JBR beach and Jumeirah public beach… great places to cooldown in Dubai

Being from Puerto Rico, a beach day was something very regular… As a children you would go with your parents to Isla Verde or Luquillo, these beaches are very close to San Juan. In long weekends go an stay in small hotels at one of the many great beaches that Puerto Rico offer like Flamenco located in Culebra (one of the best beaches in the world) or to the west and stay in Isabela or Rincon and visit one of the many great beaches Puerto Rico has to offer there. So we can certainly appreciate a good beach when we see it.

After arriving in Dubai and being in awe from the great architecture, I decided to adventure and get to know some of the beaches Dubai has to offer. There are many across the Dubai coastline, many with easy access and parking making them easy to reach and enjoy. Not only does the beaches are easy to get, but also there are many amenities close to them; you will find retail stores, restaurants, rental of aquatic sports, chairs and umbrellas.

Beaches are well kept, clean and with great signage so you know where to find the different amenities. Rental of Umbrella and Chairs is expensive, but somewhat necessary if you want to enjoy the day. I saw people bringing their own chair and umbrella so you have that option also. You cannot bring alcoholic beverages, but can buy water and soft drinks and have them at the beach.

My arrival to Dubai was in August where the temperature during the day is extremely hot, so you will see people go very early in the morning or in the afternoon to protect themselves from the sun. Talking with locals they tell me that in October the weather changes and it gets more comfortable, I am really waiting for that weather to get here!!!!

One cool thing about these beaches is that once the sun comes down, there is another dimension to the place. Many restaurants come to life, people arrive for the evening session if you will… you see a transformation with many lights from the restaurants turning on and providing a different perspective on the beaches.

Will continue the updates from Dubai as I explore more places and their culture here in Dubai. For now if you just read my post, forward to a friend and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time….

DUBAI first impressions… Waoooo

After the long journey from Mexico to Dubai and a good rest to adapt the new time zone (9 hrs ahead of Queretaro), had an initial walk around my new surroundings just to venture a little and get a first glimpse on one of the most visited cities of the world.

Dubai is the most populous city of the Emirate of Dubai with a population of around 3.3 million. The city has seen exponential growth in the since late 90´s, and now boast some outstanding records: biggest Shopping Mall (Dubai Mall), Tallest building Burj Khalifa, deepest pool (Deep Dive Dubai) and others that we will talk in other posts.

In addition to have many Guinness records, Dubai is home to people from more than 200 nationalities. 85% of the people are expatriates and while Arabic is the official language you see people talking in the streets many other languages including English. If you speak English, you can feel comfortable on the street as many people talk it as second language.

The views of the city are amazing and with many constructions happening it will only get better, as you move through the city more buildings surface and the different areas of the city. I just only have ventured to a couple of places but there is a lot to see and enjoy during my time here.

One of the things that have impressed me is the height of the Burj Khalifa, the closer you get the more imposing it is. It seems unreal the height achieved; with 830 meters It is almost 200 meters higher than the previous record holder. Close to the Dubai Mall that also is impressive in size and shopping options (more details in another post).

Also have explore a couple of beaches around Dubai: Jumeirah Beach and Marina Beach. Both places also look great with a good amount of space to relax and enjoy a Beach day, if you can manage the August weather. I now know that August is one of the most hottest months and will improve as the year goes along ( wohoooo!!!), currently being outside id tough specially during the day, that is why you see people enjoying the city more after 6PM.

Will continue updating from time to time as I explore more in-depth the culture and life here in Dubai. For now if you just read my post, please forward to your friends and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time….

On the path to “normal” … Change of Scenery, Day 1 at Dubai

This pandemic has changed a lot the way we work, vacation, or how we do daily life. When I started writing the blog the idea was to on a monthly basis share some experiences of the many great things Mexico has to offer to the people, it changed drastically since March 2020 when COVID took the world by storm.

Vaccination is underway but still we have very low levels of vaccinated people in places where the availability is high and even lower in places where is limited supply. If we want to be back to “normal” and enjoy our life and travel, this need to be priority number one…. So, go now and get vaccinated. We already did.

Happy to get vaccinated… easy and safe… Thanks CVS

Getting back to 2021. Change has come in other forms, after close to 10 years of working for Latin America now I have taken a Global role in the company. This is a great opportunity to continue learning around new cultures and places, you cannot imagine the great people we have across the world. With the new role, a new opportunity of collaborating from a different part of the world has arrived…. Will be working on a special assignment for 6 months based out of UAE in Dubai!!!!

