For those of you still stuck up North, bring a small piece of Puerto Morelos to your home or office with our new Puerto Morelos Wallpaper. Beautiful of course, and practical too with April & May calendars built right in. This month's wallpaper is a new view of the lighthouses and beach off our town square.

We'll have new pictures available for download every month! Wallpaper is also available on our website at www.almalibrebooks.com.

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News Briefs

Restaurant News: Even though we are heading into our quiet season, restaurants continue to open in Puerto Morelos!

A new restaurant has opened in the old Spaghettino location on Rojo Gomez. It's called "Sativa" (named after a certain popular herb). It has a full bar and will have reggae music. It also has a small store and sells hotdogs and hamburgers out front.

La Plage offers elegant dining on the beach

Another new place has opened on the beach. Owned by the ever growing Dona Triny empire, Casa del Sol (House of the Sun) is now open on the beach. Their menu features seafood and snacks and of course, a nice beach view.

Just north of town on the Petempich road a new French restaurant has opened. La Plage offers true casual elegance and a beautiful ocean view. Their menu is wide featuring seafood, steaks and pastas. Service and surroundings are all top notch. Prices range from moderate to expensive. To get there you need to take the Petempich road, just north of Puerto Morelos, to the right after the new gas station. From there follow the signs to Azul Sensatori and La Plage. The road is a little bumpy, but better than the old Ninos Heroes road in town. There is a huge parking lot.

Peskayitos has expanded their menu to include more than tacos. It will be difficult to order anything other than shrimp tacos though...they are delicious! The new menu has salads, tostados, empanadas, quesadillas, guacamole and more.

We recently visited John Gray's Kitchen in Puerto Morelos and tried his private reserve red wine. It's called "El Corazon" (the heart) and it was made in Mexico to John's standards. We like robust red wines and were not disappointed by this one. Definitely the best Mexican red we have tried. John hopes to have a white version next year. Salud!

We've been spending more time in the Colonia lately, so many places to try there! Las Micheladas del Semaforo is a nice place to grab a drink right on the highway. They have a full bar menu and good looking burgers and nachos. If you're driving, try the non-alcoholic limonada. A litre will conquer any thirst and it's a bargain at 35 pesos. On the non-food side, a clock and jewellery repair guy has opened in the Colonia, just to the north of the library. He replaced my dive watch battery for just 40 pesos. I have never paid less for a battery anywhere.

Chef Dieter has expanded his business and now is offering more high-quality food to residents and visitors to Puerto Morelos. We've reported before that Dieter is baking two kinds of European-style breads daily (available direct from Dieter or at Casa Martin supermarket). Now he is offering all kinds of European specialties including sourdough bread, German sausages, fresh Italian pasta, organic teas, Champagne-Pineapple-Sauerkraut, as well as Red Cabbage, Spaetzle and Semmelknoedel (bread dumplings) He offers free delivery in Puerto Morelos. Check out his website.

Bus Blues - The ADO bus station on the west side of the highway (for points south) suddenly closed last month, surprising everyone. Tickets and buses are now available at Farmacia Paris. The move made a little more sense when a big banner appeared a little north of town on the highway announcing a new bus station will be built soon at that location. We think it would have made a little more sense to keep the old station open until the new one was completed...but hey, what can you do? Tickets to Playa del Carmen sneaked up in price a little as well, they are now 20 pesos. Still a bargain!

Ricardo Returns - We reported before that Ricardo Santana, who used to own the Internet cafe on Rojo Gomez, was up in Santa Fe studying at the Scherer Institute of Natural Healing, sponsored by Ginny & Mauro from the Center for Corrective Myotherapy in Puerto Morelos. Now Ricardo is back in town! After a long winter of study and learning what "snow" was, he graduated and is now taking appointments in Puerto Morelos. Call 998 103 8791 or look for the big blue "Aqui" sign near La Suegra restaurant. The Center for Corrective Myotherapy offers "professional touch healing therapies grounded in massage theory and the science of therapeutic bodywork...where knowledge meets intuition in the healing quality of touch."

Ecab Explorer, the local tour company owned and operated by Eric (the former owner of Marlin Bleu) is offering some new and exciting tour ideas. His tour of Tulum for example includes a boat ride, so that you can see this amazing site from the sea, as it was meant to be, and understand how the Maya used the site for navigation. He is also offering tours to Ek Balam/Rio Lagartos, Sian Ka'an, the jungle, cenotes and a nice looking sunset cruise & snorkel trip. Check out his website for more information. We have sent many people on Eric's tours and they all come back delighted.

