Catemaco News

New Catemaco News

2012-01-20T15:35:00.000-06:00

Afte 6 years of publishing mostly unappreciated crap on this blog, I am getting tired of the effort to upload, construct, edit and publish mickey mouse stories, that are usually covered inside of catemaco.info.

I am now using Facebook, probably the worst, boring, dictatorial experience on the internet, to host my almost daily vignettes about Catemaco, Los Tuxtlas and the surrounding area.

If you are not signed up with Facebook, I respect you, because you probably use telegrams to communicate with your loved ones. - I did - 60 years ago.

Catemaco Shit

2012-01-15T13:01:00.002-06:00

I smell of shit. My house smells of shit. And especially my dog smells of shit. If my Popoluca were here, she would smell of shit.

For 9 years, I am living in a town that for 4 to 6 months of the years requires pedestrians to cross sheets of sewage flowing down the principal streets of Catemaco.

The local sewage system is 50 years old and totally incapable of handling the shit of a population that more than quintupled during those years.

So during my 9 years, the principal public works in Catemaco City have been remodeling the town hall, painting the lake walk, and again, remodeling the town hall and painting the lake walk..

For the last 6 years the same inept person has managed the system that after 6 years still cannot get its sewage system to work, and instead contaminates the river flowing out of Catemaco. In addition the incompetent has greatly expanded the sewage connections to a system totally incapable of handling that load of shit.

Promises of corrections to the system have been on the political palate for years. Last year around 50 million pesos were bragged about to be spent on repairing the sewage system.

Instead, a few months ago, work began on an 11 million peso dock jutting into the lake that has no function except for visitors to ogle the laguna which is already accommodated by 5 view points along the lake front.

Meanwhile I wade through shit to enter my house, which is directly on the corner of the Malecon.

You think I a concerned about narcos in Veracruz? Hell, no! I care about shit. And typically, neither my community nor the country can handle either!

Too bad, I can´t vote, or participate in politics!
see: http://www.catemaco.info/s/catemaco/ciudad/alcantarillado.html (in Spanish, of course)

Catemaco Chagalapoli

2012-01-15T05:17:00.000-06:00

The Chagalapoli are in bloom, and I am looking forward to jelly tasting sessions.

The fruit is vaguely related to mistletoe and is unique to Central America and endemic in Los Tuxtlas. Its latin name is ardisia compressa, and even Wikipedia does not know what it is. Originally I was told it was a wild grape vine, until I discovered I had a 10 foot tree of it growing on my sidewalk, and now in containers on my roof.

The fruit is about the size of a pinky fingernail, and begins with a nice claret color going to a lush burgundy and finishing almost like a blueberry. It has a seed. The fruit itself is on the bitter-sour/sweet side and is a popular homemade local lemonade, or better, chagalapolimade. It is also used to flavor atoles, which are basically liquefied tortillas. My preference is chagalapoli mermelade which used to be available in a now defunct gift shop on the Malécon and soon, for me and select friends, from the loving hands of my Popoluca.

Late February to May is harvest season, and the fruit stalls around the central market will be offering the fruit.

And would you believe, I do not have a photo, among my 5000, of the damn tree? Check back, tomorrow.

Flowering Chagalapoli

It is incredible how I cater to my undeserving readership at 5:30 in the morning in a torrential rain

Into the Mystic of Los Tuxtlas...

2012-01-09T12:41:00.003-06:00

Into the Mystic of Los Tuxtlas...

David L. Biller

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012 AT 11:29PM

When I told the editor of National Geographic en Español that I was going to explore the Los Tuxtlas region of Veracruz state over the holidays with my brother, Anson, he asked me to dig around in the small city of Catemaco. He had always been interested in publishing a story on Catemaco’s famed witchcraft, but wasn’t sure there was one to be told; the abundance of stories in Mexican publications touting the witch’s abilities were always one-sided and, frankly, very uninteresting.

So I set about researching witchcraft in a Mexico City library; an important introduction, among other sources, was “La Magia en Los Tuxtlas” (The Magic in Los Tuxtlas) by Marcela Olavarrieta. Anson and I headed for Catemaco on December 31, and arrived just before midnight. We walked straight into our first mystical custom: “quemando el viejo.” (burning the old man). Catemaco’s residents had made effigies filled with hay, newspaper, sawdust and fireworks, and were spraying them with lighter fluid then lighting them afire. The rite serves to do away with the past year, and start anew with a blank slate. Children no more than five years old lit fireworks and threw them at us. The streets were filled with smoke, thorough which we could see the flaming body after flaming body between the one-story houses. We escaped to the malecon (boardwalk), where the trees’ branches were filled with hundreds of birds and it smelled strongly of guano. Bats were wheeling across the lake’s surface.....

An absolutely MUST read:

http://davidbiller.com/on-assignment/into-the-mystic-of-los-tuxtlas.html

OT

2012-01-08T19:53:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite reads on the intrernet about Mexico, the Mexfile, disappeared a few months ago, supposedly because of selling out to a Dutch weasel promising to put the "real" Mexico on the internet.

The poor guy apparently starved. Although he supposedly has 2 left arms, he provided some of the most interesting facets of Mexican history, and on occasion, concise interpretation of its current condition.

Apparently, he is now sneaking back:
If you are not just a snowbird or are living cheaper in Mexico than in the US kind of person; Do a "Me Gusta" (I like), on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mexican-History-Historia-Mexicana/163458783758558

The photo is of Fidel Castro's boat "Grama" leaving from Tampico, Veracruz for Cuba. If the author was here during that time, they apparently ditched him.

YAHOO SUCKS

2012-01-02T13:10:00.000-06:00

I have been using the software of Yahoo Sitebuilder to program the website of catemaco.info since 2005.

Unannounced, four days ago, Yahoo changed its limits on my web hosting plan, and I was unable to upload changes because of a supposed lack of storage capacity. I upgraded to their unlimited plan and since then I have spent about 18 hours on the phone with tech reps in India trying to upload changes to my site.

Incredibly, that bunch of incompetents now advises me that the only solution to my problem is to restructure my 700 pages and reload them.

Instead I will switch to Dreamweaver, Coffee Cup, or maybe Wordpress to redesign my website which took me 6 years to build.

So for the next yeae, expect catemaco.info to be a mess while this old dog learns a few new tricks.

Meanwhile here is my heartfelt message to the powers that be:

"CHINGA TU MADRE; YAHOO!!!.

Catemaco Homshuk

2011-12-21T11:04:00.002-06:00

Catemaco actually has a Harvard graduate.

It's most famous former resident, supposedly from Tenaspi Island in the Catemaco lake apparently disappeared from Catemaco and turned up at Harvard University. From there he reappeared at the Anthropology Museum in Xalapa, Veracruz.

Clicking on the photo or link, which will take you to a nice fable about the small statue, supposedly of the Popoluca god "Homshuk", first identified by Frans Blom in 1925 in Catemaco.

Laguna de Catemaco and the Homshuk Legend

Catemaco and the Four Winds

2011-12-18T06:44:00.001-06:00

In 1933, the somnolent village of Catemaco first made international headlines.

On the 10th of June 1933, two Spanish airmen set off from Spain for Cuba to fly 40 hours in the first successful non stop crossing of the central Atlantic in a single engine aircraft.

Early morning on June 20th the plane left Cuba for Mexico City, where 60 000 celebrants eagerly awaited the plane`s arrival.

Curiously, the flight was only planned to Villa Hermosa in the neighboring state of Tabasco, where it never landed. From there, the Four Winds (Cuatro Vientos in Spanish) disappeared into the haze of mystery.

The Mexican Air Force immediately dispatched a squadron of search and rescue planes, one of which later made an emergency landing in nearby San Andrés Tuxtla and provided Los Tuxtlas with the thrill of its first aviation experience.

The flight of the Cuatro Vientos was the equivalent of the Lindbergh experience in the Latin world and received huge press and radio coverage.

After the unsuccessful air search, hampered by bad weather, the then Mexican president, presuming the crash occurred in Los Tuxtlas, ordered an expeditionary force to begin a ground search. The operations center was to be Catemaco, and the sleepy village became inundated with reporters and searchers, depleting the shelves of its few grocery stores.

Locals guided the unsuccessful searchers through the surrounding jungles, where two died of snake bites and many more came down with tropical diseases.

The fate of the aircraft and its crew has never been officially explained. The most popular story claims the aviators crashed in the nearby Mazateca region of the Oaxaca mountains and were then killed and buried by natives. In 2008 a Mexican colonel reported it actually crashed in Veracruz mountains north of Los Tuxtlas.
Conspiracy buffs of course believe the Mexican government buried the facts to avoid international embarrassment.

Catemaco had gotten its first taste of flying, and soon an airfield was leveled near the El Cerrito hill which is now the center of the town. Nearby San Andrès actually operated an airfield with scheduled flights to a number of cities. All that ended coincident with an airliner flying into a mountain in the 1950's.

Both airfields have disappeared. A dirt strip outside of San Andrés receives an occasional aircraft and for years now, Los Tuxtlas is humming with political promises of a new airport to be built.

Read about the history of the flight, in Spanish, of course:
http://historiasindelebles.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/chilchotla-esconde-un-secreto-el-final-del-cuatro-vientos/

Catemaco Beaches

2011-12-05T11:37:00.001-06:00

Well, these two really are not in Catemaco, but few people know San Andrès Tuxtla, the largest burg in Los Tuxtlas.

I stopped publishing English stories in catemaco.info a year ago. This one is a temporary rarity, because it is still awaiting translation to Spanish. I am mentioning it here, because it has 2 nice videos.

Visita a Montepío y Balzapote

Catemaco Deads

2011-11-19T15:45:00.001-06:00

Catemaco seriously needs more dead people, or maybe a kidnapping. That is when newspaper readership in the municipality doubles and triples in exemplars sold. That is according to the only news distributor in Catemaco who claims to average less than 250 sales per day.

UPDATE:
Since I wrote this, two cadavers from the neighboring town of San Andrès were found in Catemaco, promptly fueling a media spike about Catemaco, and sending my readership through the roof.
Update 2
Ok, we had a major kidnapping, of the brother of a previously kidnapped Catemaco hardware store owner in neighboring San Andres. Yikes, what a spike in Spanish readership!

The municipality of roughly 48 thousand inhabitants of Catemaco has No newspaper, No television, and No Radio! Radio arrives from San Andrés Tuxtla, TV from Veracruz City.

News in Catemaco is served by two flyers appearing whenever a juicy crime happens. Any other news arrives from the neighboring city of San Andrès Tuxtla, which is possibly equipped with more news rags and columnists than its relatively few literate inhabitants need.

Usually the only news filtering out of Catemaco, is political events, including up to dozens of the names of attendees, and very little about what actually happened..

The only daily is Diario Los Tuxtlas
Possibly the worst newspaper on the internet. Always takes vacations on weekends, appears a day or two after its original publication and often, in the past, runs out of availability on the internet because of failure to buy sufficient bandwidth.

Appearing 2 to 3 times a week is the Diario Eyipantla Milenio.
The oldest new rag in Los Tuxtlas has nothing to do with a Daily, Millenium or Eyipantla, and of course its news worthy stories are somewhat stale. Nevertheless, it is the only local news source that presents an idea of what is going on locally, aside from reprinting political handouts.

There are also several weeklies:

Palestra
This is a weekly that rehashes what happened during the last week, supplanted by political feel goods, and an amazing amount of national columnists having absolutely nothing to do with Los Tuxtlas. To give them credit, they also publish a few musing of local writers, including a columnist from Catemaco.

A five municpality rag, Periodico de San Andres, Catemaco, Hueyapan, etc. also publishes once a week.
Aside from that there are others, that go into print whenever they feel like it: Politica en Los Tuxtlas, Perfil Diario, Renovacion. And then there are internet versions like: Sucesos Los Tuxtlas, Informantes en Red, and political bloggers like: Francoenlinea, Revista Juicio, El Pregòn de Los Tuxtlas, etc.

See the complete linked list of news sources:
Catemaco Diario - fuentes de noticias

Note: removed from draft status. I'll save it for a Spanish version, to be really messing with these incompetents' head.

The Colors of Catemaco

2011-11-11T23:01:00.001-06:00

At times the lake of Catemaco shimmers with more colors than the famous Laguna Bacalar in Quintanta Roo. At other time, when the strong winds of summer churn strong, beautiful storm waves, the lakes`s waters glitter bright blue between brillant white froth.The rest of the time, the lake vacillates among shades of light brown and weird green.

I guess green is what the current mayor of Catemaco saw, when he began painting the municipal infrastructure a bright shade of green.

The mayor before him saw red, and painted anything available to slap paint over, a nice obnoxious red, incluiding the street curbs.

The mayor before him, obviously a whimp, painted all of the Catemaco Malecón in white.
That is after his predecessor painted the same structures black.

Curiously, except for the red mayor, all others, including the current one, paint the curbs of their new streets bright yellow, which only last as long as about a third of their term in office.

A gallon of paint costs about the equivalent of 4 daily minimal salaries.

Of course everybody loves the colors of Mexico!

Say hello to the new Catemaco monkeys

2011-11-10T08:34:00.001-06:00

Depiste reservations by any naturalists in their right mind, the powers that be yesterday transferred a troop of 12 Spider moneys, including 2 males to a little bitty island in Lake Catemaco.

The former occupants, remnants of a troop of asiatic Macaque monkeys imported 35 years ago, apparently lost their local birthright and are to be shipped to a nature park in Quintana Roo.

Here are some photos from the transfer:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.296343160390271.77590.252372091454045&type=3

Let`s hope the banana throwing tourists appreciate these extremely endangered monkeys.

Read more about Catemaco monkeys here:
http://www.catemaco.info/catemaco/geo/primates.html

Catemaco Quetch

2011-11-05T12:01:00.003-06:00

Ok, I turned the music off.

Click on a song to turn it on .
There are 12 songs and they will play continuously while you stay on this page.

Catemaco Medicine Man

2011-11-04T07:36:00.002-06:00

The 1992 film "Medicine Man", known in Mexico as "Curandero de la Selva", put Catemaco on the map for nature tourism.

Starring Sean Connery and a mega million budget, with much of it spent in Catemaco, the film was mostly shot in Nanciyaga, and left many of its stage sets behind, forming the basis for the future success of that nature park.

See 7 minutes of the film on YouTube, which does not allow embedding here.

New York Time's Catemaco

2011-11-02T04:54:00.003-06:00

Mexico's richest man keeps buying chunks of the New York Times, Maybe that has something to do with this strange article about one aspect of Catemaco's brujo tourism.

CATEMACO JOURNAL

Driven to Cast Charms Against Drug Lords’ Darker Forces

more about brujos, here

Terry's Catemaco

2011-10-27T07:43:00.003-05:00

Remember the good ol' days when the hunting was great in Catemaco?

This is a snippet of Terry's Guide to Mexico from 1965.

That was also the first time I saw Catemaco. For about 15 minutes, on a cold, rain storming day from a one horse gas station, on the way to Quintana Roo.

