Today’s Agenda!
Wake up, eat, go to the beach, apply sunscreen, swim, reapply sunscreen!
-by Thomas Lloyd
Breathless Morning in Bacalar Wordless Wednesday
I like my coffee with a little bit of tranquility and sunshine!
by Bea Lozano
Falling in love with Fall in Playa del Carmen
This past weekend marked a new season of Fall all around the world! For many the fall/autumn is associated with a slight chill in the air, changing colored leaves on the trees, pumpkin spiced coffee, comfy light jackets and the smell of apple pie! Although many people are sad to see the summer come to an end, most will welcome fall with open arms!
This is a feeling that often gets missed if you are living in Playa del Carmen or other areas of the Caribbean! Let’s face it; September doesn’t exactly scream autumn here, at least not in the way we are used to it! But like anywhere else in the world the season does bring its own feeling no matter where you are! There are plenty of ways to get you into that fall feeling!
Fill your senses!
Fragrances of cinnamon, apple or pumpkin can bring the life of fall right into your home! Light a candle or use a fall scented air freshener!
Eat and drink your fall favorites! Don’t stop just because the weather is warm! Go ahead and bake that pumpkin pie! Or choose your favorite fall flavored latte in your favorite coffee shop! Fall is a feeling and it doesn’t have to be dictated by weather!
Decorate your home with fall colors and décor! In most stores you will find plenty of fall decorations! The weather does not stop the retail industry from making these things available to you! Dressing your home in fall colors can bring the sweet autumn feeling right into your heart!
You can taste, smell and look at fall every day inside your house!
Get into the spirit with holidays!
Start creating your Halloween costume and get excited for your Thanksgiving dinner! Getting excited for these fall holidays can put you right into that cozy comforting autumn mood.
Escape the Caribbean!
If you are truly itching for a taste of real fall then you might want to plan your vacations home during this time period. Or if you have never traveled through Central Mexico it can be a perfect time of year to see the beauty of Mexico City, Guanajuato or San Miguel! Taking a week or so in a cooler climate can do just the trick!
Natural changes the fall equinox brings to The Riviera Maya!
While it may still be quite warm in the Riviera Maya during the fall season, the weather and the amount of sunlight does start to change. You may, every now and then, experience an evening or morning that becomes a little chilly! If you love the fall take advantage of those moments! Grab a sweater and go for a walk! Take in the chill! This is your time to drink a hot beverage and smell the cool air! Fall is not non-existent here, it’s just sporadic! So take advantage of the days that do come!
Each season brings new changes enter our lives. All of us here at Top Mexico Real Estate want to wish everyone a happy fall season in Paradise!
-By Thomas Lloyd
Churches, Pyramids, Volcanoes and Pure Colonial Charm: Cholula
Churches, Pyramids, Volcanoes and Pure Colonial Charm: Cholula
Just this week I posted a picture of one of Mexico’s most famous volcanoes – Itzaccihuatl, the one that looks like a sleeping woman. Now, this volcano is right next to another one, Popocatepetl, which recently had a small eruption. Some photographer captured a picture of a church on a hilltop with the erupting volcano behind it; the picture is so beautiful that I decided to make it my computer wallpaper.
Here’s the funny thing; I didn’t realize until today that I’ve actually visited this site!
This discovery has brought to mind another great place to visit in central Mexico – the town of Cholula.
Where is it?
Cholula is a town which has been swallowed up by metropolitan area of the larger (colonial) city of Puebla. It would be misleading to say “suburb” since it’s much more like a town and not at all like the modern idea of a suburb. This means it’s about 2 hours away from Mexico City, just on the other side of the famous volcanoes I’ve mentioned.
The colonial beauty
Like the city of Puebla, Cholula is full of pure colonial charm, with many churches and buildings with colonial architecture; the town is simply a lovely place to walk around and enjoy the scenery. There are also good restaurants.
Mystery and Magic
While there are many sites worth seeing and writing about in Cholula, I want to focus specifically on the one I mentioned at the top – the church, called Nuestra Senora de los Remedios, on the hilltop with the view of the volcano (more correctly volcanoes, since besides those two, you can see 2 others further in the distance.)
