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Royal Resorts joins Ciudad de la Alegria Kings Day children’s toy convoy

Royal Resorts volunteers joined the Ciudad de la Alegria Dia de Reyes convoy on January 6 to give a Kings Day surprise of toys, sandals and candy to hundreds of children in Mayan villages in Quintana Roo and Yucatan.

In Mexico, children traditionally receive toys from the Tres Reyes Magos, the Three Kings, on January 6, many writing letters saying that they have been good all year and asking for a favorite toy. The convoy was planned to reach children in remote rural communities that might miss out on Kings Day events often organized in larger villages.

The meeting point for convoy volunteers was the Ciudad de la Alegria community center on the outskirts of Cancun at 6 a.m. to load trucks with huge bags of toys, soft toys for tots, footballs, bikes, sandals, boxes of food, clothing, candy and even piñatas. Then it was time to hit the road.

There were two routes and two convoys, one to communities in the Tulum-Coba area and the other following a route through northern Quintana Roo and Yucatan, which called at tiny hamlets and villages in the Xcan-Tizimin area, accessible by single lane roads. These are communities deep in the forest that are really off the beaten track; a few homes clustered around a church, a rural school and a small grassy park or square.

The sight of the convoy drawing up caught the attention of the villagers, the word spread and there was soon quite a crowd. The children met the Three Kings and had fun with volunteers who lined them up to receive toys, sandals and candies. There were piñatas to be broken, more candies to collect and some lucky children even took home bikes they won in a raffle.

Other volunteers distributed clothes and food and there were grocery boxes for elderly residents, some of who remembered the Ciudad de la Alegria staff from previous visits. One couple of helpers had even brought biscuits for the village dogs.

In total more than 2,900 toys and pairs of sandals were distributed. Many of the toys were donated by Royal Resorts members, guests and employees and a big thank you goes out to all those who gave generously and helped in spreading happiness to so many children.

Gracias!

Help the Royal Resorts Foundation

If you missed the Royal Resorts Christmas Toy Drive and would like to give to children in need, why not donate to the Royal Resorts Foundation or bring gifts of new toys, children’s clothing and school materials all year round? Learn more about the Royal Resorts Foundation and its causes: study scholarships for children, the fight against cancer, physiotherapy for children, employee emergency relief in times of serious illness, support for community programs and conservation.

 

 

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New Government Environmental Fees for all Hotel Guests in Puerto Morelos and Cancun

Are you staying at Grand Residences in Puerto Morelos or will you be traveling to Cancun this year? If so, we would like to share information about two new municipal taxes that will affect you. As part of their work to protect the environment, the Benito Juarez (Cancun) and Puerto Morelos Municipal Governments will begin […]

Timeless Traditions: Day of the Dead in Mexico

It’s that time of year again when Mexican markets are full of orange marigolds and sugar candy skulls and trails of flickering candles lead to ornate altars laden with flowers, offerings of food and photos of loved ones. The whisper of prayers is carried on the breeze and people prepare to join a procession. In […]

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Royal Resorts joins Ciudad de la Alegria Kings Day children’s toy convoy

Royal Resorts volunteers joined the Ciudad de la Alegria Dia de Reyes convoy on January 6 to give a Kings Day surprise of toys, sandals and candy to hundreds of children in Mayan villages in Quintana Roo and Yucatan.

In Mexico, children traditionally receive toys from the Tres Reyes Magos, the Three Kings, on January 6, many writing letters saying that they have been good all year and asking for a favorite toy. The convoy was planned to reach children in remote rural communities that might miss out on Kings Day events often organized in larger villages.

The meeting point for convoy volunteers was the Ciudad de la Alegria community center on the outskirts of Cancun at 6 a.m. to load trucks with huge bags of toys, soft toys for tots, footballs, bikes, sandals, boxes of food, clothing, candy and even piñatas. Then it was time to hit the road.

