12-21-2012

Celebrating a New Era in Xcaret

According to Mayan history narrated in the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of Mayan writings, it was not until the third try that the Mayan gods created the men of corn. It is our responsibility to be a new class of men with a sense of renewal.

This new is you, it’s all of us. To commemorate this important date of the Mayan calendar, Xcaret Park celebrates the arrival of a new era.

Visitors leave their wishes for a new era on ribbons of hope. Happiness, love, peace and harmony are just a few of the messages left to a new cycle.

Visitors receive a new era with pure hearts after experiencing and witnessing a Mayan purification ceremony given by the Tihosuco community.

In silence, contemplating the natural beauty of their surroundings, visitors enjoyed a tour of Paradise River, inviting everyone aboard to resume their ties with nature.

Owl Dance. Owls are considered messengers of the lords of death, as recounted in the Popol Vuh, sacred book of the Mayan.

In the Mayan Village, we received a new era with a representation of the New Fire Dance.

Visitors travel to the past with presentations from passages from the Popol Vuh alluding to the creation of man according to the Maya.

Architect Miguel Quintana Pali present at the ceremony cancellation postmark alluding to the Sacred Mayan Journey.

A new era prepares to arrive as visitors are part of a cleansing ceremony by the people of Pole, led by Eduardo Colunga.

The lights illuminate the great ceiba the night of December 21st in the Restaurant La Isla while we received a new era.

The rythms and sounds of the Mayab evoke the gods, giving the new era a fare welcome.

Now we celebrate a new beginning and with it the opportunity to be a better version of ourselves.

How did you celebrate the beginning of a new era?

Flying Home | The Journey of Kin and Pixan

Did you know that the red macaws has only one life partner?
When they choose their partner, they never part.

The cold of the morning when we left Xcaret Park, our home, accompanied us on this journey back to our habitat in Chiapas.

Pixan, my faithful companion, and I form part of the 27 red macaws born in Xcaret as part of a succesful reproduction program that will return to our natural habitat in the Chiapas jungle. My name is Kin, which means sun in Maya. Pixan means soul. We met at Xcaret Park. Our contact with the humans who have cared for us has been minimal so we will be able to return to our habitat and someday be able to survive without their help.

For the ancient Maya, the macaw was a solar bird, we represent the fire of the sun, we communicate the sacredness of the star, bringing its messages, receiving their offerings and announced its departure.

We left at 2 am towards the Eco Park Aluxes in Palenque accompanied by a group of 11 people who are taking care of our return home. I cannot convey the excitement and a little fear we feel about this big step-or flight-we are about to take.

Follow our journey from Twitter via @XcaretPark and the hashtag #FlyingHome

Will you accompany us on this voyage?

Xcaret, Painting Mexico in Colors

Xcaret Earns Recognition for Best Practices in Corporate Social Responsibility:

Macaw breeding program

Did you know that Xcaret has one of the most successful macaws breeding programs in Mexico and the world?

The scarlet macaw, a species considered endangered, is distributed in southern Mexico. Due to the destruction of its natural habitat and illegal trade, the bird is now only found in two well-preserved areas in the jungles of Chiapas and Oaxaca.

___ __

The breeding program of the scarlet macaw in Xcaret has been recognized in the past. The park won a Guinness Record for the largest number of macaws’ births in the same installation. The program is also considered one of the last safe havens for macaws in the world.

Recognized as Socially Responsible

The macaws breeding program was filed to the CEMEFI (Mexican Center for Philanthropy) as best business practice in the environmental category. After several evaluations by specialists in the field, the breeding program was announced as the winner.

Companies from all sectors filed more than 200 practices around various topics that serve as examples of socially and environmentally responsible practices.

Did you know?
The “Solid Waste Management” in 2006 and “Festival of Life and Death Traditions” in 2008, have also won this recognition.

Xcaret and The Macaws

___

With commitment, dedication and love, in 1993 Xcaret initiated a program of captive breeding of the scarlet macaw (Ara macao) and green macaw (Ara militaris).

In 2009, Xcaret won a Guinness Record for the largest number of macaws born in one place in one year.

The captive breeding program of the scarlet macaw in Xcaret has a central purpose, which is that these birds born in captivity can be reinstated to their environment and contribute to increased populations that currently exist in the wild.

Congratulations to Rodolfo Raigoza, the Wildlife team, Wendy Santaolaya Lopez and the CSR team.
Let’s keep working as we have done until now, with commitment, dedication and love.

Have you visited the aviary in Xcaret?
Have you had your photo taken with the macaws?

Cancun Mayan Tours: Wine and mole, matching flavors at the Xcaret Wine Cellar

We are at the Wine Cellar “Vino de Mexico” in Xcaret (Cancun Mayan Tours). As a good wine cellar, it is underground and so it has the perfect temperature to keep the wine. The space is so homely that sometimes we forget there are beautiful forest pathways and a lot of water activities outside…

Our guide is Carlos Miramontes, a young sommelier who talk us about the history of Mexican wine and how it is taking its place in the Mexican Cuisine. According to UNESCO -and millions of palates in the world- Mexican Cuisine is an Intangible World Heritage. One of the best Cancun Mayan Tours in Xcaret is to taste some Mexican flavors.

Carlos says that mole is a very special Mexican recipe. “The mole shows how diverse is the Mexican Cuisine. Many states from Mexico have their own version of mole: Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla… Mole is a mix of flavors; it has at least 20 ingredients: chocolate, tortilla, dried pumpkin seeds, spices… Pairing mole with wine has several opinions, but I think it’s necessary to match it with a strong, intense wine”.

Here in the Xcaret Wine Cellar you can taste a delicious recipe. Just imagine it: Duck Medallions in Mole Poblano sauce served with slices of fried plantain and cambray onion flakes. We match it with a Nebbiolo Reserva Privada 2005. “This dish was designed to combine the strong flavors of the duck the lean and bold flavor of the magret meat with black mole, which is made of multiple ingredients and contrasting flavors”.

“The mole in itself is a complete dish, however, and being served alongside with this wine, highlights the many, many flavors they offer. Your taste buds move naturally from the sweet to the spicy, from the smoke to the flavor of chocolate”.

If you want to match mole with wine, the sommelier of Xcaret recommends Casa Grande Gran Reserva Cabernet – Shiraz, Casa Madero; Xaloc Tempranillo, Santo Tomás; Del Viko, Vinícola Torres Alegre y Familia, o el Icaro 2008, Sinergi VT. All of these Mexican wines are available at the Xcaret Wine Cellar “Vino de México”, which is called also the Mexican Wine Embassy. You can find here an exquisite collection of the finest Mexican wines, brought to you from more than 57 different wineries.

Did you find a wine to match with your favorite Mexican cuisine recipe? Which Mexican food & wine pairing should you propose to the sommelier within the Cancun Mayan tours at Xcaret Wine Cellar?