Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Attack of the Blue Crabs!


'Tis the season for crabs!  I had a large crab a-knockin' at my back door yesterday.  Keep an eye out for them as they cross roads and yards to seek drier ground...

See the blue crabs on the move in Cancun!

[Photo Credit:SIPSE,  http://www.sipse.com/fotogalerias/40250--cangrejos-atacan-cancun/ ]


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New Direct Flights to Cancun from London, England & Lansing, Michigan!

British Airlines has announced direct flights to Cancun beginning November 2010!

Apple Vacations will start flying direct to Cancun from Lansing, Michigan beginning in December 2010 (exciting news for us Michiganders)!

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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

A lovely report on the recent Puerto Morelos Fishing Tournament

Fellow Puerto Morelian, Mary Jordan, has written a wonderful account (as always) of her recent experience with the annual Puerto Morelos Fishing Tournament on her blog, La Vida Es Rica.  Definitely worth a read...

Mary lives life to its fullest in Puerto Morelos and enjoys all of its quirks, surprises, and idiosyncrasies.  If you don't already subscribe to her blog, you may want to! 

She's currently recruiting new members for the Puerto Morelos Kayak Club -- Any takers?

[Photo Credit:  Mary Jordan, http://www.LaVidaEsRica.com.wordpress.com]

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Monday, June 28, 2010

Photos of Windy Puerto Morelos

Leaving you with a couple photos of windy Puerto Morelos taken this afternoon.  Adios, Alex...




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Puerto Morelos' Indoor Activities!

Since the weather has been less than cooperative the last few days, I thought I'd make a list of things to do/places to see in inclement weather that are located in or near Puerto Morelos!

If you need any additional information about any of the places mentioned, contact our concierge for more info: Info@MayanRivieraProperties.com



    1. Massage!  Get a massage at Spa Ceiba del Mar; With a Local Masseuse: Martina, Feranado, or Ricardo; or head out to the Jungle Spa! 
    2. Read!  Nothing better than reading on a rainy day!  You can stop by Alma Libre Bookstore to pick up a great read.  (FYI: Alma Libre is currently closed for the off-season.)
    3. Cooking School!  Puerto Morelos has its very own cooking school.  Learn how to make a traditional Mexican feast!
    4. Bowling!  There is a wonderful bowling alley in Paseo Cancun.  They even have automatic bumpers that will allow little ones to bowl too!  [See my recent blog about the bowling alley here.]
    5. YAK!  Yak, what we know as BINGO, is quite fun and a great way to pass some time.  The cards are cheap and there are usually good sized pots.  I won 2500 pesos last time I was there!  Located in the Plaza Las Americas Mall in Cancun.  Although it is a great way to brush up on your Spanish Numbers, you don't need to speak Spanish to play -- they have a giant board that lights up with the numbers being called.
    6. Movies!  The VIP Cinema in the Plaza Las Americas Mall in Cancun is INCREDIBLE!  Leather Recliners; Waiters that bring you beer, popcorn, sushi; and State of the art sound and screen --
      It is, by far, the nicest movie theater I've ever been in.  Click here to see current listings.
    7. Shopping!  There are a variety of shopping malls in Cancun.  The following are indoor ones that are better suited to shopping in the rain: Plaza las Americas in Downtown Cancun; Kukulcan Plaza in the Cancun Hotel Zone with it Luxury Avenue of top notch (and price) brands; and Plaza Caracol in the Cancun Hotel Zone.

    Do you have another favorite activity or place to be when it's raining?  Leave a comment and share it with others...
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      Weekend, Midnight Bowling: 125 pesos per person -- All you can Bowl, Eat, Drink

      Due to Storm Alex, we sought indoor entertainment this weekend.

      So, we decided on bowling and a movie.  There is a nice, clean, modern bowling alley in Paseo Cancun -- and they have lanes with automatic bumpers that pop up for the kiddos when it's their turn to bowl.

      While we were Paseo Cancun,  we bowled, ate SUPER yummy pizza at Italiannis Restaurant, and saw Toy Story 3 (in English) at the Cinema.

      The Bowling Alley has a great promotion -- They call it "Midnight Bowling"!  All bowling from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays is 125 pesos per person, including all you can eat, drink, and bowl!  That's a great deal if you are looking for a fun night out!