Very excited to not only get to work in the AMEA region, but also to get a first person view of what this great place looks. If you have seen images, it looks unreal…. Biggest building, deepest pool, longest …., etc. etc.

I am sharing some of the first pics since my arrival to Dubai, very impressive initial sights. Will continue sharing some insights as I settled and my assignment permits.

As you know the idea of the blog is to share a little bit of how we see Mexico, but now will be shifting to Dubai as I will live for 6 months there. I know you will still enjoy. If you just read it forward to your friends and sign in to receive our updates about how Dubai looks and can be enjoyed. Follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time….

Zihuatanejo… great beach town with a strong local vibe!!!

For the 2nd year in a row we decided to spend the last week of the year in a Mexican beach town, this year the reason was very different since the COVID affected our plans to see family in Puerto Rico. Zihua as the locals call it is located around 6hrs drive from Queretaro on the State of Guerrero a very fertile land located in the Pacific Coast. Very close is the more known Ixtapa also on Guerrero, is more focused on big resorts and you will have a less local experience.

We got a reservation via Airbnb for an apartment located within walking distance of the town center and with a great view of the Bay, the view was as great as advertised and the people living in the building were great, between locals and retired persons the building has great character. During the stay we had an issue with our beloved dog “Tina”, the people from the building and local veterinary were marvelous in supporting us during the incident. One more proof that the good ones are more everywhere we are. She is doing very well if you want to know!!!

The center of Zihua still looks very simple, kept very clean and you have tourist and locals in the restaurants, stores and pier all day long. There you can have some fresh seafood, buy your ticket to Playa Las Gata or talk with local fishermen to buy fresh fish to make at your apartment. One morning we had a great breakfast in Cafe Galerias the “huevos rancheros” very tasteful with a little bit of spice to get to a great start, we also tried “La Sirena Gorda” for lunch during our stay the Adobado fish very tasteful and the ceviche fresh. Definitely the Zihua center has alternative for the family with many alternatives to eat.

The standout of food in this trip for us was Letty´s restaurant it is very close to the town center, their specialty Coconut Shrimps. Their food was so great we went there multiple times to eat, a great thing of going to small towns is the closeness of service from the owners, Letty is a great woman with many years of experience in the kitchen, her cooking secrets are comparable to big international chefs. We were no fan of octopus but the way she prepares it makes it a gem. As many restaurants from around the world they are suffering from the slowdown in business, i hope that next time we are there we will have the great Coconut Shrimps.

If you go to Zihua it means you are going to the beach and here you will find a good number of them, we went only to a couple of them but they have similar experience: fun, great food, beers, sun and nice water. You get to the beaches in different transportation modes from walking, by car or public transportation to a small boat. The important thing is that you plan for the day since there are many activities to do and lots of places to eat, drink and be merry. I will share some insight from 2 beaches that for us were great

Las Gatas beach is located in front of the pier in ZIhua, to get there you need to take a small boat (cost $80 pesos both ways / $4USD). If you want to take a good place you need to arrive around 10:30AM and will guarantee some lounge chairs in front of the beach. Once you arrive you have many restaurants to choose from, we went to Otilia´s and the experience was good. Here the service was 5 star from a guy named Franco , the attention to detail was phenomenal and that made the day great. From heavy surge there are lot´s of rocks in the sand so you should bring shoes to be in the water

La Ropa beach is also in Zihua, this beach is bigger in size compared to Las Gatas. You can arrive by car or walking (30 minute walk from our place), here also you have multiple restaurant you can choose from and we went to La Perla, here the food was very good and the service from Jesus also phenomenal, they really made our days even better. In La Ropa you have many choices of water activities, you can get close to them and negotiate good prices from a Jet Ski to be launched in a Parachute to appreciate the bay. We feel pretty secure there, following common rules of security.

At night you can go to the many restaurants to eat and have a drink or if you have a great view get some food and have dinner by the moon. For us it was a full day of action and at night #chillax at the apartment.

As we close 2020, we hope that 2021 is a year were we can get to explore more, for me life is measured in the experiences you have and share, we still need to know lot´s of places in Mexico and I know 2021 will be a good year to continue our journey

As you know the idea of the blog is to share a little bit of how we see Mexico, and the great places and people they have. If you just read it forward to your friends and sign in to receive our updates about how you can enjoy Mexico as much as we have done. Follow us on instagram, or facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time….

Weekend getaway at the Live Aqua San Miguel de Allende (with proper social distancing )…

For the past 4 months we have followed recommendations and stayed at our home; e-commerce has taken a large part of our shopping and our weekend have been about exploring mexican cuisine and grilling at our homes from the many instructional video on the internet.

