Surviving Yucatan

Nov. 27, 2023
AGUINALDOs … and Vacation Days-Pay … UPDATED for 2023’s Change of a 25% Vacation Pay Premium**

Nov. 19, 2023

Will Yucatan’s coastal towns & resorts be underwater by 2035 … or 2050 … unless we change?**

Here’s a fun graph from 4 yrs ago … 2019 … that ironically does not include the last 4 years of additional pollution from all the car trips, consumer goods shipped (transportation) … international jet trips …

Notice how we now ~already~ now have an excess of over 870 Gigatonnes of CO2 in our atmosphere … added since just 1989 … by the Americans/Canadians et al consuming 20X times more per person and emitting 20X times more pollution per person … than other countries … just since 1989.

The 784 Gigatonnes of Atmospheric CO2 accumulated in all of history before 1989 … versus … 870 Gigatonnes of Atmospheric CO2 pollution emitted by our “modern” USA/Canadian lifestyles since 1989 – points to some needs for change.

Is it time to ride your bicycle … here in nice FLAT Yucatan … since each tankful of gas burned in our car, dumps-out over 300 pounds of fresh-pollution?

Is it time to buy LOCAL ?

… since Transportation (cars, trucks, ships, jets) are the single biggest polluting emitters.

~ ~ ~ ~

Why is this especially important in Yucatan?

(and in Florida, Kim)

**Dr. James Hansen (NASA’s top climate scientist) has published 2 landmark reports this past year showing that ALL of Chuburna through Dzilam del Bravo can be UNDERWATER by as early as 2035 … as it is likely that the Yucatan coastline will move inland as much as 5 km by 2050,

unless we make BIG changes in the next 5 years.

Top scientists are offering solutions to rapidly cool the planet … yet we need the politicians to just step out of their unscientific path-blocking-ways.

https://ieep.eu/…/more-than-half-of-all-co2-emissions…/

~ ~ ~ ~

Science & Facts versus Non-scientist Politicians Hype:

** “(Hansen’s) new paper warns that warming could exceed 1.5 C by the end of the 2020s and 2 C by 2050. A gradual global decline in air pollution, driven by (politicians) TIGHTENING environmental regulations …”

IOW … Coal burning currently COOLS the planet, because the aerosols it creates … block sunlight … putting the planet in the shade … just like how good it feels when we step out of the direct sunlight, instead into the cool shade of a tree.

… Shade … is good!

And YES … We do have options … like cooling the planet with harmless blackboard chaulk aerosols, sprayed into the stratosphere annually.

Readers can notice that Dr, James Hansen’s last 2 reports this past year are saying that Chinas COAL fired plants are COOLING the planet, due to the planet-COOLING aerosols that they emit.

Science versus politicians hype:
“(Hansen’s) new paper warns that warming could exceed 1.5 C by the end of the 2020s and 2 C by 2050. A gradual global decline in air pollution, driven by (politicians) TIGHTENING environmental regulations,”

 

https://academic.oup.com/oocc/article/3/1/kgad008/7335889

~ ~ ~ ~
**What are the solutions?

Seriously, when each individual USA-nian emits as much pollution as 20 people from other countries … which group of people should we focus on changing? … So, we need the biggest consumers-biggest pollutors on the planet (USA-nians and Canadians), to change 

Next: .. Fortunately, the solution of reversing global warming in just a month … could be paid for with just 3% of the USA’s mega-Military spending.

As the 1993 Mt. Pinatubo eruption showed, adding aerosols to the stratosphere could COOL the planet in just a month… providing 1½ yrs of cooling … for just $30 billion dollars.

Then … targeted cooling efforts (using aerosol) in the polar regions, could RE-FREEZE them … stabilizing them … in just 1 season.

 

 

Cheers,
Dr. Steven M. Fry

* * * * * * *
Feel free to copy any of our materials, yet please also give appropriate credit, by citing Yucalandia.com.


Read-on MacDuff !

Nov. 13, 2023

The No Fun Group is roaming our snacking landscapes again, pointing out that almost all chocolate contains some Cadmium & Lead, yet many of our beloved DARK chocolate brands (like HERSHEY’s) are contaminated with unhealthy levels of Cadmium & Lead.

Who knew … that just like tuna … we really need to limit our chocolate consumption
… especially in children and pregnant moms … 😦

Fortunately … Even though all milk chocolate has lower levels, (aka just “some” toxic Cadmium and some toxic Lead) … realize that any level of toxic Lead & Cadmium that we consume, deposits in our bones and accumulates for decades … and is only removed from our bodies slowly by hair growth and fingernail growth.

This means that just like we should limit our children’s & pregnant Mom’s tuna intake to just once or twice a month, we should also limit our kid’s chocolate intake to JUST milk chocolate, and then only as a *treat* … not as a daily staple. 😦

From Consumer Reports latest issue:
” As expected, dark chocolates tended to have higher levels of heavy metals and milk chocolate lower. “But every product we tested had detectable amounts of lead and cadmium,” says James E. Rogers, PhD, director and acting head of product safety testing at CR. “Sixteen of the 48 products had amounts above CR’s levels of concern for at least one of the heavy metals—in some cases more than twice our limit—but we did find safer options in each category of chocolate products.” “

How do Toxic Lead & Toxic Cadmium Get into OUR beloved Chocolate?
The heavy metals Lead and Cadmium get into cocoa from the soil and from dust-contamination during cacao bean processing.    Cacao plants take up cadmium directly from the soil, with volcanic soils being the biggest problem.  Plants absorb some lead through the roots from soil solutions, entering our food chain, yet the bigger source of Lead in chocolate comes from dust depositing on the cocoa beans after harvest. This means that chocolate producers CAN reduce the toxic Lead levels in our chocolates, IF they simply wash the cacao beans thoroughly.

