dutzi design - Empowering Women Event.

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

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

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 ***

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 ***

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

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.