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Loco Gringo Mexico

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LocoGringo Mexico gives you local insights, vacation tips and stories from people who live and work in the Riviera Maya and Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Our host Kay Walten, will introduce you to people in Mexico who tell of their journey to the Yucatan, their local scoop on the people, the Mexico and Mayan culture, places not to miss on your next vacation, food and more. LocoGringo gives you travel info that you won’t find in a travel guidebook. Discover Mexico for your next vacation on a more intimate level than a typical tourist. As an expat, Kay has been working in vacation and tourism in Mexico since 1992. She is also co-founder of the vacation rental site LocoGringo.com.

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Mexico

Description:

LocoGringo Mexico gives you local insights, vacation tips and stories from people who live and work in the Riviera Maya and Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Our host Kay Walten, will introduce you to people in Mexico who tell of their journey to the Yucatan, their local scoop on the people, the Mexico and Mayan culture, places not to miss on your next vacation, food and more. LocoGringo gives you travel info that you won’t find in a travel guidebook. Discover Mexico for your next vacation on a more intimate level than a typical tourist. As an expat, Kay has been working in vacation and tourism in Mexico since 1992. She is also co-founder of the vacation rental site LocoGringo.com.

Language:

English

Episodes

095: Travel with Intention with Miguel Amar of Mexico Kan Tours

5/8/2018
Today’s guest, Miguel Amar only stopped in Cancun to meet a friend before heading to Cuba fifteen years ago. And, like many people who visit the Riviera Maya, he fell in love with the culture, history, and nature of the area and never left. He currently lives in Tulum and facilitates sustainable tourism activities through the company, Mexico Kan Tours. He and his business partners have a mission to promote conservation through tourism by allowing visitors to travel with intention. Their...

Duration:00:35:33

094: Paddleboarder Tony Schaefer is a Stand Up Guy

3/13/2018
When this week’s guest, Tony Schaefer, and his wife bought their home in Puerto Aventuras in the early 2000’s, he had never heard of paddleboarding. While sitting on the beach one day, Tony saw what appeared to be someone walking on the water. It was a paddleboarder. He says it was love at first sight. He has been passionate about the sport ever since. He ordered a couple of paddleboards and quickly found a friend who shared his enthusiasm for the serene, zen-like feeling that came from...

Duration:00:46:20

093: Is Your Soul Calling You to Tulum? With Kelli Reese

3/6/2018
The energy of Tulum called out to this week’s guest, Kelli Reese. She had been feeling vibrationally out of alignment in her marriage and 17-year career in Northern California. During a visit to Tulum, Kelli felt the energetic pull of Tulum and the surrounding area. She knew she must take whatever actions necessary to follow her destiny and move to the Riviera Maya. When Kelli’s soul profile in her Akashic Records confirmed her path, she quit her job and followed her heart to Tulum. Kelli...

Duration:00:35:33

092: Chicas Who Chat Make an Impact with Suzan Crane

2/20/2018
My guest this week lives in the jungle of Tulum. Suzan Crane has a colorful career and travel history. She ran a famous punk club in New York, she was a PR Executive and toured with well-known musicians. After over 25 years in the business, the universe pushed her in a different direction. At 47, Suzan sold everything she owned and for 14 years she backpacked to places all over the globe doing whatever was necessary to stay afloat monetarily. She turned her hobby of jewelry making into a...

Duration:00:47:51

090: Gastón Charó Has Created an Oasis of Art in Playa del Carmen

1/30/2018
My guest this week is an artist whose passion for a more tranquil life brought him to Playa del Carmen. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Gastón Charó made the decision to move away from the traffic and pollution of the city to languish in the natural places and multicultural environment of the Riviera Maya. Eighteen years ago, he realized there weren’t many places for people to enjoy art. He reached out to local hotels and after a few months of waiting he finally had his first...