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      Saturday, June 26, 2010

      Tropical Stom Alex to Hit Yucatan: Lots of Rain!

      Tropical Storm Alex  will be hitting the Yucatan.  We are in for LOTS of rain...


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      Tuesday, June 22, 2010

      A Puerto Morelos Wedding -- A different way of seeing PM...

      Have you ever seen Puerto Morelos through the eyes of new love?  Area photographer Juan Navarro just posted great photos of a recent Puerto Morelos wedding

      Didn't town make a great backdrop for the photos??  Great to see town from a different perspective!


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      Monday, June 21, 2010

      Price Reduced: 3 Bed/2 Bath. Huge Lot! Near Beach!

      Mayan Riviera Properties

      Price Reduced $290,000.00 USD

      Huge Lot -- 644 Square Meters!  Just a row to the beach!!  
      Near Public Beach Access!!
      3 Bedroom / 2 Bath House.  Handyman's Special!!

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      Wednesday, June 16, 2010

      ABC News: Why are Americans Moving to Mexico?

      Why Are Americans Moving to Mexico?

      Mexico Drug War Doesn't Stop Americans From Moving South of the Border.

      Read Article Here.

       

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      Monday, June 14, 2010

      Rainy Season Just Around the Corner...

      With Rainy Season just around the corner, we will soon begin preparing properties for storm season.  If you have any questions about how we prepare, please read our Hurricane Information Packet.  It contains info about how you can protect your home before storm season, what we do to prepare your property, and our protocol in the case of a hurricane.

      As always, either hurricane windows or storm shutters are the most ideal solutions.  They are the single best way to protect your investment.  Please consider them if you don't already have them!

      Here is an article from Mexico Travel Magazine about the 2010 storm season expectations.
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      LA Times: Mexico Cracks Down on Antibiotics Without Prescription

      Pharmacies technically can't sell the drugs without a prescription, but most do anyway. They're about to face tighter oversight and stricter fines. H1N1 helped spur the changes.  Click Here to View the Full Article.

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      Tuesday, June 8, 2010

      Blog Technology: Photos, Online Storage, Learning Programs, etc.

      I get a lot of questions about the technology that goes into producing my blog.  So while this post isn't directly connected to Puerto Morelos -- I think many of you will learn about some really neat, FREE programs that you can use, whether you have a blog or not.

      Blog Publisher
      First of all, I publish my blog using a FREE online blog publisher called Blogger.  (It has been acquired by the folks at Google.)  There are two giants in the blog world: Blogger and Wordpress.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages.  Blogger offers many more free services and Wordpress is much more customizable.  I chose Blogger because its free services fit my needs perfectly --- and now  it is much more customizable with their new template designer.


      Domain Name
      Blogger offers a free domain name for every blog, so you don't need to buy your own if you don't wish to.  If you use Blogger's free domain name, your blog address will be in this format: www.BlogNameHere.blogspot.com.  I chose to customize my domain name (www.PuertoMorelosBlog.com) which costs me a whopping $10 USD per year with GoDaddy.com.  They are a fantastic company that has the best prices, services, and customer service!


      Photos
      I store my photos online for FREE using Picasa Online.  If you are looking for a safe way to store your photos online -- so that if your computer crashes you don't loose your photos -- there are many sites available.  Picasa is one of them, and they are free - so why not?  You can also easily send your photos to others, control who can see your photos, and make online photo slideshows like the one I've used here

      Picasa also has a desktop version of its software that you can also download for FREE!  Picasa desktop finds where you store your photos on your computer, then allows you to edit them, turn them into collages, make them into DVD slideshows, movies, etc.  It also can work in conjunction with your Picasa Online account and sync your photos between the online and desktop versions easily.  They have also just added a Facebook feature where you can load photos onto Facebook directly and quickly from Picasa.  I made the photo collage below in literally 2 minutes:



      Talk about a great way to print your favorite Puerto Morelos photos!


      Managing your Blog's RSS Feed
      Every blog (and many websites) have something called an RSS feed.  I wish they would come up with a less intimidating name for it, because in reality it is very easy to understand.  The RSS Feed of your blog or website allows users, who are subscribers, to automatically receive a notice when you have posted new material.  Subscribers to my blog can receive their updates via Email, a Blog Reader, Facebook, and/or Twitter.  

