Tuesday, December 29, 2009

New Year's Eve in Puerto Morelos


Here is the rundown of the New Year's Eve Festivities that are going on in the Town Square: 

Everyone is invited to celebrate with its families and friends to this great New Year'Eve Party.  We invite you to dress in WHITE or with a typical Mexican dress or of your country of origen. Together will receive the New Year 2010 ! ! !

The program for the event is as follows: Thursday, December 31, 2009

  • 21:40 PM (  9:40 PM) Installation of the sound equipment for the recorded ambiance music 
  • 22:00 PM (10:00 PM) Blowing of the Baloons and decoration of the parc, with atmosphere recorded music
  • 22:30 PM (10:30 PM) Songs and music from local artists
  • 23:10 PM (11:10 PM) Life Band LA CLASE Group (keyboards and vocals 100% versatile) for dancing!
  • 23:59 PM (11:59 PM) Local ambience, couting down for the reception of the NEW YEAR
  • 00:01 AM (00:01 AM) Burning of the Old Year (Rag doll given by Moises Taboada)
  • 00:10 - 03:00 AM       Live Band "LA CLASE" Group (Keyboard and 2 vocals, 100% versatile) to finish with DJ Daniel



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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Happy Holidays from All of Us at Mayan Riviera Properties!



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Holidays, Ponche, and Whale Sharks...Oh My!


The kiddos are out of school.  The cookies are baked (some still need frosting, much to Caden's chagrin).  Trees - check.  Stockings - check.  Wreaths - check.  Presents - semi-check. ;)

The Schulz family is as ready as it's ever going to be for the holidays.  And...we wish everyone an incredible holiday and a fantastic new year.  I am looking forward to turning the page and welcoming a new year and decade!!

Here's my holiday tip:  Any grocery this time of year sells bags containing dried fruit, cinnamon sticks, and various goodies that make Ponche, a Mexican Punch.  It's delicious!  Just add water & sugar to your liking, boil, strain.  I added cloves to mine and it tasted like the hot wassil we used to make for the holidays.  Provecho!

A quick, fun story from Puerto:  On Friday, a juvenile whale shark -- about 25 feet long -- was swimming off the shore in front of our office building.  Josh (my husband), Pilar, and some fishermen jumped in a boat and took turns swimming with the gentle giant.  A group of boats directed the wayward fish out of the reef and into open waters.  We are all wishing it a safe migration!  It's getting a late start!

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Monday, December 21, 2009

Photos from the Puerto Morelos Christmas Posada

The Christmas Posada was fantastic.  A great time was had and a great turnout as well!  The square looks great in lights.

The Puerto Morelos' Senior Citizens Group did the reenactment of the nativity story.  They did a super job and my kudos goes to the young lady playing Mary.  She rode that burro in the play and around the town square.  I only hope I still have that 'spryness' when I am her age!

On a side note:  You gotta love a Christmas program where a sneaky devil breaks into the action and tosses out candy during the performance!

After the reenactment, they led a parade around the town square.  Then, we gathered on the basketball court to sing carols and break open piñatas.  If watching happy children breaking open piñatas, doesn't warm your heart...


















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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Puerto Morelos Christmas Posada: Saturday, December 19th

Just a reminder that the annual Christmas Pastorela and Posada will be held at the church in the Puerto Morelos Town Square!

Saturday
December 19th, 2009
6 p.m.

(Encouraged to bring a candle.  Also can dress as an angel or shepherd.)


Here is their official flier:


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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Mayan Riviera Properties: Holiday Office Hours

We have added out Holiday Office Hours to the Community Events Calendar (below the blog posts).

Christmas Eve: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Christmas Day: CLOSED

New Year's Eve: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
New Year's Day: CLOSED

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Saturday, December 12, 2009

December 12th: The Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe


Today is the culmination of a week long celebration of "Our Lady of Guadalupe".  At 4:00 p.m. there will be a procession in the Colonia and a Mass at the Church in the town square at 6 p.m.

Here is an article from MexConnect.com regarding the origins of this day and what has made the Virgen of Guadalupe so iconic in Mexican Culture.
 
In 1523, just two years after the Aztec capital of Tenochitlan fell to Hernán Cortés and his Conquistadors, the first Roman Catholic missionaries arrived to begin the religious conquest of Mexico.


