Monthly Archives: July 2017

PHOTO: The Xel-H Scenic Lighthouse. (photo courtesy of Xcaret)

WHY IT RATES: The new lighthouse in the Xel-H nature park is worth a visit.Eric Bowman,TravelPulse Senior Editor

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On the beginning of the summer holiday season, Xel-H nature park inaugurated a new attraction within its sustainable tourism recreation offer. The Scenic Lighthouse will offer the most spectacular views of the Riviera Maya, in a completely natural environment.

The creator of this new icon of the Mexican Caribbean is the architect Miguel Quintana Pali, who for almost 30 years has developed unique tourism concepts taking advantage of the geological and hydrological wealth of the Yucatan Peninsula.

The amazing creativity of Quintana Pali is part of the successful parks Xcaret, Xel-H, Xplor, Xplor Fuego, Xoximilco and Xenotes Tours, which together receive more than 3 million tourists each year. With Xenses, the most recent of his creations, Miguel Quintana broke paradigms and created a park focused on playing with the minds and senses of its visitors.

Now at Xel-H, the Scenic Lighthouse is an accomplishment that emulates a traditional lighthouse and will fulfill the function of being a reference for maritime navigation. But conceptually it will go much further, since it will allow visitors of Xel-H to ascend a platform located 40 meters high to appreciate an incomparable view of the natural wonder of the area.

The lighthouse has an incredible view of the magnificent Xel-H cove, a body of water of more than 34 acres that has a mouth of 70 meters facing the Caribbean Sea. This is a very special place because it is fed by the fresh water that comes from underground rivers on the one hand, and on the other hand, by the warm salt water of the sea.

In addition, the 360-degree view from the heights will allow visitors to appreciate more than 148 acres of jungle, and of course the breathtaking blue ocean. "Sometimes you dont need to look up to find heaven," says Quintana Pali about the beauty of the place.

But that's not all. The Scenic Lighthouse is designed to offer unforgettable experiences to its visitors, as descending from the heights will be the most fun. Emulating the traditional painting of lighthouses, in the shape of a two-color stick candy, the Xel-H lighthouse will have four descending channels, slides, so that tourists can feel the adrenaline being released, at high speed, to eventually land in a refreshing pool.

Although the investment in this new attraction exceeds 43 million pesos, for Quintana Pali the important thing is to have resolved, with great creativity, how to offer a new appeal to Xel-H, without losing the essence that has characterized it in the last 23 years: to be a natural wonder and the best place to practice snorkeling, with services and food of the highest quality.

SOURCE: Xcaret press release.

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Xel-H Scenic Lighthouse: New Mexican Caribbean Icon - TravelPulse

By Prof. Ravi Chaturvedi*

TORONTO, Canada As my British West Indies Airways (now Caribbean Airlines) flight from Heathrow started descending towards into Barbados Grantley Adams International Airport, the pale green sugarcane fields and the countryside lined by boaba, poinciana, mahogany, frangipani and cabbage palm trees provided a picturesque sight of an insular country, situated in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the other West Indies islands. It was a celestial sight.

It was March 3, 1976 when author landed in West Indies on his first visit to cover the India West Indies series. The airport was small.

Since Andy Roberts and Viv Richards had boarded the flight from Antigua (our first stop after London), Peter Short, Secretary, West Indies Cricket Control Board while escorting the players, looked intently towards me. I walked across to him, introduced myself and requested for help to find a hotel.

After guiding the players to a waiting car, he dropped me at Rostrevor hotel. After local popular mouth-watering flying fish dinner, I hit the bed for a sound sleep.

After breakfast, I hired a cab and left for the Kensington Oval to collect my media card and oversee the arrangements for the live commentary transmission to India. Once in taxi, the cabby spoke at length about the decline in the Caribbean Cricket (West Indies team had just returned after a humiliating 5-1 defeat from Australia). Soon it dawned on me that cricket means a lot to the locals.

The cabby not only dropped me at Kensington Oval but also gave me useful tips where to savour the local cuisines and go for shopping. Moment I stepped in the stadium, I found Peter Short at a hand-shaking distance, welcoming me, he asked an official to get me a media card. As I turn around I find myself on the renowned Kensington Oval, originally home of Pickwick Cricket Club since 1871.

It was originally a pasture on a plantation, not far from the coast. The international cricket came to Kensington Oval in 1895 when Slade Lucas side played a match here.

The inaugural Test was a drawn game against England in 1930. Records reveal that so far 43 Tests have been played on this venue and home team emerged triumphant on 21 occasions. But my subsequent trips in 2002 and 2015 found that Kensington Oval has transformed into one of the most impressive grounds in the Caribbean, well-equipped for day-night games. It can accommodate nearly 28, 000 spectators. The pitch here is by and large fast and bouncy, ideal for stroke-making.

The stadium underwent extensive extension exercise to stage the prestigious 2007 ICC World Cup. Barbados postal department brought out two commemorative stamps to mark the occasion.

