KKIS "Keep Kids in School" a Charitable Initiative in Playa del Carmen-

By Michele Kinnon

For the past few years, a caring group of Playa del Carmen residents and frequent flyers banded together to help spread a bit of Christmas joy to the less fortunate children of our region. In December 2011 this program, now known as "Christmas Dreams Playa" was able to provide gifts for over 200 children who might otherwise receive no present at all for the holidays. We were proud to not only feature "Christmas Dreams Playa" in our 12 Days/12 Ways blog series but also to contribute personally to this amazing effort of good will! In total over $86,000 mn worth of presents, school supplies and food essentials were distributed by "Christmas Dreams Playa" during the 2011 holiday season, an amazing accomplishment.

Date Announced for the 3rd Annual ‘BuyPlaya Run for Ak Lu’um’ -5K Race Scheduled for March 25, 2012 in Playa del Carmen.
 
Playa del Carmen, Mexico – February 14, 2011 – Once again, Ak Lu'um International School, Mexico’s first ecological school, is pleased to invite all Riviera Maya athletes and families to participate in the third annual ‘BuyPlaya 5K Run for Ak Lu’um’, an exciting 5K race through the streets of Playa del Carmen. Sponsored by BuyPlaya Real Estate Advisors, the leading agency for Playa del Carmen real estate, the race will take place on March 25, 2012 at 7:45am sharp.

Fifteen Questions With Demian Fuentes – Owner and Operator of Cava Veinte33
Article by Craig Norton-This article has been edited for Playa Maya News. Please visit The Sunday Bottles to read it in its entirety
Photos by Megan Patikova

I was introduced to Demian Fuentes, owner and operator of Cava Veinte33, or “La Cava,” for short, by a friend of mine a while back.  We shared a bottle of wine over lunch and he and I got to talking about wine, Mexico, and food.  The immediate impression I got from him was his passion for what he does.  He’s about my age, and to see someone passionate about something so ethereal is awesome.  It makes you feel lighter.  Anyone can get passionate about sports or cars, but to get passionate about something as esoteric as wine is really amazing. I got it into my head that I might like to interview Demian for TSB.  Not, mind you, that he would like to be interviewed.  I was gratefully surprised when he agreed

Cozumel Carnival to kick off festivities on Fabruary 15th, 2012!

The island's spectacular annual Mardis Gras has over 130 years of history and is held around February every year, although the exact dates vary. The week of main Carnival events concludes every year on 'Fat Tuesday' with dazzling technicolour processions along Cozumel's downtown seafront. After the seafront extravaganza, the music keeps playing and parties continue well into the night.

Is it a good time to get a mortgage in Mexico?

By Enrique Saldana

One of our readers from our last article sent us the following question.  Do you think it is a good time to get a mortgage on a property in Mexico? Although we have already responded to them via e-mail, I wanted to respond to the question, in general, to give everyone who may be interested a good overview of whether or not it is a good time to obtain a mortgage to purchase a property in Mexico.

Wah Wah Beach Bar opens in Playa del Carmen.

By Sara Moen

Thursday February 2md, 2012 Wah Wah Beach Bar in Playa del Carmen opened their doors to the public, and oh what a party it was!  The place was packed with happy party goers enjoying the great live music and bottomless cocktails. Even with the bar 3 people deep the friendly bar staff kept cranking all night long making sure no one was ever thirsty. The cocktails were strong, and the beers were served ice cold...

The highly anticipated, Wah Wah Beach Bar, to open Thursday February 2^nd, 2012 in Playa del Carmen.

Back in September 2011 a Facebook page was created announcing that a new beach bar and live music venue would be opening in Playa del Carmen. They ran a contest for a month coming up with possible names for this one-of-a-kind spot, and on October 15^th, 2011 they announced that Wah Wah Beach Bar was going to be the new hot spot on the beach in Playa del Carmen.Check out the photo gallery below!!

Reggaeton King, and Cuban pop sensation, Pitbull to play in Cancun February 18^th, 2012.

Armando Christian Pérez, or Pitbull, was born in Miami to Cuban parents, and has become one of the world’s top Reggaeton and collaborative performers. His impressive resume includes top notch musicians and producers such as Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Lil Wayne, Flo Rida, Cypress Hill, Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias, Naughty By Nature, Usher, and Timberland; to name a few. Read more for further information and ticket options.

First Annual Equestrian Tournament to Be Held in Playa del Carmen February 11th and February 12th, 2012. 

Come on out and join the fun with friends and family of our community. The tournament runs for 2 days from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM just south of downtown Playa del Carmen.  Show your community support and watch the 1st Torneo Ecuestre Mundo Maya! This grand equestrian event will take place on February 11th and 12th, 2012 on the grounds of the Taxi Syndicate in Playa del Carmen. Participants in this competition will come from Equestrian Clubs all across Quintana Roo and will include jumpers of all ages and ability levels. We invite you all to come and watch this exciting event, the first of its kind in Playa del Carmen!

~Hot and Steamy News Regarding Mortgages In Mexico~

By Enrique Saldana

First there were 7, and now there is 1.

Yes, back in 2007 we had up to 7 lenders courting American and Canadian Mexico home buyers to purchase their home with a mortgage, and many did. However, little by little some of them were disappearing from the market.