Discover Mahahual - Maya Chan Webcam

I love beach-cams!  The Maya Chan webcam in Mahahual is my new favorite!

Latin Culture: Backyard Dancing

I recently came across this blog post on "Beach Bum in the Yucatan".  The story and especially the pictures spoke to my heart.  I love backyard dancing! 

(Photo from Beach Bum in the Yucatan)

It reminds me of my time spent living in Argentina and the fun, impromptu dancing we shared with locals whom we met along the way. 

(Tandil, Argentina - I'm being covered up by someone...back in the left...)

I'm telling you, we Americans are cold and snooty when it comes to backyard dancing.  I've NEVER witnessed a backyard dance in the U.S.  Why is that?  Oh, and I definitely love to dance (American Bandstand in the 80's! There has to be video of me out there somewhere!). 

And I guarantee you that somewhere, in some Latin backyard, there is some dancing going on right this very minute!

What It's All About

I received this comment yesterday....  It was exactly right-on about Mayan Riviera Gringa being a view into my heart.  Thank you, Cherie.

"Just a note to say that your blog is delightful.

I am not a “Blogger”, however,

I will keep this one in my favorites,

keeping an eye on your Mexican insights,

with a view into your heart."

Discover Mahahual: Maya Chan Beach Resort

Maya Chan Beach Resort, Mahahual, Mexico - Discover Mahahual.

This is an all-inclusive day-resort, that requires reservations.  Maya Chan just opened in 2010, and is a boutique concept in beach clubs on the Costa Maya. 

All-inclusive concept at Maya Chan offers (quoted from website):

Maya Chan Representative at Pier

Fresh water showers

Free cab service from town

Free internet service

English speaking staff

Cleanest bathrooms in town

All Day Snorkel Gear

All Day use of Kayaks

All you can eat Food. Food is served between noon and 3:00 pm.

Open Bar all day including liquor, beer, water, soft drinks.

Lockers

Tipping for standard services, including food and beverage service is included.

We will be at Maya Chan on May 20th!  Look for Twitter updates (@cowgirljab) and Blog updates of our experience!

From the reviews and first-hand accounts, this is a fabulous place that will make your entire trip vale la pena. :)

If you have been here, or are planning on going to Maya Chan, please leave comments on this post! We would love to hear your thoughts!

(Photos from costamayabeachresort.com)
*A special thanks to Mark at Maya Chan!

Discover Mahahual - La Posada de Los 40 Canones

A second lodging choice for Discover Mahahual is La Posada de Los 40 Canones.

(Photos from 40canones.com)

Vacation Photos: Strike a Pose!

I used to take the typical vacation photos: stand in front of something, smile for the camera, snap and go. Luckily, I've matured into an all-out "Work-it, Baby!" type of vacation photo-taker.

Here's an example:

A. This photo was taken several years ago...typical, right? Right.

B. Now THIS photo...see the difference?

Sure, sometimes you might feel like a fool...but who cares? You'll most likely never see any of those people again, and you'll definitely have a photo or two that you will absolutely love!

My suggestions:

1. Use props (scarf, raft, sunglasses, whatever)

2. Take a LOT of pictures (gives you room to throw out ones that you absolutely don't want to ever see the light of day!)

3. Work-it, Baby!

Go ahead and do it! Take advantage of that gorgeous beach or awesome pool to pretend you are The Next Top Model and capture some fabulous vacation memories!

Sunrise Sunday Tribute

My friend - Stay Adventurous (Twitter: @stayadventurous and blog: http://stayadventurous.wordpress.com/) - does a Sunset Sunday post every week that I absolutely love. This post is for those of us who are early-morning risers and enjoy those sunrises and quiet moments that begin a new day.

And to Stay Adventurous--a Yin to your Yang. :) Have a great Sunday!

Discover Mahahual - Balamku Inn

One of the accomodations for Discover Mahahual is Balamku Inn.

Balamku has been selected by National Geographic Traveler magazine as one of their STAY LIST hotels for 2009. Balamku has been nominated for Mexico & Central America's Leading Green Hotel Award. the World Travel Awards are the most comprehensive awards program in the global travel industry. All the nominations can now be viewed on their website at www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees.

(Photos from balamku.com)

"Discover Mahahual" Trip: May 18-25, 2010

Discover Mahahual, Mexico with me!