Gone Fishin': We hadn't made it out fishing in quite a while so we didn't realize how much Kathy's Diving Dog Tours have grown. She now has a fleet available for all your fishing needs, everything from high-end yachts to professional fishing boats to pangas. Parties of up to 8 fishers can be accommodated. Check out her fleet and new website.

The 5th Annual Festival of Music in Puerto Morelos was a great success again. Every second Friday night the plaza was packed with patrons partaking in a plethora of performers. (a lot of alliteration from an anxious author) It is all brought to you by the Casa de la Cultura of Puerto Morelos, which is a fantastic local resource for citizens and visitors to Puerto Morelos. They hold classes of all kinds for all ages and sponsor cultural events like films and lectures. Well worth checking out and very worthy of your support. Check out their brand new website at: http://www.casaculturapuertomorelos.com/

Photo Contest - Frank is running his Photo Contest again. Check out the entries and enter yours here. He'll pick the winners and put them in a 2011 Puerto Morelos calendar.

Cancun - Is celebrating a birthday. The party city on the Caribbean is just 40 years old. The city was formally founded on April 20, 1970. The city now has 29,000 hotel rooms and more than 500 restaurants. Cancun, which in the Maya language apparently means “nest of snakes,” had its origin in 1968 when Mexico’s central bank set out to find an ideal spot to build a new tourist destination to mimic the success of Acapulco. Cancun has been an unqualified success, attracting millions of visitors every year and has become the top vacation destination in the Caribbean.

Tulum Airport - An airport at Tulum has been talked about and breathlessly promised by over-excited real estate developers for years. Now the first step has been taken to make it a reality. President Calderon has opened bidding for an airport near Tulum, expected to cost $255 million dollars. The new airport will have the capacity to handle three million passengers a year. Cancun's airport, with its shiny new runway and super-sized control tower  can currently handle 28 million passengers a year, but usually handles less than half that. (just under 12 million pax last year) Cancun can handle 80 takeoffs or landings per hour and it is the first airport in Mexico with two runways that can be used at the same time.

The plan is that the new airport will be built entirely with private money. I would think it will be very difficult to find that kind of funding for an airport so close to Cancun, when Cancun's airport can handle so much more traffic than it is. We'll keep watching.

No more Fideicomiso? - Also on my list of "things not to get too excited about yet" is a proposal to drop the requirement for a Fideicomiso for foreign buyers of land within the restricted zones (close to the ocean or borders). As you may know, non-Mexicans are currently required to buy properties within a trust called a Fideicomiso. It gives all rights of ownership, but does cost an annual fee to maintain. There is a proposed bill in Mexico City that would give foreign individuals or corporations full ownership rights, including mineral rights without the trust. The move would save foreigners the trust fees, which are based on the value of the property. The proposal has support from three of the four political parties, but I can't see too much political will for the abolishment of Fideicomisos...and the big banks will likely be very reluctant to give up the fat fees they collect just to hold the paperwork. Stay tuned!

Changes to the Tourist Card - As we reported before, big changes are coming to FM3 and FM2 holders. Changes are also in store for the FMT tourist card that most visitors to Mexico get. This is the slip of paper you fill out on the plane when arriving in Cancun. Starting May 1, the FMT will be replaced by the FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple). I've heard a lot of conflicting information on what the changes will really mean to the average traveler. Unfortunately it appears we will have to wait until system is implemented to see what changes. Here is some more detailed information, with pictures of what the new FM2/3 cards will look like.

Hurricane Season - Predictions are out again for hurricane season. Of course they are predicting a busier one than usual as they most always do. They are basing this prediction on the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean. Surface temperatures for March were the highest ever recorded. There was also news that global climate change has led to more wind shear, which tends to tear hurricanes apart. We won't worry too much about hurricane season. They have predicted "over average"  hurricane seasons almost every year we've been here, and almost every year they were wrong...with 2005 being the exception.

Elections will be held in our area on July 4. Voters will elect  a new governor, candidates for the state legislature and nine municipal presidents (mayors).  The candidate for governor with the highest profile out of the gate, is Greg Sanchez who is currently Cancun's (and our) mayor. He took a leave of absence to run for governor. He recently visited Puerto Morelos in his big bus and handed our goodies to potential voters. (Gracias to Daphne for the photo)

Canadians! Have your say on our new passports! - Passport Canada will soon be issuing electronic "ePassports" to citizens. They are asking for your opinion on new fees and a 10 year option on passports. Let them know what you think by filling in this small survey.

