Day Of The Dead Special Fall Culinary Package Luxury Halloween Excursion To Riviera Maya & Merida
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FALL CULINARY PACKAGE
DAY OF THE DEAD SPECIAL
LUXURY HALLOWEEN EXCURSION TO RIVIERA MAYA & MERIDA
Six days/seven nights
October 27 - November 4, 2006
Join us on this spooky (but luxurious!) adventure to Mayan cemeteries . . . . Then feast on a meal that will lift the spirits!
• Did you know that Hanál Pixán (Feast of the Spirits) was an autumn
rite celebrated by the Maya of Yucatán for centuries before the arrival
of the Spanish? It coincides with the more modern Day of the Dead and
Halloween.
• Did you know that the Maya celebrate this time of year by cleaning
out old bones from family crypts and repaint-ing the crypts in bright
colors?
• Have you ever eaten mucbilpollo, the rich and indescribable giant
tamal cooked, fittingly, underground as an offer-ing for the spirits?
On this special adventure, we will meet in the glamorous Riviera Maya
on the Caribbean side of the Yucatán pen-insula. The main focus of our
stay (other than relaxing poolside!) will be to visit Xcaret. Part
water-theme-park, part eco-reserve, part Mayan archaeological site,
Xcaret will welcome you with a swim through a natural underground
river, a spectacular coral reef aquarium, and most important, an
architectural marvel known as The Mayan Cem-etery. Individual crypts –
each a work of art formed of mosaic, carved wood, shells, even old car
parts – climb their way up the sides of a man-made hill. Deep within
the interior of the bee-hive shaped hill is a soaring stone cross
surrounded by a grooved spiral on the floor that receives a flow of water
from above. A masterpiece that must be seen to be believed! After two
nights in luxury accommodations on the Caribbean we will head for
Mérida, where we will join the Hanál Pixán celebrations in full swing.
Whipped chocolate, marzipan, the regional liquor xtaben-tún (an
anise-flavored alcohol brewed from honey), and so much more are prepared
as offerings to the deceased and spread lavishly on homemade altars.
Accommodations will be in the small luxury hotel Hacienda Xcanatun – a
restored 18th century hacienda. Our culinary Workshops will include
time in the Los Dos kitchen making a version of mucbilpollo and other
seasonal dishes, as well as trips to the Plaza Principal to see the
concurso de altares, a com-petition of altar-making. And on November 2,
we will make an excursion to the otherworldly Mayan cemetery of Hoctun,
near Izamál, to witness a twilight Mass and the procession of living
souls who bring offerings of food and flowers to their dead.
This special Day of the Dead Package has been planned in conjunction
with Luxury Mexico and Virtuoso. Space is limited! Enroll today!
Tour's Schedule
Friday, 27 October • Arrive Cancun International Airport
• Transfer/check in at Blue Parrot Suites – “Casual Tropical Luxury – just steps from the beach!”
• Welcome dinner at John Gray’s Kitchen, Puerto Morelos – “Excellent food by former Ritz-Carlton chef”
Saturday, 28 October • Continental breakfast at hotel*
• Transfer to X’caret eco-park for natural day in the sun. Activities
include river ride, snorkeling, lunch, dinner, and evening theater
presentation
• Return to hotel
Sunday, 29 October • Continental breakfast at hotel*
• Chauffeured drive to Mérida; stop at Valladolid for lunch
• Arrive Mérida; check in at Hacienda Xcanatun – “Small luxury hotel located in restored 18th century hacienda”
• Transfer to the cooking school in Merida for welcome reception
• Tour of Mérida en Domingo – the festive and colorful Sunday street fair
• Dinner at regional restaurant
• Return to hotel
Monday, 30 October • Transfer to the cooking school; continental breakfast on the terrace
• 9:00am – 4:00pm Cooking instruction in the cooking school kitchen featuring Hanál Pixán specials
• Stroll to Plaza Principal to see the competition of Hanál Pixán altars
• Return to hotel; free evening
Tuesday, 31 October • Continental breakfast at hotel*
• Morning tour of Hacienda Sotuta de Peon – a working henequen hacienda
• Lunch at Hacienda Teya – a restored 17th century restaurant with the finest authentic Yucatecan cuisine
• Afternoon tour of D’Aristi – producer of the local liqueur xtabentún
• Return to hotel
• Free afternoon
• Dinner at Trotter’s – “Steak, Vino, Tapas” in a trendy tropical setting
Wednesday, 1 November • Transfer to the cooking school; continental breakfast on the terrace
• 9:00am – 4:00pm Cooking instruction in the cooking school kitchen featuring Hanál Pixán specials
• Return to hotel; free evening
Thursday, 2 November • Continental breakfast at hotel*
• Excursion to Izamál – Yucatán’s “golden city”
• Lunch at Restaurante Kinich Kak-Moo
• Visit Hecho a Mano – the best Mexican handcraft shop in the peninsula
• Evening mass at the cemetery of Hoctun; local villagers bring votive offerings to ancestors
• Return to hotel
• Dinner at Néctar
Friday, 3 November • Continental breakfast at hotel*
• Excursion to Uxmal – one of Mayaland’s most beautiful architectural sites
• Stop at Santa Elena to visit traditional Mayan home
• Lunch at Hacienda Temozón
• Tour of Hacienda Yaxcopoil
• Return to hotel
• Farewell dinner at Casa de Piedra, Hacienda Xcanatun
Saturday, 4 November • ¡Adios! Transfer to Merida airport
This Tour Includes:
Price includes all accommodations. Price includes all meals, except for dinner after the two Mérida
cooking school class days. Continental breakfast, lunch and a late
afternoon meal are provided on class days. Prices include all taxes and
tips except as noted. Price includes transfer to Merida airport on day of departure.
Does Not Include:
Price does not include air fare. Price does not include alcoholic
beverages except at the Mérida cooking school, where wine/beer service
will be offered.
* Breakfast tip not included.
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Tour Prices
PRICE $2,950.00/pp
All prices in U.S. Dollars. Price based on double occupancy. For single
rate add $1,220.00. Prices subject to change without notice.
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IMPORTANT
• This trip requires purchasing a ticket from your departure point to
Cancun, and a return ticket from Mérida.If you prefer to fly from Mérida
to the Cancun airport on the day of
your departure, please visit
http://www.aeromar.com.mx/previo/index.asp. This new airline offers
service between Merida/Cancun. You should book this leg of your trip at
the same time you book your full flight in order to verify connecting
times.
Enrollment is limited to 10 students.
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