Saturday, November 28, 2009

Deck the Palms with Boughs of Holly!

I'm in the Holiday Spirit and getting insprirations of Tropical and Mexican Traditions and Decor to use in our own home.  Thought I'd share some of the photos and hope that it inspires you to discover what makes you twinkle! ;)

Mexico has lots of great materials, plants, pewter, fruit, and magic.  Use it!








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Friday, November 27, 2009

Movie filming in Puerto Morelos











They are filming a movie in Puerto Morelos. The square is filled with equipment and our office overrun with movie set equipment.

It is a Mexican Romance Film titled, Ventanas al Cielo.

Starring: Charo Lopez, Fernando Guillen, Natalia Cordova, Raul Mendez

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Swine Flu Vaccines Arrive in Q. Roo


The newspaper, Noticaribe, is reporting that the state capital of Quintana Roo, received the first shipment of swine flu vaccine today. Chetumal received a whopping total of 5,577 doses -- apparently more are on the way.

The first doses will being given to those with "critical priority", namely health workers, pregnant woment, and other high risk groups.

Should the state receive enough in the coming days to filter to the Puerto Morelos 'Centro de Salud', I'll let you know.

You can read the original article here. This article is in Spanish, but you can translate it by downloading the google toolbar.

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Cancun's Underwater Sculpture Museum: Video Footage

Here is a great video about the world's largest underwater sculpture museum that is being installed in Cancun!  If you didn't see my first blog post about this new museum, you can read it here.




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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Workin' on the Puerto Morelos' Roads!


Work continues on the Highway 307 Overpass.  It remains to be seen whether it will be complete by the end of December -- but  we'll see...  (I look forward to not have to continue using the current detours to get to the Colonia!)

They are FINALLY working on the roads in Puerto!  WHOO HOO!!  Fellow Puerto Morelian, Ron Martin, emailed me this photo of the work crews repairing the road on Calle Niños Heroes!  So far, they have repaved Calle Andres Q. Roo and part of Calle Niños Heroes!  Keep it up, guys!

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Vickie Sharp is Making Thanksgiving Dinners "To Go"


Not feeling up to cooking Thanksgiving dinner?  Or, have guests that would like to order a feast?

Vickie Sharp can prepare a dinner that includes: turkey, relish plate, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potates & gravy, 2 vegetables, rolls, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.  Cost is 400 pesos per person.  Contact her at: sargaso10@yahoo.com

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Monday, November 23, 2009

A Weekend in Merida & a Visit to the Yucatan State Fair


We had a FABULOUS weekend in Merida! We stayed in my friend, Karen's, lovely colonial home with a the kids and a group of great friends. Our weekend was terrific!

The Yucatan State Fair is wonderful to visit, particularly if you have little ones! They had a special exhibit of SNOW this year with toboggan runs, snowman making, and snowball fights. In addition, there were agricultural exhibits, tractors, gardens, farm animals, commercial vendors, the midway, a play castle, the circus, dolphins, a raptor exhibit & bird shows, a very nice lienzo for charros & rodeo, top notch concert acts, and last -- but certainly not least -- really cheap, super yummy food!

In addition to the fair, we enjoyed a yummy breakfast (as always) in the restaurant of Hotel San Angel and Merida's lovely town square with its Sunday wares, activities, and food.  Our friends, also enjoyed a lovely anniversay/birthday evening out at Merida's Nectar Restaurant and returned with rave reviews.

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Cancun's Underwater Sculpture Museum is Underway!

[This article is reprinted from www.cancuntravel.wordpress.com]

The National Park West Coast of Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc, which  receives approximately 750,000 tourists annually, will feature more than  400 concrete sculpture figurines comprising the world’s largest underwater museum, right in the waters in front of Cancun and the island of Isla Mujeres.  

The project has been put into place to give the natural reefs the opportunity to flourish at a cost of more than $350,000 usd.   The Marine National Park has stepped up to the challenge of diverting tourists away from natural habitats along the natural coral reefs without losing their visitors,  and the US $36 million they bring directly  into the area each year. 

Approximately 400 sculptures will be created by internationally renowned underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor and will then be sunk within this National Park on the barren areas of seabed at various depths. The first placing of sculptures will begin on November 14th 2009.  Each piece of art will be life-sized, with a base of four square meters. There will be several theme based installations, such as an army of indigenous Mayan people entitled “The Silent Evolution” and other sculptures such as the “Dream Collector” who catalogues messages in bottles set adrift from various corners of the world.

One of the first messages in a bottle attached to the above mentioned sculpture reads: “May our hearts, never become as hard as our heads”, by Roberto Diaz, President of the Cancun Underwater Museum. 

“This is a unique opportunity to explore the boundaries of art and combine it with reef conservation” said Jason de Caires Taylor, British underwater sculptor of the unique sculptures. The main piece will encompass between 300 to 400 lifelike figures based on actual living people.  Once the main first phase of the project is completed other artists will be encouraged to submit their own sculptures and contribute to this unique museum. 