Cecilia León of "Pizza and Love" was severely burned in a palapa fire back in February. She finally made it out of hospital on March 7th and is now recovering in Puerto Morelos. For more information, you can visit this blog which was set up for her by friends.

Bunch O' Booths: A lot of booths have sprung up around the square and even in restaurants. Most of these booths are selling snorkel and fishing trips. Some are selling tours. Some are selling time-share or vacation clubs. Make sure you know the difference when you are talking to the person at these booths. If the price seems too good to be true, there may be strings attached. Check out our Puerto Morelos Services page for good local businesses who will show you the sights right!

As we reported before, The Miami Herald Cancun Edition is no more. Look for a copy of the USA Today Cancun Edition at your hotel or convenience store. It's being put together by the same local staff.

Don't hate us, we've added Google Ads to the newsletter in an attempt to cover some of its costs. We have no control over the ads that pop up, Google decides that, and we are in no position to tell them what to do! Please let us know though if anything odd shows up. Please note, these ads don't begin to cover our costs for this newsletter. If you like this newsletter, please support it by buying books at Alma Libre. Gracias!

	The Painted Fish and other Mayan Feasts This book written by Sonja Lillvik, who founded the Cuzan Guest House in Punta Allen is memoir of a life in the land of the Maya told with food! This is a gorgeous book with more than 100 recipes (perfected in the Mayan Riviera and tested up north) and lots of glossy pictures of food and fun. This book has rapidly become our bestselling local book. Every time we have brought copies in, they have gone out just as fast! We are happy to have some in stock now, but don't wait!
	Yucatecan Cuisine from Hacienda Teya The cuisine of the Yucatan is a fusion of the ancient foods of the indigenous Maya and European culinary tradition. Now the chef of the elegant Hacienda Teya restaurant in Merida shares his secrets in this book. Recipes include lime soup, poc-chuc and panuchos. Also includes desserts (flan and more) and sauces & relishes. An excellent gift or keepsake. Only available in Mexico, and at a very low price!
	Forking Fantastic - This is not your standard title for a cookbook, which is good because this is not your standard cookbook, it is in fact a "kick-ass guide to entertaining". Friend of the bookstore and Rough Guide author Zora O'Neill and her kitchen partner Tamara Reynolds have created a one stop guide to holding a fun dinner party in your home. While the "Martha Stewarts" of the world would have you spending hours making little doily favours for your guests, these chefs offer practical advice and recipes on making your next dinner party fun, fab & facil.  Isn't that what food with friends is supposed to be? Learn from the best (and learn from their mistakes) and make your next dinner party Forking Fantastic!
	Crosswords & Sudoku Puzzles For some, there is nothing better than sitting under a lovely palm tree and fracturing their brain over a puzzle. For those of you who like to solve, we have a great selection of crossword puzzle and Sudoku puzzle books. Some are tough (like the game show Jeopardy) and some are easy (like celebrity Jeopardy) and some are made specifically for the beach. Many of our selection of puzzle books are from the New York Times.
	Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish by Margarita Madrigal The truth is, there is no easy way to learn Spanish or any other language. It takes study and practice. There are ways to make learning Spanish more pleasant however, and this is the best book we've found. The Madrigal's method allows the reader to learn Spanish through this unique and proven method, which completely eliminates rote memorization and boring drills. Features illustrations by Andy Warhol. We know a lot of people who learned to speak Spanish well using this book.
	Thor Janson Wildlife photographer Thor Janson dropped by the bookstore the other day and brought some of newest books. Thor is the author of our popular "Maya Nature" book, which has been an Alma Libre bestseller since we opened. Thor's new titles include "Mundo Maya" an excellent book of photographs that Thor has allowed us to sell at a lower price, "Guatemala" which features some of Thor's favourite photographs of Guatemala and "In the Land of Green Lightning: The World of the Maya" a gorgeous, full size picture book exploring the people, places and flora and fauna of the land of the Maya.
	Latin Style - We are very excited to have this new decorating book in our shop. It's big and glossy and features lots of pictures to inspire you to bring Latin style into your home. Juan Carlos Arcila-Duque is a Columbian born interior designer with notable clients throughout the world. He has designed everything from private residences to trendsetting restaurants. This book also includes a Latin music CD! "This is a charming book full of color, and the quirky style of what the author calls "Latin Style". This is much more than just a decorating book. The author chooses pictures that give you a sense of what it would be like to experience Latin style." - Amazon Reviewer
	Birds & Fish - We share our beautiful area with some of the world's most interesting creatures. Every day we see wildlife in and around the town, from big birds to slithering reptiles and everything in between. To help you get to know your neighbours better, we offer several guides. For an overall view, you can't beat this book, the Traveller's Wildlife Guide to Southern Mexico by Les Beletsky. A gorgeous book packed with information and pictures. Covers fish, mammals, reptiles, birds and a little about the plant life here. For more detail, we offer a choice of bird guides and our popular snorkel guide.
	Spanish Language Learning Software- Now available for the Mac! - Since moving to Mexico, Joanne and I have struggled with our Spanish, especially those nasty verbs. Now our friend Jacky has invented a fun way to learn your verbs. Her Amigos Spanish program has full conjugation for 700 verbs and helps you learn with tests and puzzles. The program is totally customizable, allowing you to focus on the verbs you need to know. Plus it's fun, so you will stick with it and learn those verbs. To expand your vocabulary, try Amigos Spanish Puzzles a program featuring word games with English clues and Spanish answers (or vice versa). The program comes loaded with 2500 words, and you can even add your own words if you like! Both programs are available on CD at Alma Libre Bookstore or download it at Amigos Spanish.
	Secrets of the Talking Jaguar is the story of the author's physical and spiritual journey from the Southwestern US to the highlands of central America. There he becomes apprenticed to a local shaman who teaches Pretchel much about indigenous Mayan life, and about life in general. We sold out of these last year in hardcover, this year we were lucky enough to get some soft cover editions. If you missed this book last year, don't miss it this time.
	SPECIAL OFFER for Alma Libre Bookstore Customers Cenotes of the Riviera Maya is the best book ever written about the cenotes in our area. Beautifully photographed, it could easily be called a coffee table book, but it is also has all the practical information you need to explore the cenotes whether you are swimming or diving. Many have drooled over this book, but the hefty (500 peso) price tag kept some people away. Now author Steve Gerrard has authorized us to lower the price. At 300 pesos, this book is an incredible bargain and it has been flying off our shelves...in fact we ran out for a while around Christmas, but we're stocked again.
	Maps! If you drive in our area, you need a map! We have excellent and detailed maps of the Yucatan, the country of Mexico, Cancun city, Merida as well as Belize, Guatemala, Cuba and Central America. We also have souvenir-quality maps you can hang on the wall. Maps are usually difficult to find in Mexico, but only if you are looking in the wrong place! Plot a course to the bookstore...if you get lost...ask for directions...

