Like most of Mexico, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and the state of Guerrero are rich in ancient culture and history.  Indeed, there are several archeological sites close to Ixtapa still waiting to be uncovered.  Our history is important to us and the government has worked to preserve it for locals and visitors alike.  One way this is accomplished is in the creation and upkeep of Zihuatanejo’s Archaeological Museum.

Last weekend I visited the museum, known as Museo Arqueológico de la Costa Grande, a place where the government has been collecting and classifying hundreds of ancient local artifacts discovered in the area, as well as extensive maps and documentation of the first cultures that established in the coast of Guerrero.  The museum is located on Olaf Palme Plaza in the lively downtown of Zihuatanejo.

Entering the museum, the origin of the word Zihuatanejo is explained: Zihuatanejo comes from “Cihuatlan” or place of women, which refers to the western paradise of the Nahuatl universe, home of the Goddess Woman.  The Nahuatl legends say the goddess woman rose in the afternoon to lead the sun to the dusk where the sun entered Mictlan, the world of the dead, to give a dim light to the dead.

In the museum I was able to appreciate many artifacts from settlements established on the coasts of Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima and of course from Guerrero.  The ceramics and carvings that have been discovered in the Zihuatanejo area amazed me.  Despite their age, the colors and detailed ornamentation has been well preserved, giving a peek into the artisan skill from past civilizations.

One of the most interesting objects I discovered was a stone water filter.  It was made about 300 years ago in what is now Tecpan, and weighs over 200 kilograms (440 pounds).  How it works: The water is placed in the bowl and slowly seeps through the rock, leaving impurities behind.  Amazing!

Another interesting discovery was a cannon that dated back to 1762.  Originally from pirate William Draper’s vessel, which burned and sank in Zihuatanejo Bay, the cannon enticed my imagination of pirates coming to the area in search for treasures!  The cannon was discovered by local divers and donated to the museum.

These are just a few of the artifacts that can be seen at Zihuatanejo’s Archaeological Museum.  For those interested in learning more about the history of the region, I recommend a visit to the Museum next time you are at Capella Ixtapa.  It is a great resource of local knowledge and culture!

Como todo México, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo y el estado de Guerrero son ricos en cultura e historial ancestral. De hecho, hay varios sitios arqueológicos cercanos a Ixtapa aún por explorar. Nuestra historia es importante para nosotros y el gobierno ha trabajado en preservarla igualmente tanto para locales como visitantes.

El pasado fin de semana tuve la oportunidad de visitar el Museo Regional Arqueológico, o “Museo regional de la Costa Grande”, un sitio donde las autoridades gubernamentales han ido coleccionando y clasificando cientos de artefactos y objetos prehispánicos descubiertos en el área, así también como mapas y documentación sobre las primeras culturas que se establecieron en la costa de Guerrero. El museo está localizado en la Plaza Olaf Palme en el atractivo centro de Zihuatanejo.

Entrando al museo, se explica el origen de la palabra Zihuatanejo: “Zihuatanejo” viene del vocablo “Cihuatlán” o lugar de mujeres, y se refiere al paraíso occidental del universo Náhuatl, hogar de la Diosa Mujer. La leyenda Náhuatl dice que la Diosa apareció por la tarde para guiar al sol hacia su puesta y llevarlo a Mictlán, el mundo de los muertos, para así llevar un poco de luz a los muertos.

En el museo tuve la oportunidad de apreciar muchos artefactos de asentamientos prehispánicos de las costas de Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima y claro de Guerrero. Las cerámicas y los relieves que se han encontrado en las cercanías de Zihuatanejo son sorprendentes. A pesar de su edad, los colores y detallada ornamentación están aún bien conservadas, dándonos una idea de la habilidad artesana de las antiguas civilizaciones.

Uno de los objetos más interesantes que descubrí fue un antiguo filtro de agua de piedra. Fabricado hace más de 300 años en lo que ahora conocemos como Tecpan y pesa más de 200 kilogramos. Funciona de la siguiente manera: El agua se coloca en el “tazón” de piedra y lentamente se filtra a través de la roca dejando todas las impurezas atrás. Fascinante!