The National Park’s director, Jaime Gonzalez Cano, calculates that by April 2010 there will be approximately 250 sculptures in the underwater museum.

”The underwater museum will draw many visitors, allowing us to give a rest to the natural reefs. It’s like a restoration process”, Gonzalez explained.

Upon the opening of the museum, divers will be required to gain experience in artificial habitats and snorkelers will continue to wear life jackets for buoyancy to prevent damaging the natural corals and the new artificial habitats.

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Saturday, November 21, 2009

Riviera Maya Jazz Festival: November 25-28

The Jazz Festival is Back from November 25-28th, 2009!  If you haven't been, it's a great time.  All performances begin at 7 p.m. on Playa del Carmen's Mamita's Beach & Entrance is FREE!   Get more info on their website!

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Friday, November 20, 2009

Attention all Divers! FREE Underwater Photo Workshop & Contest!!


Photo Contest:  Dec 5th-12th!

A great opportunity to combine diving and underwater photography!  FREE workshops!!  Why the heck not??


For more information: 
Phone:  (984) 876-2506
Web:  www.divingphotocontest.com
Email:  contestrivieramaya@gmail.com


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November 20: Mexico's Day of the Revolution

Viva Mexico!

Here is a short explanation of the Day of the Revolution that Mexico celebrates the 20th of November:


For most of Mexico's developing history, a small minority of the people were in control of most of the country's power and wealth, while the majority of the population worked in poverty. As the rift between the poor and rich grew under the leadership of Dictator General Díaz, the political voice of the lower classes was also declining. Opposition of Díaz did surface, when Francisco I. Madero, educated in Europe and at the University of California, led a series of strikes throughout the country.

Díaz was pressured into holding an election in 1910, in which Madero was able to gather a significant number of the votes. Although Díaz was at one time a strong supporter of the one-term limit, he seemed to have changed his mind and had Madero imprisoned, feeling that the people of Mexico just weren't ready for democracy.


Once Madero was released from prison, he continued his battle against Díaz in an attempt to have him overthrown. During this time, several other Mexican folk heros began to emerge, including the well known Pancho Villa in the north, and the peasant Emiliano Zapata in the south, who were able to harass the Mexican army and wrest control of their respective regions. Díaz was unable to control the spread of the insurgence and resigned in May, 1911, with the signing of the Treaty of Ciudad Juárez, after which he fled to France.

Madero was elected president, but received opposition from Emiliano Zapata who didn't wish to wait for the orderly implementation of Madero's desired land reforms. In November of the same year Zapata denounced Madero as president and took the position for himself. He controlled the state of Morelos, where he chased out the estate owners and divided their lands to the peasants. Later, in 1919, Zapata was assassinated by Jesus Guajardo acting under orders from General Pablo Gonzalez.




It was during this time that the country broke into many different factions, and guerilla units roamed across the country destroying and burning down many large haciendas and ranchos. Madero was later taken prisoner and executed and the entire country existed in a state of disorder for several years, while Pancho Villa rampaged through the north, and different factions fought for presidential control.

Eventually, Venustiano Carranza rose to the presidency, and organized an important convention whose outcome was the Constitution of 1917, which is still in effect today. Carranza made land reform an important part of that constitution. This resulted in the ejido, or farm cooperative program that redistributed much of the country's land from the wealthy land holders to the peasants. The ejidos are still in place today and comprise nearly half of all the farmland in Mexico.

Carranza was followed by others who would fight for political control, and who would eventually continue with the reforms, both in education and land distribution. During this period the PRI political party was established, which was the dominant political power for 71 years until Vicente Fox of the conservative PAN party was elected. The holiday itself commemorates the day, November 20th of 1910, when Madero denounced President Díaz, declared himself president of Mexico and called for a national insurrection.

(This article was reprinted from MexOnline.com.  Photos from Mexico's Bi-Centennial Website.)

Want to know more?  See the following online sources:
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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Day of the Revolution Parade -- Friday November 20th

Tomorrow, November 20th, there will be a Day of the Revolution Parade at 7:00 a.m. in the town square.

(It's early, I know!!!)  But for any of you early birds, they'll be a marchin'!

We'll be taking in the day's events in Merida.  We are off to Merida this weekend for the Parade and The Yucatan State Fair!

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Casa de la Cultura Schedule


The Casa de la Cultura is fantastic in Puerto Morelos!  If you are going to be spending some time here this winter, consider getting into a class that you enjoy -- there are LOTS to choose from.

I take yoga two mornings per week and really enjoy it!

Here is their Schedule of Classes.  In addition, they will be hosting lots of special events through the winter/spring.  We'll be sure to add them to the community events calendar (seen at the bottom of this blog page).