May 18-25, 2010!

A big thanks to Kevin Graham at Costa Maya Living (Twitter = @CostaMaya) who helped me put this trip together! Make sure you keep your eyes on Mayan Riviera Gringa blog and on Twitter (@cowgirljab) so you can share the dream with me.

National Geographic Article: Headless Man Tomb - Bonampak, Mexico

Mayan civilization and culture - with their human sacrifices and all-encompassing gods - are extremely fascinating to me. The story of the discovery of this Mayan tomb at Bonampak, Mexico, feeds my Mayan intrigue.

(Photo from nationalgeographic.com)

Click HERE to read the article by National Geographic.

Immigration: The University Student Perspective

As a more "mature" university student, I sometimes wish I could record class moments for the rest of the world to experience. For example, in my Advanced Spanish Practice & Composition class last week we were assigned the topic of U.S. Immigration: What are the problems? And how can they be fixed? We then shared thoughts and ideas (in Spanish) with the class and debated their efficacy. Here are some of the ideas:

1. We (the U.S.) are a rich country, so just give them money and they will stop coming over here.

2. When they come over here (to the U.S.), they need to commit to following the U.S.A. futbol (soccer) team - that will help bring us all together.
3. Get rid of the Peso and the Dollar and come up with a shared currency for the U.S. & Mexico.4. Send U.S. political support to the Mexican government in the form of advisors, mentors, etc.

5. Wipe out, completely, the current Mexican government and replace it with politicians who are not corrupt.*Let me point out that at least 50% of the class is native-Mexican, another 25% is American-Mexican, and the other 25% is pure-bred gringo.

Cultural Differences When Doing Business in Mexico

I have often wanted to address the issue of cultural differences and how they effect our communications with each other. Here is an article that discusses these cultural-communication issues in business dealings. Although the article is over ten years old, I still find it just as applicable today.




http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/1794-cultural-differences-and-clarity-in-mexico-s-business-world

(Photo from mexicanchamber.org)

Yucatan Living Article on Mayan Artistry

I saw this article on yucatanliving.com and found it very interesting that there are still local artisans today who take the time to replicate the mayan art process. I would love to visit these artists in Mexico!


The link: http://www.yucatanliving.com/destinations/mayan-artistry-along-the-ruta-puuc.htm?1c1cc910


(Photo from yucatanliving.com)

Isla Mujeres: Gringo in Paradise Blog Post

This is a great blog post about Isla Mujeres, Mexico. By the end of the post, I felt like I had been there, too.






Here's the link to the post: http://bnwisla.blogspot.com/



(Picture from Isla Mujeres: Gringo in Paradise blog.)

Casa del Panadero

I love the photos of this Merida, Mexico vacation villa found on YucatanLiving.com!


http://www.yucatanliving.com/vacation-rentals/casa-del-panadero.htm

mayanrivieragringa@yahoo.com

iPhone Apps for International Travel

International travel with iPhones is made very easy via several apps. http://caribbeantravelnews.blogspot.com/ had a great post about top iPhone apps to use while traveling in the Caribbean. I love the list and have a couple more apps to add to it:

Things I would add to the list:

(See the link above or the list below to check out the original list on Caribbean Travel News)

1. TextPlus+ (http://textplus.gogii.com/) This is a MUST for me. It enables you to send text messages via Wi-Fi Internet instead of using expensive international data roaming!

2. WeatherBug (http://weather.weatherbug.com/mobile/iphone-weather-apps.html)

3. Bug Spray (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bug-spray-ultrasonic/id317742303?mt=8) This works. I swear. And it's better than being sticky and having to re-shower before you go to bed.

4. BlogPress (http://blogpress.coollittlethings.com/) I absolutely love this app. There is a free lite version, I went ahead and paid the small fee to get the full version. Either one is great, though! You can write and post to several blogs at the same time. You can also post pictures, etc.

5. Twitterific (http://twitterrific.com/) I can't go ANYWHERE without this. But especially international travel! Use wi-fi (again) instead of international data roaming!
Caribbean Travel News List:

1. Skype (http://www.skype.com/download/skype/iphone/ ) 2. Coconut Connection (http://rumshopryan.com/ )
3. Oanda Currency Converter (Note: I use the "Currency" app)

4. Flashlight 5. Postman (http://taptivate.com/postman/ )