A Rainy Day in ....Cancun
People go to Cancun to swim and snorkel in the super-blue water of the Caribbean and sun themselves on the white sand beaches. A trip into the jungle to explore ancient pyramids may be on the agenda, but rain is rarely calculated into the plan. But guess what? Cancun has a nice long rainy season, which coincides with the summer months when most Americans take their vacations. Just because it's the rainy season, doesn't mean it will rain every day or all day. There is still likely to be plenty of sunshine. However, chances are, if you are in town for a week, it will rain at some point.
If you are staying at a megalithic all-inclusive resort, you may have a movie theatre or dance hall that gets roped into use as daytime entertainment when it rains. For everyone else, it's a great opportunity to explore some of the area's indoor and wet attractions.
In this issue, we'll visit the
Museum of Mexican Folk Art, swim with the dolphins at the
Interactive Aquarium, go beyond shopping at
Kukulcan Plaza mall, take a cooking class at the
Ritz-Carlton Culinary Center and enjoy the magic of the
Xcaret Night Spectacular.
Kayte Deioma
The Casa de Arte Popular Mexicano or Mexican Folk Art Shop and Museum, is an enchanting excursion into the diversity of Mexican folk art traditions. Located in an upstairs storefront in the Embarcadero shopping center, it seems more shop than museum at first glance, especially because you enter through the gift shop.
Admission includes the use of an audio cassette tour, available in Spanish, English and French, that is absolutely critical for understanding what you're seeing. Every inch of available surface and wall space is used for display, with no room left for interpretive panels. Although the density gives it a bit of a cluttered feel, the exhibits are artfully arranged by theme
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Although much of what Xcaret Ecological and Archaeological Park has to offer is outdoors, there are a variety of indoor activities that can keep you dry on a rainy day, and you won't care if it's raining if you are in the water.
Architect Miguel Quintana Pali came up with the idea of building a theme park around some of the Mayan Riviera's natural wonders and archaeological ruins, which would give people access to these resources, while educating them about the dangers we humans pose to the natural world.
There are many places to shop in Cancun, but Kukulcan Plaza (www.kukulcanplaza.com) is top of the line. It is an all-purpose enclosed, air-conditioned mall including restaurants, a bowling bar, a casino, and a designer shopping paradise.
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