Photos of the Month

Nice View: This sailboat just happened to float through our table view at La Plage restaurant just around sunset. Nice.	Vanload O' Chicks: We've always maintained that you can buy anything off a truck or out of a van in Puerto Morelos. Here's more proof. A van loaded with baby chicks and rabbits, ironically spotted on Easter Sunday.
Tejone Garden: It used to be a rare sight to see a Coatimundi around town. The little mammals are related to racoons and are usually pretty sneaky and hard to spot in the wild, but some people have taken to feeding them on a vacant lot near the Casa de la Cultura on Avenue Ninos Heroes. You can watch them as they snack on the fruit left for them.	Pot O' Gold: April showers bring May flowers and also this cool rainbow spotted in Puerto Morelos this week.

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Just a reminder that we are open 7 days a week for the season. Our hours are Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 3:00pm and 6:00pm to 9:00pm. We are closed between 3:00pm and 6:00pm for siesta. Sunday we are open 4:00pm to 9:00pm.

Our hours are always posted on the front page of our website at www.almalibrebooks.com.

We take trades every day, so our selection is constantly changing. If you are planning a trip down, why not bring some recent bestsellers to trade and check out our store, or plan to buy all your reading material at Alma Libre. We got you covered!

We look forward to seeing you in Puerto Morelos!

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Beach Reads is the official newsletter of Alma Libre Bookstore in Puerto Morelos Mexico. It is mailed directly to your mailbox if you request it. Beach Reads is published on a sporadic, seemingly random basis...but it is supposed to be approximately monthly during the season at Puerto Morelos. The season is November until after Easter. We do our best to publish it regularly...but we are easily distracted...

Our website is located at www.almalibrebooks.com Our store hours are always on the home page.

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This is Year #8, Issue #5. April 2010

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