Tulum Living

2011-06-04T09:37:00.000-05:00

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR WONDERFUL DONERS!!! You are what makes this event so special!!!

Restaurants being represented at THE TULUM FOOD FESTVAL:

Altamar

Restaurant Las Estrellas @ Cabanas La Luna

Mezzanine Hotel

Sand Bar @ El Pez

La Zebra Hotel & Linas Restaurant

Hartwood

AUCTION & RAFFLE ITEMS:

Altamar- Gift certificate for 2 for dinner

Altamar -Membership for 1 Vegan / Vegitarian Cooking workshop- set of 4 classes

El Pez Hotel @ Turtle Cove - $1,000 hotel credit

Ginger - 500 peso gift certificate to dinner

La Zebra Hotel - $1,000 hotel credit

Margo in Mexico - Certificate for 2 massages & Coconut oil

Mexico Kan Tours - 2 tours passes for the tour of your choice

Mezzanine Hotel - $1,000 hotel credit

Restaurant Las Estrellas @ Cabanas La Luna- Dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine

Shantala Spa & Boutique - Certificate for a massage

Tattooluum - Certificate toward Piercing or tattoo

We thank everyone who is supporting this event and our cause! Stay tuned as more wonderful donations are added to this amazing event. See you at Charlie's for the Tulum Food Festival!

If you would like to participate in this event with us. Please contact us at TulumLiving@yahoo.com

Tulum Food Festival- Midsummer Night's Eve Charity Event

2011-06-01T16:16:00.003-05:00

Okay- It is officilal. The Midsummer's Nights Eve Charity Event is On and we are holding the first ever TULUM FOOD FESTIVAL and Auction.

This evening is going to be filled with AMAZING food donated from Tulum's best chefs and restaurants and we will have entertainment from some of Tulum's best musicians.

The Midsummer Night's Eve Charity Event will take place on June 21, 2011. At Charlie's restaurant and bar right on the main avenue of Tulum. We will sell tickets that will allow guests a pass through the buffet line as well as 2 drinks.

ALL the products that go into making this evening special are by donation only and EVERY PESO goes towards building the palapa and fence.

As if the evening could not get better- we will also be hosting a silent auction filled with wonderful items from all over Tulum featuring our very best artisans and healers, wonderful dinners around town and hotel stays in some of Tulum's best hotels.

We will also be holding a special ONLINE auction for those loyal lovers of Tulum so you can enjoy the best that Tulum has to offer as well as donating to this wonderful cause.

If you would like more information about this event or would be interested in helping us, please follow our blog at www.tulumschools.blogspot.com

We are so excited about this event and already have wonderful food and auction items donated. If you are interested and would like more information, please do not hesitate to call, email, text, IM, ESP or any other form of communication you can think of... we want to hear from you.

If you have an idea of anything that might help this project we would love to hear from you. We are also accepting monetary donations for this project as well.

I hope that you like the idea and that if you are in Tulum you will join us.

Cenote Escondido

2011-04-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

Cenote Escondido is just south of Tulum town maybe 5 km or so. This large open cenote is simply beautiful. As you first walk down the long pathway from the main road to the cenote you cannot help but be in awe of the beautiful jungle around you.

Like something out of a fairytale, the long tree lined path calls you forward to something truly special. Suddenly a little wooden sign points you in the direction of the cenote! As you walk through the now- walking only path you come to a clearing that reveals the large open cenote that is simply too inviting.

On the close side is a set of stairs that take you to the water’s edge- but be careful because these are often very slippery. At this same end is a great jumping point into the cool clear waters beneath. Always check the water under the jump however because the cenotes are living and flowing- the water level and character changes. A jump that might have been fine a few months ago may not be now.

1 of my favorite spots at thi

s cenote is at the far end. There is a perfect little doc just ideal for sitting and putting your feet in and enjoying the warm Mexican sun. This is also where you can see that the cenote continues back into the jungle. This is a great spot for snorkeling and diving as there are many caves that are visible and just call you forth to come and explore.

The cool water of this cenote can be enjoyed for the same entrance price when you enter Cenote Cristal on the other side of the street.

NaturALL!

2011-04-08T10:48:00.002-05:00

I enjoyed a wonderful sandwich at this amazing café on the main avenue of Tulum while waiting for my friend’s bus to Merida. Just a few locations down from the ADO bus station on the main avenue this great little spot served up satisfying and fresh sandwiches for a great price.

The café is colored in great shades of yellows, with grey and yellow flower patterns and brightly colored touches. The small kitchen turns out some amazing food and it was such a pleasure to eat here.

The menu had a great selection of salads, agua frescas and sandwiches. I ordered the chicken sandwich and my friend the turkey. Both came on warm sweet dark bread and had a spread on it that blew my mind. The veggies on this thing were stacked high and I could tell that all the ingredients were very fresh. The sandwich sported sliced carrot, tomato, cucumber, sprouts as well as mustard sprouts which gave it a great bite. This entirely satisfying sandwich was as nice to my wallet as it was to me. Not to mention VERY healthy. We each ate our sandwiches and enjoyed a great juice for only 120 pesos for both of us!!! That is a great meal.

I cannot wait to go back and eat more at this great little café in Tulum.

For more information about where to eat in Tulum, where to sleep, or what to do… Check the Tulum Living webpage at www.TulumLiving.com

Cesiak

2011-04-04T10:13:00.002-05:00

There are a lot of great tours in Tulum. This past weekend I got to take my first tour with Cesiak in the amazing Sian Ka’an Bio reserve. We took the boat canal tour. It was truly amazing. The reserve in itself is so amazing but this rare look at it truly breathtaking.

The tour with Cesiak started at 8:45 with a hotel pick up. We drove down into the reserve and began the journey to the Cesiak center. It was beautiful. There are also cabanas for rental which I think would be amazing. We waited on for about 15 minutes and got a chance to take a look at the Laguna and the sea from the top floor of the building. The view point shows the long stretch of perfect beaches and then vast laguna.

I learned some very interesting things about the variety of birds and wildlife that the Sian Ka’an has and continues to discover. This beautiful and protected area is home to over 340 known species of birds (of which we got to see many of) as well as many species of reptiles (a number of crocodiles were also seen on the tour) and countless plants and trees. After taking in the beautiful landscape and getting a good amount of background about the area and the goals of Cesiak it was off to the boats.

We got on the boat with our guide and boat captain. A few moments wait and we were speeding through the beautiful laguna. The amazing colors of this laguna were stunning. The laguna itself is only 3 meters deep at its deepest. Most of the laguna is less then ½ a meter deep. After buzzing through the laguna for a bit it was into the river that led to the other laguna at Muyil. This was the actual trading route the ancient Maya took to trade with other cities. In this case it was mostly the cities by the sea trading fish and salt with cities inland for red and white meats and fruits and vegetables. It really is amazing to see the landscape and feel the energy of civilizations past that followed this same route.

The canal part of this tour was amazing because you really got to learn more about the landscape of the area and just how rare a part of the world it is geographically. We past very near by a resting crocodile that was over 2 meters long and we saw countless examples of the amazing birds that call this area home. The canal part of the tour was curvy and so much fun. We did not this trip but next time our kids would have loved this trip.

After entering the next laguna we saw some of the natural wells that are in the water of the laguna and open to the cenotes underneath. It was so beautiful and crazy to see how the various levels of the Earth connect- or are stacked really. On our way back through the canal we stopped off at a ruin and got to explore a little bit. This site was often visited by the Mayan for safe passage from the crocodiles as they passed back with their traded goods. They would stop and prey and offer a contribution to the crocodile god. This worked for the Mayan and there were no reported attacks on the passage way. While a happy crocodile god is obviously the reason we now know that the high priests from Muyil would come to the temple and throw the offerings to the laguna at sunset. The current of the river carried the food downstream to the crocodiles, whom after eating, would not attack the Mayan traders as they traveled the canals at night time.

At this point we got to do what was my favorite part of the tour. We got into the canal with life jackets and just floated down the stream. It was so relaxing and such a rare view of the landscape. You learn on your way up the canal in the boat just how the water changes from brackish (mix salt and fresh) to the fresh water and why the crocodiles do not come this far upstream. After about 20 minutes it is back in the boat and a snack of fresh fruit and water as we make our way back through the river and into the other laguna, passing some of our new crocodile friends. Then it was buzzing down south to Boca Paila. This is well known spot in Tulum and this view from a speeding little boat was so much fun.

Once we explored all over the lagunas and had dried off in the cool breeze, it was off to lunch at Cesiak. The lunch was great. It consisted of grilled chicken breast, rice, salad, tortillas and a great salsa. It was the perfect meal to regain some energy. We got about 10 more minutes to have another look around and then it was off for a quick dip in the cenote by the arch. This is a very nice cenote just at the entrance to the Sian Ka’an bioreserve. After a nice little swim it was off to head back to reality.

This was an amazing tour that really taught me a lot about just how special this part of the world is and why we should all be working hard to protect it. You can learn a lot more about Cesiak from their website.

If you would like to book a tour, please let us know and we would be happy to help.

Cositas Buenas

2011-03-31T11:26:00.002-06:00

Cositas Buenas is beautiful restaurant in Tulum featuring creative dishes, a beautiful atmosphere and a great addition to the night life in Tulum pueblo. When Cositas Buenas opened its doors this past summer I was so excited. First of all I simply adore the people that run it. And I have come to realize that the people and their character are what make a place truly great. And the people that opened this place are as wonderful as you can get. Musician and friends- I knew that whatever they set out to do with this place was going to be great and I could not have been more correct.

The décor and overall look of the whole place is so beautiful and full of life. With the large coconut lights beaming with colorful glass and cut out shapes of stars and suns to the chalk board menu bursting with colors and creative names. The dessert menu cannot help but bring a smile to your face not only because of the sinfully delicious desserts but also for the daily special… AMOR! With a side of helado if you please.

The front dining room is open and fresh and evokes an emotion that both pleases and calms at the same time. As you pass the open kitchen to the back bar and garden you can see clearly why this is such a great spot for the local music scene. The large open garden has a great flow of air and energy and is decorated in perfectly rich muted tones and beautiful artwork. This is the perfect place to dance the night away under the starts surrounded by the best of natural elements of Tulum.

With wonderful breakfasts from fruit and French toasts and huevos rancheros you can leave satisfied however this spot has gained great reputations for their Pandaquiles, a play on chiliquiles (panda is one of the owners!) And I can tell you – they are killer.

For afternoon and dinner choices you can find the great classics of the area from civiches, arrachera, chicken and fish as well as great salads, baguettes and hamburgers. I have really loved the great salads and tasty crepes. They also feature fresh daily bread that can be in any number of flavors from Parmesan, rosemary, or nut.

Coming here for night time events is one of my favorite spots because of the greet bands that they book, (Panda is a great musician from the area- as are several other people with the restaurant and they know how to pick good music) but also because there is plenty of space to enjoy the music, the bar, the food and Tulum.

While in Tulum check out this great location. Just across the street from the ADO bus station. Check out more great spots in Tulum at our http://www.tulumliving.com/

Punta Laguna- Monkey Reserve***

2011-02-22T08:05:00.001-06:00

This past Sunday my family loaded up the car and headed due East for Punta Laguna. I had heard that Punta Laguna was a wonderful thing to do while visiting Tulum. What I had heard was right. It was a wonderful place and the whole family. Punta Laguna did not disappoint as a great thing to do in Tulum. **We know of some great taxi drivers that do this tour Coba ruins and the monkey reserve at a great price-- contact us for more info***

We started our adventure by having our favorite tacos from Tulum town and then we were off due West on the Coba road. After we got to Coba we decided to look around at some cenotes in the area. There were many cenotes to explore but most of them were cave cenotes. I do love cave cenotes but for this particular day we were looking for a wide open cenote that we could enjoy the warm day at. So we doubled back towards Tulum to go to Punta Laguna.

To get to Punta Laguna you take the Coba road from Tulum. After about 35 -40 minutes you will come to a round-a-bout. 1 direction leads you towards Cancun, 1 towards Chichen Itza and the last towards Coba. (The one you are on takes you back to Tulum- obviously!) You want to take the one that goes towards Cancun. You will drive for about 20-30 minutes on this road before you will see the sign for Punta Laguna. There were a number of other cenotes and spots of interest that I cannot wait to get out and see more of- but this trip was about Punta Laguna. So we continued past these places until we reached Punta Laguna.

When we reached the Laguna we went and paid our entrance fee which was very reasonable, something like 30 pesos. They advised us that we would have to walk a ways into the jungle to see the monkeys. Punta Laguna is a monkey reserve so you can easily spot these amazing creatures all around you if you pay attention. And hear them you most defiantly will. – Wow that sounded a bit like yoda- sorry. But you will. They are all around and you can hear the screeches and howls.

When we first started towards the Laguna- we noticed that there was a little corner store. It was the perfect place to buy a few more snacks and some ice. We had brought our cooler with us so we had stuff for sandwiches, juice and some beers- after and ice refill and some sweets for the kids we walked down towards the Laguna. The road is dirt and uneven and in her excitement to get to the water our daughter took a nose dive on the path. As a brand new 7 year old she is starting to get used to the scrapped knees and scuffed hands- but – a little hurt she picked herself back up. While she did so the wonderful family that lives there hurried to her rescue.

This is one of my favorite things about living in Mexico and the Mexican people in general—they love children and they love to help. In the states we have a very hands off approach to getting into each other’s lives. Here in Tulum- that is not the case- people are always there to help you and care for you at every turn. ESPECILLAY children. It is such a wonderful place to visit with kids. You never feel like your kids are imposing or that other people are annoyed with your kids. As a mother- and one who wants to enjoy herself too- I love this. But anyway… side note

As my daughter arose from her newly acquired injury- we were greeted by the warm smiles of a local Mayan woman and her husband who had rushed to her aid, followed closely by her 2 adorable kids. It was so sweet. They came out with tissue, smiles and a balm of some kind that they asked if they could put on her wounds. Knowing full well the magic of anything that Mayan women put on their kids I was willing and even a little eager. The balm they put on her immediately soothed her. I am sure that much of it was also the kindness of these people. After she was clearly okay, the family went one step further by the dad getting his tricycolo, often referred to as the Mayan Limousine, and giving Lena a ride down to the Laguna. It was so sweet.

After about 100 meters we were greeted with one of most beautiful images that I have seen. A large stunning Laguna- completely clear and empty. It was amazing. By the time that we had arrived it was about 1:00 in the afternoon. The sun was already casting shadows off the far end of the Laguna and the colors that rose off the water were incredible. We sat our cooler down and it took all of 4 seconds for the kids to go jumping off the dock into the amazing fresh water of the Laguna. We stayed there for about 2 hours- swimming- playing- talking and laying in the sun.

During our playing we had a few groups that were on walks in the reserve either coming or going stop for a moment to take some pictures. The Laguna does offer walking tours into the reserve and points out monkeys along the way and also give you information about the various plants and animals that you will find there. You can totally do the walk on your won- but you will get so much more out of it if you get the tour. They can tell you so many stories and facts that you would not otherwise hear or know.

We took the kids for a long walk in the jungle and it was so much fun. We walked and walked and took random turns and kept walking. It was great. You could hear the monkeys all around you. We saw many on our walk and such a fun time. Monkeys to kids are such magic. Well to anyone really and this place is full of them. It was a truly magical day and one that I think everyone who visits Tulum should experience.

El Camellos- Some of the best fish tacos in TULUM!***

2011-02-18T07:47:00.001-06:00

When talking about the very best fish tacos in town you might get a few different answers. But one that you will hear again and again form the locals is El Camellos!!! This wonderful ALL FISH RESTAURANT is absolutely amazing. Considering that as of about 10 am you can see it packed with local fisherman- that should really be your first clue to how great this spot is. Not to mention that the fisherman just got down unloading their daily catch at the pescaderia (fish store) that shares this location.

When this hot spots needs a whole fish for their pescado frito entrée it is served fresh out of the cooler from this pescaderia. The most amazing part of the whole experience- is that you would never be able to tell that there were 5 massive coolers filled with fish. That is how fresh the fish at this spot is.

During the day this is many locals’ favorite spot for fish tacos. Coming 3 to a plate you can get these beauties cooked any number of ways from breaded to grilled. One of my favorites is Yucatecan style with tomatoes, peppers and onions. You should give it a try. And for only 60 or 70 pesos a plate—you can afford to try them all.

After 5:00 p.m. there are no more tacos but the various ceviche plates – that are HUGE by the way- along with the shrimp, octopus and let’s not forget the fresh fish dinners keep people happy throughout the night.