Catemaco Facebook

2011-10-12T01:31:00.001-05:00

Catemaco News is now on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/CatemacoNews

Catemaco October 2011

2011-10-05T14:32:00.003-05:00

This is supposed to be about September, but I'll take a time out about October.

This was the eighth month in the old Roman calendar, until January and February were added to the in use calendar. That should make it the 12th month. Possibly because of that incongruity, the world sponsors the first week of the month as "Mental Illness Awareness week", or month, depending on whose side you are on.

Ok, back to September.

September was pleasantly drier most of the month than usual, and re-invigorated some of my spirits. Unfortunately that is all the news. Nothing happened. Deader than a door nail! No narco killings, no major scandals. No new good places to eat or raise hell. The doldrums, except for the annual independence day celebrations, whose decorations still hang around. I have about 50 pictures of the parade in Picasa, if you need to know what marching kids look like.

Governmentally, another half a dozen councils were added for a series of very worthwhile causes, but, they usually last as long as the 3 year mayor, now at the end of his first year in office, can hold his breath.

October is looking good. A buffalo meat joint will open its doors and provide free tastes on the 10th.

The road to the south is still a misery, but surprisingly, a potential washout near Maxacapan, 2 miles south, that I had been bitching about for 2 years is now being rebuilt, BEFORE it actually collapses. Miracles never cease.

The road north to Veracruz is now a pain, where before it was almost tolerable. Stay tuned!

The peso has been gyrating, but in effect has been making everything cheaper for US dollar spenders. Now is a great time to buy one of those multi million dollar properties in Catemaco or elsewhere in Mexico, that locals laugh about because they have been on the market for a dozen years while the owners religiously keep raising their prices.

PHOTO; Original art by Ramón Cano Mantilla. Release of paper hot air balloons to celebrate independence day in nearby San Andrés Tuxtla.

Catemaco Terrorists

2011-10-03T03:04:00.000-05:00

I get so tired of Mexico message boards in English, where a handful of posters regularly spout narco terror messages on threads about people wanting to drive through Mexico. Lately, of course, Veracruz is getting a deserved bashing

Mike Vondruska is a former short term resident of Catemaco, who at one time, was involved in the kayak business on the Malecon. He now operates a Veracruz Tour business, so of course he has a selfish agenda. Nevertheless, the comments he recently made on his blog, are a good defensive read about the current situation and I would suggest forwarding the link to anyone who is interested in Veracruz.

Veracruz Hits the News
October 3rd, 2011

Yes, the city of Veracruz sure did get some attention this past week. Killings, Killings, Killings. Dead bodies dumped in the street.

So now the word is,

“Don’t go to Mexico!”

“Don’t go to Veracruz!”

Incidentally, I do not know of a single US tourist having been killed in 10 years on the principal gulf coast highway #180 running from Brownsville, Texas to Cancun.

But I did find the curious item of Texas having had 3,071 traffic deaths in 2009, with almost half on its rural, non-interstate roads which you need to travel to get to Brownsville.

I am now considering to become a terrorist on Mexico's Spanish message boards about travel to the US.

Diana Washington Valdez: Texas traffic fatalities on rural roads lead nation

Catemaco Olmecs

2011-09-28T21:21:00.000-05:00

Final
Politicians of Catemaco pretend that Catemaco was civilized during the Olmec stage of local pre-hispanic history.

There is very little or no proof. Excavations on Isla Agaltepec and recently in Teotepec show only rudimentary occupation before 0 BC.

Nevertheless, politically it now seems to have become imperative to link Catemaco to the Olmec culture.

The first documented presence of settlers in Los Tuxtlas stems from sediment studies of a lake near San Andrès Tuxtla which dated corn pollen about 5000 years ago.

The next nearby presence dates from 3600 years ago when Olmecs initiated the first major Pre-Columbian civilization in Mexico around San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan southeast of present day Acayucan. The Olmecs progessively abandoned their centers wth the last one, actually in Los Tuxtlas, at Tres Zapotes, west of present Santiago Tuxtla, fading out about 2500 years ago, but continuing in a derivative version possibly until 900 AD

During its heyday, Olmec culture extended throughout central Mexico, extending to the Pacific and central America.

Apart from Tres Zapotes, few other significant archaeological finds of their presence in Los Tuxtlas have been made, including a sculpture workshop and assorted figurines primarily in Hueyapan, a municipality southeast of Catemaco.

The only significant find in Catemaco was documented in 1923, when Franz Blom, one of the earliest explorers of the area saw a small statue of Homshuk, a supposed Olmec deity parked next to a hovel in the city. Supposedly the figurine had been found on Isla Tenaspi, near the monkey islands.

The Olmec culture is one of the least understood in Mexico and abounds with speculations. They left no written, decipherable records, and the few that do exist are based on interpretations of Maya hieroglyphs. Nevertheless, it is said that they spoke a version of the Mixe Zoquean language family, primarily based on there still being remnant speakers of that language in the Olmecs' principal known areas generally around the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

The third largest of this group of speakers are Popolucas, an indigenous tribe still present in the southern Los Tuxtlas, still dominant in Soteapan and well represented in northern Hueyapan, both neighbors of Catemaco. Now here it becomes interesting.

The Catemaco/ Los Tuxtlas area became largely depopulated after 200 BC, possibly because of volcanism. The next substantial civilization were Nahuatl speakers arriving around 400 AD from the Tehotihuacan civilization centered on Mexico City. They erected Matacapan, a complex of perhaps 50,000 or more, northwest of Catemaco. Numerous subsidiary remnants have been found throughout Catemaco and in other nearby municipalities. Most of the historical artifacts still in Los Tuxtlas museums or cluttering up sidewalks, stem from that era. By the end of the Teotihuacan hegemony, the Matacapan Nahuas where then over run by Pipils, a Nahuatl dialect tribe of speakers, possibly from Cholula. By 900 the Pipils were gone, on their way to form minor empires in Central America.

By the time of the Spanish conquest, Los Tuxtlas was principally a Nahuatl speaking territory. a hundred years later, it is estimated that 80% of the natives had died off.
So what happened to the Olmecs and speakers of their language? I have no idea.

Almost all place names in Los Tuxtlas are Nahuatl, with a few of Pipil origins, and a even less with Popoluca roots. Even the Popoluca territory, which within oral history included the eastern part of Laguna Catemaco, has standardized on Nahuatl for its place names. Catemaco and the northern Tuxtlas is principally mestizo, bereft of its indigenous roots. The current indigenous population of Catemaco is less than 600, mostly Nahuats.

In 1911, Catemaco's historic documents were destroyed by arson so there is no record of its historic indigenous components, aside from a ridiculous statement that Catemaco was discovered and founded by settlers from San Andrès in 1714.

The question then becomes from where arises the much hyped mysticism of Catemaco?

From the possibly previous residents (500 years ago) of now disappeared Popolucas and Nahuats now hidden in the communities of the Santa Marta Mountains!

Dozens of sociological studies have identified the beliefs of brujos, chaneques (sprites), nahuals (shape shifters) as originating within the indigenous communities which apparently did not have a major presence in Catemaco during historic times.

Even today, unannounced, there are "real" brujo events occurring in those mountains, that would put the Catemaco hype to shame.

I guess it is ok for the primarily rootless mestizo population of Catemaco to borrow the traditions of its displaced progenitors. Maybe soon, they will declare Halloween a Catemaco invention.

If anyone cares for my bibliography, send me an email.

Catemaco Sports

2011-09-26T05:27:00.001-05:00

Catemaco and Los Tuxtlas promoters religiously push the same banal recommendations to visit the area.

Extreme sports are virtually overlooked and under appreciated. Many of the items mentioned below have been covered in this blog.

There is cave exploration along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and around the San Martin Volcano.

Hang Gliding is possible off the 2000 foot drop at La Ventana in the Sierra Santa Marta, although I have never seen one flying.

Wreck Diving is possible off the northern shore of Los Tuxtlas.

Mountain Biking is possible most anywhere.

Kite, wind or sky surfing is possible much of the year, although, again, I have never seen someone doing it.

White water kayaking is seasonally possible on many of the Los Tuxtlas rivers.

Rock climbers could be in heaven, especially when ascending the steep faces of waterfall canyons.

Cliff diving and rappelling is possible off the Roca Partida rock face along the gulf.

Where else in the world exist opportunities like that in a 50 mile circumference?

The photo is of a recent 50K bike ride along the Catemaco Lake circumference. Because of political ineptness, there is a 5 km gap in the road which has to be transversed in many parts by carrying the bike.

Catemaco STUPID

2011-09-15T22:16:00.001-05:00

The coastal highway #180 from the US border to the south of Mexico was begun in the early 1920's. By the 1960's most of it was paved and bridged.

In 2011 you have to stand on your head to find out if the road is passable. There is NO functional system in place to advise motorists. The federal toll roads have an excellent system supported by a web page, Facebook and Twitter. Probably because they also charge a fortune to cross over their facilities.

The federal free roads might as well be in the African Sahara. Supposedly you can call the federal highway police for information. Good luck, to both get connected or to receive sensible advice.

At present the south of Los Tuxtlas is not accessible or passable, or maybe it is. As usual, a culvert crossing collapsed, and a makeshift bridge, unrepaired since last year's storms, was flooded again.

Usually this stuff gets repaired within a day or three or a week, until the next road gets washed out.

Catemaco has enough problems attracting north to south tourism. If this crap of road destruction and failure to inform continues, nobody in their right mind will venture on the already torturous trek through Los Tuxtlas, and instead will choose to bypass Catemaco on the toll road.

I wish someone would stick a sock in the mouth of the Veracruz governor who keeps bragging about tourism being the solution to Veracruz's problems without maintaining the totally vital and only north south coastal highway.

Typical repair crew

Photo: http://www.informantesenred.com/fuertes-lluvias-dejan-estragos-en-catemaco/

Catemaco - Dia de Independencia

2011-09-15T20:33:00.000-05:00

Updated from 16 September 2006

Independence Day is one of the more important holidays across all of Mexico.

In beautiful downtown Catemaco, the degree of the celebration is totally related to the whim of the mayor in power for his 3 year elected term. Usually the first year of the term produces a plethora of activities and decorations. By the third year there is usually barely a whim of the party atmosphere of the first one or two years.

This is the first year in office of all the Los Tuxtlas mayors. And they are going ape shit spending the little money that they do have on bangles, baubles and fireworks.

I enjoy it while it lasts.

On the morning of September 10, 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a 57 year old priest from an old family of criollos (Mexican-born Spaniards) begun to harangue his parishioners in the small town of Dolores in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, about the state of affairs in Spain’s colony of New Spain.

He ended his sermon with “Viva the Virgin of Guadalupe and Death to the Gachupines (Spaniards in Mexico)”, now famous as the “Grito de Dolores“. The phrase is a pun in Spanish. It can mean both “The Shout from the Town of Dolores,” and “The Cry of Pain,” referring to the pain that Spain’s rule caused Mexico.

Thus began the bloodbath of Mexico’s revolt against Spain, ending almost 10 years later on February 24, 1821, when Agustin Iturbide (Spanish defense) and Vicente Guerrero (Mexican offense) joined in the Plan de Iguala to reject Spanish colonialism. On 24 August 1821, Iturbide and Spanish Viceroy Juan de O’Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba in Córdoba, Veracruz, ratifiying the Plan de Iguala and thus confirming Mexico’s independence.

After a year’s haggling, on July 21, 1822 the criollo Iturbide was declared the first emperor of Mexico as Agustin the First. He lasted till March 19, 1823, when in a continuation of the war of independence, former coalition partners warred again him, dethroned him and established the interim triumvirate headed by Pedro Celestino Negrete, with Nicolás Bravo and Guadalupe Victoria.

On October 4, 1824 the Constitution of the United Mexican States was promulgated, establishing a federal government. On October 10, 1824, General General Guadalupe Victoria assumed control of the executive authority, and became the first Mexican president to repeat the “Grito de Dolores“.

Over the years, Miguel Hidalgo’s “Death to the Gapuchines” battle cry was shelved and the more traditional “Viva the Heros of the Nation!”, “Viva the Republic!, and “Viva Mexico!”, etc. were substituted.

Another substitution was the change of the date when the “Grito” is delivered, from September 16 to the previous night of September 15, originally instituted to accommodate the birthday of the then Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz.

201 years later, the Mexican president, and every mayor in every community in Mexico, including beautiful downtown Catemaco, Veracruz delivers the “Grito” to his patriotic compatriots, accompanied by thousands of VIVA, VIVA, VIVA MEXICO.

The next morning things cool down a bit, and the traditional parades begin, more or less in line with the US July 4th events, only missing the baton twirlers.

Catemaco September 2011

2011-09-06T14:59:00.003-05:00

Be thankful, I don´t specialize on Veracruz and Mexico News! The local pollyannas would really freak out!

The state news is grim. 10 were killed in 3 separate incidents on Monday. By now the state press almost ignores them. Twitterers of course go ape, especially now that the local governor jailed two for the equivalent of shouting fire in a casino. Meanwhile the Mexican congress is debating a law which would make it illegal to insult politicians.

And now for the Catemaco weather:

The first of 45 or so cold fronts hit this morning. Lovely, much needed rain! It got so cold, I actually wore a shirt in the house during the day!

And now to the Catemaco news desk:

The long neglected 100 year old clock tower was repaired with functioning clocks and a sound system. Of course, if you decide to sleep anywhere near the center of town, you will be inspired by the Mexican national anthem followed by church bells at 6 am.

Catemaco is still in the running to become one of the "pueblos magicos" which some pendejo bureaucrat now has decided to rename "Acuarelas Túristicas" (tourist watercolors). Hopefully, that will be after the long promised and more often announced 50 million pesos arrive to fix the sewage running down the streets.

The mayor has spread new gravel across most of the local country roads. It is really a great time to haunt the mountain nooks of Catemaco. Dried up streams are now running wild, more shades of green than fit on any palette and incredible vistas around every corner.

As usual some "asnos" blocked the road south from here followed the next day by a major washout of a culvert bridge that hasn't been fully repaired since last year. Check locally, before heading south. Unfortunatey there are no Twitterers updating news of the road, and, of course the federal and state agencies are too inept.

There is another news item, but I am too embarrassed to publish it here, so go there.

And on the Catemaco reading desk:
A young woman went partying in Catemaco and wrote about in Spanish
http://www.lacasarosacatemaco.com/reportajeCatemacoNights.html

Another one took a good look around and wrote about it in German
http://vallartina.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/laguna-encantada-%E2%80%93-der-see-der-hexer/

And, unbelievably, one of France's best newspapers published the farce of some imported foot stompers from Mexico City as "the ritual dances of Catemaco"
http://www.lemonde.fr/voyage/video/2011/08/29/les-danses-rituelles-de-catemaco_1563586_3546.html

The European interest may have something to with the skyrocketing (percentage wise) number of mostly European tourists flying into Veracruz City. (the peso is dirt cheap when valued against the Euro).

Update
The do not insult your legislator law was tabled supposedly because of social network opposition

La Victoria, Catemaco

2011-09-04T06:32:00.000-05:00

La Victoria is the third largest town in the Catemaco county, and features a bucolic atmosphere without tourists. Curiously the town may be related to a British monarch.

