March 3, 2008, La Paz, Mexico. Kayaker and Mexican sports celebrity
Abraham Levy, arrived tired and smiling at CostaBaja Resort and Marina in La Paz, Mexico, on March 3, 2008. Levy was met by an impressive crowd, including dignitaries, the media, the public, CostaBaja Resort and Marina staff, home owners and Marina patrons, all of whom support his ecological journey, covering 11,122 kilometers of Mexican coast. Levy's decision to stop at CostaBaja Resort and Marina was due in large part to the natural beauty of CostaBaja's 550-acres of environmentally-preserved costal lands. Levy is compiling a personal logbook on the Sea of Cortez region and the "best" it has to offer, and planned to rendezvous with the media at CostaBaja Resort & Marina to share his experiences and ecological message. While he's here, Levy also plans to enjoy CostaBaja Resort's hospitality and amenities, including its own Pueblo Marinero.
Prior to arriving at CostaBaja Resort & Marina, Levy visited the Island of Espiritu Santo, one of the islands in Mexico's Sea of Cortez that form the World Heritage Biodiversity Site. Known for having the most intact ecosystem in the region, Isla Espiritu Santo is a treasure to both local and international visitors who appreciate eco-adventures like diving, snorkeling, camping, sailing and (obviously) kayaking – all of which are available through the FunBaja office located in Pueblo Marinero at CostaBaja Resort & Marina.
Levy says that the beaches of the
Sea of Cortez have a unique beauty, incomparable to any other part of Mexico in its variety of landscapes and marine species. "In these beaches, I have found natural spectacles like in no other state of the Republic of Mexico, this is what motivates me to visit CostaBaja Resort & Marina, to explore the surroundings, and to discover the wonders that La Paz offers. Here is where the most unique species in all the country live, and is worth it that we all know them." He adds, "I have kayaked with whales, mantas, turtles, and journeyed past mangroves, deserts and calm beaches. This has allowed me to know the beauty of Mexico. It is important that all Mexicans do our part to continue keeping our beaches as clean as the people of La Paz do."
In an
expeditious journey that began on, October 6, 2007, Levy's ambitious mission is to kayak his way past more than 200 municipalities of Mexico, over a span of 250 days (nine months) and in two stages. The demands of the trip require the physical and mental training to sail 30 to 40 kilometers a day, 10 hours per day, in a kayak of only 5 meters of length, 58 centimeters wide and a weight of 25 kilos. In Stage 1 – The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea – Levy's starting point was Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz and he then paddled past the states of Tabasco, Campeche and Mérida to arrive at the city of Chetumal in the state of Quintana Roo. With an estimated arrival time of somewhere between October and December of 2007, Levy arrived in Chetumal, as planned, on December 2, 2007. Now in Stage 2 – The Pacific Ocean - Levy resumed the challenge in December, 2007 in Tijuana and will follow the Baja California peninsula coastline past the states of Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, Guerrero and Oaxaca, to conclude at Puerto Madero in the state of Chiapas in July 2008.
"The greatest challenge of my journey," Levy says, "consists of maintaining my physical and mental strength." To reach his goals, Levy must paddle 65 shovelfuls of water per minute, and travel at an average speed of 5 km/hr. He adds, "I follow a nutritional plan including vitamins, Ginseng and Gingko Biloba that my nutritionist recommended to me. It gives the peace of mind that I will sail without misfortunes, conserving my energy and mental concentration."
As if that isn't difficult enough, imagine trying to live inside a kayak for nine months when you can only carry up to 146 kilos in the kayak - including its own weight. That space is further used up with the latest technology that will allow Levy to navigate, communicate, hydrate and feed himself. For instance, his kayak contains Coleman camping equipment, a cellular telephone Nokia N95 with GPS to update his website, Globalstar satellite telephone, personal location radio, a stove, Solar cells, all terrain Merrell tennis shoes, a life jacket, a camping knife, survival equipment, an oar, cereals, powdered milk, 30 liters of water, fruit and dry meat, among others items. At the age of 27, Levy is in optimal physical condition thanks to the specialized training that he received from Sport City. Levy is a member of a program for scholarship athletes whose purpose is to support and to offer quality tools to outstanding sportsmen of different disciplines. And he has the support and best wishes of all CostaBaja Resort and Marina homeowners and staff who continue to cheer him on his way. CostaBaja invites everyone to follow Abraham Levy's incredible journey at www.abrahamlevy.com, where you can track Levy's current position and progress, and view photography and live videos of the beautiful places and scenery he is witnessing along Mexico's vast coast.