the time. Pasta, white rice, tortillas and white bread are made with refined flour; the refinement

process strips food of their outer layers where the fiber is located, meaning these foods are mainly made of simple carbohydrates. As a result, they are rapidly digested and absorbed by our body and they produce a spike in in-sulin levels. This hormone, responsible for regulating levels of glucose in the blood-stream, is a lipogenic hormone, and when ac-tivated it tells the body to start accumulating fat. Therefore, the secret is to avoid short and frequent spikes of insulin to keep your blood sugar levels stable, an important factor for those with diabetes and when trying to lose weight. When eating pasta, tortilla, white bread and white rice, make sure of the fol-lowing:

They are whole grains (for the dietary fiber). Eat them with slowly digesting foods such

as fiber-rich vegetables like broccoli, onions, cauliflower and zucchini (for the dietary fiber).

The portions of vegetable to pasta are 3:1. Eat them mixed in with legumes (for their

low glycemic index) such as lentils and beans. Cook them “al dente”, i.e. slightly under-

done, to ensure your body does not absorb them as quickly.

Choose homemade stuffed pasta such as those filled with spinach, squash or any kind of vegetable, ricotta cheese, lean meats and do not add saturated or trans fats.

The pasta sauce is made from the tomatoes’ natural juice instead of using oil.

Enjoying your pasta with vegetables and legumes -i.e. slowly digested foods- increases the dietary fibre content on your plate. The overall meal will have less effect on blood sug-ar levels and slow the spike of insulin down considerably. One last thing, something that I highlight in every one of my articles, the key to healthy eating is balance and quantity.

Keep in mind that lovingly prepared home cooked meals using local produce en-courages the development and well-being of your family and community.

Ana Acosta Rodríguez is a Nutritionist based in Playa del Carmen. Her specialties include Ma-ternal-Child Nutrition, pregnancy & lactation. You can contact her at ana@mompreneurs.mx – 984 5938702.

A good massage makes a big difference / Photo:Agency

Mix your pasta with vegetables or legumes / Photo:Agency

What to Look for in a Spa Massage

Does Pasta

Make You Fat? Whole grain products, its combination with vegetables and small portions are the key for a healthy diet

BY GEMA GARCÍA

There are over 5000 spa or massage venues in the Riviera Maya region located from small Fifth Avenue massage rooms and beach palapas to ho-tel full spa facilities, and luxury resort complexes. Because of the mass growth in recent years within this sector, monitoring their correct operation has been a challenge for local authorities. This week we want to share with readers the important things to look for in good spa or massage facilities to help en-sure that you make the right choices when choos-ing your spa service.

“Simply a bad massage can lead to injury. Peo-ple may be exposed to such injuries if masseuses that have no formal training, this is why it is very important that as a customer, you pay attention to where you decide to go.” Commented Carlos Pine-da Limón, president of the Touristic Zone Spa Asso-ciation of Playa del Carmen.

He pointed out that lack of attention from the authorities regarding controlling standards has led

to many ‘pirate’ massage shops in Fifth Avenue and the beach, which have premises that really do fall below the acceptable standards for this type of business, most noticeably in the areas of hygiene and training. He also explained how this has a knock on effect on the true spas that have invested in premises and training to cater for clients with excellent services, and how the low-end establish-ments are diluting the standards.

Walking along Fifth Avenue you will often receive several ‘invitations’ for massages; so here are some tips on what to look for next time you are tempted to try a relaxing treat: first make sure the place is tidy and clean, seems obvious, but look ‘behind the scenes’ at the true level of cleanliness. Look for certifications or diplomas on sight, they are usually framed, if the spa offers different techniques make sure there are diplomas for each. If you do not see any certifications, don’t be afraid to ask. The license which is their annual permit should be current and it is issued by the local authorities.

Pineda also added to be on guard regarding pric-es. “Don’t be taken in by a very cheap massage, the accurate price of a good simple massage should be between $50 and $60 USD for an hour. We have also found that some places use cheap baby or mineral oil instead of a real quality massage oil, so some clients have had a reaction to these unstable cheap oils with additives,” he concluded.

A good simple massage should be between $50 and $60 USD

12 DINNING OUT

Mexico’s best kept secret the Mezcal Route in the state of Oaxaca, Route 175, runs between Huatulco and Oaxaca City. The diverse landscapes and towns of this area are presumed to be the “Cradle of Mezcal” as it is said to hold the tradi-tional recipe for mezcal shared by generations.

No matter how many times you make the trip it is always entertaining, with endless discoveries and the ever changing and contrasting landscapes.