As time has passed the different governments around the world have taken steps to activate their economies, in many places if you don’t work you do not collect any income. Here in Mexico unemployment benefits are non- existent, so people need to have economic activity to bring money to their homes. In late July the city of San Miguel de Allende let businesses start opening with limited capacity for restaurants, hotels and retail shopping; with this signal they started receiving tourist at 40% capacity.

We live 1 hour from San Miguel de Allende, and have read about these new urban resort Live Aqua San Miguel de Allende, a great idea of putting a modern hotel that fits the colonial style of San Miguel de Allende. From what we understand it has become one of the top hotels in the area since the opening.

Entrance start showing reference to SMA architecture, but also modern trims

After doing some research we book a suite for the weekend (Jul 24-27) looking to have a relaxed weekend and have some amenities like in room pool, good food (that we did not had to cook ourselves) and a change of scenery of the past 4 months. After the reservations was done we received an email confirmation with the details of our stay and that some areas of the hotel were not open due to the contingency. The communication was a good first impression, being front and center of what we should expect, I also took the opportunity and ask them for a early check in or private room to finish a business call the day of arrival facilitating us our arrival before lunch.

We left our home early friday (10AM) and at the entrance of the city there were police officers asking people to show a hotel reservation so you get access (good idea) and taking your temperature as a precaution, with that and after arriving to the hotel we were shown to a room so I can finish my call and started the weekend getaway.

After the call, the check in was a breeze. Our room the Adam Suite was spectacular with our own private pool, bar and 2 big tv´s 80″ and 55″ that were perfect to see the MLB oppening weekend. We asked for room service and ordered a Club Sandwich ( I taste one in every hotel visited), let me tell you one of the top 3 club sandwiches that I have tasted and taking creativity the #1 (Pork belly, Sun Dried Tomato, Egg salad) definetly somoething to try at the hotel. Later in the night we went walking around the town, we have been there many times, obviously the vibe was different as many places are still closed, still was cool walking around the city square.

On saturday at 5PM, our room started having electrical problems and we thought was a signal of a short weekend getaway. We called the front desk, explained the situation and quickly presented us with an alternative of moving to another room to complete our sleep and on the morning see if the problem could be fixed or another solution was needed. There was a good signal the way they accommodate us looking for our security and convenience, there can be problems of these nature the important thing is how they bring solution

On saturday morning they told us to have breakfast, while they were working with the situation. Food at breakfast was also very good: huevos rancheros nicely done and some great green and red salsa, Chilaquiles in green sauce also very delicious and some “Jugo Verde” a mixed of fruits and veggies to start the day full of energy. At the end of the breakfast they told us that was complementary for the issues we had during the night and that a solution to our room situation was ready at the front desk (Great focus on service and not letting you down on the weekend).

We went to the front desk and they told us our room and the whole block had technical issues, but they wanted us to stay and complete our weekend so they offered us the Luna Suite ( Presidential Suite) to compensate for the issue the first night!!!! So they help us move our things and went to the Suite, the room with some great details like Karaoke, Private deck and Pool looking to the main pool area, big family and dinner area. We did not planned these but the opportunity was exceptional.

Great day to rest in our private pool and sunbathing, we continued trying their food from their Zibu Allende restaurant: Paiko de Res /Short Rib tacos / Rib Eye Tacos, all the food excellent taste and quality. The way they prepare and present their food it’s phenomenal so if you want just relax and do not move far, their restaurants are top alternatives

At saturday night and sunday afternoon we venture in the town and tried a couple of local restaurants CASSA NOSTRA & LA PARADA, good french & peruvian places. One (Cassa Nostra) with a great owner who takes time in explaining his food and how they do it, also takes every precautions as they manage thru the contingency, the other one (La Parada) we have been going since we first arrived on 2015, their taste and consistency makes them a good choice in SMA (Also the Pissco Sour)

In summary the weekend was a great time for us to share good quality time and forget a little bit of how the world has changed due to the contingency, also to be thankful that I have been able to continue working supporting our business and delivering food to stores in the Mexican market.

I know that better times are just around the corner, we need to have some patience and continue take the precautions as individuals, but also when you go out there and connect with people that love their jobs like Esteffany (Great Host) / Amor (Banquets) / Eden ( Best Waiter) / Alejandro ( Guest Seervices) and take the extra mile to deliver a great experience you know that the world has talent that can deliver to any situation. We thank you for making it better for us, we are now #aqualover

As you know the idea of the blog is to share a little bit of how we see Mexico, and the great places and people they have. If you just read it forward to your friends and sign in to receive our updates about how you can enjoy Mexico as much as we have done. Follow us on instagram, or facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time….