Visit La Victoria

60+ photos, maps and a few hundred words.

Catemaco Reads

2011-08-29T08:54:00.003-05:00

There is a new kid on the block of English news in Mexico. Edited by a Dutchman and describing itself a delivering "Independent News from the Heart of the Americas",
The Voice of Mexico recently began publication as an online only service.

Here are a few more :

The News

Baja Times

Guadalajara Reporter

Inside Mexico - monthly

A good daily news aggregator is the:

Latin American Herald Tribune

and a thoughful weekly:

MexiData

and almost English daily business commentary from

eleconomista.com.mx/focus-on-mexico

In addition there are hundreds of blogs, mostly geared more towards entertainment than news.

I recommend a feed of mostly news blogs I established for my personal reading:

mexicofeed.blogspot.com

More personal blogs can be found at

rollybrook.com/blogs.htm

Catemaco Gay

2011-08-28T03:16:00.001-05:00

A day ago or so the Mexican presbyterians disavowed their association with the US presbyterians because of gay concerns.

Who cares?. Actually I do not know if there are any presbis in Catemaco.

What is more pertinent is that Mexico City came out of the closet and declared itself gay friendly a few months ago.

Catemaco, too, should raise its banner and declare itself gay friendly.

Gays, speaking generally, have more than the average disposable income, enjoy natural wonders, cultural activities and nooks and crannies.

Catemaco qualifies, and could use the business.

What's missing is a boutique hotel declaring itself gay friendly. Actually what's missing is a boutique hotel.

Meanwhile, most of the raunchy cantinas along the federal highway crossing Catemaco serve transvestites as part of their offering.

Catemaco qualifies as a gay destination and should seriously consider promoting itself as such.

Catemaco Orphanage

2011-08-19T13:51:00.000-05:00

Before I settled in Catemaco I had gotten a whiff that there might be an orphanage here. It took me a few months until I found it. I had previous experience supporting children in the Far East with "Catholic Relief Services" and damaging some of them with another affiliation and I was looking to find a place to put my 2 cents.

In 1995, a religious señora donated one hectare, (2.5 acres) on the outskirts of Catemaco to a charitable agency to establish a home for children without homes.

The receiving agency was the brothers of the Order of Mercy, a catholic monk organization founded in 1218, http://orderofmercy.org/. The Order had begun operations in Mexico City in 1984 and now houses several hundred children there.

A holding facility, locally called "Casa Hogar", with 6 rooms and a supervisor quarter were constructed on the large terrain in Catemaco, a few kids were imported, and then the continuity of the project died.

The monastic order has been trying to enlarge the facility to accomodate more than 100 children, primarily from Los Tuxtlas , BUT, because of changing land values in the last 10 years, survivors of the original donor have been fighting for posession of the property.

For the last 9 years, as far as I know, my Popoluca and I have been the only local private presence supporting the children with electric and electronic equipment, school supplies, food, etc.

In a small way they are supported by the local catholic church organization, and of course by their substantially larger Mexico City Order . According to the "father" supervising the Casa, that support is "negligible".

Originally I had thought that these childrens were all orphans. Most are not. Instead they were collected from damaging environments, such as child abusers and violent parents.

I have followed some of them for the past 9 years and am happy to see some achieve university status.

Meanwhile there is a group of children that need support, and yes, they are tax deductible!

Casa Hogar Villa Nolasco, AC

http://www.casahogarvn.org.mx

Photo: Taken in 2005. Usually when I am building something, I invite the kids to work for a stipend, that time, cleaning my beach.

Catemaco Tourism - part 5

2011-08-16T15:03:00.005-05:00

I chuckled when the Catemaco tourism director recently admitted to a 40% occupancy rate instead of the expected 80% during the recently deceased tourist season. He blamed it on newspapers that reported that it was raining in Veracruz, and of course on insecurity. Even at 40%, I think he was stroking his thing.

Insecurity, though is really becoming a cause celebre. This last month Veracruz City and State has been horrifying with murder rates not seen since the 1980's when the targets were politicians instead of narcos. I expected it, but I would much rather have been wrong.

Of course the director did not mention that less than 2 years ago, the principal paid for attraction in Catemaco raised its rates from 50 to 80 pesos per person for a boat ride to see monkeys.

The key element of Catemaco Tourism is boat trips around the Catemaco Lake, across Laguna Sontecomapan and to a much minor degree, along the coast.

Catemaco Lake tourism began with the introduction of southeast Asian monkeys to a small island within the lake in the 1970's. Fishermen soon discovered the profitability of hauling tourists to see these monkeys, and by now there are more than 154 permissions to operate tourist boats on the lake. 52 of those are owned by cooperatives, 102 others are owned by 39 individuals, (based on outdated statistics from 2000).

All but one of the boats is operated with environmentally damaging 2 cycle outboard engnes. All the boats were apparenty produced on the same set of 2 molds, with mostly 12, plus 16, 20 and 24 passenger configurations. None of the boats have flush decks, none are suitable for anyone with the least handicap, none provide adequate ingress and egress, and none are weather proof.

Almost all boats are shabby, uncomfortable and driven by taciturn drivers, most of whom are not owners but employees.

Additionally they have pretty much wasted and destroyed much of the Catemaco shoreline with flotsam, glass shards, every boat repair and maintenance chemical available and just your nice general household trash from visitors.

Current tariffs for the 1 hour tour are 80 pesos per passenger with a minimum of 450 per boat, including 6 passengers. Other rates are negotiable, and the 100 or more shills promoting the rides are reputed to rip off the unaware.

Because of inclement weather, boats operate perhaps only 2/3 of the year.

The best experiences I ever had on the lake were the rental of a now gone catamaran, shared with friends to many destinations on the lake. The Cat failed, first because of importation legalities and then because of partner squabbles.

Personally I would like to see a a few 50 to 100 seater party boats on the lake, suitable for lunch, dinner moonlight and "see the monkey" cruises.

So called "six pack" and larger weatherproof cabin cruisers with comfortable seating, an ice chest and onboard toilet would be a welcome addition. Even a few captained speed boats would do wonders for well heeled visitors.

A few rental Hobie Cats would really look great on the lake, and a few rental captained sail boats would do wonders for the lake`s skyline. But please, dear god, pass a law against unthrottled rental jet skies.

I agree with a past proposal to erect a boat pier in the laguna on La Punta (proposed, studied, and supposedly funded in 2006), but ignored by succeeding administrations. Even a local Belgian's idea of importing a few hundred sail boats was a good, but I thought unfeasible, idea.

The idea of a boat pier is wagging its tail again this year, with supposedly an 11 million peso construction going up near La Ola restaurant. At best this is a band aid, and a political rip off.

Catemaco needs a Marina/harbor with seawalls to keep the small boats out of harm's way. If you have ever seen teams of up to 20 men sweating and cursing to haul each of the 150 plus boats on shore before a dozen weather events, you would understand my suggestion.

Of course, I would like to see most of these boats disappear to be replaced with less and bigger boats with lower rates for the big ones.
But that would mean a political war in Catemaco.

Meanwhile something that would really help would be to prepare an accurate script describing the stops and sights of the boat trip, and forcing operators to memorize the script and convey it to passengers. And shucks, maybe one of them could advertise a trip in English or German or whatever.

Soon: Catemaco Lanchas - in Spanish

All my posts on the subject of Catemaco Tourism are drafts for Spanish transformations and meanwhile serve to annoy local politicians and tourism promoters who read them in Google translations. I keep publishing and disappearing them while footballing items with a few friends. Readership of regulars of the blog, compared to the thousands of my regular publications mostly in Spanish, is so minute, I care less who else reads it. See all parts:
http://www.catemaco.info/s/catemaco/3/turismo.html

Catemaco Zeta

2011-08-16T01:20:00.005-05:00

Update: Aug 16, 2011
The violence in Veracruz state has now become something to write home about. Fortunately not in the Veracruz City - Acayucan corridor, including Catemaco.

Go ahead and cry in Spanish:
http://chingadanews.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/ejecutaremos-a-quien-se-interfiera-zetas-responsabilizan-a-javier_duarte-de-la-matanza-veracruz-verfollow/
now in English:
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/08/veracruz-city-and-state-held-hostage.html

Update: July 11, 2011
Los Tuxtlas were / are happily in the Los Zetas containment area. I think, in the past, they treated the area as a retreat and laid low. Nevertheless there have been dozens of wannabee's representing themselves as Zetas trying to extort local business people.

There have been local shootings, but because of the intransigence of both the local press and institutions, nobody knows whether anything was narco related.

Near Catemaco (about 40 miles away and often mentioned as being in Los Tuxtlas), is a killing field around Rodriguez Clara through which probably no tourist has passed in the last 12 month. Crime and killings, mostly political in that area, are SOP going on for 30 years and totally unrelated to the popular narco gangs.

Los Zetas, who supposedly control southern Veracruz, are now threatened by both the Gulf Cartel to the north and associates of the Sinaloa cartel to the south. Outbursts of violence have occurred in Veracruz City, Coatzacoalcos and Xalapa.

At present the incidence of violence in southern Veracruz is significantly higher than it was a year ago, but not anywhere near the figures in the border states, and, personally, nothing to write home about.

First publication: Nov 2010
An abridged history of the narcos in the Tamaulipas to Catemaco corridor.

Mexico has long been used as a staging and transshipment point for narcotics, undocumented immigrants and contraband destined for U.S. markets. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Colombia was the main exporter of cocaine. When enforcement efforts intensified in South Florida and the Caribbean, the Colombians formed partnerships with the Mexico-based traffickers to transport cocaine through Mexico into the United States.

Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo known as "El Padrino" (The Godfather) in the 1980s became the first drug czar in Mexico to control all illegal drug traffic in Mexico and the corridors along the Mexico-U.S.A. border.

In 1988, Félix Gallardo began to plan for retirement and convened the nation's top narcos to assign them their respective markets in Mexico. The control of the Tamaulipas (US border in Texas) corridor - then becoming the Gulf Cartel - would be left undisturbed.

Juan Nepomuceno Guerra, a bootlegger and smuggler from the 1930's is credited with founding the Gulf Cartel in the Texas border areas in the 1970's. During the 1980's and 1990's, his nephew Juan Garcia Abrego expanded the business to include Colombian cocaine.

Félix Gallardo was arrested in Mexico in April 8, 1989. and is still in a Mexican high security prison where he enjoys reading his website.
Juan Garcia Abrego was arrested in 1996 and extradited to the US.
Juan Nepomuceno Guerra died in 2001 and never spent a day in jail.

Upon Juan Garcia Abrego´s arrest, Salvador Gómez, assumed control of the cartel. In 1998 he was presumably assassinated by Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, earning Cárdenas the nickname "El Mata Amigos" (The Friend-Killer), who then assumed control.

Cardenas was arrested on 2003 and extradited to the US. Leadership of the cartel then passed to Heriberto Lazcano and cronies.

Los Zetas
Osiel Cárdenas in 1997 had hired Lieutenant Arturo Guzmán Decena, an ex-special forces officer of the Mexican army alleged but not verified to have been trained by the CIA in Georgia. He was soon joined by 30+ other soldiers. They became the enforcement arm of the Gulf Cartel, responsible for most of its violence

Guzmán Decena known as Z1 (Zeta 1, a radio code used by the federal police) was killed in 2002 and succeeded by Z2, Rogelio González Pizaña.

With the arrest of Osiel Cárdenas, Los Zetas in 2003 began its separation from the Gulf Cartel to increase their personal income and initiated a gang war with their former employers, while expanding the geographic reach of their enterprise to include Veracruz and to include extorsion, robbery and kidnappings, along with drug smuggling.

The then leader of the Zetas, Rogelio González was captured in 2004 and Z3, Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano, then took control of the Zetas.

In 2008 the Zetas formed a collaboration with the Beltrán Leyva gang and the Juarez and Sinaloa Cartel.

Early 2010, more serious confrontations between the Gulf Cartel , now again supported by the Sinaloa Cartel, and Los Zetas exploded and are the basis of most of the horror stories coming from the Tamaulipas - Veracruz corridor.

Supposedly the 30+ original Zetas have been joined by several hundred other former military or police agents. Most of the original Zetas are still alive and roaming freely.

Affect on Veracruz.
Veracruz has remarkably not been affected by major narco violence. (Although occasional headlines blast shootouts and killings, they are no more than the norm in Veracruz violence, which, compared to the rest of Mexico is unimpressive.

What has been less reported is the fear factor created in Veracruz by the the extortion of businessmen in entire cities, their kidnappings, and the increase of general organized crime without excessive killings all attributed to "Zetas".

At present Z40, Miguel Treviño Morales is supposedly the commander in Veracruz. He attained that position supposedly after a major shootout at a race track in Veracruz in 2007, which included a major property owner from Catemaco.

The Los Tuxtlas area has seen no violence directly attributed to the narco wars, but is affected by the general sense of insecurity in Mexico, which, locally, is attributed to actions of Los Zetas, but more than likely is of the home grown variety.

Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_war_in_Mexico
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_zetas

I love my Catemaco maid

2011-08-11T17:17:00.002-05:00

I inherited my current maid from her sister who is now a relatively well paid full time nanny to a rug rat in Xalapa with my family.

I am now desperately trying to keep the cost of my smoking habit below the cost of my current 6 day, 6 hour a day, maid.

I probably won´t, but who cares, there are another 1000 young women prepared to slave over dirty laundry and dishes for less than my smoking habits.

Just another way to enjoy beautiful downtown Catemaco.

PS - if you did not recognize the sarcasm, you must be living in Vallarta.

Catemaco worms

2011-08-04T20:31:00.005-05:00

This is a repost from 2007

My dogs fairly regularly produce feces with wiggly things and we rush them to the veterinarian.

My Popoluca regularly deworms herself and is incredulous that I prefer not to do so, and she thinks it is an outright lie when I tell her I have never been de-wormed in my adult life.
Since she also knows a few gringos, we have compared notes. Now she is convinced that Mexican worms do not like gringos.

Beautiful small town Catemaco is not that far removed from the days when shoes where a luxury, and topless bathing in the laguna was the norm. And a trip into the higher surrounding sierras will reveal that to still be the norm in many riverside communities.

Parasite infection is a serious problem in rural children in Mexico and the Mexican health system has serious preventative and control measures in place. But apparently the message that once you took all those preventative measures and reached adulthood, that ritual practice of de-worming became unnecessary, has not filtered down, or maybe I am missing something

And the drug producers are happy.
Or maybe I have worms and don´t know it.

Today's headline August 2011
http://www.informantesenred.com/emprenden-campana-de-desparasitacion-para-trabajadores-de-limpia-publica/

And BTW - she forced me to swallow a cure all for whatever supposedly wiggles in me, and I have been constipated since.

August 2011 Catemaco

2011-08-03T07:26:00.002-05:00

The rainy season is now in full swing, thank G. It was getting a little to dry for my taste.

