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Costa Maya Newsletter > Archived Costa Maya Newsletters > Costa Maya-Mahahual March -2012 Newsletter

*********** Costa Maya-Mahahual Newsletter-Mar 2012 **********

Costa Maya Newsletter: of interest to visitors and property owners and anyone looking to learn more about the Costa Maya, Mahahual / Majahual - Rio Indio - Placer - Uvero - Punta Herrera - Xcalak and other points along Quintana Roo South

Editorial- Sargasso. . .seaweed. . .seaweed everywhere

Hi Costa Maya Neighbors,

High season of 2012 will be remembered if nothing else for the mountains of Sargassum that are piling up on some shores in the Costa Maya. Some are solving the cleanup by digging holes and burying it. Others pile it on neighboring lots where it will compost adding needed nitrogen to the sand, and others are just shoveling it back into the Caribbean. I'll never complain about turtle grass again!). The worst of it is that the Sargassum has a lot of texture and plastic sticks to it, so the beaches are full of plastic.

Marcia with Baracuda

Sargassum is a floating seaweed named by Christopher Columbus, who thought the little yellow air bladders looked like little grapes so named it after the Italian word for grapes "salgazo." It lives primarily from two places, in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Sargasso sea which is in the middle of the Atlantic and is kept in place by the Atlantic gyre. Those of you know know about the great Pacific Garbage Patch know that it is kept in place by the North Pacific Gyre. The Atlantic has its own version, but in this case, it is full of nutritious and healthy seaweed that provide a nursery for small fish, shrimp and baby turtles.

Those of you who don't know what Sargassum is might find it worthwhile to click on the photo at the right to learn more about it. NOTE: this photo is NOT of Mahahual, but of the beaches on Sierra Leone and opens a different website.

Sargasso in Sierra Leone

In May of 2011, portions of the Sargasso sea broke off in large amounts and throughout the caribbean the seaweed piled up on beaches. Left to its own devises, the seaweed builds the beaches, adding texture that traps sand. The downside of it is that it also smells as it composts on the beach and even baby turtles caught up in the massive amounts can be trapped on the shores. Some beaches in the Caribbean islands had to be closed for fear that people would drown in the vast amounts. Some entrepreneurs on the island of Barbados are harvesting the seaweed, drying it and grinding to a powder to be used as fertilizer.

On the last week of January it reached the shores of the Yucatan Peninsula. Fortunately it never reached the levels of Sierra Leone. However, if you are driving up and down the coast, you might smell a rotten egg smell in areas that have started to compost. We will be happy when it is gone!

Your Costa Maya Neighbor,

Marcia Bales. . .writing this from Placer and Mayan Beach Garden Inn - 20 km north of Mahahual.

Past newsletters can be found at NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

Sign up for up-to-date info at Costa Maya-Mahahual Live Blog with updates and current events

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mahahual and Costa maya news

Calendar of events in Mahahual

  • March 24th - children's Marathon
  • Fishing tournament Governor's cup, April 27, 28, 29
  • Fishing tournament Copa Dorado de Plata June 9, 10, 11
  • Dentist in Mahahual on Tuesdays
  • Recycled bottle pickup on Wednesday mornings 9:00-1:00 in the Casitas.
  • Jatsa'-ja 2012 - 3rd weekend in August (start organizing your photos for the photo contest)

FINALLY! Rental car pickup in Mahahual

Mexican Car Rental Group It's about time, but finally you can pre-order a car on line and pick it up in Mahahual. While a couple of my Mexican clients have used it, I don't know a lot about the company Mexico Car Rental Group.
You can reach them by phone in the US or Canada Toll Free 1 800 81 36 371. What that means is now you can travel here by bus (actually. . .bus to Limones and taxi to Mahahual) and rent a car only on the days you want to. The rates are decent and you can reserve in advance.

2012 Fishing Tournaments announced

The dates for both major fishing tournaments of 2012 have been announced.

The first one, Copa Gobernador is scheduled for the last weekend of April.

Copa Dorado de Plata is scheduled for the 9, 10, and 11th of June.

Prizes include vehicles, cash and top line fishing gear. If you are in the area at either of these times, make a point of being at the weigh in between 3:30 and 5:00 on Sunday.

