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Brazil’s Beach Volleyball Queen: Jacqueline Silva

noviembre 30th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Local Characters - (0 Comments)

Mention Brazil and you’ll often conjure images of beach volleyballers on Ipanema, with green mountain slopes in the background and golden sand running for miles. Aside from the all-night-long beach parties, beach volleyball is perhaps the most popular representation of Brazil. The country has always been associated with beach volleyball, not just because of their obession with the sport, but largely because many of the best volleyball players in the world are from Brazil.

Introducing Brazil to the World

Jacqueline (affectionately known as Jackie) Silva is one of them. Lauded as the best beach volleyball player in Brazil’s history, Jackie won the gold medal in the inaugural women’s beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics, as well as first place in the FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) Tour Championship for two years running, along with partner Sandra Pires. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Jackie started out in Brazil’s women’s national volleyball team at the tender age of 14 before moving on to playing beach volleyball in the United States. She hasn’t looked back since and although now she’s retired, she still plays an integral role in Brazil’s beach volleyball scene.

Brazil’s Obsession with Beach Volleyball

While beach volleyball may have originated in Southern California, Brazil definitely played a big part in introducing the sport to the world. It’s easy to see why Brazil is the best country for the sport: Blessed with hundreds of miles of sandy coastline and a climate that’s perfect for beachbumming, Brazil provides  natural conditions for playing the sport. Almost everyone in Brazil plays beach volleyball just for the fun of it.

Head out to famous beaches in Brazil, like Copacabana, Ipanema and Jericoacoara, and you’ll see there’s always a game going on. If you’re interested in picking up the sport, you can even sign up for beach volleyball lessons. Whatever the case, if you’re ever in Brazil, you can’t leave till you’ve played a game of beach volleyball!

Photo | Phillie Casablanca

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Mexico’s Underground Wonder – Rio Secreto

noviembre 29th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Snapshots - (0 Comments)

The Mayan Riviera, Mexico. The Caribbean sea, turquoise under the sun, white sands, ancient temples and reefs all along the coast. This was only part of the bliss that greeted me on a recent stay at the Paraíso Maya. Countless trips to view nature and history on and over land and sea. But, not too far away, sprawling for miles and miles and miles undergound is one of the most spectacular river cave systems you can encounter.

Rio Secreto’s Untouched Beauty

Once you have your wetsuit on and have been briefed on some intruiging history you are taken out in the nature reserve, amongst the wild trees you are led by the incredibly knowledgeable and environmentally aware guides underground into the cool darkness. These caves have never been fully commercialized, plus you are fully briefed on how to touch the very minimum on the way through. The result? You are met with a truly magical sight, right from the word go! The caves half-filled with the clearest water, the stalactites in a whole range of color hanging in such abundance above your head. Beauty for miles, literally.

A Journey Of Wonder

These caves and underground rivers go on for longer than you can think they do. For the time you enter the feeling of awe takes over you and a real sense of exploration begins. Sometimes squeezing to avoid contaminating the walls, sometimes ducking to avoid the stalactites, thousands of years old. Then, even more special, it is time to get into the water and float along slowly, at one with it all in the depth of silence and darkness but for the headtorch. You can spend hours down here and still want more. Mother Nature has given us sights and feelings that are hard to express, and sometimes you have to peek underground to experience it.

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A Suite for Antonio Banderas: New Contest, Luxury Prize

noviembre 28th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Mystery Guest - (1 Comments)

Antonio Banderas is widely known and loved as a movie star, but today the hunky Latin lover brings you a totally different stellar experience: Another opportunity to win a luxury Iberostar getaway for two, with our “A Suite for Banderas” contest. We’re talking 6 nights and 7 days at our new Iberostar Cancún, including flights!

As most of you know, on December 1 we’re opening our latest Iberostar property in Mexico: The Iberostar Cancún. We’ve invested more than $100 million to renovate and make the resort even more spectacular. As part of our celebration, we’re launching a fun new contest centered on our friend Antonio Banderas, brand spokesman for Iberostar, who will attend our inaugural festivities in early 2012. During his stay, he will bunk in the very suite that one of you will name, so be creative: What would be a fitting name for a luxury suite where a star of Banderas’ magnitude will stay?