This is one of those spots that serves up the very best of the shores of Tulum to happy people eager to eat it. With various salsas and hot sauces ready on the table-my table is never quite complete without the chopped habenero they bring me drenched in lime stop

El Camellos is toward the south end of town a little past Rancho Tranquilo. This is a great spot that the whole family will love!

Altamar Tulum ***

2011-02-16T07:51:00.007-06:00

Restaurants in Tulum have been earning a reputation for having wonderful flavors, exciting combinations and well executed plates. These amazing Tulum restaurants continue to get better and better and impress even further with each new day.

This past Valentine's day I took a very good girlfriend of mine out to dinner at Altamar Tulum. I have been eager to try this new restaurant since it opened a few months ago. With a warm and welcoming decor and great lighting, this amazing restaurant feels very calm and peaceful for being just off the main avenue of Tulum.

The first thing that we noticed was the beautiful open kitchen were we could watch the talented chefs create their masterpieces. After speaking with the manager, John and getting his recommendations we were excited about out upcoming meal. We toasted our friendship with a very well made margarita. It was the perfect start! The spread in the beginning of the meal was also a show stopper. Going much further then the traditional chips and salsa- a block of 6 different items was presented. jicama with spices, cucumber with spices, roasted sunflower seeds, nopal(sauteed cactus) and 2 salsas- neither one very hot but both full of great flavors.

To begin we had the civiche. While civiche is a common thing to find in the restaurants here, this civiche sets itself far apart from the normal dish. With a more south American twist using corn, avocado and some ginger that made the fish, shrimp and octopus just melt in your mouth. The pieces of fish were large cubed pieces and the octopus was soft and perfect.

The 2nd appetizer was to die for!!!! It was a chupe de camerone. A shrimp dish that is warm and creamy. It was almost like a dip but it was so amazing we were eating by the spoonful. This recipe is an old family recipe from Chile and I must say that I am in love with the chefs grandmother. This dish was one of the very best things I have eaten in Tulum and will be going back for it again.

For our main dish we ordered the arrachera steak that was stuffed with panela cheese and and chaya. Chaya is a local leafy vegetable much like spinach but even better. The steak was an amazing cut, very little fat and full of flavor. Served over baby potatoes and with a delicious sauce this was a welcome piece of meat.

The manager had recommended the octopus for an entree as Eric, the head chef cooks it perfectly. While I am not normally the biggest fan of octopus (usually because it is so tough and chewy) we decided to give it a shot. I could not have been happier. From the plating to the flavors this was the best octopus I have ever eaten. It was served with rice in a corn husk and a spread of beans and their amazing guacamole. We could tell from the moment that we cut into it that it was perfectly cooked. It was amazing.

There were several times that our waiter was prepared to clear the plates but we warned him that it was too good and that he might lose a finger! hahaha it was such an amazing meal. We literally ate for 3 hours. It was amazing. The food was accompanied by a beautiful bottle of white wine. We ordered the house wine and we were very happy with it. The wine list had several bottles that I know and love so it would be hard to find one that was not great!

Now- we are 2 ladies out on Valentine's Day so there was NO WAY that we were not going to get dessert. The perfect end to this amazing meal was a dense chocolate cake served with a coconut ice cream that was to die for. The cake was more like a mouse and melted in your mouth,

The other dessert was a pastry shell filled with fresh strawberries and served with vanilla ice cream. Both desserts also had a sauce made of a jamaica (hibiscus flowers) reduction that complimented the desserts beautifully.

The details and attention to service at Altamar Tulum made for an absolutely killer dining experience and I cannot wait to go back for more. They are also doing some great events such as oyster Wednesdays and lobster Saturday. In their 2nd floor lounge that over looks the main avenue they have a daily happy hour called Daily Sunset. 2x1 drinks and FREE APPATIZERS!!!!!! Cannot beat that.

You will not be disapointed with your experience at this wonderful Tulum restaurant.

Getting it all set - New Calendar coming soon.

2011-01-26T12:13:00.006-06:00

We have been building our brand new website and it is going very well. Busy and Crazy but very well. We hope that you will love all of the new information and love Tulum as much as we do.

One of our main purposes for this website was that we wanted to get out real life, first hand experience of the things around Tulum. We specifically want to draw attention to the many wonderful people that make Tulum what it is.

The calendar is our dream. We want to have 1 easy to view calendar that will tell you exactly what is going on during the dates that you are here. With so many great bands, artists and festivals - there is so much to write.

We will be updating the calendar weekly to keep it up to date. Many details and specifics get added at the very last minute in Tulum, so make sure to stay tuned in and see what is going on.

Please bare with us as we make all of these changes and adjustments. We know that you are going to love the new page- The calendar will be filled with information and , hopefully, the bands and musicians of TUlum will benefit.

Sorry for the disappearance! But we are back!

2011-01-19T09:12:00.007-06:00

Well, as you can tell, it has been a long time since my last post. Things have been so amazingly crazy. Wonderful but insane. Posadas, house guests, camping, small Mayan villages, babies being born (in a hammock!!!) more on that later! and so many wonderful nights out in Tulum listening to the great music and talents of Tulum's best!

We have had a wonderful holiday enjoying friends and family, trips to the Sian Ka'an, visiting friends throughout the Yucatan, and living all that Tulum has to offer. We are sorry for not posting all of our adventures. We promise- so many great updates are coming. Enjoy!

This new year kicks off the 2011 music season! I love it. There are amazing performances, Djs bands and happy hours ALL OVER TULUM. Our resolution for 2011 is to bring you the most up to date and wide spread calendar of events in Tulum, Mexico, updated weekly!!!!!!

With so many wonderful shows going on- you will never again sit in your apartment or hotel room and wonder..."I wonder what is going on tonight?" simply go to http://www.tulumliving.com/ and see all of the classes, workshops, performances, Live music and DJ parties that Tulum has to offer.

If you want your events on the Tulum Living Events Calendar email us at TulumLiving@yahoo.com.

Stay tuned as we post more and more about all of the wonderful places in Tulum. A new decade has brought new energy!

See you in Tulum!

Your tax dollars at work

2010-11-10T12:23:00.005-06:00

For all of the complaining that happens in, around and about Mexico- the Mexican gov't - and that nothing ever happens and the gov't does nothing....I have some positive things to share.

In the states I remember these signs that would say, "Your tax dollars at work." usually posted in front of some horrible construction site and detour that you were about to deal with. I also remember thinking what a waste it was to have the sign at all. Clearly we can see that something is going on. This was basically the gov't way of saying..." see- see- we are doing something. "

Well, here is the sign for you guys Tulum. Tulum's gov't is working hard to get things in top shape for the busy holiday season. This season promises to bring many new people to the Tulum area - some again and many for the first time. One new development that these guys will see....

A new bike/walking path that goes all the way from the light in Tulum town to the beach and south for about 1/2 a km. This new bike path is great. Bikes are such a wonderful way to get around Tulum. Our flat terrine, easy going people and eco friendly attitude lend to bikes PEFECTLY! This great new path is wide and smooth and an absolutely perfect addition to our little town.

What I love too are the new little palapa bus stations that are up and down the road as well. This is perfect whether you are waiting for the collectivos that run the beach road or you are walking or biking and need to take a shade break.

This new path is great and is almost finished. I will bring more pics when it is done.

There is also being money spent in areas that no tourist will ever be. So it is not all being spent on those that come and leave our shores. In Villas Tulum what was once a waste land of nothing- old broken play equipment and rocks underneath is 3 blocks of wonderful park. The palapa at the entrance to Villas Tulum is being repaired and the floor expanded to hold more people. The 2nd block is now a fully paved basketball court- complete with beautiful planters filled with palms that will shade the park nicly in a few years and 3rd.... the park structures are getting new flooring as well. Rather then large jagged rocks under the swing there will now be a smooth - kid friendly floor. In addition the paths that lead through the kids park are safe for kids to run around and play.

It is so nice that we have decided that we are going to have our daughter's birthday party there. It is open, nice, easy and right next to the park!!!! I am really happy with the improvements that Tulum continues to make.

I cannot speak for the Mexican gov;t in general- or really the gov't of Quintana Roo but I can say that Tulum is doing something. And the something that they are doing is going to have immediate and lasting impressions of visitors and locals alike!

Tacos El Wero, Tulum Pueblo *** - NOW MONTERREY MEXICAN GRILL!!!)

2010-11-09T12:15:00.006-06:00

**** These guys have a brand new location on the main Avenue of Tulum across from the ADO bus station!! They are now called Monterrey Mexican Grill and are now serving a wonderful dinner menu. ***

I am often asked, "where are the best tacos in Tulum?" This is a very hard question to answer. The tacos around Tulum are all generally the same and made up of the same basic ingredients. Or are they???

I like different taco places for different things. But I have recently found a new taco places that satisfies the whole family in 1 stop. The new Taco El Wero in Tulum. Located just next to the Fruiteria Pool just 2 blocks off the main avenue. To get to this great spot simply make a left at the first glorietta (or roundabout) at the entrance of the main avenue. Rocca and Scotia bank are on the left corner.

The first thing that I loved about this spot was the fresh made FLOUR tortillas. Everything around here is corn tortillas which are awesome but fresh FLOUR tortillas. These are as worth it as fresh corn. And even better- rare around here. Remember how I said that tacos in Tulum are pretty much the same? Well, here is 1 spot where Tacos El Wero stands out.

The place is brightly painted and easy to find. Decorated with murals, near completion depicting the owners home state of Nuevo Leon. This young family from Monterrey really understands what to serve up to its hungry clientele. The options on the menu range from carne asada to chorizo and eggs, chicharon and Tinga. There are also a number of basics that are perfect for kids, picky eaters or simple snacks.

For this meal I had 1 carne asada, 1 Tinga - made of a shredded chicken, and a bean and cheese quesadilla as well as some fried bean quesadillas all made with their amazing fresh flour tortillas.

The Carne Asada was my favorite. The meat was thick and juicy. It was also not fatty which I liked. There are some taco stands that have very fatty meat- partly because that is what a lot of people like for their tacos. This meat was wonderful. In addition to the quality of the meat itself was the beautiful sauce that covered the meat. This taco was amazing. Especially with all the fixings..... ohhh baby!!!! the Tinga is also a fav. The meat is moist and full of flavor.

Now it was time to dress my little babies for lunch! The condiments, all displayed in classic molcajetes, range between a red jalapeno based salsa and a Serrano paste salsa with the traditional shredded cabbage and tomatoes. Both salsas had a bite but were full of spices and flavor. I heard another diner say to her friend, "they should bottle these salsas and sell them." I could not agree more. Especially the thick Serrano paste salsa. It was great. I am not sure if my husband would ever be able to kiss me again but I could eat a bottle of that alone.

Great location...CHECK!!!

Good quality ingredients and tasty food... CHECK!!!

Next is the price.... This is important here in Tulum- well everywhere I guess. The prices at Tacos El Wero are great. Only 7 pesos for a taco and only 7 pesos for a drink!!!! That is a great deal. Especially for the amount of meat that you get in your taco. Plus they have a killer deal 5 tacos vapor and a drink for only 30 pesos!!!! WOW! That is great!

This is a place that satisfies the whole family! Come by and check out this great spot for the whole family. Or grab a big order to go and take it down to the beach or to your favorite cenote. These guys will fill up your bag with plenty of fixings for that perfect lunch.

This is one of those spots that is perfect for the whole family. Food that satisfies everyone, salsa that make you sweat and prices that you can smile about. See you at Tacos El Wero. Open Monday thru Saturday 8-3!!!!

Amber Jewlery by Oscar***

2010-11-05T08:50:00.009-06:00

Great jewelry can be found all over Tulum. People are selling in shops, on the avenue and up and down the beach. Every piece is different and reflects the artists that made it. I had the pleasure about a year and half ago becoming friends with 1 such artist.

Oscar Castell Blanch Tovilla is such an amazing artist and person. Before I even knew of his many talents, he struck me as a wonderful person. our kids are good friends and we have many mutual friends. I was lucky to get a lot of time to spend with this great guy. One day we were sitting at a friends house and I complimented him on his beautiful amber necklace that he was wearing. He replied- "thanks, I made it."

this particular piece of amber had a stunning carving and was threaded on a string of equally beautiful beads. It looked so amazing on him. Before moving to Tulum I had not seen such beautiful amber and now I see it all over. but very few pieces are as stunning as some of the ones that Oscar has. His son also has a beautiful necklace that looked so great on him. I really want to get one for my son.

Amber has been used in jewelry since the stone age. It is made of tree resin that has aged and hardened for millions of years. It's deep - well- amber color has made it a favorite for jewelry but! haha. Used in ancient Greece and throughout history for in medicines. Amber has many healing powers as well.

Oscar makes beautiful jewelry out of breathtaking pieces of Amber from Chiapas, Mexico. Some are smooth pebbles and others more raw. Many of the pieces hold natures treasures that have fossilized in the amber and others have been carved with breathtaking images of Mayan gods. In addition to the amber, Oscar uses prehistoric stones to accentuate these amazing pieces.

Perfect for adults and children, the healing and protective powers of these amber necklaces and stones are the perfect addition to any collection. I am getting one for my son for his birthday. It looks great on him and this powerful energy close to his heart is very good for him.

Oscar is a man of many talents. In addition to making beautiful jewelry- he is also a talented DJ. Known as DJ Rushcar, his beats can be heard in many locations around town. You can see where you can find him on the Tulum Living Events Calendar.

One project of Oscars that I am most excited to learn more about is Dos Palmas. This healing piece of land is where Oscar and his talented friends are creating a magical retreat location. This is a place where visitors can experience the culture and magic of this area. Highlighting the healing properties of mesoamerica utilizing massage, treatments, yoga, temezcals, and ceremonies, the experiences of Dos Palmas promises to be an unforgettable experience.

You can read more about this project very soon. I will report back with all of the details. You can check the calendar for times and dates of events and temezcals.

Halloween in Tulum

2010-11-03T07:35:00.007-06:00

Halloween in Tulum is defiantly celebrated. Mexico in general celebrates the holiday of Dia de los Muertos. The Day of the Dead. I will write that post in a little bit. But whether it is because of the large number of ex pats that live in the area or a trend through out Mexico- Halloween was in full force.

The festivities started as early as Friday. We chose to head north to Puerto Morelos where some friends live. It was a fun day in the main square- kids and adults all dressed up and artisans selling all of the traditional artisan favorites. One of my favorite bands was playing and that was great. The name of the band in Bandicaro. I need to check the spelling and get a cd of their music. They are great. After a great night in Puerto Morelos we headed back to Tulum.

Saturday was the big party day for Halloween in Tulum. There were parties heard all over the main avenue and the beach. We chose to head to Pepenero's first. We all got dressed up and headed out to town. Pepenero's was filled with many of our favorite people. And we all had a great time- dancing and laughing. There were many other parties this night as well. It was our plan to go to more then just 1 but we had such a good time we stayed in Pepenero's.

On Sunday all of the adults and kids in Tulum geared up for a big night! We chose to blow off some sugar induced craziness with a jont to the beach. You have to love a few hours at the beach. It just re centers you.

We had a large group of people meet up at our house to send the kids out for trick or treating. The band of kids that we had were like an army marching up the streets taking no prisoners. New kids seeing that they were clearly out numbered joined our brood. It was a great site.

As the evening went on it was time to rinse off the crazy make up and get the kiddies into bed and let the grown ups go out to play. Great costumes could be found all over the place. Great music and laughter could be heard from bars and restaurants all over the avenue and Bar 307 was no exception. That is where we chose to go. There was a cover which is not the norm in Tulum but on a night like this it is to be expected.

A good time was heard by all and we danced until the early morning hours. I did not hear any reports of craziness or any unsafe behavior. It seems that all Tuluminarians celebrated without any major problems and you have to love that.

Next up is the Day of the Dead- and that is 1 more excellent tradition. Stay tuned.

Ginger- Stunning food in Tulum Pueblo ***

2010-10-26T18:12:00.012-05:00

Gourmet food in Tulum might not be what you would expect but it is what you can find. For my 5 year wedding anniversary we wanted to go a special dinner in Tulum. My husband and I have always loved food and the fancier the better. Well, I had wanted to go to Ginger since first moving to Tulum but had not gotten the chance in their first location. I was thrilled when I heard that it had reopened.

First I must say that I started my perfect evening with a great massage from my wonderful HEALER Friend Gina. And it was amazing. you can read more about it HERE.