 

 

Fishing Tournament Mahahual

New Medical Clinic in Mahahual

A new private Medical Clinic is now open in the Casitas. The location is close to the pier. To get there, when leaving the pier area, at the 2nd roundabout (not the one with the Mayan Temple) take the road to the right that looks like it goes nowhere. The clinic is on the left. It is open daily - Hours are 9 AM - 9 PM on cruise ship days and 9 AM - 2 PM and 4:30 - 9 PM on all other days. The doctor speaks English.

Phone number for appointments: 983 154 2705
Clinic
NOTE: Currently the only sign is on the door

Phase 3 of the Malecon Improvements Nears Completion

The Malecon Phase three is about completed. You might be surprised to see the side streets converted into walking-only boulevards with palm trees and picnic benches. There will be no more taxis crowding the side streets making for a complete change in the feeling of the town. Parking is now almost non-existent, so it will be a big mystery as to where the thousands of cars will end up during semana Santa and the fishing tournaments.

Mahahual Malecon side streets

Dentist in Mahahual

Telephone of Dr Mario Soto, dentist who holds office on Tuesdays in Mahahual.
His Chetumal office number is 983-833-3982

Mahahual Limpia - results of the clean up campaign

Feb 25th was the culmination of a month long clean-up campaign sponsored by Sustenta. The first part of the campaign started on February 1 and ended on Feb. 24th. During this time, the goal was to pick up PET plastic, or plastic labeled #1 and place in green plastic bags. Normally, PET is transparent plastic drink bottles.

Limpia Mahahual Pet

The 2nd portion of the campaign was held on one day only - Feb. 25th and was for all other beach trash.

Highlights of the Campaign

http://www.limpiamahahual.org/

The campaign had all the makings of a movie script with the handsome sponsor and the first place winner being a young boy with an artificial leg who picked up 206.3 Kilos of PET plastic.

Limpia Mahahual 
Luis Fernando - picking up a water filter as part of his first prize for picking up PET

2nd place was Gabi Pineda, a handicapped girl who picked up 76 Kilos of PET.

First place in the team PET campaign went to the UVERO/PLACER team who picked up 228 Kilos of plastic. (it is a testament to the actions of one little boy!)

First place in the garbage pickup when to Xcalak who by far picked up the most trash in a single day - 190 bags.

Other notable events included the participation of Diamonds international who paid 70 of their workers to clean trash the morning of the 25th and a study of the source of the plastic. Major sources included Columbia, Argentina, Venezuela and Honduras, with only 2 readable labels coming from Mexico.

In total 982 bags were collected at 6,437.50 Kilos.

Limpia Mahahual

News from the Mahahualaneans

  • Daylight Saving Time - starts in Mexico on April 1st.... The United States and Canada changed their clocks last Saturday.
  • Bus Schedule - ADO will not commit to a regular schedule at this time, the bus leaves for Cancun at 5:30 p.m. and for Chetumal at 6:30 p.m. However, we could not get any confirmed days of travel from them. A second option is a shuttle service operated by the Taxi Company out of Hotel Sorez on Second Street. They run to F.Carillo Puerto every day at 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. from there you can catch a local bus i.e. Mayab which runs about every half hour north.
  • Comfort Inn - If you are looking for a lower priced hotel near the airport, Comfort Inn offers great rooms with breakfast included for 760 pesos and they also have a shuttle service to the airport. They do not have a restaurant, but there is MacDonald's, Burger King and Dominoes Pizza close by.

Mahahual in the news

An exquisite beach cursed by plastic - this article may be a bit negative about the area, but hopefully brings attention to the growing plastic problem in the Caribbean.


Links worth clicking on. . .

Mexico My Space Classifieds

Google's "My Space Classifieds" has a service where you can post homes for sale or lease in Mexico for free. I think this is something you would have to repost often, because it has a facebook like nature to it where the older posts scroll to the bottom of the page. Post Homes for Sale or Lease in Mexico for FREE!

How Not to Get Beheaded in Mexico

This article gets to the heart of the media campaign to frighten people into avoiding Mexico - it's humorous and to the point.

