Spring Culinary Package Valentine’S Day Special Chocolate Ecstasy
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SPRING CULINARY PACKAGE
VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL
CHOCOLATE ECSTASY LUXURY EXCURSION IN TABASCO & YUCATAN
Six days/seven nights
February 8 - 15, 2007
Join us on this exotic excursion into the Heart of Darkness... dark chocolate, that is! Test your chocolate IQ:
• Did you know that chocolate - the “food of the gods” - originated in
the tropical jungles of Tabasco and Chiapas and other regions of the
Yucatán Peninsula?
• Were you aware that the state of Tabasco remains one of the world’s most prominent producers of chocolate?
• Did you know that the criollo cacao bean is considered the world’s
finest, is the world’s most expensive, and origi-nated as a species in
Tabasco?
On this very special chocolate fantasy, we will meet in Villahermosa,
Tabasco, where we’ll visit a range of chocolate producers – from the
behemoths that supply companies like Nestlé, to tiny artesanal
producers who sell their treats on the roadside. We will visit
haciendas that have produced chocolate for over 100 years, where cacao
trees shade the verandas and vanilla orchids grow in the wild side by
side with pepper and allspice plants. In the chocolate fabricas we will
witness first hand how cacao is fermented, roasted, ground and separated
into two parts: thick, black, bitter chocolate pasta and creamy white
cocoa butter. Along the way, we will visit La Venta – the world’s
foremost museum of Olmec culture. It was the Olmec who established the
first civilization in Mexico and who in turn handed down their knowledge
to the Maya and other groups in Mesoamerica. We will also have some
time to visit a handful of colorful, folk churches – a hallmark of
Tabascan life. And of course, we’ll sample lots of Tabascan dishes and
savor their Mayan roots. Back in the Los Dos kitchen in Mérida,
Yucatán, we will satisfy all of our chocolate fantasies. We will work
exclusively with criollo chocolate from Tabasco, making everything from
savory moles, to desserts, ice cream and candy. Our culinary Workshops
will culminate in a luxurious – and romantic – Valentine’s Day dinner.
This special Chocolate Ecstasy Luxury Excursion has been planned in
conjunction with Luxury Mexico and Virtuoso and with the support of the
Tabasco Secretary of Tourism. Space is limited! Enroll today!
Tour's Schedule
Thursday, 8 February • Arrive Villahermosa, Tabasco airport
• Transfer/check in at La Quinta Real – “Grand class hotels and resorts”
• Hors d’oeuvres; wine and chocolate tasting “Welcome” celebration – Brief introduction to chocolate by Chef Sterling
Friday, 9 February • Continental breakfast at hotel*
• Excursion to Comalcalco; tour of chocolate haciendas
• Lunch at regional restaurant
• Tour of chocolate museum; visits to some of Tabasco’s colorful churches
• Return to hotel
• Dinner at regional restaurant
Saturday, 10 February • Continental breakfast at hotel*
• Excursion to Palenque
• Lunch at regional restaurant
• Tequila tasting at hotel
• Dinner at El Eden restaurant – “Regional fusion in the Hilton Hotel”
Sunday, 11 February • Continental breakfast at hotel*/ check-out
• Excursion to La Venta museum
• Lunch at regional restaurant
• Transfer to Villahermosa airport/flight to Mérida, Yucatán
• Check in at Hacienda Xcanatún – “Small luxury hotel located in restored 18th century hacienda”
• Welcome dinner at Xcanatún’s fine restaurant, Casa de Piedra
Monday, 12 February • Transfer to the cooking school in Merida
• Continental breakfast on the cooking school in Merida terrace
• Chef Sterling: Introduction to Mayan and Yucatecan techniques and ingredients
• Tour of Mérida’s central market
• Cooking instruction in the cooking school kitchen
• Comida fuerte in the cooking school dining room (main meal of the day; includes wine/beer service)
• Transfer to hotel/afternoon and evening free
Tuesday, 13 February • 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
• Transfer to hotel; afternoon free
• Dinner at Néctar – updated classics and “nouvelle Yucatecan”
• Return to hotel
Wednesday, 14 February • Transfer to the cooking school
• Continental breakfast on the cooking school terrace
• Cooking instruction in the cooking school kitchen
• Almuerzo (lunch) in the cooking school dining room (includes wine/beer service)
• Preparation of special Valentine’s Day dinner, including Tabascan chocolate
• Cocktail hour on the cooking school terrace
• Dinner in the cooking school dining room (includes wine/beer service)
• ¡Adios! Return to hotel
Thursday, 15 February • Transfer to Merida airport for departure
This Tour Includes:
Price includes all accommodations. Price includes all meals, except for
dinner after the two class days at the cooking school in Merida.
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.
* Breakfast tip not included.
Does Not Include:
Price does not include air fare. Price does not include alcoholic
beverages except at the cooking school in Merida, where wine/beer
service will be offered.
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Tour Prices
PRICE $2,995.00/pp
All prices in U.S. Dollars. Price based on double occupancy. For single
rate add $1,220.00. Prices are subject to change in January 2007 when
new tariffs are posted.
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IMPORTANT
• This trip requires purchasing a ticket from your departure point to
Villahermosa, Tabasco, and a return ticket from Mérida, Yucatán. If you
prefer to fly from Mérida to the Villahermosa airport on the day of your
departure, please visit http://www.aeromar.com.mx/previo/index.asp.
This new airline offers service between Merida/Villahermosa. You should
book this leg of your trip at the same time you book your full flight in
order to verify connecting times.
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