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Want to have a great (and cheap) time in Cancun without doing the all-inclusive thing? AUG 24 Posted by TC

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Books I Like for Studying Spanish →

Want to have a great (and cheap) time in Cancun without doing the all-inclusive thing?

AUG 24

Posted by TC

Budget Travel in Cancun, Mexico?

You can smell the sea from the Cancun airport. No more stuffy airplane, no more boring job in your cold hometown. Welcome to paradise – the Mayan Riviera. Welcome to Cancun.

The Mayan Riviera is a 130 km stretch of Caribbean coastline in southeast Mexico. Between Cancún in the north and the Mayan ruins of Tulum in the south are countless white-sand beaches on the calm turquoise water of the Caribbean.

Cancun is famous for all-inclusive luxury resorts, while formerly lesser-known beach hangouts like Playa del Carmen are now firmly established on the beaten path. But a budget-conscious side remains to these world-class tourist destinations. You can still get a nice hotel room for under $30 USD in downtown Cancun, and eat the best – and cheapest – local food just a few blocks from the beach in Playa del Carmen.

The great Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, are only a few hours from Cancún on good highways. In the other direction, rocky Tulum rivals Chichén Itzá with its location on limestone cliffs overlooking the sky-blue Caribbean.

My Cancun and Mayan Riviera 5-Day Itinerary is for the independent traveler who likes the beach but also wants some culture. Besides saving a lot of money, you:

• Have two full days on two gorgeous beaches: Cancún and Playa del Carmen.
• Explore two Mayan ruins: Chichén Itzá, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, and Tulum, a sunny fortress built on cliffs overlooking one of the most iconic beaches in Mexico.
• Dip your toe into Yucatán culture in Valladolid, a small colonial town in central Yucatán.
• Swim, snorkel or scuba dive in the clear, freshwater Dos Ojos cenote.
• Eat what Mexicans eat: seafood, tacos, and Yucatán specialties like panuchos and salbutes.
• Shop, party, get tan, and learn some Spanish, history and culture. And, if time permits, venture farther into Mexico and Central America.

It’s cheap at $5 for 43 pages of solid information. (Actually it’s only 4.99.) You’ll save that much the first time you follow my advice on a bus, restaurant or cenote.

The Mayan Riviera is the most traveled part of Mexico. People go there for a beautiful time in a beautiful hotel, on a beautiful beach.

But I say: Skip the beautiful hotel! Of course hang out on the beautiful beach, but don’t miss the beautiful culture too.

This part of Mexico may be the most visited, but perhaps the least understood. I try to remedy this with my modest guide.

My Unanchor Tour Itineraries

Cancun and Mayan Riviera 5-Day Itinerary

Most famous for Cancun, the Mayan Riviera is Mexico’s tourist fantasyland, a jungle coastline of white-sand beaches…
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Books I Like for Studying Spanish SEP 14 Posted by TC

← Want to have a great (and cheap) time in Cancun without doing the all-inclusive thing?

Books I Like for Studying Spanish

SEP 14

Posted by TC

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The best way to learn a language is to speak it. Find someone to practice with. There’s no substitute for practice.

And if you aren’t speaking it, listen to it. Listen to music. Listen to podcasts. Listen to university lectures in ITunes University, a free part of the ITunes store. (Change your language to Spanish.)

But if you want fluency, you have to hit the books too. Don’t stress yourself out. Just do a page or two a day. Studying in frequent but short periods of time is better than hours of cramming once a week. As both a teacher and student, I fully agree with the Law of Diminishing Returns.

Choose books with simple, clear text – not a lot of photos and distractions. The books I have for my university English classes where I work here in Mexico are full of confusing, unnecessary and downright cheesy stuff, as if to distract the students so they don’t realize they are studying, but having fun instead. Ridiculous.

(I have a theory about ESL books – that every one includes Nelson Mandela, J.K. Rowling or the Japanese hot dog-eating lady.)

It’s absolutely necessary that the answers to the exercises are in the back of the book. Again, the books I have to teach English with don’t do that. It must be part of the contract between the publishing companies and the universities.