Asur prohibited by the CFC to compete for Riviera Maya airport

Although we hear rumors that the airport in Tulum may never happen, it continues to be in the news. This article covers the latest news prohibiting Asur from bidding.

Mexico for the wary: A guide to safe, popular travel spots

Another wonderful review of traveling to Mexico. It mentions some lesser known spots. Unfortunately the writer didn't know about Mahahual.

Windfinder.com - Mahahual wind report

Mayan Beach Garden - New at MBG

Mayan Beach Garden in the News

Kim Curtis visited us in December and she wrote a lovely article mentioning Mayan Beach Garden. It's recently been picked up by the Associated press and we couldn't be more pleased. Finding a Quiet Beach getaway in Mexico

New Homes available through Mayan Beach Garden Vacation Rentals

Over the last few months, Mayan Beach Garden has added a few new homes to its list of rentals. Some of these are located on the best beaches on the Costa Maya. Others offer quiet and magical seclusion. If it turns out to be true that 2012 will be a banner year - please make sure you get homes reserved early. Spring is already quite full in the housing rental market in the Costa Maya. In addition to the homes below, the perennial favorites Casa Porto Vino, Taj Majahual, Casa Que Canta and Casa Las Brisas all will house at least 8 persons, so if you have a group make sure you keep those in mind!

Casa Caribe Azul Casa Joha Escondida
Casa Caribe Azul and Casa Joya Escondida (both on Sapphire Beach in Placer)
Casona Palms Yum Botic
Casona Palms (in Uvero) and Yum Botic (in Uvero)
Casa Azucar Casa Maria
Casa Azucar (in Rio Indio) and Casa Maria (South Placer)

Tolán - Bikram Yoga retreat in the Sian Ka'an

Tolán Yoga retreat is only available through April. This exclusive experience is located in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere, about 50 minutes north of Mayan Beach Garden and not far from the Shipwreck. Through a special agreement with Tolán management, guests of Mayan Beach Garden have been offered a unique opportunity to experience Tolán for just a day or even an over night stay.

Experience a day or more in one of Tolán's unique series of 15 one-week exclusive Bikram Yoga retreats during 2012. Space is limited as no more than 20 people will be accepted at any one time. The combination of the incredible natural site and the benefits of the Bikram Yoga practice will mark your life.

Contact us at Mayan Beach Garden reservations for more information on Tolán or to book a night's stay. Daily rates start at $50 USD.

Tolam
Tolan Yoga

Spear Fishing teams up with Mayan Beach Garden

Spear fishing Costa Maya
More Info on Mayan Beach Garden and spear fishing. . .

Those of you who may have wanted to learn how to spear fish with an expert - the time is now here. Mayan Beach Garden is partnering with Mike at Costa Maya Spear-fishing. Those who would like a Spear fishing experience and stay at MBG can now get a package deal with fishing and lodging combined.

Spear Fishing is the ultimate in sport fishing. The use of tanks for Spear fishing is illegal in Mexico, but free diving and snorkeling is completely legal. Mike has all the permits needed to take you either from shore or boat snorkel. With a few tips, you'll find you can stay down longer and even maybe spear some fish.

Spear fishing is highly selective, uses no bait and has no by-catch meaning no  turtles, Dolphins, Manatee, or other protected species are hurt . With education and proper regulations, spear fishing can be the most ecologically sustainable form of fishing.

small yellow roundish fruits: excerpt from www. backyardnature.net
(Authored by Jim Conrad)

Ever wondered what those little round things are that people are selling at the speed bumps? I always think that all little round fruits are called "Nance," but Jim Conrad is ready to help me out with their names. You won't find these in grocery stores because they are the kind of thing you find in people's back yards.

Guaya

Guayas are sometimes called Spanish Lime, Genip, Mamoncillo and Grosella de Miel . In the Yucatán Spanish speakers often refer to them as Guaya Cubano, or "Cuban Guaya," for there is a native Guaya with smaller fruits. The main Guaya found in markets is from the fair-sized tree Melicoccus bijugatus of the Soapberry Berry. The fruits are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter containing a single large, round seed, which is sometimes roasted like a chestnut. The seed is surrounded by a yellowish, translucent, sweet/sour, juicy pulp. Juice from the pulp is used for flavoring drinks. A Guaya fan writes, "Bundles of  guaya are sold by street vendors. The best way to eat them is frozen. Just pop a bunch in the freezer and wait a bit. With a bit of a tear the husky skin pops right off and the whole fruit can be popped in the mouth. It is so astringent and fresh it is like eating a guilt-free fireball. The only drawback to them is that the juice will permanently stain clothing." The plant is native to the West Indies, Central and South America.

