Yucatan News: Chupacabras? Democrats?
Flying Your Pet on Aeromexico
Aeromexico is reminding pet owners that their pets can fly with them in the passenger cabin on flights within or from Mexico and the United States, Canada, and Central and South America. Dogs must weigh no more than 9 kilograms, and may fly in either firm plastic or soft, bag-type bags (as long as the carrier is approved by air transportation and specified by Aeromexico). The limit is one dog per owner (4 pets per flight, if each is accompanied by an adult) and the owner must be at least 18 years of age. The dog must be at least 8 weeks old, have had a rabies vaccination within the past 30 days, and must have the proper international veterinary certificates. The cost of flying a pet in the cabin on Aeromexico is $986 pesos within the country and $125 USD to or from the United States, Canada, and Central or South America. For details of this program, Aeromexico welcomes you to call 01-800-021-4000 from within Mexico, or 51-33-40-00 from outside the country.
MEL Needs Volunteers
The Merida English Library is planning several important fundraisers for the coming months and is asking for your help in making them successful. They could use your help in making these programs successful. The programs include weekly House and Garden tours, Monthly wine tastings, the annual artist studio tour, the annual chili cook-off, the Home renovation workshop, and an evening of small in-home dinners throughout Centro, ending with dessert and coffee in MEL’s garden. For some of these activities, they are looking for project managers to assume primary overall responsibility for the event. They will also need lots of volunteers to work with the project managers. In addition, they are looking for volunteers with website and social media expertise, graphic designers, photographers and front desk volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, please contact the library by e-mail – amigosofMEL@gmail.com. Tell them about your skills and interests, and let them know which of these projects you might like to work on as an individual volunteer or as the project manager. (You can also ask for more details about any of the events listed above.) Or, if you visit the library, you can fill out the new information form you will find at the front desk. We hope everyone will become involved in continuing to grow the Merida English Library as the oldest expatriate resource in Yucatan, as well as the oldest networking resource between English and Spanish speakers. The website is www.meridaenglishlibrary.com.
Expat Girls on the Town in Merida
Many of our readers are returning to Yucatan this month and when we think of writing for this website, we used to think about what older folks are interested in reading. That is changing as younger expats begin to look at new lives and careers online and/or outside of their home countries, and more and more of them are coming to Merida. We tend to forget that there are quite a few expats in Yucatan who are in the younger age groups so we want to be sure that they know they will be in good company. For those of our readers who are a bit younger, especially the ladies, you are more than welcome to visit The Merida 20/30/40’s Expat Girls on the Town Meetup. where you will find almost 100 lady expatriates now living in Yucatan. Some are married and some are not. Some have children and some do not. Some are working and some are enjoying life at home. In any of those cases, you will be able to find new friends with whom to enjoy your new life.
Democrats Abroad’s 50th Anniversary
Democrats Abroad will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2014. In preparation, they are seeking input from DA members around the world. If you would like to take part, please fill out this 13 question survey within the next week. If you are a Republican, and if your party has an international association or activity, please feel free to contact Yucatan Living and we will be happy to post your news as well. Whether you are an American Democrat or a Republican, please do register to vote absentee in your elections back at home. You can contact the U.S. Consulate in Merida for assistance in registering to vote absentee.
New Chupacabra Sited in Chicxulub?
A chupacabra has (allegedly) appeared in Chicxulub. It (supposedly) has wings and a snout like a wolf, lives in an abandoned disco and has even been sighted by city employees. Local chickens have (allegedly) been attacked by the chupacabraand residents are very concerned about its presence. Through the years, there have been multiple chupacabra sightings and incidents throughout Yucatan but never a capture or a photograph. It will be interesting to watch as the hunt for the chupacabra continues in Chicxulub. Long live the (maybe) Chupacabra!
Tizimin Primary Students’ Environmental Science Projects
Sixth grade primary school students in Tizimin have just completed a number of environmental projects which they exhibited for school officials, science teachers and the media. The purpose of the projects required that each must focus on the care of nature, involve the use of recycled material, and fall within the context of science and technology. Winning projects included the exhibition of organically grown plants and vegetables, and a Solar Drip System designed to water crops without wasting water. Yucatan can be proud of the knowledge and dedication of her youngest citizens and confident that they will do an excellent job in protecting the environment far into the future.
Collaboration Between John Deere & Mayab Technological University
While Merida hosts expos concerned with the construction and housing industry, other parts of Yucatan state are building well known expos of their own. Deep in the Southern Cone of Yucatan, Peto is hosting an agricultural expo. While the rest of the world is often still heard to describe this area as “the dark and mysterious jungles of Yucatan,” farmers here are getting ready to purchase tractors that are guided by satellites. This technology enables them to plow and sow their crops with a precision that can only make an error of 10 millimeters per 10 hectares. Access to this new technology will give the farmers of Yucatan the ability to increase both production and profit which will, in turn, improve the economy of the entire state. Several private companies attended this expo, including John Deere, which recently signed a collaborative agreement with Mayab Technological University.
Hunucma Hosts Karate Fraternity Cup
There were over 300 competitors in this event, ages six to adult. Students from nine local karate schools belong to the Quintal Band, under the direction of Maestro Andres Quintal. Most of the members of this group have participated in events throughout Mexico and have brought home both gold and bronze medals. Other members of the group have represented Yucatan in Las Vegas and are soon slated to compete in Japan. Local Fraternity Cup teams are from the academies of La Inalambrica, Alta Brisa, Campestre, García Ginerés, Francisco de Montejo, Seyé and Hunucmá.
Cancun in the Top 10 Favorite Tourism Websites
Cancun has taken sixth place in the top ten favorite international tourism websites for travelers who book through Despegar.Com. The characteristics that won their place include natural beauty, beaches, nightlife and theme parks. The first five place winners include: Miami, Orlando, Rio de Janeiro, New York and Buenos Aires. The tourism websites that trail behind Cancun include: the Dominican Republic, Panama, Cuba and Jamaica. The first six most popular international tourism websites, including Cancun, account for 75% of Despegar’s travelers’ choices.
Small Earthquake in Bay of Campeche
On Sunday, October 20, 2013, there was a 4.3 magnitude earthquake in the Bay of Campeche, 105 km northwest of Ciudad del Carmen. The depth was approximately 5 miles. This quake was within the Ku-Maloob-Zaap Reservoir, the main heavy oil producing reservoir in Mexico. There seems to be no cause for alarm and it is reported that these occasional small magnitude quakes have done no damage. Residents along the coast did not feel the quake and there was no action taken by Civil Protection. These small quakes are of concern to officials only because of their proximity to the Pacific coast of Mexico, which is a busy earthquake area. This is nothing to be alarmed about, but it is still wise to keep an eye on these occurrences.
