Living Without Borders

Playa Mujeres Resort - a bigger piece of Mayan Riviera

Our Discovery Weekend in Riviera Maya, Mexico just got a lot more exciting. The residences at Playa Mujeres Resort have been added to the agenda in time for our July 26, 27 28 event and we hope you’ll join us to see them.

This is about as immense a nature reserve and housing tract as you can hope for. Just north of Cancún’s busy and popular tourist hub, it is shaping up to be one of the finer investment and vacations sites in Mexico. And with better than 2700 feet of pure white-sand beachfront, it may be what you’ve been hoping for in a Mayan Riviera retreat.

And Playa Mujeres (click the map to enlarge) has been designated as a Greg Norman Signature Course, which means the legendendary golfer designed it himself. With 36 unforgettable holes of championship Golf, it will almost certainly emerge as one to the top golf destinations in the world. In 2007, it was already awarded one of the ten best golf courses in all of Mexico.

Add comment July 2nd, 2008

New July Dates in Riviera Maya

With the success of the last couple of Mayan Riviera Discovery Weekends, the powers that be decided to add a second weekend to the month of July. July 26, 27 & 28 they’ll be hosting guests from far in the north of Canada and plenty of places even closer at hand.

Cancun is still one of the most affordable places to fly into in all Mexico - from points all over the US and Canada. And this weekend promises to cover territory from Cancun all the way to Playa del Carmen and to show off some of Mexico’s best loved Caribbean beachfront.

There are some new properties - freestanding houses and condominiums - to be announced early in July and a new tour or two. So this weekend is guaranteed to be a lot of fun!

If Cancun is too much, and even Playa del Carmen can’t float your boat, don’t forget our Mérida weekend is coming up in August too. It can be just as inexpensive to arrive there - especially if you fly through Cancun.

Add comment June 26th, 2008

Playa del Carmen offers more European-flavored Riviera Maya

Dallas Morning News readers got the story last week in this report on the area’s burgeoning resort communities. It’s good weekend reading but it might help start off your week on the right foot, too.

The Riviera Maya has long offered a more laid-back version of Cancún centered on the European-flavored Playa del Carmen, with its small shops, trendy restaurants and bohemian nightlife. But the vacation experience has been tied to the traditional model of boutique hotels or all-inclusive resort complexes with hundreds of rooms crunched together and lines of vacationers in the restaurants and bars during peak hours.

[…] Caribbean in general has come into its own as one of the hottest spots on the globe. And the Riviera Maya has the advantage of being in a hip and culturally significant area.

There’s a lot to tell and there is no question the area is changing every day, both from improved infrastructure, highways and services and especially from an increase in foreign residents. Playa del Carmen has the highest concentration of Italians anywhere in Mexico!

We’re working right now to broaden our Discovery Weekend to include a few more places between Cancún and Playa de Carmen - but finding the right food has not been difficult.

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Add comment May 5th, 2008

From Isla Mujeres to Playa del Carmen

At one point we were going to try to include Mérida in that list too, but alas it is too far to make it as part of our 3 day Mayan Riviera weekend.

As of now, we’ve got great reasons to check out places all around the Greater Cancún area, including Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen and just about everything in between. Quintana Roo appeals to a wildly different crowd of people than our Pacific Coast locations, so this is a great chance to meet people from divergent locations across North America and Europe.

This first free weekend is going to cover quite a bit more geography than we’ve previously covered, so a bus-tour and a boat tour are both part of the fun. And we’ve already listed dates for May and for July if you can’t make the April dates.

Plus we’re expecting some more specialists in the fields of Home-Owner’s Insurance and Mortgages geared not only toward North American’s but toward expectant Europeans as well. There is a rumor that one of the Developer’s is even offering a 4-wheeled incentive, but I will fill you in on that as details emerge.

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Add comment February 19th, 2008

Happy Holidays Traffic Booster

The date December, 24 2007 (Gregorian), corresponds to the following Aztec date:

Because things are likely to get slow and holiday traffic - on the internet anyway - tends to dip, this post is not only a holiday greeting to you, but to the many superstar bloggers quoted below. All of them are part of the BlogRoll we unveiled a few weeks ago, but they’re also among the most prolific in the blogging business.

To start with, the one truly newsworthy entry from the past week came from the Panama Investor Blog, where they’ve announced that the 90 day visa for Americans is back on. That should put a stop to some of the confusion - at last - and perhaps to some of the moaning and groaning, at least for a little while.

