DATELINE MONDAY 15TH AUGUST 2022

Happy Monday morning I hope all is well, you know what I am going to say next OMG the weather amazing 😊 love the heat but as this is the UK I knew it wouldn’t, last rain is on its way, clearly I know many people will be delighted, the grass in my postage stamp sized garden will be pleased if the rain does make it to London. Although it does look like it will be hot on Monday and Tuesday maybe even Wednesday. Yes we need rain, I am certain we will get rain from September through to March at least, plenty of time to fill the reservoirs, the heat, as I have said before bring it on, love it 😊

Summer of 2022 looks like it will be going down in the record books for the right and the wrong reasons, high temperatures and no rain that’s what the summer should be like.

And as August continues the news gets even thinner on the ground as the holiday season enters its third week.

That’s it, you are up to date from a David point of view .

MM and Company news update

Mauritius

Mr Stephane Louise Operations Director of Hello Islands DMC (formerly known as Connections DMC) is one of our terrific DMCs that will be in town very soon.

It’s been a long, long two and a half years since the lockdown in March 2020BC (before Covid) we are, at last, turning the international conference, incentive and event corner which means that the management teams of the awesome DMCs MM and Company represent are beginning to once again travel to the UK to meet up with clients past, present and future.

So if you want an update on what is new and happening funky and fun in the beautiful Island of Mauritius please let me know. Stephane and I would be delighted to meet you in your office, your home office, a local Café Nero or Costa Coffee at a push even a Starbucks (make mine a tea, builders of course)

Cancun Mexico

Manuel, Liliana and the awesome team at The EPIC Group DMC the team MM and Company has been representing for twenty -five years have told us that Kempinski Hotels has announced that it will take over a luxurious beach hotel in Cancun on the Riviera Maya, Mexico starting September 2022. With no closure of operations, this property will undergo changes, following which it will be rebranded as Grand Hotel Cancun, managed by Kempinski during the three-month transition period. From the end of 2022, it will be fully operated under Kempinski Hotel Cancun.

The beachfront hotel in Mexico has 315 guestrooms and 48 suites, all with private balconies or terraces with a panoramic view of the Caribbean Sea. It also has eight culinary options as well as a club lounge. The hotel has two swimming pools and an oceanfront whirlpool, as well as a spa with gardens and terraces, a fitness centre with a sauna and steam rooms. The 1,300-foot-stretch of beach is lined with lounges as private cabanas.

Japan

James Kent and the crew at The J Team DMC Japan have told us that Japan is enjoying the festival of obon. It started on 11th August and runs till 19th August. James tells me that a lot of Japan closes up and everyone goes on holiday. Regular indeed avid readers of my blog will know that when a festival is announced by a DM I google it the festival not the DMC Obon or just Bon is fusion of the ancient Japanese belief in ancestral spirits and a Japanese Buddhist custom to honour the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist–Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon Odori.

Please take a moment to google “images of the festival of Obon” there are some amazing images of the festival, lots of lights and lanterns. I want to go to see this amazing free street festival theatre. If I had the funds I would travel the work experiencing worldwide festivals, Day of the Dead in Mexico City, Calgary Stampede in Canada, Rio Carnival, Octoberfest in Munich, Burning Man in Nevada, Yie Pong Lantern Festival Thailand to name but a few.