This is enough of an issue, that there’s now a formal petition to HERSHEY’s to get them to take a few measures to reduce the toxic Lead & Cadmium in their products:

https://action.consumerreports.org/cro-20231025-hersheychocolate2

Why does Milk Chocolate have smaller amounts of Toxic Lead & Toxic Cadmium?
Toxic Lead & Cadmium are both found in the cocoa solids and cocoa butter, key ingredients in cacao. Milk chocolate has less Lead & Cadmium because it has much lower cocoa solids & cocoa butter levels.  Meanwhile, products rich in cocoa solids, like dark chocolate and cocoa powder, hot-chocolate mixes, & cake-brownie mixes tend to be higher in heavy metals.

Where does that leave us?
Because toxic Lead (Pb) and Cadmium accumulate in our bodies throughout our lifetimes, and because toxic Lead causes Central Nervous System damage … Kidney damage, High Blood Pressure, & Cardiovascular problems .. and because Cadmium is a potent cancer causing agent, makes our bones brittle, and causes Kidney damage …  it is especially important to limit both Cadmium and Lead  ingestion-consumption by children and pregnant Moms   ~ and ~ focus on milk chocolate as just a *treat* for kids.

IOW … For kids:  Use milk chocolate … administered as a treat … and avoid cocoa powder and most dark chocolate products.

Using 4 oz samples, Consumer Reports testing found just 6 dark chocolate products with acceptable levels (for ADULTS)  of toxic Lead & Cadmium:
Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate 86% Cacao,
Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate Twilight Delight 72% Cacao,
Mast Organic Dark Chocolate 80% Cocoa,
Taza Chocolate Organic Deliciously Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao, and
Valrhona Abinao Dark Chocolate 85% Cacao.

Using 4 oz samples, Consumer Reports testing found 4 dark chocolate products with very–unacceptable levels (for EVERYONE)  of toxic Lead & Cadmium:
Divine 85% Exquisitely Smooth Dark Chocolate
Evolved Signature Dark 72% Cacao Chocolate Bar
Perugina 70% Premium Dark Chocolate and
Perugina 85% Premium Dark Chocolate

Consumer Reports test results for MILK CHOCOLATE were much more encouraging:

On to Chocolate Chips!
None of the chocolate chip brands (12 products tested) had high levels of cadmium. … Only two: “Hu Dark Chocolate Gems and Good & Gather (Target) Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips” were over CR’s limit for safe lead consumption by ADULTS.

 

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder is almost all cocoa solids, so you might expect that most would be too high in lead and cadmium, even in small amounts. But none of those we tested were high in cadmium, and only two had high levels of lead.

Most of the cocoa powders in our tests were natural-style—the kind most commonly available in the U.S.—and of those, a serving (1 tablespoon) of Hershey’s Cocoa Naturally Unsweetened 100% Cacao exceeded our lead limit.

Droste Cacao Powder was the only Dutch processed cocoa in our tests. This type of cocoa is alkalized to give it a less bitter taste. It was also the highest in lead of any product in our tests, supplying 324 percent of CR’s limit.

The best cocoa powder overall was Navitas Organics Organic Cacao Powder, which reached 77 percent of CR’s lead limit and 17 percent of the cadmium limit. Navitas has a third party test all finished products for heavy metals to ensure low levels, according to the company website.

 

Hot Chocolate Mixes

These mixes contain cocoa powder plus sugar and other ingredients, so we expected that they would be relatively low in lead and cadmium. That’s not what we found. Four of the six mixes we tested exceeded our lead limit: Great Value (Walmart) Milk Chocolate Flavor Hot Cocoa Mix, had the highest levels, with mixes from Trader Joe’s and Nestlé (which also makes hot chocolate mix for Starbucks), above CR’s cutoff.

The Nestlé spokesperson said that the company stands by the safety of its products and that it works with its “suppliers on an ongoing basis to closely monitor and minimize the presence of these substances in our foods as much as possible.” Other makers of hot chocolate with high levels of lead did not respond to requests for comment.

 

Hot Chocolate Results

Based on each manufacturer’s recommended serving size, which varies, as shown below.
Ordered from lower to higher lead level.

 

Brownie and Cake Mixes

These products fared well overall in our tests. None were high in cadmium, and just one brownie mix and two cake mixes exceeded CR’s lead limits—one by quite a bit. One serving of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix had 216 percent. The heavy metal levels refer to the amounts of the mix that are in one serving of the finished cake or brownie. (We list the number of servings each mix makes in the charts below.)

However, the serving sizes are small. For instance, Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake mix makes a cake that the manufacturer says will serve 10. The company’s Double Fudge Brownie mix makes 20 servings. If your cake or brownie portions are more generous, keep in mind that you’ll be getting more lead and cadmium than we list here.

Bob’s Red Mill, Simple Mills, and Ghirardelli did not respond to requests for comment.

 

Brownie Mix Results

Based on each manufacturer’s recommended serving size, which varies. Servings per package listed below.
Ordered from lower to higher lead level.

