We’d like to share a quick foto-tour of Mexico, where photographer Arturo Ortiz matches the images on our currency to the actual locations … paired with Yucalandia’s thumbnail descriptions of the places & people.
¡ Mil Gracias ! to Arturo for his fun fun fotos https://www.facebook.com/arturotrip/
As you tour Mexico (below) through her leaders & important sites, consider remembering some of the details … if you ever want to become a naturalized Mexican citizen, as SRE officials often ask us to describe those same key details of our bills during the oral exam.
😉
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. 10 Pesos … La Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, Guanajuato
La Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, Guanajuato is the scene of the Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla‘s ~chispa~ spark of the 1810 Revolution … Known for the September 16, 1810 Call to Independence … El Grito or Grito de Dolores
The front of the $10 peso note depicts EmilianoZapata Salazar, a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution. Zapata is further remembered as the main leader of the peasant revolution in the state of Morelos, and the inspiration of the agrarian movement called Zapatismo.
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. $20 Pesos … Monte Albán, about 10 km outside Oaxaca de Juárez
Monte Albán is known as one of Mesoamerica’s most important archeological sites as the Zapotecan & Mixtec capital from 800 B.C. ~ featuring over 170 tombs, great plazas, ball courts & temples.
The much beloved President Benito Juarez is on the front.
“Among individuals, as among nations, Respect of other people’s rights … is peace. ”
“Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz . ”
Mexican electricity is it’s own special thing, working reliably for years, and then getting flakey as all-get-out, as some ground on the CFE transformers goes bad, or the transformers go bad, or the tap goes bad, or the branches of a tree 2 blocks away have grown to touch the bare CFE wires when the wind blows, or the tree branches grew to touch the wires and really short things out when they wet from rain and the wind blows them into the CFE wires. … or if your own house ground goes bad … or some mystery wiring junctions buried inside one of your house walls start to get damp and corrode … or some outlet box gets too damp from water wicking up from the ground through the concrete walls causes the connections inside the outlet box to start to corrode, or … some previously unknown junction box on top of your roof gets too damp and hot & cold changes (from the blazing tropical sun) causes the connections inside the roof junction box to start to fail intermittently.
For all these reasons, some of us put our computers, TVs, stereos etc onto voltage stabilizers ~ power conditioners that damp out and mostly fix all the too high or too low or intermittent voltage issues …. but sometimes even those burn out.
Anyway, after 6 years of troubleshooting & fixing all of the above, we had 4 years of stable clean power, but our one power conditioner that protects the computer-TV room still burned out (within the warranty period) burned out about 2 years ago … After finding the well hidden manuf. warranty service center (… in some guy’s living room… about 4 miles away, back in a 1-exit-1-entrance subdivision), we had the power conditioner working fine again … for another year.
Still… when going to bed the other night (opening windows, locking doors etc) … I smelled something that resembled slightly overheating electronics. …
I tried hard to find the source of the unusual smell, but it was in about 3 different areas, and I had zero success finding it … plus with the windows open, it appeared that it might be floating in from the neighbors house (which is about 5 feet from our house).Well…. I came down the next morning to no internet … no lights … and no power ….
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but only in the TV-computer family room (that’s on the power conditioner).
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Yep… the power conditioner is … toast. … Burnt toast.
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The fuse is fine, but the main board of the conditioner has one wire that’s melted off & burnt its covering => which means only God knows what other components on the board are also … toast … blaming the problem on the power conditioner that’s now failed twice in three years.
And yes, smoke generators, that no longer smoke, are not worth anything other than their weight in scrap metal.
… So, I installed a fresh, spare power conditioner on that Family-TV-internet room’s dedicated circuit breaker, and went merrily along my way. …
until I came down at 5:00 AM this morning (couldn’t sleep) to enjoy some internet time … to find … no power, again, in the TV-computer-family room. … *sigh*
Yes, the fresh spare power conditioner is ‘Out of Service’ … but at least it’s only a burnt fuse this time.
Which leave me wondering … What’s up?
My desire for an internet fix is stronger than my curiosity, so I take the power conditioner out of the dedicated family-room circuit, plug the Family room circuit directly into CFE …. and joy of joys… the internet router ~modem comes on, lights come on … everything works fine.
I sit down to type & poke around on the laptop … and I hear a low humming sound. ….