Ginger is located just 1 block off the main avenue at the first round-a-bout- and it is a beautiful restaurant. A wide open space with clean lines and vibrant décor- this restaurant in Tulum would be easily at home in San Francisco or New York. Before I even get to the great food- one of the things that I love about Ginger is their support of local artists and musicians. With expositions for local photographers and artists- the local talent of Tulum creates an amazing space at Ginger.

Just the other day I heard that a very talented musician, Tasha was playing there and I have seen a number of facebook notes of great stuff happening at Ginger. They also have a ladies night and this place makes every lady feel like a queen and 2 for 1 drinks- is just icing on the cake. I am hoping they get on the calendar soon so I can know about all of the great things they are doing. I do not want to miss anything at this wonderful restaurant in Tulum.

I went to this spot a while back with a girlfriend of mine that was visiting and we had the amazing salad with goat cheese and strawberries. It was well- amazing. We also had the tropical civiche. Although not the traditional civiche which I love too- this one used more tropical fruits and was the perfect sweetness to work with the fish.

For this special night- we got all dressed up and headed to Ginger. I was very excited. This was my husbands first time seeing the location and he remarked how easily this could be in SF. I totally agree.
To start we ordered the Goat Cheese Tart. Something I had my eye on since the last time I was here. Although, I admit, it was hard not to get the fresa salad again. We also ordered a bottle or red wine that we had not yet tried.

Before the appetizer came, they brought us some bread and this amazing marinated oil. I am not sure what is in this oil- but it is great. We can tell that there are chilies and garlic and many other wonderful spices- but not exactly sure what. Knowing that the food was going to be amazing- we made sure not to fill up on bread- I do not care how good the oil is- the food is worth the wait.

The tart was as good as it sounded. It was perfect with the wine that we had chosen and we were off to a good start. While we waited for our entrées we enjoyed looking at the artwork on the walls. I love it when restaurants feature local artists and have it for sale. I have found some of my favorite artwork at restaurants on my travels. And here you are going to find amazing pieces of art for a great price and what more perfect memento of your vacation then a piece of art.

For our meals, I ordered pasta with shrimp sautéed in garlic and chili. It was perfect. I love shrimp and many times when I order the it the shrimp gets over cooked. That is not good. The chef at Ginger was amazing. The food was cooked perfectly with just the right blend of spices. And there was a great amount of shrimp in my dish. It is never fun to fish for fish on your plate.

My husband ordered the Filet Mignonin a red wine sauce. He was a little reluctant at first because sometimes a cut of meat is on the menu but it is not what is on your plate. Plus the price for this was great. But we had great confidence in this restaurant and we were proven right. The cut of meat was wonderful. It was in fact a filet mignon and was cooked perfectly. And such a thick cut is easy to do wrong. The sauce was also amazing and complimented the meat perfectly

We would have ordered dessert here but 1 thing my husband and I do on our dates is restaurant hop for courses. So dessert was going to be in town. But I cannot wait to go back and try 1 of the desserts. If the rest of the food in any indication – it will be amazing. I always love it when a chef comes out to talk to a table. Especially when the restaurant is quite. It really takes your dining experience to another level and I think it shows that the restaurant and the chef genuinely care how you like the food and want to know your opinion.

I have not even gotten to the best part.

When we got our bill we were floored. We ordered a nice bottle of red wine, an appetizer, and 2 nice entrees and our bill was like 800 pesos! I could not believe it. A great prices and for the food you are getting!!!! WOW!!!! This is a spot to try. And what is great is that it is not a place that needs to be fancy. We were and did not feel out of place. I came here with a girlfriend the other day in jeans and a t-shirt and easily fit in. It really is perfect for all occasions.

While you are in Tulum, or if you live here- you really need to check thi

Rotary Club Cloverdale, CA & Rotary Club Tulum help our School Project

2010-10-26T14:11:00.003-05:00

The Tulum Living School Project which helps fixes the infrastructure of Tulum's schools while promoting recycling and recycling education received a wonderful donation from the Rotary Club of Cloverdale, CA with the assistance and support of Rotary Club Tulum.

This is a wonderful project that is very dear to our hearts here at Tulum Living.

I want to personally thank Elvia, The Rotary Club of Cloverdale, CA and the Rotary Clubs of Tulum as well as the clubs in Playa and Cancun. Together we can change the world. And your kindness and generosity is felt and appreciated. Thank you for everything.

If you want to know how you can help, please contact us. For more information about our Tulum Living School Project visit us at www.TulumSchools.blogspot.com

Tortuga Festival-And the lights came on! Just in time for the dancing

2010-10-21T11:47:00.004-05:00

This past weekend Tulum and the Rivera Maya have celebrated the annual Festival de las Tortugas and it has been great. With 4 days of great events I have not been able to make it to all of them and I know that I really missed out. All of the events for this great festival are focused on conservation and protection of these amazing creatures.

A large group of young adults from Global Vision Initiative organized and executed events beautifully. This is from the main website for GVI. I think it gives the perfect description as to who they are. “Global Vision International (GVI) runs responsible volunteering programs in over 40 countries around the world. We offer volunteers the chance for a hands-on experience by personally contributing to important conservation initiatives and community projects. Volunteer programs run from one week to 2 years.”

They have many great trips and opportunities on their website. Check it out HERE http://www.gviusa.com/ for more information. This particular excursion was for people who were interested in Scuba diving and marine conservation. So our Tortuga Festival was perfect for them. They have participated for over 8 years and the whole event was amazing. Check out the Mexico website for more info http://www.gviusa.com/programs/central-america/mexico/marine-conservation-expedition-mexico/home

It was interesting this particular day because whether by accident or by design, the city was working on our street light. The 1 street light we have in town and it is out all day- well so is the rest of the power to the whole town. Tulum went dark for over 9 hours. The entire city of Tulum had no power. This went on mostly as normal but as the day went on and there was still no power things started to get interesting.
That evening was the big event at the casa de la culture. Not thinking much of it we got ready for the dance performance and headed down. It was great. The moment you walk in you see the energetic group from GVI with face painting, the egg dropping game, puzzles, pin the head on the Tortuga and dozens of other games and tables spread throughout and dozens of kids crowded around them learning about Tortugas, this special area and how to protect both of them.

Also throughout the cultural center were displays of amazing art, craft, jewelry, and food. It was an amazing array of color, smells, and kids in brightly colored clothing and face paint. But as we were about to start the dance performance- there still was no electricity- for the whole town!!! After a few hours and trying to find out what the plan was- the sun had set and it was getting dark fast-. Although it was sort of cool to see so many candles lit along the streets of Tulum- in little taco bars and windows. And then- wouldn’t you know it!!!!- BAM! The lights came on. Everyone was so thrilled and the show began.

The performances were amazing. Proud parents, friend’s family, the community of Tulum and the great group from GVI watched the talented individuals and cheered and praised. It was an amazing night. And we were in store for more. The sand castle beach day was in the morning so we headed home to get a good night sleep.

Salsa at Le Zebra ***

2010-10-20T10:23:00.007-05:00

When asking around about nightlife in Tulum – depending on the night there are a few spots that you will hear over and over. If it is Sunday night you are sure to hear about La Zebra. La Zebra is already well known for having a great hotel and a great restaurant. But on Sunday’s!!!! Every Sunday the crowds come out for some live music and salsa dancing on La Zebra’s beach front dance floor.

We have been dancing at La Zebra a number of times. We love to salsa dance. When we lived in San Francisco we used to o dancing every Thursday. We loved it. And salsa dancing on the beaches of Tulum ain’t bad either. La Zebra also gives a free class – I think at 6. The class is nice because it gives you a refresh on some of the basics and then teaches you a few fun turns or tricks to use while you are out there.

The food is also very good at La Zebra. It is a little on the expensive side but it is a well known spot and it is right on a beautiful stretch of Tulum beach. For the ambiance and what you get though I think that the prices are good. This last time we ordered a mixed plate that had various favorites like sopes and what not on it and we got some tortilla soup. Both were awesome but the tortilla soup was the highlight for me.
Armed with a few margaritas I was ready for the dance floor. I always say that Salsa dancing and speaking a foreign language that you know only moderately well are both done a little better after a few margaritas.

The band is always great here. Up on the stage which is just above the dance floor and backed by the beautiful jungle setting, music on Sunday nights can be heard up and down the beach. Around the edge of the raised dance floor are several tables and some large beach beds. It is a very easy spot to gather and rest your feet between songs.

This last time that we went we even took the kids. It was not a very late night and they had a blast. There were many kids that were running around and my son grabbed himself a cutie and set out for the dance floor. At only 5 he is quite the ladies man. This is a spot where everyone can have a good time.

So if you are in Tulum – and it is Sunday- you do not even need to ask- the party is La Zebra for Salsa on the Beach!

Massages by Gina**

2010-10-18T10:01:00.006-05:00

Getting a massage in Tulum is a wonderful experience. The sun and warmth, the sounds of the Caribbean Sea, the magical ingredients in the lotions and potions all combine to create the perfect massage. This week I celebrate my anniversary and my husband and I really wanted to celebrate and celebrate we did.

I surprised my husband when he came home from work by getting us each massages by my dear friend and wonderful massage artist, Gina. Gina is such an amazing woman. She lives near me and is the 1st person I go to with any sort of ailment because she always knows what to do and some all natural potion for it. It is truly amazing. She is also a great cook and we have grown to be wonderful friends.

I had heard that she was absolutely amazing and I was so excited to be getting this massage. Gina has created a very wonderful spa studio in her home that features artwork by her very talented husband. The feeling that she has created is amazing and really adds to the massage. For this special occasion she came to my home to do the massages, at my request and that was perfect. Hubby walked in and we were ready. I put on an iTunes playlist and we got started! The oil that Gina used was wonderful. It is a mix of her own creating and it has a wonderful smell of chocolate.

The massage was strong and deep and it felt so amazing. Gina packs some serious strength in her hands and I could feel the fibers in my muscles under her hands. Using her whole arm in this unbelievable pattern just sent me to a new world. Ever since my birthday I have been in need of some serious relaxing and this certainly did the trick.

When I was finished and hubby was getting his massage I just melted into happiness. I felt so great. The chocolate oil is even still intoxicating. What a perfect start to a wonderful evening. My husband does not get to many massages. He does a lot of physical work and forgets how great a massage feels. He absolutely loved his massage and felt so great afterwards. I can defiantly see more massages in his future.

Gina’s original background was as a social worker and it was working in hospitals with patients that she first started to incorporate touch and massage into her practice to help heal. It was at this point that she began to learn about Reiki and she found her true calling and passion. She had found an ideology of healing that matched how she felt healing should be and she dove into the practice and began to learn more and more. She began working with reflexology, hot stones and holistic massage. Her massages are a mix of these various techniques.

Gina, originally from Mexico City, has lived in the Rivera Maya for 30 years. She finds that there is a special healing energy in this area that combines the power of the ruins, the cenotes and the Caribbean Sea to create an intoxicating blend of healing energy. This powerful energy helps promote her art of healing in the area. She is an artist.

Not only does Gina get deep into your muscles, but her energy is so incredible. You feel this amazing lightning afterwards and it is amazing. I would be happy to help put you in touch with Gina if you are interested in getting a massage.

Mateo's! Great food on the beach road. ***

2010-10-18T08:51:00.005-05:00

When Mateo’s opened on the beach road opened a while back and I was so excited to see a taco place on the beach road. The food on the beach can get very expensive and this looked like a great options for some good food on Tulum beach. In its original location it closed and I was sorry to see it close. But my unhappiness was short lived as I saw it reopen not far away from its original location- but even better.

The location of Mateo’s is on the jungle side of the beach road about 2 km south of the turn. The structure of the restaurant is a large open space and has a very comfortable feel. The space is also great for large groups because it is so open.

We ate here for my birthday before heading off to do some dancing and I must say that the food totally lived upto the great thing that I had hear about this place. Everyone in my family is totally obsessed with fajitas. It is one of my mom’s favorites so she ordered them at several locations around Tulum and these ones I think were the best ones that we had.

3 of us all ordered fajitas and hubby had fish tacos. The plates of fajitas were massive and so good. Served with rice, wonderful black beans and a killer guacamole. The meat was mixed with perfectly sautéed peppers and onions and tasted amazing. My mom is already planning her next trip down to come and eat at Mateo’s. My husband’s fish tacos were also amazing. Served with some great salsas and stuffed with large pieces of avocado- this is another dish we will be ordering again.

The margaritas at Mateo’s were very well made and if there is one thing that always impresses me about a restaurant or bar… it is a well done margarita. Mateo’s totally passed the test. So the next time you are on the beach road and looking for a great place to eat- check out Mateo’s. If you see a table that just keeps ordering fajitas and margaritas- that will be us- come over and say hi! jajaja

El Gourmet Tulum ***

2010-10-17T15:09:00.008-05:00

So the other day we set out to find something new to eat in Tulum. We grabbed the kids and set out to town on our foodie adventure. We passed by a shop that we had heard wonderful things about but had not yet checked out ourselves. Here was the perfect opportunity. El Gourmet Tulum here we come.

After living in San Francisco for so many years, wine and cheese are a huge part of my diet. Well, I guess not so much diet as palate. We love wine and cheese. Moving to Tulum was a bit hard at first because there were not many options for cheese- and by that I mean ANY options for cheese. The option was Playa del Carmen. Enter El Gourmet Tulum.

From the sign on the door listing some of the many treats inside, we could tell that this was going to be a worthy stop. A proud announcement of cheeses like gorgonzola and provolone and various salamis and oils! Yummy!!! We could not wait to get inside.

The first thing we saw was a large deli case proudly showcasing cheeses and cured meats. We ended up getting 3 cheeses. We loved 2 of them and the 3rd was a bit salty for our taste. But that is the thing about cheese- like wine- you have to taste them all to really learn the ones that you like the most and why. There were not as many different cheeses as I would have dreamed but it is low low season and not every cheese eater in Tulum knows about this great spot yet. I cannot wait to go back in high season and see all the new things they are offering in their case. We specially asked if they had a semi soft triple cream- a typical favorite of ours. They did not but seemed willing to take input about cheeses we would like to see in the shop.

The rest of the shop also held some special treasures. Along neatly ordered shelves are various forms of stewed tomatoes, olives and capers-and many other gourmet condiments and kitchen needs including some wonderful looking gourmet mustards. I love a good mustard. A good mustard can totally change a recipe. With the plethora of noodles and other items here, you could make 1 killer dinner party with the ingredients from this store. In the future I think the plan is to sell wine as well and then I think I will shop nowhere else.

The basket of fresh baked bread is the perfect thing to round of our little snack. We chose to use some fresh fruits but almost got one of the fruit chutneys that they had to balance our budding cheese plate. We had a wonderful night of indulgence thanks to the shelves and more important the deli case of El Gourmet Tulum. We will defiantly be going back again.

El Gourmet Tulum is about 4 blocks off the main avenue. I will get the street names. This shop is defiantly worth finding. They speak English and Spanish and in fact the woman in the shop is also an English teacher. I would imagine she would also be able to do Spanish lessons as well.

If you need help getting touch with El Gourmet Tulum or you need help finding it- let me know. This is a shop that I really want to make sure stays open. I cannot go all the way to Playa del Carmen for cheese. I will lose my mind.

A perfect Tulum Sunday

2010-10-11T10:44:00.011-05:00

Sundays in Tulum always bring with them a promise of something special. Of an especially good day. Families are waking up later then the required time for school and special breakfasts are prepared all over town - and many restaurants around Tulum prepare Barbacoa. This special dish is a real treat and is usually found only on Sunday's.

This Sunday was a particularly PERFECT Sunday in Tulum. We woke up early- although later then normal and that is always welcome. I spent a little time learning my way around I tunes and loading up the ipod that my mom had given me. After making a perfect- sit back and chill play list I headed out to hang in my new hammock. I have wanted a hammock for a long time. We used to have 1 but it was made of much thicker material (like the ones back in the states) and it really hurt to lay in. Then, a kitten staying at our house went to town on a few of the strings and it was never suitable again.

This year for my birthday- I had received a hammock as a gift and I was about to go and enjoy it. I literally laid in my hammock in my garden for about 2 hours listening to music and watching the clouds go by. Remember as a child when you would see so many great images in the sky? Well, there were a ton of great clouds and then floated past my little garden all morning. I saw all sort of great stuff... a dragon - a witch on a broom- a old man sucking on a tobacco pipe. It was a very nice morning.

After a little while I came into the house and we got all of our stuff ready for the week, picked up the house and got ready to head out to the jungle. Parties in the jungle here are always amazing but I knew that this particular party was going to be truly magical.