Kensington Oval with Garfield Sobers Pavilion & adjoining Hall & Griffith Stand

Walking into modernly-modelled Kensington Oval, author felt the presence of the legends. The grand pavilion is named after the three Ws, and the players pavilion bears the name of the greatest cricketer ever- Garfield Sobers. Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith, the fearsome fast-bowling duo, have a stand for themselves, as do openers Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes.

Looking at the sight-screen, I found myself facing (dread the sight of the duo running up to bowl) Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner ends.

My second visit was made memorable by Indias ODI win over the hosts at the Kensington Oval. Mohammad Mujahiri, Hony. Indian Counsel General hosted the winning Indian team where as a senior most in the reception author had the honour of raising the toast.

After the match, I walked across the Oval to meet my old friend Wes Hall, President, WICCB. Moment I sent a chit bearing my name in the Presidents box, out came lanky Hall with arms wide-open to embrace me warmly with words, My old friend, Ravi! How are you and the family? When I handed over a stylish with hand art-worked pyjama-kurta as a gift from my family, he said, You always bring a gift for me Uttering these words he headed towards the beer machine to fill two glasses, raised his glass, To you and your familys welfare. It was a touching gesture on the part of this genial giant.

He introduced me to Sir Everton Weeks (holder of five successive centurys record) and Sir Gary Sobers. It was most memorable moment of my commentary career-rubbing shoulders with three greats of the game.

Next day I had a breakfast meeting with Hall to seek support of the WICCB to my cricket naming project based on endangered animals, a venture backed by the UNESCO.

Before taking leave of Hall, another cricketer of yesteryears Cammie Smith was introduced to me who offered me lift to the hotel. While driving down to the hotel, author found several roundabouts named after legendary cricketers and on the Cave Hill UWI campus the ground named after the three Ws.

During my five-day stay in the island, author realized that Barbados is crickets most natural habitat. As I walked on to the beach, saw ill-clad children with a raft of wood and a nearly worn-out tennis ball, throwing the ball fast and hitting it hard.

This is nursery of Caribbean cricket. These basic traits are later chiseled and honed by the coaches. Cricket enjoys a pedestal position in the countrys social hierarchy. The game is part of the countrys culture. It has integrated itself into art, architecture, language and music.

After nearly weeks stay, as author headed towards Grantley Adams International Airport, realization came to me that cricket in Barbados is at its purest and most joyous form. For a Caribbean cricket fan like me, coming to Barbados is like a pilgrimage.

*Prof. Ravi Chaturvedi is a pioneer Hindi cricket commentator who authored 23 cricket books and bestowed with the Indian national award of Padma Shri in 2012 for his contribution to cricket commentary. His sixth Caribbean visit was to celebrate his 80th birthday with Rickhi family & friends in Trinidad.

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Memories of Kensington Oval, Barbados - South Florida Caribbean News

Learn more about Costa Rica and other countries in our daily postcard e-letter. Simply enter your email address below and well send you a FREE REPORT Why Are Americans Still Flocking to Costa Rica.

If you need a manicured lawn, 18-hole golf course, large fancy supermarket, or luxury condo to be happyyou can find that in Costa Rica. But youll have to give the countrys southern Caribbean coast a miss.

This out-of-the-way region is about four hours drive from the capital, San Jos. The expat community, clustered near the border with Panama (the Bocas del Toro archipelago is just across the way) in towns and communities like Cahuita, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Playa Chiquita, Playa Cocles, and Manzanillo, attracts do-it-yourselfers, bohemians, free spirits, and pioneers.

Despite the natural beauty of golden-sand beaches with a fringe of palm trees and other foliage providing shade, there are no big resorts. No condos towering on the shore. No cookie cutter, gated communities. In fact, much of the land here is protected from development as national park or wildlife refuge.

Instead you have jungles of towering tropical hardwoods, filled with sloths, howler monkeys, and other creatures. Picture a narrow-paved road (watch out for the potholes) winding its way through the trees, parallel to the beach, with small shops, yoga studios, and cafes on either side. Many folks get around by bike herethe pace of life is slow, youre not in a rush to get anywhere.

Dirt and gravel access roads snake off to the beach (always uncrowded, sometimes totally deserted except for you) or inland through the rainforest, where most people live in simple homes, often open air. One two-bedroom home, walking distance to the beach near Puerto Viejo, the main town, is listed at $149,000. Youll find many homes hovering around this price point.

Although its an unspoiled region, youre not exactly roughing it. Essential services are here: clean drinking water, electricity (although brief outages are frequent), and highspeed internet. Medical care is very basic in this area; not the best place for anybody with a chronic condition or in need of specialist care.

Thanks to tourism (a fraction of what the Pacific coast gets), you also have French bakeries, sports bars, gourmet restaurants, and other fare. And the grocery stores are surprisingly well-stocked.