I realize I’ve heard that same humming sound 3 days ago … but since the neighbor built their house using our lot-line boundary wall as their home’s exterior wall … and since that side of their house has no windows – just openings to allow fresh air (and mosquitoes) to flow .. I imagined that the humming came from their ancient washing machine & even-older fridge that sit about 8 feet from the window next to my couch (where I heard the humming).
I poked around trying to find the source 3 days ago, but the humming stopped in about a minute – not enough time to find it – and it’s always easier to blame the neighbors, anyway.
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As I sit this morning enjoying the neatly-recovered internet access, answering some “How-To” question about how to paint over silicone caulk spots on a wall (the Answer is to coat the silicone with a very thin layer of paintable acrylic caulk -hand textured to match the wall’s texture) …
the hum returns … for just 90 seconds … and … It’s coming from right outside the family-TV-computer room window.
and I realize why I’ve burned out 2 power conditioners …
It’s my water pump … the one that lifts water to the roof-top tank when City water pressure is too low to fill the root-top tinaco. … It’s my water pump that’s seized-up … frozen … humming … whose thermal overload circuit shuts off the pump after 90 seconds…. until it cools off … and tries to run the pump again … to fill the roof top water tank … for dear wifey to take her morning shower…
The dratted electricians … wired the water pump … to the TV-Family room circuit … with no breaker.
It’s still dark out, so I get out the headlamp-along with screwdriversto go try to unfreeze the pump… but … the plumbers have plumbed the pump in a big space, with just 1 inch of clearance on the back of the pump – so there’s no access to free the pump shaft… and the plumbing must be shut off & drained … to break open the copper pipes & remove the pump … to free up the shaft … to get water up to the rooftop tank… for the wife to take her shower … and to stop burning out power conditioners.
My solution? … Cut the wires to the pump (so it doesn’t try to come back on) … get back on the internet …. and wait till after dawn to deal with the pump.
…. Just another early morn in Merida ….
(and yes, that’s after 3 airconditioner failures in the year’s worst heat of the previous 2 weeks)
😉
Time for COFFEE !
~ YIPPEEE ~
* * * *
… and yes, the water pump only runs about once a month…
* * * *
Interested in solving common electricity issues … and Protecting your electronics, microwaves, etc ? … Check out this article with lots of fun details:
June 13, 2017 Updates
~ INM has changed their policy on Residente Temporal visas with permission to work for a company who have changed to being self employed, as INM now denies renewals when someone changes to self-employment. INM states that the original RT visa entry conditions no longer exist when a foreigner changes to being self-employed from working for a Mexican employer.
~ Humanitarin visas: Qualifying people who find themselves stuck in Mexico (unable to travel) due to health reasons may now get humanitarian visas. They must get a letter from a government clinic doctor describing their condition(s), also stating that they are unable to travel. Excuses of old age, forgetting to return, or having a broken-down unreliable car are not accepted by INM.
~ Large Variability in Stringent or Lenient Mexican Consular Visa Qualification Policies:
Each Mexican Consulate has their own special rules. Recent reports show that the Mexican Consulates in Laredo TX, Phoenix AZ and Las Vegas, NV are very lenient approving Residente Temporal visas for Americans with as little as $1,000.00 USD per month in income. The Mexican Consulate in Houston has been reported as being very difficult to work with. Finally, each Mex. Consulate’s visa application processing times vary from a few hours to a few days.
June 13, 2017
In addition to resurrecting deadly Spanish Flu viruses from human bodies … frozen in the Arctic a mere 100 years ago, plus nasty anthrax from frozen caribou carcasses in the Arctic … there are some additional interesting twists arising from the old ‘preserved’ bacteria & viruses.
Consider nicely preserved (flash frozen) 30,000 – 40,000 year old Neanderthal remains, thawing out in the Climate Changed warming Arctic not-so-permafrost, replete with all their cold, flu & bacterial infections that our immune systems have never seen.
Thawed Permafrost on Tibetan Plateau … Credit Gertrud & Helmut Denzau
Next revelation in old microbes being resurrected, Antibiotic Resistance:
Scientists have found live 4 million year old ~ nasty antibiotic resistant bacteria ~ in the USA, in New Mexico’s Lechuguilla Cave,
Surprisingly**, the USA’s 4 million year old antibiotic-resistant bacteria have resistance to 70% of our ‘modern’ antibiotics – totally inactivating our most common antibiotics.
**This is actually not a surprise, since over 99.9% of our ‘modern’ antibiotics come from natural fungi products, and these US cave bacteria have lived for 4 – 7 million years competing with fungi for scarce resources 1000 feet deep in New Mexico.