The road goes from sea level to 2,800 meters (9,186 feet) and slowly swirls down to the Oaxa-ca Valley at 1,555 metres (5,102 ft). You will get a taste of coastal wetlands, lagoons, mangroves, tropical rainforests, wild agave fields and low pine-oak forests which break onto cliffs overlook-ing the ocean. For an additional treat, the mezcal route is connected to the coastal road, Route 200, which is a winding feathered snake climbing the mountains through tropical forests, crossing water streams in the clouds and over them.

This region is where the big collision between the central and northern America tectonic plates took place. It formed a meeting point between species from two different subcontinents, as well as the place where the two mountain ranges, the Oriental and Southern Sierras, crossing Mexico from north to south meet.

The Oaxaca Valley, formed within the Sierra

Madre Mountains, is home to the biggest number of endemic species in Mexico, shortly followed by the Oriental Sierra Madre in the state of Veracruz and the Southern Sierra Madre, which merge together at the Chimalapa tropical rainforest, one of the only major remaining well-developed rainforest in Mexico.

Along the road, you will come across different mezcal houses and learn how mezcal is made, each house giving their own unique touch to the drink. We recommend you visit some traditional mezcalerías where you can try the different mez-cal labels with the maguey worm and buy a bottle at an affordable price.

A mystical and romantic town on the route is San José del Pacifico, located halfway between Huatulco and Oaxaca and at the highest point of the Sierra Madre at 238 meters (7,808 feet). This is a laid back place where the community creates their own rules. The characteristic weather of San José, fresh and cold with foggy afternoons, contrasts with the blazing summer heat of the coast as a result of the surround-ing pine forests that trap the condensation from the clouds’ water vapor. The humid air makes flowers, herbs and mushrooms blossom. This is a great spot to flavor the Oaxacan food and drink, and enjoy amazing red to blue cloudy sunsets.

The perfect journey for a mind-bending explora-tion, the trip within a trip…

A Trip Within A Trip Within... (Part I)By Ramiro Vázquez

Ramiro Vázquez is a representative of Mezcales de Lulá.

Mezcaling

Cocoa, Food of the GodsBy María Morote

Cocoa tree´s scientific name is Theobroma cacao which means “the food of gods” in Greek and gives you an idea of the signifi-cance that this product had for the America´s indigenous in-

habitants.Cocoa´s current com-

mon name comes from the Middle American language Nahuatl xocolatl which lat-er derived into “chocolate” when it was brought to Eu-rope by Spanish conquerors.

Mayans called cocoa tree ka’kaw and chocolate chocolhaa, terms related to

kahk (fire) and to chocol (bitter) and haa (water) respectively. For these people, this magical food symbolized physical vigor and lon-gevity.

ORIGIN

Cocoa was naturally grown 4,000 years ago in tropical areas of the Am-azon and the Orinoco River. It was first grown in Central America in 1,000 b. C. in Honduras and from there it spread up to Belize and Mexico where, in 900 b. C., the Olmecs sowed it in warm ar-eas, from Tabasco to Michoacán, Coli-ma, Chiapas and Campeche.

Spanish conquerors discovered

cocoa from the native population who drank xocolatl as an energizing bever-age. Back then it was a bitter drink far from the sweet chocolate that we are used to enjoying nowadays.

Since the times of the Con-quest, the Spanish were amazed by cocoa´s attributes. Natives showed them how to sow and prepare it, and they later took the seed and new found knowledge to the old continent. For a long time chocolate was exclusively for the high society of Spain.

USES AND SYMBOLOGY

In pre-Hispanic times, cocoa

was used as currency. In fact, it was throughout commercial trad-ing routes that it spread up to South Mexico. Mayan doctors rec-ommended cocoa for its proper-ties, both stimulating and calm-ing. Chocolhaa was used only by the elite classes and warriors as a remedy and also in sacred rituals.

Mayan mythology says that after creating humanity, the god Kukulkan, the “feathered serpent”, gave people cocoa. Every April, the Mayans celebrated a festival in or-der to worship Ek Chuah, the god of cocoa. Aztecs adopted the same legend with the god Quetzalcoatl.

Mayan vase with cocoa plants / Photo:Agency

January 7-20, 2015 13ART & CULTURE

Summer of 2009 was coming to an end and the problems with our guitar player took a turn for the worse as he went from

slightly irresponsible to just showing a com-plete lack of interest and commitment, diminishing the energy of the whole band. In order to raise spirits and since rehearsal time was sparse and sporadic, we decided to start including cover songs in our set as a financial safety cushion and to give us quick and obtainable goals to work on. We would still keep writ-ing original material, but would mix them up with a few of our favourite rock songs, which worked out great. We’d in-vite friends to our gigs and get everyone to rock out and have a blast.

