Yucatan Living

Yucatan News: Dolly, 2012, Crater Museum

Hello Dolly!
As we get ready to publish our weekly news, Dolly is still a tropical storm and expected to pass through Yucatan on Monday with a maximum sustained wind of 50 miles per hour. We are expected to get between 4 and 6 inches of rain from this storm. Unfortunately, for the rest of the Gulf Coast, Dolly is expected to intensify once she passes us and reaches the open Gulf. Please be careful and follow all safety precautions.

Beach Hotel Occupancy Low Due to Red Tide
Beach hotels are reporting lower than usual occupancy due to the belief that the red tide is spoiling the beaches and killing the fish. As reported last week, the red tide is being swept out to sea by normal currents and should be virtually swept away by the winds and wave action that come with Tropical Storm Dolly. Next month is the traditional holiday month in Yucatan and it is expected that as many Yucatecos as possible will all be enjoying their vacations on the beach. We haven’t been there ourselves but personally know people who were swimming last weekend and report that the water was wonderful.

Chicxulub to Get Museum of the Crater
With the help of NASA, Chicxulub is to soon have a new Interactive Museum of the Crater. NASA will be returning river sand, limestone, and dinosaur bones that have been removed for research purposes. We are very happy for the citizens of Chicxulub. This museum will not only add another dimension to their tourist activities, but will also be a place where the people themselves can come to learn the many wonders of the distant past of their area.

Sampool's New Multipurpose Center is Underway
Sampool is in the Municipality of Hunucma. It is here that they are building a $3.75 million peso multipurpose center. The new center is designed to seat an audience of 1,800 and can be adapted for sporting events and other events. The complex will also include a huge new cafeteria. This is the kind of center that attracts national and international events and we look forward to great things happening in tiny Sampool in the very near future.

Las Profecias de la Serpiente: The Prophecies of the Serpents
Beginning sometime between November, 2008, and January, 2009, a new Sony film is going to be shot in Yucatan. The topic will be contemporary Mayans and their relationship with their ancestors. The scene with be the archaeological remains of Chichen Itza and Balancanchen. This is not going to be an historical film debating old issues like human sacrifice, but rather a film that explores the future of the Maya and the coming events prophecied to center around 2012.

The film is said to write a new "what if" ending, in which the Maya decide to take back what belongs to them. We suggest that visitors come to our fair state and see that the Mayans of Yucatan are certainly not waiting for some magical date in 2012 to "reclaim their own." Instead, the Mayans of Yucatan are hard at work in education and research, art and music, and business and agriculture. They have a successful presence in the global export market for dozens of products and Mayan women in business are a fast-growing force to be reckoned with. We will be interested to see how the film industry portrays "contemporary Mayans." 

Koreans in Tixpeual
We cannot help but be impressed by the generosity of the Korean people, both our own Korean Yucatecos and Korean nationals who bring gifts of money and services. This time, it is the Korean Yucatecos of Tixpeual who were the beneficiaries of this aid, which included not only haircuts and school supplies, but cash for deserving students, principals, and even the city itself. To read more about Korean-Yucatecos and how they came to Yucatan, read our news article celebrating the beginning of a year long celebration of 100 years of Korean history in this country.

El Club Rotario Merida Itzaes in Telchac Puerto

Yucatecos have long been the grateful beneficiaries of Rotary Clubs from Yucatan and from around the world. This time, Telchac Puerto is the recipient of just the right types of support at just the right time. As part of the "Rotarios en tu comunidad, municipio limpio" (Rotarians in your community, clean city)program, Telchac is getting wheelchairs and computers destined for citizens who cannot afford them, painting of the facades in the center of town, a "clean patios" contest, a health fair, a number of solar stoves, equipment for schools and libraries (plus English classes), and scholarships to students who wish to study for technical degrees. The computers will be installed in the municipal library so that students will no longer have to pay to use computers in cybercafes. This is an amazing list of projects that could only happen because the Rotary club works with local governments to make certain that all projects meet the health, education, and cultural needs of the community. ...and the best part? When they finish in Telchac Puerto, they will be on to another municipality to work their community assistance throughout our state. 

Horticultural Supports
With welfare societies being blamed for much that is wrong in the world today, Mexico and the State of Yucatan seem to have gotten it right on this subject. In Uman and Kinchil, a total of 700 horticultural packages have been given to households whose members have agreed to perform community service to pay for them. These packages include a 19 liter bucket, seeds for pumpkin, onions, coriander, jalapena chile, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, radishes, beets, and fertilizers for all of the above. In addition, each recipient household received 10 laying hens. We congratulate all of the recipients of the horticultural packages and hope their foray into home gardening is successful beyond their dreams! 

Valladolid: Young Industrialist
Noe Rodrigues Cervera, age 23, is opening his fourth clothing store in Valladolid. This one is only for caballeros (gentlemen), but the merchandize list sounds a lot like a cross between a good, old fashioned Western store and a tennis club pro shop. This young man started out in business with his mother and gradually eased out on his own. We just love seeing a 23 year old "self-made" Yucateco spoken of as "the young industrialist," and hope to see much much more of this particular young Yucateco as the years pass by.

15 Ladies Form Fish-Frying Cooperative in Celestun
Some of the ladies of Celestun have been frying fish for as long as 25 years, but now they have formed a cooperative and are recognized by the state. The ladies' market consists of Yucatecos who visit the area from less affluent municipalities and who would not ordinarily be potential customers for local restaurants. These ladies sell fried fish by the kilo or by the piece. This sounds like a great way to buy a picnic lunch when exploring the area around Celestun. We wish the ladies all the best, and we are particularly proud of yet another women's cooperative in the State of Yucatan.

Progreso Gets "Silver of Taxco" Shop
Our Progreso is hardly the sleepy little fishing village described in tourist guides that haven't quite caught up. There are improvements on Calle 80, improvements to public buildings, improvements to and a soon-to-be extension of the Malecon, a soon to open new mercado - and now an affordable designer jewelry shop offering exclusive designs by Adriana Karam. The shop is called Plata de Taxco (Silver of Taxco) and will be located at Calle 80 at Calle 21. This will provide tourists with one more excellent shopping experience in Yucatan and will give those who live here a new place to look for that all too often elusive special gift. 

Police Learn to Fight Cyber-Crime
Under the direction of the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Yucateco police have just completed classes related to the detection and fighting of cyber-crime. Yucatan will now have a new unit that is specially trained to work with law enforcement throughout the nation and throughout the world to answer the demand of the people for a safe Internet environment.

Kennedy Awarded Mexico's Aztec Eagle
Senator Edward Kennedy was awarded Mexico's highest honor, the Aztec Eagle, for his work defending the rights of immigrants throughout his career in Congress. The award was presented in Washington, DC. Senator Kennedy, age 76, is recovering from brain surgery, but was able to return to Congress to vote on an important Medicare bill. Congratulations to Senator Kennedy and best wishes for a complete recovery.

Side Trip to Campeche: Light Show at Edzna
On Friday and Saturday nights, there is an elaborate multimedia show called “Light of the Itzaes" at the archaeological site of Edzna. The show is designed by Elias Cisneros of 333 Luxes. The lights used are Philips ColorBlast 12 fixtures that do not radiate either heat or UV rays which have the potential, over time, to damage the temple's exterior. Modern electronic technology, coupled with ancient pyramids, has created a spectacular worth making the trip to Campeche to see.