 

 

From Consumer Reports:

“Making Chocolate Safer
Since any intake of heavy metals can be harmful over time, it’s important that products contain the lowest amount possible. There are ways for manufacturers to reduce the heavy metals in their products—such as sourcing chocolate from areas that have low levels of cadmium in the soil, and making improvements in cocoa harvesting, processing, and cleaning procedures.

CR reached out to an industry trade group as well as the Food and Drug Administration for comment.

“Chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and can be enjoyed as treats, as they have been for centuries,” says Christopher Gindlesperger, senior vice president of public affairs and communications for the National Confectioners Association, a candy industry group. “Food safety and product quality remain our highest priorities, and we remain dedicated to being transparent and socially responsible.”

The Food and Drug Administration told CR that “While the presence of cadmium and lead in chocolate has been the subject of considerable media attention, experts from around the world have found that chocolate is a minor source of exposure to these contaminants internationally.” And the agency added that “ all food manufacturers and processors are responsible for ensuring the safety of their food.”

Our results, however, show that some companies may be doing a better job of keeping metals out of their products than others. That’s true even for dark chocolate and cocoa powders. “In general, products with higher cocoa content tend to have higher levels of metals, but not always,” says Eric Boring, PhD, a CR chemist who oversaw our chocolate tests. “There’s enough variation in the lead levels within each category of foods that it’s clear factors other than cocoa content affect lead levels, and that means manufacturers have the ability to reduce the heavy metals in their products to the lowest levels possible.”

For example, if Navitas Organic Cacao can be lower in lead, Boring says, why can’t Hershey’s make a cocoa powder that is lower in the heavy metal, too?

Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at CR, adds that “Earlier this year, a Hershey executive stated that the company continues to look for ways to remove more of the metals through additional cleaning and alternate sourcing. We would like for them to honor that commitment.”

“Since the metals occur naturally in soil, it may seem that it would be difficult to reduce contamination, but there are some steps that chocolate makers can take to make their products safer,” Ronholm says. These include sourcing from areas with lower levels and mixing beans from different areas to ensure that the final product has lower levels. Producers could also test lots of cocoa to identify problem areas and reject particularly contaminated lots, he says.

Making Healthier Choices
• As much as possible, it makes sense to try to avoid heavy metals in your diet—but that doesn’t mean you should never eat chocolate.

• Kids and pregnant people should consume dark chocolate sparingly, if at all, because heavy metals pose the highest risk to young children and developing babies. And if you do eat it, pick products that our tests showed to have lower levels of heavy metals. When consuming other cocoa-containing items—like hot chocolate or brownies—it may be best to limit these to not every day, and also choose products lower in heavy metals. And, of course, you should limit how much you eat other foods that tend to be high in heavy metals, such as rice and rice products, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

• Milk chocolate can be a fine alternative for those who want to limit heavy metal exposure, but don’t treat it as a health food—it’s packed with more sugar than dark chocolate, and should still be consumed in moderation.

 

• For other adults who want to eat dark chocolate, occasional consumption won’t necessarily expose you to extremely high levels of heavy metals. But as much as possible, try to be aware of potential metal exposure from multiple sources. For more tips, see our previous article on metals in chocolate.

• When consuming hot chocolate, brownies, chocolate cake, and other cocoa-containing products, know that they can contribute to your overall heavy metal burden. As with other types of chocolate, these are best consumed in moderation. “

Continue reading →

Nov. 13, 2023

Just like all the fun emerging news on our Government’s 5 new Tren Maya systems, there’s also emerging news on on our Government’s Maya community development, Ecotourism development and cenote development programs.

This COMING FRIDAY & weekend (Nov  17 – 19, 2023) there will be and Exposition of Cenotes in our Siglo XXI Convention Center in Merida.

This will be the inauguration of a new “Cenote Passport” system … “Pasaporte de Cenotes” !

Pasaporte

In yet another advance in promoting Maya communities, and developing the economies of our very-poor Maya communities, our government is creating a program of “naturally sustainable Eco-Tourism”, that will be accessible using just a single “Cenote Passport” …

This new Eco-tourism effort will focus on educating visitors on traditional Mayan culture and education on the environments where the Maya people live … including focusing on visiting 10 “ojos de agua”  that will share in our government’s conservation programs.

Once you purchase it, “El Pasaporte de Cenotes” will function by “giving automatic access”  as “2 for the price of 1″ entrance to the :”cuerpos de agua” at
Nohmozon,
Nayah,
Su Hem,
Grutas y Cenotes Tzabnah (in the Tecoh Municipality),
Nu’Ku’Uch,
Dzo’No’Ot,
Pool Uinic,
Che’en Yuc,
Mani,  and
Chan y Cleotide (en Homun).

This special 2 for 1 promotion will only be for THE FIRST VISIT – because they will be stamping your passport, just like they stamp passports on the peregrinos Ruta de Santiago
de Compostela in Spain & France.

Your “Cenotes Passport” also allows you to sign up on-line to receive both discounts and notices on various future Eco-tourism, future environmental-protection, and other related (“allied”) environmentally-friendly activities, and environmental conservation activities.

When you complete your cycle of visiting all 10 of the featured cenotes, you will be invited to be a part of future “Expos Cenotes” gatherings … AND receive a “~free surprise gift~ ” !

One goal of the new programs is to gradually get visitors to visit Maya areas and our cenotes “responsibly” …    A second set of goals is to promote visitors to experience & enjoy traditional Maya foods**  … and to buy traditional Mayan goods (and chatzkies)  produced by genuine local Maya artisans.

