Yucatan Conference-2013

      The Mayor went to the Yucatan for a meeting with many of the Tahoma ministers who participated in our first international conference on small town administration.  The site was chosen by the Minister of Manufacturing and the Minister of Metalurgy.  The precise location was in the vicinity of Playa Del Carmen, Islas de Mujeres, and Cancun, or the northeast coast of the Yucatan peninsula which juts into the Caribbean sea, pointing to its near neighbor, the island of Cuba.
       This location, in the way south of Mexico, is also the ancient home of the Mayas, the Aztecs, and the Toltecs, those pre-Columbian cultures overrun by Spanish conquistadors during the age of exploration and colonization.
      One aspect of the Cancun location is the prevalence of the "all inclusive resort hotel". Never having this experience before, it was a novel experience in every respect.  
     The first aspect of the location is the beachfront position of the hotel(s).  Each is located within steps of the white sandy beaches.   This affront position does not remove the necessary hotel swimming pool(s), of which there are several cascading downhill, each surrounded by cabanas with appropriate shade coverings.   All pools are curved, tiled, and attractively landscaped.  In the vicinity are shaded cocktail bars, snack bars, and a place for the mobile barbecue grill.   The pool service bar provided towels and mats for bathers and loungers.   Needless to say, the smart set had their favorite cabana selected by 7:30 am.  
   More later.