Latest news with #Yucatan
Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Times
The woman making $2,000 shaggy chandeliers
As we look up at the gigantic shaggy 'creatures' hanging above us, Angela Damman smiles. 'They are dramatic,' she admits. 'They sort of take on their own personality.' We're gazing at the latest surreal-looking chandeliers that the American textile designer is creating in the studio of her 22-acre Mexican hacienda. It's located outside a rural village 40 minutes from Merida, the capital of the Yucatan. The Yucatan peninsula is known today for its idyllic beaches and Mayan ruins. Less known is that until the early 1900s, the Yucatan supplied 90 per cent of the world's rope thanks to a native agave plant called henequen. When the Spanish arrived, they referred to the plant as 'green gold' — until the money dried up in the early 20th century with the invention of synthetic fibres. When Damman moved here with her husband and two children in 2011, the plan was to do up the splendid yet dilapidated hacienda surrounded by lush jungle. (The ruined haciendas of the Yucatan are a legacy from the henequen boom.) But one day Damman, a former environmental consultant, noticed a man wearing a sabucan, a traditional Mayan field worker's cross-body bag. She was fascinated to learn not just that this woven bag was created from the famous 'green gold' but that the plant was still growing in the grounds of her family's new hacienda. 'I've always loved natural materials and the concept of seeking new ideas within existing commodities,' says the 55-year-old, who grew up on a family farm in Minnesota. Her father started one of the first grassroots ethanol fuel plants in the US using corn that was stockpiled and rotting because of the market crisis in the 1980s. An idea was forming — but she had no clue how to work with this spiky agave. It seemed as if knowledge of handcrafting the plant had become extinct. But Damman didn't give up. 'I asked my housekeeper and she found an old lady called Doña Felipa who'd been weaving henequen fibres for nearly 80 years. Her grandmother taught her when she was 12, back in the days before anyone dreamt of petrochemical synthetic threads.' With Doña Felipa's help, Damman learnt how the plant fibres were used for craft. It's a long process that involves extracting the fibres, drying them in the sun and boiling them in a cauldron over an outdoor wood fire. Afterwards comes hand-combing and colouring with organic dyes from local trees and plants. The final fibre resembles luxuriant lengths of horsehair that are then woven into textiles using portable back-strap looms. Damman then uses this superfine textile to make handbags and home decor items. As well as weaving the fibres into textiles, she also began to experiment with using the raw fibres for conceptual pieces such as the chandeliers. When business took off and Doña Felipa couldn't keep up with the textile orders, Damman co-sponsored a weaving school called the Maya Youth Artisan Initiative, which teaches young women from local communities this ancient craft. 'At first the young women weren't convinced about learning the ancient skills,' Damman says. 'Traditionally, henequen weaving didn't make much money.' She explained that the items they'd be making would earn them more because they would be reaching a higher market. She then took them to the Mayan World Museum in Merida to inspire them. 'What began as an idea to work with local plants became my life's passion,' Damman explains. 'Our goal is to support both the land and the rural communities.' She now grows fibrous plants on five acres of her property (with friends in a nearby village growing a couple more acres for her) and works with about 30 Mexican artisans and workers. Her bags and home decor items are popular, but the shaggy-chic chandeliers are her bestsellers, and cost from $2,350. 'They really are something different. You wouldn't find them in a regular lighting catalogue.' They form super-sized statement pieces in the new Noa Santos-designed Banana Republic flagship store in New York, and diners at the Los Mochis restaurants in London can eat ceviche under stretches of Damman's reimagined Yucatan green gold. One chandelier requires about 40,000m of fibre and takes more than three months to produce. Another plant that Damman uses is Sansevieria, or mother-in-law's tongue, since its fibres are softer and finer than henequen. It also happens to be one of the highest oxygen-producing plants in the world. Alongside their extraordinary shape, Damman's sculptural 'creatures' give off a unique luminosity because each plant fibre is different from the next. At this year's Mexico City Art Week she premiered a chandelier from a new series, From the Underworld. Its atmospheric colours of orange and red glowed as if they were dipped in a gentle fire of hell. The piece's inspiration is the Ceiba tree, which in Mayan belief symbolises a sacred conduit between the underworld and the heavens. 'This one really feels alive to me,' she says, 'as though it's coming out of the ground and reaching for the skies.' The concept is linked with Damman's own spiritual journey, although she jokes that her children say it looks like something from outer space, but she's fine with that. 'I love all the interpretations,' she says. 'When you keep it simple, it seems to open up the imagination.' Damman's works are for sale in London at the Sarah Myerscough Gallery,