We never stop coming up with ways to make you feel like “stars,” so if you want to be the star of this particular contest and win a trip to the Iberostar Cancún in Mexico, go to our “A Suite for Banderas” tab on our Facebook page to enter. Just tell us what you would name the suite where the actor will stay, and ask your friends to vote for you, as only those entries with more than 20 votes will be considered by our panel. Good luck to all our Stars!

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Whale-Watching in Samaná: A Paean to Cetaceans

noviembre 23rd, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Snapshots - (0 Comments)
There are few sights in nature more dramatic and moving than that of a majestic leviathan of the seas (or better yet, a pod of them), and a number of areas around the world are known as great places to go spot them on their annual migrations. The Dominican Republic ranks high on that list, particularly the eastern stretch of its north shore called Samaná, a four-hour drive east from Iberostar Costa Dorada outside Puerto Plata and also reachable from its resorts in Punta Cana and Bayahibe. 

From mid-January to mid-March, thousands of humpback whales make their way from the North Atlantic down to the waters of the Silver Banks and Samaná Bay to calve and mate. From 20-foot calves to adults reaching up to 50-plus feet in length, these majestic marine mammals provide a fairly close-in offshore spectacle that has created and sustained a vigorous local whale-watching industry.

Amazing Aquatic Antics

And let me tell you, it ain’t just an occasional flipper, fin, and flip o’ the tail, but some dramatic antics indeed. Males breach up to their full lengths in attempts to attract females, and it’s probably the most spectacular biological sight I’ve ever had the honor to witness in person.

Tours range in scale and price from the simple (simple open fishing boats) to the cushy (80-passenger motorized craft with restrooms and other amenities). Top choices include Victoria Marine Samaná, Transporte Marítimo Minadiel, and Moto Marina. There are even a few operators, such as Conscious Breath Adventures, that will bring you out to swim, snorkel, and dive among these sensational cetaceans (save your pennies for that one, of course).

Photo | Boulderite

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And the Succulent IberostarChef Prize Goes to…

noviembre 22nd, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Mystery Guest - (1 Comments)

No question about it: There’s some serious culinary talent among our fan base! Our poor beleaguered IberostarChef panel reports this was one of the toughest assignments of their lives, selecting just one winner among such a mouth-watering smörgåsbord of offerings. Put yourself in their shoes: how could you possibly choose between Sunita Bassra’s adobo shrimp tacos with goat cheese, and Kate Hochstein Rivas’ crème brûlée with a dollop of coconut whipped cream? Patricia George’s roasted red pepper and herbed-chèvre swirls, topped with jumbo shrimp made all our heads spin, and don’t get us started on Priya Sethi Malhotra’s alluring Do Not Disturb! cocktail!

But in the end, rules are rules, and the panel had to choose but one. After much angst, deliberation, and some serious hunger pangs, John Kwan’s fire roasted foie gras with stuffed cornish hen on a bed of caviar and wild mushroom risotto won the day. His tantalizing prize: round-trip flights and an all-inclusive 5-night stay for two at Iberostar’s Paraíso Resort on Mexico’s Riviera Maya*, during which he and his companion will have the opportunity to sample this sublime dish, prepared by one of our talented chefs. How’s that for a mouth-watering prize?

For the rest of our contestants, our “heartiest” thanks for tempting us with your culinary creations. We’re still in a mood to hand out great travel prizes, so do stay tuned and keep an eye on Facebook in the coming week! Bon appétit!

*Not including the Grand Hotel Paraíso.

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The Spaghetti Western: A Taste of Italy

noviembre 21st, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

 

Rather like the best 1970s disaster movies or the science fiction B-movies of the 1960s, the spaghetti Western still boasts a strong and dedicated following many decades after the last movie was produced and the dust, quite literally settled. And like these other genres, even those who look back fondly at the age of sharp shooters in dusty saloons remember the films not so much for their artistic merit as for the joy they brought to a whole generation of young movie fans.

What Were Spaghetti Westerns?

While the original westerns were filmed in the American Southwest, spaghetti Westerns such as the famous A Few Dollars More were shot in cheaper locations in Europe. The Spanish deserts of Andalucia were a popular filming location, as was Cabras in western Sardinia. The Italian film director Sergio Leone, known as the father of the spaghetti Western genre, had long been fascinated with the American Old West and in the 1960s embarked on his grand project of recreating the Hollywood western genre of movie but with a relatively tiny budget.