The Tropical Adventures holiday party in La Flor, Costa Rica, made for some interesting writing on the Blog of the Tropical Adventures website. These folks seem to have to explain how their operation runs over and over to critics who believe that without a big benefactor backing them they are just a tourist business in the guise of a volunteer operation. That doesn’t seem to have dampened the spirits of the kids with whom they’ve been working.

The better than year-long saga of Adopting Kids in Costa Rica took another twist. Playa Pelada is one of the only places on the internet, that I know of anyway, where you can really follow the adoption process, in detail, week after week. That’s in addition to the insight into living and growing in Costa Rica that also makes up a big part of Playa Pelada fare.

On to Mexico. The Aztec Calendar illustration above came via The Mex Files, who directed us to this cool Aztec Calendar website. You can figure out how to write or say whatever day, month and year you want according to the calendar. And, no weekend project, this calendar is complete with artwork and a full list of the gods and deities who rule over the world of the Aztecs not even to mention a few decades of study and work that appear to have gone into it.

The folks at Yucatan Living provided another of their Juggernaut Entries with news from all over the Peninsula. Airline news includes a new route from Milan to Mérida, and a new low cost route between Cancun and Campeche. They point out that tourism numbers in Yucatan continue to climb and the number of Yucatecos in the US can be informally monitored by checking the US registrations at el Diario, the Mérida daily.

On the more domestic side of All Things Mexico, the Living in Mexico blog provided a great update on what’s coming up in their organic garden. And Home-Sweet-Mexico provided some 10 decorating tips for dealing with the ubiquitous and quirky short-cuts that Mexican Builders and Landlords often leave us to deal with.

If you want real holiday news though, try dragging an enormous commercial popcorn popper around to the Posada processions in your small Mexican pueblo. The folks at Viva Veracruz give that story and a lot more.

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by for a terrific year of blogging and traveling and dreaming and making things better for everyone.

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2 comments December 24th, 2007

Videos from All Over Mexico!!!

A big thanks to RiverGirl from Cancun for directing us to the really exciting travel video collection at Rincones de mi Tierra. RiverGirl’s a prolific blogger who’s section on Living in Cancun is not to be missed, especially these exceptional Photos from Tulum and even more so if you are thinking of living or traveling in Cancun, maybe one of the most mis-understood places in Mexico.

And that said, these are some rather unusual tourist videos too. Not exactly for the international tourist crowd, they’re for the more seasoned visitor who understands that Mexico is a big country crammed absolutely from shore to shore with fascinating and exciting little places and neighborhoods and pueblos, every one more interesting than the last. But beyond tourism, the videos touch on places like Bacalar in Quintana Roo and Tonatico and Metepec in Estado de Mexico, the site has a heavy dose of places you’ve likely never heard of. If you think you’ll run out of things to do in Mexico, you’ll definitely want to glance through a few of these videos. The image above is from their video on Tepoztlan in Morelos.

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1 comment December 18th, 2007

2008 Schedule of Free Weekends Released

Part of the reason it’s been so quiet here is because we’ve been working extra hard on the 2008 calendar of free weekends, which was no small feat.

It means we’ve put together enough hotel rooms and enough speakers to make sure we can cover all the locations, and there are already some surprises!! You’ll have to check the page to see the one big surprise!!

But beyond that it is worth saying, maybe it is even obvious, that the calendar is not yet complete. We’ve got a few locations yet to add and certainly a lot of dates, because every location will have a few possible dates.

But that said, right now we are talking about 14 locations and expecting that number to jump to 15 before very long. I can’t give secret 15 away yet, but it is inland in Mexico, possibly with the very best climate anywhere in the world (?)

• Los Cabos/La Paz
• Puerto Vallarta
• Mazatlán
• Mérida
• Campeche
• Cancún/Isla Mujeres/Playa del Carmen
• San Miguel de Allende
• Juan Dolio DR
• Northern DR
• Guanacaste CR
• Central Valley CR
• Panamá City
• Boquette Panama
• Surprise Location

We’ve also set up a basic schedule that covers all of the events in ever city and we are sending that out to anyone who registers. I’ll be making it available on line in a few days too. It gives you a good idea what to expect, when to arrive, how the speakers and experts will be arranged and I think generally allows people to make the most of the weekend.

