Author Archives: Thomas Lloyd

Xplor Fuego! An Adventure not to be forgotten!

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The creators of Xcaret outdid themselves when they created Xplor Adventure Park but they have gone beyond what they already created and offered a new twist on one of the leading experiences in the Riviera Maya!  This new hype is called Xplor Fuego!  Xplor took and extra step and decided to open its doors at night lighting up the entire park with fire and excitement! A friend of mine recently went and shared this with me:


“You enter the park just before dusk into a cave like environment! Come equipped with your bathing suit or clothes if you don’t mind getting wet.  Also, it is important to bring water shoes! You don’t need to change into dry clothes until the very end.  Expect to get when during all activities!  You can choose to start with any of 5 adventures.  You can swim through the underground river, take a paddle boat ride through the river, soar through the zip line circuit, drive through the amphibious jungle or eat in spectacular buffet. 

We decided to start with the swim through the underground river.  And we were glad to do so because after swimming through a magical underground cenote, lit up of all different colors, you end swimming thorough an amazing waterfall.  All of a sudden you realize you are in a cenote pool with the waterfalls all around you and when you look up the view and the feeling is absolutely incredible!

 

Now since we were already in the vicinity we wandered over to take a little stroll through the river in the paddle boat.  The ride was fun and the paddles were very easy and user friendly.  Again you experience more amazement in a different route of the underground river. 

 

Say Cheese!  Or shall I say, Tequila!!!  And be ready!  Because there are cameras throughout the entire area of the park and underground river!

 

By the time we were done with the underground river, the skies darkened!  We took a break to eat and enjoy a fabulous buffet including a real BBQ offering beef and pork ribs, hot dogs, hamburgers and baked potatoes.  Also an incredible salad bar with fresh and healthy veggie options with a variety of dressings and toppings.  Also, you can enjoy some other international items such as chicken kebobs, pizza, mozzarella sticks, and much, much more! And if that isn’t enough how about ice cream, coffee, hot chocolate and natural fruit water!  And it’s all unlimited!

 


After filling our bellies it was time to explore the amphibious jungle with an adventurous 4×4 jeep ride!  What an experience!  The path is set up through the jungle with hills, water, rocks, heavy terrain and bridges.  The jeeps are very equipped and safe for this kind of activity so go ahead and press the gas a little and head out in the moon light!  Keep those lights on!  If you turn them off you will sit still in absolute darkness! We tested it for the thrill!  Stopped of course! Don’t worry, you are not alone! There are check points along the way to be sure your car is working properly and can continue with the ride!  You will not get lost in the dark!  This activity was my husband’s absolute favorite!  Before moving on we refueled in the snack area to rest for a few minutes and enjoy Mexican sweet bread and hot cocoa. We couldn’t resist!!!

 


Now onto the zip line circuit! We started this adventure by walking up a very safe spiral path to the top of a tower where we took flight on zip line number one!  The zip lines are truly an incredible experience and even for me who is honestly afraid of heights this was my top pick for the entire park!  I have been zip lining during the day and enjoyed it but it is truly a different and unique experience to soar through the sky at night underneath the moon and stars!  It is a completely different feel and I highly recommend this experience!  The circuit consists of nine zip lines; the last one with a fun splash water landing! 

 

Although this was the last of the fun filled activities, it did not end our night!  Didn’t I mention that the buffet is unlimited!? Yep!  All this fun called for another refuel!  So we sat and enjoyed another meal and talked about what an incredible time we had!  This brought us up to right around 11 pm which was perfect timing to fit in all the activities, eat and relax! Before leaving we stopped to view all the awesome photos that had been snapped of us during the adventure!  You are not obligated to purchase these photos however we did!  They offer different packages for you to choose from. I must say that buying the photos are always worth it for me to be able to keep for memories!  And this one in particular was certainly a memorable experience!

 This experience was not a one-time stop for me;  I enjoyed it so much that I plan to return!  I hope that everyone out there will give this a shot; you will not be disappointed.”

So, I recommend Xplor – at night!  I’ll have to go check it out myself some time soon.

 

-by Bea Lozano
Mexico Real Estate Investment Kit

Rio Lagartos is the Yucatan Peninsula’s Flamingo Paradise

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Of all the cool places to visit in the Yucatan Peninsula – and there are many! – this one is near the top of the list.  Rio Lagartos is a biosphere reserve at the north end of the Peninsula, sort of between Cancun and Merida, but north of the highway that connects these two cities.

Like the other biosphere reserves on the Peninsula – especially the impressive Sian Kaan – Rio Lagartos offers a huge biodiversity, and many activities like bird-watching, fishing, boating, hiking and nature tours.  There are also cenotes, the awe-inspiring pools created by the area’s sink holes.

But the most impressive part of Rio Lagartos is the flamingos.

