Daylight Saving Time – Mexico changes time 1 month after the US and Canada 2013

 

Except for the border states, Mexico daylight saving time begins at 2:00 AM on the first Sunday in April. Daylight saving time ends on the last Sunday in October. However those are different dates than in the US and in Canada. There is almost a full month of confusion between the date the US changes time and date Mexico changes time.

2013 Daylight Saving Time Dates
Set Clock ahead Set Clock back
USA & Canada March 10 November 4
Mexico April 7 October 27

Exceptions: State of Sonora and Ten Municipalities along the northern border.

Here in Cancun we are on Central Standard Time, but from March 10th to April 7th we are on a different CST than in the US and Canada. Crazy, right?

Many people are confused during this time, especially when it comes to their [Read more…]

New attractions in Cancun: Flyboard & Jetpack

 

There are 2 new and ultra-adventure activities in Cancun: The Flyboard and the Jetpack. Both use the same idea of water propulsion to lift a person into the air and across the water using Personal Water Craft (PWC) propulsion.

Flyboard
The Flyboard straps your feet onto a board much like a snowboard and your arms are strapped onto hand jets. The hose is connected to a JetSki that provides the water pressure. You maneuver by shifting your weight on the board and using the hand jets.

flyboard cancun

There are 6 locations to try the Flyboarding experience in Cancun or the Riviera Maya:

  1. Temptation Resort- Albatros Marina Blvd. Kukulcan Km 3.5 Hotel Zone
  2. Hotel Presidente Intercontinental- Marina Coco Tours‎ Blvd. Kukulcan Km 7.5 Hotel Zone
  3. Royal Resorts- Thomas More Travel Blvd. Kukulcan Km 16 Hotel Zone
  4. Kool Beach Club- Dani Sailing 28 Norte Mza 10, Lote 8 Centro, Playa del Carmen
  5. Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya- Marina Hotel Valentin Carretera Federal 307 Km 311, North Playa del Carmen (Playa Paraiso)
  6. The Royal Playa del Carmen Beach Hotel Constituyentes 2 Playa del Carmen

Basic Flight 20 minutes flight time for $100 USD, or you can upgrade to the Premium for $150 and get a full HD video of your flight. You will learn the basics of Flyboard flight with your Certified Flight Instructor. Book Now

Requirements: Minimum age 18 years, be a good swimmer and not have fear of heights, obviously.

Jetpack

Much like the Flyboard, the Jetpack attaches a water hose to a jetski with the equipment needed for water propulsion. A flexible water supply hose delivers power to the jetpack with pressurized water.

jetpack cancun

Jetpack is located at Plaza La Isla Mall Blvd Kukulcan, KM 12.5 Cancun Hotel Zone

Price is $149 for the Basic 20 minutes or upgrade to the 30 minute Premium for $199.Book Now

You must be 18 years of age to fly, however 16 or 17 year olds may fly with written consent from a parent or guardian.
Height requirement: between 5 feet and 6 feet 6 inches tall and a maximum waist of 46 inches. You must also be a good swimmer.

Mayan Museum open in Cancun

 

Mayan-Museum

On November 1, 2012, Cancun opened a new Maya Museum in the hotel zone, located at KM 16 Blvd Kukulkan. Investments of $15 million was used to launch the project; about 70% of which was obtained from the federal government through the National Institute of Anthropology and History.

The Maya Museum exhibits over 350 archaeological artifacts including relics that have never been shown as well as others that were discovered in recent excavations. The museum has three exhibition halls; two are permanent and one is for temporary venue for national and international exhibitions. One exhibit in particular is quite remarkable: a 14,000-year-old skeletal Mayan remains discovered in the underwater caves at Tulum.

Maya Museum hours are on Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 7 PM, with extended hours on Thursday (7 AM to 10 PM). Tickets cost $5 USD per person for access to both the Maya Museum and Mayan ruins of San Miguelito, next to the museum. Kids under 13 and adults over 60 years old get free admission. On Sunday, admission is free to local residents with official identification.

Photos courtesy of J. Michel Photography

January 2013 Weather in Cancun

 

January is the coolest month of the year in Cancun, yet still perfect beach weather. You can swim in the ocean and sunbath in the warm Caribbean sunshine. The average high temperature is 81F (27C) and the average low at night is 67F (19C). The water temperature is 81F (27C).

It is coolest in the early morning and we reach our peak highest temps in the early afternoon.

There are a few days where long pants or light jackets are appropriate, however t-shirt and shorts are worn most days.

January 2013 weather in Cancun
Courtesy of www.AccuWeather.com

Spay & Neuter Clinic for Cats and Dogs in Cancun

 

CANDi Spay and Neuter Clinic Jan 2013This is one of the things we volunteer our time for and love doing. The spay and neuter clinics in Cancun have become very popular and this week the goal is to spay or neuter 1,000 animals. These clinics are sponsored and organized by CANDi (Cats And Dogs International), headed by Darci Galati. Their efforts to help control the stray population and the number of unwated cats and dogs has been truly outstanding.