For those that aren't familiar, the idea behind a Casa de la Cultura is to offer community classes (with local instructors) and educational programs for little cost, making them accessible to anyone who is interested.  Puerto Morelos is fortunate enough to have an incredible Casa de la Cultura that offers lots of great classes -- at super prices.  They are completely non-profit, do not receive any grants or government funding, and always appreciate donations to maintain their facilities and offer classes.  Donations are tax deductible, always appreciated, and always needed!

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Kindle -- Now International & Ships to Mexico!

Hello Kindle!  Amazon has released a new Kindle with International Wireless and it ships to Mexico!  Woo Hoo!  Watch the cool video here!




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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Encouraging Words from Mexican President Calderon


Calderon commented on the status and motive of Mexico's commitment to combating drug trafficking, as well as tackling the Economic Crisis.  It's an interesting perspective.  Read article here.


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Lost Dog in Puerto Morelos



Have you seen this dog?
His name is Bacardi.
Please call Vickie Sharp:  871-0112



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Puerto Morelian Spotlight: El Mundo Para Puerto Morelos Charity

The first story, submitted by fellow Puerto Morelian, Catriona Brown, in 'Puerto Morelian Spotlight' Series features the charity, El Mundo Para Puerto Morelos.  Enjoy!


Like many great ideas, El Mundo para Puerto Morelos, was created one evening in a bar.  In the aftermath of devastating hurricanes Wilma and Emily in October, 2005, a group of local expats were made aware of a disturbing problem in one of the primary schools.  With an enrollment of 700 and a water system damaged by the storms, the students and faculty were only able to flush the toilet twice a day, and had no water for hand washing.  The locals responded by reaching into their pockets asking how much it would cost.  Thus began the organization and establishment of El Mundo para Puerto Morelos, SC, (The World for Puerto Morelos), and its first project of successfully replacing the school’s entire water system.
 


From this random beginning, EMPPM has evolved into a thriving charitable organization, completing enumerable projects aimed at making life better for all the inhabitants of Puerto Morelos.  We are certified as non-profit in Mexico and in the United States, as a 5013 (c) charitable organization.  Our focus has been on enriching the lives of everyone in the community through maintenance and improvement in the areas of health, education, and welfare.

With the help of tourists, friends, expats, and local residents we have been able to tackle major issues in our community, aiding the emergency responders, medical clinics, and educational facilities with special programs, supplies, and equipment.  We look forward to continuing this assistance through contributions and donations from our supporters, both worldwide and local.

If you would like to help with your time and/or donations, please check our website at www.emppm.com (coming soon), or the newsletter, Que Pasa?, at www.catinmexico.blogspot.com.

Email enquiries to catbrown@emppm.com.

To donate in the US: checks to El Mundo para Puerto Morelos, sent to our on-the-ground coordinator, Kay McMillan, 4115 Honeycomb Rock Circle, Austin, Texas, 78731-2015.  You will receive official acknowledgement for tax purposes.

Donations in Puerto Morelos can be left at Mama's Bakery or Dive in Puerto Morelos, or call 998 159 8890 and we will pick up your offering.

El Mundo para Puerto Morelos: A Charity for Families Determining the Need, Implementing the Solution



Do you have a Puerto Morelos story, business, or a local interest story you'd like to share?  Please email me and become a part of the continuing 'Puerto Morelos Spotlight' Series!

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Puerto Morelian Spotlight Stories

Some time ago, I invited fellow Puerto Morelians to share their story with us here on the blog.  I think it will be a great way to get to know the people, businesses, and charities that are here in town.  This continuing collection will be titled "Puerto Morelian Spotlight".  Each of the posts will have this title and will have this tag, so that you can easily search for these posts in this blog.

So...(here comes the plea):  If you have a Puerto Morelos story, great recount of your favorite event, want to tell about your favorite watering hole, have a local business, even a great Puerto photo that you'd like to share, please email me.

Now, for the first Puerto Morelian Spotlight...

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State Governor is Promoting Cancun/Riviera Maya as a European Vacation Destination


A Quintana Roo delegation, including State Governor Felix Gonzalez Canto, are in London promoting Cancun and the Riviera Maya as a tourist destination at the 2009 World Travel Market.


Read the Article Here.  This website is in Spanish.  You can download the Google Toolbar that has a super "Translate" function that will translate web pages into English.


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Monday, November 16, 2009

Getting Ready to "Deck the Halls"? Where to Shop in Cancun/Playa del Carmen?



We are getting ready to "Deck the Halls" in our home and at the office. I am sure I am not the only one that is on the hunt.  So, I am looking for your help! 

Where have you found great decorations?  I've seen plenty crappy decor.  I am looking for nice decorations that aren't ridiculously $$$.  In particular, I'm keeping an eye out for some nice, thick garland roping.  (Not the measly, skinny stuff I've been able to find so far.)


Have you seen some great stuff or know of a great place?  Let me know!  Hopefully, this will be a good resource for all of us!  Please leave a "comment" with your suggestions, finds, or decorating inspirations.


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