Last weekend was the Taste of Playa.  Did you notice that Wicky’s was one of the participating restaurants?  More to come on that….but for now, just a little self recognition - I named it!  The restaurant/beach club/piano bar is located at El Faro, which is Spanish for lighthouse.  Turns out that lighthouse tenders were called wickies as they had to keep the wicks burning.  Another little known fact?  Lots of lighthouse keepers were women.  Coincidentally, I prefer light housekeeping!

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On Dec. 15, 2009 our special flat rate pricing expires!  Then it’s holiday season and into the high season of 2010…  Fall is a great time to go to Mexico.  Yes, technically it’s hurricane season, but trip insurance is cheap and the crowds are small.  Enjoy the relaxing pace of dreamy Playa del Carmen, charming Puerto Vallarta and luxurious Cabo San Lucas before the holiday rush and the prices that come with it.

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My book group and I are headed down to Playa and Luna Encantada for a late October respite and to discuss our latest read - “Loving Frank.”

We plan to enjoy the beautiful Caribbean views, relax, get a massage or two, swim in the beautiful blue sea, take a dip in the pool, do some shopping, enjoy some cold beverages, have some really fine food and get in a nap now and then.  This will be our first out of country trip - we have enjoyed a few weekend trips to the “other Tonya’s” fabulous home in Grand Lake, Colorado.  There won’t be many silent minutes to say the least.

I’m getting in a day ahead of the gang to gather food and get a little work done - new photos and videos for some of the properties and to check in on the progress at El Faro.  I will, of course, make a trip to WalMart for goodies.  I have to make a huge batch of salsa to last the week and get the fridge stocked for some thirsty gals. 

With most of us having school age children, we are busy making lists for the husbands.  In my case this includes instructions for how to construct the daily “toasted sourdough, goat cheese, sundried tomato tapenade and baby arugula” sandwich for the little 9 year old gourmet girl.  Dad is going to be busy!