**Example… Poc Chuc is NOT Mayan food … It’s a recent creation by a restaurant in Tizimin 😉

The Cenotes Passport will cost just $280 pesos … The Cenotes Passport can be purchased
from the following companies-groups:  “Va por la Tierra” … “Cenoteando” … Kalanbio … Buzos Técnico Deportivos de Yucatán … AND  at the upcoming “Expo Cenotes” in Siglo XXI this coming weekend.

Become an official Científico Ciudadano …  “Scientific Citizen” !

More $$ Details & More Program Information:
There will be more than $8,000 pesos of total discounts available on various activities, 2×1 & 3×2 discounts to participate in environmental seminars, economic development seminars for improving poor Maya communities, Workshops on Environmental & Social-Cultural studies, including Certifications in these various areas … PLUS  another $700 pesos in discounts on entering the 10 featured cenotes …

Cheers!
Dr. Steve

= = = = = = = =
Final Notes:

“El pasaporte trae consigo más de $ 8,000.00 pesos en descuentos en las Entradas a los Cenotes, en Cursos y Certificaciones medioambientales.  Durante el año, se brindarán más promociones a los usuarios del Pasaporte.”

Sources: https://expocenotes.com/pasaporte/

and the Nov. 13  2023 Matutina – as reported in the Nov. 13, 2023 “La Jornada Maya”

*                 *                 *                 *

Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

Dec. 4 UPDATES:
The Tren Maya Program’s 5 levels of service … on 7 sections of tracks … will be starting on different dates, starting on Dec. 15 for the Campeche to Cancun round trip TOURIST service.

Tickets for the Campeche-Cancun TOURIST service route go on sale Dec. 1, 2023.

The Cancun-Campeche route shows just 2 Tourist trains per day right now leaving at 7:00 AM and 11:00 AM … with the same prices & same times whether you depart from Cancun Airport, or from Campeche City:

https://www.eticket.mx/masinformacion.aspx?idevento=31722

~ ~ ~ ~

Nov. 7, 2023    Original news

Tren Maya … “Tsíimin K’áak” … LATEST UPDATES:

AMLO announced several details about the various Tren Maya programs yesterday.

~ Passenger rail tickets will go on sale Dec. 1, 2023 for “Tramo 2, 3, y 4 del Proyecto Ferroviaro” … (See link below for details)**

Obviously tickets will being sold for just the completed parts of the 5 different Tren Maya sub-programs.

~ As a general rule: Ticket prices will be set at 10% lower than the bus costs for the same routes.  Past reports said that the cheapest slow train, stopping at all the local stops, will charge just $50 pesos.   The next level up (lujo) of the slow train with local stops may cost $75 peso.  The fast Tourist Train will be priced 10% below the typical bus prices for the same routes.

~ Just as our government will inaugurate (open) Le Parque La Plancha in Merida on Sunday, Nov. 19, they will inaugurate the stop at the Cancun International Airport on Dec. 1 .

~ The Campeche to Cancun loop (Tramos 2, 3, & 4 – see map below) will OPEN for service on Dec. 15, 2023.

(Read details below)

~ The Cancun to Palenque route (Tramos 1 through 5) are planned to open by Feb. 29, 2024.

.

Background Information:

**”The route of the Tren Maya is made up of seven sections (7 tramos) of approx. 1460 km (total).”

“Section 2 of the Tren Maya covers 234 km from Campeche, from Escárcega to Calkiní, with a route that crosses six municipalities and 31 towns, You can ascend and descend at two stations and three stops, reported the general director of the National Fund for Tourism Promotion (Fonatur)… “

SEE Red-Line in this map:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10227980972483409&set=pcb.10227981011364381= = = =
“The Mayan Train track in Section 2 (Tramo 2) is already finished and consists of 234 kilometers throughout six municipalities, from Escárcega to Calkiní, in the state of Campeche,

where the works have generated 27 thousand jobs, reported the general director of the Mayan Train company, Óscar David Lozano Águila.”

“.. the Campeche Railway Bypass, of 18.76 kilometers that is being built as a very important component of this route, the five viaducts were also completed and the 49 pedestrian, vehicular and wildlife crossings … “

” … on this Section 2 route, the Mayan Train benefits more than 535 thousand people who live in the area according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi).”

” … the Section 2 route will have five stations located in Carrillo Puerto-Champotón, Edzná, San Francisco Campeche, Tenabo and Hecelchakán, as well as a Maintenance Base in Edzná and an operations yard in Pomuch as part of the infrastructure that will provide the transportation service. cargo on the Mayan Train. “

” ESTACIONES:

(Major railway stations – not including minor local stops)

Las estaciones que están proyectadas para la operación en distintas fases del proyecto son las siguientes:

1. Palenque

2. Tenosique

3. Balancán

4. Escárcega

5. San Francisco de Campeche

6. Mérida

7. Izamal

8. Chichen Itzá

9. Valladolid

10. Cobá

11. Cancún

12. Puerto Morelos

13. Playa del Carmen

14. Tulum

15. Felipe Carrillo Puerto

16. Bacalar

17. Chetumal

18. Xpujil “

.