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Sustainable Resorts in Mexico: Inside Chablé Hotels
Five-star Chable Hotels combine Mexican design, architecture, art and cuisine, respecting and ... More honoring the environment and local culture. As interest in sustainable tourism continues to rise, more properties around the world are taking steps toward minimizing negative impacts on the environment, preserving local cultures, and benefitting the communities in which they operate their hotels and resorts. An exemplary leader in this trend is Chablé Hotels, a Mexican-owned, five-star company that operates sustainable resorts in the Yucatan peninsula. The hotels, one in the state of Yucatan and another in the Riviera Maya, aim to set a standard of sustainability without compromising luxury by encouraging guests to live in harmony with nature and honor the local cultures and traditions. An important aspect of the experience are the food and drink programs, which set them apart from other luxury resorts in the area. For starters, all Chablé Hotels' restaurants are led by award-winning chef Jorge Vallejo, the mastermind behind México City's Michelin-starred Quintonil, included in the 50 World's Best Restaurants lists since 2015. With Vallejo as corporate chef, the cuisine at both Chablé Yucatan and Chablé Maroma reflects Mexico's culinary heritage, using local ingredients and traditions while allowing each property's chefs the creativity to transform them into innovative preparations that are a feast for all senses. Housed in a former XIX Century sisal hacienda, Chable Yucatan is an oasis of tranquility steeped in ... More history. Chablé Yucatán opened in 2016, set within 750 acres just 25 minutes from the historic capital city of Mérida. Sustainably designed and built in a restored 19th-century sisal hacienda, it preserves the rich history of the area by using rescued materials from the buildings, reutilizing collapsed stones and consolidating other buildings, building casitas and villas with the least environmental impact possible, and reinterpreting roots and trunks of fallen trees as unique furniture and sculptures. The vibe at this incredible property is one of quiet seclusion and well-being. Mornings start with dozens of different bird songs, and white-tailed deer, considered sacred by the ancient Maya, roam free and forage around the property. The amazing spa is the first in the world to be built surrounding a cenote, one of the many natural water sources that dot the Yucatán Peninsula. Named the The Best Hotel in North America 2024 by 50 Best and awarded two Michelin Keys, the hotel supports local artisans, using their crafts to decorate the buildings and grounds. Women from the Maya town of Ich Muul embroidered the original textile collection found at the resort, rescuing designs and colors representing the land's history. In fact, Maya culture is the heart and soul of the property, which offers many activities for guests to learn and experience its beautiful traditions. That, of course, includes the cuisine. At the traditional Maya outdoor kitchen, local women cooks prepare simple meals and teach cooking ... More classes. Here, chefs create seasonal menus using ingredients grown organically in the traditional Maya raised gardens called k'anche'. Guests can tour the gardens with the resident horticulturists, which grow fruit, vegetables and herbs to use in the restaurants. At the melipona bee sanctuary, visitors can harvest and taste honey directly from the hives. Prior to collecting, a local shaman conducts a ceremony to honor and respect the bees. Perhaps the most heartwarming and educational experience at Chablé Yucatán is the Casita Maya, a replica of a traditional Maya house and outdoor kitchen, where Yucatec women cooks known as the tías - the aunts - teach simple and delicious regional dishes and introduce the local ingredients. From grinding heirloom corn to make the tortillas, to roasting meat and vegetables over a wood fire, these experiences are not only delicious, but also allow the women to transmit their knowledge and recipes, raising awareness about endemic ingredients and the importance of preserving the environment in which they grow. Afterwards, participants sit al fresco to enjoy their preparations surrounded by nature. Award-winning Ixi'im Restaurant has been recognized for its stunning modern Mexican cuisine that ... More honors the gastronomy of Yucatan. There are two restaurants within the property: laid-back, poolside Ki'ol and award-winning Ixi'im, both offering seasonal menus using fresh produce grown in the hotel's