There were two routes and two convoys, one to communities in the Tulum-Coba area and the other following a route through northern Quintana Roo and Yucatan, which called at tiny hamlets and villages in the Xcan-Tizimin area, accessible by single lane roads. These are communities deep in the forest that are really off the beaten track; a few homes clustered around a church, a rural school and a small grassy park or square.

The sight of the convoy drawing up caught the attention of the villagers, the word spread and there was soon quite a crowd. The children met the Three Kings and had fun with volunteers who lined them up to receive toys, sandals and candies. There were piñatas to be broken, more candies to collect and some lucky children even took home bikes they won in a raffle.

Other volunteers distributed clothes and food and there were grocery boxes for elderly residents, some of who remembered the Ciudad de la Alegria staff from previous visits. One couple of helpers had even brought biscuits for the village dogs.

In total more than 2,900 toys and pairs of sandals were distributed. Many of the toys were donated by Royal Resorts members, guests and employees and a big thank you goes out to all those who gave generously and helped in spreading happiness to so many children.

Gracias!

Help the Royal Resorts Foundation

If you missed the Royal Resorts Christmas Toy Drive and would like to give to children in need, why not donate to the Royal Resorts Foundation or bring gifts of new toys, children’s clothing and school materials all year round? Learn more about the Royal Resorts Foundation and its causes: study scholarships for children, the fight against cancer, physiotherapy for children, employee emergency relief in times of serious illness, support for community programs and conservation.

 

 

/0 Comments/by

Related post

New Government Environmental Fees for all Hotel Guests in Puerto Morelos and Cancun

Are you staying at Grand Residences in Puerto Morelos or will you be traveling to Cancun this year? If so, we would like to share information about two new municipal taxes that will affect you. As part of their work to protect the environment, the Benito Juarez (Cancun) and Puerto Morelos Municipal Governments will begin […]

Timeless Traditions: Day of the Dead in Mexico

It’s that time of year again when Mexican markets are full of orange marigolds and sugar candy skulls and trails of flickering candles lead to ornate altars laden with flowers, offerings of food and photos of loved ones. The whisper of prayers is carried on the breeze and people prepare to join a procession. In […]

Cenote
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Exploring the Gran Acuifero Maya, Yucatan’s Caves and Cenotes

Cave divers, archaeologists and biologists have been unlocking the secrets of the cenotes (sinkholes) and underground rivers in the Riviera Maya for many years and have mapped an intricate network of channels hidden deep in the limestone rock. The world’s two longest underground river systems found to date Sac Aktun and Ox Bel Ha are in the Riviera Maya and the neighboring state of Yucatan has its own famous sinkholes and caves once held sacred by the ancient Maya. Amazing discoveries of Mayan offerings in cenotes and caves have been followed by finds in the Riviera Maya that cast new light on the earliest settlers of the Americas and the creatures that roamed the area in prehistoric times. Yet of the estimated 6,000 cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula only a few have been explored. This is about to change with the launch of a five-year expedition called Gran Acuifero Maya funded by National Geographic, the CAF-Latin American Development Bank and the Aspen Institute of Mexico.

Expedition will Explore Cenotes throughout the Yucatan Peninsula

Expedition leader Mexican archaeologist and Nat Geo explorer Dr. Guillermo De Anda and a team of divers, archaeologists, geologists, biologists and oceanographers from Nat Geo, INAH, UNAM and the Universidad Tecnologico de la Riviera Maya will begin by exploring cenotes in southern Quintana Roo and Felipe Carrillo Puerto. They will then move north to the Coba area and explore a chain of lagoons and cenotes on the Quintana Roo-Yucatan border. Future stages of the project will take them to Yucatan and Campeche to unlock the mysteries of this secret submerged world.

Guillermo De Anda has been exploring cenotes since 1983 and led his first archaeological research expedition in 1996. Since then, he has made many discoveries in the depths of cenotes and caves.

The Maya believed that cenotes and caves were the gateways to the Maya Underworld they called Xibalba, the home of the gods. Cenotes were the source of life-giving water and a place of worship. During his research, De Anda has found offerings of ancient ceramics, human and animal bones, altars, pathways and even evidence that some cenotes were used as observatories marking the passage of the seasons.

