Yucatan Living

Yucatan News: Triathalons and Telescopes

18 February 2013 News 3

New Triathlon for Progreso / Merida

This past Sunday, the first Progreso Sprint Triathlon took place, with two groups of athletes taking advantage of the opportunity to show their skill and endurance. While there were normal age categories designed for the average athlete, there were also athletes from 12 years of age fighting for their place on the national Olympics team. The event itself consisted of a 750 meter open water swim, a 20 kilometer bike ride, and a 5 kilometer run. Approximately 200 athletes, some from as far away as Quintana Roo, Campeche, Chiapas and Tabasco, participated in this event. The creators of this event are a group of women entrepreneurs who have formed an organization called “Outdoors” Aire Libre. It is their mission to improve the quality of life for the entire society in Yucatan by using sports activities to help develop a balance between mind, body and spirit. To learn more about current and upcoming sporting events in Yucatan, we recommend the press releases of Yucatan’s Institute of Sports.

PEMEX Fee to Progreso

The Municipality of Progreso has been handed a check for $2,196,000 pesos from PEMEX as their fee for having the use and benefit of the 155,000 square meters of land occupied by their facilities on federal land in the municipality. This check will be used not only to provide all forms of safety and security services for the benefit of PEMEX, but for much needed social services for the people of the Municipality of Progreso, as well as projects related to beach sustainability. This is a partnership that is working well and looks as if it will continue to do so far into the future.

Recipe for the Season of Lent: Papadzules

With Carnival over and Lent in full swing, it is often hard to come up with something new or different that everyone can eat on traditionally meatless days. Papadzules fits that bill perfectly. The recipe is from Chelsie Kenyon, an About.com Guide, and features authentic Maya tortillas stuffed with hard-boiled eggs and pumpkin seed sauce. You can view the Papadzules Recipe Online . We hope you enjoy your Papadzules!

The (Food) Markets During Lent

Buying food during Lent can come as a shock if one isn’t prepared for it. The price of vegetables, especially those that are seasonally imported into Yucatan, can soar to double their normal price, and the new price can often be near that of meat. This year that is no exception but, if market customer behavior in Yucatan is any reflection on the condition of the state’s economy, then things are getting better all around. Even with increases in the price of fish and shellfish, sales of produce and seafood have been brisk. There have been years when reports on Lenten prices have been upsetting. This year is not one of those years. We hope this has at least something to do with all of the new sustainable family farming activities going on in Yucatan. Either way, it is Lent and the food news is good.

Villa Merida Wins Architectural Digest Award

Last week, Valladolid’s Casa Hamaca Guesthouse was named by TripAdvisor as one of the 25 Best Bed and Breakfasts/Inns in all of Mexico. Hotel Boutique Merida Santiago and Cascadas de Merida also won awards in the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards in the Bed and Breakfast category, and Hotel Hacienda VIP won in the Small Hotels category. This week, it is Villa Merida that has won in Mexico’s division of Architectural Digest in the category of Restoration Architecture. If you are looking for decorating and restoration inspiration, look to Mexico’s Architectural Digest or visit The Villa Merida right here at home! In Merida, there is no shortage of inspiration!

George Ann Huck Cultural Sensitivity Workshop

It isn’t often that we put an event in the News, but cultural sensitivity is one of the most important skills any expat can have when living in any foreign country. During the MEL Saturday Lecture Series, George Ann Huck's talk on Cultural Sensitivity was such a success that she has offered to lead a workshop as an extension of that talk. This is a very important topic that can be of some degree of benefit to each and every expat in Yucatan. We hope everyone will attend.
Location: Merida English Library
Time: 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM each day: February 26 and March 1
Admission: $200 pesos per session, total $400 pesos for the workshop; or $350 pesos per session for a couple, total $500 pesos for the workshop per couple.
More Information : There is a minimum attendance required, so please advise Irving or Francisco by email (meridaenglishlibrary.acboard@gmail.com; or by telephone at 924 8401 Monday thru Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM pm, or Sat. from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM) if you are interested. All proceeds go to the Merida English Library. Learn More About the MEL Saturday Lecture Series

