Nestled in Mexico's north-eastern Sierra Madre Mountains roughly 600km north of Mexico City, La Huasteca is a sprawling mass of jungles, caverns, waterfalls and lagoons that creeps into the hilly interior of four different states - and one of the most thrilling, yet little-known, adventures the country possesses. A turquoise-coloured collection of serene waterfalls and lagoons lie at the mercy of the rains and often allow for swimming and snorkelling. The surrounding forests are home to over 2,000 species of plants, and spider monkeys, jaguars and toucans still roam freely in a few areas. Rock formations that look like flat, earthy stones stacked on top of caves dot the terrain. Because of its difficult geography and sparse population, La Huasteca has long been off the beaten path.
After driving out of crushing traffic in Mexico City and reaching the mountains some seven hours later, we began a spiralling incline past a few cacti and bushes on rocky, sparsely vegetated land. SUVs whirred up dust clouds as they angled for space on the narrow roads occupied by petrol stations and tiendas. Periodically, a sign emerged with the words la campaña (the countryside) or la fabrica (the factory), and a wide field or a ramshackle factory surfaced. Men with tan, weathered skin in pale-coloured sombreros sat or stood by the road.
The area was depressingly desolate until we neared the mountain town of Xilitla. Up and down more slopes, and the scenery underwent a radical makeover. "It's so lush here," said Santiago, one of my friends, as he gazed out of the car window. The sun glowed on the reddish tree leaves and on the intensely thick, green bushes and blonde-coloured wheat.
Santiago tuned the radio to local Huastec music, and we were lost in the harp-like sounds and raw, emotion-filled calls. Several indigenous languages are spoken in La Huasteca, including Nahuatl and Huastec, tongues belonging to the Aztecs and a group that split from the Mayans.
The descendants of the Aztec Nahuatl and the Huastec still live in these mountains, having mixed and intermarried over the centuries.
Though not as well known as their Mayan brethren, the Huastec were celebrated musicians and artisans who created fine, intricate pottery, sculptures and temples. In this hot and humid climate, they wore little clothing, before Spanish Catholica colonialists forced them to cover up when they arrived in the 16th century.
The first stop of our trip was Las Pozas, a waterfall attraction just outside sleepy Xilitla. We joined the second half of our group of eight people at a campsite down the road from the park and set up camp amid Mexican kids in tie-dyed headscarves playing rock music from a car radio and a family eating and sleeping in a deluxe van. Lying in a tent that night wondering about the origins of a thousand different noises, I looked forward to the journey ahead into La Huasteca's untamed jungles. Finally, we had arrived.
Las Pozas de Xilitla, or The Wells of Xilitla, is near a surrealist-style castle built by Edward James, a British poet. Besides the open-roof house with rickety staircases that stop in mid-air, funky sculptures are sprinkled the over about 30 hectares of natural waterfalls and gardens. Las Pozas was our playground for the day - we climbed up hills and rocks, swam in the pools and took photographs under the falls. I was travelling during Semana Santa - Mexico's Easter holiday break - so half of the obstacle of reaching the higher altitude waterfalls was making it through the crowds, but excepting major holidays, the park is often empty.
After a languid afternoon lunch of roasted chicken by the river, we drove through a dark-green abyss to Sótano de las Golandrinas (Pit of the Swallows), a gigantic cavern where we hoped to to witness a little-known wonder.
My group woke up at dawn in our camp up the mountain near the town of Aquismón and trekked down half-awake with flashlights to catch the sight of one of the largest open-air pits in the world. The distance from the base of the cave to the upper rim is more than 3,600m. Circles of black swifts, accompanied by splashes of bright green parrots, rose out of the cavern at sunrise, a daily mass exodus that seemed spectacularly effortless. Handlers at the site lowered participants with ropes into the top of the cavern, where the absolute blackness is enormous. I found out that people had parachuted into the hole before.
Down the road from Aquismón, the town just outside the Sótano de las Golandrinas, is Nacimiento del Rio Huichihuayán (Birth of the Huichihuayán River). Three kilometres west down a country lane jutting from the main road to reach the village Huichihuayán, a river emerges from the mountains, and the scenery is breathtaking. At this river source, there are large pools of cool, clear water ideal for swimming. They are bordered on one side by a rocky, hollow cave with flowing water that is ripe for exploration, and green trees ideal for climbing or hanging hammocks.
From Aquismón it was on to the Cascadas of Tamasopo (The Waterfalls of Tamasopo). Minas Viejas was the exact waterfall we were searching for, since two members of our party had already been there and raved about the stunning, clear waters and secluded location. It was less secluded during this holiday, but the rest held true. It is said the falls run on spring water, and the effect is a clean, aqua-coloured series of both shallow and deep pools. By the time we arrived in the nearby town of El Naranjo that evening at the Hotel San Luis, charming for its large tubs and hot showers, feasting on fresh seafood then going to a pool hall seemed like the only suitable option. We intended to head back home the next morning, but that was before we had breakfast at a restaurant called D'Pico.
On our way to a table near the patio, we came across upon the most perfect jungle river scene. Boulders rested on a glistening downwards stretch of water under an intensely bright sun, while dense trees hung overhead, demanding that we stay longer and swim and sunbathe for one last time.
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Tips%20for%20holiday%20homeowners
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RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3E5pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAl%20Hazeez%2C%20Saif%20Al%20Balushi%20(jockey)%2C%20Khalifa%20Al%20Neyadi%20(trainer)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5.30pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EShams%20Gate%20Tower%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20ES%20Sudani%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Hamad%20Al%20Marar%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Al%20Bahr%20Towers%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AF%20Musannef%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.30pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Capital%20Gate%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shugga'A%20Baynounah%2C%20Dane%20O%E2%80%99Neill%2C%20Nisren%20Mahgoub%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7pm%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEtihad%20Towers%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAF%20Maqam%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.30pm%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fairmont%20Marina%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWinner%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETempesta%20D'Oro%2C%20Xavier%20Ziani%2C%20Salem%20bin%20Ghadayer%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)
Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14
Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)
Perera 47; Sohail 2-18
Key fixtures from January 5-7
Watford v Bristol City
Liverpool v Everton
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Bournemouth v AFC Fylde or Wigan
Coventry v Stoke City
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Manchester United v Derby
Forest Green or Exeter v West Brom
Tottenham v AFC Wimbledon
Fleetwood or Hereford v Leicester City
Manchester City v Burnley
Shrewsbury v West Ham United
Wolves v Swansea City
Newcastle United v Luton Town
Fulham v Southampton
Norwich City v Chelsea
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
Formula%204%20Italian%20Championship%202023%20calendar
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Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