Our good friends live out on km 26 in the jungle and this family is the truest testament to eco living. A small structure sits in the front of the property where this amazing family lives. But as you walk back on the path into the jungle you come upon some really amazing finds. about 50 km back there is a beautiful clearing complete with campfires and a large open space to dance.

The purpose of this event is to celebrate the love that my dear friends have for one another. They were celebrating their 13 year anniversary and this party was filled with love, happiness and friends. All off the kids were running around the enchanting jungles of Tulum- and were rewarded by amazing sites of reindeer- tropical birds and cool bugs to follow around.

The rest of us were enjoying the sounds of Facuno's dj talents and enjoying the wonderful food and friends that had gathered around us. A real collection of some of the very best people in Tulum. Artists, musicians, massage therapists, parents, kids and friends!!! It was a gathering of people that surround their world with magic.

Just as the dark set in and the jungle was showing just how dark it can get - the beautiful voice of 1 young woman rings over the speaker. Her voice was so beautifully intoxicating. It had that tone from old French music from the 20s. It was beautiful. We could have easily listened to her all night but alas the generator had different plans. It ran out of gas but that was not going to be the end of our good time.

All of our other friends gathered up their instruments that were scattered around and started playing. The drums, guitar, the voices created this soft chant from everyone around. It was amazing.

In addition to just being filled with love, acceptance and friendship- this family is as eco friendly as you could possibly be. Gardens can be found through growing tomatoes, chilies and spices. Small pathways through the jungle lead to outdoor composting toilets, and others lead to naturally made temazcal. With the kids we did not get to stay for the temazcal this time but I am looking forward to the day that I do.

After coming home and putting the kids to bed I laid in my hammock once again- rather then the cup of coffee from the morning- this time I had a cold beer- a cool breeze- and the thoughts from a PERFECT Tulum Sunday.

I hope yours went well too!

El Bistro at Ziggy's Beach Club ***

2010-10-09T15:34:00.010-05:00

El Bistro opened a while back as part of the new Ziggy's Beach club at Cabanas Tulum. This great spot on the south end of Tulum beach is really great. Restaurants that are perfect for kids??!!??!! This is it.

I have 2 kids and taking them to a restaurant is not always the easiest thing. And I want to have a good time too. Well this place is great.

El Bistro is perfect for alll groups but especially for families for a few reasons. 1- it is very large. There is a lot of space for the kids to be in without interrupting the other people enjoying their day in the sun.

There is a great 2x1 drink special ALL DAY!!!!!! Serving up all of the Rivera Maya's best cocktails! The beach here is amazing- soft clear - great waves... And just to seal the deal... there is a wooden swing and a screened in trampoline!!!!!!! I mean REALLY!!???!?!?! It was perfect, and made an already great day - even better.

I have been here on 2 occasions and the food has been amazing both times. The kid friendly menu is was really appreciated. The portions are a good size and the food is made with quality ingredients. I hate getting food for my kids that is a total after thought --and this food was really good.

This time I was here with my brother and my husband and the food once again did not

disappoint. I had a shrimp in garlic dish, hubby had calamari and bro had a fajita.

It was all very good.

We ordered one of the most annoying drinking ever made.... the Miami Vise. This drink is half strawberry daiquiri and half pina colada. It is a total pain in the butt because it requires the bartender to make 2 - already annoying drinks.

Now- do not get me wrong- bartenders make lots of annoying drinks and the do it gladly.... but if you ask a bartender to make several of these- please show your appreciation. Because they are sooooo good and so easy to order many of- but tip accordingly- because they are not easy. My hubby was kind enough to take one for the team and order the 3rd one in our group so the bartender could make only this one drink. I always like to order a shot of rum on the side and put a splash in each drink because it can get too sweet for me.

The food was amazing and we had a really good time. I would defiantly recommend eating here. It has a very well rounded menu and there are options that will please everyone. And those of you with kids.... this is PREFECT!!! Options for the kids, a play ground, and a perfect beach... what more could you want.

I had heard that there might be some live music or beach parties here. If so I will keep you all posted. This would be a great place for a party or wedding.

Yoga Kids at Inspirit Tulum

2010-09-29T20:54:00.003-05:00

today turned out to be a great day. I heard about a kids class down on the beach at my friends shop Inspirit. This was going to a Yoga KIDS class. Immediately I jumped at the chance to take the kids down to the beach. We had already finally gotten all of our laundry done so we ready to head off.

The water was as clear and calm as I could have imagined. It was amazing. I floated atop the waves for over an hour with no disturbance. It was beautiful. There is such a peace that comes to you here in Tulum. Especially when you are in the water. You could see clearly down to the soft sand and the water was almost like looking through bullet proof glass.

The kids went into their Yoga Kids class knowing that it was going to be amazing. InSpirit is a very special spot on Tulum Beach and one of my favorite places for classes. The facility is beautiful but the approach to health and wellness is even more amazing. The love and care for everyone - especially children warms my heart.

I got to watch the class a bit from a distance and I was so thrilled about how the kids responded and how happy and into it they were. There is a very nice energy from this spot and I look forward to taking my kids to more classes.

Tequila tasting and Full Moon party at Om Tulum ***

2010-09-28T08:36:00.004-05:00

Om Tulum is a great hotel on Tulum beach. They have great rooms and a great little resturant. I also really enjoy the owner. He really cares about the property and gives a lot of himself.

Recently the Tulum.info group had a meet up. Om designed a wonderful tequila tasting for us. This time Angelo pulled out all the stops for an amazing meal. In our honor a magnificent meal and tequila tasting was planned. The chef was cooking all sorts of new items that are not on the menu and even Angelo had a good time tasting new dishes.

Angelo and Om were wonderful hosts as always and we all had a really good time. The food was simply unreal- as was the tequila and mescal. We all had such a good time. But this one better put forth in pictures.

The food was so amazing. But it is easy to say one of the very best meals that I have had in a long time.

We had 6 tequilas and 1 mescal ranging from blanco- repasado- anejo- almond- pomegranate- it was amazing!!!!

Chilis en Nogales was our first dish followed by an amazing Mexican Pizza. Then a wonderful tostada with a Nut Chili mole sauce. All served with the perfect tequila. Then a beautiful piece of arachera steak on a pollenta cake and Tuna pastor! Dessert was a small trio of perfectly sweet treats accompanied by an almond tequila. Easy to say- I got spoiled

It was such fun to eat food that the chef could explore and experiment on rather then just normally great food of OM Tulum.

Not more then a few days later we went to Full Moon party at Om. This party happens every month during the course of the Full Moon and it is a great party. The moon lights up the whole beach and creates a magical enviroment. I love it.

The Cottage Restaurant, Tulum ***

2010-09-23T10:31:00.006-05:00

When I saw this new restaurant first start to open I got really excited. The photos of the food that had been taken was amazing and I could not wait to get inside and see the real thing.

The Cottage Restaurant has a nice outdoor seating area featuring a large bar prominently displaying the wide array of beers available. With numerous examples of brew from Mexico, Argentina as well as the USA and Europe proudly drawing me in side, I sat and watch people enjoy their food.

As this was an unexpected stop, I was not ready for a full meal. But I cannot wait. All the food was beautifully presented and you could smell the fresh ingredients. It was wonderful.

As this is a perfect place to people watch- I would imagine this a perfect place to have lunch. Great food specials are offered throughout the day during certain times. Dishes as low as 47 pesos to only 80 pesos for fajitas!

They also offer free Wi-Fi which is always wonderful. Between that and the 2 x 1 Happy hour- I just found a perfect place to stop off in town and check my email.

Another amazing draw for me to The Cottage Restaurant was the aroma of this incredible espresso bar featuring independently grown coffee from Chiapas! From plant to cup! Cafe "Yajalon"

I am so looking forward to eating a full dinner here. I will be there Friday night with a friend and will report all that I find out.

In Spirit - The Soul of Art

2010-09-20T15:06:00.000-05:00

Let me first say that I totally love everything about this place. It offeres the very best of everything for wellness and self love. I am going to write a much longer post about the specifics of all that this place has to offer but this post is to put out the class schedule. This wonderful location has a beautiful screened palapa to enjoy these amazing classes utilizing the magical talents of Tulum's talented artists and healers.

Monday/ Lunes
8:00 - - Yoga
10:00 -- Yoga
4:00 -- Capoeira
5:00 -- AcroYoga

Tuesday/Martes

8:00 - - Yoga
10:00 -- Kundalini
4:00 -- Yoga
5:00 -- Prenatal

Wednesday/Miercoles

8:00 - - Yoga
10:00 -- Yoga
4:00 -- Kundalini
5:00 -- YogaKids

Thursday/Jueves
8:00 - - Yoga
10:00 -- Kundalini
4:00 -- Yoga
5:00 -- Prenatal

Friday/Viernes
8:00 - - Yoga
10:00 -- Yoga
4:00 -- Capoeira
5:00 -- YogaKids

Saturday/Sabado

10:00 -- YogaKids

Sunday/Domingo

10:00 -- YogaKids

** Private and special timing available with advanced notice.

Dengue Fever***

2010-08-07T09:38:00.008-05:00

There has been a lot of talk recently With the vast amounts of mosquitoes in this area, illness caused by mosquitoes is taken very seriously. The city of Tulum,in conjunction with the Governor's office and ministry of Health, has implemented a vast number policies to help fight the massive spreading of Dengue Fever.

Dengue is spread via mosquitoes and is a terrible illness. Often referred to as backbone or back breaker fever because of the severe pain that is caused throughout the body. In addition to joint and body pain, high fever, muscle pain and in many cases a rash that usually starts at the lower limbs of the body and spreads upwards.

Dengue can be fatal and so it is important to know the symptoms. It can seem to be the common flu but lasts for several more days and almost completely incapacitates a person for many days.

There is no current treatment or vaccination for Dengue Fever so prevention is key.

The city of Tulum has sent brigades of volunteers and health officials to all areas of Tulum to search for any standing water.

Mosquitoes breed in clean water. The city has been going around looking in people's backyards for anything that could catch water and breed mosquitoes. I had a visit just the other day and he kindly came into the back yard and made some adjustments to help me prevent and mosquitoes.

I am very happy to see the city taking such an active role in curbing the outbreak. Below is the document sent to me by the city.

One of the things they are doing is to spray the streets. They have been spraying the streets every few days.

There is no reason for tourists to fear the illness or not visit Tulum for fear- but it is important the people know to use biodegradable repellent while visiting Tulum and be aware of the symptoms. If you fear you might have caught Dengue then you can go to one of the clinics in town and they can help you.

Sorry about the translation-

The Municipal Government in coordination with the Ministry of Health gave the starting signal to more than 180 units of mega-deals as part of Rapid Response for the Control of Dengue, launched on the instructions of Governor Felix Gonzalez Canto state to step up measures against the condition.

The mega-deals started at 8 am at the Expo fair grounds after the checkered flag that gave the municipal authorities and the health secretary in charge of Chemical Azueta Juan Carlos Cardenas, the state health secretary, the mayor Marciano Dzul Caamal, aldermen of this city administration, volunteers and leaders of various public transport organizations.

A total of 400 people including volunteers and brigade started preventive activities in 439 blocks of the municipal capital featuring 12 fogging machines, 12 entomologists, 36 motomochilas and more than 10 trucks junk collectors.

In taking the floor to the state health secretary, made the recommendations to the residents to cooperate with the staff of the Ministry of Health, who travel the nuclei brigades housing. They are accredited, in addition, the substance used in fumigation is not toxic.

Stressed that tanks, water tanks and warehouses storing liquid must be covered, the mosquitoes breed in clean water and the same may be in caps, a leaf or shell that contains it.

In the event the mayor Dzul Caamal, acknowledged the support of the state governor and the state health secretary Juan Carlos Azueta and said that the three actions that will run concurrently to eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites will be abatizando, raising awareness for population and motomochilas spraying, irrigation in areas where you can not access with heavy equipment.

El Mariachi, Tulum Pueblo ***

2010-06-30T09:38:00.008-05:00

El Mariachi's in Tulum Pueblo is a great restaurant with good local dishes at a great price. Funny enough, this was actually the very first place we ever heard of in Tulum. Were looking for a launrymat and the directions were "right next to El Mariachi." It was the very first place we ever ate at in our new little town.

Located right on the main avenue of Tulum it was very easy to find. The first thing we saw was a huge platter of fish being served above a large flame and it smelt delicious!!!. We ordered some traditional favorites and dug in. The beers were cold and the salsa was spicy. It was perfect.

We have had many other good times at El Mariachi's since that night. Some of the most recent favorites being World Cup 2010. We watched the Mexico game there and look forward to watching the quarter-semi and Finals there as well.

The plates are very large at El Mariachi's. This was my husband's favorite part. The food was good and there was a lot of it. There are some very plentiful breakfast items. The Chiliquilles is a favorite of mine and my kids.

This is one of the spots that is absolutely slamming with locals in the evenings. From 11:00 p.m. till close (5 am) this place has 2x1 beers. Talk about some happy hours. Especially when you think about the fact that so many of us work until the late evening- El Mariachi is the best place to go.

There are times they will have 10 peso tacos but as you can imagine... these do not last long.

There is also a nice garden area in the back of the restaurant. it opens up onto a nice little courtyard.

Living in Tulum

2010-06-29T08:11:00.002-05:00

So, you want to live in Tulum? I always get the question… “What is it like to live in Tulum?” “How much do I need to live on in Tulum?” and “Are there jobs in Tulum?” Here is my answer…Since this whole blog is about my experiences living here this information is based on how I live and how I know that some others live.

When I moved to Mexico a good friend of mine said 2 things that I have found to be pearls of wisdom here. 1) “If you go to Mexico and try to find ‘Rice-a-Roni’ and focus on the fact that you cannot find it -you will be miserable. But if you focus on the fact that just bought 3 pineapples for a dollar- then you will be thrilled.”
This is very true. Not in many of the big cities but in the smaller towns and villages it is very true. I in fact started a whole blog about my new cooking life here in Mexico because I cannot find the things that I am used to having around so I have to learn new ways to use things.

Now, for living in Tulum and what it is like to live in Tulum. The 2nd thing my friend said to me is also very true, “to live in Mexico is very inexpensive. But to buy anything in Mexico is expensive.” The cost of living here is very low but, especially in the touristy areas like Tulum, the cost of buying anything is near what you would pay in the states. A soda is a dollar, a cocktail is 4 or5 dollars and cloths are 15-30 bucks a piece. While things are cheaper than they are in the states, they are still pretty high, especially when you think about how much we make.

So here is the breakdown.
Housing: rents range from 2000 pesos for a room sometimes with a little furniture and small kitchen sink. You basic little house (2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms) with a little yard is around 4000-6000 pesos per month depending on how nice people have made them. There are some nice apartments and condos and small houses that rent for 9,000+ pesos a month as well.

Utilities: Our utilities are internet, cable, water and electricity. The city takes care of garbage. There is currently no recycling pick up (we are all working on changing this) For cable and internet we pay 550 pesos for the higher speed internet and about 60 channels (5 or so in English) Water is about 150-200 pesos a month. And electric can range between 200-400 hundred pesos in the lower months but in the hot summer months when we are running our fans a lot it is about 800-1000 pesos a month. If you have air conditioning it can be upwards of 2,000 pesos.

Food and water: We cannot drink the water out of the tap here so we buy large 20 L. bottles for 23 pesos. We use about 3 or 4 a week. I would say we spend about 300 pesos a month on water. And for food- we budget 1000 pesos a week for food. ****There are some great fruiterias and meat stores in town and these are a great way to get fresh, local ingredients and support the local economy!!!****

If you do not have a car transportation is another thing to think about. Taxis are cheap and so are the collectives. Bikes are a very easy and fast way to get around Tulum as well.

As for jobs: Yes there are jobs- it gets really slow during certain times of the year but there is work to be found. Sept and Oct. are the best months to move and start looking for a job. Tulum is also a great place for people who want to start something of their own.

My husband has a good job. He speaks English and Spanish and makes around 10,000-13,000 pesos a month. There are better jobs and worse jobs as well and pay can fluctuate.

Well, I hope that this helps any of you that are interested in moving to Tulum. It is a wonderful place and I love living here. If you have more specific questions, feel free to email me.

Casa de la Cultura Tulum

2010-06-23T12:36:00.005-05:00

Here is a list of the current classes at the casa de la cultura. The casa de la Cultura is wonderful because there are so many great classes and the techers keep the money that they earn. Part if the inscription goes to the actual Casa de la Cultura to help keep it running and is good for 1 year.

