Boxing day?

Well I hope everyone has had a good Christmas and have had a wonderful time with family and friends!!!
Being Mexican, I have a bit of a query that I hope anyone of the visitors to my blog that are clients from cruise.co.uk or from our Forums, cruises.co.uk might be able to answer my query regarding Boxing day? 

I could look it up on the Internet, but I am hoping someone might be able to answer me direct.

MY BURNING QUESTION:

Why is the day after Christmas day called Boxing day?

1.  Is it because there is a big Boxing Match?

2.  Is it because it involves boxes?

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo.

Just a quick note to wish everyone that has visited my blog and at Cruise.co.uk a VERY HAPPY X-MAS and a PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!



Classic Snoopy!!!!



And now for another classic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMtuVP8Mj4o

Do you believe in Leprechauns’ or Goblins? What about an Alux?

Continuing on my Yucatan blogs, I decided to tell you a little about the Mayan Alux (pronounced Al oosh).  Which, once again, if you are visiting the Mayan Riviera and/or Cozumel, Mexico, you might want to keep the following information in mind.

The origin of the Alux myth has been debated for quite a while. Some scholars believe they have European origins form the 16^th Century, others debate that it has a pre-Columbian origin, let them battle it out themselves.

I on the other hand, have heard one origin story straight form the modern Mayan people that involved a witch, a king and the beautiful, striking Pyramid of the Magician, also known as the Pyramid of the Dwarf at the archaeological site of Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico.

First though, I will tell you a little about the Alux. The Alux is a kind of goblin/leprechaun that is widely known among the Maya people in the Yucatan Peninsula.  Nearly every one I spoke to there believes in them and most locals have a story to tell about them.  An Alux is a small being about 2ft tall that has magical powers, they can be invisible to the eye, or they can also assume any animal that they wish, like a large snake, bees or even a jaguar.  The Alux mainly protect the crop fields of the locals, but also are know to protect all of the archaeological sites at night. But most of all, they like to play tricks on unsuspecting passerby’s, some can nice but sometimes they can be quite mean and even scary.

Top Ten reasons why being British is better than Mexican:

10.   Bank holidays.  Do I need to say more?  I guess I do as in Mexico there are no bank     holidays we just throw a Fiesta for any reason under the sun!!
9.  Once the weather gets a bit warm, EVERYONE goes out; the parks are full, every spot of sun is taken and there are sunbathers everywhere, which is not too bad on the eyes, sometimes....
8.  When you see a police man/woman, you know that they are there to protect you!!!
7.  Bangers and mash, NO need to say more?
6.  Your house does not fall down with daily earthquakes or hurricanes’, just snow and ice for a few months out of the year.
5.  The NHS, even with all of the issues some might have, it is still GREAT, which is impossible to beat as you get to see an actual doctor or a nurse, not a witch-doctor or shaman.
4.  At an intersection, you do not have to push yourself through, people actually let you pass, WOW!!!  Oh so polite!!!
3. Like my colleague Faz said, “You know you are British and NOT anything else!!”
2.  Warm ales, pubs..... some, you just cannot beat.

1.  My wife and son (I had to add this as my wife is British and yes, I love her VERY much!!)

God Bless the Queen!

Top ten reasons why being Mexican is better than British:

10.  I can play any sport wearing just my chanclas (sandals.)

9.    I can be in a 4-passenger car with 7 people in it and shouting "subanse,  todavia caben,” which means, “Get in, there is still some space!!”  So, Health and Safety go right out the window.

8.    I have a bottle of Bacardi or Tequila in my house right now, actually, I have 3 bottles of Tequila.

7.    I can, 9.0 out of 10 times depend on the weather, which is either hot or rainy.

6.    All beers are served ice-cold with a lime wedge in them!

5.    I can sort any driving infraction right there and then, no penalty points, no speed cameras and no need to go to court (I DO NOT recommend for everyone to try this.) 