Astronomy / Astrophysics in Yucatan’s High Schools

It is far too easy to point out the short-comings of education systems. Sometimes, it’s more beneficial to recognize some of the things they are doing correctly. On February 14, 2013, it was announced that more than 10,000 students in 188 secondary schools in Yucatan will be given telescopic equipment known as Galileoscopes. This new equipment will facilitate the understanding of the basics of astronomy and astrophysics in order to further strengthen academic learning. The first of these classrooms has already been opened by the Governor and provides a teaching space for up to 45 students. This will increase the number of astronomy and astrophysics students, in that one school, from 225 to 270. Imagine doing that 188 times! There are reasons that Yucatan’s universities are some of the most well respected in the world and this is one of those reasons. Our congratulations to everyone involved, from governments to teachers, in this scientific gift to the young people in Yucatan!

Peace and Quiet in Cepeda Peraza

Cepeda Peraza is a town of approximately 850 people in the Municipality (county) of Tekax, in the State of Yucatan. Of those 850 people, a person might tend to take a crooked path, but the rest do their best to talk to him in hopes of getting him to see the error of his ways. In Cepeda Peraza, there is no crime of any kind, including no thefts, and each day, everyone in the community works together to become better human beings. In Cepeda, friendship, fellowship and dialogue are practiced, while aggression is not even on anyone’s radar. Could this town be under the spell of some kind of unseen power? Not at all. The people of Cepeda Peraza belong to three totally different religions. What about drugs and alcohol? Cepeda Peraza is not the place for anyone who is interested in those vices. The people decided, long ago, that anyone who wants a beer can have one. They just have to travel to some other town to buy it. This is not to say that absolutely all is quiet in Cepeda Peraza. It must be noted that there have been several heated discussions throughout the area on the subject of sports, especially on the topic of hotly contested baseball games. Our congratulations to Cepeda Peraza, Tekax, Yucatan, for being one place on the planet where the people seem to be getting it right!

Musicians Take Note!

Lizard Joe's on the beach in Chelem Yucatan Mexico has announced a "Sing for your Supper" program, where local and visiting musicians or bands who perform at the restaurant will receive one of our Lizard Joe's suppers and can raise money for one of the local charities. The venue will provide the PA system. Musicians must bring their own equipment and provide their own transportation. Beginning Friday February 22, Lizard Joe's welcomes any established or up-and-coming musician or band to showcase their talent or try out new material at their venue at the beach for an hour and a half. Musicians and bands who choose to perform will be rewarded with a free meal, two free drinks and Lizard Joe's will donate the price of those meals to a local charity selected by the musician or band. If you or your band is interested in playing at Lizard Joe's, send an email to Cynthia at daltxu@yahoo.com to schedule your performance.

Wildfires Continue in Yucatan

Please be careful as you drive the highways in rural Yucatan. There have been several wildfires in just the last week that were started, it is believed, by either cigarettes or bottles thrown from vehicles. One very dangerous situation caught our attention. As cars drove down the highway, they met a wildfire that had debris burning in their path. The entire line of cars moved to the other lane and drove into smoke in order to get around the fire. Luck was with them and no cars were coming from the other direction. However, this kind of situation is little better than a tragedy waiting to happen. Please be careful whenever you see smoke. Better to turn around and live to make the trip another day than to take your chances and drive into it. The fire season will last at least through the month of May so please continue to drive carefully.

Twins Soon-To-Be Expats

We would like to congratulate twins, Jaylynn and Merida Hays, on their recent birth to parents who have decided to move to Merida. These young ladies will add two more names to the growing list of expat children in Yucatan. Jaylynn, Merida and their parents will make fine additions to the expat community, and we know that growing up in Yucatan will significantly enrich these young ladies’ ability to become fully functional citizens of the world. Congratulations to Dad, Mom and siblings, as well as to the newest soon-to-be expats.