|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Haciend-Ahhh
Hacienda Puerta Campeche
Calle 59, No. 71
Campeche, Mexico
+981 816 7508
The temperature is dropping, the leaves are falling, your thoughts are heading
south—and the stock market is doing all of the above. Translation: vacation
time. The cure for your not-yet-winter blues? A little place called Campeche: an
undiscovered Mexican colonial town with serious south-of-the-border potential.
Right at the base of the Yucatan, Campeche is a former conquistador capital on
the shores of the Gulf of Mexico—a Spanish port down in Mayan territory, once
frequently attacked by English and Dutch pirates. Besieged and beleaguered,
the government put up walls and bulwarks that stand to this day (protecting you
from those still-marauding Brits).
For maximum peace of mind, stay at the Hacienda Puerta Campeche—a 17th
century villa built as a buccaneer-proof refuge, now refashioned as a luxury
resort. Try out the Zazil Ha Mayan massage in the in-house spa, take a few laps
through the indoor-outdoor pool, or hit the Gulf for some Yucatan sun and fun.
Then head back to the oversized woven hammocks in your suite for an old
school siesta, before rallying for a Mayan-Mexican feast on the open-air terrace.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Shambala Petit Hotel
Carr. Bocapaila - Tulum Ruinas km 7.5
Tulum 77780
Mexico
www.shambalapetithotel.com
I recently returned from Tulum, Mexico and I am still completely intoxicated. Yes, I was in a bit of a Margarita haze while I was there, but those cervezas are long out of my system. Yet I am still drunk with the luxury I experienced there. The bungalow-style hotel was a spiritual oasis and the turquoise beach was the backdrop for my daily morning ocean bath. Meals were as sumptuous as they were healthful and healing, and the abundant natural serenity was just the right tonic for my urban soul.
Tell Roberto, the proprietor of Shambala, Casa Naranja sent you
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
In-Flight Assistance
Contributed by the fabulous jm@jennifermedley.com
With a healthy travel checklist fresh on my mind as I'm now planning a brief jaunt across the pond (aka the Atlantic Ocean), I thought I'd share these flight survival tips in case any of you have a trip around the corner, or if you're a frequent traveler who's always on the go...
- Buy a big bottle of water at the airport, somewhere in-between security check and your boarding gate...don't depend on the flight attendant (who's likely to only have those annoying gulp-sized bottles!).
- Eat before you board, either a meal you prepared at home, or something you picked up before heading to the airport...to avoid the "blah", bloat-inducing catered food. If you're the type who can't resist food coming down the aisle, request a special meal at least 24 hours before a flight (refer to your airline's website to see the slew of options--vegetarian, low-sodium, Hindu, etc.).
- Pack a few healthy snacks (trail mix, energy bar, etc.)...in case you wake up from an in-flight nap, starving.
- Go easy on the caffeine and alcohol...both of which are dehydrating.
- When crossing time zones, consider supplements to help the body adjust...such as melatonin, a natural supplement that your body produces naturally at bedtime, or No-Jet-Lag, a homeopathic remedy that's free of side effects.
- Make a chill-out kit so you can unwind and maximally enjoy these hours of solitude...maybe ear plugs, eye mask, iPod, a tiny vial of your favorite aromatherapy oil, or Bach Rescue Remedy (refer to my e-tip three weeks ago).
- Get up and stretch now and then...for circulation...assuming you're not conked out the whole flight!
Bon Voyage!
> JenniferMedley.com
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Amansala
Tulum, Mexico
Bathing
Suit Season is Only 46 Days Away
Bikini Boot Camp here I come…
Chicas the staff at Amansala knows
that Casa Naranja members are truly
the perfect guests and are offering
a 200.00 discount off of your package.
Make sure you mention Casa Naranja
when booking.
AMANSALA offers a six-night BIKINI
BOOT CAMP program that is limited
to 25 men and women, held on the
beautiful, remote beach of Tulum,
Mexico.