The tiny village of San Salvatore di Cabras was transformed into a Mexican desert outpost, complete with saloon bar and the obligatory swinging doors. Movies were churned out at an impressive rate, quantity clearly taking precedence over quality. It was reported that western Sardinia was the perfect location for Leone’s productions, not only for the arid landscapes that resembled the American Southwest but also for some of the shady characters that were known to live in this part of Italy.

The Legacy of Sergio Leone

Cabras now is a small sleepy town that is a pleasant drive south of the popular Sardinian resort of Alghero. A visit to Cabras will provide a flavor of Italy of course, but will probably feel a million miles from the American badlands of sharp-shooting cowboys.

True to form for an enterprise that was focused on low costs, most of the buildings put up by the movie makers are long gone. But look closely and you might still find one or two of those Mexican façades belonging to another time and another place. Perhaps the Wild West of Sergio Leone is still alive in Sardinia after all!

Photo | nicksarebi

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Announcing the Lucky Winners of Our #Startrip Contest

noviembre 18th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Mystery Guest - (2 Comments)

#Startrip is like a box of chocolates… you never know what you’re going to get, but it’s always something good. One day it might be a fabulous trip to the Riviera Maya with a group of fun-loving travel bloggers, another time it might be a Twitter contest with great prizes, like the ones we’re about to announce today. Without further ado, the nine winners of our discount vouchers are:

  1. Blai Taberner Curado
  2. BlessedTA
  3. puneet birgi
  4. Rachel Munyon
  5. Cheree Buesing
  6. marty david berns
  7. Marie Veal
  8. Gerri Durbin
  9. Tricia Andrews

And the lucky winner of the tenth prize, who gets a five-night trip for two including flights with the person of their choice, is none other than @odiomivida! Please join us in wishing @odiomivida a hearty bon voyage (for those of you unwise in the ways of Spanish, “odiomivida” means “I hate my life” – here’s hoping that this incredible opportunity to enjoy an Iberostar resort will change that!) :D

Winners, we’ll be in touch over the course of the coming week, so please be patient: your prizes are nigh. We hope you all enjoy your stays in our hotels, and that you’ll share pics when you come back. As for those who didn’t win this time, we feel your pain, but there are more chances to win: have you tried our IberostarChef contest yet? If you haven’t, do it right now, as the contest expires on Monday. And as always, stay tuned, as we have many more surprises up our sleeves!

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Don Quixote and the Movie that Never Was

noviembre 17th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in The View - (0 Comments)

Moulins La Mancha-edit

The name of Don Quixote is known around the world, even if the story behind the name is perhaps not so familiar. Written 400 years ago by Miguel de Cervantes, the novel describes the colorful adventures of Don Quixote of La Mancha, a retired country gentleman from the western La Mancha region of Spain, who lives out a fantasy life based on the many romantic books he has spent his years reading. He battles imaginary enemies (famously including the windmills of La Mancha) and fights for the honor of Dulcinea, a neighbouring farm girl who is completely unaware of her role as Quixote’s lady love.

Taking Don Quixote to the big screen

Such a marvelous story was always going to appeal to movie makers and it was no surprise when in 2000 Terry Gilliam chose to make a movie about Don Quixote but with a modern twist. In Gilliam’s modern adaptation an advertising executive, trapped in another time, is mistaken for Quixote’s sidekick and has to take his place in his fantasy world.

Little did Gilliam realise how much his own vision of a movie spectacular would resemble Quixote’s departure from reality. He started off with grand plans that would cost $40 million to produce. Even when this was scaled back to $32 it was still slated to become one of Europe’s biggest ever blockbusters. He chose a famous cast list that would be headed by Jean Rochefort, one of France’s leading movie stars. Rochefort spent seven months learning English in preparation for the project.

A real disaster movie

Yet when filming started, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. A flash flood changed the color of the rocks in the landscape, destroying any continuity between shoots. Fighter jets passing overhead constantly caused disruption to the sound recording. Worst of all, Rochefort could not ride a horse without severe pain and was soon diagnosed with a double herniated disc. In despair, Gilliam abandoned the production leading to many legal wrangles over lost investments.

During the last ten years several rumors have spread about a possible resumption of production. Things did get moving in 2009 with Robert Duvall cast as Quixote, but funding was pulled and the production collapsed again.

On the trail on Don Quixote

One day, Don Quixote may well ride across the big screen for the world to enjoy. Perhaps he will do so in 3-D. For now however, if you take a trip across the wilderness of the Andalucía interior or through the plains of La Mancha, you might stop and wonder about Don Quixote and his make-believe world. If you do see him, keep him away from the windmills!

