Chichèn Itzà, FAVORITE POST

Chichèn Itzà

One of the 7 new wonders of the world...

In the northern region of the Yucatàn peninsula lie the relics of Chichèn Itzà, once one of the most powerful cities of the Maya. Ruins of the temples of this ancient civilization spread from the jungles of Guatemala to the Yucatan. Today, Chichén Itzá attracts thousands of visitors who come to admire the spectacular remains.

The Mayan Civilization.

The Maya originated around 3,000 years ago in present-day Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. From around AD 250 to AD 900, the Mayan empire flourished in the southern regions. Around AD 900, the empire in the south collapsed. No one knows why.

But while the empire in the south waned, that in the north, especially in the Yucatan, flourished until the Spanish conquests of the sixteenth century.

Chichèn Itzà is two hour away from cancun, there you can see really how intelligent the mayans were with those buildings that seem impossible to build, they built them 3,000 years ago. You can see the mayan`s perfection in constructions, for example in the spring equinox you can see "kukulkan" the feathered serpent ( was a god), going down of the ruin untill he reaches "his" head, just because of the perfection they had to build, so the sun is reflected in one way the make you see that.

In my personal opinion i really can tell you that this experience is really unforgetable and enriching because you are in the place where 3,000 years ago the mayans were. You discover the magestic mayan world and how accurate the mayans were in their mathematics calculations and the things they create having almost nothing.

DISCOVER THE OVER REATED CAPACITY THE MAYANS HAD IN THE PREHISPANIC.

Take a look at those videos and watch the marvel of Chichén Itzá

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0kOyGZxKh4,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyvw6G9Max0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXAPS7eFcWk&NR=1. I highly recomend you to see this videos I am sure that ou will be surprised about how intelligent and how wonderful the were.

For more info. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/483.

Works Cited: http://www.exploratorium.edu/ancientobs/chichen/HTML/chichen.html

Tamales

The tamales started as a tradition in Mexico because of the "dia de la candelaria" which is a holiday that we have two weeks after the "dia de los reyes magos" ( 6th of january). The tamales are sort of the price that you have to pay if you got the jesus that is hidden in the bread that in Mexico is eaten the 6th of january, i'll do a post next week about that bread so you can get familiarized with these "jesus". As it is the tradition, if you get a hidden figure while you are eating the bread you will have to make and pay the tamales for the "dia de la candelaria".


  Traditionally a tamale is served plain, as is. Lately, a lot of restaurants serve them in a sauce that compliments the filling: for example, green chile sauce for pork or chicken, or a red chile sauce for beef. Sometimes tamales are served in the corn husks, and sometimes they are opened and removed for you. Experiment and find out how you prefer to serve them.

Ingredients:
• 5 lb Lean pork or beef, cooked and shredded • 1 Bundle oujas • 1-1/2 lb Lard • 6 to 7 lb Fresh masa • 1-1/2 pts Red chili sauce • 1 tbsp Salt
How to make Tamales:
• Cook meat by boiling it in a big covered pot with sufficient water to cover completely. • Add salt to it and boil until completely done. • Cool the meat and save the broth. • When meat has cooled, shred and combine it with the chili sauce. • Clean the oujas in warm water. • Combine together the masa, lard, salt and enough broth to make a soft paste. • Beat until a little amount will float in a cup of cool water. • Spread masa on ouja and add a little amount of meat to it and roll up. • Fold up the ends of ouja and put them on a rack in a pan deep enough to steam. • Add 1 to 2 inches water, cover it with a tight fitting lid and steam for about 1-1/2 hours. SIMPLY GORGEOUS, BON APPETITE!!! VIVA MEXICO!

The traditional appetizer in Mexico, Sopes.

The "sopes" are the most common appetizer found in Mexico. Everywhere you go, you will find sopes as an appetizer. The sopes are made from really cheap and basic ingredients that can be found in every single super market. They are easy to prepare, fast, and the mixture of the flavors of the beans, the tortilla, creme, cheese, the chili sauce and all, makes from a normal appetizer a great way to have a nice day with your family or to pass the time before a meal. I hope you enjoy them! BON APPETITE!!!

1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup masa harina flour (Mexican corn masa mix)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening or lard
1 cup warm water
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil- divided use
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans, warmed
1 cup shredded shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack or crumbled cotija cheese
Topping Suggestions: taco sauce, sliced pickled jalapeños, sour cream and/or chopped green onions, (optional)

1. Place corn meal and flour in large bowl; cut in vegetable shortening with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add water, kneading until smooth. Add chiles; mix well. Form dough into 16 small balls. Pat each ball into 3-inch patty; place on waxed paper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Cook patties for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown, adding additional oil as needed to prevent sticking.
3. Top with beans, cheese, salsa, jalapeño slices and sour cream.

With that easy and fast recipe you can have an unforgettable culinary experience with your family! Try them out! 

Tacos de Cochinita Pibil.

Tacos de cohinita pibil, are a traditional dish from the south-east part of Mexico especially in Yucatan. these tacos form part of a Mayan tradition of cooking and digging in fertile soil, to prepare these, and to get all the possible taste you should put the dish under the soil (covered with the soil) and let it there, for 2 days and the food will be prepared and ready to eat. These tacos are usually eaten with beans, a chilli sauce, and pink onion with habanero (another chilli), all mixed up to get an unforgettable Mexican, South-Eastern traditional food.