Of course the first major rains wiped out a bridge to the south and left Catemaco incomunicado again. It is incredible how inept both the federal and state governments are in maintaining their vaunted tourism infrastructure.

On the remaining tourism front, the 3 1/2 hotels under construction were not smart or rich enough to finish their floors to reap the high season's benefits. The former dilapidated La Panga has been reopened after a solid and expensive remodeling job and is becoming a mecca for the evening crowd, and Catemaco's favorite cantina "Los Caballos" is moving to a possible location on the Malecon.

The last few months produced some remarkable festivals in Los Tuxtlas, and local mayors fell all over themselves importing high priced performers, totally out of line with local disposable income. Nevertheless, the underlying festivals, such as the annual celebration of the Virgin in Catemaco, the Jarocha music festival in San Andrès and the street fair in Santiago kept locals happily jockeying between cities.

Of course there are no accurate statistics on actual tourism in Los Tuxtlas, so you have to take my word for it. Business is weak, despite oodles of publicity. The only bright spot, but not particularly profitable, are the increased number of tour buses, many filled with Europeans, mostly spending just a few hours on the Malecòn.

Some new movies have been announced to partially use surrounding locations later this year and next. That always creates some interest.

Unfortunately, Veracruz has seen an upsurge in violence in the past months which is actually penetrating into Google English news searches. Most of the real goodies barely make it into the state papers, because I think there is a concerted effort to low key the situation for the tourist season. Still a far cry from the major violent states in Mexico, but exasperating, nevertheless, and I hope the situation improves. SOON!

There is an unexplained gap of federal moneys arriving in Catemaco, and the usual announcement of dozens of construction works by a new mayor in office, have been delayed. Little money is being spent in Catemaco and that also affects the local economy. A few of the streets in the hilly part of Catemaco, which is still mostly dirt roads, are being paved and and are opening up some city sections with great views of the lake.

Beach visits have been fairly strong, particularly in the Montepio region. In another month. they'll be ghost towns again and revert to being wonderful places to visit.

Rancho Los Amigos is running some workshops on Yoga and sustainability and drawing a thimble of attendants. I wish there were more thimbles.

Photo: A mural in the parking lot of the Playa Cristal Hotel

In Defense of Catemaco Monkeys

2011-08-01T06:34:00.000-05:00

In 1974 medical researchers imported a troop of Stump Tail Macaques to populate an island in Laguna Catemaco. The research program failed, but the monkeys, imported from Puerto Rico, but originally from Southeast Asia, thrived in their subtropical environment.

Local fishermen soon discovered that transporting tourists to see these monkeys is profitable.

Over the years, the University of Veracruz assumed the responsibility for the island, but never took a serious interest. Various "support the monkeys" were formed by boatmen, but they also fell into abandon. Occasionally the municipal government allocated some funds to the care of the monkeys. But those funds also dried up.

Nowadays more than 150 boats plow the waters of the Laguna, loaded with up to 24 sightseers each, for a glimpse of the monkeys. During the holiday season, the waters around the island are a madhouse with dozens of boats juggling for a position to see the monkeys who prefer to sleep 3/4 of the day.

Their only irregular support is bananas, some fruit and tourist junk food fattening them during the holidays, and starving them during the off season.

The monkeys have been inbreeding for 36 years, and are obviously not prime specimens any more. Often they look bedraggled and evoke more sympathy than joy from visitors.

Recently it was announced that the Stump Tailed Macaque monkeys on the island will be replaced by critically endangered Mexican Spider Monkeys.

THAT IS A STUPID IDEA.

Mexican Spider monkeys are critically endangered, and holding them captive on a tiny island for the amusement of tourists is contraindicatory to common sense, and probably in violation of Mexican laws.

A 6750m2 island (2/3 of a hectare) is not a natural environment for Spiders who in their home range are accustomed to 100's of hectares.

Spider monkeys are much more active than Macaques. They also prefer to spend their time in tree canopies and will probably disappear into the trees, and become invisible to tourists. A visit to the holding pens at the University of Veracruz's park in Pipiapan will confirm that.

Preferentially, all the monkeys should be removed from the islands to be returned to their natural habitat, or to a professional zoo or wildlife center, and the island should be allowed to regenerate its natural habitat.

But that is not feasible politically. The monkeys have become a cash cow for a large part of the tourism providers of Catemaco, and are the basis for the success of Nanciyaga.

The Macaques should be maintained on the island. Unfortunately the University of Veracruz, who is technically in charge of these monkeys, has failed in its duties, and there is no reason to believe it will improve in the future.

A foundation to maintain the animals should be established in Catemaco, funded with a fee of a few pesos from every boat visiting the island, from the boatmen who now collect up to and more than 100 pesos per person for the trip and who now collect 8? pesos from Nanciyaga for every tourist they drop off at their docks.

The foundation should have a veterinarian on call, an exchange program should be initiated with another wildlife center that breeds Macaques to improve the islanders' blood lines, and a regular supplemental feeding schedule should be adhered to.

That's my opinion!

To read the opposing one I collected several documents and posted them here:

5 documentos sobre Macacos de Catemaco, in Spanish of course.

To read some more about all the monkeys in Catemaco, read

The Primates of Catemaco.

Photo: Wikipedia

Update: The Fool on the Hill had to add his two cents:
I agree, but I believe the best solution is to place the remaining monkeys in zoos or wildlife centers. If that proves impossible, euthanasia is an option. Leaving them on the island, even well fed, is prolonging their inbreeding, suffering and ultimate slow death. The hell with the tourist attraction. Tourists can go see the Virgin’s footprint.

UPDATE; Within the last year, the island's monkey population has shrunk to less than 10, noticeably reported by visitors. Something is going on!

A million Gringos

2011-07-30T05:52:00.009-05:00

edited and revised, Aug 3
I keep reading about a million gringos living in Mexico, and keep scratching my head about where they are all hiding.
Presuming that all foreigners in Mexico have a Visa, I come up with a figure considerably less.
In 2010, Mexican immigration reported 64,399 residency visas (FM2&3) issued to what they call North Americans: US, Canada & Bermuda. About 18% were issued to Canadians.

Visas issued in 2010
FM3 FM3 FM2 FM2
Issue renew Issue renew Total %
US & Canada 12388 39876 4774 7361 64399 31.40%
Europe 8945 12963 3545 6977 32430 15.81%
Others 17480 41015 17861 31889 108245 52.78%
Total 38813 93854 26180 46227 205074 100.00%

Veracruz all 1299 1995 569 1041 4904 2.39%
probable US & Canada based on 31.4% 323

Source: http://www.inm.gob.mx/index.php/page/Documentacion_y_Legal_2010

Two figures need to be added:
Imigrados, those that went beyond their visa requirements, were 639 "North Americans" last year.
Let's say there are 10 thousand of those. And then there are those that took the final step and obtained Mexican citizenship. I'll add another 5000 and am now up to 80 thousand, less 18% Canadians, for a total of 66 thousand

Of course there are the 6 month border trekkers on tourist visas. How many? Anyone's guess! Maybe 50 thousand in Baja and another 100 thousand in the rest of Mexico. And then, of course, there are the snowbirds who show up for 3-4 months. Make them another 100 thousand.
Now I am at 316 thousand.

Now here comes the whammy:
The most important of the million gringo mentions comes from the US State Department
"a million American citizens live in Mexico" http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35749.htm

And that is documented by INEGI, the Mexican statistical agency, which reported 738,103
inhabitants as being born in the US as of the 2010 census.
http://www3.inegi.org.mx/sistemas/TabuladosBasicos/Default.aspx?c=27302&s=est (click migraciòn)

To extrapolate how many of those would qualify as having been former US full time residents, is fraught with issues that border on racism and others.
Anyway of those 738,103 my presumed 316 thousand need to be deducted, because presumably they were also counted in the census.
Of the remaining 417 thousand, I'll stick my head out and assume that most of those US citizens living in Mexico think of themselves as Mexicans, and I'll throw in 50 thousand as a fop to add to the total of US gringos living in Mexico.

To sum up, aside from bona fide tourists, I think, that at any one time there are less than 400 thousand US gringos either full or part time retired or working in Mexico. And that is on the high side and does not substantiate that Mexico is a significant choice as a retirement haven for those living in the US.

Catemaco video

2011-07-27T04:37:00.002-05:00

About the extorsion of brujos, fat monkeys and the growth of ecotourism.

Catemaco Tourism is going down the tubes -9

2011-07-24T16:25:00.005-05:00

You thought I forgot about the "Tubes"? WRONG

It's just that I seem to have more exciting things to do.

But you can read a draft here:

http://www.catemaco.info/s/catemaco/3/turismo.html

Meanwhile the photo is from a recent exhibition at city hall, and should accompany a fantasy article of the pre -hispanic history of Catemaco. In Spanish, of course.

Historia de mi abuelo

La Punta of Catemaco

2011-07-17T03:56:00.002-05:00

Take a look at the side of Catemaco City that most tourists never see:

La Punta de Catemaco

from the bus station north to the Gorel restaurant (not the one on the Malecon)

Catemaco Pepper

2011-07-07T15:45:00.004-05:00

Ever tried finding a decent pepper mill in Mexico? After umpteen years of living with third rate substitutes, my good friend the Fool on the Hill, presented me what according to him was a marvel of German engineering.

For a while it worked great and permeated my kitchen with the smell of fresh ground lemon pepper imported by the "Fool" from who knows where. The little marvel bit the dust, or should I say ground, a year or so back, and the Fool promptly replaced it with something that would satisfy an elephant in search of a dildo.

Today I made the mistake of returning the original mill to the Fool, in case he needed spare parts.

He promptly proceeded to lecture me:

"It is common knowledge among we pepper mill history buffs, that the Zassenhaus Pepper Mill has been around for ages and has been long considered the best. Actually, the mill was invented by a Swede living in Hamburg, who named the mill after his amigo “Hans Julius Zassenhaus”. This occurred just after the invention of Germans (also by Swedes), and in anticipation of the invention of pepper – by Swedes.

Sometime after I bought my original Zassenhaus Mill, many years ago, and prior to purchasing your mill, the Swedes relinquished their time honored right to technical production supervision (They did this after tiring of replacing millions of the little screw-type caps on the mills that the Germans kept losing.) Some German then took it upon himself to replace the metal gears with plastic (undoubtedly a German invention) gears. This accounts for your dysfunctional mill. Is strikes me as most apropos that you, a German, were the first in Mexican history to suffer a dysfunctional Zassenhaus mill.

"Du gamla, Du fria . . . Ja, jag vill leva, jag vill dö i Norden. . . . "

I'll be damned if I accept any more pepper mills from a Fool of Swedish ancestry!

Catemaco Aquarium

2011-07-06T10:19:00.004-05:00

Catemaco is not just famous for its brujos and disappearing fauna and flora. Thousands of aquarium hobbyists keep a piece of Catemaco in their tanks. Best know are the Catemaco Molly and the Catemaco Platy. The video is of a rare Catemaco species, only discovered/described in 2003 Xiphophorus kallmani, a livebearing swordtail.

Catemaco Celebration of the Virgen del Carmen

2011-07-01T07:47:00.004-05:00

July 14 - 24, 2011 - Catemaco

See the entire program here: (in Spanish)

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=178187268907062

Catemaco Message Boards

2011-06-30T10:40:00.000-05:00

updated 5 october 2011
updated 30 june 2011
from early 2010

The jerks at MEXCONNECT banned me for probably repeatedly telling them that their message board is antiquarian, but specifically because I responded to someone insulting me in Spanish with an even more explicit response.

Actually this is the second time in the last two weeks. The last one was a response to a narco terrorist rehashing incidents on the Matamoros to Veracruz highway.

Her's a song to remember them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NvgTCTbIgTA#!

There is no message board in beautiful downtown Catemaco. I operated one beginning in 2003 but gave up after a lot of hassles and insults.

So now I am stuck with reading Mexican message boards for amusement. There are dozens. But the only ones that count about Mexico in general are:

Lonely Planet *recommended - moved up 2 - because there usually is some new blood.
This is for newbie travellers, and it helps them. Do not depend on their guides, they are full of errors.

Expat Forum *previously recommended
The pedantic editor took a vacation and came back with a much better attitude. Seems to be growing.

Mexconnect *previously recommended - Too many of the same people talking to each other)
Free for all, with all the same gringos as on other boards. (Actually 5 or 6 years ago they charged to post).
Best board for research on Mexican laws and foibles.

Mexonline
Dying on the Line, or so it seems. Yep, it's even deader now

The boards are cyclical, heavily trafficked during the winter months, and asleep during the rest of the year.
Judging by these boards, there are only about 2 people travelling through Mexico at any one time.
But there are dozens of supposed residents fighting over answering their teeniest question. Generally, the more teeny the question, the more functional is the response just before, too often, some "pendejo" hijacks the message thread to proclaim his penchant for violence in Mexico.

Catemaco Links

2011-06-30T06:06:00.002-05:00

Usually reading about an archaeological dig is as exciting as a telephone directory. Surprise! One of the best known Los Tuxtlas archaeologists puffed up 86 pages with great words and photos of a nearby Olmec settlement.

The La Mojarra chronicle: an illustrated account of an archaeological investigation in Veracruz, Mexico, by Richard H. Diel

Trip reports are a dime a dozen and not my favorite read. But I enjoyed this one from 2005. Unfortunately it lacks the second half.

Birds and Brujas of Catemaco from iammyownreporter.com

PS - I am still playing with the Catemaco tourism tube, but busy with other stuff

Photo: the old ferry in Alvarado, early 1960, taken from Diehl's Chronicle

DO NOT PASS GO in Catemaco

2011-06-14T20:33:00.033-05:00

At least for the next 3 days.

Assorted highways will be blocked by protesters.

Blocking highways is a federal crime in Mexico. The only ones arrested for it, that I have read about, are impoverished Indians demanding better government services. The rest, ranging from the current national transportation unions to locals demanding handouts apparently are excluded from the law.

As if Mexico does not have enough problems, you can figure at least one or 2 days per month that a highway will be closed wherever you are going. Usually it is only for a few hours, but sometimes it will take days and the Mexican army to clear the road. Often the blockers will allow passage after paying an appropriate contribution to their cause.

The current fave in Veracruz is truck and bus drivers protesting against police abuses and the cost of fuel.

Shucks, what will they think of next?

Update: WHAT A MESS!
http://www.veracruzanos.info/2011/06/ultimos-reportes-carreteros/ Today's mess.
A few hours ago the usual jerks in Covarrubias closed the bridge. And I have friends on the road arriving from Chiapas.

Catemaco June 2011

2011-06-12T05:08:00.099-05:00

It's still hot, but not as hot as the as usual unbearable days of May.

Rain is now overdue and Los Tuxtlas is a potential tinderbox. Each year hundreds to thousands of acres go up in flames, primarily in the Sierra Santa Marta to the south. Little is done about it because the mountain communities lack both fire equipment and fire roads.

My series about tourism going down the tubes was waylaid by dozens of tangents arising from studying the local dreams which I had unfortunately stored in a mess. To be continued soon.

The high faluting chef that created a little excitement in Catemaco is gone, and instead I just saw my first sliced pizza tricycle peddlar.