Guaya

Guayaba

Known in English as guavas, are musky-flavored, soft-pulped fruits produced on small trees, Psidium guajava of the Myrtle Family, and native to tropical America. Guavas come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes (1-4 inches long, 2.5-10 cm), and tastes, but most in Mexico have yellow (maybe white or brownish) skins. Notice their slightly rough skins and atop each fruit there's a puckered-out place bearing  the remains of the flower's calyx. These "persistent calyx lobes" help us distinguish guavas from other medium-size, yellow fruits. Guavas are an acquired taste. Many think that guava-flavored ice cream tastes better than the actual guava fruits.
NOTE: we often serve these for breakfast at MBG.

Guayaba

Nance

"Golden Spoon" and "Nance" in English, nanche fruits are produced by the tree Byrsonima crassifolia, of the Malpighia Family, native to tropical America. Notice that they are different from guavas in that their skin is shinier and their attached stems more slender. These fruits are so acid that most Northerners don't care for them (NOTE: including yours truly). They're eaten raw and occasionally added to soups and meat stuffings and soaked in rum and given as gifts at Christmas.

Nance

Jocote or Ciruela Roja

Known in English as Red Mombin and Hog Plum, jocotes are tree fruits, produced by Spondias purpurea of the Cashew Family, which is native to tropical America. Often jocotes are eaten raw but Mexicans also like to mash them in water, add sugar, and drink the water like Kool-Aid. They are 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long. Jocotes are usually reddish, but can come close to being yellow.

Jocote

Ciruela or Spanish Plum

Sometimes known in English as Yellow Mombin, the Spanish name ciruela means "plum," and these tree fruits look and taste a lot like northern plums. They are very closely related to the above jocotes, being in the same plant family and genus. They are Spondias mombin. Note the large, white, very hard, boxy seed. After growing on leafless tree limbs for months, the fruits ripen at the end of the dry season, in June or so. They are good raw and also make tasty preserves

Ciruela

Messages from the US Consulate

Missing Person

Good afternoon, we are helping the mother of an American attempt to locate her missing son, Franklin Stubbs. He was last seen in Pedro A. Santos, Quintana Roo on January 8, 2012, although we’ve heard he may have recently been in Bacalar or Mahahual as well. His briefcase was found a couple of weeks ago, but no sign of him.

Nombre/Name: FRANKLIN LAWRENCE STUBBS
Edad/Age: 41
Estatura/Height: 1.77M / 5'10"
Blonde hair, blue eyes

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Franklin Lawrence Stubbs please contact U.S. Consulate Merida (American Citizen Services) at (999) 942-5700 or meridacons@state.gov.

Franklin Stubbs

Person needing blood transfusion - type AB Negative

It has come to our attention that an American is in urgent need of a transfusion requiring AB Negative blood, which is rare. If you have AB Negative or O Negative blood and are willing to donate, please find information below regarding the donation process in Cancun or Cozumel. For general requirements for donating blood in Mexico, please visit http://medicasur.com.mx/es_mx/ms/ms_sal_em_bansan_requisitos_donacion

Cancun

Banco de Sangre del Hospital General
SM 65, Andador 5, Calle 12 y 13
Telephone: (998) 887-2695

Cozumel

Centro de Salud
11 Sur y 20 Av Sur
Telephone: (987) 872-0140 or 0525

Please note that you will need to designate the donation to Gregory John Agness. Please email the confirmation of your donation to meridacons@state.gov so that we may inform the hospital.

Goddess Mayahuel - Source of the Name Mahahual/majahual?

