Yucatan Living

Yucatan News: Seafood, Trucking & Water

Welcome to Today's Trucking.com
Yucatan Living would like to welcome the readers of Today's Trucking.com to our little corner of the world. This site is the premier online business resource for the trucking industry in Canada. We are pleased to have them as readers and hope to see them soon begin to come down as visitors too.

Books for Yaxuna
The Mayaland Hotel has decided to join Hacienda Chichen in making the world, and the Mayan world specifically, a better place. They have started a book drive, in order to fill the shelves of the new library in the town of Yaxuna. Yaxuna is one of the towns that provides service workers for the New Wonder of the World, Chichen Itza. In an effort to help educate the future workers in this area, Mayaland is collecting books in Spanish to provide to the library. If any of our readers have Spanish books that they would like to donate to this cause, please bring them to the offices of Yucatan Living (Calle 68 #430A between 47 and 49 between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM). We will collect them and give them to the Mayaland representative. The drive finishes on April 10, so please do this as soon as possible! The people of Yaxuna thank you in advance!!

Chichén Itzá and Dzibilchaltún: Battle of the Gods
There was a battle of the gods on March 21, also known as the Spring Equinox. Kukulcán, the feathered serpent, was to appear as a shadow on the wall of the great pyramid at Chichén Itzá but Chaac, the rain god, covered the sun with clouds and made Kukulcán's appearance impossible. At the Temple of the Seven Dolls, there was no sun to shine through the doorway. Chaac was victorious this time and visitors were disappointed. However, the remaining events of the Spring Equinox went on just the same and visitors were able to enjoy some wonderful shows and all of the cultural events we have to offer in Yucatan. P.S. We hear that the next day, at Chichen Itza, Kukulcan was finally victorious and the crowds that had been waiting all day cheered the sun as it broke through the clouds. Those who were there said it was an emotional moment!

Norte # 39
Can you believe Norte # 39? This is the first norte to hit during Easter Week in 10 years! Of course, Easter did come very early this year. One of the reasons for moving to the tropics is that none of us cares much for winter weather or winter wardrobes. If "global warming" means hotter in the summer and colder in the winter, then we're in big trouble. Thank goodness we live on a peninsula and have the winds saving us from three sides in the summer!

95% of Merida Has Pure Water
On the Worldwide Day of Water, it was announced that 95% of Merida's residents now have pure water coming to their homes and businesses. However, that does not mean that all water in Merida is pure. We have a significant industrial area that has accidental chemical spills and there are many old septic tanks around the city to leak their contents into the ground. Only water that comes from the treatment plant is pure but, with 95% of us in safe areas now, we can feel relatively secure in trusting the water to which we are exposed. Federal investment in improving our water system is ongoing and it looks as if the situation is well in hand. Want to help improve the water quality here? Dispose of your batteries correctly, please!

Future of the Symphony Assured By Trust

This past week, it was revealed that a trust has been set up that will assure the future of our Symphonic Orchestra of Yucatan for the next 30 years. Our symphony is equal to, or better than, any symphony in the world. We once did a little comparison net search and found that tickets to comparable performances in the States run as high as $600 USD, while the most we will ever have to pay for tickets is $100 MXP. We are thankful to have our Symphony, and deeply appreciate the hard work of the talented musicians who perform for us, as well as a government that understands their value enough to ensure their continued success. Gracias, Yucatan!

Tourism Students Get OJT
The tourism students of local colleges in Valladolid got a little on the job training over the Easter holiday. They got to man the new tourism booths in the area, where they handed out maps and information to Easter tourists. The information they passed out also contained spectacular pictures of many of the best known tourist destinations throughout the region. This is a huge step forward toward making Yucatan an easy state to visit and to ensure that all of our guests have a wonderful time while they are with us.