NOTICE that the “Estaciones” are the major railway stations for the ~fast~ Tourist train version of Tren Maya to stop at … MEANWHILE the 2 levels of slower Passenger local trains will have lots of additional local stops (Paradereos)

Be sure to look at the second map below for all the smalller local stops – Paraderos – for the 2 slower levels of passenger trains … 

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10227980989043823&set=pcb.10227981011364381Sources:

https://www.gob.mx/…/513993/TM_ANEXO_TECNICO_VF2__1_.pdf

https://www.gob.mx/…/tren-maya-tramo-2-concluida-la-via…

and the Nov. 6 , 2023 Matutina – as reported in the Nov. 7, 2023 “La Jornada Maya”

*                 *                 *                 *

Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

Sept. 16, 2023
Saturday morning musings … as I enjoy my spoonfull of sugar in my coffee …

= = = =
Humans … Where genes go to die …

Seriously, over 50% of your DNA’s genetic coding genes … are dead … which makes you a lot more like the British Museum than one might imagine.**

Why? … Below, we offer some intriguing examples of our ancestor’s genes that were once robust, vibrant, productive, and quite useful, yet are now dormant, damaged wrecks, now relegated to being called “pseudo-genes” by modern molecular biologists.

Here follows some current examples, from the latest cutting-edge research from top geneticists studying the ancient roots of our current human genome:

About 61 million yrs ago (not long after the Chicxulub Meteorite wiped out critters around the planet … except some mammals & feathered bird-dinosaurs) … our earliest ancestors LOST the ability to make our own Vitamin C, because our “GULOP” gene accumulated enough damage (mutations) to stop making our key former enzyme L-Gulonolactone Oxidase …

As a result … apes & humans are pretty much the only mammals who need to eat vitamin C rich foods … like potatoes … and citrus … while almost all other mammals (except guinea pigs & bats) make their own vitamin C.

So, yes … You &I have more in common with a guinea pig … or a bat … than your dog. 😉 .

.. More on dogs, later (below).

= = = =
Another key gene that gradually accumulated enough damage over time, intact at 95 million yrs ago (when our UOX gene worked at peak efficiency) … degrading from mutations through to 41 million yrs ago, when enough mutuations accumulated to cause our UOX gene to stop functioning … caused us to stop breaking down Uric Acid.

By inactivating the UOX gene, us apes lost the key enzyme uricase, that bacteria through all other mammals make just fine.

Sounds bad, right?
Sure, higher serum Uric Acid concentrations lead to gouty-toes, and other gluttony related problems … yet … In that world of gluttony … higher serum Uric Acid levels has another curious “benefit”(?) … because elevated Uric Acid in our blood also enables us biochemically to make LOTS OF FAT from eating fructose – the normal sugar in fruits – and intentionally added in mega quantities as (artificial) Corn syrup to so many modern ‘foods’.

IOW … Ecologically, naturally, we’re programmed to eat LOTS of sugary fruits IN THE SUMMER … and to deposit lots of fat, by using our Uric Acid to turn summer-time fructose into fat … yet … The other part of the equation is that we’re supposed to STOP eating so much sugar in the WINTER … and burn off all that fat we accumulated last summer.

And yes … 41 million yrs ago when our ancestors stopped making the uricase enzyme, IT WAS during the start of A LONG COLD PERIOD … so putting on summer-fat made a lot of biological-sense, to help keep our ancestors alive through the tough winters.

And yes … US Corn farmers … and Coca Cola, Nestle, Nabisco et al have figured out how to manipulate us into depositing LOTS OF NEEDLESS excess FAT … by feeding us TONS sugars YEAR-ROUND as their added nasssty artifical High Fructose Corn Syrup … not natural sugars …

IOW … Despite what Corn farmers & Big Ag … and the Big Snack Empires want us to think … eating all that unhealthy, artificial, not-natural sugar year-round … is NOT NATURAL … 😉


= = = =
The last big group of genes that went to us Humans to die .. are no less than 11 different genes that used to code for us tasting 11 different kinds of BITTER tasting compounds … And yes, we are not the only ones losing genes, as all mammallian predators that rely on meat diets have LOST the gene to taste sweet flavors.

So, STOP feeding your dog sweets … Stop feeding them bits of donuts & Cinnabon rolls … because they do NOT taste the sweet … at all … to your pets …

**You just ~think~ your doggo likes sweets, because you like sweets …** 🤣

and curiously … Of those 11 bitter-taste genes that went to ancestral humas to die … 2 of them died only after the Bonobos-Chimpanzees split off from our ape-hominim lineage, so, curiously, we modern humans share all those dead genes with our Neaderthal & Denisovan human-cousins.


= = = =
Why did we lose those 11 total bitter taste genes, and especially losing those last 2 bitter taste genes? Bitter taste genes play a key role in us identifying toxic foods, based on their bitter tastes … So … why lose those last 2 bitter taste genes?

Think … Rhubarb … Spinach … and bitter foods, whose taste changes when we cook them … because cooking destroys some toxic compounds in food. Notice that around 2 million yrs ago, our ancestors harnessed fire … and apparently started talking.

That meant, we started cooking & eating previously-toxic foods … and our enriched MORE NUTRITIOUS cooked-food diets caused us to grow bigger brains … and with those bigger brains … we started to talk with other humans about which foods were both safe to eat

… telling other humans about which ones killed Uncle Jake … and which one made Aunt Minnie so sick.

