 |
|
Wilma the Worst
October 30, 2005 -- Playa del Carmen
Rejoicing after Wilma the Worst!!!
---------------------------------
Playa Lovers!
Well, the 48 hour wrath of Wilma could not dampen our Mayan spirit here
in Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya. We are rejoicing and ready to
share our incredible paradise with you and your friends -- as we always
have.
Ajua Maya, our restaurant, came through like a good luck charm and our
Wild Fresh Mayans as well. If anything, they are more joyous than ever
before after experiencing the rain and wind and rain and wind and rain
and wind and rain and wind -- a true Mayan cleansing!!
Playa del Carmen Mayan Cleansing and Rebirth
Jorge, Alejandro, our entire Mayan staff and myself are so grateful for
having the pleasure to share one of Mother Nature's great cleansing and
to feel the spiritual energy of the rebirth.
What a gift from the universe -- the beaches are wider and more beautiful;
the cenotes and caves are cleansed; the sea is as beautiful as ever; the
water supply has been replenished; the trees pruned and ready for a lush
new presence; birds are chirping; the fish are running; and life is refreshing
-- a true gift for all.
We are rejoicing and will wish to share this with all of you -- so come
to Playa as soon as you can, join the jubilance, and marvel in the awesome
rejuvenating power of nature and its universe.
Brenda
The Wonderful Truth -- Hotels and More –
go to www.rivieramaya.com – the official Riviera Maya website for
the promotion of the Riviera Maya.
The Riviera Maya (south of Cancun to Tulum) is up and running and ready
for tourists. Flights schedules are resuming normalcy today. Yesterday
we received tourists from Holland and Miami!
Most hotels are up and running now, including those on the beachfront.
We know this as a fact since our own Public Relations Director has gone
and visited each and every one, talking with concierges and the reception
staffs for the "real scoop".
The smaller ones never really closed; the larger all inclusives as well.
Some of the all inclusive and large hotels will be opening at 30-50% capacity
for the next couple of weeks -- and guess what -- for this time of year
that is their occupancy rate!
By Thanksgiving, most will be open at 100% and you can guarantee by Christmas
all will be.
Blue Parrot had a celebration just a couple of days ago and is back on
its party track once again -- and their rooms are up and running as well.
Same for the restaurants and bars -- Ajua opened Sunday night and was
the first to open in town just as Wilma meandered on out of our area;
most others 1-2 days afterwards. Of course it was difficult for a couple
of days and those days have past.
Electricity, water, DSL service -- we have it all -- and remember that
Ajua is a FREE wireless hotspot for all you diehard workers out their.
HERE IS A GREAT STORY ABOUT AJUA MAYA's WILD FRESH MAYANS and
their dedication and commitment to you and to all of us. Most of our waiters
and our manager live in Cancun and the highway between Cancun and Playa
del Carmen was impassable for several days due to flooding. Each one of
them waded and swam through water up to their necks for about a mile or
more to get to the other side. They then waited on the highway until they
could get a ride to Playa and, once they arrived, worked to clean up and
reopen Ajua!
We are all eternally grateful for their spirit, their love and compassion,
and their positive energy to see us and our staff through a most difficult
couple of days to the rebirth on the other side.
On November 1st through the 2nd, we will celebrate the Mayan and Aztec
festival -- the Day of the Dead -- a festival to remember your ancestors
and to party with them in this life. We will do the same with life, energy,
gratefulness and of course Tequila, Tamales, Day of the Dead bread, flowers
and stories of those who have gone through this path before us.
We hope you will share this day and these experiences with us through
your thoughts and your prayers.
Brenda Alfaro -- loving every moment of the journey.
Government Unity and Cooperation
-- rarely a phrase you actually see these days. If there is one story
to actually tell it is the incredible work and cooperation we experienced
with the local, state and federal government here in Mexico -- and the
federal government is a political arch rival of the local and state governments
here -- and all worked well.
They federal government had relief and repair workers staged and ready
to enter the moment Wilma finalllllllly left. Within 24 hours electricity
and water were restored to the center part of Playa del Carmen. Food and
water came in and was distributed 3-4 times a day in the local neighborhoods
in town. Free lamina to replace roofs was provided by the local governments
to all who came -- and many did.
Within 48 hours the cleanup commenced of all the weak and rotten tree
limbs and plants, buildings, palapas, and structures that flew around
and that work has just about finished in all neighborhoods.
We, as a people here, heard no apologies by government officials nor the
blame game -- since they all worked together in an organized, efficient,
and cooperative team.
Sam's Club opened it doors to everyone - member or not. Prices stayed
the same. Gasoline was available during the storm and was replenished
within 24 hours of Wilma's departure.
The tourists were taken care of by their hotels with safe accommodations
and hot food. The ones that suffered the most were those who never left
those hotels after Wilma's departure and, of course, those in Cancun,
Isla Mujeres and Cozumel where Wilma hit with all her fury for 48 hours.
Those who ventured out found a town up and running with wonderful people
ready to serve and share life with them again.
What can you do to help?
The most important is to please go on the chat rooms and message boards
and relay this message to them.
Forward this email to all you know -- get the real news out.
And, please, remember to recommend us to all you know.
Weddings in Paradise
Ajua Weddings is ready to roll, as always. Many wedding planned for Cancun
is moving down south to the beautiful Riviera Maya. Please get on those
chat rooms and let all know we are wonderful and ready plan their dream
weddings here on the Riviera Maya.
Click for Ajua
Weddings
Support the America Maya Foundation
We are accepting donations for rebuilding and relief for those families
hit the hardest --
More importantly, our America Maya Foundation will be beginning an adult
literacy and school enrollment program in just a couple of weeks; a medical
surgery mission program will begin in January 2006 in conjunction with
Playa's DIF (the family and children services department) and Dr. Gerry
Caballero of Milwaukee; and an micro lending and cooperative program with
be initiated for marginally employed Mayan women in January 2006.
Your donations will make these programs happen faster and be larger so
if you wish to help to provide self-sufficiency stepping stones to those
most in need, just click on our website and donate now.
NEED AIR CARGO DONATION -- we will be shipping almost
new Laparoscopic surgery equipment from Milwaukee to Playa and need to
arrange the shipping of this. If anyone can help arrange this for us in
the States, please contact our foundation.
This equipment will be donated to the Playa del Carmen DIF hospital and
will be available only for free surgeries. It will also be used to train
local surgeons on the most modern surgery techniques.
Thanks,
Brenda and Jorge Alfaro
"Paying if Forward on the Riviera Maya"
Click for more information on the America Maya Foundation
---------------------------------
Ajua Maya Restaurant & Ajua Weddings
Calle 4 entre 5 y 10 Avenidas
Playa del Carmen, Q. Roo, México 77710
Phone: USA: (818) 581-4075
Fax: Office - USA (512) 351-4557
Web site: http://ajuamaya.com
E-mail: info@ajuamaya.com
|
|
|
