Machu Picchu is located on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, South America. Built for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472), Machu Picchu is commonly referred to as the “City of the Incas” and is one of the most familiar icons of ancient Inca civilization.
Looking for more information about Machu Picchu? See Gadling’s library of posts on the subject.
Mazatlan’s International Carnival is a six-day, multi-event celebration overflowing with live music, folklore, dance, entertainment and traditional costumes. Held since 1898, Mazatlan’s 115th version of Carnival is an all day, all night fiesta with something for everyone, the third largest in the world. But the Northern Pacific coast, beach resort town and seaport is in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, where the U.S. State Department urges caution to travelers.
Saying extra caution is in order, especially late at night and in the early morning, the most recent State Department warning on Mexico also cautions U.S. citizens to defer nonessential travel to the rest of the state of Sinaloa.
Still, in the safe city of Mazatlan itself, there are several elements of Mazatlan’s International Carnival not to be missed.
Kings and Queens crowned
Today, the “King of Joy” has taken the place of yesteryear’s “Ugly King” of Carnival’s origin to promote the positive spirit of the Mexican event. Another major event of Carnival, the coronation of the King of the Happiness, Queen of The Floral Games, Infantile Queen and Queen of Mazatlan’s International Carnival 2013 happen at a feast, accompanied by a live show performed by Mexico’s best schools in dance.
Ritual of the “Bad Mood Burning,” the Naval Battle
A symbolic ritual accomplished by the incineration of a marionette, the Bad Mood Burning washes away all ill feelings from the Mazatlan shores. The event has its origins in the defense of the city during the attempted invasion of Mazatlan in 1864. During the popular nighttime event, Mazatlan’s sky is filled with fireworks, lasers and sound.
Parades
The most highly-anticipated event of the Carnival of Mazatlan is the carriage float parade. Thousands of local residents and visitors head to the waterfront for a parade of fantasies conceived by carriage float creator Rigoberto Lewis, some of which we see in this photo gallery:
%Gallery-174706%
The Children’s Ball
The Children’s Grand Ball brings the children of the city-harbor in on the Carnival festivities with an event created just for them. Escorted by their parents, the children compete in the Funny Costume contest, wearing costumes they designed themselves in a high-spirited pageant.
The International Pacific Queen Contest
The participation of the Queens from Central and South America and the United States adds to the international flavor of Mazatlan’s Carnival festivities. The visiting beauty queens participate in the spectacular Carnival parades, and also compete for the title of Pacific International Queen.
Running from February 7 through 14, Mazatlan’s Carnival is just one reason to visit. Here are a few more:
Can I get a show of hands from people who are still irritated by the need to game their packing to deal with the TSA’s three-ounce requirements? I thought so. There are still a lot of us out there. I’m both aggravated and pleased that there are new brands making solid cosmetics that I can get past the screeners. There’s a new-to-me brand out there called SkinFare; they’re making solid moisturizer sticks that give you more room for shampoo and sunscreen in your carry-on luggage.
There are a bunch of things I like about this product line. The moisturizers smell delicious – there are five different scents and one is sure to work for you. They come in recyclable cardboard packaging so there’s no plastic to throw away (take that, tiny hotel bottles of shampoo!). The moisturizer itself is made from organic stuff so you’re not putting toxic chemistry on your skin. It’s all good stuff. And yes, travel friendly, so you can carry a stick on the plane and use it as an all purpose moisturizer in the dry zone at 20,000 feet.
I find the product itself a little heavy, a little waxy, on application. I really like it as a lip balm or for my chapped and/or sunburned nose. But it doesn’t quite work for me – your mileage may vary – as an overall skin moisturizer. It’s easy enough to apply, you just rub it on your skin., but I want it to melt a little bit more on contact so it gets absorbed.
It’s worth a try, though. Everyone has different skin, so it might work really well for you. And I find that while it doesn’t suit my needs as an overall moisturizer, I’m putting the little container in my coat pocket instead of Carmex, and using it on my face and hands where I don’t have anything else on hand. And it’s perfect for on the plane – not just because of the solid product, but because the refreshing natural scents are nice for clearing that airplane funk out of your head.
SkinFare is $9.99 per stick. Give it a try or get some for your nearest traveler.
Caribbean cruise ports get a lot of attention during the winter when freezing temperatures cover a large amount of the United States. Warm, sandy beaches along with some good experiential adventure opportunities bring visitors from around the world. By air or sea, those escaping the winter weather have some great choices in the more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs and cays of the Caribbean sea.
Say “Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Cozumel, St. John, St. Thomas, Costa Maya” or any of the other islands of the Caribbean and most travelers who have been there will recollect a good memory.
Three other ports not normally on the itineraries of large ships (they are too big to dock at the ports) are well worth a longer sailing, as well. Travelers can also get to these islands by air and choose to stay a while.St. Barts
In December through the first week of January or so, ocean-going yachts make St. Barts home and offer plenty to stoke the dreams of boating enthusiasts.
Columbus discovered St. Barts in 1493 and French colonists from nearby St. Kitts first settled it in 1648. The island changed hands several times but was finally given legal status as a Department of France in 1946, much like Americans made Hawaii a state.
Luxury cruise lines SeaDream Yacht Club, Seabourn and Crystal Cruises are among those who sail to St. Barts, also called Saint-Barths or St. Barthelemy.
%Gallery-174391%
Isla Catalina
Isla Catalina is a tropical destination island located on the southeast corner of the Dominican Republic, about 1.5 miles from the mainland and not far from La Alagracia and La Romana.
The coral stone island is home to diverse ecosystems including sand dunes, mangroves and reefs and there are large areas around the island where the water depth is just a few feet thanks to natural sandbars offshore.
Azamara Club Cruises, Windstar Cruises and Holland America Line are among those who visit Isla Catalina
%Gallery-174390%
Bridgetown, Barbados
The city of Bridgetown is the capital and largest city of Barbados located on the island‘s southernmost coast and home to over 80,000 people.
The Sunburry Great House makes for a good day trip, and is also a good example of a Barbadian Sugar Estate Great House.
Celebrity Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Royal Caribbean International are among those cruise lines that visit Bridgetown, Barbados.
%Gallery-174389%
Island life leaves plenty of time for relaxation, taking in the local sights and an interesting activity called “plane spotting” as shown in this video from St. Barts: