The Mexico Report on Avocados from Michoacan, Mexico

Posted by & filed under Culture, Nature, News.

Our good friend Susie Albin-Najera at The Mexico Report posted a great article last week in which she interviews Mario Bosquez, host of the Martha Stewart Living Radio Show, about the avocados grown in Michoacan, Mexico, which account for the majority of the avocados shipped around the world.

Bosquez had many wonderful things to say about the culture, the nature, and the people of Michoacan. He also said he’s definitely planning to return to Mexico soon with a trip to Morelia, which, as he mentioned, has been deemed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Great article Susie!

Journey Mexico Partner Location Receives Earth Check Certificate

Posted by & filed under Ecotourism, Luxury, News.

Journey Mexico partner location, The Haciendas, was recently awarded the Benchmark Bronze Certificate from the Earth Check Program, which is something to be very proud of. Muchas felicidades Haciendas!

“This prestigious certificate by Earth Check has recognized the Starwood Hotels & Resorts managed Haciendas for continuously realizing major improvements in mastering an eco-friendly environment thus insuring their own sustainability for the future along with the surrounding communities in the state of Campeche and Yucatan.”

Earth Check is an organization dedicated to promoting sustainability and responsible living. Over the past ten years, there clients have, on average, reduced their energy consumption by 30% and their water consumption by 20% thus saving money and reducing the global consumption of its resources.

Mexicana Airlines Offering Special Rates

Posted by & filed under News.

Mexicana Airlines are advertising promotional rates to the beach towns and the major cities of Mexico. The beach destinations include: Cancun, San Jose del Cabo, and Mazatlan. City destinations include: Zacatecas, Guadalajara, and Leon/El Bajio. Rates are advertised to be as low as $184. To visit the ad, click here.

Consumer Interest in Mexico Rebounding

Posted by & filed under News.

Travel Weekly reports that consumer interest in traveling to Mexico is on the rise. Their data from Compete.com shows that US consumer interest in Mexico rose 7% from February to March and is up 5% from last year. They report that, in March, 1.6 million consumers researched travel to Mexico online, which was an increase of 100,000 searches in February. Let’s keep it rising!

From Travel Weekly and Compete.com

Journey Mexico Partner Promoting Special Wedding Date

Posted by & filed under Luxury, News.

Hacienda Xcanatun in Yucatan, a Journey Mexico partner location, is offering a special wedding promotional package on October 10th for one lucky couple this year. As the tenth of October, 2010 is one of those “special” dates where numbers align (10/10/10), this day is undoubtably one of the most sought after wedding dates of the decade.

Aside from just being three repeating numbers, the tenth of October, 2010 is considered extra special because of the numbers themselves. Many cultures hold the number 1 in high regard, symbolizing “the beginning of all” and eternity. Zero is another “magic” number, often representing nothingness or “the Void,” so the combination of one and zero represents the unity of emptiness and the eternal.

Hacienda Xcanatun has created a “magical” package to match the significance of the date, which is available for one lucky couple for $18,000. The 10.10.10 package runs from Oct. 9th to the 12th and includes:

  • Three nights’ accommodations & breakfast for the bridal couple, plus 34 friends/family 
  • All taxes and hotel service charges (restaurant gratuities not included)
  • Floral decorations for the wedding ceremony
  • Use of the dining terrace, the 40-seat private dining room, or the 80-seat main dining room for the bridal feast
  • Personalized table settings, candles and centerpieces reflecting the theme of the wedding
  • A three-course wedding banquet featuring continental, fusion Yucatecan or Caribbean delicacies
  • A multi-tiered wedding cake in the couple’s favorite flavor
  • 10 bottles of French sparkling wine for the wedding toast.
  • A bouquet of 10 roses and a box of 10 dark Maya chocolates (considered an aphrodisiac) for the bridal suite
  • Additional nights can be added  for early arrival or late departure at a reduced rate.

For more about Hacienda Xcanatun, visit their website

Pablo Weisz-Carrington Art Exhibit in Mexico City

Posted by & filed under Culture, News.

Pablo Weisz-Carrington and Rebecca Scotti (Right)

While in Mexico City prior to the 2010 Symposium conference last month, some of the Journey Mexico staff were able to visit famous Mexican artist Pablo Weisz-Carrington’s most recent exhibit at José Luis Cuevas’s museum in the Capital City. Mexico is home legendary artists such as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, and the country’s many world-class exhibits and museums solidify Mexico as a leader in the global community of fine arts.