But many locals and expats prefer to do the bulk of their shopping at the Saturday market in Puerto Viejo. Here you can get organic produce, bread, prepared foods made by enterprising expats, locally made dark chocolate, and more. As fishing is still a local industry, fresh snapper can be had off the boat for $5 a pound.

And since just about anything grows in this climate, its not unusual to have an abundant orchard on your property: mangos, bananas and plantains, papayaa fruit salad whenever you want it.

In many ways, the Caribbean is almost a country within a country. In the 1800s, a wave of immigrants, mostly from Jamaica, came to this stretch of coast to work in agriculture, the railroad, and the port. Their descendants still live there to this today. Although they are fairly well integrated, they still retain music (reggae and calypso), food (spicy beans and coconut rice dishes and savory seafood soups), language (Caribbean-accented English and a creole), and other traditions.

That Caribbean feel, almost an island vibe, lends another unique aspect to this region.

Its not for everybody, still a little rough around the edges. But for those who really want to drop out Costa Ricas Caribbean could be worth a closer look.

Learn more about Costa Rica and other countries in our daily postcard e-letter. Simply enter your email address below and well send you a FREE REPORT Why Are Americans Still Flocking to Costa Rica.

This special guide covers real estate, retirement and more in Costa Rica and is yours free when you sign up for our IL postcards below.

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Dropping Out on Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast - International Living

Ayana Flewellen and Justin Dunnavant talk about their youth program and archeological field school at the Nature Conservancy on St. Croix at Mondays conference.

Archeologists from around the Caribbean and Europe gathered Monday for the opening of the International Association for Caribbean Archeology Congress, held for the first time in the territory, with a focus on youth participation.

David Hayes, of the St. Croix Archeological Society and organizer of the event, said more than 140 archeologists from 20 Caribbean nations as well as France, England, Holland, Denmark, Canada and the United States will participate in the five-day event.

This is a forum for the discussion of Caribbean archeology and history and the conservation of built environment, Hayes said.

More than 100 papers will be delivered by professional and amateur archeologists about historical sites, digs, artifacts and the lives of early Caribbean populations. Topics will include mortuary practices in Cuba, archeology in the Florida Keys and a new archaic site on Montserrat.

On Monday, the youngest presenters were high school students from Saba and St. Martin who described their projects with the same professionalism and maturity expected from scientists twice their age. Both groups, SIMARC and SABARC, are community organizations, supported in part by their governments. They conduct excavations and collect and preserve artifacts and educate their communities.

The St. Martin group, SIMARC, operates under the guidance of Jay Haviser, president of the International Association for Caribbean Archeology, and is the official depository for artifacts collected on the island. Soma Persaud and Tisiana Hart, representing about 20 SIMARC members, described a cannon repair project, a five-day excavation of plantation ruins and an annual tree-planting day.

The SABARC, from Saba, have an office, lab, an artifact storage room and display area at the Saba Heritage Center. Donald Hassell and Hylke van der Velde, two of the eight members from the island, talked about an excavation on a 17th century homestead, a sugar-boiling house and two 4,000 year old Amerindian sites.

Hart told the audience that goals for both organizations include signage for important heritage sites, studying grave headstones on both islands, interviewing elders about culture, and networking throughout the Caribbean.

Haviser founded both student groups and another on Bonaire in 2003. He recruits students between 14 and 18 because its a decision-making period regarding their careers. He said about half of the youth have pursued careers in science and one former student, now graduated from college, is designated to replace Haviser as SIMARC director.

UVI students enjoy the IACA conference Monday.

Another project promoting youth involvement in the sciences was described by Ayana Flewellen and Justin Dunnavant, of the Estate Little Princess Archeological Field School on St. Croix. Earlier this year, they enlisted a dozen teen members of the Boys and Girls Club for the Junior Scientists of the Sea program. The students learned to scuba dive and dig artifacts at the Nature Conservancys ruins. The program will continue with the young scientists participating in a coral restoration project, they said.

On Monday, presenters from Curacao, the Dominican Republic, Anguilla, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Guadeloupe talked about their projects, which were translated into Spanish, French and English as they spoke.

Topics for discussion over the conferences next four days were scheduled to include climate change, cultural resource management, settlement patterns, historical archeology and pre-colonial archeology. The sessions held in the conference room on the lower level of the Divi Casino begin at 8 a.m. and are open to the public.

In addition to 15-minute presentations, the archeologists will visit Salt River Wednesday afternoon and tour Christiansted, the St. George Botanical Garden and the Cruzan Rum Distillery. There will be Government House and Ft. Christianvaern receptions.

Haviser described the IACA as an inclusive rather than exclusive group. Not only are young people encouraged, but also very few papers have ever been excluded from a congress. Approximately five percent of the submissions to the Congress, held every two years, are from amateurs.

Haviser complemented Hayes on the organization of the congress and said it was appropriate that it was held on St. Croix during the bicentennial.

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International Association for Caribbean Archeology Holds Conference on St. Croix - St, Thomas Source