k'anche'. Executive chef Ernesto Flores leads the wider culinary offerings, while executive chef Luis Ronzón heads up Ixi'im, the recipient of a 50 Best Discovery award. Ki'ol serves breakfast and lunch, with a focus on fresh and healthy preparations as well as refreshing cocktails and fruit juices. Meaning corn in Yucatec Maya, Ixi'im is housed in the former factory of the hacienda, serving modern Mexican cuisine with a focus on local and traditional ingredients and celebrating the unique cuisine of the Yucatán. Ronzón's culinary path began under the mentorship of Mexico's beloved chef and food historian Yuri de Gortari and as an apprentice to René Redzepi at Noma, experiences that shaped his talent before leading him to Quintonil, where he worked alongside Vallejo. Now at Ixi'im, he uses modern techniques to showcase local ingredients, the smoky flavors of the pib, the traditional Maya underground oven, and the region's Lebanese heritage. The amazing food at Ixi'im changes seasonally, with six-course tasting menus and a la carte options ... More available. With 3,435 bottles and counting, the bar at Ixi'im boasts one of the world's most extensive and impressive private tequila collections which lines the restaurant walls. The collection includes a bottle of Brinde por México by José Cuervo from 1845, and one-of-a-kind pieces painted by famed Mexican muralist Rufino Tamayo. The bar itself boasts a great selection of agave spirits, served alone, as flights or in craft cocktails. Set in an independent building across the grassy field, the hotel's cozy Sikar Bar has an extensive menu featuring classic spirits from around the world and a curated collection of various Mexican distillates, offering lively mixology classes for cocktail enthusiasts. Chablé Maroma sits on a long strecht of perfectly secluded beach, surrounded by carefylly preserved ... More mangroves. Following the success of Chablé Yucatán, Chablé Maroma opened in September 2018 on Maroma Beach in the Riviera Maya, surrounded by mangroves and flanked by the Caribbean Sea in proximity to the world's second-largest coral reef. It's just 40 minutes from Cancun airport, but it truly feels like a million miles away. Here, serenity and wellness are key to the whole experience, offering privacy amid nature and a spa with treatments centered around Maya traditions and the sea, and bespoke wellness retreats tailored individually. Renowned interior designer Paulina Morán created spaces that showcase nature while feeling luxurious. Add an efficient and friendly staff that seems genuinely happy to be where they are, and its no wonder Chablé Maroma has received one Michelin Key and a mention in the 50 Best Discovery list. In tune with Chablé's commitment to sustainability and support for local communities and the environment, the hotel partners with Oceanus A.C., a renowned Mexican pioneer in coral reef restoration, to safeguard vital coral species in the reef. Together, they offer a beautiful activity in which guests learn about coral preservation and are invited to create a personalized coral seedling 'home' to contribute to ongoing restoration efforts. Chablé Maroma has three food and beverage outlets, each with a different menu and vibe. Chablé Maroma has three seaside food and beverage outlets, each with its own vibe and culinary focus, but all inspired in seasonality and using produce and herbs from the property's k'anche'. At poolside Kaban, flavors from Mexico's coastal regions take center stage. Try the regional breakfast of huevos motuleños — eggs sunny side up on fried tortilla with refried beans, red sauce green peas fried plantain, spiced sausage, turkey ham, sour cream and cotija cheese — and refresh yourself at lunchtime with a ceviche or aguachile. If you're looking for a laid-back dinner, a varied menu includes seafood, steaks and pastas. Of course, ice cold beer and tropical cocktails are in order. For a truly special dinner, however, Bu'ul is the perfect choice. Here, the contemporary cuisine of chef Carlos Navarrete is influenced by the culinary traditions of the Yucatan, complemented by a spectacular wine list. The Michelin Guide recommended Bu'ul 'for its sophisticated dishes featuring corn, beans, and chiles.' Bu'ul, after all, is the Maya word for bean. The seasonal menus are a collaboration between Navarrete and Vallejo, using fresh ingredients sourced from nearby farms and sustainable seafood. A six-course tasting menu is the way to go, but a la carte dishes are also available and worth a try. A dish of duck with mole and chochoyotes is an example of the signature dishes at Bu'ul. Bu'ul's wine list, curated by sommelier Michael González, was the regional winner for Most Original Wine List and Best Designed Wine List in The World's Best Wine Lists 2024. It features a fantastic range of Mexican and international wines, including rare vertical collections that make it one of the most recognized in the Riviera Maya. The wine cellar offers private tastings, which are not to be missed. González is a fountain of