First of all, it’s worth noting that it’s actually not on a hilltop. If you look at any picture of the church and “hill,” you will notice that the sides are very straight and almost flat; what appears to be a hill at a first glance is actually a pyramid that has been overgrown. The church was built on top of the pyramid!
The pyramid was from a more ancient civilization in the area, and was actually abandoned around the 12th century; by the time the Spanish arrived and built the church, the pyramid was long out of use and overgrown.
In recent decades, the bottom part of the pyramid was excavated, allowing you to see the bottom steps, and revealing a large network of secret tunnels in the bottom part of the pyramid! The top has not been excavated because of the church on top, which is also a treasure!
The Church
After you check out the fascinating pyramid, you can make your way up the “hillside” to the church (walking only, 48 steps, 850 ft upward!).
First of all, the views of the volcanoes are stunning! You can look out over the green, patchwork countryside with the majestic volcanoes towering in the distance.
The views of the city of Puebla are also amazing. (Here’s a challenge; count how many churches you can see. If you can visit all of them, you’ll know the entire city, and have seen some of the most beautiful architecture to be found!)
The church itself is spectacular. The orange painting outside with white trim and elegant domes and arches is true to the best of colonial style. In the interior, the painting, gold work, images, statues and structure are all very original and very beautiful. It’s a place where you can just stand in silence, absorbing it!
It’s easy to see why the church, like the pyramid in ancient times before it, is one of the region’s most important pilgrimage sites.
If you are traveling in central Mexico, I would definitely recommend a trip to Puebla and the town of Cholula! Among the many sights you will see in your life, few will be as specular is this one.
-by Bea Lozano
What Does Peace One Day Mean for Those Living in Mexico?
Tomorrow, Sat., Sept. 21, is Peace One Day. What is Peace One Day? Take a look:
As Jeremy Gilley points out in the video, Peace One Day is an organization and movement to promote world peace for one day – September 21st – each year. The accomplishments are wonderful, even bring the Taliban to make promises of peace for this day!
Seeing things like this is moving and inspiring. Yet, it always leaves us with the question – what does this mean for us as people living in Mexico, or just human beings living our day to day lives?
The good news is that, as Jeremy points out, peace and Peace One Day isn’t just about the United Nations, big international treaties and wars on the other end of the world; it’s about us, regular people caring and getting involved.
Peace for Mexico
Every country has its own acts of violence to address and clean up. Let me address some of Mexico’s.
While we’ve pointed out, Mexico’s drug wars are often exaggerated in the media. Yet, especially in certain pockets in the north of the country, there are villages have been ravaged by feuding gangs. In these same areas there are people who’ve got themselves involved in these conflicts and live their lives in tense fear. These people need peace. While there isn’t much we can do about this, simply thinking of them on Saturday is worthwhile.
Then there are cases of domestic violence. This happens everywhere, but in much of Mexico, the country’s laws against it (which do exist!) are not well enforced if enforced at all. These people need peace and perhaps any one of us has the chance to reach out.
Peace can also mean not living in hunger and having decent shelter. Besides showing support for the efforts that Jeremy talks about, this one of the most direct and concrete ways anyone living in Mexico can offer a token of peace to those around them. Getting involved in helping the poor not only helps reduce crime but also brings comfort and peace to the lives of many who need it the most.
Let’s make peace a way of life, and as part of that, let’s take this special day to spread the message of peace to everyone we can!
-by Bea Lozano
Where there is music there is no pain #ThrowbackThursday
You can find the music and soul in every beating heart! Music heals us, empowers us, teaches us, motivates us and most importantly…makes us dance!
-By Bea Lozano
Cenotes Are a Natural Wonder – So Let’s Protect Them!
If you’ve ever been to a cenote here in the Yucatan Peninsula, you won’t hesitate to call these beautiful, natural pools of water a natural wonder. I have no idea if they have that distinction “officially,” but they sure should.
In case you don’t know about them, cenotes are naturally-occuring pools of water which form in sink-holes opening up to the water table; they connect to the area’s vast network of underground caves and rivers. They are wonderful for snorkeling, swimming and even diving.