The reserve is home to about 40,000 flamingos that have both their nesting grounds and year-round habitat here.

You can take a boat tour through various water water ways to arrive to the estuary where the flamingos are found.  The sight is simply amazing:

Also, take a look at some of the nature:

Be sure to get the official tour with qualified guides; there are “unofficial” tours which are entirely safe, but you may not get to see the best places.

At the point where the biosphere reserve meets the beach there is also a traditional fisherman’s village.  The village is relaxing and quaint, and a good place to have lunch or dinner.

Another amazing part about Rio Lagartos is that you can actually live here in a luxury eco home if you like!  There are eco-lots with various options for home construction available just outside of the village.

Whether it’s a weekend getaway, a vacation, or for your new dream home, I suggest that you give Rio Lagartos a try!

 

-by Bea Lozano

Kit_Ownership

What does Poverty Look Like in Playa del Carmen

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When we write about communities in Playa del Carmen and other places, we obviously focus on the nicer communities that would appeal to expats. Yet, at the same time, we’ve been writing about charities recently in this blog.

You may be wondering how these two pictures fit together.

If you’ve been to Mexico, then you know that very nice communities and very poor communities exist side by side.  In some places, the poorer communities can be dangerous for those who do not belong to that social class.  This is not the case in Playa del Carmen; I have not found that the poorer communities are unsafe, even if they are not pretty.

Yet, it’s worth taking a brief look at what poverty looks like in this town.

 

Where do they come from?

Because of the booming tourism in Playa del Carmen, many poor farmers and village folk from throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, as well from other parts of the country – especially the states of Tabasco and Chiapas – have moved here to find work.

Many find reasonably good jobs (relative to their situation) in tourism. Many work in construction, which is a healthy industry these days.  A few never make their way very well and live in fairly harsh poverty.

 

What does it look like?

In almost all cases – whether they do well or not – many of the newcomers live in shacks to begin with – usually concrete block walls with fiberglass roofs, sometimes huts made out of wooden polls.

Those who do well usually begin to build up a nicer home little by little, as they have the cash to invest in materials (the work they’ll do themselves.)  The process of completing a home like this can take years upon years.

Thus, the most common sight in the poorer neighborhoods is partially built concrete homes. Some are abandoned and “regress” to the shack status.  Others are completed to be modest but comfortable and decent homes for their owners.  A few are even beautifully finished to become attractive, nicely designed homes by any standards.

Of course, there are some who, although starting out poor themselves, build substandard apartment buildings which they rent out to others for very low prices. (There are also some that are fairly decent.)

 

Who Needs the Help?

In all the cases mentioned above, when families first arrive to Playa, they usually have young children to think of – some of whom need to go to school.  That’s why the KKIS program Bea wrote about yesterday is so important.

There are other forms of charity to help families as they try to establish themselves, helping with items such as clothing and healthcare.  There are also programs for the homeless – often people who never manage to make things work.

There are plenty of ways to volunteer, donate and contribute; it’s always worth giving back to the community that you choose as your new home!

 

-by Thomas Lloyd
Livin’ Tulum Video – TeeToTum Hotel Interview

KKIS Project working hard to Keep Kids in School!

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We have been pretty focused, these days, on what is going on in the community of Playa del Carmen; and have already touched upon a few ways to contribute while living or spending a considerable amount of time here.  But today I want to talk about a specific organization that is making great strides to help out the kids here in Playa del Carmen.

 

Keeping Kids in School

A group of expats have set up and organization called the Keeping Kids in School Project (KKIS) and is geared towards helping the kids of Playa del Carmen to be prepared and stay in school.  Among their many efforts throughout the year, the team of KKIS is now focused on packing backpacks full of school supplies for children who come from low income families.  This effort started out with just a few neighborhoods and has spread throughout Playa del Carmen.

 


How does the KKIS Backpacks for Kids project operate?

The families are asked to fill out a form with basic information about the family, their income and about the children.  In this case, the organization is working to help low income families who may not be able to afford all the necessary supplies which is why income is considered. The families are asked to list the supplies that are required for the upcoming school year for their children.

Based on age and grade level, the needed items may be different. Some examples of supplies that are being gathered are lined spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, calculators, dictionaries, geometry sets, colored paper, colored pencils, scissors, pencil cases, and of course backpacks! The group works in an extremely organized fashion and this is thanks to a number of volunteers that show up in a local garage ever week, where the items are stored.  They usually spend a couple of hours at a time and can accomplish a great deal within that time!

 


Giving a Hand

We are proud to have joined KKIS by volunteering our time to help pull all this together.  With about six people we each have a station.  There is one bag or each child or in some cases family.  The bag with the correct name is pulled and ready to be stuffed. Janet pulls the applications one by one and reads off exactly what needs to go inside to the team.  The person designated to that station pulls the supplies and puts them into the bag. This is truly a perfect example of a team effort!