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Q. Why should I purchase travel insurance for my vacation?A. You’ve saved, you’ve waited, and now you’re all set to travel. Preparing for your trip includes covering yourself for unfortunate occurrences that threaten to interfere with even your best-laid plans. By purchasing travel insurance, you can insure yourself for covered non-refundable deposits, cancellation penalties, medical costs, as well as gain access to a wide range of traveler’s assistance services.
Did you know that insurance protection plan could cover you if:· Someone in your family has an illness or injury, even if they aren’t scheduled to travel with you· You become ill and can’t travel or your child comes down with the chicken pox and you are quarantined· Weather prevents you from leaving home and reaching your destination· A family member back home passes away and you must return from your vacation early· Your luggage or ski equipment is lost or delayed by the airline· You twist your ankle and must visit a physician while traveling· Many other unforeseeable events as listed in the Description of Coverage
What are the coverages?· Trip Cost - Trip Cancellation & Interruption (covers trip costs up to $100,000) Covers your trip investment if you must cancel or interrupt your trip for covered reasons such as sickness, injury or death to you, your traveling companion or a family member; severe weather; being subpoenaed or required to serve on jury duty, being called into active military service or having leave revoked or being reassigned, or if your principal residence or destination is made uninhabitable.· $400 - Trip DelayReimburses for the purchase of essential items (i.e. meals, toiletries, etc.) if delayed for 12 or more hours because of a carrier caused delay, lost/stolen passport, travel documents or money, quarantine, natural disaster, injury or sickness of the insured or a traveling companion, or inclement weather.· $400 - Baggage DelayIf your baggage is delayed for more than 12 hours, you will be reimbursed for the purchase of essential items (i.e. clothing, toiletries, etc.) · $25,000 - Medical ExpenseCovers emergency medical expenses incurred while traveling; includes emergency dental treatment. · $500,000 - Emergency Medical TransportationCovers evacuation and transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility (or home in the event of death or if medically required) as well as a medical escort if deemed necessary.· Included – 24-hour Travel Medical Assistance*· Included – 24-hour Worldwide Travel Assistance*· Included – 24-hour Roadside Assistance*
*These are non-insurance services provided by AIG Travel Assist.
Q. Are the benefits listed per insured or per booking?A. The benefits listed are the total per booking. For example if the insured purchased travel insurance coverage for a trip costing a total of $2,000, this would be the maximum reimbursement allowable under trip cancellation or interruption for that booking. Q. Will my current homeowners, renters, credit card, or health insurance policies cover me during my trip?A. Other insurance policies may not offer coverage while you travel due to benefit limits, territory restrictions, and deductibles. Most people don’t have any insurance coverage at all if they must cancel their trip. This insurance protection plan has a wide range of travel benefits; which credit card, homeowners, and renter’s insurance policies may not offer. The medical coverage included in this insurance protection plan is vital for most people whose health insurance policies do not pay for covered medical expenses incurred outside of their home state. Q. I know that I have a pre-existing medical condition; will the plan cover me?A. Even if you have a medical condition that has been unstable in the last 60 days, you should still consider enrolling in this insurance protection plan because you can waive the Pre-Existing Condition exclusion by enrolling in the plan and paying for it within 14 days of your initial deposit. So long as you are medically able to travel at time of purchase, waiving the Pre-Existing Condition exclusion is the easiest way to alleviate doubt as to coverage for chronic medical conditions. There are some conditions that are not covered by the policy such as anxiety-related mental or nervous disorders. Please see the Exclusions section of the Description of Coverage to view these coverages. Q. One of the reasons listed under trip cancellation is “unforeseen sickness, injury or death of an insured or immediate family member”. What is the definition of an immediate family member?A. The family member definition includes: a traveling companion, and the insured’s or traveling companion’s spouse, domestic partner, child, spouse’s child, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother, sister, mother, father, grandparents, grandchild, step-brother, step-sister, step-parents, parents-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, legal guardian, or legal ward. It also means the insured’s business partner. (Business Partner means someone who is involved with the Insured or the Insured’s Traveling Companion in a legal partnership and is actively involved in the daily management of the business.) Q. What if I need transportation due to medical reasons and I am unable to get prior authorization from AIG Travel Assist? A. We always instruct our insureds to contact local medical services during an emergency for immediate medical attention, or evacuation if necessary, and then notify AIG Travel Assist as soon as is reasonably possible. Payment arrangements for your evacuation will depend on the nature of your particular situation and should be discussed with AIG Travel Assist.
Q. Will my vacation be covered if I cancel due to a hurricane?A. You will have coverage if the property that you are staying at is inaccessible or uninhabitable within 30 days after the named hurricane causes the damage. Q. The ski resort that I will be staying at next week was just hit with a blizzard. If I cancel my trip now, will I be reimbursed for my non-refundable costs?
A. If the resort is damaged due to a Natural Disaster and cannot accommodate you (or provide comparable accommodations), your nonrefundable costs will be reimbursed provided your travel insurance plan includes this coverage. Q. Is there help while I’m traveling?A. One of the valued benefits offered in this insurance protection plan is the 24-Hour Emergency Assistance Service. AIG Travel Guard is a leader in this field. With AIG Travel Assist, you have access to the services of a highly trained, multi-lingual staff around the clock to assist you with such emergencies as cash transfers, lost documents, medical or legal monitoring, and referrals. They are also equipped to respond in many unexpected circumstances.
If an emergency should arise during your trip, call AIG Travel Assist immediately and give the details of your problem or medical emergency. Q. Where can I call for more information?A. You may call AIG Travel Guard at 1-877-653-6128 with any questions regarding the travel insurance. Their service representatives will be happy to assist you. Q. When is the latest the insurance can be purchased?A. The coverage can be purchased up until the final trip payment is made or 30 days prior to arrival, whichever comes first. If a booking is made within 30 days of the scheduled arrival date, the guest can purchase the insurance the day of the booking only. Q. How do I file a claim?A. In the event of a claim, call AIG Travel Guard at 1-877-653-6128 and refer to product #008085 to start your claim.

Insurance coverage is underwritten by the National Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA, with its principal place of business at 70 Pine Street, New York, New York 10270. It is currently authorized to transact business in all states and the District of Columbia. NAIC No. 19445. This is only a brief description of the insurance coverage(s) available under policy series T30253NUFIC. The Policy contains reductions, limitations, exclusions, and termination provisions. Full details of the coverage are contained in the Policy. If there are any conflicts between this document and the Policy, the Policy will govern. Not all coverages are available in every state. Non-insurance services are provided by AIG Travel Assist.