In the photo above you can see the surgery area in the back behind the blue screen. After surgery the dogs come to the Recovery tables on the right. Once they begin to wake up the animals are moved to the floor to be with their owners as they come out of anesthesia.

The clinic is held in Bonfil, close to the Cancun Airport, from Jan 11 to Jan 16. After the clinic is over there will be a concert on Isla Mujeres starring country singer Craig Moritz. Tickets are $15 and proceeds go to the animal shelters.

This is a great cause to volunteer for; during your vacation you might want to check out which local programs you can donate your time or money to. Vets, vet techs and volunteers fly in from the US and Canada to organize these clinics. We are very appreciative for everything they do to help the animal overpopulating in Cancun.

Lost Tourist Visa Card – What happens if you lose your tourist visa while in Mexico?

 

When you arrive to Cancun International Airport you are issued an FMM form (Forma Migratoria Multiple). This form is your Tourist Visa. The Immigration agent at the Cancun Airport will stamp it and give you half of it to keep until you leave Mexico. Most visas are valid for 30, 60 or 90 days. You MUST keep up with this important document. Put it with your passport and your [Read more…]

5K race on Isla Mujeres Feb 9, 2013

 

There is a 5K Run / Walk race on Isla Mujeres on February 9th to benefit the stray dogs and cats on the island. The money raised will help provide the spay and neuter clinics, as well as animal adoption efforts.

The race will start and finish at JAX Bar & Grill, the starting time is 8:00 AM.

Categories:
Adult women
Adult men
Girls 17 and under
Boys 17 and under
Teams – 5 person

Entry Fee: $30.00 USD

Come over to Isla Mujeres to run for this wonderful cause.

5K Race Isla Mujeres

Duty-free shopping at the Cancun Airport

 

When you leave Cancun Airport to head home after your vacation in Mexico, you may want to take a few things back with you. Almost everyone has a list of friends, co-workers, nieces and nephews for which to buy souvenirs. There are some good markets in Cancun, like Market 28, however it is handy to grab these items on your way out of Cancun at the Duty-Free shops at the Cancun Airport.

[youtube_sc url=QCjalmyCeek width=530]

The shops are located in all the departure terminals. It is not possible to access these stores upon arrival. Duty-Free Shops are accessible on departures only. Some of the most popular shops are Sr. Frogs, Sunglass Island, Hard Rock Cafe, Oprendi & Ocean Blue. You can buy liquor, cigarettes, t-shirts, and souvenirs of all kinds.

Map of the Cancun Airport Stores: http://www.asur.com.mx/asur/ingles/aeropuertos/cancun/map.asp

Cancun Airport Departures Area

Cancun Airport Departures Area

There are also food court areas at both terminals, including a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., California Pizza Kitchen, Johnny Rockets, Starbucks (of course), Margaritaville, Domino’s Pizza, Peking Xpress, Guacamole Grill (fast food), Burger King, Baskin Robbins, TGI Friday’s, drug store and convenience store.

Now, there are limits to what you can take back with you when you leave Cancun. Each person can bring back $800 USD worth of items purchased in Mexico, duty-free, including:

  • One liter (33.8 ounces) of alcohol (provided the resident is 21 years or over)
  • 200 cigarettes or 100 cigars that are not of Cuban origin (1 carton)

Items brought from the duty-free shop may [Read more…]

Chichen Itza Light & Sound show renovations

 

The Light & Sound show at Chichen Itza ruins closed down back in August of 2012 for renovations. Their expected down-time was 6 months. It is a shame that the show was closed during the winter solstice when Chichen Itza saw record numbers of visitors.

In my opinion this was a long-overdue renovation. For many years the light & sound show was sub-par by most people’s standards. It was not a laser light show, instead they just lit up the main pyramid with different colored lights. The “sound” portion of the show was a looped recording in Spanish. There were translator headsets available for rent for 25 pesos each, however they were first-come-first-serve and were not guaranteed to work. Seating was very limited with most people having to sit on the ground. Many visitors to the light & sound show were disappointed over the last several years.

There is still no reopen date for the Light & Sound show, but when it does open we will go check it out for you. I will post photos and video of the new show. I hope to be amazed. It would be wonderful to recommend this tour to people traveling to Cancun or the Riviera Maya.

Mayan Calendar Dec 21, 2012 – What is supposed to happen?

 

There is a lot of talk about December 21, 2012 and the supposedly “end of the world” prediction by the Mayan people. It is hard to find the truth in all the hype. What did the Mayans really mean when they stopped their calendar on Dec 21? Is this the end?

Mayan Calendar

Mayan Calendar

No, it is not the end at all, however the Mayan calendar is not easily understood. This lack of understanding has lead to many far-fetched and crazy predictions on the internet. Some people are planning for 3 days of total darkness.  Really? Do you think the sun will shut off for 3 days?