Once the bag is stuffed it is put to the side in its appropriate spot and next to any others who are in the same family. The second step in the process is to then transfer the items in each bag to a designated backpack for each child.  And finally the backpacks are delivered weekly to a different neighborhood.

This will continue to be an ongoing weekly effort from now until school starts with backpacks being delivered to different families every weekend!  We are thrilled to see such a meaningful effort being handled by our fellow friends and expats here in Playa del Carmen.

 


The Experience

The families of the children are deeply appreciative with the efforts of KKIS. I would like to share with you a short email that was sent to me by Janet Lowe who is helping to direct this operation. This will surely put a smile on your face!

“Yesterday was our first delivery. It went to the El Peten neighborhood, north and west of Playa del Carmen, a working class area. We met the families that had filed applications with us last January. Three cars of volunteers arrived at the park where some families were waiting for us. Marilou processed the paperwork, the rest of us found the correct backpack for each child, talked with the families and took photos. It was 3:00 pm and very hot. Soon a bicycle cart appeared at the curb and water ices were served to us all. When I went to thank the man he explained that this is the family business and thanked us for helping his three children. He asked if we would be in the park again today and when I said yes, he promised to be there also. I love Mexico!”

– Janet Lowe

 

How Can You Help?

If you would like to contribute to this organization either by volunteering your time or helping to donate school supplies please contact find the KKIS project on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-KKIS-Project/230592130368921 and send them a message.  There you will also find many other projects and efforts that they are working on to help the kids in the community!

 

-by Bea Lozano
Mexico Real Estate Testimonials

Camping and the Outdoors around Playa del Carmen

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When most people think of Mexico, they think of resorts, beaches with bars and restaurants nearby, colonial cities, ancient pyramids, etc. While people know that there is beautiful nature in Mexico, when making their choice to make this their new home many soon-to-be expat is the actual “roughing it” outdoors lifestyle that can be enjoyed, alongside of the more comfortable ways of enjoying nature.

 

 

Camping

Like every other outdoor activity, camping in tents can be enjoyed year round; unlike other favorite camping locations, in this area, you’ll be camping on some of the nicest beaches in the world.  You choose your location to be as near to or far from conveniences as you like; some good spots, like Xpu-Ha Beach are next to little rustic shops and restaurants to make the experience easier and give it a unique flavor; others, like Sian Kaan, would be miles away from the nearest building.

 

Rustic Cabins

In addition to camping, Tulum especially has some rustic beachfront cabins.  When I say “rustic” I really mean rustic – no electricity, basic beds, simple wooden huts with thatched roofs.  These are a beautiful experience, because, as with camping, you can see the bright stars in the sky over the Caribbean Sea in a place where lights from hotels and towns don’t overpower them.

There are many reasons to love Mexico, and nature lovers who really love to get away from civilization can easily do so here and in many other parts of the country!

 

-by Thomas Lloyd
Questionnaire

What Are Your Best Memories of Mexico? Share Pictures and Win a Prize!

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Top Mexico Real Estate having a calendar photo contest this summer.  Besides getting your picture in a printed calendar, there are some exciting prizes, including:

  • an underwater digital camera
  • a full day pass for The Fives luxury resort
  • a free copy of the hard-cover calendar for all category winners

There are 13 categories:

  1. Mexico Relax
  2. Livin’ Playa
  3. 25 Top Beaches
  4. Underwater
  5. Beach Sunrise/Sunset
  6. I Love Mexico
  7. Mayan Wildlife
  8. Ancient Mayan
  9. Mayan Jungle

10. Beach Sports

11. Mexican Food

12. Walk on the Beach

13. Lucky 13 (Any photo of the Riviera Maya taken from a mobile device)

For more information, and to submit a photo, visit our Facebook page for the competition.

-by Bea Lozano

 

Mexico Real Estate Investment Kit

Video: Americans and Canadians Volunteer at Playa del Carmen Animal Rescue

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Americans and Canadians living in Playa del Carmen enjoy life on the beach.  They enjoy relaxing in the sun, sipping martinis at nice bars, etc.

 

But many expats also spend some time giving back to their community, helping out, making it a better place for expats and Mexicans alike.

 

One such activity is animal shelters.  The Playa Animal Rescue program rescues mostly dogs off the street, takes care of them and finds them homes.  Americans and Canadians come, walk the dogs, play with them, bathing cute puppies and generally have great time; you’ll see in this video that this is not only responsible living, but a great way to enjoy life:

 

(if you can’t see the video, click here)

Life in Playa del Carmen is about relaxation on the beach, and enjoying an affordable life in a beautiful, warm place.  Yet, there’s a lot that expats can do to add to that.

 

-by Bea Lozano

 

Kit_Ownership