To join a class you can simply go to the Casa de la Cultura and speak to the teacher.
Yes it is in Spanish but you can figure it out. :)

ARTES PLASTICAS
CURSO DE VERANO:l "RECICLANDO"
Mtra. Laura Patricia Bernal Jardón
Niños y niñas de 6 a 13 años
Lunes a viernes de 4:00-6:00 p.m.
reutiliza, recicla y forma todo lo que la imaginación
proyecte para la creatividad.
Fecha: de 1 al 16 de julio
INCRIPCIONES ABIERTAS
Inscripción: $ 55.ºº
Mensualidad: $ 55.ºº

BORDADO
Mtra. Georgina Blanco Chi
Mayores de 9 años
Lunes a Viernes 5:00-7:00 p.m
Inscripción: $ 55.ºº
Mensualidad: $ 55.ºº

DANZA FOLKLÓRICA
Mtra. Maritza Maricruz Ramírez Kinil
Lunes a Viernes
6-12 años de 4:30-6:00 p.m.
13 años en delante de 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Inscripción: $ 55.ºº
Mensualidad: $ 55.ºº

MÚSICA (Guitarra)
Mtro. Natan Ignacio Vital Cortez.
Lunes a Viernes
A partir de 9 años de 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Jóvenes y Adultos de 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Inscripción: $ 55.ºº
Mensualidad: $ 55.ºº

TAE KWON DO
Mtro. Isaias Chávez
Lunes, miércoles y viernes
niños y niñas
de 4 a 6 años de 5:00-6:00 p.m.
de 6 a 11 años de 6:00-7:00 p.m.
mayores 12 años de 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Mensualidad: $ 300
Inscripción: $ 100

BALLET CLASICO INFANTIL
Mtra. Caty Dominguez
Niñas de 4 a 12 años
Martes y jueves de 4:00 a 6:00 pm
Mensualidad $300.
Inscripción $100 pesos.

DANZA CONTEMPORÁNEA
Mtra. Caty Domínguez
Martes y jueves de 6 a 8 pm
Mensualidad $300.
Inscripción $100 pesos

DANZA FLAMENCO
Mtra. María Díaz
Infantil
Martes y jueves de 5:00 a 6:00 pm
Jóvenes y adultos
Principiantes
Martes 10:30 y sábados 12:00
Intermedios
Lunes y viernes 11:00 a 12:30
Avanzado
Miércoles y sábado
10:00 am a 12 md
Mensualidad $400 pesos

DANZA FOLKLORICA
"SEMBLANZAS DE MEXICO"
Mtra. Maricarmen Gallegos
Sábados 2:00 a 3:00 pm (Infantil)
5:00 a 7:00 pm (Adultos)
Inscripción $50 pesos
Mensualidad $50 pesos

INICIACIÓN MUSICAL Y ENSAMBLE
Mtro. Mauricio Mota
Sábados de 10:00 a 13:00
y de 13:00 a 16:00 pm
Costo $50 pesos por clase

INICIACION AL PIANO
Mtro. Bernardo Ramírez Azcoitia
Lunes, miercoles y viernes
3:00 4:00 pm y 7:00 a 8:00 pm
Costo $800 pesos mensuales
o $100 pesos por clase
Material: Cuaderno pautado, lapiz,
sacapuntas y goma.

CORO DE TULUM
Mtro. Antonio Reyes
Martes y jueves
de 6:00 a 8:00 pm
Inscripción $100 pesos
Mensualidad $300 pesos.

YOGA
Instructor: Fabián Salazar
Lunes, miércoles y viernes
8:30 a 10:00 am
Costo por clase $50 pesos

HATA YOGA
Instructora: Lucrecia Rivera
Martes y jueves de 8:00 a 9:30 pm
Costo por clase $50 pesos
INICIAMOS 14 DE JUNIO

AEROGIMNASIA
Combinación de gimnasia reductiva
y ejercicios aerobicos
Mtra. Evangelina Villamil de la Garza
Lunes, miércoles y viernes de 8 a 9 pm
Mensualidad $300 pesos

CORTE Y CONFECCIÓN
Mtra. Honoria Balam Gómez
Martes y jueves
de 6:00 a 8:00 pm
Mensualidad $300 pesos
INICIAMOS 20 DE JULIO

INGLES INFANTIL
Niños y niñas de 9 a 12 años
Mtra. Judith Castillo Chan
Lunes, miércoles y viernes
de 6:00 a 7:00 pm
Inscripción gratuita los primeros 10
Inscripción $100 pesos
Mensualidad $300 pesos

INGLÉS PARA ADULTOS
Mrta. María Pía
Lunes, miércoles y viernes de 8 a 10 am
Lunes, miercoles y viernes de 3 a 5 pm
Sábados de 8 a 11 am
Duración 6 meses
Costo por semana $250 pesos
Inscripciones abiertas hasta el 15 de marzo.

ITALIANO PARA ADULTOS
Mrta. María Pía
Martes y viernes de 8 a 10 am
Costo por semana $250 pesos

TALLER DE LENGUA MAYA
Para principiantes
Lecto-escritura
Mtro. Aniceto Velázquez Chi
Martes de 3 a 4 pm
Martes de 4 a 5 pm
Jueves de 10 am a 12:00 hrs
Costo de recuperación:
$50 pesos mensuales

LUDOTECA TULUM
Curso de Verano "Te quiero saludable"
del 19 de julio al 6 de agosto 2010
Lunes a viernes
9:00 a 12:00 hrs (niños y niñas de 6 a 12 años)
1:00 a 4:00 pm (niños y niñas de 4 a 5 años)
Rquisitos
Copia del acta de necimiento
Comprobante de domicilio
No. de telefono celular
Inscripciones abiertas
TOTALMENTE GRATUITO

Sushi date with my little girl

2010-05-17T09:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I took my little girl out for a little girly time. She is such a joy and she works so hard so I decided that we would go to town and get a treat together. Leave it to Lena. What did she want..... sushi! I do not know if it is from living in San Francisco for so long or what but she LOVES sushi! I would venture to say that it is her Favorite food.

So we headed to town to get some sushi. I love Sushill-Out but they have been closed lately. It looks like they are going to be doing some renovations or something. So we headed to the new Japanese place in town. The sushi is very good. Expensive but good. I am so used to sushi in SF where you can find amazing sushi rolls for just a few dollars.

We had a very wonderful little snack and then started to head back home. Just under the new Japanese place is Taco Diaz. They recently moved to this location. We decided to be nice ladies and get a few tacos pastor for the boys back home.

It was at this moment that it started to rain. Now, I am originally from Oregon, USA. It rains A LOT in Oregon. To say a lot is sort of an understatement. Then after 10 years in San Francisco we are very used to the cold and wet weather. Lena could not get out in the rain fast enough. She played in the water while I waited for the tacos.

While we were walking home - she would not let me run to the next cover. She said no, no no - walking mommy. It was so much fun. We could not stop laughing. It was great. We got more then a few looks and even more smiles as we jetted down the sidewalk.

Kids help you remember about the fun things in life. Sushi and dancing in the rain was a perfect Sunday evening!

Tulum Living School Project in full swing

2010-04-13T10:43:00.000-05:00

I finally all of the pieces in place to move forward full force with my school project. I have been putting thing project together for a while now and I am so excited about it. I have written more on it on my Tulum Living page but have also mentioned it here.

Having kids in school here in Tulum has been a bit of a love/hate relationship. I am so thankful for education but know that there are so many things that are missing or lacking. I know that it is not the same all throughout Mexico. Some of the problems are but some are also because I chose to live a in a much smaller community.
I have seen though that the schools here are in desperate need of certain things. I call it their big "quiero" Their big "want" This is the thing that is too big for us parents to ever be able to pay for but too small for the gov't to fix. I also want to increase the awareness of recycling to the children of the area. That is where permanent changes will be made.
So here is the project. This is a 3 part project involving Community- The School- and The Kids!!!! We go to each school and find out what their quiero is. As a community we work to raise money for the project. As part of the donation we will also be buying recycling containers. For their part, the school must commit to regular recycling pickups and recycling education. The kids must also participate in a street cleaning day - seperating the trash into recyclables and garbage. The kids will then be rewarded with a cake and ice cream party.
We are so lucky to have a recycling center here in Tulum and it is up and running again. YEAH!!!! If you would like to donate, please click the donate button. All of the money donated (minus the fee that paypal charges) will go towards the project. Tulum Living will cover all other expenses.

Most of these project are between 4,000 and 6,000 dollars. Yes that is a lot of money but it is not an impossible amount to raise.

our first project: Hurricanes Kinder. They are in desperate need of a lunch palapa and some picnic style benches. They also want a smaller palapa over the playground equipment. Could you imagine going to play at 5 years old in the hot Mexican sun and the playground is scorching metal? Not fun.

Please keep track of our progress. If you are in the area and want to meet up or help, please contact us.

I am so excited!!!!!

Please help the Tulum Living School Project

2010-04-13T10:38:00.002-05:00

I finally all of the pieces in place to move forward full force with my school project. I have been putting thing project together for a while now and I am so excited about it. I have written more on it on my Tulum Living page but have also mentioned it here.

Having kids in school here in Tulum has been a bit of a love/hate relationship. I am so thankful for education but know that there are so many things that are missing or lacking. I know that it is not the same all throughout Mexico. Some of the problems are but some are also because I chose to live a in a much smaller community.

I have seen though that the schools here are in desperate need of certain things. I call it their big "quiero" Their big "want" This is the thing that is too big for us parents to ever be able to pay for but too small for the gov't to fix. I also want to increase the awareness of recycling to the children of the area. That is where permanent changes will be made.
So here is the project. This is a 3 part project involving Community- The School- and The Kids!!!! We go to each school and find out what their quiero is. As a community we work to raise money for the project. As part of the donation we will also be buying recycling containers. For their part, the school must commit to regular recycling pickups and recycling education. The kids must also participate in a street cleaning day - seperating the trash into recyclables and garbage. The kids will then be rewarded with a cake and ice cream party.
We are so lucky to have a recycling center here in Tulum and it is up and running again. YEAH!!!! If you would like to donate, please click the donate button. All of the money donated (minus the fee that paypal charges) will go towards the project. Tulum Living will cover all other expenses.

Most of these project are between 4,000 and 6,000 dollars. Yes that is a lot of money but it is not an impossible amount to raise.
our first project: Hurricanes Kinder. They are in desperate need of a lunch palapa and some picnic style benches. They also want a smaller palapa over the playground equipment. Could you imagine going to play at 5 years old in the hot Mexican sun and the playground is scorching metal? Not fun.
Please keep track of our progress. If you are in the area and want to meet up or help, please contact us.

Thank you so much for your donation!!!

2010-04-10T14:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks to you we are one step closer to our next big goal. The kids, schools and recycling center are all being helped and Tulum is reaping the benefits. Thanks to your donation, the schools of Tulum not only get the repairs and renovations they need, but the schools are also receiving recycling containers. The kids learn about the importance of recycling and preservation and are given the gift of a cleaner Tulum.

Please continue to check back in to keep track of our progress. If you would like more information on our current project or to receive direct email updates email me at TulumLiving @ Yahoo DOT com.

Tulum Living School Project. Together we can make a difference for the community- the kids- and Tulum!!!

Getting ready for Eco Glamour and the Green Expo Tulum!!!

2010-04-07T19:52:00.000-05:00

These 2 events in Tulum are going to be amazing. Eco Glamour is an event that celebrates the amazing talents

The first day, Thursday April 8 is all about Fashion. Blue Tulum is hosting a fashion shop and an after party. I believe that the doors open at 6:00 and the show starts at 7:00 and then there is a party afterwards. There will be some wonderful jewelry and clothing from through the Yucatan. Dutzi Designs and Casa Chiapas will both be there as will many others.

The 2nd day is all about Art! And what a great way to show off the wonderful artists then in several beach hotels. There is the ARTulum Route. You can get specific details at http://www.ecoglamourtulum.com/en/ a nice easy drive up and down the beach road. Great hotels with very nice lounges are the perfect place to grab a drink and a bite to eat and enjoy all of the beautiful artwork.

AHHAHAHA Day 3, this is going to be in full swing I imagine. This is the MUSIC day. Ana y Jose Beach Club will host this event. There is a Fresco ball exhibition at 12:00. I really am not sure what that is but I will be there! Then the rest of the day is filled with amazing music for wonderful Latin artists. This is going to be great.

At the same time there will be the Green Expo down at the Casa de Cultura. This is about 5 blocks towards to the beach directly behind the main plaza on the main Avenue. This expo will highlight many of the wonderful products and services here in the area that work to protect our beautiful Tulum.

Margo in Mexico Massage***

2010-03-31T11:34:00.001-06:00

One of the best parts about living in Tulum is the magical energy of this area and how it draws in people from all over the world. Amazing healers have gathered in here making it a Mecca of positive energy and healing powers.

I have suffered from debilitating hand injuries for the past 7 years. I have been through years of physical therapy, occupational therapy, repeated cortisone injections and surgeries. All to be told at the very end that yes I am messed up and there is nothing that they can do for me. I knew that there had to be some way I could find relief from this pain.

Check out the non invasive cast that i was given after 1 of my surgeries. Trust me- that was easy with 2 kids in diapers!

My prayers were answered 2 weeks with an amazing massage from Tulum’s own Margo in Mexico. I have had several massages before and a few here in Mexico and this one was so different. I got her signature “Feel Good” massage. This massage is part education and part deep tissue massage.

As the massage started Margo was talking to me about my body and ways that I can retrain my body to help correct itself. It was not only about relaxing tired and soar muscles as much as it was teaching me to help the muscles not get into the situation in the first place. There were a number of simple changes that I could make to what Margo referred to as my “walking around life.” These were all small changes and mind tricks that go towards the body correcting itself and relieving some of the pain that I have been feeling for so long.

The 2nd part of the massage was spent in quiet relaxation as Margo’s hands got to those really deep areas. It was wonderful because I could tell that although she has a routine, the massage really developed organically based on what my body needed. There were some parts of my body that I did not even realize were sore. The massage lasted for a little over 2 hours.

I one thing that I was not expecting was how when she was working on one area how much pressure was released in a totally different area of my body. It really made me see how much the body is interlinked. Even now 2 weeks later I am still feeling so much better. As I have applied the changes that Margo taught me I can feel a difference in my posture and my comfort. I am even sleeping better.

Margo has a few different types of massages and can really cater to specific needs. The prices of a Margo in Mexico massage cannot be beat. It was amazing. And she can come to you. I love that. You can get your very own Margo in Mexico Massage right on the deck of your room.

I defiantly recommend getting your very own Margo in Mexico Massage!!!

Tulum Living Calendar

2010-02-18T15:08:00.004-06:00

Tulum Living Calendar!!!
Introducing the first total calendar of Tulum. I want all events and things going on around town. One of the biggest complaints for the visitors of our beautiful slice of heaven and for the locals that live here is that you cannot find out about things that happen. It is always… “Hey did you go last night to the….?” Followed by the … “ Ahhh – I did not know about it.”

My little Tulum Living project has really grown and changed very organically as I have lived here. As I have become increasing more involved with Todo Tulum and writing for them I have found the direction that I want to take with this page.

I want an events calendar of all of the things that going on around Tulum. I propose that people around town can let me know of things that are going on and I will build a comprehensive calendar of Tulum. Here is how it will work.

If you have an event that you would like on the calendar you need to send me the following information…
Event Name: _______________________________________________________________
Event Date: ______________________ Event Time: ______________________________
Event Location: ____________________________________________________________
Event Categories:
Live Music: _____ DJ Party: ________ Family Event: ________________
Performance/Culture: ________________ Happy Hour: ________________
Community Involvement: _________________ Class/ Seminar: ______________
** More categories will probably be added over time**
Any Contact information: ______________________________________________________

I will then put those on an interactive calendar on www.TulumLiving.com for the whole world to find out about.

You may place 1 event per week on the calendar for free. For those who want to post 5-12 events a month the charge is $125 pesos/month. For 13-21 events per month the charge is 180 ps/mo. We will also be selling ad space on Tulum Living. For information on our prices and ads, please email us for more information.

The other project that we are moving full force on is the Tulum Living School Project. This is where we are going to go to each public school here in Tulum and find out what their big “want” is. Each school has something- well, in fact many things that they need and want but that cost way too much to ever get bought. I am going to set up a wish item and a donation opportunity in order to make progress on these items. 100% of the money that is donated goes directly to the wanted item.

I am looking forward to launching the calendar on March 1 st. Please- if you would like your events on the calendar- please email us the above information.

