green travel
Many people hear the terms "green travel" or "ecotourism" and picture someone sleeping in a treehouse in the jungles of Borneo or canoeing down the Amazon. But this type of eco-adventure is just one end of the green travel spectrum. You don't need to sacrifice creature comforts or go off into the middle of nowhere to be a green traveler; you can visit big cities or small villages, and stay in small ecolodges or luxury hotels. All that's required is an effort to preserve and protect the environment of the place you're visiting -- and it's easier than you might think.
What is Green Travel? The heart of Green Travel is understanding the importance of protecting the natural and cultural environment of the places you visit. That means conserving plants, wildlife and other resources; respecting local cultures and ways of life; and contributing positively to local communities.
Why Go Green? With nearly 1 billion tourists crisscrossing the globe every year, it's more important than ever for travelers to minimize their individual impact on the earth's natural and cultural treasures. The potential negative effects of tourism are both local and global; oceanfront hotels contribute to beach erosion in Hawaii , rising numbers of visitors threaten the fragile ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands, and carbon dioxide emissions from planes are a growing contributor to global warming.
Taking a green approach to travel is an easy and essential way to protect the places you love to visit, not just for yourself but for the travelers who come after you and for the people who will continue to live there long after you've flown home. As an added bonus, it often makes for a more rewarding, authentic travel experience, encouraging deeper connections with the people and places you visit.
Traveler.com
Yelapa Workshop Dates:
January 16th - 24th 2008 / space available
January 25th - February 2nd 2008 / space available
"I'm traveling to Merida, Mexico in the heart of the Yucatan. In doing a little investigating about the local experience of Merida I was enchanted by the charm of this lovely city. Below there's a bit of what I discovered. Enjoy!"
~Bethany
Yucatan Today: sacred places
The Yucatan Peninsula is a porous limestone shelf with no above-ground rivers or lakes. Instead there are underground rivers, lakes, sinkholes and caves. The caves of the Yucatan were sacred places for the Mayan and are impressive places to visit. When visiting the caves it is important to ALWAYS enter with a guide.
Yucatan Today: anthropological museum
Anthropological Museum One of Merida's biggest tourist attractions is the spectacular Anthropological Museum in the Canton Palace located on the Paseo de Montejo. On the cover of the July 2004 magazine, we have shown the interior of the museum, and the current exhibition "Dialog with the Divinities Cosmos: Gods, Rites and Offerings". Remember, the Museum is closed on Mondays.