      I manage all of the subscriptions, along with analysis of my blog's traffic with another FREE program, Feedburner.  It's great and has lot of features that you can choose to use (or not).

      By the way, if you are the subscriber to multiple blogs via email, it doesn't take long for them to begin to clog up your inbox.  You can set up an account with a FREE blog reader, like Google Reader.  This allows you to keep up with your various blog subscriptions, but won't clog your inbox.  Your Google Reader can be added to your homepage, your iPhone, etc.


      Online Training
      Want to learn more about a software that you have or would like to purchase for your blog or anything else?  Try the online tutorials at Lynda.com!  Think "Computer Programs for Dummies"!  It's a super affordable way to learn more about just about any type of computer program available: Photo Editing Software, Office Programs, Design Programs, etc.  Check it out!  I've always wanted to learn to use Microsoft Access and this is how I am going to learn to do it!



      Well, I hope this helps to answer the questions that you all have about Blogs.  In short, they are easy, free, and a great way to keep in touch with family and friends or tell the world about a particular topic -- even Puerto Morelos!


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      Friday, June 4, 2010

      Insure Your Foreign Vehicle in Mexico! Best Rates!

      I had to renew our auto insurance this week, so I thought I would share with you the insurance company that we use -- in case you are in the market for auto insurance for your foreign vehicle in Mexico.  We have found the best rates -- by far -- are through Adventure Mexican Insurance Services.

      Adventure specializes in insuring U.S. and Canadian Vehicles that are in Mexico and offers short term and annual policies.  We insure our U.S. vehicles with them and have been very pleased with their service and rates.

      We have full coverage on our 2008 Yukon with $500 USD collision deductible & $1000 USD theft deductible for just $650 USD PER YEAR!!!!!!  Super great rate!!!

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      Wednesday, June 2, 2010

      Bloomberg News: Mexico Set to Launch Real Estate Securities

      Attention Investors!

      Check out the article from Bloomberg Businessweek, published June 2nd, regarding the upcoming trading of Real Estate Securities, known as FIBRAs in Mexico. 

      Twitter and Facebook Readers can view the original post and leave comments at: http://www.PuertoMorelosBlog.com

      Tuesday, June 1, 2010

      Photos from 2010 Puerto Morelos Fishing Tournament

      Thought I would share my photos from the 2010 Puerto Morelos Fishing Tournament that took place this last weekend.  The Team Fishin' Boat didn't win prizes, but we did take home 6 super yummy dorado (Mahi Mahi) that we throughly enjoyed and shared with friends.

      Best of All?  We encountered a pod of bottle nosed dolphins 3 TIMES!!! They swam along side our boat, playing in the water, checking us out, and showing us their moves.  It was absolutely unbelievable, incredible, breathtaking, inspiring ... I could go on and on, but really it is something that you have to experience to truly appreciate!

      To this year's Fishin' Boat Teammates: Josh, Caden, and Ron & Crew:  Mario and Jorge --- We WILL win next year!  To my dolphin buddies:  Hasta pronto, amigos!!  And for anyone who is still wondering what us Puerto Morelians are all about -- Let me tell you that this is as sweet as life gets!!




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      Fun Way to Feature Your Favorite Puerto Morelos Photos!

      Looking for a great way to decorate your Puerto Morelos Home, bring a piece of it into your home elsewhere, or make a great vacation souvenir? 

      Here are great ideas on how to turn your photos into art!

      1. This is my FAVORITE idea!  It's inexpensive, easy, and looks fabulous!  Make a wall mural with your favorite photo --- NO artistic ability required!  See how Design Mom did it with a non-vacation photo here.
      2. Print your favorite PoMo photo on canvas!  See a great website here, for printing your favorite photo.  You can easily alter your photos with this site, creating awesome art -- this is site truly awesome!  Roll up the canvas, stick it in your suitcase, bring it down here with you and have it stretched onto a frame when you get here at a local framing store.  It's inexpensive and a great way to decorate!
      [Photo Credit: http://easysignsfl.com]

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