So … antibiotic resistance appears to be a 4-7 million year old characteristic.
After a long dry spell, all those carefully-deposited Aedes Aegypti eggs are now re-hydrated, hatching, and can become free-flying adults …. in just 5 days … of our current hot temperatures.
Time to empty out the old tires, clean out the wash basins, &/or treat any standing water with chlorine or Abate.
Here’s a link to lots more fun info on controlling Dengue, mosquitoes, Chikungunya & Zika:
The USA’s 2005 REAL ID Act is being implemented now, and will be coming into full force in January 2018. The core of the US REAL ID Act set federal security new standards for state driver’s licenses that require machine-readable technology et al that make state’s traditional Drivers Licenses inadequate for flying on both US domestic & international flights. … As a result, travelers using older state IDs may be turned away at the gate during 2017, if their state does adjust to the new standards or have an formal extension. Further, the Department of Homeland Security has announced that after 2020, absolutely all travelers on U.S. domestic flights must comply with the REAL ID Act.
but the details of US Govt. policies on the new US passports continue to change ~ as documented at this US Govt website on REAL ID’s: https://www.dhs.gov/real-id-public-faqs
Planning to use your passport for domestic & international air travel?
The US State Department is changing our passport’s technology & changing passport application requirements. For example, glasses are no longer allowed in passport photos. Order your passport early:In addition to the complications of many countries ‘6 Month Validity Rule’ (see below), consider also that the US State Department is expecting to require longer times (minimum 6 to 8 week delays) to process passport applications in 2017 – 2018.
6 Month Validity Rule:
Next, consider another peripheral consequence of Trump’s feuding with Europe over immigration issues: Almost all European nations have adopted a 6-month validity rule that say they can deny entry to Americans who arrive with a passport that expires in the next 6 months.
“Effective 12/16/2019: A health certificate for dogs and cats is no longer needed to enter Mexico. Dogs and cats may be taken to the border without health certificate documentation, they will be inspected by SENASICA upon arrival. Please follow the guidance on this page. ”
Public Service Announcement:
Our helpful readers continue to update us all on what rule enforcement changes are taking place around Mexico.
“New Enforcement of Regulation re: Bringing Dogs into Mexico via Air
Airport officials at the airport in Puerto Vallarta are enforcing a regulation requiring dogs ( not sure about cats) require the following: PRIOR to arrival, your dog must have be treated against internal and external parasites by a licensed veterinarian and the products used must be reflected on the health certificate.
Dogs must also have been treated for ticks shortly prior to entering the country. ”
This seems pretty self explanatory.
We’d appreciate hearing from readers if this change is being enforced nationwide.
Want to know whether your favorite PEMEX station is delivering the amount of gasoline or LP you are paying for? … Check out this map …. e.g. zoom in ~keeping Merida in the center of the page ~ to see the status of your favorite PEMEX franchise.
Specifically Check the color of dot for your favorite stations: Passed (Green), Refused to participate (Yellow), Failed (Red) , or Not Participated (purple) … in simple testing to check whether the Litros of Gasoline (or kg of propane) displayed by the station pumps match the actual amounts delivered.
This is very important, because Zika, Dengue & Chikungunya virus infections share most of the same symptoms.**
Consider how Zika persists & is transmitted by bodily fluids – as long as 80 days.
The New England Journal of Medicine reports that some patients showed Zika virus in serum (blood) as long as 54 days … while some patients had no ZIKA virus in blood samples after 14 days.
Other patients showed Zika in urine for up to 39 days, while others had no Zika in urine after just 8 days
Semen results were most troubling, showing some patients had Zika Virus present up to 80 days after infections … while the fastest Zika virus clearance was in … ~ 34 days ~
Every once in a while, someone puts together a great piece in their blog.
This is one of those times.
Jim Foreman, of The Mexican Insurance Store.com has put together a real doozy (Duesenberg)… … With FULL CREDIT TO JIM Foreman, Feb 10, 2017, we offer a copy of his publicly published ~excellent~ article.
Tips, Secrets, and Advice for Traveling Mexico
Friday, February 10, 2017
15 Rookie Mistakes To Avoid When Traveling In Mexico
Story by Jim Foreman
We’ve all been there. We’ve all made that first trip to Mexico, as green as a cucumber.