Days start with a beach or jungle
powerwalk followed by a combination
of body sculpting, power ab sessions
or pilates, and end with yoga and
meditation. In between there are
excursions to the nearby jungle
for swimming and snorkeling in fresh
water swimming holes (cenotes),
visits to Mayan ruins and pampering
with beachside massages, Mayan Clay
Treatments, lots of agua di limon
and plenty of sunshine.
The low fat diet consists of all
local chemical free food. Fresh
caught grilled fish, mangos, jicima
salads and other delicious low calorie
selections that leave you satsfied,
yet feeling lighter and cleaner.
Bikini Boot Camp is all about feeling
good about yourself and having fun
while getting into great shape.
The relaxing, beautiful setting,
along with fresh, healthy meals,
and days filed with exercise and
interesting excursions, make for
a perfect way to get your body bikini
ready while having a lot of FUN.
The results are magical, as you
leave feeling lighter, mentally
and physically.
Six night programs are held year
round. Three & Four night programs
available upon request. Please see Upcoming Dates for schedule.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Italian
Dossier
Contributed by MUG
Torino was a perfect host:
attentive but not intrusive,
had some good stories, a whiz
in the kitchen. More Italy?
Never enough:
FLORENCE
The James Beard House and
NYU are sponsoring a conference
on the The
Mediterranean Diet
at the Villa La Pietra in
Florence from May 21-26. Food
writers, producers, historians,
and nutritionists will present
panels, tastings, tours, and
classes. $525 (if you register
before March 10), exclusive
of hotel and dinners.
FILM
Michelangelo
Antonioni, director
of L’Avventura, Blow-Up,
The Passenger, and The Night,
gets a mini-festival
of six screenings (there’ll
be a speaker for each) at
Columbia’s Italian Academy
from March 27-April 11. $5
donation suggested.
ITALIAN FOR TODDLERS
Italian
for Toddlers is an
adorable place for the bambini
to learn Italian. Spring session
starts April 3rd, the school
is at 385 WEA [78th/79th]
212.501.8524, $495 for 12
classes. (It’s pricey
in part because they limit
class size to five.)
MUSIC
Some Italian standards, Neapolitan
faves, and a dip into the
American songbook from pop-jazz
chanteuse
Giada Valenti,
born in Venice, now a New
Yorker. She performs an encore
evening called "La Dolce
Vita Swings" at the
DiCapo,
184 E. 76th [Lex/3rd] (last
month's was a sell-out) on
March 6, 8pm, $35.
WINE
Gaja Barbaresco would be near
the top of our desert island
wine picks. Learn about the
noble Nebbiolo grape and the
rest of the Italian varietals
at Italian
Wine Merchants, 108
E. 16th [Union Sq./Irving]
212.473.2323,
Bar Veloce, 175
2nd [11th/12th] 212.260.3200
and 176 7th [20th/21st] 212.629.5300,
i
Trulli Enoteca, 122
E. 27th [Park/Lex] 212.481.7372
and their shop Vino,
212.725.6516, across the street.
One lesser known source is
up by Arthur Avenue: Mt.
Carmel Wines, 612
E. 187th [Arthur/Hughes] Bx
718.367.7833.
ART
The Met has agreed to return
antiquities that Italy says
were stolen from that country.
You can get a little insider
background here.
Meanwhile, on exhibit at the
Met through March 5 is Antonello
Da Messina, Sicily's
Renaissance Master.
FOOD
Our single favorite book on
Italian food is Burton Anderson’s
Treasures of the Italian Table
from 1994, published by Morrow.
It's out of print, but worth
searching
out. In it, Mr. Anderson
writes terrific essays on
Italy's star foods, including
white truffles from Alba,
the Latini family pastificio
(pasta maker), Parmigiano
Reggiano, culatello, and balsamic
vinegar.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Buenos
Aires
I happened to catch Evita
on HBO recently and was hit
with the Buenos Aires fever.