According to Rosalind Joyce, a professor of anthropology at University of California, Berkeley and a leading scholar on the ancient culture of Central America, “the Maya never did predict the end of the world,” she said.

The Maya calendar counts long cycles of 144,000 days, called b’ak’tun. The Maya count back epochs over many cycles and then forward for thousands of years.

“The ancient Maya had a concept of long, continuous time on their calendar, but never an ‘end time,’ ” Joyce said. According to their calendar this is now the 13th b’ak’tun cycle, and it does end on Dec. 21, or Mayan date: 13.0.0.0.0. But the cycle will then begin again as the 14th cycle, and there will always be another new b’ak’tun cycle.

So what is supposed to happen during this time of transition from the end of one cycle to the beginning of the next? To get some solid answers, let’s look at the cycles throughout history.

A b’ak’tun is a period of 144,000 days (about 393 years) in the Maya Long Count. Guatemalan writer Gaspar Pedro González says that it is an especially important time unit, “used for describing the creations of humans and of the world”. Some historians have said that there is a direct correlation between major world events and the ending of b’aktun cycles.

The Maya people consider thirteen to be a sacred number so the completion of 13 b’ak’tun cycles makes December 21, 2012 even more important. Add to that the fact that Mayans Long Count’s “zero date” was set at a point in the past marking the end of the third world and the beginning of the current one. This means that the fourth world will also have reached the end of its 13th b’ak’tun, on 21 December 2012

There is so much hype on the internet about this time, it is difficult to tell the science from the science fiction. Damien Melis from the Gippsland Mexican Arts Group says the Mayan prophecies don’t predict the end of the world, rather an evolution of the human mind and spirit. This time of transition is supposed to bring about enlightenment and new knowledge about human-kind and the universe. We can only hope that this truly does happen.

So what does this mean for you? Well, if you are planning a trip to one of the Mayan Ruins in Mexico during this time, be prepared for crowds of people flocking to Chichen Itza, Coba and Tulum. We offer an inexpensive way to see Chichen Itza for on $47 per person.

Turtles hatching in Cancun

 

During our day pass at Golden Parnassus we had the unique opportunity to witness the hatching of the sea turtles on the Cancun beaches. There were several areas fenced off where the turtles made their nests.

Turtles hatching in Cancun

Turtles hatching in Cancun

The turtle conservationist there started digging in one of the mounds until he was elbow-deep into the nest. Then, he gently removed turtle after turtle, 100 in all. They woke up after a few minutes and became very active. After we scrubbed our hands with sand we were allowed to hold one very briefly. Careful not to touch their bellies, we held a newly-hatched baby sea turtle. Amazing.

These baby turtles did not go straight to the ocean. We were told they needed 24 hours [Read more…]

Gran Melia Cancun changed to the Paradisus Cancun

 

Announced in November, 2012, the Hotel Gran Melia in Cancun has changed it’s name to the Paradisus Cancun. The hotel has 678 suites, 7 restaurants and a bar / restaurant perfect for chilling out. The hotel also has a 9 hole par 3 golf course.

Paradisus Cancun Resort

Paradisus Cancun Resort

Paradisus Cancun is located at KM 16.5, in the heart of the hotel zone.

Arriving to the Cancun Airport – What to expect

 

When I arrived to Cancun Airport I took this video so you can see exactly what it looks like. I could only start filming after customs and immigration. The video starts right after customs. Please excuse the loud background noise.

This is at Terminal 2. Cancun International Airport (CUN) has 3 terminals. Terminal 1 is the FBO / charter terminal. Here are the airlines that use Terminal 2 and Terminal 3:

Terminal 2 Terminal 3
Air Canada AA
Air Transat Delta
AirTran Frontier
CanJet Spirit
Condor Sun Country
Copa Thomson
Cubana United
First Choice US Air
Jet Blue Virgin America
SunWing USA 3000
Viva AeroBus
WestJet
Interjet

 

For a more complete list of the Airlines arriving and departing from the Cancun Airport including contact info, check out CARM Airline Directory.

Here I am with my best friend TJ after we exited the airport and found our sign. Our driver, Augustine, was waiting for us.

CARM airport Sign

Trina & TJ at the Cancun Airport with CARM greeter

Then it was a swift and safe ride to Cancun! You can book the same private airport transfer service to any resort in Cancun or the Riviera Maya here.

Animal Shelter in Cancun

 

There are several really great organizations in Cancun to help with the large population of stray cats and dogs. The problem is that all of these shelters are relying on outside donations to keep their doors open. Cancun, as far as I know, does not have a city, state, or federally funded program at all.

A very good friend of ours had a large yard and started taking in street dogs and cats. Before he knew it he had 20 dogs and his yard was full, not to mention his neighbors did not like it one bit. So he moved out of Cancun about 25 kilometers to a place with LOTS of land. Now his animal shelter Tierra de Animales is home to over 200 dogs and [Read more…]