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 Travel & Outdoors
A New Era in Mexican Aviation
 FlightInternational.com
Mexican aviation has awakened from a deep sleep. Its two major airlines are being privatised and a swarm of start-ups aim to exploit Latin America’s largest emerging market. In no other country in the world has commercial aviation changed so much so fast.more »»»
The Spectacular Humpback Whale - 2
 Griffin Page
Griffin Page is a nationally certified whale watching guide as well as a very knowledgeable eco-tour guide. She helps in the research and conservation of Humpback whales and Olive Ridley marine turtles by conducting informative tours here in our Bay.more »»»
CasaMagna Marriott 2005 Turtle Protection Update
 PVNN
This year, the Puerto Vallarta Marriott was happy to report that as a result of their turtle conservation program, almost 80% of the eggs deposited on their beach were incubated successfully.more »»»
Volaris to Fly in March, Orders Jets
 Patrick Harrington
Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviación SA, the startup airline owned in part by Mexican billionaires Carlos Slim and Emilio Azcárraga, will begin service March 13, said Chief Executive Enrique Beltranena.more »»»
Reishee Sowa: A Man and His Island Dream
 Suzanne Bandick
It looks like an island, it feels like an island, it has the beautiful vegetation of a tropical island, but it just happens to be made of spiraling pop bottles. Who would have known, and more importantly, who would have thought it possible?more »»»
Bienvenidos! Delta Welcomes Customers to Mexico with New Routes
 PrimeZone
Delta Air Lines' customers planning a sunny getaway to Mexico this spring or summer will find it easier to reach most any corner of the vacation paradise thanks to the largest expansion into Mexico in Delta's history. more »»»
'Vacation Deprived' Americans Starting Off 2006 With the Resolve to Vacation and Travel
 PRNewswire
Expedia.com, the world's leading online travel site, conducted a survey of more than 1000 customers last week and when asked about their New Year's Resolutions, 32 percent of the Expedia customers surveyed vowed to travel more in 2006.more »»»
Cuba Begins to Think About Life After Castro
 Marc Frank
With the Cuban revolution passing its 47th anniversary at the weekend and Fidel Castro heading towards his 80th birthday, Havana and Washington have begun jousting in earnest in advance of what will surely be one of the most difficult moments in the island’s history – the iconic leader’s incapacitation or death.more »»»
The Spectacular Humpback Whale - 1
 Griffin Page
Every year, the most acrobatic of all whales, the Humpback, visits the Bay of Banderas in order to reproduce and give birth. Its arrival begins around mid to late October and extends to around end of March. During that time, some female whales give birth while others reproduce before returning to their feeding grounds in the north.more »»»
Mexican Air Travel May Double in 3 Years on Discounts
 Adriana Arai
Mexico is preparing for domestic air travel to double in as few as three years, predicting new discount airlines such as Interjet will pull 20 million passengers off the bus, the country's aviation chief said.more »»»
Seahorse Farm Offers Sanctuary, Chance for Survival
 Associated Press
Marine biologist Carol Cozzi-Schmarr's business is saving some of the planet's most exotic small sea creatures. In 1998, she and her husband, Craig Schmarr, left shrimp hatchery jobs in Florida and used a small-business loan to establish the only seahorse farm in the country.more »»»
Traveler's Leap of Faith Offers Salvation from the Humdrum
 Cindy Loose
I'm terrified of roller coasters and won't get on them even when I know they've been developed and tested by stellar engineers and are maintained by famous, responsible companies such as Disney, yet here I am in a forest in Mexico, standing 72 feet in the air on a platform less than 2 feet wide.more »»»
First-Time Gay Cruiser: Nonstop Action or Smooth Sailing?