I pondered on it, did a little
research, as can
be viewed below and confirmed
my findings with a dear friend
who goes by Mr. Pablo “I
AM AREGENTINAN, HEAR MY ROAR”
Morra and decided to take
the plunge, Don’t cry
for me Argentina because I
booked my trip and will be
there shortly.
Buenos Aires
by Rachel Dodes
Strolling through the streets
of Palermo Viejo, the trendiest
neighborhood in Buenos Aires
right now, one wouldn't guess
that the city is emerging
from an economic crisis. The
jacaranda trees are in bloom,
and well-dressed porteños
(the nickname for residents
of the city) pour out of new
restaurants, where they can
be seen smoking, drinking
and laughing.
DORMIR
The Recoleta neighborhood
remains a popular destination
for travelers because it is
quiet, safe and central. A
good option there is the (1)
ArtHotel, 1268 Azcuenaga;
(54 11) 4821-4744; www.arthotel.com.ar,
which opened in March 2004.
A couple of blocks away from
the heart of Recoleta's shopping
district, the boutique hotel
is decorated with wrought-iron
doors, a spiral staircase
and huge arched windows. The
bright, airy lobby doubles
as an art gallery (hence the
name) where young Argentine
artists show their work. For
the first week of each month,
there is a party to celebrate
the work of a new artist.
Rooms start at $65 a night
at $3 to the Argentine peso
and include breakfast.
In the increasingly popular
Puerto Madero neighborhood,
with its seductive waterfront
views, well-heeled tourists
have begun flocking to the
(2) Faena
Hotel + Universe,
445 Martha Salotti; (54 11)
4010-9000 or www.faenahotelanduniverse.com.
The interior - all black marble,
red velvet and glass, festooned
with white plaster unicorn
heads - looks like what might
happen if David Lynch and
Ian Schrager had a lovechild.
COMER
If nothing else, this is an
Atkins-friendly country: per-capita
beef consumption is the highest
in the world. At a traditional
parrilla (steak house), you
can get a delicious cut of
beef for about $3. Empanada
shops abound, where little
meat-filled snacks cost less
than a dollar.
After you've checked out the
(3) Casa Rosada (a k a the
Pink House, the Argentine
equivalent of the White House),
in the center of town, you
might feel a bit nostalgic
for Argentina's Belle Époque.
Go to Argentina's oldest bar,
(4) Café Tortoni, Avenida
de Mayo 825; (54 11) 4342-4328,
and sit amid bronze busts
of Jorge Luís Borges
and paintings of Evita Perón.
Grab a beer and a lomito (steak
sandwich) for under $10.
One recent addition to the
Palermo Viejo dining scene
is (5) Olsen, 5870 Gorriti;
(54 11) 4776-7677, where the
executive chef, Germán
Martitegui, creates his signature
Scandinavian-Argentine fusion
cuisine in a blond-wood palace
of modern design. Start with
a caviar appetizer paired
with samplings of various
vodkas and aquavits.
For dessert, try the molten
chocolate cake filled with
a hot dulce de leche core,
and swimming in a white chocolate
yogurt sauce. And if you ever
doubted that Argentines eat
dinner late, note that Sunday
brunch at Olsen is served
until 8:30 p.m.
HACER
When you arrive in Buenos
Aires, it will probably be
before noon, after a long,
and - if you are in coach
- uncomfortable flight. The
best way to dive headfirst
into vacation bliss is to
visit a day spa. At the (6)
Aqua Vita Medical Spa, 1965
Arenales; (54 11) 4812-5989,
in Recoleta, you can get the
Aqua Luna treatment, which
includes an hour massage,
followed by a body-exfoliation
treatment for the equivalent
of $60. Two and a half hours
later, you'll walk out feeling
like a piece of tenderized
meat.