Le Bistro- French fare in Tulum ***

2010-02-15T14:53:00.001-06:00

This small little french restaurant just opened recently in Tulum. This whole block has quickly become my favorite in Tulum. The 4 small nicely nut distinctly decorated restaurants are so charming.

I came here for dinner one night and immediately fell in love. The back courtyard is as charming as you can get. With a beautiful small garden blocked off from the bustle of the avenue it is a very nice place to enjoy some wonderful french food.

These are the exact sort of places I hope come to Tulum. This place has just a few tables and makes wonderful french fare. My husband got a wonderful steak with a creamy Roquefort sauce on top. It was the first time that we had even seen any blue cheese anything since we moved here. It was wonderful.

The breakfast and lunch menus range from omelettes with wonderful herbs, traditional egg dishes and breads to fantastic baguette sandwiches and crepes. Diverse salads are available in 2 sizes which I really like. Especially because there are times you want the salad for the meal. I have not eaten some of the french delicacies since I left Paris and I am so glad to see them on the menu here. Le Bistro also offers some wonderful suggestions for wine pairings with some of their French specialties.

Beautiful dinner options like salmon tartar and cuts of meat with traditional sauces call to me like crazy. I cannot wait to come here for dinner. The whole little block lights up in the evenings and with a bottle of wine and amazing French cooking it promises to be an amazing night. And as the only place where I have ever seen Absinthe on the menu- ohhhhoooohhhh Boy look out for a really great night.

Le Bistro has now expanded and has wonderful day options to go. I will go take a deeper look at the new additions to the menu and report back.

Don Cafeto's in Tulum ***

2010-02-10T14:16:00.001-06:00

This is one of the most well known restaurants in Tulum town. I love walking by this place (especially in the morning) because without fail I will see some of the people that I know. There is always a great group of people that come to this restaurant and it is not hard to see why.

The restaurant is very clean and nice and serves up great portions of food for a great price. I come here most often for breakfast. There are so many wonderful things on the menu but I usually get the huevos motulenos. This is sort of like Huevos rancheros but with ham and peas and black beans. It is wonderful. It is served with the traditional friend plantain and is just great.

The people watching is great here as well. I love coming by the restaurant in the evenings as well because they have a very talented keyboard player and the music is great to listen too. They are also very wonderful to kids here. My kids have joined in with the key board player on more then 1 occasion and everyone is so supportive of my little budding musicains.

Oasis Cocteleria, Tulum ***

2010-01-20T15:46:00.001-06:00

Ruben's old boss was working at this restaurant for a while and we kept telling him that we would come by. Well we finally got the chance. As soon as a girlfriend of mine from the states got here, we headed off to give it a shot. It has gotten a lot of good talk on the tulum.info forum.

It is quite a few clocks off the main avenue but well worth the trek. Once we got the restaurant we headed upstairs to the large palapa 2nd floor. It was a nice clear night and the colors were changing in the sky behind us. There was no one else dining in the restaurant and we had the whole place to ourselves.

The margaritas were very good. They came in the correctly sized glass rather then the fish bowl thanks god. The decor was quite nice. A bright yellow with sea fish decor throughout. I had heard from my good friend Margo that the Camarones Diablo were very good so we got that as well as a number of other things.

I was not impressed with the nachos that we ordered. I hate that creamy cheese. I do not know why I just always have. Unless I am at a sports events eating nachos I think regular cheese should be used. But that might just be me.

I did like the guacamole. I use guac as a real barometer of a restaurant. It has very few ingredients and is easy to make. Yet a lot of people mess with their guac and I do not like that. The picture does not look great but it was after the first few tasty margaritas! hahahaha!

The camarones Diablo were amazing. We ended up ordering a second order. By now we were well into margaritas so no pics of the shrimp! Sorry. Next time.

The prices were better then on the main Avenue and that was nice. It was not a hard or dangerous walk to the main avenue either.

Taxi driver in Tulum***

2010-01-20T13:07:00.001-06:00

Taxis are the most common form of transportation around Tulum Pueblo and Tulum Beach. There are 2 areas in Tulum Pueblo where the taxis will line up. The first is right outside the sydicato about 2 blocks into town on the right from the Cancun side entrance. This is right across from the Don Caffetto restaurant and the Mar Caribe Super. the other is right infront of the ADO bus station towards the southern end of town.
If you are in this area it is customary to waive over the next taxi in line rather then grabing one on the road. If not, then just waive one down.

The base rate is between 15-20 pesos if you stay in the immediate downtown area or very near by (say to Super SF or Villas Tulum neighborhood). At night the price goes up a little. To get to the beach will range between 40 pesos for the nearer hotels like to Mezzanine and Luna Maya. Going up to like 100 pesos to get all the way south towards the Sian Ka'an Bioreserve. It is always a good idea to check with the driver before you get going.

Taxi drivers here are very nice. I have been to places where the taxis run you all over town because you do not know the town and try to charge you a lot. This was really common in San Francsico where I lived. Here that is not really possible. The town is very small and not that vast. So long as you have a general idea you should be fine.

Please remember that people here do live on tips. If you were really happy with your driver - tip - it is always appreciated.

one nice option around Tulum is to use taxi drivers for tours. I have many taxi driver friends that offer very popular tours to Tulum ruins, some cenotes, Coba ruins and the monkey reserve for fraction of the cost of a tour. You can have up to 4 people in a taxi and you have the driver at your disposal. rather then waiting around for a lot of people to gather together you can sit back with your friends or family and enjoy the day for A LOT less. Many taxi drivers work with another person and therefore can accomidate larger groups. I think that this is the very best option for seeing the ruins.

I know drivers that do tours to :

Tulum Ruins

Coba Ruins

Cenotes

Chichen Itza

Sian Ka'an Bioreserve

Playa del Carmen

and to the Cancun airport

etc. The taxi drivers are very flexible, most speak English and they provide a more relaxed and personal day.

Colectivos in Tulum***

2010-01-20T12:49:00.002-06:00

Colectivos in Tulum are a very easy and cost effect way to get around the Rivera Maya. These vans run the distance between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Different syndicates (like Unions) run even further North from Cancun to Playa del Carmen and many run south of Tulum to Carrillo Puerto.

I really love taking the collectivos. They are easy and cheap. You can simply flag one down on the main road and tell them where you want to get off. These are especially great for people that are staying in the Rivera Maya and want to visit the ruins on Tulum. It currently costs about 30 pesos from Playa del Carmen to Tulum.

I have heard that travel agents in the USA and Canada are advising people not to take the collectivos because they are unsafe and I can assure you that is not the case. This is the most common form of transportation for people here and I have NEVER had a problem with them.

The collectivos are a great way to do day trips from Tulum and throughout the Rivera Maya. They only run along the main avenue in Tulum and on the highway. In Playa del Carmen they end at 10th and Juarez. These are the ideal way to get to Akumal from Tulum or between Tulum and Playa del Carmen.

They start pretty early- I think around 6 and run till around 11ish at night.

ADO bus lines around Tulum***

2010-01-20T11:59:00.004-06:00

The ADO bus line is the main bus line that runs around Mexico and the Rivera Maya. I get a lot of questions about these buses and their safety. I have been on the the bus many times back and forth to the airport and to smaller towns around the Yucatan. The buses are very safe and very comfortable. You can read more about how to go to the Cancun airport from Tulum on the ADO buses here.

There is also a new shuttle ADO bus from Tulum to the airport 4 times a day. Check the schedule at the bus station in Tulum to see if this cost effective option will work for you. This is definatly the cheapest way to get to the airport.

To some of the smaller towns you may also end up on the Mayab bus line. These buses will stop more frequently and might be in a little less of great shape. But they are still very nice and comfortable. There are many stops at other towns which offers a good chance to get out and use the restroom and buy some of the amazing Mayan food being sold by vendors near the station. Many times people will come right up on the bus and pass through with sopes or sodas for sale.

You can buy your ticket from the bus station or from the bus driver themselves. If you are at the station, buy it from the window. The buses like everything else around here operate on Mexican Time. you really need to be flexible and not get upset. Trust me- there is nothing that yelling at the ticket person that the bus is an hour late or came and left 45 minutes early is going to do. Just be flexible and have a good attitude. You can get a good idea of bus prices at the ADO website. Mayab is usually a little cheaper.

In Tulum it is on the main avenue right next to Charlie's. Charlies is also my favorite place to meet people who are coming on the bus because you can never be quiet sure what time they will get there. So I always tell people to take a right out of the station and go into the first restaurant.

I alsways feel very safe on the bus but I also use common scense.

Cabanas Tulum- El Bistro at Ziggy Beach

2010-01-20T11:53:00.003-06:00

I have seen this new restaurant on TUlum beach from the road a few times and it looked like a place I wanted to try. Well, really I want to give all of them a try. But I finally got my chance to try El Bistro at Ziggy Beach.

Okay okay... I played ditch from cleaning the house and catching up on all of the stuff that I really needed to do and went to the beach instead. Always a good idea on a beautiful day in Tulum. I could not stop myself from trying this place. My battery on my camera went dead but you can bet that I will be going back.
All 3 of the menus look great. The breakfast even had eggs Benedict- I will be back for that.

We did not have much money so we took advantage to the great new special they have right now which is 2 for 1 on any drink and i think all day. We each got 2 margaritas- served a bit sweet but in the perfect glass. When we asked them to make the 2nd one a little less sweet they made the drinks a little more to our liking. ( I hate it when some places just totally ignore you on that) We split the chicken Cesar wrap and it was great. The tortilla was much like what I remember from living in San Francisco and the taquerias there. I might try one of the burritos on the menu.

This new restaurant on Tulum Beach is part of Cabanas Tulum. Although it will be changing names in the future. I know there was a lot of talk about Cabanas Tulum on tulum.info so I was excited to hear that a place that got such great reviews in the past looks like it is headed for a bright future.

I will post pictures as soon as I have them.

Dutzi Event a Success

2010-01-20T11:38:00.004-06:00

Well- The holidays are over and oh my god to I have some serious catching up to do. The first thing that I want to say is how wonderful the event for Dutzi Design went. We spent the day at the new In Spirit Store and had a great time bringing awareness to this great project. These bags made by women in the Yucatan are beautiful and it was a real treat spending this day supporting this cause. These bags are being sold at boutiques all over Paris and New York and most recently Mexico and Italy. It is great.

The whole day was spent focusing on the various talents of the women in the area with a highlight on the Dutzi Design project. We had a morning Yoga class, massages available, organic spa treatments available, card readings all the bags on display, authentic Yucatecan food for purchase. It was really great. In the evening we were treated to some wonderful AcroYoga which is truly great.

The whole day could not have been possible with out the wonderful assistance and talents of Jackie and the In Spirit store, Crystal and the card readings, Land and the wonderful food, and of Course Ariane Dutzi for having the inspiration and determination to continue the project.

I would also like to give a very special thanks to the Gerardo Miranda from Yes...I Do! for donating the chairs and tables. They were beautiful and really completed the look for our event. We look forward to working with you again when we do our wedding ceremony next year. To contact Gerardo Miranda for any event needs please contact us and we would be happy to pass the information along.

Another company we would really like to thank is Flors de Tulum. The fruiteria across the side street from HCBC has always been wonderful to me the whole time I have lived here. It is one of my all time favorite place to buy- well- anything they sell really. They were so kind to donate some produce so that we could offer our guests the amazing food and services that we did. Thank you so much.

If you ever need to buy any fruit or veggies in Tulum--- this is the place to do it.

I look forward to doing more work with all of the people that I got to share the day with. Oh yeah.. And thanks to my work... Yaaj- Ximbal to letting me off for the day so that I could do this event. :)

dutzi design - Empowering Women Event.

2009-12-29T07:17:00.007-06:00

I am so excited to be organizing an event for dutzi design inc. This wonderful group of Mayan women make the most beautiful bags all by hand and from beautifully recycled burlap and white raffia. They are so beautiful and the proceeds go to keeping this workshop up and running and keeping food on the tables of those in the community.

We are having an event at In Spirit Store. A beautiful store on the south side of the beach road across from Casa Violeta. The event begins at 9:00 am with a roof top yoga class followed by fresh fruit breakfast. Here is the whole schedule:

9:00- yoga class on the roof overlooking the jungle canopy.
10:00-Fresh fruit breakfast and organic coffee
11:00- Special dutzi Presentation- special discounts at in Sprit for those that attend that presentation.
12:00-4:00- Special services from women in the community. Mayan food for sale, card reading, spa treatments and masks, massages, back flowers and a kids area.
4:00- Special dutzi Presentation- special discounts at in Sprit for those that attend that presentation.
5:00- Horderves and Happy Hour
6:30- Aztec Drumming performance
7:00- Fire Show.

This is going to be an amazing event to bring focus to the amazing work of Ariane Dutzi and her work with the women in her community. These women are learning about finanaces and are able to contribute to their communities. The bags that they make are being sold in boutiques in Paris and New York as well as other locations throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe.

In addition to learning about the dutzi design project, visitors can also help the women of the area by using the services that we will be providing during the event.

Please come by and show your support for this wonderful cause.

Lighthouse Church in Tulum English Service

2009-12-22T07:13:00.004-06:00

I was recently invited to attend the new Lighthouse Church Service on the Coba Road. Having a very open minded view of religion and being married to a Mexican Catholic I was eager to check it out.

This non demoninational Christian church is exactly what my view of religion is. A group of like minded people who have found a certain peace and happiness in their lives and joining together to celebrate that faith and it to share it with anyone else who is interested.

My friends from Tulum.info who inveted me to attend picked up me and my family one Sunday morning. I was not sure what to expect. I have not been to formal church in a very long time and some of my run ins have not left positive memories. But I am so pleased that I had such such a wonderful expereince.

The Church itself is housed in the Salsa Maya Restaurant building not more then a 1/4 mile down the Coba road. The people where as kind and warm as I could have possibly hope to meet. They greeted me and the kids, invited to us enjoy some coffee and get the kids intorduced tot he kids worship area.

Now I have a very different religious belief then most Christians on many of the main principles of the religion. Ranging from reincarnation, to mother earth to we are part of everything else sort of ideas. What I loved was that the message of love, acceptance, being at peace with yourself and your maker- whomever that may be was overwhelming.

The church holds services in English with a table where you can hear the Spanish translation. The worship is at 10:00 a.m. and lasts around an hour. The kids area is really wonderful and Debbie, the pastors wife, leads the kids in various activities and crafts that center around the teachings of the church.

Even as a non catholic and a very loose Christian, I felt so at home and welcome by the people of the Lighthouse Church. Always willing and eager to help in anyway, the people are what make any church in my mind and this one has the best of the best.

Terri Hill and his wife Debbie have been in the Playa del Carmen area for sverak years now and are now moving to our quiet little town to start the first English christian service. The happiness and peace that these 2 people, and several others, have within them is inspirational.

This is the perfect place for Christians, and non christians to come and worship and learn together. I really enjoyed my time at the church and look forward to attending more often. More information can be found at www.lighthousechurchtulum.com

They are a having a Christmas service on the 24th of December at 6:00. All are more then welcome.

Response about Ocho Closing

2009-12-17T18:19:00.003-06:00

I received this comment in my post about Ocho Tulum's closing. I know that this is an issue that many people are concerned with and that information is not as easy to come by in English so I wanted to post it here.

Let me be clear. This is not me saying this. This is an anonymous person that left a comment on my post but it did give another side of the story so I wanted to post it. Please feel free to leave comments or to send me an email with specific questions.

I am contacting the hotel to see if they want to add anything to this. But I will say that I do hope that it is true that Ocho is reopening because I think it is a great hotel.

I hope you are all having a great day.

There has been a lot of concern over Ocho Tulum and its seizure two weeks ago. The hotel was seized in a fraudulent effort by the Garza Ponce family of Monterrey alleging that they own the lease to the land on which Ocho Tulum stands.

Ocho Tulum's owner is in communicating with top officials in both the U.S. and Mexico to get this remedied expediently.

It has recently come to our attention that the owners of another Tulum hotel, Ana y Jose, in affiliation with the Garza Ponce family will take over operation of Ocho Tulum. This is illegal! Do not risk your vacation being compromised by staying there.

Ocho Tulum's operators aim to provide the best service they can and are in contact with all of the guests who had reservations for this upcoming winter season. They're referring guests to Blue Tulum and in some cases refunding deposits.

Ocho Tulum will be back. Stay tuned. Feel free to comment.