Despite the fact the band’s suc-cess was on the up, our guitarist’s at-titude never changed. He continued to be incredibly flaky and lacked ded-ication, often blaming his very flexible work schedule as he would consis-tently arrive late or cancel at the last minute. One day out of the blue, our drummer who had become increas-ingly frustrated with the situation, just freaked out and quit the band, which left us kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Feder the band was now without a drummer and with a flaky, unreliable guitarist. Thankfully, when the drummer left, he was considerate enough to find us a replacement and train him up for us. To this day our original drummer remains good friends with everyone.

Our new drummer was also a really nice person and a good musi-cian, he was creative and motivated. It was now late fall and the prob-lems with our guitarist never ceased. By December 2009, our set was most-ly just cover songs and our original ma-terial was pretty much abandoned. Although we rehearsed in vain it was always chaotic, and by this point, I was the only one trying to sched-ule rehearsal time and was always the one to let everyone know when they were cancelled, either because of “flexible schedules” or as a result of tension between band members. My enjoyment of the music reached a tipping point, giving way to a fit of anger. The band felt like such a waste of energy and was just an em-barrassment. I eventually just sent ev-eryone to … well, you can imagine. And that’s how Feder came to an end.

My Odyssey Through Music

Feder (3)By Aitana

For more information about the author

and her band check out the Facebook

pages /aitana.singer.jewelrydesigner

and /NightBrain.

Scenic Yucatan Promoted

in Regional Film Festival

BY CARLOS UNDERWOOD

By means of an ambitious international festival, the neighboring state of Yucat-an wants to take advantage

of its surrounding natural beauty in order to attract the film industry. Karla P. Medina, director of the In-ternational Film Festival of Merida and Yucatan (FICMY), confirmed that the cinematographic event will take place from January 17 to 24, with the objective of forging an industry and generating employment for talented Yucatecans, who normally would not even be able to get their foot in the door in this industry.

Attractive cash prizes, an exciting project for university students and fi-nancial support for completing proj-ects currently in post-production, are some of the incentives offered by the first international festival.

The festival’s events will have two components: the international plat-form including fiction, documentary and short film debut; and Mexican cinema with features and a special section to support new talent. The project will include cash prizes from $100,000 to $250,000 pesos and a prize in kind, which is financial sup-port for the best project in the stage of post-production.

For Karla P. Medina, one of the original intentions of the event was

to “promote locations” in the state “in order to have an industry,” and have up to 50 percent of a film shoot with-in the peninsula.

“The best production packages will be awarded and these films will then be entered in a competition. The idea is to begin shooting in the state and generate new jobs,” said the fes-tival director.

In addition to film screenings, there

will be workshops with special guests, most of which will be provided for free. The icing on the cake for supporting new talent is the Short Film Race sec-tion. This consists of a filming rally with a four-man crew, who must film on location in the state, a month before the start of the festival. Seven crews with short films are set to compete.

“It’s to support the talent of the peninsula. The rally will cover a va-riety of topics. It will all take place a month in advance of the festival, in different locations throughout the state and there will be seven groups taking part and competing. It gives them a platform and the op-portunity to be showcased at other

film festivals, and increase their dis-tribution reach,” said Karla Medina.

Within the festival there will be seminars, an expo with film products and services providers, celebrities and a tribute to Ofelia Medina, a Yu-catecan artist similar to Sara García.

“Ultimately, when you promote a festival you inevitably promote the state, because you get a chance to visit all the wonderful places the region has to offer. We are providing a tourism and cultural service” noted Medina.

For more information, please visit the www.ficmy.com.mx page, where those interested in taking part can register. Applications for participants close on November 21.

BY ALEJANDRA CAMPO Clothing has always been a part of

civilization. Through clothes you can easily observe the differences in geo-graphical context and latitude, as well as the historical changes.

The traditional Yucatecan outfit demonstrates the rich cultural heritage of the Yucatan Peninsula throughout history. For women, the traditional formal attire is an elegant dress known as the terno. The term “terno” comes from the fact that the dress consists of three pieces. The first one, known as the fustán, is a long straight petticoat that goes down to the ankles with a lace-trimmed hemline; the huipil or hipil -a Nahuatl word- is a white, short-sleeved, knee-high, square neck dress,

with flower embroideries and a lace-trimmed hemline; the third piece is the jobón, a wide, flat, richly embroidered square flounce that is attached to the neckline of the second piece, the hipil.