Yucatan & Motorcycles
We get questions all the time about riding motorcycles in Yucatan so, with summer just around the corner, we thought we would answer a few of them here.
Are helmets required? Yes - in most places now. Better safe than injured or ticketed.
Is there a speed limit? Yes. Watch for road signs.
Is a license required? Yes, either from Mexico or another country.
Are plates required? From what we understand: Not everywhere - but have them just in case.
Is it safe to travel alone on a motorcycle? Yes - at least here in Yucatan. But the roads are long, the heat is often hot, and the distance between towns can be long. It's better to bike with a buddy, or at the very least with a cel phone!
Can we ride in groups? Yes - but... some towns, such as Izamal, will stop the group and request to see individual licenses. This is because motorcycle groups have, in the past, had a tendency to behave badly. We don't mean to tar everyone with the same brush, but the towns and villages of Yucatan have decided that it is easier to let groups of riders, especially very young riders, know that the local police are aware of their presence than to deal with the problems later. In other words, ride safely and behave well... and everyone will have a good time.

Record Year for Beekeepers
Last year, there were a little over 10,000 registered beekeepers in Yucatan and they were paid 13 to 16 pesos per kilo (2.2 lbs). This year, there are 11,000 registered beekeepers in Yucatan and they are selling their honey for between 21 and 23 pesos per kilo. Our best overseas market is in Germany, as well as in other European nations and our only competition is Argentina, which seems to not be having a good year. Within the next year or two, Yucatan will be into the organic honey market and profits will be even higher. Those who are building production and storage facilities can expect a great return on their investments.

A Serious Problem in Mexico: Comida Chatarra (Junk Food)
As the middle class of the nation grows, so do the waistlines of our children. Over the course of the past seven years, obesity among primary school students has grown by 33%. Mexico is second only to the U.S. in the number and severity of obesity among children. The problem is so serious that it has come to the attention of national legislators, who are working toward putting health warnings on all junk food. Sometimes we joke about the overt attempts, by the State of Yucatan and by the Nutrition Department at UADY, to get us up and moving; as well as to limit our consumption of junk food. However, this is an area that we all need to work on. We cannot do much about the rest of the world... but we can do something about Yucatan. We can get involved, ride bikes (Bici Ruta!), walk, eat "right" as much as possible, and encourage everyone around us to do the same. We will be healthier for it and so will they.

Fish & Seafood Consumption Down By 30%
At one time, the consumption of fish and seafood at least two to three times per week was part of the culture of all Mexico. Today, that practice is down 30% due to higher prices, smaller catches, and the introduction of comida chatarra into the Mexican diet. The national government is opening an advertising campaign aimed at turning this trend around. We live in an area where fish and seafood are inexpensive, fresh and available at all times. There is no reason we can't be the first group to step up and reintroduce a variety of fish and seafood into our diets.

Oaxacan Teen Dies of Rabies in California
Two days after illegally crossing the border, a 16 year old from Oaxaca died of rabies. While we have managed to make great strides in the area of spay, neuter, and vaccinate programs in Yucatan, more still needs to be done - especially in the southern part of our state. Please make certain that your pets' vaccinations are up to date and donate what you can to local organizations dedicated to helping the less fortunate spay, neuter and vaccinate their pets. We are lucky not to have rabies, right now at least, in Yucatan but this disease certainly recognizes no borders. Read about how rabies is treated in Merida here.

Clothing Optional Beaches in Yucatan?
This is one of those topics that continues to resurface, so we thought we'd just go ahead and address the issue. First, all beaches in Mexico are public beaches so, technically, there are no nude beaches on the Yucatan Peninsula. However, there are three states on this peninsula. We understand that there may be clothing optional on some beaches at some resorts in remote places in other states. What we do know is that the State of Yucatan is "family friendly." In fact, the phrase "family friendly" is almost an understatement here. As a result, we suggest that, if you are looking for a clothing optional beach, try Playa del Carmen or Tulum in Quintana Roo... the State of Yucatan is probably not the place you should be looking.