Tiziana Roma, Historian and Environmental Activist, shares the young history of the city that is growing with people from all over the world. Tiziana also speaks about the Mayan ruins and ports, why tourists have become part of the local culture in Quintana Roo and why locals are having a hard time enjoying their home. She comments on the foundation of the city and how if it were being founded today, it would have a lot of environmental hurdles to overcome.

Kay Walten, Owner of LocoGringo.com, discusses safety in the Quintana Roo area and the sensationalism created by the press–many people these days are reading headlines as opposed to the actual articles. Kay also talks about the ancient Mayans, their key to the underworld and the underwater caves in the area that form part of the largest cave system in the world.

Kerra Bolton, Freelance Writer, Food Blogger & Contributor to CNN, speaks about being a writer living in Playa del Carmen and why she chose Quintana Roo as her place in the world. Kerra then describes the most perfect date she’s never had and what she would do and eat in the area–including swimming at the foot of the Tulum ruins and eating cinnamon sticky buns.

Otto Von Bertrab, General Director of Rio Secreto, joins the program to share the story of how he discovered Rio Secreto, its unique system and why it took him nearly a year to traverse all 31 miles of the semi-flooded underground cave. He speaks of his passion for eco-tourism in the Mayan communities and a unique species of fish that inhabit the caves.

Catherine Gray, Director and Founder of Na’atik Language and Culture Institute, speaks about actively preserving Mayan culture, helping the indigenous people reclaim their heritage, and the variety of Mayan dialects among the regions of Mexico. The younger generations have a new interest in learning and conserving their own Mayan language now that foreigners want to learn themselves.

Stephanie Carmon, Writer for The Yucatan Times and MID CityBeat, describes Playa del Carmen when she first arrived in the 1990s and discusses the safety of the region from a mother’s perspective. She also reveals what surprises her friends most when they come down to visit and talks about the incredible fusion of foods and tastes that have become part of the local culinary scene in the Yucatan Peninsula.