As part of the Gran Acuifero Maya project, the team will be using 3D modeling and data sensing software developed by Nat Geo engineer Corey Jaskolski that will enable them to study and create imagery of artifacts, bones and structures without moving them.

The scope of Gran Acuifero Maya goes further than archaeological and paleontological research and mapping, biologists will be analyzing water quality and registering cenote and cave-dwelling species. The underground rivers and cenotes of the Yucatan are the only source of fresh water in the Yucatan Peninsula and the project will also make recommendations for the management of this precious natural resource and the exploitation of cenotes for sustainable tourism.

 

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Sea Turtle Season in Cancun and Riviera Maya

Sea turtle season in Cancun and Riviera Maya begins in May Sea turtle nesting season begins in May in Cancun and the Riviera Maya. All along the Mexican Caribbean shoreline, the Riviera Maya, Isla Mujeres, Contoy, Holbox, Cozumel, Sian Ka’an and the beaches of southern Quintana Roo, female green, loggerhead and hawksbill turtles, and the occasional giant leatherback turtle, come ashore […]

Painting the Phase 2 Buildings at The Royal Haciendas

As part of the Resort Improvements program for 2016, all buildings in phase II (facades and terraces) at The Royal Haciendas are being painted and work started in week 18. Work will take place from Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and all buildings are scheduled for completion by week 38, weather permitting. We appreciate […]

Kutz Park Lights Sound & Dance Park in Cozumel
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Back to Mayan Roots, Kutz Park opens on Cozumel

Cozumel is famous for the glory of its coral reefs and the wonders that await divers and snorkelers when they don a mask and fins. Yet the island also has a rich history and Mayan heritage. The recently inaugurated Kutz Park offers visitors a glimpse of the island in ancient times when it was an important trade center and the site of a shrine to the goddess Ixchel.

By watching a light and sound show and the representation of Mayan ceremonies, the audience learns about the different periods of Mayan history, society and customs, religion and their extraordinary accomplishments in architecture, art and science.

The evening show also pays tribute to the traditions still observed by the Maya, such as music, dance, ceremonies and cuisine. Kutz Park is located on the outskirts of El Cedral village.

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Cancun Airport News

The new Terminal 4 at Cancun International Airport is expected to open in late 2017 and will have the capacity to handle nine million additional passengers a year. The airport is also handling more international flights. New flights to Cancun already operating or due to begin this year include Air Canada Rouge from Vancouver; American […]

A documentary about Xcaret Park’s macaw breeding program is participating in the Boston College Film Festival

Xcaret’s scarlet macaw breeding and conservation program is the subject of a documentary called “Volando a Casa” (Flying Home: The Return of the Scarlet Macaw) that is participating in the Boston College 2017 Corporate Citizenship Film Festival in the United States and is up for an award. Produced by Xcaret and Mexican production company Bicho […]

Way down South, Muyil & Bacalar

If you enjoy exploring the Mexican Caribbean beautiful area and going off the beaten track, Thomas More Travel has a tour that will take you to two of Quintana Roo’s most magical spots – the ancient Mayan city of Muyil and Bacalar, the Lagoon of Seven Colors, an unforgettable blend of history and nature. Muyil, Ancient Mayan Port