The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, great place to connect with nature…

Just 3 1/2 hours from Queretaro you can go and explore a great natural reserve with beautiful mountains, rivers with cristaline water and small towns were you will feel welcome as soon as you step in. We have been a couple of times to the Sierra and I can tell you that we finish the weekend with the desire to come back again.

You will need at least 3 nights to enjoy a visit to the Sierra, there are great outdoors activities during the day or night, a good combination of OFF Road rides with ATV rides or RZR and remarkable sightseeing of forests, rivers, and waterfalls. A good day trip is at least 6-8 hours with a couple of stops to relax and enjoys the gorgeous views the Sierra Madre has to offer.

These last trip we had the opportunity to enjoy the trip with 3 additional families, it added to the experience since there was a good mix of experience people and others that the sights were all new to them. It is important that you have a good portion of the schedule planned before you go, it will facilitate mobilizing the group and prepare a budget for the trip. You will find good 3 stars hotels at great prizes with good location and good laid back service, similar to the island living time pass at different speed here in the mountain also …. relax and enjoy.

There are many tour operators that will offer you different alternative to explore the Sierra, some of the highlights are: Cascada Chuveje, Puente de Dios, Puerta al Cielo, Franciscan Missions from the 18th century or the Edward James gardens just to mention some of the best places. We used the Aventurate MX tour operators, their service and knowledge of the are were incredible. I would like to share a special thanks to Osiris and Marcelo they really make a difference in our weekend trip, you can find them in facebook by Aventurate Sierra Gorda.

Words cannot describe the views of the Sierra, I hope that the pictures shared help better explain why you need to go there and explore. One last important thing that you need for the trip is to share it with great friends, I would like to thank Juan Manuel Coronel and the great Gaby Coronel for the invitation, we have been blessed to found friends in Mexico that have become family.

Great group, people that make you feel like family!!!!

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On the Mexican Pacific coast there is a great little gem called: San Pancho, Nayarit

For our winter holiday we decided to drive from Queretaro to the Pacific coast and have a couple of days relaxing in some beach towns across the Mexican Riviera. The drive is an easy 8-9 hours route via some good toll roads (two lanes each way), maybe the last 90 minutes is the toughest part were you cross some mountains in a 2 lanes (one each way) road.

We set up base in Nuevo Vallarta in the state of Nayarit from here there are many beaches within one hour drive including San Pancho or San Francisco (official name). Let me tell you, once you get to this beaches time slow down, people are relaxed so just chill and enjoy the views, the food and the people.

San Pancho is a small town founded on 1936 with less than 3,000 people, small streets with many small restaurants and hotels that finish at the Beach where you will find more restaurants and hotels all providing services to people gathering in front of the beach. The beach is a great place for learning how to surf, waves are not that high but enough to challenge new comers and give a platform to showcase skills of more experiences surfers. If you only want to take bath on the beach, there are some areas were waves are not that high and you can enjoy also the water.

If you get early there re great places on the the beach to sit and enjoy a fun and relaxing day. There are beach lounges from restaurants that are free of charge when you eat and drink from their place. We tried some ceviche and fish fillet and was exquisite, fresh and very tasty, obviously accompanied with a Pacifico beer.

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Casa Herradura: One of the many great Tequila producers. Knowing their history improves the tasting experience

If you have known tequila outside off Mexico, probably your experiences were doing shots in a party or drinking a 30 oz Margarita using a blend of tequila not made of Blue Agave. Now living for 5 years in Mexico I can tell you that these experiences do not relate to the craftsmanship of Tequila making and how these producers make a great product that can compete with a good Whiskey or Wine.

We been to the tequila region a couple of times and on our latest visit we decided to focus on visiting one of the big distilleries that we also enjoy their products, Casa Herradura. I specially enjoyed Herradura Ultra an añejo tequila that at the end of manufacturing they add a little bit of agave syrup to make it sweeter.

Casa Herradura has been producing tequila for more than 125 years in Amatitan, Jalisco. They still make their products in the same place but have modernized the process to make more than 9 million bottles per year. They have 3 brands: Jimador, Antiguo and Herradura with prices from $12 dollars to more than $150 dollars.