Fray Bernadino de Sahagún and his fellow Franciscan brothers immediately immersed themselves in the intensive study of indigenous tongues along with the history, customs and religious practices of the Mexicas, whom they called Aztecs. Soon fluent in Nahuatl, they proceded to translate religious texts and teach the Christian doctrines.


Among their first converts was a man baptized with the Christian name Juan Diego. On the chilly morning of December 9, 1531, Juan Diego crossed the barren hill called Tepeyac to attend Mass. He was brought to a sudden halt by a blinding light and the sound of unearthly music. Before him appeared an astounding vision--a beautiful dark-skinned woman who, calling the Indian "my son," declared herself to be the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. She told Juan Diego it was her desire to have a church built on Tepeyac hill, and asked him to relay that message to Bishop Juan de Zumarraga.

It was no easy task for the humble Indian to be granted an audience with the top prelate, but the persistent Juan Diego was finally admitted. The incredulous Bishop demanded that he be provided with some proof of the unlikely encounter. Confused and fearful, Juan Diego avoided Tepeyac for several days, but on December 12, while rushing to find a priest to attend a seriously ill uncle, he took a short cut across the hill. The Virgin once again appeared and Juan Diego told her of the Bishop's request. The Virgin instructed him to pick roses from the usually sere and desolate hill and deliver them to Zumarraga as the sign.


Juan Diego gathered up the miraculous blossoms in his mantle and hurried off to complete his mission. Once again before the Bishop, he let the roses spill out before him. To the wonder of all assembled, a perfect image of La Virgen Morena (the Dark Virgin) was revealed emblazoned on Juan Diego's cloak.


By order of the Bishop, a small church was soon constructed on the site designated by the Virgin. Skeptics are quick to point out the unlikely coincidence of the Virgin's appearance on Tepeyac, the very site of an Aztec temple dedicated to Tonatzin (earth godess, mother of the gods and protectress of humanity) which had been devastated by order of Bishop Zumarraga.


The original church was replaced by a larger structure built in 1709. The Miracle of Guadalupe was officially recognized by the Vatican in 1745. The second sanctuary was declared a Basilica in 1904, but by then it had begun to slowly sink into the soft, sandy soil beneath it. A new Basilica, of modern design and enormous capacity, was dedicated in October of 1976.



In this and other churches dedicated to La Virgen de Guadalupe throughout the nation, millions of the faithful will gather December 12 for processions, prayers, songs, dances, and fireworks to honor "La Reina de México" (the Queen of Mexico).


Juan Diego's mantle, carefully preserved in the new Basilica, has been subjected to extensive analysis over the years. Experts have authenticated the fabric as dating to the 16th century, but have been unable to determine the type of pigment from which the image was rendered. It seems doubtful that in the Colonial era in Mexico human hands were capable of creating a portrait of its exquisite nature. Most wonderous of all, after 465 years, the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe remains clearly imprinted on the miraculous cloak without visible signs of deterioration.

[This article is reprinted from Mexconnect.com and was written by Dale Hoyt Palfrey.]
 
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Last Night's Casa de la Cultura Christmas Festival

The Casa de la Cultura had their Christmas Festival last night.  Several of the classes had presentations to show off what they have learned, yummy food was enjoyed, and we all liked checking out the artistic talent of the little Puerto Morelians...








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Friday, December 11, 2009

Great, New Stuff from Mayan Riviera Properties for 2010!!!




With the new year coming, I wanted to let you know about the great stuff rolling out from our Mayan Riviera Properties office!!

*Insert imaginary Drumroll sound effect here.*

  1. All New Website!  It's in the works, it's been in the works, it's consumed the better part of the last 4 months of our lives, and it'll be online soon.  Promise!  It has lots of goodies!
  2. All New Activities Guide!  We have a great Activities Guide for Puerto Morelos and are happy to book your tours, fishing charters, restaurant reservations, tee times!  The Activities Guide is at the printers now!  (Many offer a Local's Discount on a lot of activities!)
  3. More Homeowner Events!  We are going to be hosting more events for all of us to get together!  Stay tuned.  Have an idea?  Let us know!
  4. Ask A Realtor Workshops!  These, as I have posted before, are weekly workshops for visitors interested in more info about Real Estate in Mexico!
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Reminder: Next Tuesday's "Ask A Realtor Workshop"

One week from today, on next Tuesday, December 15th, Mayan Riviera Properties will be hosting its first "Ask A Realtor" Workshop.  There is an open invitation to anyone interested in knowing more about real estate in Puerto Morelos, details about foreign ownership, etc.