• 2 pounds pork butt roast with bone
• 2 tablespoons achiote paste
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 habanero peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 red onions, sliced into rings

If you wanna see more specified directions follow the link, http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cochinita-Pibil/Detail.aspx, where you can see even a faster way to prepare them. ENJOY. 

Chiles en nogada (Chilies in walnut sauce)

The "chiles en nogada" is a traditional mexican food from Puebla (a mexican state). It is a tradition to eat these dish during christmas. I chose this recipe because it is easy to prepare and really tasty. After you prepare the food, you will see how colorfull and attractive the dish is.

Chiles en Nogada (Chilies in Walnut Sauce) Recipe



You must start this dish one day ahead by soaking the walnuts for the nogada sauce overnight.

Ingredients

The Picadillo:

2 lbs of boneless pork

1/2 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 Tbsp salt, or to taste

6 Tbsp of lard or the fat from the broth

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

The cooked meat (about 3 cups - note if you use more than 3 cups, you will need to increase the amounts of the other ingredients)

A molcajete (mortar and pestle)

8 peppercorns

5 whole cloves

1/2 inch stick cinnamon

3 heaping Tbsp of raisins

2 Tbsp blanched and slivered almonds

2 heaping Tbsp acitron or candied fruit, chopped

2 tsp salt, or to taste

1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, peeled and seeded

1 pear, cored, peeled and chopped

1 peach, pitted, peeled and chopped

Method

1 Cut the meat into large cubes. Put them into the pan with the onion, garlic, and salt and cover with cold water. Bring the meat to a boil, lower the flame and let it simmer until just tender - about 40-45 minutes. Do not over cook. Leave the meat to cool off in the broth.

2 Strain the meat, reserving the broth, then shred or chop it finely and set it aside. Let the broth get completely cold and skim off the fat. Reserve the fat.

3 Melt the lard and cook the onion and garlic, without browning, until they are soft.

4 Add the meat and let it cook until it begins to brown.
5 Crush the spices roughly in the molcajete and add them, with the rest of the ingredients to the meat mixture. (If you don't have a molcajete, you can use the blunt end of a pestle to crush the spices in a bowl.) Cook the mixture a few moments longer.

6 Add chopped peach and pear to the mixture.
The Chilies:

7 Put 6 chiles poblanos (and you MUST use this type of chili) straight into a fairly high flame or under a broiler and let the skin blister and burn. Turn the chiles from time to time so they do not get overcooked or burn right through. (See How to roast chile peppers over a gas flame tutorial using Anaheim chiles.)
8 Wrap the chiles in a damp cloth or plastic bag and leave them for about 20 minutes. The burned skin will then flake off very easily and the flesh will become a little more cooked in the steam. Make a slit in the side of each chili and carefully remove the seeds and veins. Be careful to leave the top of the chili, the part around the base of the stem, intact. (If the chilies are too hot - picante, let them soak in a mild vinegar and water solution for about 30 minutes.) Rinse the chilies and pat them dry.
9 Stuff the chilies with the picadillo until they are well filled out. Set them aside on paper towels.
The Nogada (walnut sauce)

The day before:

20 to 25 fresh walnuts, shelled

cold milk
10 Remove the thin papery skin from the nuts. (Note, these are Diana Kennedy's instructions. I have found it virtually impossible to remove the skins from the fresh walnuts that come from our walnut tree. The above photo shows the sauce which includes the skins. I think it would be creamier without the skins, but what can you do? We found that blanching the walnuts did not help get the skin off. Completely cover the walnuts with cold milk and leave them to soak overnight.
On serving day:

The soaked and drained nuts

1 small piece white bread without crust

1/4 lb queso fresco

1 1/2 cups thick sour creme (or creme fraiche)

1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

Large pinch of cinnamon
11 Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until they are smooth.
To Serve

To assemble the dish, cover the chilies in the nogada sauce and sprinkle with fresh parsley leaves and pomegranate seeds.

Recipe from.

you should try it, it is cheap and quick to do. you will not regret about it.

Contoy Island.

Contoy Island is a unique special little island just north of Isla Mujeres. This place is very cool and really a place you must visit. Ask your hotel concierge or tour operator for help, because only a few people are allowed on the island per day. 

As it is in Cancun there are a lot of things to do. The most visited place is the central aviary called "pajareras de puerto viejo". The reserve counts with approximately 152 tropical marine birds, like thefrigate bird, brown pelican, and the double-crested cormorant. 

Around the island you can see four species of turtle finding a safe place for nesting, namely the loggerhead turtle, Green turtle,Hawksbill turtle, and the leatherback turtle.

The tours have costs around $90 and $100 dollars.

Click on the link to see more information and the schedule for the trip.

Asterix Tours

Here is the link of a video about contoy island.

Contoy Island video.

AKON @ THE CITY NIGHTCLUB!!!

Akon in cancun!! you cannot lose the opportunity to go!!...


Be prepared for one of the best shows that will happen in cancun, Akon at the city.

Akon is known for been one of the top 3 R&B, Hip-Hop and Reggae singer. Akon started his career in 1996 having not so much success but after a while, when he sang for the first time a song called "trouble", he started his successful career.


Akon will be presenting his last album, "Stadium Music" and of course his already known songs such as "smack that", "keep you much longer", "beautiful" and "right now".


Friday, March 12th starting at 22:30pm until Saturday 13th at 6:30am.




Because SpringBreak doesn´t go to downtown ,THE CITY is the place...


For more information: http://www.thecitycancun.com/