For twelve weeks the local authorities ballyhooed the carnival of Catemaco, which finally came to a close the end of May with three identical parades, presumably attended by identical local people, because touristically the local restaurants were starving.

Also coming to a close is the political gift giving season. Every year I am amazed at the public funds used to entertain potential voters or influence peddlers. Gifts ranged from cash to refrigerators, plasma TVs, and video recorders, which in the latest round, kept local school teachers and journalists in line. The last potential give-away day is Father's Day, but somehow I have never seen politicians use that day as a vote buying opportunity.

You might think my mentioning politicians without upcoming elections is a little stupid. WRONG, the jockeying for political power started the day after the last election in 2010 and, amazingly, is now in full swing for the end of 2012 elections, even in a hick town like Catemaco which sells less than 300 newspapers per day. Which brings up the current mayor. I had hopes for the next 3 years of Catemaco. Like I said, I had hopes.

Yesterday, a terrible accident occurred on the road around Nanciyaga. A young women died and another two are fighting for life. The horrible aspect is that the driver fled the bloody scene. That is the typical response of Mexican drivers who prefer to leave their dying wife and children on the road (2010 local accident), rather than to face the Mexican judicial system. But, among all the razzle of protests in Mexico, I see none addressing that issue. "Asi es", says my Popoluca.

We are now in the doldrums of tourism which won`t lift till the beginning of summer vacation in mid July and the major festival of the Virgen del Carmen, the local chief holiness. Charter buses filled with European tourists are the only visitors that pop out on the bleak touristic landscape.

This is a local mountain cat which has lately been snacking on the Fool on the Hill's chicken. Jaguarundis are not particularly endangered, but they are almost extinct in Los Tuxtlas.

Fly united to Catemaco

2011-06-07T07:36:00.023-05:00

Oh, oh! The narcos of Veracruz are doing Tamaulipas stuff on the road to heaven (Catemaco), and caused the toll road to be closed for a few hours.

8 supposed Zetas were wacked just north of Veracruz City. Milenio (in Spanish).

La Barra de Sontecomapan, Catemaco

2011-05-31T12:16:00.000-05:00

Usually when the Catemaco carnival comes to town, I head out of town.

This year I revisited La Barra, an idyllic beach 330 days of the year, took a video, some more photos and updated the story.

Visit La Barra

Santa Muerte of Catemaco

2011-05-30T14:49:00.004-05:00

The holy death phenomena hit home yesterday, when four ghostly "Santa Muerte" statues showed up on the shores of Laguna Catemaco.

That Mexican culture appears to be infused with death worships is evident in the "Dia de los Muertos" festival mostly in southern Mexico, and the many macabre sculptures found among Mexican civilizations dating as far back as the Olmecs.

So it seems fairly natural that the national intelligencia evokes assorted Aztec gods as forerunners of the religion. More skeptical cogniscenti, including Wikipedia in Spanish, claim the cult was founded in the early 1960's in Catemaco. Others of course denigrate the idea.

The cult of Santa Muerte gets regularly trounced by the Catholic Church. So it was curious, that the Mexican government registered the cult as an official church in 2003, providing its followers with oodles of publicity.

Meanwhile it is said that the cult draws followers largely from those who daily put their lives at risk, which of course has prompted the accusation that Santa Muerte is the saint of the narcos.

The few locals with whom I have discussed the cult, deny that it originated in Catemaco. I neither know nor care. But it sure is good for business. The central market has several stalls featuring Santa Muerte, and of course, most brujos use the imagery to entertain or frighten their clients.

For a fairly comprehensive discussion read Wikipedia English:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Muerte

Catemaco Carnaval 2011

2011-05-26T02:30:00.001-05:00

If you want to know all about the same parade that crossed my street 3 days in a row, see 200 or so picture linked to from Facebook sites on :
Update: Photos gone, but not forgotten

Catemaco Swedes

2011-05-10T08:52:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, two Scandinavian women left Catemaco after 4 months of studying monkeys in the Tropical Fauna and Wildlife Park on Mount Pipapan.

They also left behind a blog with some wonderful photos and insights of the area.

Yesterday a new Swedish woman arrived. I am sure she will do as well.

Welcome her and learn some Swedish while you are at it:

http://mexicanmonkeybusiness.blogspot.com/

Catemaco Nauticopa Review

2011-05-02T08:34:00.000-05:00

The event attracted just about everyone from the region.

See more photos and videos in:

Catemaco Nauticopa 2011 (script in Spanish)

Photo of the two beauties is from Andrès in Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001736877535

Catemaco Colon

2011-04-30T02:00:00.004-05:00

No, stupid, not that colon.

Christopher Columbus is blessed with the name Cristobal Colon in Spanish. He was the first "white " tourist to get anywhere near Mexico. He should have statues in his name in front of any tourist office in Mexico. Instead he is a disappeared person.

In his place are dozens of statues of so called "revolutionary" heroes in whose names millions of Mexicans were massacred.

Oh yeah, try finding a statue of Hernan Cortez, the second most important tourist to Mexico. There are no statues of him, that I have found.

Obviously, Mexicans do not care about the history of their tourism.

The photo is of a statue I found in Alvarado, uphill. Nearby are some great eateries including one who would like you to worship your ablutions.

Catemaco Bound

2011-04-22T05:35:00.004-05:00

This is just about the death knell for Texas border to Veracruz and beyond vehicular tourist traffic.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/driving-mexicos-highway-of-death/2011/04/21/AFpdA7KE_story.html

The only good thing may be that those driving up from the south will decide to stay a year or so until that mess clears up.

Ironically, I think I've noticed a healthy upsurge of foreign tourists to Catemaco this winter season. Most arrive via Mexican tour buses, presumably after having flown to Veracruz or Mexico City. Last month, the Veracruz airport showed a significant 21% jump in foreign arrivals. I wish there were better statistics available such as rental car usage, toll road usage, hotel occcupancy, etc.

What the government provides is blown out of someone's nose. I missed most of the 30 thousand arrivals for the non-brujo weekend and am now counting the supposed 60 thousand semana santa visitors, half of whom will probably take the shortcut to the San Andrès beaches. Of course there is no clicker lying on that road that might provide a good indicator.

The major very prominent new presence in the Catemaco area is cops. They are all over the place. Small ones, big ones, skinny ones and fat ones, even one on small heels, most dressed in full black on black battle gear and riding around on the back of pickups and sucking up the current extreme temperatures.

That someone buy them all a nice cold Coca Corona.

Catemaco's other option

2011-04-21T08:56:00.001-05:00

A few years ago a rich dude from Cordoba, Veracruz, acquired 60 or more hectares in the nucleus of the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere, in the eastern mountains of Catemaco, an area so stripped of vegetation, even cows refused to live there.

Mr. Knopflmacher, assisted by the Mexican army, local ecologists and Mexican federal funds proceeded to plant upward of 75 thousand trees and by now the area is well on its way to recover some of the splendor lost over the last 50 years.

He now operates the equivalent of a dude ranch, offering cabins, horses, animal exhibits, communion with nature and isolation. There is no road access. Visitors ride horses or ATV's to get to their destination above the village of Miguel Hidalgo.

I wish more rich dudes would discover the hills of Catemaco.

Recobrando la Biodiversidad Perdida from Ernesto Macip on Vimeo.

Catemaco Kidnap

2011-04-18T09:52:00.001-05:00

You guessed it. It's been too damn hot to go anywhere lately and I project that attitude to continue until early June. So, of course, I become prolific.

Mexicans not living in the border areas are generally not concerned with narco killings. In most of the other states, including Veracruz, their pet peeve is extorsion and kidnapping.

An acquaintance/friend of mine operates a branch of one of the larger hardware building supply stores in Los Tuxtlas. He was kidnapped a few years ago and his family paid out a huge sum of pesos. Curiously, most everyone in Catemaco knows who did the job, but they have never been prosecuted.

He now is accompanied by a bodyguard wherever he moves, changed his house with 6 foot fences to a new one with 10 footers, has 3 live-in bodyguards to protect his family 24 hours a day, and has not eaten in a public restaurant in several years.

He says it's a cost of doing business, and he thinks he would have the same problem wherever he might move in Mexico.

Curiously his cost of business is not reflected in his pricing. He is extrordinarily competitive with other chains of building materials, which compared to the US, are robber barons.

Even more curious is that almost all kidnappings are male. Kids and wives are generally immune, except for the recent kidnapping of the mother of a grocery chain owner, by what turned out to be previous employees..

Catemaco is not New York City with dozens of roads leading in and out. Police road blocks and inspections are everywhere. No wonder that locals think that the ones guarding the roads are in cahoots with the kidnappers. Here and everywhere in Mexico.

Even more curious is the absence of newspaper coverage of kidnappings. I would say that possibly one in 5 is reported. And the ones reported rarely have a follow up. Families of crime victims use the Mexican system of paying to suppress their names in news papers.

That is possibly why there are so many of them in Los Tuxtlas and elsewhere. Where else can you make money by not publishing?

Update: Yesterday 21 March, they found the body of the last local kidnap victim, see Catemaco Diario

La Panga

2011-04-17T16:47:00.004-05:00

For many years, La Panga was Catemaco City's finest civilized entertainment locale for adults.

"Panga" means small ferry in Mexico, elsewhere it describes various fishes.

Built on stilts within the Catemaco lake, the place offered a great view, especially on moon lit nights. Live music on weekends stayed on the romantic side and the owners¡ selection of piped in music was remarkable. Their liquor selection was excellent, and after beating them over the head, they even began serving coffee in the winter. Regular clients were primarily from San Andrès plus a small cadre of Catemaco connoisseurs.

Historically Catemaco has had numerous "things" built on stilts along the lake shore, but they disappeared, until in the very late 1990's, the then owners of the Hotel del Lago received a federal concession to build in the lake across from the hotel.

Some time after 2005, the then municipal administration sued to revoke the concession, but lost. A while later the owner ran into legal problems and fled to the Yucatan while trying to sell the place for 1.5 million pesos. Deterioration set in, the music stopped and regulars disappeared.

Just before the Catemaco flood of 2010, half of a La Panga was decapitated and its pier and flooring became dangerous to tread. Local rumors now claim the owner leased the place, or maybe she sold it to the former secretary of Catemaco tourism, famous for promoting discos with noise levels of rocket testing facilities, and his then boss, famous for trying to turn the Malecon into a beer orgy.

Significant reconstruction has been under way for several months and should be completed soon.

I sincerely hope La Panga retains its original format, and reverts to being one of Catemaco's most attractive landmarks.

See more of La Panga (mañana)

when it is finished

Catemaco ROOOARRRR

2011-04-16T16:01:00.000-05:00

Speedboat races on the Laguna.

Catemaco for sale

2011-04-16T07:14:00.002-05:00

Live it up!

2 bedroom casita on the lake - 20,000 US bucks.

http://catemaco.olx.com.mx/se-vende-una-casa-en-cerca-del-lago-de-catemaco-en-la-comunidad-de-maxacapan-iid-174794576

Catemaco Noise

2011-04-14T09:15:00.004-05:00

Zoning laws are a mystery in Catemaco. You may be living on a quiet residential street, and wake up one morning with a tractor repair station or a cantina as your neighbor.

Add your neighbor's rooster or his newly bought boom box blaring at 100 decibels, and you'll regret you left New York City.

Daytime noises are excruciating. There is a tourist train zipping along the Catemaco centro with full blast loudspeakers of obnoxious music. (He piped it down after I repeatedly made fun of him in my Spanish news pages).

Then there are the two local intermittent news rags who cross town in beaten up junkers peddling mostly gruesome news. The most recent aberration was their peddling "two killed" news among the tourists along the Malecon on one of the busier weekends.

Add to that any merchant who has a vehicle and a giant loudspeaker and let him loose on the streets of Catemaco peddling his wares.

The traditional noises of Catemaco are slowly disappearing like the tenor of the peanut seller, the tinkle of the knife sharpener, the whiste of the pine oil seller and many more.

For a while Catemaco was inundated with motorized tortilla sellers, whose moped beep beeps drove me nuts to the point I stored eggs on my patio to throw at them.

I don`t even want to mention the 3 cantinas within a rock throw of my current house. By now I have memorized every song on their juke boxes blaring way beyond my bed time.

The Zona Rosa of Catemaco in the last few years has begun to emulate Cancun with second story open air discos, probably hearable in Veracruz City. I bitched and bitched about them, too and apparently you can now only hear them within a 6 block range.

I don't really consider this objectionable noise, but the cacaphony of the birds along the Malecon in the early morning and late afternoon, put all the above noises to shame. And of course they shit on you when you walk below them.

I also have the pleasure of a troop of tourist promoters congregating on my corner. On a busy weekend, their screams of "lancha, lancha" and general mayhem add to the local noise industry.

Way after midnight, the Malecon is in full swing as Catemaco's Daytona speedway, and there are dozens of damaged post, fences, and landmarks to show their mettle. Of course there are no cops and sooner or later I expect to listen to the funereal music of death announcers also adding to the Catemaco noise mileu.

Fortunately, in the last years, the incidence of firecrackers has diminished in beautiful downtown Catemaco. For many years I was pretending to live in a war zone and diving below my desk when something sounding like a 200 mm mortar exploded in my living room.

Of course there are local inhabitants like the Fool on the Hill who still think Catemaco is a quiet little town. Of course he only has the crunch of his neighboring rock crusher to enjoy while reading this.

Catemaco Facebook

2011-04-09T21:03:00.005-05:00

Facebook is the worst aspect of the internet since Al Gore invented it. I thoroughly dislike the site because of its conformity, restrictions and unintelligible set of instructions to do anything beyond a basic profile. Heck AOL groups was better than that 15 years ago, and I have been desperately waiting for GOOGLE to come up with a Facebook killer. But I suspect I missed the lancha.

I now have 1500 Facebook "friends". The local mayor has 4400. That makes Catemaco Noticias the second most popular destination for anything related to Catemaco on the Facebook internet. I accumulated maybe a quarter of these "friends" by fishing for Catemaco residents or natives. But from there it snowballed with "friend" applications pouring in.

Until a few months ago it was very difficult to list Catemaco as a place of origin or residence, that's why the following figures are suspect. Of my 1500 "friends" about 275 list Catemaco as their hometown, another 275+/- list Catemaco as their residence. Obviously there is an overlap, and I estimate that perhaps a maximum of 500 have anything to do with Catemaco. And in true Facebook stupidity the 99 or more percent Spanish speakers whose home or residence is Catemaco, get to read about their town on a Wikipedia English version.

Curiously the mayor's 4400 friends show about the same distribution. And that is noteworthy because it demonstrates the reinforcement that his page gets from the political effort that his PRI party is making to dominate the political aspect of Facebook in preparation for the next Mexican presidential election.

Most of my "friends" seem to have the IQ of one of the monkeys on the islands of Catemaco, and I spend considerable time clicking on the little X next to their names to have them disappear from my Facebook "news wall", so that I don`t have to read their drivel. But surprisingly there are many with informed commentary and some gorgeous photos. And I actually dug up some old pals and made a handful of new acquantainces.

