This #ThrowbackThursday photo reminds us that whatever you want to do and wherever you want to go, there are not enough reasons in the world to stop you from doing it!
-By Bea Lozano
Wildlife Wednesday: A Pelican feeling the morning breeze
This magnificent bird was caught by Shane Wilcox while doing a morning walk on the beach in Playa del Carmen; and found out that this pelican was enjoying the sunrise as much as he did! This picture was a late contestant of our Dream a Little Dream of Mexico photo contest! The whole 13 winners will be announced November 1st in our Facebook Page.
#ThrowbackThursday – “Because I Said So!”
We do what we want, when we want and because we want to do it! Strong women make their own path without letting anything get in their way!
-By Bea Lozano
Wordless Wednesday – “Dream a little Dream of Mexico…”
What a magnificent story this photo can tell! Courtesy of Rebecca Tunstall, our 2nd runner up in the “Dream a little Dream of Mexico” Photo Contest!
-By Bea Lozano
A Woman’s Power From Within! – #Throwback Thursday
Strength is a special power we hold deep inside. It stays hidden and resting so that it is able to reach its maximum power when we need it the most. This seemingly thin power is the very thing that helps us to survive! In honor of Breast Cancer awareness month we, at Top Mexico Real Estate, give a special recognition to those women who have used this power to fight off a great warrior; one that will never win without a good strong battle!
-By Bea Lozano
Wildlife Wednesday – Top Mexico Real Estate’s “Dream a Little Dream of Mexico” Photo Contest Grand prize Winner!
Meet the famous monkey who gave everyone a run for their money in our “Dream a Little Dream of Mexico” Photo Contest! He entered in the last few weeks of the contest and got an incredible amount of attention. Congratulations to Kat Mendoza for winning the grand prize and for being so enthusiastic about the contest! All of us at Top Mexico Real Estate would like to say thank you to all who participated and voted!
-By Bea Lozano
A Sweet Treat – Why expats are raving about Café Martin!
Meet Lesley and Jody; the owners a charming café, new to Playa del Carmen, called Café Martin! This very friendly Canadian couple moved to Playa del Carmen in 2005 with their 2 children! They settled quite nice in Playa del Carmen and quickly felt that they were right at home. They love living in Playa del Carmen and especially being so close to the beach. So it was not a difficult decision to stay and live their lives in Playa!
Since then they have found their passion in cooking and baking and have wanted to share their creations with the whole community.
Sometimes if you want something done you have to do it yourself!
Playa del Carmen offers many options for delicious treats but Café Martin offers a special shine for the expat community. When Lesley and Jody arrived, to live in Playa del Carmen, they found it difficult to find the things that they missed and loved to eat. Lesley had a determination to still enjoy her favorite foods. She said to herself “If I can’t find it, then I will learn how to make it”. And that she did!
Lesley, and her husband Jody, starting experimenting cooking their favorite foods from back home in Canada until they got it all down to perfection. Some of their favorites were pirogues, lasagna, meatballs, spaghetti sauce, shepherd’s pie, pizza, muffins, bagels, cookies, flavored cream cheese, and even ice cream!
Making Café Martin a reality!
They were soon to realize that they weren’t the only ones who were missing those delicious meals from back home! Other expats from all over town started to contact Lesley to ask her to cook for them. The excitement drew from the fact that they were making dishes that could not be found in other restaurants or cafes in Playa. Some items like lasagna can be commonly found but other items like Pirogues or classic bagel breakfast sandwiches are unlikely to be found! And with that, they started their delivery service! The couple started to cook food in large batches and freeze them. Then when and order came in they would have it on hand in ready for delivery!
Their delivery service became so popular that the demand for opening up a store was obvious! They never had any intention to come to Playa del Carmen to open a business but after finding out their passion in food they knew they had to share it with the whole town.
Lesley’s theory – “Happiness is Homemade!”
We got a chance to try some of their delicious treats and I must say they have a gift! We sampled cookies, muffins, bagels, pizza, lasagna, cheesecake and of course a Canadian loved dish, Pirogues! YUM! We took some items home to feed the family and it was a hit. Fast, convenient, homemade fresh food made with love!
Café Martin opened its doors at the beginning of September and is very popular among the expat and local community! They are open every day at 7am serving excellent coffee, baked goods, sandwiches, and have a full freezer stocked with your favorite home cooked meals to take home!
In this video Lesley and Jody share their experience about living in Mexico, and give us a firsthand look inside Playa del Carmen’s newest food lovers craze, Café Martin!
Watch and enjoy! For more information about what café Marin can bring to your table click here to go to their website or find them on Facebook!
-By Bea Lozano
Strength, hope and faith and support give us super powers to overcome any obstacle!
-by Bea Lozano
Travel Tuesday – The Pure Magic of Bacalar
Bacalar is one of the most magnificent places that one can ever experience! If you talk to anyone that has been to Bacalar they will tell you, it’s purely magical! And that is as true as it gets! It is not just a beautiful place to see but it leaves every visitor with a special feeling; sort of unexplained and mysterious!
Bacalar lagoon is the second largest lagoon in Latin America. It is known as the lagoon of 7 colors and has been announced to be one of the most magical sites in Mexico!
The Charm of Bacalar Town Center!