knowledge but also a great educator, explaining things in detail without being pretentious or condescending. The space is beautiful, to boot. Above Bu'ul is Raw Bar, a terrace cocktail bar with incredible views and the laid-back elegance that characterizes the property. The menu, as the name implies, includes seafood preparations by the Bu'ul culinary team, with craft cocktails, beer and wine available. If you fancy an informal dinner with a spectacular sunset, this is the place. Chefs bury the cochinita pibil in the morning and serve it at night with all the trimmings. If you like getting your hands dirty in the kitchen take a cooking class. You can learn to make your own roasted salsa using the traditional stone molcajete while sipping a refreshing cocktail, or book a more elaborate Yucatec cuisine class and learn to make regional classics. If liquid cuisine is more your beat, Raw Bar's mixologists also teach afternoon cocktail clases, just in time for happy hour. For a truly unique experience, be sure to ask about the pib ceremony. Weather permitting, chefs prepare cochinita pibil, perhaps the most iconic dish of the region, in an underground pit directly on the beach. They bury the seasoned pork loin in the morning and unearth it in the evening for dinner, serving it the traditional way with freshly made tortillas, salsas and pickled onions. This is not to be missed. Both of these properties are an incredible example of how luxury resorts can and should respect the people, the cultures and the environment of the places in which they are built. Going even further, Chablé Hotels actively participate and encourage the restoration of the ecosystems and preservation of the traditions that make Mexico, and the Yucatan Peninsula, so unique.
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
Pagdanganan among 4 tied for the LPGA lead in Mexico
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Bianca Pagdanganan felt right at home in the stifling heat and humidity Thursday on the Yucatan Peninsula, using her power to set up a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th for a 4-under 68 and a four-way share of the lead in the Mexico Riviera Maya Open.
Globe and Mail
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Globe and Mail
Pagdanganan among four tied for the LPGA lead in Mexico
Bianca Pagdanganan felt right at home in the stifling heat and humidity Thursday on the Yucatan Peninsula, using her power to set up a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th for a 4-under 68 and a four-way share of the lead in the Mexico Riviera Maya Open. Pagdanganan, the 27-year-old from the Philippines, managed to hit all but two greens despite not spending much time in the fairway. Her two-putt birdie from 15 feet allowed her to join Chisato Iwai, Jenny Shin and Brianna Do. The wind was enough of a challenge on the El Camaleon course at Mayakoba. It was the heat index that became the biggest challenge and limited the scoring chances. Shin was the first to reach 68, making seven birdies but slowed with a double bogey on the 16th hole. Asked about her good start, Shin replied, 'I actually don't remember because it's so hot. I don't remember the first birdie.' But she remembered having a hot putter, mostly for birdie and a few parts. Still, it was hard getting past the stifling conditions. 'I didn't anticipate heat like this,' Shin said. 'I was really shocked when I got here. Definitely does feel like I'm in Southeast Asia. Been hydrating a lot. Drinking a lot of salted water. A lot of electrolytes. I haven't really been practising, so I'm going to head straight to the hotel room after this.' Chisato birdied two of her last five holes, while Do got off to a superb start and was 4 under through her opening five holes. She cooled after that, with one bogey and a birdie on the 18th to claim a share of the lead. Five more players, including Hye-Jin Choi and Jenny Bae, were at 69. Charley Hull, at No. 15 in the world the highest-ranked player in the final event before the U.S. Women's Open, missed short putts down the stretch and had to settle for a 72. One of those misses came on the par-5 13th, when she hit her second shot to inside 3 feet. Pagdanganan felt at relative ease during the round. 'It felt like a pretty easy round, which honestly I haven't felt that in a while,' she said. 'To be able to have that out here feels really good. I hit a lot of greens – not a lot of fairways. But I felt like it didn't matter that much to me today. I felt like I was swinging it pretty good. I had a pretty clear headspace. 'So I guess mentally and physically everything just lined up really well for me today.' It was a tough day for two of the more prominent Mexican players. Gaby Lopez, who played a role in getting the LPGA back to Mexico for the first time since 2017, had eight bogeys in her round of 79. Maria Fassi, a former NCAA champion at Arkansas, had two early birdies but struggled to a 75. Mayakoba previously hosted a PGA Tour event, and then it had a LIV Golf event last year.