Pablo Weisz-Carrington is not only the son of the famous Hungarian photographer Emeric Weisz and world-renowned British surrealist painter Leonora Carrington but also a cousin of Journey Mexico Director of Administration, Rebecca Scotti! Rebecca and her sister were excited to be able to visit their cousin at his exhibit and view many of his surrealist works. Below is a video from the exhibit

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Michoacan Artisans at Work

Posted by & filed under Culture, Journey Mexico TV, Media.

Michoacan Artisans at Work

Michoacan Artisans at Work

On a recent trip to Michoacán in Mexico’s Colonial Heartland, several members of the Journey Mexico team got to watch local craftsmen at work pounding heated metal into things likes plates, bowls, platters, pots, pans, etc.

In the video below, you can see how these skilled workers operate in rhythm in order to work efficiently and safely.  Several Journey Mexico trips to Michoacán, such as our Colonial Mexico: Exploring the Heartland trip, take travelers to see craftsmen of all sorts at work.

Journey Mexico – Zach and Chase Test the New GoPro Camera

Posted by & filed under Adventure, Journey Mexico TV, Media.

Zach and I were up early last week for a dawn patrol session to test out the new GoPro camera in Punta Mita. The waves were tiny, but the camera works great!

Zach will be guiding an upcoming surf trip, which should be amazing, so look for more vids from the GoPro in the near future.

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Interesting Interview about Volun-tourism

Posted by & filed under Culture, News.

I just came across this video from Ron Mader in which he interviews Michael Kaye of Costa Rica Expeditions about what is seeming to become a buzz word, “volun-toursim.” Michael makes some really interesting points about the true nature of volun-tourism and how it often, unfortunately, works against the local communities that volun-tourists are trying to help.

Journey Mexico at Mexico Pyramid Chichen Itza

Posted by & filed under Chichen Itza, Culture, Journey Mexico TV, Media.

Journey Mexico at Uxmal

Pyramid at Uxmal

Journey Mexico President, Zach Rabinor; Director of Operations, Matteo Luthi; and Manager of Travel Planning, Gerardo Tovar recently returned from a FAM trip in Yucatan and brought back with them lots of great video. Here is a little clip from one of the most important archeological sites of Mayan culture, Chichen-Itzal, which is one of the highlights of our Archeological Mayan Journey trip.

In the beginning of the clip, Zach is speaking with Teresa Perez of TeresaPerezTours, (Brasil), Maita Barrenechea of Mai10 (Argentina), and Adamarie King of Connoiseur’s Travel (Mexico) about the incredible sites of archeological and cultural importance that Mexico has to offer. Throughout the clip, you’ll see expert guide Alejandro “Alex” Ricalde illuminating the tour with his expansive knowledge of the site.

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International Community Foundation Releases Report on Health Care and Americans Retiring in Mexico

Posted by & filed under News.

Rising healthcare costs and economic pressure caused from the global recession is causing more and more Americans to retire in Mexico, where they are finding affordable access to sufficient health care and where the cost of living is much more affordable. The International Community Foundation has released an extensive report that offers some interesting facts about retirement in Mexico and Mexican health care.

The report indicates that Mexican health care costs approximately 70-75% less than equivalent care in the US. A trip to the doctor’s in Mexico costs approximately $35 and a house call, which is still a prevalent practice in many regions of Mexico, costs as little as $25. Many retirees take advantage of the health care offered by the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS). For $600 a year, the IMSS will cover medicine, x-rays, dental work, and even hospital care.

As Mexico continues to pump money into training bi-lingual doctors and nurses, Mexico should continue to attract more and more retirees looking to live more comfortably than they are able to in the US.

Video About Safety in Mexico and Living in Mexico

Posted by & filed under Health and Safety, Media.

I just came across a nice video about Safety in Mexico and living in Mexico made by Mitch Keenan, the founder of Yucatan’s oldest real estate agencies, on The Truth About Mexico blog.

The video does a great job of illustrating the feeling of safety we have in Mexico as well as the abundance of activities and experiences the country offers on a daily basis.

If the video has peaked your interested in Mexico, we suggest you take Mitch’s advice and come visit the Yucatan Peninsula to experience what he’s talking about first hand. Archeological trips to see Mayan ruins and adventure trips will illuminate the rich cultural, natural, adventure, and luxury experiences the region has to offer.

Mexico to Start Focusing on Cultural Tourism

Posted by & filed under News.

We are always happy to see more articles, like Laura Del Rosso’s at Travel Weekly, about promoting Mexico’s opportunities for cultural tourism in conjunction with, and with the same effort as, its beach tourism. We all know that for years, Mexico has been publicized for it’s white sands, turquoise water, and pristine resorts, but it’s exciting to see more emphasis being placed on the myriad of cultural experiences Mexico has to offer.