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Add comment November 15th, 2007

Dean is approaching faster than we’d like

I’m keeping an eye on Mexico Today where they’ve warned:

WARDEN MESSAGE

On behalf of U.S. Consulates in Merida and Matamoros, the U.S. Embassy Mexico City strongly encourages American citizens in the areas of Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Merida and Matamoros to depart no later than 24 hours before Hurricane Dean is scheduled to make landfall under its present course. The U.S. State Department has authorized departure for all dependents and non-essential personnel at the U.S. Consulates in Merida and Matamoros. Hurricane Dean is expected to make landfall on Monday, August 20 somewhere between Cancun and Tulum in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The hurricane’s current track shows that it may pass near Merida, Yucatan on Tuesday, August 21 then veer north toward Matamoros.

Check regularly with Mexico Today for the latest.

Add comment August 19th, 2007

Cancun Airport Terminal Three

Mexico’s second largest airport just got bigger. The busiest international airport in the country, daily capacity went from 266 flights to more than 450, that’s all according to this article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Now every major American carrier has flights in and out of Cancun. It’s been operating more or less smoothly for the last couple of weeks and offers plenty of great deals for more sun and fun. The busiest airport in the Caribbean also offers this top ten list for arrival plans which I’ve slightly modified. No’s 10 and 3 are both clearly changed since this list was first published. You definitely need a passport, and as to number 3, well, long lines are reportedly diminishing.

	10) Make sure you and your family have the appropriate documents to enter Mexico. US and Canadian Citizens and all other citizens need passports.
	9) Pack according to your airline’s luggage allowances. They are very strict now and excess luggage can get very expensive. Most airlines are charging almost $100.00 USD for excess luggage. Please check with your airline for more information.
	8) Mark your luggage for easy identification. Also, make sure all luggage have a name tag.
	7) Do not bring food unless is sealed and packaged. As a rule of thumb, you can not bring any meats, vegetable or grains. THIS IS NOT AN AIRPORT POLICY, it is a Mexican Customs Policy. DO NOT BRING any firearms, knives, sharp objects or any item that can be considered a weapon. Lighters are now banned from carry on baggage.
	6) When checking in at your departure airport make sure you get all of your luggage claim tags. You will need them in Cancun.
	5) Fill out these forms while you are on the plane. DO NOT WAIT until you get to Cancun.
	4) If you get stopped for inspection you will be asked to open your luggage and the inspector will search through it. Remember they are only looking for illegal items. This is a routine inspection and it should take no more than 10 minutes.
	3) CANCUN AIRPORT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. ALL FLIGHTS ARE ARRIVING AT ONE TERMINAL. PLEASE EXPECT LONG LINES AT IMMIGRATIONS, CUSTOMS AND BAGGAGE CLAIM, SPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ARRIVING ON WEEKENDS AND PEAK TIMES.
	2) For an easy transition please have your papers in order, mark your luggage for easy identification, clear customs together and follow the instructions of your airline representatives AND…
	1) PREARRANGE TRANSPORTATION TO YOUR HOTEL. IF YOU WANT TO SAVE TIME, AVOID LARGE CROWDS AND GET TO YOUR HOTEL QUICKLY, PLEASE ARRANGE FOR A PICK UP INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR YOUR TOUR BUS TO DEPART THE AIRPORT. TO RELIEVE THE OVERCROWDING CAUSED BY THE CONSTRUCTION, CANCUN-AIRPORT.COM HAS NEGOTIATED SPECIAL RATES FOR SECURED AND PROFESSIONAL TRANSPORTATION. PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OFFER, IT WILL MAKE YOUR TRANSITION TO YOUR HOTEL A LOT EASIER CHECK RATES HERE

Add comment May 28th, 2007

Cancún beaches under threat

Environmental consciousness will get to Cancún yet. A good article from Associated Press about recent and ongoing efforts to sustain the beaches along the coast at Cancún, still apparently suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma. Tides are tearing away some of the beach but the commitment to the environment being learned in other places is going to have to pay off in Cancún also.

2 comments March 12th, 2007

Huge headline event.

I’m a big believer in the right of bloggers to just post when a headline seems silly. Huge Baby Draws Crowds in Cancún falls into this category of reporting. Yes, the baby was quite big. Look at the pictures in the link. Congratulations to the parents.

Add comment February 2nd, 2007

Cancún

We’re working on adding more information on Real Estate in Cancún, buying condos or houses in Cancún and information for people hoping to move to Cancún. In the meantime, check MexRetire.com for more information, and for the most wonderful properties in Huatulco, check MexLiving.com.