If you are a total beginner, get a book that teaches what you need most: common questions and answers.

Communicating in Spanish is a good guide to get you started speaking Spanish. It has the basic questions and answers and lists of important vocabulary. It won’t confuse you with explanations of complicated Spanish grammar.

(Click the pictures of the books below to see them on Amazon.)

One of the hardest things about Spanish – a big difference from English – are verb conjugations. Verbs change for every person (I, you, she, we, etc.) and every tense (past, present, etc. – including several that don’t exist in English, like imperfect, pluperfect, and the frustrating subjunctive tenses). You’ve got your work cut out for you.

Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish is the best book I’ve seen that introduces these grammar necessities:

¡Click the book!

Because of this abundance of verb conjugations in Spanish, you have to do a lot of exercises. I’ve worked my way through Spanish Verb Tenses twice now.

(Tip: don’t write in your books. Write in a notebook or on scrap paper instead. Then you can do the exercises again or sell the book.)

This series, Practice Makes Perfect, has a lot of good workbooks. I’ve used this one too:

Right now I’m on Advanced Spanish Grammar. This book covers a lot of ground – vocabulary, verb conjugations, cultural notes and regional differences in Spanish. Plus it’s all in Spanish – instructions too, which is useful:

And finally, I bought Contemporary Latin American Literature on my last trip to the states and have cracked it a few times. It is an overview of important writers with their poems, short stories, and novel excerpts.

Please leave suggestions for studying Spanish the comments. Thanks for reading!

How to Drive in Mexico: Get to Puerto Escondido and Vivo!

How to Drive in Mexico: Get to Puerto Escondido and Vivo!

Posted by Vivo Resorts on Fri, Sep 06, 2013 @ 06:30 AM

  

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Making your way to Puerto Escondido and Vivo Resorts is half the fun of being there! Mexico is a country of striking landscapes and breathtaking natural beauty, and driving is one of the best ways to enjoy it. However, driving in Mexico may take some getting used to if you've never operated a vehicle outside Canada or the United States, as the driving culture is quite a bit different than what you might be used to. Be aware of some major differences in driving and auto insurance laws that may come into play during your journey.

Understanding the Local Highway Infrastructure

Right now, construction of a major new highway is underway in Oaxaca. Known as the Puerto Escondido-Oaxaca highway, the project is nearing completion and will make getting to Puerto Escondido  easier than ever before. If you're thinking about investing in Oaxaca or Puerto Escondido real estate, the highway project may turn out to be a boon to your bottom line. It is expected to stimulate a great deal of economic growth in the region, which should also trigger significant appreciation in local real estate values. Given that Puerto Escondido is already experiencing double-digit year-over-year increases in property values, there is no telling just how high the market could climb once the highway is complete.

In the meantime, you can use several other existing, albeit more scenic, routes to get to Puerto Escondido:

• Highway 190. While this is not the most direct route to Puerto Escondido, many believe it is the easiest to navigate. If you don't mind a little sightseeing along the way, Highway 190 leads through Huatulco and Salina Cruz, both of which are well worth a visit.
• Highway 175 & Highway 200. Taking Highway 175 through Pochutla, then continuing north on Highway 200 to Oaxaca is a relatively easy drive and is more direct than taking Highway 190. This route also offers a number of interesting vistas and is a relatively easy drive.
• Highway 131. This is the most direct route between Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido, but you should be aware that road conditions are not the best and that the highway runs through mountainous terrain. While the highland views are impressive, you are also at heightened risk of encountering landslides, especially during the rainy season. If you choose to take this route, always be mindful of weather and road conditions.

Driving in Mexico: Practical Information and Tips

Generally speaking, drivers in Mexico and other Latin American countries are more aggressive and have a looser interpretation of the rules of the road. Here are some practical tips and pointers to keep in mind:

• Drivers tend to be very aggressive, and may not always use turn signals
• Always try to anticipate what others around you are going to do
• Do not turn left out of a parking lot; instead, always turn right and go around the block
• Avoid driving on Mexican highways at night if you're not comfortable with nighttime driving
• Expect a high volume of commercial traffic on Mexican highways
• A two-lane highway with paved shoulders is usually used as a four-lane highway; pull onto the shoulder to let passing drivers get past you
• Try to drive at the speed of the traffic around you; if you want to go slower, keep right

Combine caution with vigilance until you get used to driving in Mexico. It may take a period of adjustment at first, but within a few days, you should feel right at home on the roadways.

