No Additives, No Preservatives...Just RAW LOVE!
For so many years my cousin has been saying to me that she wants to visit Tulum. At the time I was an even more novice globetrotter than I am now and my geography skills were/are not up to par, so I had no idea where on God’s green earth Tulum was! She explained that Tulum is in Mexico and they have a rich Mayan history and a preserved eco system. Sounded nice, but at the time I had so many other places on my to-travel-to-list that I never even got excited at the thought of traveling to Tulum.
Photo credit: Tashieka Brewer
Here we are in 2020 and in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and I find myself in Tulum! That entire story is on the way, but for now I want to share about the only place that was on my list of things to see and experience while in Tulum - Raw Love. A visit to Raw Love made it on my short list because of the numerous pictures I saw of tourists posing in front of a huge art installation (tagged @rawlove) that really piqued my curiosity. Without further ado, on my first full day in Tulum, I woke up bright and early and my friend and I took a cab to Raw Love. My friend Tash had been in Tulum for over a week at this point, so she informed me that Raw Love is actually a raw vegan café, so she suggested for us to have breakfast there. Perfect! I am not vegan, but I do a juice cleanse monthly at a raw vegan place here in Princeton, NJ and I always enjoy sampling the food and snack items. With this information, I better understood the “raw” in their cafe’s name; no additives and no preservatives. Nonetheless, I was ready for the experience!
Walking up the stairs to the café that is nestled above the jungle and beach, the vibe was quiet and peaceful. The outdoor café maintains a very earthy aesthetic that consists of exposed wood furniture, hammocks, swings, sand walkways, and hut-like coverings overhead. The Island girl in me appreciated this vibe!
The staff was welcoming and patient as we perused the menu to decide what to try first. As listed on the front of their menu, all the options consist of living cuisine with a nice selection of smoothies, smoothie bowls, raw vegan desserts and entrees, and gluten free items. Honestly, everything sounded yummy, so it was a bit difficult to decide. The green smoothie, acai bowl, carrot cake, and brownie said “take me” and I couldn’t resist! Hahahaha
While the order was being made, one of the owners stopped by to check up on us. I’m happy that he did because he shared with us a bit of the history about how Raw Love came to be. Tash and I listened intently and I forgot to record him! What I do remember is that he and his business partner camped out on the property while the café was in its conception phase and stage. They were extremely passionate about making their vision come to life there in Tulum. As he spoke, I could feel the love for what they created and I got even more excited to taste everything that we had ordered. Not only did we get a history lesson, but he dropped off some house-made chocolate for us to sample. Winning!!
As anticipated, everything was awesome. We might have overdid it a tad, but we had a full day of walking and picture taking ahead of us, so we needed to fuel up.
Speaking of picture-taking, where was the structure I had seen?
Photo credit: Tashieka Brewer
This is where it gets interesting. I learned afterwards that this particular Raw Love Café (there are 3 locations within Tulum) is located at Ahau Tulum which is a “a luxuriously rustic beach resort” (from the website). Having the café on-site is definitely a plus because I could certainly eat there daily. I digress.
We walked back down the stairs to the entrance of Ahau Tulum to find a moderately formed line of tourists waiting to take a picture in front of and underneath the installation. Found it! The structure is EXTRAordinary and the moment I stood in front of it I transformed into a free-spirited being who had come alive! I kid you not because even the people passing by in their vehicles were cheering me on as I had a mini-photoshoot. That moment was magical!
In my inquisitive mind, I needed to know more. What was this structure? How long had it been there? Who created such art? And, what exactly is it?
Naturally, I did a little research.
Here’s what I learned:
The artist is Daniel Popper - The South African artist, known for his massive figurative sculptures, constructed artwork as part of an arts and culture festival (Art with Me) in Tulum, Mexico back in 2018.
The towering 10 meter tall sculpture/installation is titled Ven a la Luz (come into the light), and is comprised of wood and rope formed into a female figure. Her torso is filled with lush green plants, which creates an archway to walk through.
The piece was commissioned for the first Art with Me event in Tulum 2018. The event was created to raise awareness for the sensitive eco system of Tulum.
Ven a la Luz symbolizes the Tulum people’s deep connection with Nature and themselves. It was designed as the entrance way into the pavilion area of the festival. In 2019 the piece was permanently installed outside Ahau Tulum and everyone who visits the Raw Love Café has the pleasure of taking a picture with the EXTRAordinary “lady”. For me, the image is truly befitting of the power we as women hold within us. If we could see inside of a woman’s spirit, I believe it would be full, bountiful, and bursting with an abundance of raw love.
I also connected with this experience because there is a feeling that I feel when I hear the words raw love. From a spiritual connection, I think of the unwavering love of my heavenly father and how secure it makes me feel. Then, I shift to thinking about the love I have always felt from my parents. This is the type of love that has never had any limitations or conditions; the type of raw love that has fueled me for a lifetime. My spirit quickly shifted to the love I pour into my daughter and I became emotional. I realize that I have experienced a lifetime of giving and receiving “raw love” in so many aspects of my life. Gratitude overwhelmed me and right after taking the pictures, I retreated to the restroom where my husband’s name was on the lock and served as yet another EXTRAordinary reminder of the “raw love” that we share between each other.
People spend seasons, lifetimes, years, etc. seeking “raw love”, and I literally eat, sleep, and breathe it daily. Showing love to myself and others comes effortlessly because of this, and it shows up in the friendships and relationships that I share with incredible individuals. Much of what I’m called to do is helping people experience the type of raw love that they may be seeking externally within themselves because I believe that practicing self-love is at the height of feeling raw love! One aspect of self-love that I find myself constantly trying to maintain is consuming healthy food, and so, my journey to experience consistent “raw love” in this area continues.
I/We couldn’t get enough, so the next morning we ordered and had our Raw Love breakfast delivered to our condo. The acai bowl and avocado toast is life!!
As we move into the holiday season, I hope you feel “raw love” in many aspects of your life!