4.    I have no need to de-ice the outside of my car in the morning, especially this time of the year.  And if you have a car like mine, you also have to de-ice the inside of it!!!!!

3.    I can go swimming in just my swimming trunks (or less) NO need for a wet/dry suit.

2.    I can curse in Spanish and no one understands me, which is great!!

1.    I can get away with naming my son Diego (and NO, he is not named after Diego Maradona who is Argentinean, my son is named after Diego Riviera and San Juan Diego.)

¡VIVA MEXICO!

Pronouncing ports in Central and South America.

Continuing from my last blog, here are some of the main ports in Central and South America and how to correctly pronounce them:

Arica: ARR-EEK-A

Callao:  KA-JA-O

Cartagena:  CAR-TA-HEN-A (A as in Apple)

Curacao:  KOO-RA-COW

Puerto Limon:  POO-ER-TO  LEE-MON

Puerto Madryn:  POO-ER-TO  MAD-REEN

Puerto Quetzal:  POO-ER-TO   KET-SAL

Punta Arenas:  PUN-TA  ARR-E-NAS  (E is pronounced as in Echo)

Pronouncing ports in Mexico

Carnival Spirit in Acapulco



Since I started working here at cruise.co.uk, I have heard hundreds of difference ways on how other members of staff and clients pronounce, or should I say, mispronounce places in Mexico.  So I have decided to make a list on some of the most popular ports in Mexico and how to pronounce them:

Acapulco – A-KA-PULL-CO  (KA is pronounced as in CA taract)

Baja – BA-HA  (HA is pronounced as in Ha rry)

Cabo San Lucas – KA-BO SAN LUK-AS

Chetumal – CHE-TWO-MAL (CHE as in Che rry)

Cozumel – CO-SUE-MEL

Huatulco – WAL-TOOL-CO (WAL has a similar sound to JU AN)
                    In Spanish, the "H" is silent.

Commemorating the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Once again, if you are taking a cruise that has a stop anywhere in Mexico on the 12th of December, you might witness one of the many mini marathons, celebrations and firework displays commemorating Our Lady of Guadalupe.

It all started on back on the 12^th of December, 1531, when a young Juan Diego, an indigenous Mexican peasant, had a vision of the Virgin Mary on top of a hill on the outskirts of Mexico City, Tepeyac Hill.  The Virgin Mary asked Juan Diego, in his native language of Nahuatl, to build a church on top of this hill in her honour.

Juan Diego rushed to the see the local Spanish bishop, Fray Juan de Zumarraga, who “instructed him to return and ask the Lady for a miraculous sign to prove her claim. The Virgin told Juan Diego to gather some flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill. It was winter and no flowers bloomed, but on the hilltop Diego found flowers of every sort, and the Virgin herself arranged them in his tilma, or peasant cloak. When Juan Diego opened the cloak before Zumárraga the flowers fell to the floor and in their place was the Virgin of Guadalupe, miraculously printed on the fabric.”

Getting ready to celebrate the Día de la Revolución!!

If you are taking a cruise that has a stop in Mexico on the 20^th of November, you might want to participate on one of our many celebrations of the Mexican Revolution.

The Mexican Revolution is also commonly known as the “el veinte de noviembre,” which the literal translation is the “20^th of November.”

It all started in 1910 by the people of Mexico together with Francisco I. Madero, which decided to revolt against the president of Mexico Porfirio Diaz, who was considered a dictator and had been in power for thirty one years.  Back then, the people of Mexico had no power to express their opinions, select their public officials and only a select few held the whole wealth and power of the country.  The injustice covered the entire land.

Do we like to boast? Yes we do!!!

Why do we like to boast here at www.cruise.co.uk?  Well, we have good reason for bragging and boasting, here is why.

As some of you might know, in 2008, we won “Europe’s Leading Cruise Travel Agent.”