= = = =
So … The next time you feel like drinking a whole lot of fruit juice … or sucking down some soda pop … or eating that 3’rd donut …. Remember that modern marketing … and Big Corporate greed … are abusing 3 key natural drivers that you have … from 13 (2 + 11) dead genes … as they hijack our last 91 million years of evolution

just so they can pile-up a few $Trillion more dollars. 😦

= = = =
** Really … You & I are just walking talking museums …
… full of molecular fossils … that serve no purpose. 🤣 .

~and yes~ … A few of us see that every morning when we look in the mirror … A museum-case full of fossils … looking back at you from the mirror … 😉 .

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=6831303720223384

• 
  Cheers,
  Dr. Steven M. Fry
  
  * * * * * * *
  Feel free to copy any of our materials, yet please also give appropriate credit, by citing Yucalandia.com.

Jan. 14, 2016

Because we know more than 12 people with Dengue, along with way too many people in the hospitals with Dengue … along with the nasty DEN-3 Variant of Dengue being the most common variant circulating in Yucatan that’s causing a lot of SEVERE DENGUE symptoms & hospitalization … (though all 4 Dengue variants-strains are circulating now) … my Dr. of Virology, Dengue Specialist wife asked me to forword the following information:
…
Do you know the symptoms of when you MUST go to the hospital with a Dengue infection?

= = = =
The report above explains is why it’s SO IMPORTANT to eliminate mosquito breeding sites in & around our Merida and Yucatan homes that hold even a tablespoon of water for 7 days without drying out.

Please take precautions to eliminate mosquito bites for you and your family …

Work   to clean-up and eliminate mosquito breeding sites in & around your homes … and neighbor’s homes … including fountains, pools, old tires,  crockery etc.
For more details see:

Chikungunya & Dengue Virus Information

and

Dengue Fact Sheet – May 2014 Update

*                 *                 *                 *

Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

Sept 12, 2023

COVID Booster News:

Pfizer & Moderna are still chasing the all the rapidly mutating SARS-Co-V-2 virus subvariants … as they release a “new” set of boosters this Friday – by offering us vaccine-boosters that were designed for the COVID substrain infections from almost a year ago … as today’s “new” boosters are not a particulary good fit with the prevalent COVID substrain infections circulating right now.

Top virology scientists are offering some interesting advice:

” Two years ago, with the pandemic raging and vaccines dramatically cutting serious illness and death, there was little doubt about their value for everyone. …

Yet now … We’re in a very different situation than we were a few years ago.”

Remember how Pfizer & Moderna used to TRUMPET “93% Efficacy !”… “96% Efficacy” … Notice that there are NO big claims for the this round of “new” boosters – because these year-old versions, have very little proof of being supposedly highly-effective against the current prevalent COVID substrains.

Especially noteworthy is how last May, the new boosters offered some early initial small reductions in hospitalization and serious COVID disease risk, yet, that protection waned to just under 50% for both between 60 – 119 days, and then:

… It plummeted to a miserable 24% protection at 6 months.

Conclusions: … Where it made a LOT of sense to get the first COVID vaccines 2 years ago , instead, now … with all the rapidly mutating SARS subvariants out there … top experts are questioning the value of this latest round of COVID boosters.

Top experts are saying: If you are seriously old (over age 79) or seriously immuno-compromised, then consider getting the “new” booster … but realize that you can’t trust its protection … and you still need to wear a tight-fitting N-95 mask when around COVID infected people.

https://www.science.org/content/article/should-i-get-covid-19-booster

Dr. Steven M. Fry
Ph.D. in Chemistry, Public Health & Environment, and Laboratory Measurement Science

* * * * * * *
Feel free to copy any of our materials, yet please also give appropriate credit, by citing Yucalandia.com.

Oct 14, 2023 Update:
akj

Eclipse fun with good friends, Mark & Marcelo:
I just got home from a lovely little eclipse-viewing party, where we shared welding helmets to watch this quite*special annular eclipse from Mark’s patio in Merida, Yucatan.

Besides using welding helmets, there was another way to view the eclipse, without protective lenses, that I had only heard about.

It turns out that natural plant foliage (leaves) filter out enough of the light, to cast ~lovely~ little images of the eclipse … that look like shimmering fish scales.

The first image below, shows this effect … as you can clearly make out the 90% eclipse level that we experienced here in Merida … and the second image shows the current 10% eclipse level on our front patio ~right now~.

Sidelight: Readers of a scientific bent can think of the plant leaves working as either multiple pin-hole cameras … or multiple camera-obscura’s, (where the images are inverted).

Notice how the 90% eclipse level foto (above) shows 90% of the sun blacked-out by the moon (leaving a sliver that looks like a moon) …. and the 10% eclipse level foto (below) shows almost all light, with just a small 10% of the sun blocked out … with multiple images of the eclips … displayed like shimmering fish scales.

The final image shows the ficus plant leaves that produced the lovely images.

= = = =
Original report:

Aug. 22, 2023
For people who enjoy looking up, Yucatecans in Celestun & Halachó will be right in the optimal path to see this year’s Annular Eclipse … October 14, 2023 – at 11:21.57 CST midday.

Merida will see only a more partial Annular eclipse (94.6%) at 121:24 mid-day. The path with yellow dots (see map below) shows the best views of the 2023 Annular (partial) Eclipse … paired with an approximate image of what it will look like. (seen through protective lenses) Sidelight: The path with the purple dots is for NEXT YEAR’s big 2024 Total Eclipse’s best viewing path. … Thanks NASA!