One point about cenotes that many people don’t know about is that they are also a sensitive eco-system; besides the plant and animal life within them, water from cenotes can also make its way to the Caribbean Sea and impact the equally sensitive coral reef ecosystem.
Many parks have rules posted, like no using sunscreen or insect repellant because these can harm the life inside the cenote.
Thankfully, the effort to protect these beautiful phenomena is going to the next level with Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) now producing a document and education program to teach property owners what steps to take to protect themselves and the cenote’s ecosystem.
Here’s an excerpt from an article on INAH’s website:
“In order to strengthen the protection and conservation of the region’s cultural, archaeological, historical and paleontological heritage specialists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) created a statutory provision for the proper use of the cenotes, caves and underground of the Yucatan Peninsula.
“Archaeologist Antonio Huitron, director of INAH Site Operations, said the document will serve to educate the owners and users of caves and cenotes. It will present the actions to be followed to safeguard and care for them, as well as legal restrictions from various levels of government.”
(Source, in Spanish)
The article also notes that there will be obligatory registration of cenotes so that they can be recorded in the Public Registry of Monuments and Archaeological Sites for protection.
While the article does not specify exactly which rules will be in the document and education program, let’s hope that the program helps to improve the protection of this natural wonder!
For more information on eco-friendly areas and activities click here!
-by Thomas Lloyd
Viva Mexico!
Today is Mexico´s Independence Day Eve! On September 15th you wear your best mustache(fake mustaches are allowed), dress up all white, red and green, enjoy some amazing traditional dishes like pozole and chiles en nogada with the family and shout ¡Viva Mexico!
-by Bea Lozano
Celebrating Mexico’s Independence Day on September 15th!
Viva Mexico!!! These are the words that you will hear shouted in every town square, every home, and nearly every establishment in Mexico when the clock strikes midnight on the start of September 16th! Mexican Independence Day is an important holiday full of pride and enthusiasm for the Mexican people!
Most of the celebrations will start the day before on the “eve” of Independence Day which is September 15th! Just like July fourth,in the United States, it is usually taken as a long weekend and results in lots of travel to main touristic points in Mexico.
Celebrating in Playa!
If you are in Playa del Carmen or any other area in Mexico during this time period you will see a high increase in Mexican tourism during these days and it is no doubt that the beaches will be packed! Many people take advantage of the long weekends to go out and celebrate.
Here in Playa, there will be a gathering the night of September 15th at the “Municipal Palace” which is the town square or town hall. In addition, Playa del Carmen’s nightlife establishments will be packed full of people and energy!
Whether you are in the town square or in one of the nightlife hot spots you will be directed to all the screens which will show the President at the Zocalo or town square of Mexico City. At exactly twelve o’clock the president comes out to ring the liberty bell and Shouts “Viva Mexico” and “Viva la Independencia” Which means “Live Mexico” or “Live Independence”.
After each shout the people repeat after him, “Viva Mexico”, Viva la Independencia”! If you are standing outside of your home in Playa del Carmen you will likely be able to hear this shouting very loud and all over town!
It is normal to start the celebration the 15th of September throughout the day eating and drinking and having parades. Other traditional ways to kick off Independence Day are rodeos and bullfights! It is normal to have a traditional Mexican dinner the night before. A very important Mexican dish called “Pozole” is usually cooked and served in homes.
It’s a celebration for everyone!
If you are visiting Playa during this time and are not already invited for a traditional Mexican dinner, try preparing your own Mexican feast or go out for dinner! Many places will be offering Independence Day specials!
After dinner, go out for some cocktails, be social with your friends and wait for the President at Midnight!
A day of rest
September 16th is a rest day for most people and used to spend the day with family or just hanging out or in some cases surviving the hangover from the night before! You will likely see the beaches of Playa del Carmen packed!
We hope that our expat community will embrace our tradition and join in on the festive atmosphere! For more information about holidays and celebrations in Mexico click here!
-By Bea Lozano
Enjoy your Bikini Freedom Girls! #throwbackthursday
This may come as a shock to most of you but choice of clothing or lack thereof was not always a free choice! Imagine getting ticketed for wearing your shorts too short! YIKES! Today we make fashion and expression of who we are no matter how we choose to express it! Be happy and be who you are!
-By Bea Lozano