In a previous article, we mentioned that Mexico has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other Latin American country, but we didn’t actually look at the numbers in comparison with the world leaders. In terms of cultural sites, Mexico has 25 sites, Italy has 42, Spain has 36, the UK has 23, France has 30, and the US has 8. In terms of natural sites, Mexico has 4, Italy has 2, Spain has 3, the UK has 4, France has 2, and the US has 12. With Mexico stacking up so strongly to these leaders of tourism in terms of cultural and natural sites, it obvious that we need to start advertising these sites the travelers of the world.

The reason I came to Mexico (from the US) in the first place was because I felt like “everyone’s done Europe.” From the moment I got here, I knew I made the right choice. Since I’ve lived here, I’ve had a few dozen people visit me, and I can honestly say that I am confident every one of them will be back to Mexico at some point in their lives. The country is just that beautiful.

We need to join together with Gloria Guevara, Mexico’s new Minister of Tourism, to combat the biased and misleading news agencies that are depriving the world of the unforgettable experiences that Mexico has to offer. Through cultural trips, wildlife experiences, and adventure travel, we can put Mexico at the top of the global tourism map, where it should rightfully be.

Interesting Connections Between Jesus Christ and Aztec God

Posted by & filed under Culture, News.

Quetzalcoatl

I just read a few articles that make some interesting suggestions about the conversion of the ancient Aztec and Maya to Catholic Christian beliefs during the Spanish invasions of Central Mexico. The theory is that the conquistadors and the Spanish priests had a much easier time than expected converting the Aztec and the Maya because of the many similarities between the figures of Jesus Christ and the Mesoamerican god, Quetzalcoatl. It is claimed that these similarities facilitated conversion because the Aztec and Maya saw belief in Jesus as an extension of things they already knew as opposed to a complete diversion from their traditional beliefs.

To many of the Mesoamericans, Quetzalcoatl was a feathered serpent god who played a critical role in the creation of mankind as well as in daily life. A juxtaposition of Quetzalcoatl and Jesus Christ has revealed the following similarities: a deity playing a large role in the creation of mankind, a deity being a transgressor between earth and sky, a deity associated with the bread of life, a deity assisting the dead, a deity shedding his own blood to save the fate of mankind, a deity dying on a tree, a deity resurrecting and playing a role in the rebirth of the deceased, a deity who is associated with light and the sun, and more.

As with most comparisons of this nature, there has been much written to both support and negate these comparisons (what I’ve written comes from Sigi Frias, Wikipedia, and Brigham Young Univ.) but if you are interested in learning more about Mesoamerican deities, first hand, trips to archeological sites like Teotihuacan near Mexico City and Chichén Itzá in Yucatan are a must.

Journey Mexico Partner Location Featured in Vogue Magazine

Posted by & filed under Luxury, News.

Cuixmala, a Journey Mexico Partner Location, was recently featured in Vogue Mexico and Latin America Magazine. The article raves about the unparalleled beauty of the estate as well as about its romantic allure.

Cuixmala was built by the legendary Sir James Goldsmith as his private home in which he retired. Today, the 25,000 acre estate offers guests a very unique experience described to be “like staying at a friends grand private estate.” Set on the Pacific Coast of mainland Mexico, this estate preserves and protects its local environment through a variety of eco-reserve programs. Much of the food served at Cuixmala is grown on the estate’s private organic farms.

Whether it be a family vacation, an adventure trip amongst friends, or a romantic getaway, Cuixmala is sure to deliver an experience you’ll never forget.

You can download the pfd of the Vogue article here.

Continental Airlines Merges with United Airlines

Posted by & filed under News.

Continental and United signed a definite merger this morning. We received an email stating:

“We are proud to share some exciting news with you.

This morning, Continental announced that we have signed a definitive merger agreement with United Airlines. We plan to create a world-class airline with tremendous and enduring strengths.

Combined, Continental and United will offer the industry’s leading loyalty program, providing vast opportunities for members to earn and redeem miles with us and on our Star Alliance partners. Should you achieve Elite status, you will enjoy even more benefits such as upgrades and priority airport services. We will continue to provide you with the excellent and consistent service you value and have come to expect from us, across a much broader network with an unparalleled global reach.

Since our transition to Star Alliance last year, we’ve worked closely with United and are confident this combination will build upon the partnership we already have in place.”

The merger details claim that the companies combined will serve over 144 million passengers per year, and that the new company will be the world’s leading airline. You can read more at the details page.