Duration:00:40:31

089: Marieke Brown — Akumal’s Real Estate TV Queen of Scots

1/23/2018
My guest this week is a transplant from Scotland. Marieke Brown came to the Riviera Maya to dive the incredible caves and explore the second-largest reef in the world. She planned to continue her travels throughout Central America but something about Akumal drew her in. In her 13 years in the area, Marieke has seen the coast change quite a bit. The amount of people has increased as well as the diversity of educational options. Her two young boys attend an affordable, international,...

Duration:00:45:14

088: Scott Brown Has Seen the Riviera Maya Evolve Through His Lens

1/16/2018
My guest this week is someone who we, here at Loco Gringo, consider family. Scott Brown has been in the Akumal area since he was seven. He moved with his mother and sisters to be with their grandparents at the Akumal Dive Shop, which they started a few years before. The Yucatan was a much different place 32 years ago. Scott remembers a childhood filled with snorkeling, diving, and exploring a shipwreck for treasures. His family made weekly trips to Cancun to visit the post office and for...

Duration:00:34:59

087: The Chemistry of Flavors with Chef Cristobal Tamariz

1/9/2018
This weeks throwback favorite from 2017 is.....Episode 056 with Cristobal Tamariz. Cristobal Tamariz, is the owner of Riviera Maya Food Tours. Cristobal believes the best way to preserve a country's culture is through sharing and experiencing local traditions. And, his way of sharing is through authentic, regional cuisine. Born in Central Mexico, Cristobal grew up surrounded by his grandmother’s and his mother’s flavorful cooking. He thought he might become an engineer and study chemistry,...

Duration:00:25:06

086: Laura and Perry McFarlin — Discovering the Yucatan with Friends

12/26/2017
This favourite from the past year was aired on episode 33. My longtime friends, Laura and Perry, are calling in from Iowa to join me as my guests on today’s podcast. They are the couple responsible for Cancun Map and MapChick maps, and travel guides of the Yucatan Peninsula. Perry shares the amusing story of how a waiter friend had won an obstacle course contest for a free trip to a little-known place called Cancun, Mexico. When he returned from the trip he told Laura and Perry, they...

Duration:00:32:01

085: Raising a Family in Puerto Morelos with Amber Pierce

12/19/2017
On today's favourite throwback, we take a listen back to episode 060 with Amber Pierce. Amber Pierce, writes the very popular Puerto Morelos Blog, plus she raises her children and works as a certified real estate agent in the area. When Amber first visited Puerto Morelos she appreciated the “Mexican-ness” of the place, as compared to cities like Cancun. Amber says she accidentally became a property manager, after many snowbirds and friends asked her to take care of monthly bills and to...

Duration:00:42:01

084: Craig Zabransky — Staying Adventurous in Mexico

12/12/2017
As the end of 2017 closes in, we have decided to choose some of our favourite shows from this year. Hope you enjoy! Loco Gringo welcomes Craig Zabransky, the writer and photographer behind the Stay Adventurous travel blog. Craig was working as a consultant on Wall Street, back in 2004, when he yearned to see the world. Mexico wasn’t one of the first places he visited on his sabbatical but, after being lured to Mexico City for a consulting gig, his passion for exploring the country...

Duration:00:40:09

083: Russell Granger Invests in Playa del Carmen in More Ways Than One

11/28/2017
My guest this week is a New Yorker who makes Chicago-style pizza in Playa del Carmen. Russell Granger’s story of finding himself in the Riviera Maya isn’t as romantic as some of my past guests. After a long-distance attempt to run a tourist hotel and restaurant with partners didn’t pan out, Russell decided to give the venture 100% of his attention and moved to Mexico. Russell’s story took a romantic turn only after he fully committed himself to Playa del Carmen. At 50, Russell quit...

Duration:00:48:43

082: In Akumal, Kerra Bolton Found a Great Place to Find Herself

11/21/2017
My guest this week is a New York Times award-winning journalist, former Director of Communications for a presidential candidate, a contributor to the Loco Gringo blog and a complete and utter Foodie. Kerra Bolton left North Carolina after she said goodbye to her lover, her mother and her high-powered career. Does she miss it? No, and yes. Kerra says the Riviera Maya is her home now but visits the U.S. every three months because she just can’t seem to quit it. When Kerra’s transition to...