= = = =
Details for BEST viewing (because Merida is slightly out of the best path):

The earliest Yucatan full eclipse viewing starts at CELESTUN … @11:20 :34 PM for the start of the total eclipse (C2) … with a FULL 4 minutes 41 seconds of eclipse !

Best Viewing in Yucatan: (cont)

… then, after Celestun … on to Halachó @ 11:21 :57 PM

Then the VERY BEST viewing of the annular eclios in Yucatan …of 4 min 42 sec of eclipse (the longest in Yucatan) Maxcanú @ 11:22 :06 PM

Followed by … Samahil @ 11:22 :06 PM
… Kinchil @ 11:22 :21 PM
… Tamchen @ 11:22 :23 PM
… San Antonio Chum @ 11:22 :50 PM
… Muna @ 11:23 :15 PM … 3 minutes 30 seconds of eclipse … (note the trend?)

… Hunucmá @ 11:23 :25 AM … as seen from the cenote !?!??

… Sacalum @ 11:23 :53 PM
… Ticul @ 11:24 :07 PM … when buying pottery or shoes ?

… Oxkutzcab @ 11:24 :40 PM … when buying some incredible citrus fruit in bulk.

… Akil @ 11:25 :05 PM

… Tecax @ 11:25 :24 PM … with just 2 minutes 3 seconds of viewing time.

https://eclipse2024.org/2023eclipse/eclipse_cities/states.php?state=Yucatan&country=Mexico

• 
  Cheers,
  Dr. Steven M. Fry
  
  * * * * * * *
  Feel free to copy any of our materials, yet please also give appropriate credit, by citing Yucalandia.com.

Sept. 3, 2023
Do you enjoy shifting your perspectives?

Consider how the stories reported by modern “news” outlets, miss so many key facts & key details, that they often don’t even come close to reality.

= = = =
As we age, we slowly become our stories …

Some are amusing, others full of striking details, yet others form the foundations of who we are – molded by memorable times with dear friends.

One of those times was just highlighted this past Saturday, by AMLO’s ribbon-cutting ceremony to (finally!) inaugurate the opening of “Chichen Viejo”.

The Chichen Viejo complex holds special significance for me, because it marked the last trip Sidney Hollander (‘Calman’ = INAH’s top Maya Calendar expert for 25 yrs) & I took with Dr. Peter Schmidt … aka the grand old man ~ Chief Archeologist~ of Chichen Itza … and Regional INAH Director.

As possibly his last official trip to Chichen Itza, Peter (Herr Profesor Doktor Schmid – INAH’s Regional Director) invited Sid & I to drive him out to see his last INAH project … the completion of restoring the modest arch at the entrance of the real “Chichen Viejo” complex, 6 years ago in 2017.

In the longer view, Site Director, Dr. Schmid initiated what INAH calls “an unprecedented intervention” into restorations of the Chichen Viejo complex during the 1990’s … finally culminating in completion of his efforts with the 2017 restoration of the entry-way arch.

Curiously, with the completion of the arch, the entire “Chichen Viejo” complex of structures, altars, labyrinth-buildings was DONE … completely ready for tourists to enter … Paved pathways completed, bathrooms installed, INAH plaques in place describing every major feature … and even the trash cans were in place for the tourists to dispose of their paleta-wrappers …

Yet, due to supposed “budget restrictions”, the completed “Chichen Viejo” remained isolated, far down a closed pathe to the public, due to “Insufficient pesos to pay for guards to control the turistas.”

Fortunately, NOW, with AMLO’s increasing INAH’s regional budget in Yucatan, they FINALLY OPENED Chichen Viejo … after the 6 yr. “pause”. …. Sadly, because both Peter and Sid have died in the meantime, neither of Yucatan’s grand old men of Archeology got to see it opened to the public.

Details:
Yes, lots of gringos mistakenly think of “Chichen Viejo” as the complex of buildings with El Observatorio, a small ball court, several finished temples, a small pyramid that’s still a pile of rubble, along another plaza & building with glyphs describing some past Lord who held a big Fire Ceremony … yet those gringos misunderstand.

Instead, the real “Chichen Viejo” is a different ~older~ walled complex of blgs with a Templo de Falos (Phallus-es – Phalli), a low, distinctive Turtle altar, a labyrinth building … and a nice distinctive-for Chichen Itza archway entrance (shown above) and remnants of a sac bé running from the main plaza of Chichen Itza over to the “Chichen Viejo” complex. Yet despite it’s completion in 2017, the real Chichen Viejo complex languished – ready to open – unused – for at least 6 intervening years.

Here’ a little of what has been waiting 6 yrs for us to see:

For geographical context, “Chichen Viejo” is the area south of the main archaeological zone. It includes the Initial Series Group, which is Sid Hollandeer (‘Calman’) and I inspected Dr. Schmid, plus 100’s of other currently un-renovated – as yet un-recovered structures.

In addition to the “Chichen Viejo” complex described here, Chichen Viejo also includes the Temple of the Three Lintels, Temple of the Four Lintels and evidence of hundreds more structures, including several compounds like the Initial Series Group.

Since Chichen began accepting tourists many years ago, a few select visitors have been taken to Chichen Viejo, including our good friend Evan Albright, who went on a horseback tour of Chichen Viejo in 2006, though tourists were not allowed into the building complexes – so personal stories abound about the real “Chichen Viejo”. For technical context, INAH began working in earnest in 1998 on the Initial Series Group, which is when the Chichen Viejo areas was closed to tourists.