Bringing Your Vehicle into Mexico

First and most importantly, make sure that you have valid and current auto insurance coverage while driving in Mexico. If you are involved in an accident and you do not have proper insurance, you are subject to imprisonment if injury or property damage was caused. Check with your auto insurance provider to see if your present coverage will carry over to Mexico; if it won't, purchase additional coverage prior to your departure.

Your current and valid U.S. or Canadian driver's license is all you need to drive in Mexico, but you must be absolutely certain that it will not expire while you are away. You'll encounter problems with the authorities if you attempt to drive on an expired or invalid license. Also, you should always keep a copy of your passport in your vehicle with you as a secondary form of identification.

Vivo Resorts is a leading developer of Mexico beachfront real estate in the Puerto Escondido area. We're here to make your transition to Mexican life smooth and easy. If you have any questions about driving in Mexico, or if you'd like to learn more about how to get here by car, please don't hesitate to contact a Vivo customer service representative.

Tags: mexico real estate beachfront, oaxaca real estate, Puerto Escondido real estate, how to drive in mexico

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Team Vivo's Zipline Adventure in Puerto Escondido

Team Vivo's Zipline Adventure in Puerto Escondido

Posted by Chuck Ashton on Fri, Sep 13, 2013 @ 06:17 PM

  

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By Clint Demers

We just had our annual Vivo team meetings here in Puerto Escondido at the end of August. For one of our team sessions we decided on a trip up to the zip lines. Since none of us had been there yet, even those of us that have lived here for years, it was a chance for us all to have a new adventure together.

Being that it is the rainy season, we had to do the trip early, so as not to get caught in the daily afternoon rains that fall in the mountains. We departed at 7:30 and after a 90 minute drive from Puerto Escondido, up through the beautiful mountain countryside, we found ourselves in coffee country. Some of the best coffee in Mexico is grown here on these steep mountain sides, and some of the most pleasant people as well.

Approximately 15 minutes off the highway down a dirt road we came to the town of La Chao. No cell phone signal, and no internet. It was awesome, nothing to distract us from having a great experience. We parked the vehicles grabbed ourselves some water and hooked up with the zip line tour guides to begin the 30 minute hike along the river up to the first line. What was waiting for us there was certainly a pleasant surprise. A 30 meter high waterfall, complete with a sandy beach, and large rocks to dive from. The water was crystal clear and very refreshing. Since we were such a large group, we had to split in half. So half of us hung out and relaxed at the waterfall while the others began the 35 minute descent, zipping through the tree tops over some of the most incredible scenery you may ever see. There are a total of six lines ranging from 490 meters long and 80 meters high to 425 meters long and 130 meters high. Seeing the looks of amazement and listening to the hoots, hollers, and giggles of the first team overhead zipping down the mountain just added to the great experience we knew we were about to have.

It seemed like no time at all before our guides returned. They had taken the first group down, had a drink of water and jogged back up, to then take us down. They caught their breath while we got our harnesses and helmets on, gave us the list of tips, and then we were off. That first time your feet leave the platform is quite the high, and then it almost becomes surreal, as you float over small coffee fields, rivers, mountain pasture land with grazing livestock, and jungle like forests. We reached the last line just as the clouds had started to roll in, and made it down to the little restaurant where the other half of our group was having a few beverages, and waiting to have lunch with us. We finished lunch just as the sky opened up, and the tin roof of the restaurant began to chatter away, but it was nothing compared to the buzz of excited conversation that filled the room.

All in all it was an incredible day, the scenery was beautiful, the guides were great, and it was an amazing experience. I would do it again and again!

Tags: Vivo Resorts, Mexico vacation, Puerto Escondido, zipline, adventure

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