Foto: Guillermo Isaac Huesca Solis

Foto: Guillermo Isaac Huesca Solis

Located 20 minutes to the south of Tulum, Muyil, also known as Chunyaxche, is the largest of 23 archaeological sites discovered to date in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Located in the forest and on the shores of a lagoon, it was founded in the late pre-Classic period of Mayan history (300 B.C. to A.D. 250) and was inhabited until the late post-Classic period (A.D. 900 to 1550, after the Spanish Conquest) The first building you’ll see as you enter the site is El Castillo, the principal pyramid towering above the treetops. When archaeologists excavated the building they found an altar with an offering of carved jade and shell beads, pendants, rings, ear and lip plugs. Wander the jungle trails and you’ll come across other temples and palaces hidden in the undergrowth. In ancient times, Muyil was a port with links to cities in the Yucatán and Central America. More than 1,000 years ago, the Maya dredged and widened a natural canal running through the wetlands between the city and the sea to create a trade route for their canoes. Merchants would have bartered fish, salt, honey, beeswax, cotton and copal incense in exchange for cacao, stingray spines, spiny oyster shells, jade, obsidian, quetzal feathers and gold. The dense tropical vegetation and a nature trail through the mangroves leading to the lagoon add to Muyil’s many charms and air of mystery. Your guide will point out native trees such as the chicozapote, the natural source of chicle or chewing gum, the poisonous chechen and chaca, the leaves of which are the traditional remedy for a chechen burn. Keep a look out for parrots, Yucatán jays, trogons and hummingbirds as you explore the site. Leaving Muyil behind, your journey continues south along Highway 307, through the historic town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, district capital of the Mayan heartland called the Zona Maya, and on to Bacalar. Bacalar, Infinite Shades of Blue 

Foto: Wikipedia

Foto: Wikipedia

Bacalar, the Lagoon of Seven Colors, is one of Quintana Roo’s most spectacular natural treasures. Sporting clear waters in every shade of blue imaginable, from aquamarine, azure and turquoise to indigo, it snakes through the jungle and wetlands for 34 miles, and your trip includes a boat ride across its tranquil surface. There’s time for a refreshing dip in the cool waters and an exfoliating bath in the sulfur-rich sand, which has cleansing properties. Bacalar is also one of the few places in the world where you can see stromatolites. These are fragile rock formations formed by algae and other microorganisms that dwell in the shallow warm waters of tropical seas and lagoons, and they are the oldest life forms on Earth. Swimming is not permitted in the area where the stromatolites are. Wildlife abounds, especially birds and you’ll see herons and egrets, ibis, roseate spoonbill, cormorants and osprey. You may even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a rare manatee. The village of Bacalar was founded by the Spaniards in1545 and functioned as a port during the Colonial period, attracting the unwelcome attention of pirates who attacked repeatedly, sneaking up to shore in rowing boats to plunder cargoes of precious tropical hardwoods and dyewood. In 1729, San Felipe Fort was built to protect the settlement from raids and this imposing stone citadel now houses a history museum. Five minutes to the south of the village is another natural wonder, Cenote Azul, said to be the deepest sinkhole in the Maya World (almost 300 feet deep).   Visit www.thomasmoretravel.com to book the Bacalar & Muyil trip online or call in at the Thomas More Travel desk when you visit Royal Resorts.

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Helping Turtles in Puerto Morelos.

Turtle count royal resorts summer 2013I have been taking part in turtle conservation programs since I first came to Quintana Roo almost 10 years ago. It may not seem tough, but it involves countless sleepless nights, mosquito bites, getting itchy sand all over your body  causing irritation and many other discomforts that are well worth it, so much so that I continue doing it as as always: voluntarily. That is, with no other compensation than the satisfaction that comes of doing something  good.

A few days ago I had the opportunity  to visit Puerto Morelos,which is the small fishing town where the Grand Residences project is under construction,  and a good friend of mine took me to the beach to look for turtles. It was a beautiful night with the moon fading and we found a turtle almost immediately. This turtle was missing one front fin but was strongly determined to lay her eggs in a safe nest… and she did. Another turtle came out almost in the same spot, went to the top of the dune and made the nest. The three-fin turtle took a lot more time than usual building the nest, and laying the eggs, so much so that both turtles finished at the same time and slowly started their way back to the ocean. As you may know, using a flash when taking pictures of the turtles is forbidden since it can mess with their navigation system (no kidding). Because of that I didn’t bring a camera along with me, so I have to ask that you put your imagination to work and picture a calm sea with two turtles side by side, beautiful moonlight and its reflection on the ocean. It was hypnotizing.

