Taste of Playa 2013
As a relative newcomer to Playa del Carmen, I’ve been trying to experience everything that this amazing city has to offer and yesterday I got to attend an annual Playa del Carmen tradition – Taste of Playa!!
First of all, let me say that I am constantly amazed at how nice everybody is here. Locals and ex-pats alike are very friendly and incredibly helpful. My Spanish skills are coming along and I try to use it on a daily basis and the locals are always more than happy to help this gringo learn the ropes.
So… what is the Taste of Playa?
Having only been in Playa for about 4 months, I can’t attest to previous years but the Taste of Playa 2013 had a dizzying array of food from many of the restaurants right here in Playa. Food here is truly an international affair with cuisine from all over the world being represented in a variety of fashions… At Taste of Playa, I was able to sample from many of the spots that I haven’t had the opportunity to try yet and some of the food was downright amazing. I should have taken notes so that I remembered which food came from which place but I was so enthralled with trying as much as I possibly could that I can’t remember which was which.
A few cocktails mixed in with the food probably didn’t help matters much… 🙂
Taste of Playa by the beach
Obviously the locals don’t miss this event – I saw most of the people that I have met in my short 4 months here while wandering from food station to food station. But if you are a tourist thinking of coming to Playa del Carmen next year around this time, put this event on your list of things to do.
The food and the atmosphere is incredible but in addition to all of that, Taste of Playa is held right next to the beach where Av Benito Juarez ends. It’s unmistakeable with the newly erected 50′ x 50′ bronze Portal Maya sculpture overlooking the beach and visible from anywhere in the Taste of Playa event…
The masterpiece of art is a testament to the rich Mayan culture and portrays a a woman being pushed skyward by a column of water, joining hands with a man pushed up by a spiral of wind…
The Portal Maya is an impressive monument of work by Mexican artist/sculptor José Arturo Tavares. Tavares designed the masterpiece as part of Playa del Carmen’s 2012 festivities and celebration which marked the 21st December phenomenon. The date 12/21/12 caused much debate regarding the possible end of the world, but in actuality was the end of the Mayan calender and the beginning of a brand new era.
Tavares said
“We come from a cycle of darkness and we’re entering a cycle of light… Through this gateway, humanity moves to a new cycle of light and toward a state of elevated consciousness.”
Tavares noted that the sculpture is a testimony of Mayan knowledge in areas of astronomy and mathematics, but it is also representative of Playa del Carmen’s transformation from a small fishing village to the full-grown city it is today.
Taste of Playa 2014
I’m already looking forward to Taste of Playa next year. It capped off an amazing weekend for me here in the paradise that is Playa del Carmen.
Moving here to Playa del Carmen has been an amazing experience and one that I wouldn’t trade for the world. It always surprises me how many Americans and Canadians that I meet on a daily basis that feel the same way that I do. So many people are making the move, either buying here as vacation home or second home or just making the move permanently like I did.
There is something in the air here – or maybe in the turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean – that makes people want to stay. Just attending an event like Taste of Playa can seal the deal for many a future ex pat.
Meeting the people and getting a feel for the rich heritage that Playa del Carmen has, and immersing yourself in the never ending list of things to do in both Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya can be an intoxicating experience that can make a person want to call this beautiful city home.