My objective is for my 1500 "friends" to read my drivel, not the other way around. And that has been successful. Sites that I have linked to on www.catemaco.info have shown considerable increase in readership.

My Facebook sites:

Catemaco Noticias - original, locked, discontinued

Catemaco Agenda - new, open (successor to Don Gringo Notas because it allows comments that I can gleefully delete if they come from river rats.)
Catemaco Tourism - reserved for the nice things of Catemaco

And yes I have a personal Facebook page, but that is so locked and private, that even I have a hard time entering it.

Catemaco Drool

2011-04-09T15:25:00.000-05:00

Possibly one of the best videos of the Catemaco mountains that I've seen

Catemaco Measures

2011-04-05T22:22:00.003-05:00

I've been measuring, and so apparently has a government agency in Catemaco, trying to figure out whether water runs downhill. The purported intent is to renew the water supply lines of the city, which relatively has no problem, while the out lying hill communities all still depend on "whenever" deliveries of water by "pipas" (600 gallon water trucks).

About 10 years ago, the state of Veracruz analyzed Catemaco, and promoted the suggestion that nothing over 4 stories should be built in Catemaco. So of course, the first one to erect a 5 story apartment building without an elevator or parking lot was the then and now cacique (political boss) of Los Tuxtlas, Jorge Uscanga.

A few years ago, a now dead gringo, in cahoots with the then mayor, snagged a piece of federal property on the Malecon of Catemaco and began to build what I call the "Hotel Monster". He dropped dead and his daughter is now looking for 7 millon pesos for a concrete abortion. That one too was planned to go above 5 stories.

There are a few homes in Catemaco desperate to have a view of the lake, and some reach as high as six stories.

My current favorite is the owner of a lot, a block west of the Malecon, who happily lived in a one story shack, but apparently got rich off something and is now in the process of erecting a fifth story on his 20x40 foot lot without ever having provided foundations.

But that's O.K. In Catemaco, and the way I see it, in most of Mexico, where you can invent your own building codes, while waiting for the zone's next earthquake, which incidentally has affected much of Veracruz but has fortunately bypassed Catemaco. Or maybe that was because everyone lived in grass shacks, because there is no mortar presence before 1896.

Anyway, as for measures, the Catemaco lake is supposed to be 340 meter above sea level. That varies, by which Mexican rocket scientist you want to believe, by about 50 meters. That little bit of altitude really matters! Because generally the higher you are the cooler you are. The "sea breezes" of the lake help to cool Catemaco from the now intolerable heat indexes in the lowlands of Veracruz.

The Catemaco lake is now near its record lows, which seriously affects the local hydroelectric plant which was responsible for flooding Catemaco a year ago. (supposedy on orders from the then Veracruz governor more worried about down stream flooding).

If you read catemaco.info, you would know that some believe that more water disappears from the lake than gets channelled through its only outlet, the "Rio Grande de Catemaco". Some believe there are cracks in the lake bottom that permit water to sieve out. Again, if you saw the fault map hidden somewhere in catemaco.info, that seems plausible.

Anyway my unprofessional measure of the lake height between high and low is 8 feet, at the extreme, which I have only seen once in 9 years. At present the lake could descend another 6 inches. After that, I will seriously consider that something "pulled the plug".

Update: Ironically a 6.5 or 6.7 earthquake epicentered about 80 miles to the SE shook the area a day after posting this. Some felt it, I didn't. But it was earthshaking news in hundreds of writeups.

Catemaco Tepetapan

2011-03-27T06:32:00.005-06:00

Tepetapan is a suburb of Catemaco City, located on the west side of the federal highway crossing Catemaco.

Its primary fame is the presence of a slaughterhouse and vicinity to the sewage plant of Catemaco.

The polluted Rìo Grande de Catemaco borders the community, which also features access to the Catemaco cemetary.

There are indications that Popoluca Indians settled in its area in the 1500's, but they have since disappeared. The area was not developed until the 1950's when an attractive waterfall was converted into a dam for a hydroelectric powerplant further down the river, and its lands were subdivided

At present Tepetapan houses a kindergarden, an elementary school, the only condominium in Catemaco, dozens of Mexican standard homes, several tiny housing projects, a few river front villas, and a secluded gringo haven of several rental units and a trailer park.

The colonia (suburb, city segment) is not seen favorably in Catemaco, because of its high incidence of minor crimes.

Visit Tepetapan.

Catemaco Topes

2011-03-26T00:18:00.002-06:00

After a few hundred posts mostly extolling Catemaco, I have a hard time to add something new. Here is something:

The carretera running through Catemaco has the absolutely best topes (speedbumps) in southern Veracruz. They are low, and broad enough, to not bust your oilpan in case you stop too sharp to cross one. They are easily passed over at 20 mph. I would add vibrators to make them more exciting, and advertise them nationally: "Come to Catemaco - Enjoy our Speedbumps".

So unfortunately my "bodyguard" drove me to Xalapa yesterday. Usually I drive, so this gave me a chance to enjoy the countryside, and I started counting topes, until I went ooh, ahh, because the suspension killer in El Tropico had been leveled. So I lost count to tell you how many miserable topes there are now between Catemaco and Paso del Toro (about 20 miles outside of VC city).

But hurrah, the construction nightmare at Paso del Toro now has a picture opportunity. The overpass to the Veracruz libramiento (bypass) is now open. But there remain a few unannounced killer topes on that stretch of road.

After that it was all clear to Xalapa, and I made a pit stop at my favorite Cardel restaurant "La Bamba", (about 1/4 mile on the Cardel main drag, entering it instead of the Cardel bypass). I highly recommend it, which I almost never do for Catemaco restaurants.

Talking about Catemaco: A chef that built a rep in San Andres has now moved to the Playa Cristal restaurant on the Malecon. That promises to be exciting.

As for excitement, the recent shootout in Catemaco obliterated all of the good press the city had been generating the last few months. On a day when about 30 others were killed in Mexico, that particular mickey mouse event, without any reported deaths, made 100s of national and a few international headlines because of its association with Catemaco and its brujo mystique.

I put together a page for Spanish readers, which is still in draft, because I'm not sure that the story has an end. La Balacera de Catemaco, 17 marzo 2011.

We drove home at night, which I absolutely do not advise anyone unfamiliar with the local roads to do. Traffic as usual was light, and the most prominent feature were those guys dressed in black, carrying modified M16's on virtually every intersection. Fortunately none stopped us, driving a very large black SUV, loaded to the ceiling with Xalapa purchases. Must have been my pleasant smile.

Catemaco Rap

2011-03-18T05:27:00.009-06:00

Veracruz is getting a bad rap
Last night another 20 victim bloodbath happened in northern Veracruz. I like how a correpondent describes it: It should be noted that the number of presumed dead varies because there is the custom of the armed forces and police not to allow access to the press and not allowing official coroners to remove the bodies, which turns the body count into a state secret and allows them to quote whatever number they want. EnlaceVeracruz

Not to be outdone, the Christian Science Monitor fear-mongered Veracruz to be one of 3 nuclear places around the rim of fire. Gee, I thought that was on the Pacific. And while we are going nuclear, send a little support to the Mexican relief effort.

Los Tuxtlas is getting a bad rap
The federal senator let the cat out of the bag and bragged about 23 kidnappings in the area in the last 3 months.

Catemaco is getting a bad rap
Last weekend the chief of Public Works was kidnapped. Of course that was hidden by most newspapers, except one.

Aside from that, I finally got rid of my wraps and am enjoying some gorgeous days here.

Catemaco is expanding on the culinary front and opened a branch of Don Tako, a local mini chain located 2 blocks behind the basilica. Their cholesterol heaven version of a baked potato with carne asada is to die for. 35 pesos, opens late. Bring a defribrillator! See fotos dispersed in Don Gringo Foto Diario.

Casa Lost keeps expanding their menu with a recent email alert to clients and is well on its way to become the best deli between Matamoros and Cancun.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. The local gringo haven is not only two jerks. A mess of them actually put down their money to support DEMATAC, the local faltering Defenders of the Los Tuxtlas Environment.

The clowns of Catemaco are at it again. They sponsored a successful salsa concert and introduced the candidates for queen of the Catemaco Carnival. A dozen papers reported it but couldn`t give dates for the Carnival because as of today, it is still a municipal secret.

Travelling around Catemaco is becoming a nightmare. The number of topes and potholes are approaching drug crime statistics. So a few days ago a few dump trucks arrived with what they use to fill holes with. It's a joke to see it aside the road by the Hospital. Locals say they'll apply a "mano de gato", a cat`s paw brushing, meaning they'll paint the holes black.

Unbelievably, some hotels dropped their pants and advertised rooms for half of the listed prices. Except of course this Benito Juarez weekend, when the city and beaches will be swamped.

It's almost a great time to be in Catemaco.

Correction:
Apparently the rental jerk left the gringo haven a while back. Only the owner remains in that category.

El Cerrito, Catemaco

2011-03-13T13:22:00.001-06:00

El Cerrito means small hill in English and that is what it is, a small hill plunked down in the middle of the hilly slope that leads to the edge of the Catemaco lake.The hill is more or less round, about 35 feet tall and capped by a concrete structure.

Over the last 50 years the hill has become the geographic center of the city of Catemaco, and various streets lead away from it, similar to many zocalos in Mexico.

Its history is debatable. Nothing is actually known, although local residents, including the "Fool on the Hill" believe it to be covering a pre-hispanic temple. No archaeological excavation has ever been done on the hill.

Visit El Cerrito

Catemaco tricks

2011-03-07T09:13:00.004-06:00

I learned a new trick. Converted a bunch of photos into a movie. Here is the result of a usually forgotten event in Catemaco.

Catemaco shot itself into the foot again. After screwing up the last few brujo festivals, the new municipal govt. allowed itself to be hijacked by a "New Age" hotel owner, and kissed off the brujos that have put Catemaco on the map. Instead, lots of attractive imported culture was presented in a four day festival called "First Friday in March", and ignorant foreign and Mexican tourist kept wondering where are the brujos?

Despite a heay state supported advertising budget, the event drizzled way below its promised 30 thousand attendees, and the hotels stayed less than half full. The neighboring cities of Santiago and San Andres Tuxtla now sponsor their own brujo festivals with the full support of most Catemaco brujos. Let's see what happens next year.

The "New Ager", though, put his money where his mouth is, and helped the municipio to publish:
an attractive 16 page brochure: Ecoturismo en la Selva de Los Tuxtlas

Meanwhile, one of the occasional mean drunks from the local gringo enclave went out of his way to join a message board to insult me, probably because I love deleting his perverted messages. I also delete his equally nutty tunnel visioned ex landlord's messages. You wanna spout trash talk - join Facebook!

The area tourism boosters did it again and closed several highways around Catemaco for hours at a time. Apparently they are resentful because they are still awaiting state and federal relief for last year's floods.

The weather has been remarkably wonderful the last few weeks. Not too hot and not too cold. I predict it will stay that way till mid April. It`s my favorite time of the year before the sweat bath of mid April to the start of the rains in June sets in.

Mexico continues its basket case tradition with a prediction that GDP growth will be 4.1%, inflation will reach 3.94% and the exchange rate at the end of the year will be around 12.23 pesos per dollar. And of course corruption will gobble up 9% of GDP.

What Catemaco really needs is another party. So of course one is scheduled. "El diablo de la salsa" Oscar de Leon from Venezuela, will initiate the Catemaco carnaval on the 12th of March. They may have to change his nickname to please the local mind police.

One last note: Stay away from the latest beta version of Explorer 9. It totally sucks.

Catemaco Brujo Song

2011-03-03T05:22:00.003-06:00

turn it on to play

Catemaco Brujos 2011

2011-02-23T04:56:00.001-06:00

The annual brujo festival on the first Friday of March as usual will start on the first Thursday.

Catemaco is internationally famous for its brujos (witches, healers) and maintains a stable of more than 100 practitioners catering to mostly Mexican adherents, including prominent political figures. Brujo clients range from those seeking alternative health care and spells to improve their business, political standing or love relationships, to those needing a hex to damage or even kill opponents. The most popular practice is a "limpia" (cleaning), a minor ceremony to relieve a client from evil spirits.

The festival was originated by the brujos themselves more than 30 years ago, but by now the municipal government has taken over the event. The last 5 years, the event was heavily politicized and basically a mass bacchanalia.

This year's new Catemaco mayor has seriously revamped the program of the event and plans to focus on the cultural and anthropological aspects of the local phenomena.

The event runs from March 3 to 6.

Thursday to Sunday, stalls will be erected on several of the promontories jutting into Laguna Catemaco from the Malecòn (boardwalk). They will house local and Mexican handicrafts, culinary displays, individual brujo stalls, herbal plants, etc.

Thursday, starting at 6 pm, at the "Cerrito" a small hill in the center of town, alleged to be an old pyramid.

Salute to the four cardinal points of earth, followed by dances and other shows, terminating with a midnight ceremony and "limpia".

On Friday morning 6 am, a salute to the sun is scheduled.

Other events on Friday to Sunday will be in the town square of Catemaco.

Friday, beginning at 6 pm, conferences, shaman rituals and dances, capped at 9 pm by the performance of the theatrical work "La Llorana", a popular local legend, accompanied by a drum corp from Tlacotalpan.

Saturday, beginning at 7 pm, conferences, followed at 8 by a multidisciplinary show of music, songs and dances and ending at 11.

Sunday, beginning at 6 pm, dances, then from 7:30 to 9, the youth orchestra from Coatzacoalcos and ending from 9 to 11 with a public dance featuring the "Hermanos Santos".

You may notice the popular black mass on midnight Thursday, accompanied by burning pentagrams and massacred black chickens, is absent from the program.

Have no fear, the brujo "El Indio" has promised to perform one on the banks of the Rio Grande in Tepetapan (outskirts of the city) on Thursday midnight. Most other major brujos will also hold private masses in their lairs.

Also, Nanciyaga will have its traditional Friday night spring rites ceremony in its jungle setting.

See more brujo stuff

Catemaco History

2011-02-20T18:44:00.003-06:00

Since the advent of the announcement that a local aficionado of antiquaria intends to open his personal museum in Catemaco, I have noticed a substantial increase in local concerns about local history. Newspapers are publishing antique photos, websites are dredging their drawers, even Facebook people publish their historic attic.

The museum plans its inauguration on Feb 26, and hopefully will still be around next year. My preliminary views make it a "must" visit in Catemaco. Unfortunately it is in a hidden area behind the Catemaco baseball field, near the entrance to Catemaco. By now most locals are aware of the future museum and will point you in the right direction.

Over the years, I have bought, collected, stolen and copied dozens of local historic photos., despite local owners resistance to share them. Take a look, and expect see a lot more on Feb 26. in the
"Galeria fotografica y objetos antiguos de Catemaco"

Update
Visit the museum's page

Photo credit: micatemaco.com

I'm jealous in Catemaco

2011-02-18T16:52:00.003-06:00

I just found this website from 2009 of a pair of bikers who took some remarkably clear photos of both their way here and their stay here.
Adventure Rider - 2 pages.