Otro descubrimiento interesante fue un cañón que data de 1762. Originalmente del navío del pirata William Draper, el cual naufragó en la Bahía de Zihuatanejo, el cañón capturó mi imaginación y ¡visualice piratas llegando a la zona a esconder y buscar tesoros! El cañón fue encontrado por buzos locales los cuales lo donaron al museo.

Estos son sólo algunos de los objetos que se pueden observar en el Museo Regional de la Costa Grande. Para aquellos interesados en aprender un poco más de la historia de la región, les recomiendo una visita a este museo la próxima vez que visiten Capella Ixtapa. ¡Es una gran fuente de cultura y sabiduría local!

Thursday, September 6th, was a day of much excitement for many of us here in Singapore.  It was the day we welcomed Kai Kai and Jia Jia, the two Giant Panda’s from China to their new home at the River Safari at the Singapore Zoo, Asia’s first river-themed park.

Giant Pandas are among the most endangered species in the world and their population in the wild continues to decline due to the loss and destruction of their natural habitats.  Moreover, Singapore has never been home to any pandas, not event at the zoo, so you can imagine the anticipation and excitement to finally be able to welcome these two beauties to our country.

Names play an important role in Chinese culture, because it is believed that a name signifies the kind of person you want your child to be when he or she grows up.  Often for boys, strong names that signify dignity, power and wisdom are popular and for girls, it is names that reflect beauty, grace and joy.

Clearly these naming traditions were also applied when it came to these pandas.  The male panda is named Kai Kai (凯凯), which means “victorious.”  Meanwhile, Jia Jia (嘉嘉), the name of his female companion, has multiple meanings of both beauty and fortune.

Interestingly these names are equally meaningful here at Capella Singapore.  I realized the names Kai Kai and Jia Jia also made up the name of Cassia, the Chinese fine dining restaurant here at the hotel.  Cassia or – Kai Jia (凯嘉) even shares the characters used in the panda names!  What a happy coincidence!

Hopefully you will have the opportunity to see these pandas in person.  But even If not you can still enjoy getting to know these two pandas in the video below.

Image via Wildlife Reserve Singapore.

At Capella Pedregal we are getting ready for one of the most important celebrations of Mexico’s History: Independence Day.  On September 15, 2012, we will be celebrating our 202 years of independence.  The entire town (and country) is preparing to celebrate, and while I am looking forward to all the festivities and patriotic decorations this holiday involves, I would also like to share a part of Mexico’s history with you.

The Independence of Mexico, as well as the Mexican Revolution, which is celebrated on November 20th, have led to the formation of governments and laws that guarantee the rights of freedom, education, health and jobs for everyone in Mexico.  These ideals are part of Mexico’s history and also help to create our identity as a country.

On the evening of September 15th 1810, the church bells in the town of Dolores Hidalgo rang loudly while a group of Mexican idealists summoned fellow Mexicans to rise against the Spaniards.  This event, known as the “Grito de Independencia,” was the jumping off point for an 11 year struggle to gain independence.

Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was the mastermind and leader of the movement.  With a group of intellectual Mexicans they all dreamed of a free and independent nation.  When he was captured and executed in 1811, the priest Jose Maria Morelos took over the movement with success during the following years.  However, by the end of 1815, Morelos was captured, prosecuted and executed as well.  Both men’s spirits lived on with the patriots Guadalupe Victoria and Vicente Guerrero, who rallied Mexicans and Creoles (Mexican-born but of Spanish descendants) to their cause.

Towards the end of these fighting years, General Agustin de Iturbide resigned from the Spanish ranks to support the insurrecting army, and at the beginning of 1821, met with Vicente Guerrero.  Together they proclaimed the Iguala Plan, which focused on 3 important points:  to establish the Independence of Mexico from Spain, declare the Catholic religion Mexico’s sole religion and to integrate all the social groups.

Their goals were achieved with the marching of the “Trigarante Army” (Army of the Three Guarantees) into Mexico City on September 27th 1821 and Mexico was declared an independent country.