Duration:00:35:57

081: A Yogi by the Sea - Ellen de Jonge Shares Her Life’s Journey

11/14/2017
Ellen de Jonge and her friend needed a break from the hustle and bustle of city life in Amsterdam. They decided they would take a year-long break to Mexico and boarded a plane without knowing exactly where they were going. During the flight, they used a Lonely Planet guide to help them decide where to go. They made it to Isla Mujeres in the Caribbean and enjoyed life so much they decided to stay. Ellen has lived in Playa del Carmen for the past 17 years. To make ends meet she has tended...

Duration:00:34:19

080: Kai Kirk Feels Safe Raising Kids in Family-Friendly Mexico

11/7/2017
Before moving to the Riviera Maya, Kai Kirk lived in Texas with his wife. Both were putting in long hours for ungrateful companies. When they decided it was time to have children, they knew their existing lifestyle wouldn’t do. Kai says the decision to move to Akumal in the Riviera Maya changed their lives for the better. Now with two children, Kai says he is surprised by the number of low-cost, high-quality private schools there are near Playa del Carmen and Akumal. There are both...

Duration:00:38:02

079: The Tulum Food, Spirits & Wine Festival: A Conversation with the Creator, Chef Diane Dimeo

10/31/2017
You may have seen my guest today on cooking shows such as Beat Bobby Flay, The Taste, TLC Discovery or from her online syndicated cooking show, Chef Dimeo. She has also been written up in the New York Times, NY Magazine, the LA Times and more. Chef Diane Dimeo is on the show with me today because she is also the heart and soul behind the Tulum Food, Spirits & Wine Festival which starts November 9th, 2017. Diane came to the Riviera Maya area to visit a friend who was living in Playa del...

Duration:00:35:00

078: Cooking in an Authentic Mexican Kitchen with Lina

10/24/2017
My guest this week is an authentic Mexican Chef who shares family recipes with visitors who attend her personalized cooking classes. By opening up her kitchen, Lina is able to live out her passion for cooking while sharing her special gift with others. Lina says that many visitors are confused as to which foods are authentically Mexican. When people ask for fajitas, chili con carne, or chimichangas Lina must politely tell them the foods they are asking for are Tex-Mex. When Lina makes a...

Duration:00:28:40

077: Park Aktun-Chen: Inside and Below the Jungle with Lorenzo Ancona Diaz de Leon

10/10/2017
My guest today, Lorenzo Ancona Diaz de Leon, and his father are the visionaries behind the Aktun-Chen Natural Park located just South of Akumal in the Riviera Maya. In the Mayan language, Aktun means cave and Chen means underground river. Both natural wonders are featured in the luscious green park. Lorenzo studied Hotel and Business Management at a University in Cancun. His father purchased the land which is now the park — over 400 acres of pristine jungle — 25 years ago. His father’s...

Duration:00:22:56

076: What to Expect When Visiting Akumal Monkey Sanctuary with Ricardo Arellanos

10/3/2017
When Ricardo Arellanos’ family moved to Cozumel, the Riviera Maya was a very different place. Cancun only had two hotels and Playa del Carmen was just a small town. Today the area is abundant with visitors and many of those visitors are drawn to the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary where Ricardo works. Working at the Monkey Sanctuary allows Ricardo to live out one of his missions in life, which is to give people an experience an unforgettable experience by sharing the treasures of the Riviera...

Duration:00:50:02

075: Lovin’ the Laid-back Lifestyle in Costa Maya with Parrish Konda

9/26/2017
Originally from the cold white north in Saskatchewan, Canada, Parrish Konda worked in sales. He now lives in the capital city of Yucatan, Merida. Parrish can’t imagine ever going back to his previous life. He, along with his business partner, is building a residential condo development that sits on the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico in a little town named Progreso. During today’s episode, Parrish shares the story of his first trip to Mexico, why he stays and his favorite places in...

Duration:00:42:11

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