Photo | Wikimedia Commons

Exotic Churches a Fascinating Part of Travel to Bulgaria

noviembre 16th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Snapshots - (0 Comments)

When you think of travel to Bulgaria, what comes to mind first? For me, one of the cool things about visiting this fetching little Balkan country is its touches of exoticism, part of an ancient cultural heritage that stretches back to 5,000 BC, and which I find most noticeable in its Eastern Orthodox churches. As with church architecture in Russia, here you’ll find plenty of onion domes, but in Bulgaria you’ll also spot features you won’t find in Russia, such as arches influenced by Islam (not surprising, since the Ottoman Turks ruled here from the late 14th through late 19th centuries). You’ll come across them in almost every town or city of any size – including Bourgas (below right), site of Iberostar’s Sunny Beach Resort and Tiara Beach.

Here are several of my favorite Bulgarian churches (now that’s a phrase you don’t read every day, eh?):

Alexander Nevksy Cathedral, city of Sofia (above) All I can say about this one is: wow. One of the world’s largest Orthodox cathedrals, it’s a majestic multi-tier confection of domes, arches, and gilt mosaics that can hold a whopping 10,000 people.

Church of the Assumption, village of Uzundzhovo This squat domed building is notable because it was built as a mosque during the Ottoman era and turned into an Orthodox church in 1906.

Church of the Holy Trinity,  town of Svishtov Less ancient – built in the 1860s – but an interesting mix of neo-Baroque and more traditional; inside there’s a huge and gorgeous panel of Orthodox icons.

Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral, city of Varna Golden domes outside and impressive Byzantine-style frescoes inside are the hallmarks of the seat of the local bishop, built in 1882. Not far from Iberostar Obzor Beach Izgrev.

Shipka Memorial Church, town of Shipka A pointy, soaring belltower and a cluster of golden onion domes distinguish this impressive church finished in 1902.

St. George the Conqueror Chapel Museum, city of Pleven Built in the first decade of the 20th century, it’s in neo-Byzantine style, with lots of red-and-white striation and round arches.

St. John of Rila, town of Targovishte White and a bit simpler in style than the churches above, but with plenty of classically Orthodox domes.

Photos  Glabber/Wikipedia, Andrew Griffith

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Finding Humanity Through Pancho Villa in Mexico

noviembre 15th, 2011 | Posted by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts in Local Characters - (0 Comments)

Mention Mexico and you often conjure images of mustached heroes roaming the Wild West on horseback, armed with rifles and big straw hats. While this era is long gone, legends from those revolutionary days have been passed down from one generation to the next.

The best representation from this period of Mexican history is Pancho Villa, a hero honored by people around the world. Known as the Robin Hood of Mexico, Pancho robbed the rich and distributed the wealth among peasants and soldiers. He was a natural, charismatic leader who earned respect from farmers, bandits and his followers. When the Mexican Revolution broke out, Villa assembled an army, known as Villistas, and became the revolutionary general who led the war in the northern region of Mexico. He was later assassinated by rival politicians in 1923 in the city of Chihuahua.

Chihuahua, Mexico: Going Back in Time

Today, Mexico has moved centuries ahead of that time and developed into a country packed with historical richness, cultural integrity and advanced infrastructure – partly thanks to the national hero, Pancho Villa. You can still see remnants of his legendary past in the Museum of the Revolution (Museo de la Revolución) in Chihuahua. Now owned by the Mexican army, this was formerly Villa’s residence. His widow, Luz Corral de Villa, proudly showed off the 50-room mansion to visitors until she died in 1981. Today, you can still pay homage to Pancho in this magnificent building, while admiring his personal mementos and furnishings including the car in which he was shot to death.

While Chihuahua might not be a tourist-oriented city, it gives you a good glimpse into the country’s history with its collection of monuments and buildings. Standing in the heart of Plaza de Armas is the 18th-century Cathedral: Richly decorated with Baroque-style stone carvings, it is an excellent showcase of Mexico’s colonial past. Across the square is the Museo Casa de Juárez, which used to function as the National Palace during the French invasion. Other interesting monuments worth visiting include the murals on the government palace near Plaza Hidalgo, the Museo de Arte Popular that showcases the artisan work of the Tarahumara Indian people, and the Regional Museum along Paseo Bolivar for a peek into Art Nouveau works.

Photo | tetrabrain

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