In 2009, we won “Europe’s Leading Cruise Travel Agent” again and we also won “World’s Leading Cruise Travel Agent.”

And now, the reason for boasting is that we have once again won “World’s Leading Cruise Travel Agent!!!!” This makes it TWO years in a row!!

Some more useful Mayan to English Phrases

Some extra useful phrases if you are taking a cruise that has port visits in the Mayan Riviera and/or Cozumel, Mexico.  

You never know when the following might come in handy:

·         Tuxan há? ---- Which means:  Where is the beach? ---- Pronounced:  Too shan ha?  (ha is pronounced as in Harry)

·         Tuxan le sis ha? ---- Which means:  Where is the bar? ---- Pronounced:  Too shan le sis ha?

Would you like to learn some Mayan Phrases?



Typical Mayan Market

 Continuing with my Yucatan blogs, if you are planning a cruise that will visit the Mayan Riviera or to Cozumel, Mexico, I thought it would come in handy to know some Mayan phrases that might come in handy when dealing with the local Mayan people:

·         Ba’ax ka wa’alik? ---- Which means:  What’s up?

Pronounced:  Bash ka walee

OR

·         B'ix a bèel? ---- Which means:  How are you?

Pronounced:  Bee sh a bell

The usual answer is:

-Mix b’a’al ---- Which means:  Nothing, Don't mention it   Pronounced:  Mee’sh Ba (Ba is pronounced as in Baltic)

                OR

-Ma’alob ---- Which means:  Fine, okay

Pronounced:  Ma Alo?

Cruising to the Caribbean?

If you are taking a cruise that has a stop in Cozumel, Mexico and you are considering taking an excursion to the Mayan ruins of Tulum, you might want to consider the following. 

In my many years of living and travelling in the Yucatan Peninsula, I was only able to discover a handful of Mayan sites along the coast, at least one as striking and accessible as Tulum.  This stunning Pre-Columbian Mayan site sits on top of a 12-meter cliff right overlooking the crystal clear Caribbean Sea.

Disney Dream cruise ship will be a real DREAM EXPERIENCE!!!

When I was younger, many moons ago, our family used to go to Disneyland, California, nearly every summer.  We used to be the first to enter the park and the last to leave, which made it very convenient when trying to find our car at the end of the day as it was the only one there!!  We were always impressed with the level of service, the cleanliness and how impeccable the entire park was.

Now imagine going on a Disney Cruise?

The Queen Elizabeth has the WOW factor!!!

This past weekend we here at Cruise.co.uk have had the honour of being on board Cunard’s newest luxury cruise line, the Queen Elizabeth. 

 

What can I say, what a treat it was to be the first people to sleep onboard this magnificent cruise ship.  The onboard facilities are top notch, the food was glorious and the service we received from the “white star” staff was impeccable and flawless.  



Travelled on P&O’s Aurora lately?

I have been speaking to a client of mine that has just disembarked off the Aurora ship and she was very disappointed at the service she received. 

She has travelled on the Aurora since it came into service in 2000, but this time, she was beyond disenchanted with her.  In her words, “It seems that P&O is trying to save money by getting rid of hundreds of members of staff and this is unacceptable.”  The lack of service the client received was too much for her to handle; no tea cups in the morning, no tea bags and not even spoons.  It got to the point that my client has had to make a written complaint to P&O about her deep disappointment.  This was hard to believe as P&O are known to have an amazing level of service.

We here at Cruise.co.uk were saddened to hear this, as we are going to be travelling on the Aurora at the end of November.

Have you had a similar experience onboard the Aurora lately?  Please leave your comments regarding your experience.

Have you ever booked a cruise with a Mexican!?

I thought it would be polite if I was to introduce myself to all fellow cruisers.  

Mexico City on a clear day!

 As the section “ABOUT ME” mentions, I was born in Mexico City.  If you see my picture I do not look like a classic stereotypical Mexican, nor do I have a Mexican first name, but that would be my British background hard at work.