24 Hour Tortas - Late night eats in Tulum ***

2009-12-14T10:11:00.004-06:00

There are not a lot of spots to grab some really good grub after a late night of having a good time with friends. Luckily there is the always tasty- 24 Hour Torta place. There are actually a few. One is at the entrance to town and has a big sign that says “Big Sandwich” I have not eaten there but my husband has and he said that is was very good.

But the one at the end of town – I have eaten here a few times. And let me tell you that it is fantastic. Tortas are a like a taco on a bread roll. They are very good and come in as many combinations at tacos do. They are little more expensive than your regular taco but then again- they will you up a lot more too. I wish I knew the name of this place but all it says anywhere is TORTAS!

There were many options and all were good. We got a few of the pollo (chicken) and a few of the milanesa (a breaded and friend beef.) Both had black beans lettuce, onions, tomato, cheese and loads of meat. They are a great snack for kids and they are the perfect thing to get after a late night of drinking and not eating as much as you needed to!

Cafe Kujaku-* Great Jappenesse Food and Amazing Coffee *

2009-12-11T07:09:00.007-06:00

We ate at a fantastic little spot the other day. It was right in the middle of town across from Le Nave. I have been watching this building go up over the last few months and it really is a nice looking building. The cafe is called Cafe Kujaku.

It looks as thought there is a jewelry store underneath and I am not sure about the hotel it is attached to. But the cafe was delightful. The spiral stair case could be difficult for some to maneuver but it does add to the charm. There might be additional access from another direction but I am not sure.

Once on the 2nd level you have a very nice few of the main avenue below. I really love restaurants, cafes and bars that are on the 2nd floor and more and more of them are popping up.

My husband got a tea which came beautifully served with all the fixings. My daughters favorite food is sushi so that is what we got. We also got a very nice fried rice. The food is a little pricey compared to other spots in town but the ingredients were very fresh and tasted great.

They have wi-fi which is really nice. I could see this being on of my favorite spots to grab a snack and work on the balcony. The couple that was running it were wonderful and attentive. I cannot wait to go back and try more.

Ocho Tulum Closed

2009-12-04T12:48:00.007-06:00

Okay. So everyone who lives in Tulum has heard by now... Ocho Tulum was seized the other day and its doors closed due to a court order earlier this week. All of the guests, 12 in total, were given alternet lodging. As for now the doors remain closed over the land dispute.

Here is one of the articles that was found around town. It has been translated via the auto translator so it is a bit rough.

There is a dispute about the land and who exactly owns it. Ocho is working with the investigation and is hoping to get the whole thing resolved. It is not exactly clear what is going to happen in the upcoming days. I do know that Ocho is working with Blue Tulum and other companies in the Tulum area to ensure that all those who have a reservation - especially over the upcoming holiday season- will still have your amazing vacation in paradise.

Here is a rough translation of the article that can be found here

For agrarian conflict in Tulum
An-gel EUAN

De-sa-lo-ho ho-tel eight Tu-lum
TU-LUM, 30 non-viem-bre.- With a court order was made this morning by the eviction of Ocho Tulum hotel, located in coastal city in Tulum-Boca Paila Road, causing about a dozen tourists and eighty employees remained virtually on the street, after the claim of the rightful owner of such land, in the restive area known as "Punta Piedra.

Around 15:00 hours, by order of a civil judge, the clerk visited Ocho Tulum hotel to reclaim the property belonging to the family Garza Ponce, accompanied by about a dozen police elements who were responsible for evicting tourists and employees.

The conflict over land ownership dating from the 90s, where every day there were moments of tension. This conflict area is better known as "Punta Piedra. Ejido Jose Maria Pino Suarez, knowing that the limits of its territorial reserves not adjoining to the coastal zone, gave proofs of ownership, such as that given to the alleged owner Teresa Jiménez Rodríguez.

However, despite having the document and according to the injunction, the order was throwing the occupants to surrender the property later Ponce Erica Trevino family coopropietaria Garza Ponce, who are airing this problem through both criminal for years.

Altogether 12 tourists were evacuated were staying at the hosting center, as well as 80 employees who work in it, who currently hold a 30 percent occupancy, according to hotel manager.

The alleged owner, Teresa Jiménez Rodríguez, who purchased the property to Joseph Tun Cahuich, in the midst of powerlessness, said she was being violated their individual rights by the authorities, to be released from the estate, a situation that could occur with other occupants of the same strip.

These actions are given a few days of hotel occupancy starts to increase, since according to the president of the Tulum Hotel Owners' Association, hope to achieve in the holiday season about 80 percentage points.

Om Restaurant on Tulum Beach ***

2009-11-30T14:29:00.006-06:00

I had a fantastically wonderful time recently having dinner at Om on Tulum beach. This dinner was especially fantastic because I was meeting up with people from Tulum.info. This is a great forum on Tulum and is full of people who really love Tulum. So armed with some great friends we headed down the beach road. Om sits toward the south end of the beach road and is a nice and easy drive.

There are a lot of places on the beach road and some of them really do look a lot alike and have the same sort of ambiance. But Om has really created a very different feel and you can notice it from the very beginning at the entrance from the road. The peaceful ambiance is accented by the large Buddha fountain at the front entrance and the calming bridge and pathways that lead to the rooms and the beach front restaurant.

I have not had the opportunity t o stay or visit friends staying at this hotel but I did see the rooms and they are very well appointed. Going with general theme of the Rivera Maya the rooms are simple and clean-lined with accents of color and local crafts and art. The use of organic materials creates a beautiful harmony with the beach and lush jungle that surround it.

The restaurant is very beautiful. The large open palapa can be closed off in the case of heavy winds and provides fantastic views of the beach and the crashing waves. The large pieces of red fabric that flow above the restaurant create a royal and powerful ambiance that I really liked.

I did enjoy the margaritas which were served in the correctly sized small glass rather then that huge thing that sometimes comes to the table. The owner was there and was, as always, a great entertainment. I really enjoyed sitting with him, my new and my old friends at such a beautiful dinner.

There are a few things that stuck out as far as dishes went. The first was the fish and chips. The fish was in large sections that had a coating to die for. And everyone loves a well done french fry and proper catsup- which can be hard to find sometimes. There were a few great pizzas on the table and that is what this restaurant is known to do well.

One of my friends ordered this beautifully wrapped/stuffed chicken breast. It looked incredible. I am pretty sure it had chaya (a Yucatecan version of spinach) and cheese and I am sure a little more.

There were a few shrimp dishes, one with Thai sweet chili sauce. This was a little too candy tasting for me but that is more me then anything. I cook a lot with Thai chili sauce and do it to my own liking so when it is done by someone else then it is usually too sweet for me. My friend loved her food- in fact- Everyone loved their food.

The highlight- besides the amazing margaritas, decadent food and wonderful friends... was the pizza nutella. This dessert is rich and wonderful. A light and perfectly cooked wood oven pizza crust slathered in rich and yummy nutella and served with some roasted nuts and wonderful tropical fruit preserves.

There is nothing greater (in my opinion) then friends and food. This is a combination that makes me so happy. And this night was full of all of my favorite things. I am so happy that I finally got to put names and faces together and eat such amazing food.

Evangelo is a truly gracious host and a wonderful person and it was so great to spend time with him and the Tulum.info crowd. If you are traveling in Tulum and want to check out www.Tulum.info there is a wealth of information from people who have been to Tulum and want to share the good and bad.

Sushill-Out in Tulum now delivers

2009-11-23T07:44:00.005-06:00

I was so excited the other day when I went to my local corner store to pick up my fresh tortillas and saw a little flyer promoting Sushill-Out's new delivery service. As a person from downtown San Francisco, the idea of different types of food that can be delivered to me is just wonderful.

When I first moved here, Sushill-Out was located on one of my favorite little streets in Tulum. On it there was an Italian restaurant (Dolci Sapori) French- Le Bistro - Sushill-Out- clearly sushi- and Elements- a great fresh cafe. Sushill-Out has moved over towards the center of town on the main avenue 1 block before the main plaza. - The location is wonderful.

Their grand opening had some wonderful artwork from a local artist and some great music provided by a local dj. The atmosphere is fun and hip. Luis and Erika have put a lot of care and detail into this new location and I know that it is going to do well.

With 2 kids and no car- getting around sometimes can be hard and although I love the location- the ambiance really gets destroyed by a 5 and 6 year old. Although it is funny because sushi is one of my daughters all time FAVORITE foods. I remember one time we were picking up my mom up at the airport in SF - and my daughter looks up at me and says "I am hungry mommy and I really want some sushi." This provided quite the giggle to the people around given that Lena was barely 5! So there she sat while my mom pulled up trying to master her chopsticks. So see- if you are one of those people who says- eeeeeewwww Sushi- and have not even tried it... try to be more open to it... a 4 year old was.

So Lena could not be more thrilled that we can now order the sushi to come to our house. When we are out of food at the house and I tell the kids we need to go to the store... their response is "we could get sushi at the house."

Yes...Yes we can!!!! Thank you Sushill-Out. I will get their number and post it soon!!!

Festival of Jazz with Fatima and David Gilmore

2009-11-19T08:31:00.004-06:00

Starting tomorrow evening the south side beach of Tulum will be resonating with the remarkable talents of International music sensations Fatima and David Gilmore. These 2 incredibly talented performers will be at Ocho Tulum for this upcoming week and visitors are sure to get a great show.

Fatima, a New York based singer and songwriter was originally born in Germany. Born to a German mother and a Sudanese father, Fatima grew up listening to a wide variety of music both in German as well as Arabic. At 17 she received a scholorship to study at the ‘Musikhochschule’ in Berlin. And at 22 she moved to New York.

Since in New York she has worked on many wonderful projects and collaborations with very talented musicians and performers from around the world. And works on music that combine various languages and draws from both European and Arabic- African influences. As a backup singer and dancer, Fatima has worked with many African and Caribbean artists and has performed at venues through out the world.

To hear some of her music you can visit her website

The second part of the duet is David Gilmore. The global beats and amazing jazz that this talented musician round out this exciting performance. Born and raised in Cambridge Massachusetts during the 70s, David was surrounded by various forms of music and began to study with 2 of Bostons well known musicians, John Baboian and Randy Roos. Shortly after he moved to New York where he attended New York University and studied under saxophonist Joe Lovano and pianist Jim McNeely. It was during these years that David grew further as an artist.

Finding himself collaborating with other artists each with different influences and styles, David began to form his style and develop as a composer. Playing as well as composing and producing records, David has had the opportunity to work with some of the music industries most talented members. He has received awards and recognition and continues to wow audiences with his original and captivating music.

For more information on David Gilmore and to hear examples of his music you can visit his website.

Ocho Tulum has once again brought a new and exciting way to spend an evening in Tulum. Head on over to Ocho Tulum, plop down on one of the beach beds - grab a tasty cocktail and one of the killer appetizers by chef Eric Fischer and get ready for a night of amazing jazz with Fatima and David Gilmore.

Ocho Tulum's Yoga Retreat Ocho is now operating out of Blue Tulum*

2009-10-28T09:42:00.008-06:00

I have not been to the new Ocho by Blue Tulum. I have stayed at the Blue Tulum resort and it was very nice. If I do ever have the opportunity to stay at the new hotel I will bring you the report.

The yoga retreats at Ocho Tulum really are an amazing expereince and one that a few lucky people got to expereience this past week on the glistening beaches of Tulum, Mexico. Yoga retreats are renowned the world over as an amazing way to reconnect to your body, mind and spirit while harmonizing with the natural surroundings.

There is no better place to do this the Ocho Tulum. The whole mystic area that is the Rivera Maya envelopes one in a deep sense of history and connection to the Earth. The energy of the people of times long past are still felt in the waters of the cenotes and in the trees that flow calmly in the wind. The whole area of Tulum draws in a mystic and peaceful feeling.

The feeling and energy that this area has lends itself as the ideal place for such relaxing and rejuvinating activities such as the Ocho Tulum Yoga Retreats. Ocho Tulum as a hotel adds its own element with its dedication to the enviroment and haromnizing with the elemnts around them. To read more about the hotel Ocho Tulum, click here.

The Yoga retreats at Ocho Tulum bring focus and connection with mind, body and spirit with many different activities ranging from mantra beach walks, yoga workshops that connect thought and meditation to poses, beach boot camps designed to burn fat and increase your heart rate to day trips to amazing colonial towns like Villdolid to rejuvinating cenotes. An amazing spa on the premisis is the perfect place to pamper your tired feet, enjoy a healing massage or recieve an invigorating facial.

The meals prepared for the guests of the reatreat are prepared with as much love and flare as the rest of the menu the head chef, Eric Fischer, prepares each night. A commitment to vegitarian and vegan dishes is observed year round by this chef but is given special highlight during these beautiful retreats that they host.

The packages include 6 days, 5 nights, 2 yoga classes a day, 3 meals per day, a massage, a spa treatment (including the renowned Mayan Clay treatment) 1 day trip to a Mayan ruins site, and air port transfer. The schedule includes enough time to relax and enjoy the beautiful beach and surrounding jungles and sends guests home with a deeper connection to their bodys as well as their uncounscience, and retored and ready to take on the world that lays outside the Caribbean.

For more information about the amazing yoga retreats at visit the Ocho Tulum website here.

Ochoberfest!!! The best of Germany hits Tulum!

2009-10-19T13:27:00.000-05:00

One thing that I really love about Ocho Tulum is that it is constantly hosting events that encompass a different feel then many of the run of the mill happy hour fiestas that you might think of when you think of the Rivera Maya.

After living in Munich, Germany- Tulum is defiantly not the place I would have expected an Oktoberfest invitation to be in my inbox. But there it was. The colors of Bavaria flew high over the beach chairs usually reflecting the red, green and white of the Mexican flag. And even better... the taste and smells of really amazing German beer and sausage filled the wind off the sea.

In speaking to head chef Eric Fischer I could hardly wait for the event to happen. The food sounded so amazing. The same well flavored sausage and potatoes dishes that I was used to eating in Munich were about to be served, by the amazing staff of Ocho Tulum's incredible kitchen, right there on the beaches of Tulum.

The beer in Germany is a special breed. It can be very different then beers here in Mexico. Not better- but very different. I got excited even seeing the bottles on the tables!

This event did not disappoint. The food was absolutely amazing- as I was expecting. And the deep rich beers of Germany kept the guests happy and dancing on the sand well in to the night. Ocho Tulum brought an exciting and worldly flavor to their already exciting and well reviewed restaurant and beach club. I cannot wait to see what event is going to be next.

Calander of Events in Tulum

2009-10-03T08:35:00.004-05:00

One difficult thing about Tulum is that it is not easy to find out what is going on around town. Here at Tulum Living we hope to help. For more information about any of these events you can look around our website or check the clients website. If you have any questions or are interested in having your events on Tulum Living, please contact us TulumLiving@yahoo.com.

Tulum Living School Project

2009-09-29T13:59:00.003-05:00

I have a new idea that I am really excited about. In all of my talking with people, going back and forth on forums and answering people's emails I have come to notice something. Well, 2 things really.

1) There are so many people that LOVE Tulum. Some people that live here, that have lived here, visited here once or come every year- they just love it. They love the people, they love the culture, they love the beaches, they love the beautiful sea.

and 2) That there is a strong need for improvements in Tulum's schools and simply not enough money going to them.

Just like in the US and everywhere else, the public schools of Tulum never have enough money to get all of the things that they need. Schools are trying hard just to get through the school year with the supplies that they need. There is never enough money to put towards the bigger things that the school needs.

This has come full force to me recently because of my own children. In my sons school there are a few things that are really needed to be a fun and safe place for kids that under 6 years old. Broken, metal play ground equipment, NO shade so NO running outside etc. The same is true at my daughters school. There are almost no totally functioning bathrooms, all need repairs etc. I started to think that there must be a similar case at every school. Sure enough, the moment I started to talk to my friends about the schools their kids were in --- it was clear. TulumLiving.com needs to set up some sort of a donation thing.

I used to work on a lot of fundraising projects with my mom in Portland, OR with Doernbecher Children's Hospital and the Women for Children group. I remember my mom telling me that usually the hardest part of getting anything done is all of the people you have to go though to do it. All it takes is organization and a way to communicate. Well, I am a stage manager in the theater so anality is right up my alley. And as for communication... god bless the Internet.

So here is what I propose... I am going to go to each public school here in Tulum and talk to the head of their parent/teacher association and ask them what their big want it for their school. The one that is too big to ever get done but too small for the gov't to take care of.

I am going to list them all on 1 post with the name of the school/ the name of the director/ the number to the director/ and the want for the school. As people donate I will keep a running log on www.TulumLiving.com under the tab Help Tulum's Schools tab. As the amount is reached we will execute the need and do a post on Tulum Living. When a payment is made - we will mark it off and go to the next school.