The newest museum in town
is (7) Malba, short for Museo
de Arte Latinoamericano de
Buenos Aires, 3415 Avenida
Figueroa Alcorta; (54 11)
4808-6500. Opened in 2001,
the museum's permanent collection
features 20th-century works
from 78 Latin American artists,
among them the Mexican painter
Frida Kahlo and the Chilean
surrealist Roberto Matta.
SALIR DE JODA
For a big, festive night of
tango, try (8) El Querandí,
312 Peru; (54 11) 4345-0331,
in San Telmo. The elaborate
nightly show, featuring dramatic
dancing and some of the best
Argentine crooners you'll
ever hear, includes a traditional
three-course dinner (salad,
beef and dulce de leche flan),
and costs around $45 a person.
For a more intimate setting,
and a smaller check, try (9)
La Bodeguita del Tango at
the Molière theater,
also in San Telmo, 678 Balcarce;
(54 11) 4343-0777).
As for clubbing, (10) Opera
Bay (225 Cecilia Grierson;
(54 11) 4315-8666, is the
place to sweat Saturday nights
away. The huge Puerto Madero
dance hall, built to resemble
the Sydney Opera House, has
a cover charge of $15. The
hall is also host to an "after
office" party on Wednesdays,
starting at 11.
If you find yourself wandering
the streets of Palermo Viejo
at night, try an inventive
cocktail or two at the low-key
watering hole (11) Mundo Bizarro,
4802 Guatemala; (54 11) 4773-1967.
A place to find out about
the biggest parties is www.whatsupbuenosaires.com,
a site started by an American
expatriate banker-turned-D.J.
COMPRAR
Every weekend there's a colorful
hippie-ish crafts fair, (12)
Feria de Arte, in Palermo
Viejo's Plaza Julio Cortázar
(Serrano y Honduras), where
more than 40 vendors will
sell paintings, clothing,
handmade jewelry and home
furnishings.
The whole neighborhood is
peppered with little boutiques
selling the wares of new Argentine
designers, where tourists
can get fashionable clothing
at reasonable prices any day
of the week. (13) Mercer,
1686 Gurruchaga; (54 11) 4833-4587,
sells trendy casual clothing
for men; try on the jeans.
Across the street, there's
(14) Fortunata Alegría,
1739 Gurruchaga; (54 11) 4831-8197,
where you can find delicate
women's dresses and cute tops.
DE ORDEN
Take an evening walk along
the water in Puerto Madero.
After 100 years of disrepair,
the city began a revitalization
campaign for the old port
in 1989, and today just about
everything along the waterfront
is new.
Head over to the promenade
along the waterfront. The
historic brick buildings that
line the canal now house some
of the finest restaurants
in Buenos Aires, most of which
have tables outside facing
the canal, which gives a perfect
opportunity to enjoy a crisp
glass of Mendoza wine.
Cross the canal by the new
modern footbridge - the Puente
de la Mujer, (15) or Bridge
of the Woman - designed by
the Spanish architect Santiago
Calatrava. (The asymmetric
design was intended to evoke
the image of a couple doing
a tango.) On the other side,
you can see the lights of
the city sparkling in the
distance.
VOLAR
International flights land
at Ezeiza International Airport
(officially Aeropuerto Internacional
Ministro Pistarini de Ezeiza),
approximately 20 miles southwest
of the city. From there, a
taxi will cost about $25.
From New York, airline prices
to Buenos Aires vary, but
in high season typically run
in the $1,000 range for a
21-day advance-purchase coach
seat on American Airlines,
which flies direct from Kennedy
Airport in New York. The flight
is 10 hours 43 minutes.
LLAMAR A UN COCHE?
Cabs in Buenos Aires are abundant
and cheap. Rarely will a ride
through town in a yellow-and-black
radio taxi cost more than
$3. The more adventurous traveler
may choose to use the Subte
subway system, which is the
oldest in South America. Trains
run from about 5 a.m. to about
10:45 p.m., and rides cost
less than a quarter. Maps
can be found at www.subte.com.ar.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
