Yucatan News: Espinoza Paz & Progreso
El Grito!
This year Merida will celebrate Mexico's Independence starting at 9 pm in the Plaza Grande. At the Palacio de Gobierno (the Governor's Palace), singer Espinoza Paz will help Meridanos ring in the next year of freedom with the cry, Viva Mexico! Espinoza Paz was born in Sinaloa and is a Latin Grammy nominated Mexican musician and composer of Mexican Regional music. After years of working in the fields and gardens of California, Paz returned to Mexico to concentrate on his career as a singer. In his mid-thirties, he has risen to amazing success, not only performing but writing many popular songs. He has sold millions of records and is now touring Mexico before he goes back to the USA, this time as a musical star. Merida welcomes Espinoza Paz!
Electronic Travel Authorization to Canada
The Canadian Tourism Commission has a new program for Yucatecos who want to visit Canada by air, and who have had a valid visa for Canada or the United States in the past ten years. A new program can be found online in the Visit as a tourist area of Canada’s Tourism website. Some notices say that this program will begin when direct flights from Merida to Toronto begin in December. Some say it does not go into full functioning mode until March of 2016. Either way, it is possible to register now and have all of the paperwork completed online, resulting in a much more comfortable pleasure trip to Canada.
Weather: Tropical Wave #36 + Norte #1
Weather was, is, and is going to be Hot and Wet, in spite of the arrival of a very high flying norte. With a week of thunderstorms facing us, and very little wind, temperatures will continue to be quite hot, so stay cool if you can.
Celebration of Christ of the Blisters (a.k.a. the Black Christ)
This statue came from Ichmul Chapel in Chikindzonot, Yucatan after surviving a fire. There is something to be said for a religious ceremony that has continued since 1644. This particular statue was moved to Merida’s Cathedral when it was built and has been protected there from that day until this. This year, the celebration is from Monday, September 14, through Wednesday, September 17. There will be a procession and a mass. The statue does not leave the church because it is fragile and needs restoration, but it will be there and the traditional ceremonies will go on as usual.
Life Insurance for Mothers
Two years of assessment for this new program are in, and the Life Insurance Program for Heads of Household is a clear winner. The program is jointly funded with federal and state money. At first, it left many mothers out because it was written using the word “widows.” When that was removed and replaced with “Heads of Household,” single moms flocked to the program. Thus far, 281 children have benefitted from this program. This is a case of a government that actually understands that a little bit spent in anticipation of disaster is a whole lot easier on the public pocketbook than paying for the aftermath. If you know of a household headed by a woman, there is a good recap of this program online. Please suggest that she read it.
DIY Mosquito Repellants
In a time when Yucatan is experiencing a chikungunya outbreak (not epidemic), and a vaccine for dengue is still a year away, we still need to eliminate mosquito breeding spaces and find ways to keep remaining mosquitoes at bay. Mejor Con Salud has a great list of DIY mosquito repellants, with recipes. Give a few of their concoctions a try and let us know how they work for you! If you have more or different mosquito repellants of any kind (recipes, plants, cleaning practices or products), please do share with us in the comments section. It's getting harder and harder to find commercial mosquito repellants on the shelves in Merida, so making your own makes a lot of sense.
Port of Progreso is Still Growing!
If you notice never-ending improvements and expansion going on out at the Port of Progreso, you should know that these are happening because over the next 15 years, trade through the Port of Progreso is expected to double. Already, the economies of four states depend on the port of Progreso, with more to come. And it is not just Progreso that is growing by leaps and bounds. The entire Gulf Coast of Mexico is set to begin huge growth trends. Mexico is investing in a new port for Veracruz, Matamoros, Ceiba Beach, Manzanillo, Lazaro Cardenas and others, as well as in an expansion of Progreso. As of now, Progreso has better prices and more shipping services than any other Mexican port and their new infrastructure will allow them to move quickly with changes in the industry, and that means growth and hopefully, increased quality of life for the residents of Progreso.
Dangerous Lightning
Last week, three young teens were struck by lightning while swimming at the beach in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo. This week, a 30 year old man was struck and killed by lightning in Temozon, Yucatan. Yucatan seems to be having more lightning storms this year than in the past, which means that the people must hurry to get up to speed on the dangers of this deadly phenomenon. Our deepest sympathy to the families of each of these young victims. And please, do not take lightning lightly... get inside!
Three Bike Roads On the Way!
This is exciting news for everyone. There will soon be three new bike roads between Merida and three other municipalities. They will be between Merida and Kanasin, Uman and Ucu. These are real roads that will run parallel to existing roads, but limited to bike and pedestrian traffic only, as part of the Not-Motorized Urban Mobility Plan. It looks as if the Caucel Station will play a part in the development of this project as well. This is a federally-funded project that everyone has been anticipating for a long time. Accidents and deaths are expected to drop dramatically as the exposure of bikers and walkers to vehicles diminishes.
17th Annual Trade Expo-Fair October 15 through 18, 2015
There will be at least 500 vendors and 300,000 visitors on hand for this event. Yes – 300,000 visitors (aka customers) will walk through Siglo XXI in four days! This Trade Fair is backed by the Chamber of Commerce Services and Tourism of Merida. More than a month before it opens, 96% of the booths have already been reserved. There will be special pavilions for technology, health, franchises, and local producers. This is the place to see both the commercial success of Yucatan now, as well as take a little peek into the future. Mark your calendars!
Why We Need a Recipe For Liver on a Stick!
Should you choose to become an expat or Snowbird here, you will make close friends as you navigate your new life. Such is a group of close friends who have shared jokes and stories that are the treasures of a lifetime. And such is the story of “liver on a stick” (as well as “badger up an electric pole", but that is another story...). Now, here is why we need this recipe. We live in a land where mosquitoes carry some pretty ugly diseases. We already know to change the physical environment so they cannot breed. We have recipes for repellants now (see our news above), but what if there was a way to keep mosquitoes from wanting to bite us in the first place? What do they run from? Thiamine! Yes! Good old Vitamin B1. Fruits, nuts, cereals have B1. But pork and beef liver both have more than enough thiamine to keep the mosquitoes from thinking you are a tasty meal. So we think we need some help. Pork liver is a little strong, so it would need to go in maybe a nice rice dressing recipe. Calves’ liver, however, is just the stuff needed to create the mythical “Liver on a Stick.” Can anyone create such a recipe? You would be amazed at how many people want to know!
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Posted By Khaki Scott
