Yucatan Living

Yucatan News: Merida Wins!

Merida Hotels Win Trip Advisor Awards
Trip Advisor’s 2010 Travelers’ Choice Hotel Awards have been announced and Merida’s hotels have made the Top 10 Lists in three categories. Hotel Julamis won in the Best Service/Mexico category; Cascadas de Merida and Los Arcos won in the B&B/Mexico category; and Luz en Yucatan and Hotel Julamis won in the Bargain category. We will also note that no hotel in all of Mexico made the list for Dirtiest Hotels.

Scientist Receives Award
La Comisión Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas gave Dr.Jorge Herrera Silveira recognition for Restoring Wetlands in Mexico. Dr. Herrera Silveira has been working on Yucatan’s coastal area problems, including red tide, for over 20 years. The next time you see a restored mangrove, you can be certain that Dr. Herrera Silveira had a hand in its development, as he has in the development and redevelopment of all of the wetlands along our coast. Our congratulations to Dr. Jorge Herrera Silveira and his team for all of their hard work and dedication to preserving and enriching the coast of the State of Yucatan!

Music Appreciation Classes in Merida
If you have always loved the Symphony, but really felt you need a little extra guidance in order to get the most out of that experience and others, then this is the class for you. Your teacher is James Meador, a member of the Symphony Orchestra of Yucatan and a bass trombonist who is rapidly carving out a name for himself in low brass performance and composition. For the benefit of the expat community in Yucatan, it might interest you to know that this young man is from Houston, TX, did his undergraduate work at Stephen F. Austin, and came to Northwestern in Natchitoches, LA, for his M.S. – then continued on with his studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has played from Singapore to Shreveport and from Mississippi to Portugal. Read his biography Here. The next class (Feb 4) will focus mostly on Aaron Copland’s book “What to Listen for In Music,” in addition to more listening. This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about music and about experiencing the music you hear. Botanas and wine provided.
Location: Il Caffe Italiano, on the side of Teatro Peon Contreras
Time: 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM  (all classes on Thursday nights)
Admission: $100 pesos per class, $500 pesos for the first 5 classes
For More Information: 011-52-999-221-5845 cell or jamesmeadorhotmailcom

Please Be Careful of Forest Fires
It is that time of year again and agricultural fires are being set throughout our state. Unfortunately, so are some isolated and accidental grass fires. If you are driving and see smoke ahead, please do what you can to avoid driving through it. If it is absolutely necessary that you pass that way immediately, then please turn on your lights so that others and the firemen can see you. Try not to set any fires of your own but, if you must, then please alert both your neighbors and the fire department that you will be doing so. Agricultural fires are necessary in Yucatan, but they can quickly become deadly due to our wind patterns, so please do be careful.

Lionfish Alert
A lionfish has been caught off of the coast on Yucatan. This is not a good thing, considering that lionfish are huge fish, kill all of the larvae of other fish, are poison to humans, and deposit between 2,000 and 15,000 eggs of their own every time they reproduce. Marine biologists are recommending an all out hunt to eradicate all lionfish in the area – especially around the Alacranes.  

New Archaeological Site in Chiapas
There has been a discovery of a new sarcophagus in Tonina that may hold the answer to why the Mayan empire collapsed. It is ver 1,000 years old and best guesses are, at the present time, that is it from between 800 B.C. and 900 B.C. The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) made a brief statement and said that this sarcophagus could hold the key to the reason for the fall of the Mayan empire but said no more. This is one of the mysteries of the ages and we can hardly wait for more information to become public.

Happy Birthday to Doña Vitaliana Kantún Pech
100 years young and still going strong! Doña Vitaliana not only keeps her own house still, but doesn’t even have any major health problems! She lost her husband 2 days after their 75th wedding anniversary, but still enjoys her 14 children, 32 grandchildren, 66 great-grandchildren, and 20 great-great grandchildren. She has a little sip of her favorite alcoholic drink before dinner and loves bull fighting on television, but has never been to one. As far as we know, Doña Vitaliana Kantún Pech is Merida’s oldest resident, so we will be checking back to see how she is doing as time goes on.

Festival of the City a Success
In spite of the global recession that kept Argentina from full participation in the festival that was meant to honor them, 300 thousand visitors attended 266 events during the Festival of the City of Merida. For one performance alone, that of Aleks Syntek, 15,000 spectators showed up in the plaza grande! If you are planning a trip to Yucatan, you could pick no better time than during the January Anniversary of the City of Merida – but then there is Carnival… and the Fall Festival… Come to think of it, any time is a good time to come to Yucatan because there is always something wonderful happening here!