 Stan Wu
"If you go on a gay cruise, you'll definitely break up!" warned my pessimistic friend Scott a few days before Doug and I left Los Angeles to drive to San Diego, where we would soon start our eight-day Atlantis cruise along the Mexican Riviera.more »»»
Mexico Sees Bigger Butterfly Migration
 Anahi Rama
Wildlife officials say good weather should bring a surge in the number of monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico this year, after last year's cold resulted in the lowest numbers in more than a decade.more »»»
Princess Cruises Marks 40 Years with a Real Jewel
 Jerry Brown
Forty years ago, few could have envisioned that a somewhat modest maiden voyage to Puerto Vallarta by the Princess Patricia would develop into an industry giant. But you can bet next month’s mortgage payment that Mexico, the destination the line pioneered four decades ago, will figure prominently in the destination mix.more »»»
Mexican Indians Preserve Epic Endurance Race
 Tim Gaynor
Mexico's Tarahumara Indians are struggling to preserve one of the world's toughest endurance contests: a race of up to 100 miles over flinty mountain tracks while kicking a ball.more »»»
City May Require Transvestite Bathrooms
 Michael Astor
For most, it's a choice of the men's room or the women's. A Brazilian city is trying to give an option to those who don't fit easily into either category. A bill passed by the Nova Iguacu city council on Tuesday would require night clubs, shopping malls, movie theaters and large restaurants to provide a third type of bathroom for transvestites.more »»»
'Passengers Do Crazy Things,' Airline Pilot Says
 Thomas Frank
American Airlines Capt. Gary Boettcher has seen passengers hollering that their plane was going to explode. He's seen them try to rush off the plane once the door was closed. In the post-9/11 world, such behavior draws increasing scrutiny from flight crews.more »»»
To Think of Leaving Mexico
 Tom Haines
Mexico, with its desert and jungle, upland fields and coastal flats, has long been the country of campesinos. Many still tend corn, beans, coffee, and cotton. But so many, like the poor girl who probably will not fall in love with a rich man, are fleeing to Mexico's bigger cities, or farther, to the United States.more »»»
The Time Share Trap
 Jim Soliski
Forget daisy chain paraflops, I wanted scuba diving, and the time share tyrants offered gifts for the right to listen to their pitch. I faked interest and took the plunge. Ninety minutes of my time earned scuba diving for two. But the price also included more than I had bargained for.more »»»
Foam Factory's Demise to Cause Ripple Effect
 Leslie Earnest & Sara Lin
For the surfboard industry, the closure of Gordon "Grubby" Clark's foam factory looms as a wipeout. The 72-year-old Clark said his business withered under federal and state regulation, adding that he faced stiff punishment if he continued churning out the foam blanks that he has sold to surfboard shapers around the country.more »»»
To Sloth or not to Sloth
 Jim Soliski
What’s the one thing you have lots of when staying at an all-inclusive holiday resort in Vallarta? The answer is everything. And when eating, a decision is required. How much of which item to take in order to find a balance between sampling enough fare to satisfy your curiosity, and trying to walk to the beach without calling in a mobile crane.more »»»
150 Years Later, U.S. Fallen Remain
 Dane Schiller
The remains of 750 unknown U.S. soldiers lie in a little-known cemetery in San Antonio, more than 150 years after they were pulled from shallow battlefield graves in what was once the heart of enemy territory.more »»»
Zipping Through the Treetops
 Cindy Loose
About a million people have lined up to take an Original Canopy Tour since 1997, when Darren Hreniuk opened his first one in Costa Rica. Since then, other companies have opened similar adventures, which they sometimes call sky treks or zip-line tours.more »»»
Baby Turtles Will Have You Going Gaga
 Eileen Ogintz
Welcome to Playa Las Tortugas Turtle Camp. Here on a stretch of beach that’s the nesting habitat for three species of endangered sea turtles, government, private and volunteer efforts converge during the nesting season to help these amazing creatures survive.more »»»
Birds in Paradise
 Griffin Page
The area surrounding the Bahía de Banderas can only be described as a natural outdoor concert hall. Over 360 different species of birds either migrate to or reside in this area. Talk about an orchestra!more »»»
Host Marriott to Pay $3.3B for 38 Hotels
 Associated Press
Host Marriott Corp., one of the nation's largest hotel real estate investment trusts, said Monday it agreed to buy 38 luxury and upscale hotels from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. for about $3.3 billion, adding a slew of new brands to the company's portfolio and expanding its international reach.more »»»
Population Resurgence Could Bring 200 Million Monarch Butterflies to Mexico
 Will Weissert
As many as 200 million Monarch butterflies may migrate to Mexico this year – a nearly tenfold increase over 2004, when unfavorable weather, pollution and deforestation caused a drastic decline in the population, environmental officials said Tuesday.more »»»
Passengers Describe Pirate Attack on Cruise Ship
 AP
A cruise liner that was attacked by pirates over the weekend docked safely on this Indian Ocean archipelago Monday after changing its course to escape. Passengers described their horror as pirates in speedboats chased their luxury cruise liner at sea, firing rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles.more »»»
U.S. Could Restrict Travel to Prevent Flu
 Lauran Neergaard
Sustained person-to-person spread of the bird flu or any other super-influenza strain anywhere in the world could prompt the United States to implement travel restrictions or other steps to block a brewing pandemic, say federal plans released Wednesday.more »»»
Utah Family Takes Shelter from a Hurricane in a Mexican Bordello
 Nate Carlisle
They say, "Any port in a storm," but not many ports have vibrating beds and windows in the showers. When Hurricane Wilma struck Cancun, Mexico, one central Utah family abandoned their hotel and wholesome fun for refuge in a house of ill repute.more »»»
Getting Air Travel Ready for the Baby Boom Generation
 Barbara Pinto
The nation's 77 million baby boomers will begin hitting their 60s next year, but it doesn't mean their interest in traveling, to experience new sights and sounds, is diminishing.more »»»