While there is no end to the play on words with Mahahual, (Mahahagual being one of the latest) there may in reality originate from Mayahuel the goddess of the maguey that it was named after. It was thought that the aguamiel collecting in the center of the plant was her blood. Other deities, such as the Centzon Totochtin (400 rabbits) are associated with it, by representing the drink's effects, and are the children of Mayahuel. I read that to mean that all drunks are the children of Mayahuel and the sign in town that reads "Welcome to Mahahual a drinking town with a diving problem" may have some legitimacy!

Why you should have a Mexican will

The following is an important article sent to me by Denis Couture, from MexicoCaribbean. I've edited it to make is shorter, but if you need more information you can email him directly to receive the full article and prices. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ.

Have you ever wondered what happens if you should suddenly pass away and your property is held in a Mexican corporation? Unfortunately in the last 4 months, I’ve had 2 clients suddenly pass away. Neither of them had a Mexican will.

The lack of a Mexican Will is going to create problems for surviving heirs and drag on for some time. The widowed spouse of one of my clients wants to sell her property, but is going to be delayed because she and her husband did not have a will. Although both of their names are listed as shareholders in the Mexican corporation that holds the property, this is not a substitute for having a will.

In a way it’s not all that different than not having a will in the U.S. or Canada. It greatly complicates the process and generally results in added time and cost before things are settled and assets are disbursed to the appropriate heirs. And as we all know the courts and attorneys reap the benefits that rightfully belong to the heirs.

Given the complexity of not having a will in the U.S. or Canada, you may not be surprised to know that in reality it’s going to be much more complicated, time consuming and expensive in Mexico.  But you can protect yourself and make your life or those of your heirs much simpler and less expensive by having a well drafted and legal will that is enforceable upon death.

When Should You Have a Will? The simple answer is whenever you have physical assets in Mexico that you want to bequeath to your heirs in the event of your death.  I am writing this from the perspective of bequeathing real estate but if you have other tangible assets in Mexico, those could be included as well. For real estate located in Mexico which is owned through a Mexican corporation, a Mexican will makes perfect sense and in my opinion is essential.  Property held in a fidecomiso, the alternate way for foreigners to own property, does not require a will. The reason is that the trustees, who are in effect the owners, indicate as part of forming the trust, those that are to succeed them.  So in effect the fidecomiso acts as a kind of will for the purpose of bequeathing real estate, but I recommend that you should discuss this with an attorney. In all other cases including the corporation, foreigners really need to have a will in order to avoid complications.

Benefits: In addition to the benefits mentioned above, another significant benefit in having a will is the avoidance of having to comply with international law. Under normal circumstances, in order for international transactions to be legal, documents need to be translated into the accepting country’s language, in this case, Spanish. In addition, other legal actions and procedures are required by both countries, which all require time and money. You may recall that when you set up your corporation that you had to have your documents apostilled by the Secretary of State’s office in your state or province in order to legitimize and legalize the transaction. That was relatively simple, but wills require much more bureaucracy and expense by both countries administering them. The Mexican will, in essence replaces all of this bureaucracy. Also, don’t make the mistake of thinking that your U.S. or Canadian will can be enforced in Mexico. Many people assume this, but you may find it’s far more difficult and costly to try to enforce this will than to create a separate Mexican will to deal with your Mexican assets.
The will is executed before a Mexican Notario.  As a result, the document is considered legal and binding for purposes of Mexican law and upon passing of the testator, can be executed with assets disbursed in a relatively efficient timeframe.  Under normal circumstances this can take place in three to four months. Without a will, the process of passing your assets on to your heirs can take at least one year and possibly more depending on the complexity.  Take the simple and less costly option and have a will prepared. Don’t leave your heirs with a mess on their hands after you’re gone.

Procedure: The process of creating a will in Mexico is relatively simple. You simply need to specify what you want your will to say, including primarily, who is to inherit your assets upon your passing. Keep it simple. The more complicated you make it, the more costly it will be. The attorneys can help in preparing a simple will which is included in the costs shown below.  Under Mexican law three witnesses and two translators are required for a will to be valid. These can be provided by the attorney unless you specify someone else.

If you’re interested in pursuing a Mexican will further, contact Denis directly for costs and information. He has negotiated reasonable prices with an English speaking attorney and you can deal with him directly unless you have further questions.
Denis can be reached by email at mexicocaribbean@aol.com or by U.S. phone at (248) 980-4014. 