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Due to the restricted zone regulations that prohibited foreigners from buying Mexico real estate within sixty miles of an international border, or within thirty miles of the Mexican coast, property ownership in Mexico hasn’t always been easy. However, the Mexican government identified a need to cater for those that wanted to make real estate investments in Mexico, and with this in mind a solution was developed to enable this to happen. This solution is known as a Mexican Property trust, otherwise known as a ‘Fideicomiso’. This is a safe, simple and fully renewable Mexican Property Trust, which enables average consumers that wish to vacation or retire in Mexico to own their own stunning property. Like an estate trust, the Fidecomiso gives you, the purchaser, all rights of ownership. The owner has all the rights that an owner of property in the U.S. or Canada has, including the right to enjoy, sell the property, and improve the property.  To properly understand how land ownership in Mexico works today, it is necessary to understand the history of property and how Mexico’s protective laws regarding its ownership have been shaped by Mexican history.The Mexican Federal Constitution, drafted in 1917, imposed new laws and restrictions on foreign ownership as well as on ownership of land by the Church. Article 27 of the Constitution allows Mexican Nationals and Mexican companies to own property, but restricts foreigners from owning land within certain restricted zones. Interestingly, it is believed that the U.S. was involved in the new zoning laws in an effort to prevent the installation of foreign military bases on its borders or coastlines. This “restricted zone” is defined as property within 100 Kilometers from any Mexican border or within 50 Kilometers of any Mexican coastline.In addition to limiting foreign ownership of Mexican soil, the 1917 Constitution also created a concept of inalienable, cooperative land ownership - known as the “ejido” - which was designed to protected Mexican peasants’ right to cultivate land. The people were given ownership of these properties and were allowed to farm and cultivate them and receive the profit from their efforts. Over 50 million acres of land was back in the hands of Mexican peasants, even though the Federal government still technically owned it.In 1992, Mexico spearheaded a new agrarian law that for the first time allowed “ejidatarios” or members of ejido cooperatives to sell ejido properties. The 1992 Agrarian Law recognizes property rights within the ejido and allows for the owner of record to sell or lease the property to a non-ejido member. The property can be removed from the National Agrarian Registry (removed from Federal control) and placed in the public land registry, thus allowing it to be sold or leased. Today, thousands of acres are being converted from ejido to private property and being sold or leased, and there are well over 50 million acres of land that will go though this process (whether leased or sold) over the coming years.

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Every year on the first week of June, Playa celebrates with a Mayan style regatta and a fishing contest.  It is great fun to watch the old style vessels be rowed across the Caribbean.  A huge stage is built near the ferry dock for the fishing contest.  With lots of music and food, it’s a great time to be in Playa.

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Benjamin, the guest services manager at Luna Encantada, has been arranging fishing trips with a local guide and the catches have been excellent!  Prices are good and the captain, Victor, has a no fish no fee policy.   If you’re like my husband, you could fish for days and not pay a dime.  (Remember to tip, though.)

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Photos from Playa!

About Tonya

Tonya Sarina loves the Mexican culture and adores the charming village of Playa del Carmen. An experienced traveler, she has a passion for helping others make the most of vacation – whether their ideal is lying on the beach or being on the go 24/7. Always helpful, friendly and informative, your potential guests can expect an honest answer, a quick response and a thorough approach to finding the best place for them, for their family, and for their friends.

Tonya’s savvy and aggressive marketing program ensures that your vacation rental receives maximum exposure and her fair commission schedule ensures that you keep the lion’s share of your rental revenue. Relying on technology to perform the mundane duties of rental management, Tonya concentrates on marketing and customer service – making both rentors and owners happy customers. She has been mentioned favorably on loco gringo and she enjoys scores of returning rentors.

“If you property isn’t being marketed with video and you can’t offer online booking, your rental company is behind the curveball! If your rental property could use a boost in occupancy and your bottom line could use a little “oomph,” give me a call or post me an email. I’m always happy to talk, share information and brainstorm to make your retreat a perfect place for vacationers and a great investment for you.”

Be sure to read Anna’s Tip for Kids – Anna is Tonya’s 8-year-old daughter and a great traveler in her own right. Tonya’s husband, Jerry, is a real estate investor and developer and bought some of the first condos at Luna Encantada. The opportunity to rent those condos launched www.playabeachcondo.com and a thriving vacation rental business.

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