Rodrigo y Gabriela

Last year, while sitting around the pool at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay tanning and listening to the music, I heard a new and exciting group.  I asked the waiter if he knew who was singing.  He said, "Si, senor. That's Rodrigo y Gabriela."

Here we are a year later and guess who was a recent guest at the White House?  Rodrigo Sanchez y Gabriela Quintero! They met in Mexico while trying to get a band going and that failed, so they traveled to Europe as a duet and perfected their craft. Now they are back in Mexico with a new album,that embraces "...Latin music on their ambitious new album, Area 52, recorded in Havana with an 18-piece Cuban orchestra."

Area 52 finds them reinventing nine of their most popular original instrumentals with dynamic Cuban arrangements.

I just listened on iTunes to a preview of their album and am favorably impressed.  This will make a nice addition to our growing collection of Latin music.

International Living has been writing about Tulum for years. FONATUR, the Mexican tourism agency, wants to increase tourist numbers along the coast from three to 11 million over the next decade.  The issue of IL just arrived with another take on Tulum in "Five Places at the Profit Tipping Point."

Ronan McMahon in IL writes that "the new highway overpass system at Playa del Carmen is open, reducing the drive time from Cancun Airport. Now Tulum is just a 90-minute drive from the airport, and that facilitates a high-volume of vacation and second-home owners.  And that's before they turn a sod on the new airport in Tulum itrself."

Like Posh, Like Adventure?

I came across two articles this evening about places in Mexico,

The first article in the Houston Cronicle is titled "Living the sweet life on the Riviera Maya" by Dudley Althaus. I'm a sucker for these resorts that offer living that probably only the "1%" can afford. The article takes us to "...Mayakoba, an eco-focused luxury resort that's home to three hotels on Mexico's frequently frenetic Caribbean shore."

There's the Banyan Tree hotel:



"Banyan Tree Mayakoba takes opulence in Playa del Carmen to new heights with the first all-pool villa resort on Mexico's pristine Riviera Maya. Within the gates of eco-haven Mayakoba, the resort blends the romance of travel with a unique sense of place and signature touches of Asian hospitality, making it one of the most exclusive resorts on Mexico's Riviera Maya."

Next, is the Rosewood Hotel's Casa del Lago



"From the consummate operator of ultra-luxury hotels such as The Mansion in Turtle Creek, Las Ventanas al Paraíso in Cabo, and the Carlyle in New York, comes Rosewood Mayakoba. Rosewood Mayakoba voted Best Hotel in México in 2009 by Travel+Leisure continues to delight discerning guests with jaw-dropping design and exceptional amenities."

Finally, we have the Fairmont Mayakoba:




"Secluded on 45 acres of lush tropical mangroves and canals, the property features 401 rooms and suites, including a collection of beach and lagoon casitas- each one offering guests extraordinary views. The resort features 32,495 square feet of meeting space and a business center."

The second article from the Huffington Post is titled "In Puerto Vallarta There's Life And Then There's Living" by Barbara Barton Sloane. She writes about the zip-lines 200 feet above the jungle guided by Vallarta Adventures, whose tag is "One of the greatest adventures on earth. If you like adventure visit Puerto Vallarta!

 

Will I be safe in Mexico?