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
MrBeast's Tour of Maya Ruins Draws Criticism and Legal Threats in Mexico
The Mexican authorities threatened legal action this week over a video featuring the YouTube sensation MrBeast at ancient Maya ruins, suggesting that a production company had violated an agreement for filming at the site. The video, titled 'I Explored 2,000 Year Old Ancient Temples,' was posted online on Saturday and had been viewed more than 60 million times by the end of the week. 'Everything you guys are seeing now the Mayans didn't want us to see,' says a voice during the first moments of the 15-minute clip. 'Nobody gets to go where we're going.' They were going to the Maya city of Chichén Itzá, an archaeological site on the Yucatán Peninsula with structures more than 1,000 years old, that is considered a wonder of the world and is visited every year by two million tourists. Visitors are welcome to roam the ruins of city with a few conditions, including no climbing on the pyramids or staying past nightfall. The video featuring MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, shows him inside of ruins, at an archaeological site at night and clambering up a pyramid, with a voice saying, 'I'm climbing these stairs like a dog.' Toward the end of the video, he displays candy under his Feastables brand, which he calls 'the only Mayan-approved snack on the planet.' Not long after the video was posted online, it provoked outrage among some Mexicans, who noted that Mexico's archaeological authority, the National Institute of Anthropology and History, or INAH, forbids some of what the video appeared to show. The controversy drew even the attention of President Claudia Sheinbaum who, when asked about it, said on Wednesday she wanted a report about what had happened. 'The information is that he had permission from the INAH, and now we need the INAH to tell us under what conditions this permission was granted,' she said. 'And if the permission was violated, then what sanctions will be imposed.' Mexico's culture secretary, Claudia Curiel, went further, saying on social media on Thursday that the authorities were weighing legal action because Full Circle Media, the local producing company representing Mr. Donaldson in Mexico, had not been authorized to publish 'false information or the use of images of heritage sites for commercial advertising.' The anthropology institute soon posted a statement saying it condemned those who violated 'the terms of granted authorizations' and those who 'with commercial ambition and aims of private profit, dare to distort the value of archaeolgical zones that are he legacy of our original cultures and the pride of our nation.' A representative for Mr. Donaldson declined to comment on the record. A representative for Full Circle Media could not immediately be reached for comment. The video filmed in Mexico resembled in some ways another video Mr. Donaldson posted this year, showing him visiting the pyramids of Giza. In that video, Mr. Donaldson said he had gained 'unrestricted access to all the great pyramids of Egypt' and had gone into 'places that are literally illegal to enter.' He also displays MrBeast branded toys that he says 'are flying off the shelves.' On Monday, INAH clarified that the video filmed in Mexico 'clearly underwent extensive audiovisual post-production and alludes to events that did not occur.' Those included people spending the night in the site, descending from a helicopter into the ruins and handling a mask that, the institute said, was actually a contemporary replica. It was also not clear how much of the video was filmed at Chichén Itzá as opposed to other sites in the Yucatán Peninsula, where archaeologists have found many other ruins. Mr. Donaldson also had defenders, however, including Gov. Layda Sansores of Campeche State, who thanked the influencer on social media for visiting. She said on Wednesday that complaints about the video should be sent to her office, saying, 'We assume responsibility for showing the world the cultural and natural wealth that defines us.' The video set off a sprawling debate on Mexican social media about how it presented Mexico's history, whether it presented a romanticized vision of archaeology and who was able to gain such privileged access to national heritage sites. Nonetheless, INAH tried to put a positive spin on the controversy. 'Despite the distorted information provided by the YouTuber,' it said, 'the dissemination of this type of material may motivate young audiences in Mexico and around the world to learn about our ancestral cultures and visit archaeological sites.'
