Yucatan News: Turtles and Dragon Mart
Semana Santa Crime Report: The Beaches of Yucatan
This report is from the Office of the Attorney General (FGE). It is for the beach towns of Celestun, Sisal, Chelem, Progreso, Chicxulub and Telchac and for the two-week time period ending on Easter Sunday. Services were provided by the Ministry of Public Security (SSP), the Federal Police (PF), municipal police and the armed forces, including 16 state police vehicles. Calls came from both local people and foreign tourists. The final tally of crime on the beaches of Yucatan ended with a grand (two week) total of 22 complaints and 300 calls to simply consult the police. Considering that as many as 60,000 to 80,000 people were on these beaches on a daily basis for two solid weeks, it looks as if Semana Santa 2013 was a great time to be in Yucatan.
Sisal on Easter Weekend
While Easter weekend activities in some beach towns become more commercial with each passing year, that same weekend still turns the clock back a bit with family and religious activities in Sisal. This calm little beach town is a place where extended families arrive by bus, by van and by car to set up tents and tables on the beach. Forgot your table? Not a problem. One cold drink company rents two tables and six chairs for $150 pesos, a table and four chairs for $60 pesos, and individual chairs for $10 pesos. If you are looking for local tradition, try walking with Our Lady of Tetiz (Nuestra Señora de Tetiz). Her procession walks through Sisal on Easter Sunday and she is returned to Tetiz on Monday morning. If a little calmer Easter weekend is what you need, do plan on taking a ride out to Sisal for Easter 2014.
Now, It's the Law!
On April 15, 2013, the state of Yucatan passed into law a strict punishment for cruelty or mistreatment of domestic animals. Now, thanks for many who worked to make this law real, any act of cruelty, abuse or mistreatment of domestic animals is punishable by 3 months up to 18 months in prison. If that cruelty results in the death of the animal, the prison time goes up to 2 years. If you see an animal victim or abuse or neglect, you can find out how to report the abuse in our article How To Report Animal Abuse. We want to personally thank all the individuals that we know worked hard to make this come to pass. Now, let's be sure to work as hard to make sure the law is upheld and that abusers are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
D-Day for Dragon Mart: Building Permit Not Granted
On Friday, April 12, 2013, the Secretaría de Desarrollo Urbano y Ecología (the Ministry of Urban Development and Ecology) handed down its response to the request for a building permit for the Dragon Mart project, which is being promoted by Real Estate Dragon Mart Cancún. The answer is a resounding "No". Unfortunately, Dragon Mart management and real estate are choosing to continue the fight in court. After Dragon Mart Real Estate filed for a building permit, the state government asked a group of representatives of various local social and professional leaders to give their opinion on the project, related exclusively to compliance with Cancun’s Urban Development Plan and Local Ecological Management Plan. Those against the project include: Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (Cemda), Voces Unidas de Puerto Morelos, Ombligo Verde A.C., Fundadores de Cancún A.C., el Colegio de Arquitectos de Cancún, la Universidad La Salle and la Universidad del Caribe. According to these NGOs, universities, and the College of Architects of Cancun, this project should not move forward because the location of the proposed Dragon Mart (“El Tucan”) has restrictions on population density and land use that forbid forbids the building of any commercial complex like Dragon Mart. We'd like to add that in addition people we have spoken with have objections based on economics, lack of job creation and the degradation of the culture and community.
Cattle Feed: A Step Toward Food Security
One of the most pressing problems for Yucatan’s cattle producers has long been the need to import cattle feed, especially during floods and droughts. This past week, that all changed with the opening of a brand new feed mill in Tizimin. The plant itself covers 20,000 square meters, has two 500-ton silos, a manure warehouse and a molasses storage tank. The first run of cattle feed has been completed and is ready for those of Yucatan’s cattle farmers who are affected by drought. It won’t be long before the security experienced by Yucatan’s cattle producers leads to increases in herds and Yucatan is on her way to becoming one of the best beef producers in the country.
Profepa, Turtles and Zero Tolerance
We give this warning every year because some new expats and visitors are unaware of the law as it relates to the endangered hawksbill turtle in Yucatan. This week, Profepa announced that it will strengthen its surveillance activities throughout the coastal zone because four turtles were found dead in Campeche. They were apparently the victims of shrimp nets that were not using turtle excluder devices (TEDS). The part of the story that let us know it was time to warn folks again came when Profepa stated that they intend to throw the full weight of the law “without giving it a second thought” against anybody who attacks turtles in any manner, and they do mean prison time. We hope no one would deliberately harm a turtle but, just in case anyone is wondering, the prison term just for keeping a hatchling as a pet is 20 years. If you find a nest on the beach, please call the local authorities. They will send someone to collect the eggs and help insure the survival of the species.
A Call to Leave the Sedentary Life
In honor of World Health Day, Yucatecos have heard the call for the people to change their lifestyle. A sedentary life, often combined with the consumption of excess fat, tobacco, and alcohol, is leading to dramatic increases in hypertension, coronary disease and diabetes throughout the State of Yucatan. While it is important for individuals of every age to increase their level of physical activity, it has been especially nice to see that the elderly seem to be leading the changes in lifestyle, especially in the southern part of the state. Well-attended activities made available by the City Council of Ticul on World Health Day show that the people hear the call and are working their way toward living a more active life.
El Cuyo: DIF Healthy Eating Workshop
Yucatan’s Department of Health is currently touring Tizimin with a workshop on nutrition, healthy eating practices, and the need for physical activity. The first workshop was in El Cuyo and drew a crowd of approximately 500. This traveling workshop is amazing and includes everything from a free outdoor movie to free haircuts, plus courses on fat-free cooking and nutrition. The far east of the state has been making huge strides forward in the past few months and the people are to be congratulated for all of their interest and hard work.
Mosquitoes Swarming in the South
The people seem to be having a hard time with mosquitoes this year, especially in the southern part of the state. Fumigation trucks are doing what they can, but it doesn’t seem as if their efforts are making much of a difference. Out of fear of dengue fever, the people are burning trash to make smoke, in hopes of running the mosquitoes off, or they are using their own insecticides and risking poisoning family members and pets. Hopefully, the Clean Patios program will be reinstituted across the state, since it is one activity that seems to hold down the mosquito population. Please remember to keep your doors and screens in good repair and closed. Much is made of wearing long pants and long sleeves early in the morning and at dusk. Just as much should be made concerning keeping one’s doors closed during the day, as the cool, humid place that mosquitoes prefer to hide from the heat is inside the house. We hope everyone has a safe and healthy summer.
Observation: Hat Makers
Last week, we talked about the hat makers in the Ticul area. If you read the comments on that page, you will see where Valerie Pickle offers to give visitors directions for finding the hat makers. This week, there is a hat salesman in Uman. His hats are selling for between $25 and $100 pesos. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this salesman’s hats. The problem is that the hats were made in Querétaro, where the salesman lives. We encourage our readers to always buy products made in Yucatan by Yucatecos, if at all possible. We hope everyone will drive a few extra miles to support the hat makers of Yucatan, along with their local economy.
Mexican Non-Alcoholic Drink Recipes
If you are looking for special drinks that can be enjoyed by everyone, we found a great page of recipes that are just the ticket. There is a link to recipes for these non-alcoholic drinks right under their descriptions. With temperatures soaring well over 100 degrees in Yucatan, now is the time to sit back, relax and enjoy as much as you like of the Top 10 Non-Alcoholic Mexican Drinks.