And then apparently a lady author snuck into town and penned something involving Catemaco, like demon-possessed monkeys. Apparently she did her research at La Finca.
Shady Lady.

Meanwhile some intrepid foreigners discovered the benefits of a trailer park costing less than half the jewel of Tepetapan, just a few hundred feet from my "Milpa".
USA & Meh-i-co

Just further down the road around the Laguna, another happy couple depressed themselves at Rancho Bahia Escondida.
Madame Vagabond

Meanwhile back in the neighboring "big smoke" San Andrès, someone named "beachbubba" did some fine work on how to get to beautiful downtown Catemaco, (20 minutes from the big smoke).
Tourtuxtlas

It's gringo tourist season, hurrah, because the Mexes are staying home.

Catemaco Brujo Promo

2011-02-17T08:57:00.000-06:00

Third World Catemaco

2011-02-16T09:10:00.004-06:00

Okeechobee, Florida is almost a match for Catemaco, Veracruz.

Both are counties, with the principal city also named after the county. Both sit on the shore of a major lake, and both are near oceans, (Atlantic and Gulf). Both are principally agricultural, and both are are considered hick towns, with per capita income on the low national scale.

The major difference is that Okeechobee is flatter than a tortilla, while Catemaco is nice and hilly. Populations are similar, 42,000 for Okee and 48,000 for Catemaco.

And now the grim comparison:

Okeechobee has a budget of 96 million for the year, which converts to 2,285 dollars per person.

Catemaco had a budget of 104 million, translating to 2,166 pesos per person. That's about 180 dollars each.

Okeechobee estimates for 2009 per capita income are 18,394 dollars.

The state of Veracruz thoughfully does not report such irrelevant statistics, therefore I'll guess it.

Catemaco 2009 per capita income was 25,000 pesos per year on the high end. That is app. 2,083 dollars each.

So very roughly, Okeechobeans are 10 times richer and spend 10 times more on their government than Catemaqueños.

Now compare that to housing, utility, food, transportation, entertainment or any other costs.

Except for some housing and maids, there is nothing in Mexico that costs 10 times less than in Okeechobee. Costs are much closer to 50 to 100% or more of what gets spent in Okeechobee.

And now wonder about:
Mexican exports to the United States reached a record US$229.7 billion last year.
The banking industry’s profits in Mexico reached US$6.22 billion in 2010.

And read the recent Wikileak article about the richest men in Mexico and the state of its economy.

http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2008/07/08MEXICO2187.html

Catemaco Time Machine

2011-02-12T12:55:00.000-06:00

Remember the good ol' days, when it only took 30 minutes to fly from Veracruz to San Andrès?

Here is a tourism brochure from 1956.

Santiago Tuxtla - Land of Beauty

Catemaco "mìstico"

2011-02-07T14:02:00.001-06:00

Last year, a young gringo spent a few months in Catemaco and wrote an article for the National Geographic Magazine's Spanish edition.

Its focus on primarily brujos may be interesting to anyone not familiar with the area, but a cold shower for residents who expected more from National Geographic.

Here is the Google translated link:

Catemaco Mìstico, por David Biller

National Geographic

Catemaco Wish List

2011-02-06T06:30:00.005-06:00

I wish that subtropical beautiful downtown Catemaco would live up to its reputation, instead of freezing my butt off for most of January and early February. The weather has been schizophrenic alternating between 13c (56)f and 32c (90f), almost every few few days.

I travelled a lot lately, and am proud to report that Veracruz retains its crown as "most likely to have a blowout". Damn, some of those roads north of Veracruz city are bad, at present. The Los Tuxtlas roads, at the moment, are passable. Check with me tomorow!

There are rumors of a new hotel in Catemaco. Wow, that'll really excite all the other ones that are starving because they maintain CANCUN prices in the off season. Be careful, please!, the gringopagodoble effect is prevalent.

Catemaco and Los Tuxtlas are possibly one of the most photogenic areas in Mexico. For a serious photographer that is only true about 15-30 days a year. Usually the magnificent views in all directions are encumbered by haze caused by the burning of residential trash, dust clouds from dirt roads, and possibly from sandstorms in the Sahara. But when there is a clear day in Catemaco, when you can see forever, my heart sings, and I don`t wish I were elsewhere.

Catemaco screwed up again and is on the list of the most mismanaged places in Veracruz. Apparently the last mayor forgot to include attributions of half of is 86 million pesos yearly budget, which is about enough to buy 4 happy meals for every inhabitant of Catemaco. The state of Veracruz is not far behind. Standard & Poor revoked its credit ratings because of shenanigans in its financings, which declare Veracruz to be one of the most indebted states in Mexico. Curiously, the present governor of Veracruz initiated most of the questionable transactions.

Meanwhile, the country of Mèxico keeps hanging in there, despite being riled by a mickey mouse TV show in England. Apparently a real Mexican was hurt in the recent troubles in Egypt and a dozen or two were evacuated.
I have been watching that situation and it very much reminds me of Mexico, not so much because of its incompetent and corrupt political leadership, but because of the anger and hope of all the young gunslingers on the street. Let's send them some ZETAS.

The Catemaco brujo's granddaughter

2011-01-29T08:20:00.003-06:00

The kid is strange. But what can you expect when the daughter of the most famous brujo in Catemaco marries a hippy gringo and her daughter gets raised in Texas. The brujo and the gringo are dead.

Here are the kid's ramblings:
Crzy Down South

Gringo Lions in Catemaco

2011-01-26T17:42:00.001-06:00

Veracruz newspapers are falling all over themselves praising the appearance of the governor's wife in Catemaco for the initiation of the international eyeglasses campaign "First comes Vision" (la vista primero). In the fine print they mention something about Wisconsin.

So I did a little research.

Apparently the Wisconsin Lions Club for the past 10 years has made annual pilgrimages to Mexico to deliver eyglasses and provide vision examinations to thousands in impoverished towns. Usually they pick three towns in Veracruz, and this year it was Catemaco's turn.

Thousands of Lions are involved in Wisconsin collecting eyeglasses throughout the year. The collection is then turned over to trained inmates in the Wisconsin prison system for repair, regrinding and refurbishing.

A team of mostly retired Lions, including several ophtalmologists, then make the annual trips, to distribute the up to 10 thousand pairs of eyeglasses, and work 12 hours days for up to a week to fit them to their wearers.

This year their Wisconsin Lions Foundation also collected 13 thousand dollars to donate to schools for the blind in Veracruz that were damaged in the recent floods.

Here in Catemaco they are being assisted by fellow Mexican Lions. And of course they created a great photo opportunity for a dozen politicians and functionaries to steal the limelight.

These Lions deserve heartfelt thanks and a lot of respect for demonstrating the humanitarian heart of the US people that is nowadays so overshadowed by negative reporting in foreign lands.

Thank You Lions. ROAAAAAR.

Visit their page

Wisconsin Lions Mission to Mexico

Catemaco Mayor

2011-01-24T18:55:00.006-06:00

After I came to to beautiful downtown Catemaco almost 9 years ago, a Populuca enchanted me and for a few years I did not see straight.

My Popoluca is a political rabblerouser who had led attacks on the municipal palace and otherwise made a municipal nuisance of herself in earlier years, while also having been instrumental in seeing her candidates elected.

So, I thought, let's run her for presidente municipal (that's equivalent to mayor), thinking that a respected woman, in a magnified person to person campaign would have a good shot to be elected.

What will it cost, I asked? 2 to 3 million pesos they said. In a county of 45 thousand where almost all make less than 10 dollars a day, that has no TV station, no radio, and no newspaper, and where 60% do not or barely read, I asked!

Yep, they said. And to guarantee a win would be more like 5 million.

So I started counting my pesos, and had some more discussions with my Popoluca. She had some wonderful ideas to eliminate waste in governmental activities, focus on supporting the underprivileged of Catemaco, initiate a preservation effort for the area, and similar feel goods.

But also she wanted to put her family to work, skim off the contractors doing work for the municipio and amass a fortune to pay me back and prepare for the next political campaign.

Instead I took her to California to go shopping.
I won, (financially, that is).

Catemaco River Boat

2011-01-24T01:49:00.003-06:00

A hundred years ago, one of the few ways to get to Catemaco, was by a paddle steamer from Alvarado up the San Juan River to about 30 km west of San Andres Tuxtla. From there, I imagine, horse drawn transportation provided connection to the city. Almost nothing is known about that segment of local history.

Naturally a gringo promoted the trip. Maybe he owned a local horse trailer park.

You can also read:

How to get to Catemaco

PS - the photo is from 1903 posted by AguaPasada

Catemaco Scare

2011-01-16T07:11:00.007-06:00

Those police gooneys in face masks and hauling automatic weapons did it again. Two nights ago they surrounded the city hall and scared the citizenry. As usual nothing happened officially and was not explained to the public the same as two similar events in the last few months.

Unfortunately that happened after the Mexican army killed 12 with no survivors in Xalapa, the state capital, but only confiscated 8 weapons. And then a Veracruz police commander was kidnapped, and then 2 people were bullet holed in Costa de Oro, and then, and then...

My Popoluca who was visiting in Xalapa was scared to death and thinks someone is sending a message to the governor.

Curiously, the entire Catemaco police department left December 31st without even a kiss goodby. The Veracuz state police is now providing security. If that is permanent, who knows? Residents are not allowed to know. Of course there was a rumor that some faction was trying to buy the local police department which apparently upset the new local mayor.

Does any of this affect my daily lifestyle? No!
But I get really peeved at the AFI & AVI (Mex FBI), State Police and Army combat units invading my city and not telling me what for. Officially the latest statistics (15 Jan 2011) show Catemaco with 4 drug war killings since 2007, and the state of Veracruz with 463. Not bad compared to the country as a whole which had a total of 34612.

Now a Veracruz government official is proposing schools institute classes to provide survival instructions for shootouts. Gee, I already get laughed at when I fall down when I hear firecrackers.
I guess I should now learn to stay away from all Mexican security personnel. That really will make me feel safe.

Update: Demonstrating again why Veracruz inhabitants believe in their justice system as much as in Santa Claus:
24 hours after the Veracruz police commander was abducted, the governor issued a statement that the Mexican Federal Judiciary (PGR) had arrested the commander. 12 hours later PGR denied having the commander in custody.

Clean Catemaco

2011-01-13T01:30:00.003-06:00

The major news event in beautiful downtown Catemaco today was the delivery of 16 chintzy new brooms and accessories to some of the sweepers of Catemaco streets.

These sweepers are the heart and soul of Catemaco. Without them the city would look like a mismanaged McDonald parking lot.

Of course, to deliver the sixteen brooms, 8 municipal government officials showed up on a platform, while 6 of the construction crew, who erected the presentation platform, idly waited to dismantle the platform for the next performance.

Presentation platforms are a major fountain of employment for Mexico's unemployed. Here in Catemaco, and I think that is true throughout Mexico, the first major expenditure of a new mayor is the construction of a new platform and background to deliver his speeches.

Usually (at least in Catemaco) the old mayor stole the lumber, so a new plywood and 2x4 contraption is constructed, and if the old mayor also stole the alphabet to post messages, there are dozens of Mexican companies waiting to replace them.

And, of course the city needs a triennial slogan that no one will forget, except for the park benches that were embossed with another slogan in a previous administration.

This year it is "Juntamos adelante". Great words meaning "Forward, together!" Does anyone remember the Chinese Revolution? or the ones from the next to last Catemaco triennial "Escapate a Catemaco" "Escape to Catemaco"?

Here the favorite background color was red, supposedly indicating the blood spilled in the Mexican Revolution, or lately better known as the juice sucked out of its citizens.

The background on the platforms now is white, (The local Veracruz governor promoted rainbow colors in his administration, but the color of his aorta and its aherents is still solidly PRI red, although the current mayor surprisingly decided to paint the primary touristic boulevard in a pleasant green.

The Alvarado Bridge

2011-01-10T12:31:00.004-06:00

Almost half way between Veracruz City and Catemaco lies the Illustrous, Generous and Heroic municipality and port of Alvarado, about the size of Catemaco, with app 49 thousand inhabitants. The city received all its titles because of its resistance to the U.S. invasion of 1846.

Located at the mouth of the Papaloapan River and surrounding lagoons, the city was a major bottleneck for north to south travelers in Veracruz. until 1964 when the existent bridge was dedicated. I crossed the 2 lane bridge the first time in 1966 and admired the hulks of the abandoned ferries resting around the 1850 feet long bridge. When I returned thirtyfive years later, they were still resting.

Since then the bridge has been plagued with maintenance problems and is frequently limited to one way traffic and occasionally closed over night. In 2006 a bus managed to fall off the bridge and kill 6 passengers.

The bridge is managed by CAPUFE, the federal Mexican toll road and bridges agency which has created a miniature town to operate 3 measly toll gates. Replacement value of the bridge is 247 million pesos and I think that may be coming due within a few years, unless they let the bridge fall in the river like many other bridges in southern Veracruz.

The bridge is a boon for Alvarado which receives almost 9 million pesos annually from CAPUFE for being on county property. Users of the bridge pay 19 pesos for cars and 32 pesos and up for trucks. In 2009 more than 1.8 million vehicles crossed the bridge, about 5000 per day.

The bridge is the primary entrance to Los Tuxtlas. Other entries from the north south toll road at Cosamaloapan, Isla and Acayucan also contribute a minor share. Thus the number of users of the bridge is significant in understanding tourism in Catemaco.

The press parrots politicians claiming Los Tuxtlas to be the second or third most visited area in Veracruz, and throw around figures ranging from half to a million annual visitors, and for years I wondered why Los Tuxtlas was not attracting more outside touristic development.

I recently researched the Alvarado bridge in depth with the limited resources the Mexican government provides on the internet. I come up with a maximum of 500 thousand very seasonal visitors per year. No wonder Howard Johnson never learned to spell Catemaco.

You can see my spreadheet here (in Spanish)

Catemaco Licks

2011-01-05T08:08:00.001-06:00

Catemaco abounds in folktales about chaneques which are gnome like creatures supposedly inhabiting most of the landscape, but especially caves and waterfalls. The tales originated with the remaining Nahuas and Popolucas in the mountains south of Catemaco. Most have a violent streak.

If you are an adulterer - stay out of Los Tuxtlas.
Luputìs are black and white spotted tapir like creatures that snare male adulterers visiting a waterfall with a fearsome cold breath, then strip them off their clothes and lick them to death. Sunutìs are their companions, that start off as friendly cats to entice female philanderers, but then turn into mountain lions to devour them. Only intercedence by a chaneque, who will exert a promise of never to screw around, will save adulterers from certain death. To find out more about the weird local creatures, read the book.

It`s the season to be screwing around again in Los Tuxtlas. As of January 1, new mayors took over in all Veracruz municipalities. In Angel R. Cabada, the losing political party stormed city hall, ransacked the place and did not allow the mayor into his office. In Santiago, apparently everything not nailed down was stolen by the outgoing party.