I look forward to the celebrations of September 15^th and hopefully now that you are familiar with Mexico’s history, you will join me one year for the festivities here at Capella Pedregal and in Cabo San Lucas!  This year festivities have already kicked off with a traditional Mariachi band and much more fun promises to follow.

August is here and with it the Fiestas del Santo Patrono de Petatlán!  Petatlán is a small town a few miles east of Zihuatanejo, which has become a major pilgrimage site in the Guerrero state of Mexico.  The story of the Holy Patron of Petatlan comes from the 1500s, when a statue of Christ complete with a cross was found in the Petatlán River.  This was considered a miracle by the locals, and the Church of the Father of Jesus de Petatlán was built to house the statue.  The city suffered an earthquake, which called for the church to be renovated.  Today the building is both a modern and classic design statement that serves as a landmark in the heart of this small town and the center of the Fiestas de Petatlán.

On the eve of the Patron’s celebration (August 6th), many pilgrims of all ages arrive from other parts of the state and most of them spend the night sleeping in the atrium of the church.  The priests, along with the church’s congregation, offer their guests coffee, sweet bread, pozole and fresh fruit waters without distinction and free of charge.

According to tradition, the visitors use the celebratory time as an opportunity to ask the Petatlán Christ statue for help.  They leave photographs and needs pinned on boards behind the area where the statue is housed, in hopes of getting some sort of answer or solution to their needs.  Mementos left include pictures of babies who are ill, the ponytails of girls from after their quinceañera, and even university diplomas.

Beyond the prayers many other events take place.  Folk dance shows occur throughout the night of the 5^th and into the morning of the 6^th.  That morning the town sings Las Mañanitas (a birthday song) to the Petatlán icon.

Throughout the week there are nightly masses at the church that are then followed by gatherings in the main town square.  There the street vendors offer typical Mexican sweets and food (my favorite part!).  I also love to watch firework shows, which feature traditional Mexican characters such as the torito & castillos.

Hopefully I have given you a taste of this exciting cultural event!  And, whether during the festival or not, remember to visit Petatlán during your next visit to Capella Ixtapa and the Guerrero state of Mexico.

Whenever I gaze out over the ocean from the Capella Singapore, I notice the many small islands in the distance.  Capella Singapore is located on Sentosa Island, one of the many islands off of Singapore.  While there is a multitude of amazing attractions and activities on Sentosa, there is much to do on the other Singaporean islands as well.

Kusu Island, one of Singapore’s southern islands, holds many of the mysteries to Singapore’s cultural heritage.  Kusu Island, which means Turtle Island in Mandarin, is also known as “Pulau Tembakul” (Peak Island) in Malay.  Like many places with rich histories, Kusu Island earned its name from a legend.  According to the story, the island was once a giant magical tortoise that transformed itself into an island to save two shipwrecked sailors – one Malay and the other Chinese.

Given the folktale that landed Kusu Island its name, it is only natural to find that Kusu Island is home to one of Singapore’s most revered Chinese and Malay religious monuments.  The Chinese temple in Kusu Island houses two highly regarded deities – the Da Bo Gong (God of Prosperity) and Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy).  You can also find the three Malay “Kramats” (holy shrines of Malay saints) on the island.

While being a small island, accessible only by ferry from Singapore’s Marina South Pier, Kusu Island still attracts many Malay and Chinese religious devotees who make their trips to the temple and shrines to pay homage and pray for wealth, fortune, love and harmony. This is known as the annual Kusu Pilgrimage, which happens every year, from September to November.

In addition to its rich heritage sites, Kusu Island is also known for its beautiful and tranquil nature with enchanting lagoons, pristine beaches and varied wild life.  Other attractions on the island include a wishing well and as you might have guessed, a Tortoise Sanctuary.  Thinking about Kusu Island’s rich culture and heritage makes me want to plan a visit myself!

If you would like to visit Kusu Island during your next stay at Capella Singapore, please let your personal assistant know and they can arrange it for you!