In Pre-Hispanic Yucatan, the indig-enous women were topless and only dressed in a skirt most of the time. It was the Franciscan monks who in-sisted the skirts be lengthened and a top should be worn. The terno was a creation of the mestizos, the fusion be-tween Spanish and the Pre-Hispanic Mayans, who adapted their attire with the European fashion of the period.

Over time, the mestizos occupied more and better political and economic roles. In order to stand out in society, the terno was converted into a status symbol allowing the mestizos to dif-

ferentiate themselves from indigenous women while getting closer to the look of white women, who were often their boss or employer.

Today, this dress is used for festi-vals and is accessorized with big ear-rings, necklaces, beads, and gold fili-gree bracelets. Elderly Mayan women still wear the hipil on a daily basis, which is not the case of younger gen-erations who prefer modern “Ameri-can” fashion.

To purchase one of these beautiful dresses, ask your local tour agent to take you to local markets or venture out into rural Yucatan. In cities such as Valladolid and the town of Kimbilá near Izamal, you can still find work-shops that offer ternos as well as other well-tailored traditional clothes.

The Terno, Traditional Yucatecan Dress

Through the projection of films, workshops and awards, the FICMY aims to attract the film industry to the peninsula

The city of Valladolid will co-host the FICMY / Photos: FICMY

Terno formal dress / Photo:Agency

The FICMY

will take place January 17 to 24

14 TAKE A BREAK

HOROSCOPES

CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22ND-JANUARY 19TH)

You may crave some privacy and alone time, but that will have to wait. There are simply too many people who want and need your company. Open up a little and let a few people in.

AQUARIUSJANUARY 20THFEBRUARY 18TH

Friends abound and several may be new. Surrender to the social demands and enjoy some great times. You can be the calming force and anchor for a happy last week of the year.

PISCES(FEBRUARY 19TH-MARCH 20TH)

Work could get busy. Be calm and refuse to be rushed. Surround yourself with happy friends and let your heart swell. People will want to cooperate, commiserate, and see your smile.

ARIES (MARCH 21ST-APRIL 19TH)

People may try to drag you to a special place for a special amusement. In fact, you may feel like people are ganging up on you but everyone means well and they just want to please you.

TAURUS(APRIL 20TH-MAY 20TH)

You can just look at another person’s prob-lem and solve it. This period gives you the power to handle situations that at other times might seem too complicated to be real. Go out and celebrate.

GEMINI(MAY 21TH-JUNE 21TH)

If love isn’t on your mind you may still be im-mersed in intimate dealings with someone who cares about you. It could be more than one someone, actu-ally. You know what and who you want.

CANCER

(JUNE 22ND- JULY 22ND)

Let people surprise you. There should be quite a group around you, and they will all want to pitch in. Take time to be still and listen to your heart and to what a current loved one has to say.

LEO (JULY 23RD – AUGUST 22ND)

Let a peaceful, easy feeling take over. Richly enjoy the countless little things that sometimes get lost in the glare and glitter. Party hearty, but keep things smart, sensible, and safe.

VIRGO (AUGUST 23RD – SEPTEMBER 22ND)

Home life may be more intense now. Be in a bright, buoyant mood. You don’t have to get wild and crazy, but don’t hold back too much either. Be safe and joyous with no regrets.

LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23RD – OCTOBER 22ND)

Take some of the pressure off and let your friends entertain you. There could be many harmless misadventures as people tend to act before they think. Prepare to start something fantastic.

SCORPIO (OCTOBER 23RD- NOVEMBER 21ST)

A lot of people with a lot of opinions about money could make your head spin. They will also all want your opinion. Pick and choose the people you really want to spend your time with.

SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 22ND-DEC 21ST)

A romance comes your way. Expect a lot of good conversation, sparkling wit, and sizzling good fun. You could get to know someone very well, very quickly. People and money pour in.

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LAST ISSUE'S SOLUTION

Enter digits from 9 to 1 intothe blank spaces

Every row most contain oneof each digit

So must every column, as must every 3x3 square

CR

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DINAR

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DRACHMA

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SHEKEL

SHILLING

CURRENCIES

Mix into a large bowl all the fruit diced, add the chili powder, add in the squeezed lemon juice, add the rock salt. Put the fruit mix into

individual glasses and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Pour one cup of orange juice in each glass.