Beautiful downtown Catemaco, as is customary every three years, was the crown jewel of the screwups. The outgoing mayor left the city too broke to pay the electricity bill, and power was cut off to city hall and the central park. To get his microphone to work at his inauguration, the new mayor had to steal juice from a city lamp post. The entire police force left and had to be temporarily replaced by Veracruz state police. And of course the old mayor stole city hall blind, including its computers, much of its furnishings and all of its office supplies. He is now projecting himself as candidate for a federal deputy seat.

On the finger licking side: in my 8 years, almost noone ever recommended a local restaurant. So I was surprised that last week 4 different amigos spouted about a new place serving exactly the same stuff as the the other 30 or so restaurants in town. I checked it out. It's a hole in the wall, with 4 tables occupying the ground floor of a tiny brand new 2 story house. We wound up with 8 sampler dishes, and although they all looked the same as dishes in other restaurants, they were extraordinarily well cooked and tasty including hashed eels, monkey meat and fried guppies. See the menu here:

If you read Spanish, check out National Geographic's January 2010 Mistic Catemaco.

The wether has been schizophrenic zipping from the 90's to the 60's within a few hours. So wear a bathing suit under your parka.

The Fish Traps of Catemaco

2011-01-02T08:54:00.000-06:00

Never seen by hurrying motorists, 2 miles north of Catemaco, lie some of the most beautiful and interesting shores of Laguna Catemaco.

Remaining forest and crystal clear waters await an adventurous tourist

Visit Los Ameles

Jolly Catemaco

2010-12-28T10:33:00.002-06:00

It is not the season to be jolly in beautiful downtown Catemaco. At least for considerably more than half the municipal employees.

As of January 1st, a new mayor is in town and every one of them is at the whim of politics to either continue to be employed or to join the unemployed.

There is no functional civil service in Mexico. And the consequences are as can be expected: generally inefficient, corrupt, unfriendly, brow beaten and kowtowing to their superiors.

Mexican municipal governments separate their workers into three classes, base, confianza and elected.

"Elected workers" are the elected officials. In Catemaco there are 5, the presidente municipal (mayor), 4 regidores (councilmen) and 1 sindico (comptroller+/-). Effectively only the mayor is of importance. All are significantly over paid in relation to the median wages of their electorate. On the municipal level they are elected for three years, and cannot be reelected until 3 more years have passed.

"Confianza" employees are generally all the bosses and sub-bosses of departments, technicians and specialty workers. Their pay schedule is considerably below that of elected workers but way above the "base" employees. They are appointed by the mayor. Well substantiated rumors claim that many contribute a percentage of their salaries to their political bosses. Although the mayor appoints most, significant interference is exerted by superior level politicians.

"Base" employees are generally the peons of the system, mostly near minimum wage workers, doing mostly menial jobs. Unless temporarily contracted, after 6 months they have lifetime tenure, and are damn hard and very expensive, to get rid off. They are entitled to form one, and only one, union.

Obviously the temporary nature of elected and confianza workers is problematic. Their only hope for future employment is related to their political connections.

Elected workers only continued employment rests with the next level government, which is the state, in case of municipal employees.

Obviously the best interest of elected and confianza workers lies in themselves instead of their community. The results are obvious to anyone familiar with Mexico.

Casa de los Tesoros, Catemaco

2010-12-23T16:55:00.001-06:00

The daughter of the former owner, fondly known as Fool on the Hill, of the best handicrafts store in southern Veracruz, La Casa de los Tesoros, reopened her parent´s dream after 20 years, below the basilica, in an upstairs locale with a grand view of the plaza.

The store now includes a limited bistro menu featuring bagels, novel omelettes, great wines, desserts and Japanese tea.

Despite monthly buying trips to Oaxaca, Guatemala and other trinket centers, she now has a hard time keeping her shelves full.

Meanwhile, because of the convivial atmosphere, most Catemaco newcomers and foreign tourists have made the "Casa Lost" their favorite home away from home.

Mexico 30

2010-12-23T04:15:00.001-06:00

The Santa Claus lookalike who had been kidnapped seven months ago, apparently paid a 30 million dollar ransom. This kidnap has to be the Mexican joke of the year.

Pemex plans to spend 30 million pesos to compensate the up to 30 deads of the recent gasline explosion which supposedly resulted from an illegal tap which supposedly costs Pemex 3 and a half billion pesos per year.

Mexico just handed out its first life sentence to an 18 year old. Up to now the maximum was 30 years.

And of course there are more than 30 thousand drug war related deaths.

Chedraui is keeping Walmart on its toes. The Veracruz based chain plans 30 more stores next year in Mexico, plus some in the US.

And on the world wide scene: 30 died near Christmas Island.

Merry Christmas

Catemaco Fire

2010-12-21T07:06:00.000-06:00

Just the day before yesterday I walked onto the dock and noticed its deteriorating condition with missing and loose planks. As usual I was accosted by one of the resident winos for a handout. Today at 2 in the morning, the son of my Popoluca came racing into the house grabbing my fire extinguisher and yelling "the dock is burning".

In 2006, a local Belgian quiropractor and sailing enthusiast promoted the idea of a Yacht Club in Catemaco, assuring that 200 sail boats would arrive and make the Laguna a sailing center. He found some support in government circles, and a Veracruz government agency approved plans to solicit construction of a marina at the end of the Malecón of Laguna Catemaco. And then the project died.

Apparently the Belgian and some unknown associates then went ahead and constructed a dock and a palapa, a little north of the Koniapan hotel. Sometime later ownership apparently changed hands, and the dock is now supposedly owned the by the son of the owner of Nanciyaga, who also manages the sewage running down Catemaco streets.

For about a year, the Belgian, who owns the only sail boat anchored in the Laguna, stationed his boat next to the dock until it sank from the side effects of a tropical storm passing over the lake.

Meanwhile the vaunted dock found absolutely no use and became a favorite hangout for the dozens of winos that congregate in the area and the occasional kids who used it as a dangerous playground and diving platform.

In 2007 the surrounding are was again heavily promoted as the site of a 30 million peso marina project. That also died.

Apparently the fire was caused by firecracker, common this time of year, and dangerous because Catemaco has no fire department. Now, I presume, for the next few years, Catemaco will just have another eyesore encumbering the beauty of Laguna Catemaco.

See more photos of the Dock

Catemaco is for the birds

2010-12-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

181 species of them in 3 days. See Robert Straub's trip report here.

No more beautiful downtown Catemaco

2010-12-20T08:18:00.000-06:00

Because of the recent self imposed disappearance of Catemaco News readership (change of internet address) and also because I am bored stiff when it is cold and rainy here, I now plan to extend my comments beyond beautiful downtown Catemaco to include Veracruz and the rest of Mexico.

Aside from entertaining the occasional gringo reader it will also provide some foreign insight into Mexico to those locals who use the Spanish translation feature.

My primary English sources, aside from Google are:;
Latin American Herald,
El Economista column of Roberto Mena
Mexico Feeds by catemaco.info
For Mexican sources, I use:
Catemaco Diario Enlaces

Guillain Barré.

2010-12-20T01:54:00.003-06:00

34 cases of a form of the rare paralyzing disease of Guillain Barré were recently diagnosed in Cordoba, about 120 miles northwest of Catemaco.
http://www.elgolfo.info/0/vnc/nota.vnc?id=51412

Catemaco Prohibition

2010-12-19T18:48:00.001-06:00

I am one of the dinosaurs who still smokes in beautiful downtown Catemaco and today I was hit with the price of 40 pesos per pack after a recent federally imposed price increase. About 80 % of that price is federal Mexican taxes.

Where are the Narcos when I need them? Many of the older ones started as bootleggers during the alcohol prohibition days of the US. Tobacco should be a fertile ground for them.

I remember enjoying 10 bucks per carton days in Baja California when the San Diego price was US 25.

COME ON NARCOS, there is more money in tobacco than dope!

Catemaco "BOOM"

2010-12-19T18:18:00.004-06:00

May all gods forgive me, but I chuckle about the regular explosions occurring around México. This has nothing to do with narco wars, just the incompetence of Mexico to regulate itself.

The recent news of 15 deaths involving a robbery of a Mexico oil pipeline is just a minor figure in the statistics of gas pipeline and tanks explosions, petroleum explosions, fireworks explosions, and even car explosions.

Here in beautiful downtown Catemaco, events are relatively quiet this year, with only the occasional similacrum of an Afghanistan bomb sounding fire cracker being exploded.
For several previous years, I seriously wanted to buy ear muffs to protect myself and my dog, except of course for the occasional touristic fireworks that sometimes are superlative when some governmental tinhead decides to sponsor one.

Meanwhile everyone is anxiously awaing the burning of the "viejo" at the end of the year in Catemaco.
That is when hundreds of houses in Catermaco plant a manequin of an old man in front of their homes, stuffed with junk and fireworks to explode on New Years eve.

Just make sure your car is a block away, if you can find one that's not occupied by a manequin.

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Catemaco Volcanoes

2010-12-18T11:10:00.001-06:00

For being a little hick town in the middle of nowhere, Catemaco has a plethora of natural beauty almost unequaled anywhere in the word within a 30 mile diameter.

Rocky coves hidden on the desolate Gulf coast, sand dunes harboring endangered turtles and plants, fresh water lakes teeming with fish, a coastal lagoon, pine and mangrove forests, orchid riddled jungle, majestic waterfalls, kayakable rapids, raging rivers in the rainy season, and mostly overlooked although hitting you in the eye, a series of majestic volcanoes.

They are actually my favorite spots in Los Tuxtlas, mostly bereft of tourists but welcoming any lover of nature. But an article I wrote about them was well hidden in the catemaco.info pages which are only read by connoisseurs. Now it's in the touristic section:

The Volcanoes of Los Tuxtlas

Catemaco Movies

2010-12-13T07:28:00.001-06:00

The last movie theater in Catemaco closed 10 or more years ago. San Andrés hung on a little longer until about 6 years ago.

This weekend San Andrés reopened with 2 screens and Harry Potter, a block north of city hall.

Meanwhile Cafe de Nadie above the bank in Catemaco features a Tuesday movie night with mostly "artsy" choices.

Catemaco Blurp

2010-12-11T18:15:00.004-06:00

There is no news from beautiful downtown Catemaco, unless you want to include some 9 foot stick figures walking around neighboring San Andrés, a few patches of the side walk of the Malecón offering to swallow tourists, some outrageous promises from the in-coming mayor, the up-count of snowbirds passing through the nearby gringo haven, or a few thousand pilgrims running around to bless the local Virgin.

On the crime scene, everything is quiet. The usual 'hubby slashed a wife or friend with a machete story' is going strong and the not so usual, young woman "hanged herself" nearby is still going on. That actually seems to be becoming a minor habit here.

Gas prices went up again, but they are still substantially below the US 8.76 pesos per liter in Mexico versus 9.74 pesos on average per liter in the US. Do your own gallon configurations (3.74 per liter).

Veracruz has a new governor, and he thoughtfully decided to change all public announcements to be of a rainbow colored hue, instead of the freaking RED of the PRI party that had dominated Veracruz for the past 6 or 71 years. So now there are worriers that the rainbows may be saying that Veracruz is gay. It sure is! During the annual carnival you can´t walk around the port of Veracruz without getting goosed. (if you have something to goose).

While on the subject of gays in Mexico, Mexico City apparently has now gone all out to declare itself a gay destination, possibly to take advantage of their disposable income which seems to be around twice that of straight travelers.

I can see it now:

Sheeeett, Catemaco has all the attributes of a potential gay city, noisy discos on the Malecon, artsy crafts shops, hairdressers, hindful government officials, blossoming business owners and 101 or more marvelous attractions to stick a nose into.

It also has a whole strip of bars on the main highway running through the town, that attracts vendors with Victoria Secrets catalogs for all the guys that love guys along the strip. Plus it has a natural aphrodisiac made from slimy local water snails, Tegogolos.

Anyway, anything would be better than a bunch of ancient gringos sucking up the little disposable air in Catemaco.

Honorable mention of the month goes to the Los Tuxtlas inhabitants who on at least 4 occasions in the last month blocked both the federal toll road and the federal highway leading south from Veracruz. You have to take pity on the people that do that, because they know that it is the only way to get attention from anything above a local political level. Viva la democracia in Mexico.

Nepotism is another one of those words that is little understood in Mexico. The current elect mayor appointed his wife, to run the county´s welfare agency. If he hads sons he would probably declare them sherriffs a la (what's the name of that movie).

When the boardwalk of Catemaco was constructed, the Mexican federal agency "Comision de Aguas Naturales" took control of the area that the Malecon was built on. Naturally, a few existing restaurants were grandfathered in.
Over the years, little by little, that terrain was nibbled on and allowed various hotels to monopolize parking areas, and other property owners to increase their front yard. More damaging though was the profusion of shanty gift shops along the Laguna side of the Malecón.

This last year has seen the addition of a dozen more chintzty stalls along the Malecon, along with the clandestine sale or right of possession of most of the inward side of the Malecón. If the trend continues, there will be no more vision of the potentially most beautiful boardwalk in Mexico.

Oh yeah, before I forget, hit and run accidents killed a few more people in Los Tuxtlas. A few monts ago an involved driver left his wife and dying baby to avoid facing Mexican justice, same as most involved drivers do. Please, have insurance or lots of money while driving in Mexico unless you want to experience Mexican "justice".

A new restaurant recently opened on the site of a famous local swamp and is not worth commenting, another, a small chain from San Andrés is more promising, but right now it is only hearsay, along with another super market and international chain hotel looking for space to build.

Also, I have been told, that I am planning a seaplane harbor next to the Malecón.

Excluding the local intermittent gringo haven, the local gringo count is remaining at 7 residents plus a few part timers, plus a bunch of non gringos but not Mexicans.

Catemaco Marsupilami

2010-12-07T04:11:00.001-06:00

The French are making a monkey out of Catemaco, or maybe it's a leopard, or a dog.

They recently started shooting the film "Marsupilami" in the jungle of the "La Jungla" campground and other choice locations around Los Tuxtlas. The main character is a popular French cartoon animal, and I presume the scenes shot here will be backdrops to its antics.

Update: This is one of my more stupid posts on Catemaco News, so I really do not understand its popularity.

Anyway, the movie crowd was here, and barely anyone noticed them. They bought a mess of potted plants to create stage sets, and upon use, tried to sell them locally for inflated prices. Some of their plaster casts are still adorning local dives.

As of 5 nov 2011 I still do not know if that flick ever hit a screen anywhere.

Catemaco Kind Soul

2010-12-02T08:12:00.000-06:00

I've consolidated all the attractions of Catemaco and Los Tuxtlas from a dozen different chapters into one compact segment.

If there is a kind soul out there who knows how to spell or even better who knows Los Tuxtlas, will it please proofread the segment and alert me to errors and omissions.

Thanks, I'll owe you a cup of homegrown coffee or imported Mezcal.

See : The Touristic Areas of Los Tuxtlas

Catemaco Press

2010-12-02T06:47:00.000-06:00

Old Folks Alert!
Nice plug about Catemaco in MexicoConnect
Scouting Mexico retirement scenes