If you come to Casa Herradura you will see a working manufacturing plant and have the opportunity to taste almost all of the different varieties of tequila they sell in Mexico and around the world. Tequila today is one of my favorite liquors, once you know how to drink tequila (small sips, not the whole tequila shot) and learn the difference between a “Blanco”, “Añejo” or “Reposado”. Having a tequila shot in one hand and a beer on the other while making a BBQ is like doing a sprint and a marathon at the same time. Important that the tequila you drink is 100% Agave Azul, these guarantee quality in the product

Tequila region is just 1 hour away from Guadalajara and is a great day trip to have, give a chance to explore the many places to eat, see, and drink you will not get bored. If you just read this, forward to your friends and sign in to receive our updates about how you can enjoy Mexico as much as we have done #boricuaslivingabroad . Follow us on instagram, look for BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time

HOLBOX a hidden gem in Mexico… Great place to relax and enjoy life

If you ask people outside of Mexico for beach places, you will definitely receive answers like Cancun, Los Cabos, or Acapulco but somewhere in the Yucatan Peninsula there is a small island still not heavily touristed but rapidly getting noticed by foreigners specially Europeans. You have two ways to get there: by ferry from Chiquila (2 hours from Cancun) or by plane into a landing strip that fits small planes like a 13 seater Cessna. You will not see cars in HOLBOX if you want to move there are plenty Golf Carts used as taxi or just walk, this is one of the cool things and get you immediately connected to island life.

Holbox Sign right in the water, see the white sand and clear water

There are plenty small hotels or airbnb available for short and extended stays, my recommendation if you want to fully enjoy the place and disconnect from the rest of the world you can do 4-5 nights were you can mix outdoor activities with relaxing beach days and during the night go into the town center to eat in many of the restaurants or get someone to cook you dinner and eat by the stars in your terrace looking to the beach!!! One thing you will need to try during your stay and is the Lobster Pizza, signature dish of Holbox. We went to a place called ROOTS were you will find a great pizza but also live music, setting the stage for a great dinner night.

Day life in HOLBOX moves at island time, just relax and enjoy a beach day in front of the water and hear waves crashing into the white sand or take one of the many tours they offer in the island from Whale Shark sight seeing to a bicycle ride . I personally took a tour that went to Bird Island, Passion Island and Yalahau Lagoon all 3 places are unique with great views and things to do like jumping into a water hole, eat fresh fish or walk through the sand. One great thing about the island is how easy you can move thru the island, rent a bike and you can move basically to every corner: get a beer, eat a pizza, take a splash in one of the many beaches.

During the night you can find great nightlife all around the island, from bars and restaurant with live music to places were you can watch the latest soccer or football game. I am a football fan and was able to catch the game of my team the Chicago Bears on a Thursday during thanks giving weekend, great place called “La Chingada”. The people that work and live there are great and they will do whatever they have at their disposal to help you and have a great time.

Holbox is unique, their one of a kind infrastructure and their welcome people makes it one of the best place to enjoy Mexico.

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Xochimilco one of the most colorful and fun places in Mexico…

Mexico city consist of 16 boroughs and on every one of them you will find great places to have an excellent time with friends and family, but one in particular offers the chance to go back hundreds of years in a time were people use the land for agriculture using a particular technique called “Chinampas” and move their trade by water canals using a boat “Trajineras” that is moved by pushing a wooden stick to the bottom of the water canal. The catch here is that the boat can carry 20 people with music, drinks, food and in the middle of the trip you can order some quesadillas and hire mariachis!!!! Too much fun…

I have been lucky to been there multiple times with great friends and family, every time bringing back great memories from the trip. If you want to have a celebration it can be a really a great option or if you just want to spend some time with friends on the weekend. Prices are $20 to $25 dollars per hour to rent a “Trajinera”, 2-3 hours are enough to enjoy what the Xochimilco canal has to offer. Before you rent the boat be sure to buy drinks and food from the shops to bring aboard, you need only money because you will find everything in the plaza were you rent the boats and I mean everything… Radio, Beer, Soft Drinks, Ice, Carnitas, Tacos, Quesadillas, Mariachis.

You will find everything for the trip… Music… No Problem

Once you have the essentials, begin your trip and just enjoy, put some music or call some live musicians and they will get to you by boat and start the party!!! Shout out to other “Trajineras” and do some competitions by dancing or singing. Time will fly because it will be fun, and if you are out of something no problem just talk to the captain and he will find what you need (Food / Drinks / Bathrooms). A good advice when navigating is to look out for other boats that come close and hit yours, you would not want to fall in the water!!!!

If your plan is to have an afternoon to party or just relax Xochimilco is for you, the place and their people will fill you with great energy and at the end great memories. I cannot wait to plan and go again with great company and enjoy one of the best places to have fun in Mexico… XOCHIMILCO

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