What’s more, everyone, it seems, from the news, family, and friends will try to impart some conventional wisdom. The problem is that these same people offering their advice have either never been to Mexico or went so long ago, the memories are grossly embellished.
Originally this was going to be only ‘6 Rookie Mistakes.’ As the thoughts and situations kept appearing, the number rose to 8, 10, 13 and finally 15. Truthfully, this list could have exceeded 16, 18 or 20 points. Sticking with the self-imposed limit of 15, take a moment to ponder, read, and think about what’s listed below. These can mean the difference between a ‘Meh’ trip and a wonderfully memorable journey.
The list below isn’t about rules to follow such as not driving at night or taking the toll roads. Instead, these are some key details and perspectives that will make your first trip and future trips memorable and enjoyable.
Public Service Announcement:
Our helpful readers continue to update us all on what rule enforcement changes are taking place around Mexico.
“New Enforcement of Regulation re: Bringing Dogs into Mexico via Air
Airport officials at the airport in Puerto Vallarta are enforcing a regulation requiring dogs ( not sure about cats) require the following: PRIOR to arrival, your dog must have be treated against internal and external parasites by a licensed veterinarian and the products used must be reflected on the health certificate.
Dogs must also have been treated for ticks shortly prior to entering the country. ”
This seems pretty self explanatory.
We’d appreciate hearing from readers if this change is being enforced nationwide.
Feb 4
The ever-reliable Aaron of Mexconnect (and electric car enthusiast) offers this good update:
” Effective today, Feb. 3, the Mexican government is now waiving all duties on electric car imports and imports of unspecified repair parts for same. This expands the duty free import of such vehicles made in NAFTA countries to any country.
An article in El Universal adds that electric cars are exempt from the license plate based day driving ban in the Cd de Mexico. ”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
… While some countries are throwing up barriers …
CONGRATULATIONS to Mexico … as she moves in the opposite direction.
Feb 4
Public Service Announcement:
To help our readers follow the law … and to be respectful of ~our~ In*Home workers, know that Monday Feb 6, is a national holiday … Constitution Day !
Each Employer first decides to ask the worker to work, or not. … If Holiday work is offered by the employer … Then the employees decide to whether to work or not.
SPECIAL RULES FOR HOLIDAY PAY:
National holidays have special rules for paying domestic employees who choose to work on the Holiday:
~ Double pay + plus regular pay equals a a net triple payday.
~ If they choose NOT to work …. they are still paid regular pay for that day.
Makes sense ?
Enjoy the Bank Holiday … Govt. Holiday … and closing of some shops as the people celebrate !
Eager-beaver Yucalandia readers are, again, on top of things !
Thanks Joe!
We really do appreciate their really fine updates on changes in US Govt. rules for us expats abroad:
Dec. 16, 2016 ~ Treasury Department CHANGES FBAR Filing Deadline:
For people who claim that Washington can’t get anything done:
Imagine an 2015 innocuous Veteran’s Health Care bill, interwoven into a new Surface Transportation bill … and *poof* … Treasury moles sneak in changes in FBAR reporting due dates.
Consider the 2015 Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015, Public Law 114-41 … and YES… Our Washington leaders ARE accomplishing things.
But WAIT … In typical Washington-insider-power-player-speak …
Is the FBAR due date really April 15 ?
That would be far too succinct & clear-cut: Instead, our Pooh-bahs added some fine-print disclaimers:
* ~ The due date for FBAR filings for foreign financial accounts maintained during calendar year 2016 is April 18, 2017,because even though ‘the Act’ says April 15 … 2016 TY’s Federal income tax due date is special: April 18, 2017
and
** ~To implement the statute with ‘minimal burden’ to the public and (to make FinCEN’s lives easier) … FinCEN will grant filers failing to meet the FBAR annual due date of April 15 an automatic extension to October 15 each year.
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So… pick a date… any date: April 15… April 18 … Oct 15 …
Any United States **~person~** who had a financial interest in or signature authority over at least one financial account located outside of the United States; and
the aggregate value of all foreign financial accounts exceeded $10,000 at any time during the calendar year reported.
**Note that “US person” has a special IRS definition… which is not quite citizen, resident, nor two legged.
After a 4 years pause…. It’s time to ~plan~ to get your new plates & Tarjeta de Circulación for your Yucatan-plated vehicle.
… Are you are a govt. official… or the wife of a government official… or the son of a govt. official… or the Mother-in-Law of a govt. official ….??