Sea turtles and products derived from them have been used traditionally for many years. Fortunately, since the 1960’s the Mexican government has devoted time and resources to protect them. During this small walk looking for turtles in Puerto Morelos we were accompanied at all times by Mexican Marines; needles to say we felt safe all the time.  The turtles probably didn’t share our feeling, since they don’t know that we won’t hurt them. But we knew turtles were safe as well.

Earlier this year, the Mexican government  issued a new law to further protect the turtles. One of its most important articles says that a turtle’s nest shouldn’t be moved unless there is flooding, threat of predators or risk of contamination to the area where the nests has been made. Following this rule, we’ve witnessed the hatching of a nest that had to be moved. Sometimes when there’s only one beach and several turtles, two or more turtles  make their nests on the exact same place. One green turtle made its nest where a loggerhead turtle had laid its eggs and left a mess behind.  . Volunteers saved the remaining eggs and placed them corral where they developed. Unfortunately, only 6 eggs hatched. We were unable to set them free because the umbilical cord was still attached. However, seeing  them crawl around the corral has been amazing.

Being able to volunteer in sea turtle conservation programs is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. If you are interested, ask the Security staff how to get involved and patrol your resort’s beach during your next stay!

(Note: The picture is actually from Veracruz many years ago, as I said: taking pictures with flash is forbidden and I didn’t bring a camera with me)

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Beach Thursday Week 09

Beach Thursday is Back!

This week we have a beautiful selection of pictures from our archives, celebrating 4 beaches in Quintana Roo have been voted in the top 10 beaches in Mexico! (Fullscreen Gallery)

Remember to tag your pictures with #royalresorts on instagram or share them on our facebook wall!

Wanna find out which beaches were

elected the top 10 beaches in Mexico? Visit TripAdvisor to find out!

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Cancun’s New Maya Museum Opens

rtsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/IMG_1879.jpg” alt=”Museo Maya Cancun” width=”590″ height=”442″ /> Museo Maya Cancun – Cancun’s New Maya Museum

On November 1, 2012, Mexican President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa inaugurated the Museo Maya de Cancún (Cancún Maya Museum), the latest in the network of museums operated by the Mexican Institute of Anthropology & History (INAH). Also attending the event was the Governor of Quintana Roo, Roberto Borge Angulo, the Director of the INAH Regional Center for Quintana Roo, Adriana Velazquez Morlet, museum curators and local archaeologists, hotel and tourism industry representatives. The new museum is located in the forest in front of The Royal Mayan and next to the archaeological site of San Miguelito, which has also been restored and will be opened to the public.

Museo Maya Cancun | Cancun's Maya Museum

President Felipe Calderon’s Inauguration Speech – Museo Maya Cancun | Cancun’s Maya Museum

Museo Maya Cancun | Cancun's Maya Museum

President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa – Museo Maya Cancun | Cancun’s Maya Museum

Designed by Mexican architect, Alberto García Lascurain, the museum has more than 1,350 square meters of exhibition space divided into three galleries. One of the galleries will showcase the many archaeological sites in Quintana Roo and some of the most important artifacts unearthed during excavations, including ceramics, stone carvings, jade, bone and even gold trade goods. The second gallery is dedicated to the Maya culture and archaeology throughout the Maya World, making it an invaluable introduction to this fascinating civilization for visitors. The third will host seasonal exhibitions, the first of which is titled Masks of Divinity.

The museum will initially open with 400 exhibits, but the complete collection is expected to comprise around 3,500 Mayan artifacts. The new facility also has educational facilities and offices for museum staff and archaeologists working in the north of the state.

Museo Maya Cancun - Cancun's Maya Museum

Scale Model of Museo Maya Cancun – Cancun’s Maya Museum

The project cost $170 million pesos and was funded by INAH and the Quintana Roo State Government, which contributed $18 million pesos.

This museum is yet another attraction for visitors and Cancún residents alike. It will be open daily except Mondays.

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