 

news around Mexico, Quintana Roo and the yucatan peninsula

New Mexico Entry and Exit fees apply

Effective January first of 2012, the Mexican government increased entry fees for non-Mexican persons entering or in-transiting the country. The new DNI or Derecho de No Immigrante fee is $294.. That is an increase of 32 pesos. It covers tourists staying in Mexico for more than seven consecutive days and persons who may be entering at the Belizean border and traveling to Chetumal or Cancun to board flights to destinations beyond Mexico. Once a stay in the country exceeds thirty six hours, then the DNI becomes payable. According to the Mexican embassy, the DNI fee can be paid in Mexican pesos at any bank in Mexico. The fee often goes unnoticed because it was bundled in with charges by travel agencies or airlines; but everyone pays it, whether entering by boat, car or land.

I believe that FM2 and FM3 holders do not have to pay this fee, but I'm not sure how you would get this back if you bought a ticket on your US or Canadian passport but held an FM2.

Changes in malaria deferrals impacts local blood donors

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its risk criteria for malaria for individuals who travel or live outside of the U.S. and Canada. Effective immediately, all donors who travel to any part of Quintana Roo, Mexico, will be deferred from donating blood for one year from departure from Mexico. This includes Cancun to Chetumal. Residents of Quintana Roo like myself, will be deferred for three years.

The Mexican Caribbean area is a popular travel location and this deferral may impact the ability to recruit blood donors, which could affect the stability of the blood supply. If it has been a while since you have been to mexico, you might want to donate blood before you come.

Recycling in the Peninsula

You can still drop of your Pet Plastic (bottles suitable for food) and aluminum cans at the Casitas. To find the location, turn left at the first intersection as you enter the casitas and go until you see two story blue buildings. There is a pale turquoise plastic container to put your plastic in. Please separate the aluminum and put it in the same container. Please do not put other plastics in this location or garbage. We don't want to loose this resource.

Aeromexico flights start flights to Chetumal airport in May

Last month I mentioned the international airport in Chetumal. Well, as a result of the new terminal being built, Aeromexico flights will start operation in May with flights leaving Chetumal in the morning and arriving at night. In the meantime, the Ejido land that the new terminal sits on is now in a lawsuit.

Felipe "Faisan" Fit for unFlappable Floppers

Roger Wood has graciously supplied this review of El Faisan y Venado in Felipe Carrillo Puerto.

"Last February we arrived in Cancun from snowy New Hampshire at our usual time of about 2:30 pm.  After going through the airport formalities, we set out to rent a car and make our way to Costa Maya where two years ago we bought a "fixer-upper" right on the Caribbean coast.

I thought that I would try something a bit different by staying in a hotel in Felipe Carrillo Puerto instead of the normal Playa del Carmen.  It would get us closer to our destination and we wouldn't have to wake up our caretakers at 11:00 pm that night to let us in. 

On a previous trip I had scoped out  "El Faisan Y El Venado", a hotel / restaurant, one block south after the glorieta on route 307 in Felipe  Carrillo Puerto.  We easily rented two rooms for about 418 pesos each (about $38).  Each room had an adequate bathroom with good hot water.  We brought sleep sacks with us just in case we did not have confidence in the beds' cleanliness. My wife is a nurse and I am a doctor and we both felt very comfortable not using the sleep sacks.

The air conditioning was great.  There is no pool or internet in the rooms but internet access is available at a shop on the glorieta.

The restaurant downstairs is very good if you stick to the local cuisine.  I recommend the pollo with mole for dinner.  For breakfast try the huevos divorciados.  Use the restroom in your room, the one in the restaurant is clean but it has never, to my knowledge, had a toilet seat.

We parked in the hotel's parking lot across the street.  It had gates but I don't think they got closed that night.  The car was fine the next morning. This hotel is not handicap accessable.  The stairway to the rooms is narrow and there is no elevator. All rooms are on the second floor.  Take a room in the back hallway.  It will be away from the street noise (but closer to the roosters). While I was in town, I visited Chedraui's Supermarket, the public market and got four watches repaired at a sidewalk stand on the glorieta. (I dropped them off on my way to Costa Maya and picked them up on the way back home.)