Trapped Tourists' Nerves Fray in Storm-Hit Cancun
 Noel Randewich
Dazed foreign tourists stranded in stinking shelters in this hurricane-hit Mexican beach resort demanded to be rescued on Monday, and President Vicente Fox lost his cool at slow aid efforts.more »»»
Seniors Experience Endurance Cruise
 Ron Malast
Earlier this month 64 travelers, many Ocean Park Moose members, friends and family, gathered to share the experience of cruising the warm climate and beautiful ports of Mexico — Acapulco, Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas.more »»»
Passenger One In A Million
 Greg Joyce
Pilot Marc Tacchi is seeing the country the way most Canadians never could - or would. He is soaring with Air Canada, here, there and everywhere, over and over again.more »»»
Tequila's Sun Rises
 Elana Ashanti Jefferson
Mexico embraces travelers interested in learning to negotiate its national drink - tequila. While the American love affair with the potent nectar of blue agaves began about a century ago, the latest notch on tequila's bedpost comes from this country's culinary elite.more »»»
Marriott and Renaissance Launch "Anniversary in Paradise" Program
 Wire services
Here's a great way to celebrate your first anniversary: a second honeymoon at a discount price! Marriott and Renaissance Caribbean & Mexico Resorts are now offering the "Anniversary in Paradise" program. If you honeymoon at one resort, you'll receive a 20% discount on your first anniversary at another resort, including breakfast daily and a bottle of champagne.more »»»
Attention: Testy Visitors Risk Being Shot in Florida
 Agence France Presse
Welcome to Florida, but avoid arguments or thanks to a new law you run the risk of getting shot, according to an ad campaign launched by a gun-control group. The campaign coincides with a state law that entered into effect authorizing gun owners to shoot anyone in a public area who they believe threaten their safety.more »»»
Great Video, But Little Danger in Emergency Jet Landing
 John J. Nance
In many respects, the picture-perfect emergency landing of a JetBlue Airbus recently at LAX crossed a very odd dividing line between virtual and hard reality. By the time the pilots settled in on final approach, not only were we riveted by the amazing TV shots from helicopters and cameras on the ground - so were the very people involuntarily thrust into the middle of the drama: the passengers themselves.more »»»
Local Naturalist, Tour Guide and Amateur Photographer
 a profile of Griffin Page
Many years ago, one more player was added to the team of people dedicating their lives to help save our environment. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Griffin Page left everything behind, took the plunge and moved to Mexico's Baja Sur to begin her autodidact studies.more »»»
US-Mexico Agree to Expand Aviation Services
 Reuters
The United States and Mexico agreed on Wednesday to expand airline flights and other aviation services between the two countries for the first time in six years, the U.S. Transportation Department said.more »»»
Turtles Taking Over as the Kings of the Sea
 Jane Margolies
These mysterious dinosaur-era creatures - which can live 80 years, swim thousands of miles from the beaches where they were born, and yet, somehow, manage to return to the same spots to lay their own eggs - are an increasing object of fascination for many Americans.more »»»
Mystery Afoot on High-Seas Adventure to Mexican Riviera
 Arline Bleecker
Passengers on an upcoming Oosterdam cruise might be just digging into their dinner when a guy at a nearby table appears to slump over dead. Splat! He lands face down in his soup with a dagger protruding from his back. Not what you would expect on the menu, unless you're on a murder-mystery cruise.more »»»
Britain's Naked Ramblers In for Court Appearance
 Yahoo! News
A couple attempting to walk the length of Britain in the nude were due to appear in court after being grabbed by police south of Edinburgh following a complaint by a member of the public.more »»»
Walkin' Around Puerto Vallarta
 Marla Hoover
Taking in the sights on foot is a great way to see some of the marvelous things Puerto Vallarta has to offer, from historical buildings to new night clubs, cigars to sculptures. See luxury yachts, sun-drenched beaches, and celebrity hide a-ways; here are three walking tours that can easily be done without a guidemore »»»
President Fox Presides at Ceremony for Airport Expansion Projects
 NewsEdge Corporation
Mexican President Vicente Fox on Monday officially opened a set of expansion projects at the capital airport in which nearly $650 million has been invested over the past five years.more »»»
Grand Canyon to Get Glass-Bottomed Walk
 AP
Great views — and plenty of goosebumps for those afraid of heights. An American Indian tribe with land along the Grand Canyon is planning to build a glass-bottomed walkway that will jut out 70 feet from the canyon's edge.more »»»
A Confluence of Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's on Crystal's Two Luxuriously Festive 2005 Itineraries
 PRNewswire
This holiday season, travelers will have the unusual opportunity to celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's Eve on a single two-week tropical cruise aboard the luxurious ships of Crystal Cruises. Hanukkah dreidels, toy soldiers, Christmas trees, New Year's noisemakers, menorahs, seasonal gifts and more come together for a joyous celebration through either the Mexican Riviera or Caribbean.more »»»
It's All About the Dolphins...
 Erich Haubrich
Prominent throughout our oceans and rivers, dolphins take on a persona that is adored worldwide. We see them jumping, playing, and even hear them laughing as they have fun in the ocean. Dolphins are some of the most highly intelligent creatures on earth.more »»»
Tourism Sector Expects Rise in 2005
 Karen Mahabir
The country's tourism industry expects to pull in US13 billion in revenue this year US2 billion more than last year despite continuing violence on the border, Mexico Tourism Secretary Rodolfo Elizondo reports.more »»»
What a Way to Spend the Day!
 Erich Haubrich
I boarded the sailboat Isis - named after the Egyptian Goddess of Love, which is the flagship of Pegaso Tours' fleet. I have passed the boat lots of times taking other boats out of the marina and was thrilled to finally be aboard this maritime masterpiece.more »»»
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