When you enter Bacalar you head into a small, but quaint, Mexican village! Although this is a tourist destination, the town remains pure with a small center, a local church and a couple of local restaurants and cafes that have been operating for years. This magic town is little but it is big with charm!
One of the biggest landmarks in the town center is the Fortress de San Felipe Bacalar which was built after the town had been attacked by pirates in the 17th century. This fortress is a staple in the town and can be visited as a museum during the day light hours!
Finding a place to stay!
If you intend to stay the, or for an overnight stay in Bacalar, you will need accommodations. I will highlight the fact that there are no resorts or high end hotels in Bacalar. Your options will be more like bed and breakfast type concepts. Instead of typical hotels, you will find houses that rent out rooms and will likely provide you the use of their back yards and docks. Most of these houses are located directly on the lagoon! Vacationing in Bacalar is more like going to a lake for calmness and pure relaxation rather than a beach which might hold lots of attraction.
The Magic of the Lagoon!
But now for the best part! The Lagoon! The Bacalar Lagoon is one of the most special and intriguing sites to see! If you look out you will notice colors ranging from crystal, deep blue, to turquois! What makes the colors shine is the pure white sand at the bottom! It is incredible how one body of water can take your breath away so deeply!
Swimming in the lagoon is incredible! Everything is crystal clear and you can see everything! One of my most favorite things to do is to swim downwards and then rise up to the surface looking up towards the sun. The water is so crystal clear that you can’t even tell when you will reach the surface; again leaving you with another magical feeling and experience.
The Green Lagoon
The lagoon is about 34 miles long and is connected to a deeper lagoon heading to the jungle called the Green Lagoon! The Green Lagoon is much deeper and can be visited simply by taking a boat tour through the lagoon. The Green Lagoon can give you somewhat of a creepier feeling as you are surrounded by nothing but jungle.
Deep underwater world in the Centotes
The Bacalar Lagoon is also connected to seven different cenotes (deep natural sinkholes). Cenotes are a very popular location for swimming all around Mexico and Latin America. One of the most popular cenotes connected to the Lagoon is called “Cenote Azul”. What makes this cenote so wondrous is that nobody actually really knows how deep it goes. It is estimated to be 90 meters (295 feet) deep. Many flock to this area to swim every day!
Getting around the lagoon!
It is a great idea to take a boat tour through the lagoon if at all possible! One of the interesting attractions that your tour guide will take you too is where you can take a natural mud bath and experience the weird sensation of walking through quicksand!
Sunrise Sundown!
After the sun goes down you can look out into the quiet calm Bacalar lagoon and find peace and quietness. It is a place to be completely in tune with nature and your surroundings. In the morning when you wake up you will have the chance to see the sunrise over the Bacalar Lagoon which is sure to be one of the most amazing sunrises that your eyes will ever have the honor to witness.
The Feeling of Bacalar
There are so many mysteries and wonders about the Bacalar lagoon which is why it can leave you with such an interesting and amazing feeling. The whole town and lagoon itself is filled with history and mysteries! Where else do you get to swim in crystal clear waters, seemingly eternally deep cenotes, walk through quick sand and be surrounded by miles and miles of jungle and nature?
For more adventures and quick trip ideas through Mexico, click here!
-By Bea Lozano
Xperience True Beauty and Nature at Xel-Ha
Xcaret Xperiences created fantastic opportunities for people from all over the world to come and experience nature and beauty at its best. Recently we have highlighted Xplor and Xcaret but today I want to introduce to you the beautiful park that started it all – Xel Ha!
Where the jungle meets the ocean you can go take a full day of relaxation, swimming, snorkeling and eating! Xel-Ha is a nature park that is ecologically preserved and respected! Your entrance is all inclusive and includes snorkel gear and unlimited food and drinks all day! Yes, cocktails are included for those of you who like their does of tequila now and then!
Xel-Ha (Shell-Ha) is more of a relaxed environment where you will find hammocks throughout the park or chairs overlooking the water! You will see that this particular eco-park focuses more on aquatics highlighting the natural wonder of the ocean and cenotes.
You can walk through some beautiful paths created throughout the jungle where you can see different animals and natural wildlife! Don’t feel like walking? That’s ok; pick up a bicycle and make your exploration on wheels.
Once you arrive to the lazy river you can grab a float and chill out until the river takes you to a beautiful centoe that eventually meets the ocean. There you can swim, go cliff jumping, walk across the tight rope, or go zip lining!
There is a fun wobbly bridge where you can see the lagoon from one side while watching the breathtaking ocean waves roll in on the other side!
In between the swimming and site seeing you can grab a bite to eat in one of the buffets or just simply sit, relax, breath and take in all the beauty surrounding you!
Extra activities
While you can enjoy the park all day long with your original admission, there are some other add on options that might perk your interest as well! Xel-Ha offers swim with the dolphins programs as well as the new Sea Trek adventure where you can get the best underwater experience!
You should remember a few things before you go!
Bring your water shoes! You will be in and out of the water the entire time and walking through dirt paths and rocky areas! Water shoes will make you the most comfortable for all activities throughout the day
Leave your sunblock at home unless is ecologically approved! Many sunscreens have chemicals in it that can be harmful to natural wildlife and to the environment! Xel-Ha respectively asks you to help them preserve nature! They will be happy to provide you eco-friendly sunscreen if needed.
Xel-Ha is a well-known excursion for both tourists and those who live in the Riviera Maya.
-By Bea Lozano