We will be holding these workshops weekly -- every Tuesday -- at 5 p.m. in our office.

See the original blog post here for additional info.

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Christmas Festival @ Casa de la Cultura on December 11th

The Casa de la Cultura is having a "Under the Moon" Christmas Festival on Friday, December 11th at 6 p.m.  Lots of Presentations from the classes of the Casa de La Cultura, Art Exhibit/Auction, Movie, Food, and Great Fun!  See you there!

(Click the Event's poster below to see a larger version.)



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Sunday, December 6, 2009

Our Puerto Morelos Weekend

This weekend has been a fantastic one, Puerto Morelos Style!

On Friday, Josh enjoyed golfing at the Moon Palace.  They have a local's rate of $100 USD -- includes cart, golf, and all you can eat and drink. 

Meanwhile, I was on the hunt for baking supplies to make Christmas cookies.  There are two stores in Cancun, that I know of, that specialize in baking supplies.  I was able to find Christmas cookie cutters, baking chocolate, sprinkles, a rolling pin, and lots of specialty items at the two stores.  One is called "CIM" and can be found in Market 23 in Cancun.  The other is called "EuroBakery" and is on Av. Yaxchilan near Market 28.


Saturday was spent finishing up the Christmas decorations at the house.  Then, Saturday night we enjoyed fine dining with friends at Maroma Resort's "El Sol Restaurant".  Here, you can enjoy the INCREDIBLE Maroma beach and delicious Yucatecan cuisine -- oceanside and by candlelight!  It doesn't get any better!! [Reservations: 998.872.8200]

This morning we had a delicioso breakfast at Puerto Morelos' Mama's Bakery, before taking my father-in-law to the airport.  Then, I spent the day baking Christmas goodies:  Sugar Cookies, Buckeyes, Snickerdoodles, and Chocolate Dipped Candy Canes.  I found great recipes online at: JoyOfBaking.com

In other news: 
  • Road Crews continue to work on Niños Heroes.  They are almost to the end of the road with the scraping and leveling.  Soon, both Niños Heroes and Andres Q. Roo will be ready for paving.  No more pot holes!! Yeah!!
  • A circus, Mayar Brothers, has set up its tents in the baseball field of the Pescadores.  I think I will take the kiddos tomorrow to scope it out!
  • I will be adding lots of holiday events to the Community Events Calendar (see the bottom of this blog's page) in the next few days!  If you are in town, there will be lots to do!

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Friday, December 4, 2009

Puerto Morelos 2010 Calendars


Frank, from VivaPuertoMorelos.com, has his 2010 Puerto Morelos Calendars for sale in our office for easy pick up!

They are 250 pesos and feature the winners from his annual photo contest.  There are some great shots of Puerto Morelos!

All proceeds from Calendars purchased in our office go directly to Frank and the local, Puerto Morelos charities that the proceeds from his calendar supports.

Stop in and pick one up!!

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Thursday, December 3, 2009

Alma Libre has Reopened for the Season!


Alma Libre has Reopened!  Whoo Hoo! Fresh Reading Material!!

Store Hours:
Mon to Sat:  10-3 & 6-9
Sun: 4-9


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"Ask A Realtor" Workshops! Coming Soon!!



I'll be hosting an "Ask a Realtor" Workshop Each Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. in the Mayan Riviera Properties Office!  The first workshop is scheduled for  December 15th!

Interested in Real Estate?  Want to know more about owning in Mexico?  This is an open invitation to my 'Ask a Realtor" workshop!  I'll have a short, informal presentation and then be open to answering the questions that you may have!

We'll be answering questions about:
  • Foreign Ownership in Mexico
  • The Securtiy of Your Investment
  • What to Look for in a Real Estate Agent in Mexico
  • Facts about Puerto Morelos
  • And I'll do my best to answer any questions that you bring along!

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