I am so excited I can hardly type fast enough. I am expecting that most of these projects will be in the 20000-40000 peso area. That is about $1,470 to $3,000. I am excited. Okay. so.. I will start the page now. I will need a week or so to get the info from the schools and a separate bank account set up for this project!!! Yeah. I am so excited. Please free to contact me if you have any question.

Check in at Help Tulum's Schools to watch our progress and for more information about how to help out.

Russian Gypsy Card Readings from the Princess of the Runes, Crystal

2009-09-23T20:15:00.009-05:00

Any one who has had the privilege of receiving clarity and serenity from a well delivered card reading knows that the services provided by these gifted people have the power to change lives. One such gifted spirit, the Princess of the Runes, is among us here in Tulum, Mexico.

Tulum Mexico has for years been a place that has nurtured the rarer talents of the world around. Having a deep history as a very magical place since the time of the ancient Maya, the energy around Tulum has drawn in beautiful people with truly tranquil minds and hearts.

Receiving a card reading from the acclaimed Princess of the Runes is a special treat for any visitor to the area. The Princess of the Runes also knows as Crystal was recently highlighted in an article in the New York Times, “36 hours in Tulum, Mexico.”

Crystal’s journey to find her gift began when she was just a young girl growing up in a loving family who encouraged her to dream, explore and love the world with an open mind. As she grew with a deep love of the universe and the belief that she would always be taking care of by her, Crystal’s destiny as a gifted reader began to root. After the death of a friend when she was a teenager she began to explore the healing power of crystals and began to gain further insight into her life.

After first discovering her gift with reading cards, Crystal began to delve deeper in to the understanding and meaning behind the 25 cards laid out in front of her. The cards, made up of 25 square cards each with 4 one half images. As the cards are placed before the reader the cards are adjusted to reveal any tiles that form 1 image from the 2 halves. As the images are decoded by the Princess of the Runes depending in the position in which they are laid, the cards begin to give insight and clarity to a wide array of questions.

Crystal expanded her skill and trained with the Rune Goddess before moving to Tulum with her husband, Tulum’s premier tattoo artist, and their young children to share her skill with the community here. Surrounded by the nature she loves so much, she lives in the lush jungles around Tulum and enjoys a peaceful and fulfilled life. Her light and gift is a wonderful experience and one that I am so happy I have gotten to experience.

Crystal is available for private readings and for parties and can also do readings over the phone. Her highly sought after skills are a treasure to witness. Ocho Tulum, one of Tulum's best beach hotels, has recently brought her in to do card readings for guests on Friday nights in their beautiful beach front restaurant giving guests the opportunity to get this amazing service for only customary 100-200 peso tip. That is quite the bargain for these rare readings.

In addition to her wonderful talents at a card reader, Crystal also sells the acclaimed Shankari jewelry. Seen all over Hollywood and beautiful boutiques and art galleries all over the world, each of these pieces is a true one of a kind work of art and is as priceless as they are amazing. She is also the authorized seller of the acclaimed Dutzi Design bags. These bags are 100% recycled and support a workshop of Mayan women here in the area. These amazing bags have been featured in several magazines and are being sold in boutiques in New York and Paris.

Dutzi Design Inc.***

2009-09-18T10:26:00.009-05:00

Okay… this is a long one but it is worth every line

It is not very often that you hear about something that someone is doing and it just makes you smile from the inside. Well, the project of Dutzi Designs Inc. is one such story. !!!

The project is that of Ariane Dutzi. Ariane lives here in the Yucatan and has started a line, Dutzi Designs Inc., to help the communities of the Yucatan. As a former fashion editor from New York and Paris, she moved to Mexico where she is making an impact in the beautiful community that she is now a part of.

When the Swine Flu scare erupted in Mexico last April it created a mass exodus of tourists in the Yucatan and the communities of the area really suffered. As the “infodemic” spun out of control, a whole bunch of totally healthy people sat in the deserted towns of the Yucatan and then found themselves without people to sell their handiwork to. Ariane has since developed the Dutzi Design Rescue Bag. Complete with a label befitting of the project, a small outlined face of a pig, these bags are as eco-friendly green as they are well made and beautiful.

The whole project really is something special. As a way of helping the Mayan community that lives in the areas around Valladolid, about 70 women as well as some men make each and every bag. The project is not only a means for so many women to help provide for their families, but also helps preserve the beautiful culture of the indigenous Maya. With all of the proceeds from the sales of the bag going directly into the project, this community of women continues to be able to help sustain themselves especially in a time where so many of us here in the Yucatan are feeling the devastating consequences of the hype of the swine flu.

Here is a bit of history about how such a special project came to be. Ariane is an amazingly beautiful woman who after being born in Germany moved to Paris to study at the Sorbonne. After graduation Ariane got a job as a foreign correspondent for a German publication. Due to her location in Paris, fashion was the tallest order. During the reign of top supermodels and skyrocketing talent in the design world, Ariane had the privilege of interviewing and working with some of the most talented designers in the world. Having had studied history Ariane had an interest in fashion’s history and the artisans that made such wonderful pieces.

She told me a beautiful story about one example of stories that she loved to do. It was of the artisans who made the soles for Chanel shoes and Gucci shoes. It was only these very specific artisans that did the soles in a traditional way. The use of chemicals, if any at all, where minimal and the result was sole for a shoe fit for Hera herself. As I am sure anyone who owns a pair of Chanel shoes will attest to. She told me how the stories of these artisans, their craft and the devotion they give such a craft really intoxicated her. It intoxicated me just listening to it. After her move to Mexico, she found a similar passion for the artisans in her new home country. But more on that in a minute, I jump ahead of myself.

Ariane then came to Mexico for a vacation in the beautiful town of Cuernavaca just outside of Mexico City. Known as the “City of Eternal Spring” for its year long perfect weather, it was over… the love obsession had begun.

Ariane took this time in her life to figure out the passions that she wanted to follow. Not quiet sure which way she was going to take herself, she headed to Tulum. Working in the hotel industry, Ariane got to stretch her creativity and interest in design in to decorating and furniture design. She helped design, promote and staff not just one Coqui Coqui hotel… but 3, Tulum, Coba and Valladolid. After investing much energy and love into these projects Ariane once again went to New York for inspiration for her next path.

This next path turned out to be working with an old friend from the fashion industry to open a vintage discovery showroom. Not a store, but more an inspirational space for designers and artists to come and get inspired. Working with wonderful textures and colors and looking at things from the past in a new light is what sparked the fuse that lead the way for Ariane’s next direction. It was hear that she began to learn the skill of noticing 1 small detail or 1 texture and create a whole concept out of it.

Now back in Mexico, she began to make beautiful bags from vintage materials. Being very drawn to burlap, the bags began to take shape organically as she rediscovered the Mexico that she had left. The straps are all hand made by the indigenous Maya who have crafted such belts for generations. More and more Ariane needed help to craft the bags that had become so popular. At one point, Ariane had to make a choice. Was she going to commit 100% and dive fully into her project and trust in the Universe to take care of her or go back? Luckily for us all she chose to invest fully into the project.

As she needed more and more help she befriended and employed more and more Mayan women from her community. What blossomed out of this first year was a workshop in which women in the community began to learn about their finances and how to have some control over them.

The most important thing about the workshop as it developed was that these women were able to remain the women that were before with the duties that they had before. To celebrate all of the things that makes us all such remarkable women. We have the special gift of taking care of our families needs, being there for our families and wanting to be able to enjoy our families and Ariane did not want these women to give any of that up just so they could work as well.

I have not even started to tell you about the amazing bags themselves… these bags, made of vintage burlap or 100% recycled white raffia. They are absolutely beautiful and are not only made by hand with love and care but, probably because of that fact, are incredibly well made.

In addition to the “Rescue Bag” Ariane’s whole line of couture bags are being sold in stores and boutiques all over New York as well as in Paris, Santa Fe, Malibu, CA, Mexico and over the internet. One of the best ways to get your own Rescue Bag is to drive over and see the project for yourself. Valladolid is a beautiful town about an hour from Tulum and wonderfully worth a visit. What a fantastic souvenir of a trip to the Yucatan. Luckily you can also buy one online and have it sent to you. Check out the website with information about how to purchase your very own bag.

These bags are perfect for both men and women. I especially love the bike messenger bag for men. These bags reflect both a consciousness for the earth and an effort to protect and cherish it, but also for the wonderful communities of Mayan women in the Yucatan.

I am so excited to see that the very first couture Dutzi dress has just been made. I cannot wait to see as more and more clothing comes from these guys. The furniture designed by Dutzi Designs is stunning as well. I will be getting more info about the clothing and furniture and will post again. Stay tuned.

So…. Do you want to help… can you help… If yes… here are a few ways that you can…
• If you, or anyone you know, own a shop or a boutique and would like to carry Dutzi Designs in your store, you can get in touch with Ariane (or me if you want)
• You can order a bag online directly from the source.
• If you are vacationing in Mexico, you can arrange to see the project and the beautiful town of Valladolid and pick up the absolutely BEST souvenir in Mexico.
• You can simply donate to the project via their website
• If you are getting married and are looking for the perfect bridesmaid gifts, these stunning bags and clutches are the perfect reminder of a perfect Mexican wedding (and the Karma points!!!)
• If you are looking for the perfect auction item… imagine a beautiful Dutzi Design couture bag filled with stunning crafts, clothing and tokens of the beautiful Mayan culture. I would be happy to help you put something together (I am sure Ariane could help as well.) What a perfect way to help 2 causes at once.
• Tell everyone you know about the project because it is a really special one.

Dia de la Independcia!!! Viva Mexico!! Viva Yucatan!!!

2009-09-17T07:41:00.011-05:00

As every single person in the country knows... yesterday (Sept. 16th) was Independence Day in Mexico! The whole country, the entire state and everyone in Tulum was all set for the festivities.

First a bit of history. El Grito! On September 16th Mexicans everywhere take the time to celebrate Mexico's liberation from Spanish control. The Spanish who had came to the shores of Mexico in 1521 began their rule over Mexico and the indigenous Mayan and Aztec civilizations that lived here. Jump ahead to 1810- after much of the native population had been devastated from illness, heavy work load and mistreatment by those that ruled- the seed of revolt began to flourish.

As Spain was taken by Napoleon in 1808, the people within Mexico began to see the opportunity to sever from Spain and gain their independence. In the morning hours of September 16th father Hidalgo and others first rang the bells at a small church at Dolores Guanajuato. The chime of these bells, that night began the Independence War that lasted for over 10 years.

As my husband is from Guanajuato, he loves to always point out to me that Guanajuato is where the Independence started. After the bells rang out, Hidalgo gave orders to his followers to retaliate against every native Spaniard in Dolores.

The same "Cry of Dolores" that was heard that first night can still be heard in every small town at midnight on September 15th. A reminder and an homage to the impulsive yet critical actions of Father Hidalgo and his parishioners that fateful night.

El Grito de Dolores, "Mexicanos, viva Mexico,"

Now that the stage is set... Here in Tulum the festivities were just as they are in every other town. centro was all set with lights that shine in the expected red, white and green. Stages were ready for the wonderful bands that would be going on in the early hours on the morning.

Armed with the kids and an expectation of a patriotic evening, we set out to centro. the kids in their traditional wear all set out to make themselves sick on rides and dulces and agua frescas.

In addition to the festivities in centro there were many wonderful parties all over town. From Ocho Tulum and Om with their VIVA MEXICO parties to Ultra lounge in pueblo. Everyone offering great specials on traditional drinks and food.

We began our night watching the wonderful performances from the classes at "la casa de cultura." I was very impressed with the young ladies and they did a wonderful job. I was very impressed by the traditional bottle dance during which the young lady must dance in a very long dress with a glass bottle on her head.

Although there continued to be wonderful performances on the stage, we strolled over towards the rides and food!!! The kids went immediately to the bounce house. This is a clever contraption basically of 4 large trampolines connected by little slide and a passage way. Well worth the 40 pesos per kid for 10 minutes and I must say a smart business idea. Other then traditional inflatable bounce houses that we are used to that use a ton of energy to operate.

The kids went on a few rides and I watched in horror wondering if they were going to make it off. My son, the crazy one, full of the spirit of Achilles himself, jumped onto the moving carousel ride and then as I ran after him frightened out of my mind--- he dove off!! AHHHH! Ninos!!! But all was well and we had a great time.

The men pretty quickly ran over to find the drinks and in 1 of the largest cups I have ever seen was my margarita on the rocks. Many other options were also available. I do not quiet understand some of the glassware choices and I am not sure what I would do if I saw someone licking the chili and salt from this glass but I am sure it was happening with out my paying attention.

The kids did their best to make themselves sick on rides that went around and around - on cars that went up and down and stuffing themselves with carnival treats.

The festivities in the central park got more and more active as the 11:00 hour approached. The music from the marching band sang out as the marines stepped forward on stage and waved the Mexican flag. The state song of Quinatna Roo rang out among the crowd and was followed by the exhilarating Mexican National Anthem.

The Presidente then stepped forward to recite El Grito. The crowd did as it was supposed to and responded with an animated and lively VIVA!!! After each name was called of the heros who first began the Independence from Spain the crowd grew louder and louder.

After all the "VIVA MEXICO"s were shouted the traditional fireworks began. It was a beautiful site that made the first Independence Day celebration from the newly created municipality of Tulum of total success.

As the mother of 2 young children that were at this point only being held awake by the loud blast of the fireworks above I was the honorary person who got to go home while all the boys continued their adventure.

The next day there was not shortage of celebration. Although the crowds around town and on the beaches were more tranquil from the success of the night before, Dia de la Independencia is in Mexico much the same as in the USA... the perfect opportunity to take the day, celebrate with friends and family that you are in your country... that it is YOUR country... and that you get to be part of such a special place.

We spent our morning at the beach party at Ocho Tulum. The music could be be heard pumping prideful music as we sipped our margaritas and snacked on Ocho's amazing food.

The rest of the day was spent swimming, bbqing, eating, drinking, laughing and just enjoying being Mexican. just as Father Hidalgo would have wanted it I am sure! The pride that has been felt through out Tulum, Quintana Roo and the whole great country of Mexico can be felt everywhere you go.

Viva Mexico!!!

Charlie's Restaurant -Bar and Gallery ***

2009-09-11T12:43:00.001-05:00

Charlies restaurant, bar and gallery sit in the middle of Tulum pueblo on the main avenue of Tulum. This is a very lively spot that has as much activity bustling inside of it as there are color that surround it.

With the front part of the restaurant right on the main Avenue it is a great spot for people watching. But if you are looking for a more secluded time, step further back into the restaurant to the open courtyard and art gallery in the back.

This part of the restaurant is where all of the action can be seen for the wonderful performances that come through. Flamenco performances are common here in the busier season and are a real treat to see. During the slow season there is a little bit less action unfortunately but Charlie's is always a good time.

One of my favorite things about Charlie's is that it is so easy to wait for people who are coming to town on the ADO bus. The ADO bus station is right next door to Charlie's. With the buses never having an exact timing- I always tell people to meet me at Charlie's. That way I can sit there and enjoy a drink and a snack and wait for them in comfort instead of just sitting in the bus station. And on the flip side, if my friend gets in early then they can sit and relax while they wait for me to show up.

The food at Charlie's covers the spectrum of Mexican cuisine. Not a huge amount of surprises. The food is usually pretty good. There are a number of things that I wish had a lot more spice but I think that is a side effect of living in the Yucatan and getting used to putting hot sauce on EVERYTHING. The guacamole is not my favorite. It is more cream than I like. I am once again a little picky on this. I like my guacamole very chunky and with very few ingredients. But I also only need to make enough for my family so that probably makes a difference.

The ambiance at Charlie's is one of the best in town. With a remarkable collection of artwork all over the walls, you cannot step into Charlie's and feel sad. The colors and the life of the place simply will not allow for it.

I love getting a margarita (served in the appropriate short and thick glass- rather then the atrocious and garish huge fish bowl.) These margaritas are well made, and strong. This is one of me favorite places to grab a margarita.

Also the sopa de Lima is great. My kids love it and it has a ton of flavor. the fish dishes here are great and I cannot wait to try some more of the food. If you like your food hotter I would ask them to bring you some hot salsa. The salsa at the table is great as well.

Right in the center of Tulum town right next to the ADO. a fantastic spot for life music, amazing art work, killer margaritas, and really great people. A trip to Tulum is always improved by a trip to Charlies.