This hotel is not what could be called "rustic chik" but it is comfortable, clean, safe and you are likely the only gringos staying in town.  So if you find yourself short on daylight and a bit long on carretera, "El Faisan y El Venado" in Felipe Carrrillo Puerto is an option you may enjoy trying.

by "Rodger Wood from Costa Maya"

Legal loophole allows Gay Marriage in Quintana Roo

According to Fox News Latino, the state of Quintana Roo features "a legal gap in the Civil Code," which doesn't specify gender in regards to those interested in getting married. The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association have already started collaborating to make deals with airlines and hotels for gay marriage packages. The state has said that it will leave it up to individual municipalities to make rulings as to whether licenses can be issued.

NEWS FROM XCALAK

I love you Xcalak

XCALAK POLLY What's New in Xcalak:

  • March 20/21st, Port Closed, Blown Out. No fishing.
  • Water works, I have conflicting information as to whether it is actually working yet. (see picture below)
  • Xcalak Caribe is open again under new management but just as a bar so far.

Polly

Water works

The orchid guy

Yucatan Parrot Snake

  • Xcalak Caribe Hotel, open again under new management, rooms available at 450.00 pesos per night.
  • Xcalak Tortilleria, now open for business. Situated opposite the Leaky Palapa. A picket fence is on the corner next to the Xcalak Caribe, watch this space!!

We get some amazing people coming here for vacations. Christmastime brought Tina and Kevin, Vets from Vancouver, who were here with their two boys. They filled up with gas in the Mahahual Pemex station and saw the stray dogs that were hanging around there. They then spent their precious vacation time driving up to Mahahual each day to feed these poor dogs.

After a few days they ended up outside my house having been told that other people also drive up and feed the dogs, me being just one of them. We all piled into my car and off we went to catch the skinniest, all ribs and backbone, bring her back and get her spayed and homed. Easy! Well we tried everything, we had caught "Millie" her sister who was always on her own at the Pemex Station. She was quite happy in the car, eating.This skinny little thing was having none of it! We went and bought rope and a broom handle and Kevin made a lasso affair. Three hours and a lot of food later we called it quits. She didn't want to be caught. Barby and Debbie have also tried, she is still "free", lots of us have tried with no avail.

She gets fed, I update Kevin and Tina. Millie, the one we caught and was with me while we waited for the free clinic in Mahahual for her to be spayed, went from strength to strength and has a new home. Tina wrote out pages of helpful notes, and left me the remainder of the antibiotics she had brought with her just in case they were needed.

They said they had enjoyed their time here and have promised to return. Wonderful. Come back soon please.

February brought Bruce and Jan from San Francisco here visiting friends who have a house on the beach. Bruce is an orchid guy, so when they came to visit he wanted to see just what I had growing on the trees in the garden. It would be the week that only one orchid flower was out! He then totally amazed me by naming everyone of the plants I had in Latin and their English name. Turns out he is known in San Francisco and elsewhere in the orchid world as the Orchid Whisperer.

He is in the process of writing, compiling an orchid book. He was really keen to see where the orchids grew so I offered to take them. It was so much fun. I brought my machete and a broom handle. Broom handle very important, at the edge of the jungle before entering, strike the stick on the ground three times while chanting go away snakes we are coming in. Bruce thought this was the best and promptly took over the stick and every few yards did the striking and chanting, funny. Turned out he hates snakes and bugs. We found a couple of different orchids and some air plants for him to look at. The Cow horn orchid has a special relationship with ants and the one that grows here is

Myrmecophila Christinae a newer species only from Quintana Roo. Ours is the lovely creamy yellow. It was a really great morning, Bruce, Jan come back soon.

Have you ever been thinking about something that you haven't seen for a while? then low and behold .......

I was out in the garden pruning (that's an understatement), and thought, it's ages since I have seen a snake in the garden! I turned around and this beautiful little thing was peering over my shoulder watching my cats intently. I asked nicely and it let me get my camera and ... hey ho. It's a Mexican green headed tree snake otherwise known as a Parrot snake. I bribed the cats to come in before they noticed it, the next morning no trace. Hopefully it managed to elude the other cats and dangers here in "town".

People often ask what I miss about England, well this ............ the first flower of spring.

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