*grin*
If you are not even distantly related to a govt. official, then … for the rest of us….
It’s time … ~now~ … to check the Yucatan SSP’s schedule** for when you should go renew your vehicle registration … to plan now, to get your shiny NEW PLATES … and a new Tarjeta de Circulación .
( That’s the Tarjeta that’s essential to show the policía y peritos if they stop you. )
Basically, you go to one of the Yucatan SSP’s official license plate ~ DMV ~ offices** … during the days scheduled for the first 3 letters of your current license plate*** … and renew both your plates & your Tarjeta de Circulación .
The primary locations around Merida are at Siglo XXI … or at the NEW DMV ~SSP~ Motor Vehicles offices behind Costco
(in the block West of Costco… and yes, West is where the sun sets for the directionally impaired… just
… Follow the sun…
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… or… Cruise on over to the old Penitentiary at Merida’s Peace Park (Parque de La Paz) across from the Zoo…
~ Be Prepared ~
¿ Only for Boy Scouts ?
Requisitos
Identificación oficial Cualquiera de los siguientes: a) Credencial del I.N.E. b) Pasaporte vigente c) Licencia de conducir vigente del Estado de Yucatán d) Cédula Profesional e) Cartilla S.M.N. con máximo 5 años de haberse expedido f) Certificado de Antecedentes Penales (Reciente) g) Para extranjeros, documento que acredite su legal estancia en el país (FM2, FM3, o carta de naturalización). h) PERSONA MORAL: Inscripción en el R.F.C., en caso de cambio de razón social, entregar copia del acta constitutiva de la fusión o de la nueva denominación protocolizada ante fedatario público. NOTA: * Si la identificación oficial presentada por el interesado tiene registrado un domicilio de otra entidad federativa, deberá presentar su comprobante de domicilio a su nombre y con dirección del estado de Yucatán. * El comprobante de domicilio no deberá ser impreso de internet. Comprobante de domicilio (90 días máximo de expedición y estar a nombre del propietario del vehículo). Cualquiera de los siguientes: a) Recibo de agua b) Recibo de luz c) Recibo de teléfono d) Recibo de predial e) Estado de cuenta f) En arrendamientos, presentar copia del contrato de renta ante Fedatario Público, anexando el comprobante de domicilio marcado en el contrato y deberá estar a nombre del arrendador. g) Si radica en el interior del Estado, el domicilio puede ser avalado con constancia original expedida por la Presidencia Municipal de su localidad, anexando original y copia del comprobante de domicilio (Solo aplica para identificaciones Oficiales que ya cuentan con dirección en el Estado de Yucatán). h) Las empresas que no cuentan con domicilio fiscal en el Estado, presentar carta membretada firmada por el representante legal de la empresa que se hace responsable del domicilio en el Estado, anexando copia de su INE y del acta constitutiva de la empresa que se hace responsable. En caso de ser un empleado de la empresa el responsable de domicilio, la empresa deberá emitir un oficio con la dirección y nombre del empleado. En ambos casos anexar el comprobante de domicilio, que deberá estar a nombre del responsable del mismo. Póliza de Seguro Vigente. Que ampare al menos la Responsabilidad Civil por daños a terceros. Comprobante del último pago de tenencia o derecho vehicular. Cuando el trámite lo realice un tercero, éste deberá acreditarse con: Carta Poder e identificación oficial original. Las empresas o instituciones expedirán el poder en hoja membretada, acompañada de la identificación de la persona que otorga el poder y del acta constitutiva o de asamblea donde se acredite al poderdante. – Si cambió de razón social deberá presentar copia legible del acta constitutiva de la fusión o de la nueva denominación protocolizada ante Notario Público. Entregar juego de placas emisión 2009 o denunciar ante el Ministerio Público del robo o extravío de una o ambas placas. Cubrir el pago de Tenencia e infracciones de tránsito del vehículo, estos pagos se podrán efectuar al momento de realizar el Reemplacamiento.
***Next… Here’s a cool pdf file that shows ALL the months … for all the various 3 letter combinations on our plates: (I tried to rotate it for y’awl … but usually it’s better if you just rotate yourself… )
… ~ Also Note … In addition to your paperwork/documents/money etc… We also … have to UNSCREW the old plates, and bring them in with us … to submit at the SSP ‘DMV’ … to get our new plates~ …
. FINALLY,
We have updated this information with some new twists in a new post at:
July 17, 2017
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. –
Surviving Yucatan 