Yucatan Living

Yucatan News: Fruit & Museums

11 October 2015 News 1

In Memory of Traffic Accident Victims

When a bus hits a pedestrian, the bus wins, and that happens all too often in Yucatan. However, that isn’t the only traffic risk in Yucatan. So far in 2015, 150 people have died in traffic accidents: 48 motorcyclists, 30 cyclists, 31 passengers or companions, 24 drivers and 23 pedestrians. Internationally, the third Sunday of November will now be the World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Traffic Accidents. As Yucatan moves forward into the 21st century, the organization that supports this event in Yucatan is pushing for more driver education programs. We certainly wish them well and hope everyone has a safe holiday season.

Merida: International Conference for the Promotion of Consumption of Fruits

Merida, Yucatan, has been chosen as a world leader in the production of fruits and vegetables. This led to the city being chosen to host the 2015 International Promotional Conference for Fruit Consumption. Supporting institutions include the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture IICA. The conference will be held at Siglo XXI Convention Center on November 18 and 19 of this year. Thirty-one nations will be represented, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Spain, El Salvador, United States, France, Finland, Holland, Honduras, Hungary, Japan, Nicaragua, Norway, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Uruguay, Venezuela and Mexico.

Canada’s Iroquois Are In D.F. While Mexico’s Aztecs Are In Montreal

Scientists are discovering that indigenous peoples had far more in common than was previously thought. Now, international cooperation among museums and national historical administrative departments is making it possible for museums to share these artifacts with the general public. Currently, Iroquois artifacts from Quebec and upstate New York are being shown at Templo Mayor in D.F., while Aztec artifacts are being shown at the Montreal Museum of History and Archaeology. The interesting tidbit that is coming out of these shared information events is that maiz was at the heart of the development of each of these cultures. All the more reason for protecting these crops today and in the future.

Oktober Fest in Merida

Although Oktober Fest has been celebrated in Germany since 1810, this was only be the 13th annual Oktober Fest for Merida, but what a weekend it was! There are about 60 German families living in Merida, with a total of about 500 family members. During this festival, they don their Bavarian costumes and show the rest of us how celebration is done. There’s beer, and food, and pastry, and music, and dancing and games! For the third time, this wonderful party was held at the Entertainment Center of Grupo Modelo. This is an event that grows each year and is now a favorite with everyone who lives in Yucatan. It is also worthy of note that there are some wonderful ladies who are masters of some of Germany’s best recipes and sell their wares at local expat bazaars... look for them.

Sweet Ties to Germany

Little more than a decade ago, Yucatan burst onto the world stage with the finest honey to be found anywhere, and never looked back. Today, there are 300,000 hives in production, with 90% headed for Europe, and most of that to Germany. This year, the goal is to send 2,000 tons of honey to Europe, which is quite possible since last year’s shipments amounted to 1,800 tons. And the value is? This young industry, working hand in hand with German importers, is now responsible for the incomes of 12,000 Yucateco families. That is the best “sweet tie” between nations we have heard of this entire week!

Dengue and Chikungunya Update

The newest figures show that 95 of the 106 municipalities (counties) in Yucatan have reported cases of chikungunya. In Merida itself, the area of greatest concentration is on the south side of the city, but that does not mean that people in the northern suburbs are home free. Mosquitoes go wherever they want and are one of the most dangerous animals on earth because of the diseases they carry. Please redouble your efforts to remove any possible breeding area from your own property, and it might not be a bad idea to join in helping with a community cleaning project as well. At the very least, check in on vacation properties near you to make sure they are mosquito-proof as much as possible. The good news is that, with eight weeks of redoubled efforts to remove these breeding spaces, Yucatan’s dengue and chikungunya rates have begun to fall. By comparison, the Dominican Republic did nothing and it took 20 weeks for their number of cases to decline. This is a graphic example that the concept of “Clean Patios” is one of the best things to ever happen in Yucatan.

In the Wake of World Wildlife Day

We are, needless to say, speechless at some of the things that came out of this year’s World Wildlife Day, after Merida’s March for the Rights of Animals. First, the police are going to have a unit that speaks to citizen education with respect to animal rights. Also, they will work hand in hand with citizens, PROFEPA, the Animal Control Center and the courts to investigate reports of animal abuse. That was great news, but the best was yet to come. A variety of local civil organizations came together to call for a ban on the sale of pets throughout the State of Yucatan. Before anyone thinks they can’t do it, they would like to remind you that there are no more animals in any circus in Yucatan. Just one of the situations found in Yucatan is that AFAD and Evolucion both do a marvelous job with animal rescue and rehoming, but they can’t keep pace with need created by puppy mills. Unfortunately, the puppy mill “Itaboca” has 240 dogs of 13 breeds pouring puppies into the local, national, and international markets year round. The ban on selling pets in Yucatan is aimed at stopping puppy mills once and for all in this state. We think they can do it and will certainly be in the cheering section all the way!

Stunning Tourism Numbers!

Tourism numbers are up by approximately 10% at all major destinations in Yucatan. This includes the Magical Cities of Valladolid and Izamal, as well as major beaches and archaeological sites. The final number is expected to be 1,400,000 for the year, with the vast majority (900,000) coming to see the sites above. The remainder, a full 500,000 people, will come on business, to attend a convention or sporting event, or to take advantage of medical or dental services. Although they will not figure in the destination numbers, hotels and restaurants are thrilled with the increase in income. New and reactivated cruise routes, as well as new flights from around Europe have brought Yucatan ever closer to the point of being a major international destination. Congratulations to Yucatan’s tourism industry and bienvenido to our visitors.

Renew Vehicle License Plates in 2016

It has been seven long years since the owners of vehicles had to renew their plates, but that will change in 2016. There are a number of infrastructure projects that need to be started and/or completed over the course of the remainder of this administration. These are what the money received from the license plates will be earmarked for. At the present time, the State of Yucatan is determining the price of the new plates, and the process to receive it. Drivers can look for early registration to begin in November.

Yucatan is Mexico’s Leader in Civil Protection

We are pleased to report that the National Director of Civil Protection in Mexico has declared Yucatan to be the lead agency within the entire country. We have to agree. Yucatan’s Civil Protection Agency is always on the front lines of whatever fight is necessary. They fight fires, rescue and clean up after storms, and help try to eradicate mosquitoes. No matter what is needed, they are there to help, and during hurricane season, there is no one better prepared than Yucatan’s Civil Protection members and their volunteers.

Merida Gets International Museum Attention

This week it was announced that the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, that beautiful and striking new building at the north end of Prolongación de Montejo, has won an international award for Best emerging culture destination in Central & South America in the museum "Oscars". To take this honor, it beat out the new Soumaya museum and the Museum of Memory and Tolerance in Mexico City, as well as other museums in Brazil, Panama and Argentina. Just another way that Merida is getting on the international map of culture! This is just one of the results of the prestigious Leading Culture Destinations 2015 awards, announced Friday in London, where MoMA in New York City took the top prize.

Great Find: Storage Service

This week, we took a look at the Chicxulub Food Bank website and discovered an answer to one of the most often asked expat questions: Is there a storage service in Yucatan? The answer is “Yes!” The company name is Sobman Storage. The manager is Ruth. Her cell phone number is: 999-256-7395 and her e-mail address is sobman81@gmail.com. Sharon has been using them for five years and highly recommends them. The best part? They pick up and deliver!