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New Theme Park in Mexico to Compete with Disneyland

Mexico will construct a theme park inspired by the Mayan civilization to rival Disneyland. (AFP)
Mexico will construct a theme park inspired by the Mayan civilization to rival Disneyland. (AFP)
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New Theme Park in Mexico to Compete with Disneyland

Mexico will construct a theme park inspired by the Mayan civilization to rival Disneyland. (AFP)
Mexico will construct a theme park inspired by the Mayan civilization to rival Disneyland. (AFP)

Lovers of the ancient Mayan culture can now learn and spend a good time in a new under-construction theme park on the Caribbean coast of Mexico inspired by the civilization.

The massive project, dubbed Amikoo, or “friend” in the Mayan language, is located about 55 km south of Cancun. It will house a museum, hotel, beach resort and recreation park, according to AUSA and Gala groups for properties development.

The two companies have invested $840 million in the new amusement park in the Riviera Maya district. The park is expected to compete with the famous Disneyland.

According to the German News Agency (dpa), the first phase of the project includes a museum, a 320-room hotel, flight simulators, a diving center, a leisure center, restaurants, a surfing pool and a ballroom.

The two investing companies said that the second phase will see the establishment of a 1,200-room beach resort and a theme park by 2020.

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Nepal Plans to Restrict Everest Permits to Experienced Climbers

FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha
FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha
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Nepal Plans to Restrict Everest Permits to Experienced Climbers

FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha
FILE PHOTO: A mountaineer holds on to the rope during an ice climbing session at Everest base camp, Nepal April 15, 2025. REUTERS/Purnima Shrestha

Nepal will issue Everest permits only to climbers with experience of scaling at least one of the Himalayan nation's 7,000-meter (22,965 ft) peaks, according to the draft of a new law aimed at reducing overcrowding and improving safety.
Nepal, which is heavily reliant on climbing, trekking and tourism for foreign exchange, has faced criticism for permitting too many climbers, including inexperienced ones, to try to ascend the 8,849-meter (29,032 ft) peak, Reuters reported.
This often results in long queues of climbers in the 'death Zone', an area below the summit with insufficient natural oxygen for survival.
Overcrowding has been blamed for the high number of deaths on the mountain. At least 12 climbers died, and another five went missing on Everest's slopes in 2023 when Nepal issued 478 permits. Eight climbers died last year.
Under the proposed law, an Everest permit would be issued only after a climber provides evidence of having climbed at least one 7,000-meter mountain in Nepal.
The sardar, or the head of local staff, and the mountain guide accompanying climbers must also be Nepali citizens.
The draft law has been registered at the National Assembly, the upper house of parliament, where the ruling alliance holds a majority required to pass the bill.
International expedition operators have urged Nepal to allow any 7,000-meter peak, not just those in the Himalayan nation, for the Everest permit.
"That wouldn't make any sense. And I would also add mountains that are close to 7,000 meters to that list and that are widely used as preparation, like Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, Denali and others," said Lukas Furtenbach of Austria-based expedition organizer, Furtenbach Adventures.
Furtenbach, currently leading an expedition on Everest, said mountain guides from other countries must also be allowed to work on Everest, as there are not enough qualified Nepali mountain guides.
"It is important that mountain guides have a qualification like IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations), no matter what nationality they are. We do also welcome Nepali IFMGA guides to work in the Alps in Europe," he told Reuters.
Garrett Madison of the US-based Madison Mountaineering also said a 6,500-meter peak anywhere in the world would be a better idea.
"It's too difficult to find a reasonable 7,000-meter plus peak in Nepal," Madison said.