Gazpacho from Morelia

Ingredients:

1 cup jicama (Mexican yam)

1 cup pineapple

1 cup mango

1 cup coconut

1 cup of grated mature cheese

2 lemons

4 cups of orange juice

½ tbs. rock salt

4 tbs. chili powder

Directions

Makes 4 servings

REC

IPE

Animal used for heavy work (5,2,6)Spouse (7)Fulcrum (5)Close noisily (4)Coastal region of eastern Canada (8)Ulster county (6)Savoury flan (6)Large outdoor signboard (8)Wharf (4)Fish commercially with nets (5)Huge lad (anag) (7)Badly thought out (3-10)

Dance — hit (informal) (3)Side by side — in the picture (7)Without success (2,2,5)General arrangement of a publication (6)Blow to the chin (8)Hebrew king (5)Ill fame (9)Pasta in the form of long strings (9)Highly-spiced Indian curry (8)Mill (7)Germanic people who settled in Britain in thefifth century (6)See 3Coagulated milk (4)Inoperative (3)

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January 7-20, 2015 15CLASSIFIEDS

ClassifiedsGENERAL SERVICES

RENTALS & PROPERTIES

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RESTAURANTS

RESTAURANTE PATANEGRADelicious homemade Spanish food. Try the best tapas, paellas and more. Fine selection of Spanish red and white wines. On 26th St. between Avenues 10 and 15. Telephone 984 877 0701. Facebook Restaurante Patanegra

Craig Norton is a Canadian expat and the one of the founding members of Comedy Playa. If you

have a question you would like to ask him (for a friend), please email dearcraig@theplayatimes.com

Craig.

Dear CraigDear CraigWhat is it with the speed bumps in Pla-

ya? I rented a car when I was there and I couldn’t believe how many topes we hit on every road. Is Playa del Carmen obsessed with safety or something?

Automotively Annoyed

Dear Annoyed,

Yes, we are obsessed

with safety here in Playa. The dead

giveaway is how much alcohol we consume and

that every resort is all-inclusive. We believe that

feeding people –who are unfamiliar with how

oceans work- more alcohol than their bodies can

process, then getting them to do water sports, is

the best way to promote safety.

To answer your question, the speed bumps,

or topes, as you correctly called them, are essen-

tially silent cops. They lay down on the road to

make sure that every street and avenue in Playa

doesn’t become a raceway. You said you rented

a car while you were here. If you drove on the

highway, then you know what I’m talking about.

Most drivers here treat the roads as if each des-

tination will disappear if they don’t get there as

quickly as is mechanically possible. This is obvi-

ously a danger in areas where drunken tourists

like to use the streets and avenues as sight-

seeing boulevards, blissfully meandering in the

middle of the street, looking up at the clouds

and being oblivious to the world around them,

as is their right, as laid out in their Best Day Trav-

el package.

It makes sense if you think about it. Just

imagine: Drunk Dude from Savannah has just

met Drunk Gal from Fargo. They go traipsing

around Playa, heckling mariachis and asking for

discounts on everything not nailed down. Even

though there are ample sidewalks provided

across our entire city, they believe the best way

to walk is in the middle of the road, weaving and

laughing, stopping periodically to slap tongues

in public, and occasionally make casual racist

remarks about some store’s wares. Imagine if

there weren’t these “silent policemen” to keep

cars from careening down the street at highway

speeds and ending their lives in the middle of

their budding, four-day romance? Who would

work at the Chick-fil-A’s and be the MMA enthu-

siasts north of the border if they were all dying

from stupidity down here?

I’ll tell you this for free, though: An unknown

fact about topes is that they spawn. This, you have

to really look for, as it tends to occur on older roads.

You will find, in some of the lesser travelled calles

and avenidas of our fair city, topes in pairs or in

triples. I’ve even heard of some quadruples that

exist out there. Seriously, there are places in Playa

where there are several topes, all together, for no

reason, spaced apart by several feet or metres, just

lying there. Maybe these particular silent police-

men decided to all retire together on some sunny

street, just to annoy the hell out of motorists and

help out the local auto shop industry.

Anyway, I hope that answers your question,

Automotively Annoyed, and I also hope that you

opted for the full coverage.

All the best,

If you have any questions about the available dogs from Playa Animal Rescue, contact Pat at info@playaanimalrescue.org

Bonnie not only smiles, but here it looks like she’s laughing!Bonnie was born about January of 2013 and came to PAR in August of 2013. That’s over a year of living in a shelter, so it’s time this girl finds a home she can call her own! She weighs 17 kg (37 pounds) and is a very balanced and playful girl. She is spayed and up to date on all vaccinations.Bonnie is ready to give the perfect family a lifetime of love.

BONNIE