Yet … It’s now open … welcoming us !

Going back to the fotos, in the foto (above) of the arch, note that there was once a sac bé (white road in the Mayan language) that connects the ceremonial complex of Chichén Itzá with the area of ​​Chichén Viejo. Also note that “Atlantes” (see anthropomorphic figures below), “jealously guard the secrets of Chichen Viejo“** complex, that include a platform in the shape of a turtle and the Palace of the Phalli.

“Although in other places in the Yucatan Peninsula there are more than 100 phallic figures, Chichén Viejo is the only one that has a palace dedicated to the male member, because the pre-Hispanic inhabitants believed that this is how the earth was fertilized,”
**as explained by José Antonio Keb, custodian for INAH, in the archaeological zone of Chichén Itzá.

NOW … as of last Saturday INAH finally opened it – in a ceremony presided over by AMLO … who gets the credit, meanwhile almost all of the current English language “press” reports give few details, and literally no acknowledgement of the people who actually did the work this past 3 decades.

INAH’s official list of restorations at Chichen Viejo includes:
El Templo de la Serie Inicial, La estructura de los Estucos, el Templo de las Columnas Atlantes, El Palacio de los Falos, la Casa de los Caracoles (including a nice labyrinth inside), el Templo de los Búhos, una Muralla, la Galería de los Monos, y la Plataforma de la Tortuga.

Here’s a detailed map of the Chichen Viejo complex of buildings that was just opened last Saturday (Sept 2, 2023):

Historical Context & Sidelights:
Edward Thompson named the area Chichen Viejo when he “discovered” it around 1900 CE. He thought it was older, “more Maya” than the main archaeological zone though he was wrong on that point. Despite that, the “Chichen Viejo” name stuck.

Having said that, it is more than possible that CULTURA is calling the Initial Series Group “Chichen Viejo” because “Initial Series Group/Grupo de la Serie Inicial” doesn’t roll off the tongue. Having noted those points, readers might start to realize that there’s a bit of confusion in various internet reports over what “Chichen Viejo” is, due to all the various usages of the term “Chichen Viejo”.

* * * * *-* *

Plataforma de La Tortuga

Foto Credit: Giovanni Agostino Frasetto

For historical context, the Palace of Stuccos proves that the Chichen Viejo complex was completed during the “Lowland” Yucatec Maya’s Late Classic Period (600 CE – 800 CE). For regional context of that time, Chichen Viejo traded with the cities of T’ho (Merida – not quite yet with it’s 5 big pyramids), Cobá, Dzibilchaltun, an earlier version of Uxmal (as today’s Uxmal buildings sit on top of those older Late Classic Period buildings) …

The night watchman over Chichen Viejo offers his own personal fun insights, saying:

“This Palace of the Phalluses, and other constructions in the area, keep secrets of the Mayans and their sacred cult of fertilization and nature.“

“It is a place out of the ordinary, it transports you to another dimension due to the beauty of its architecture and the way in which the buildings are linked with the trees,” say Keb, who has worked as a “custodian” guard for INAH for the last 23 years.

“You can’t even imagine all the astral movements I’ve seen,”


Templo de Stuccos:

Chichen Viejo also includes the Casa de los Caracoles and the Temple of the Owls. The Temple of the Owls has distinctive sculptures of owls with outstretched wings alternating with human figures carrying long beaks and instruments of self-sacrifice. As you walk through the newly opened area, you’ll find the Gallery of the Monkeys, with superb reliefs and 16 carved panels, six of which represent great lords, Mayan priests or other members of the elite.


Templo de Buhos (Temple of the Owls).
The interior of this small temple includes painted panels and Chaac masks, as well as a large owl figure that has been restored.

“The decorative elements of the region’s fauna, such as monkeys, owls, snails and turtles, confirm that the environment was also sacred to that pre-Hispanic culture,”
Efe José Antonio Keb, an heir to the Mayan culture, proudly asserts..

In a related story, INAH also announced the discovery of a beautiful little sculpture of Maya warrior
wearing a snake’s head helmet … found in the rubble at the base of the Temple of the Owls (aka “Maudslay Temple 6”)… in Nov. 2023 …

Specifically, the sculpture was found as found as part of the construction fill on the east side of the basement of the “Maudslay Temple” 6 (Structure 3C11), also known as the “Temple of the Owls”, part of Chichen Itza’s “Casa Colorada” complex in “Chichén Viejo” … far far from the Tren Maya excavations …

https://www.inah.gob.mx/boletines/en-chichen-itza-yucatan-emerge-el-rostro-esculpido-de-un-guerrero

and
Here’s view from a different angle, showing a few more details:

Temple of the Dancing Jaguars:

Is THIS your next excursion ??

Finally, additional details have just been reported about the Chichen Viejo site being opened only “gradually” … For people wanting to visit Chichen Viejo, please realize that the current plan is to allow pre-approved, pre-arranged groups of 60 individuals – ” to maintain better control” …

The 60 person groups appear to likely be arranged through online applications(?) ..

We’ll report more details as we get them.

= = = =
Readers can get a small sense of one side (one aspect) of one of the grand old men of Maya Archeology from this video – See a younger Dr. Schmid at 3 minutes 10 seconds in with some Maya carved reliefs that most turistas never see … Then around th 4 minute mark, Dr. Schmid, shows his gentle humble nature as he acts as the fine proffesional he was … a younger professional Dr. Schmid, that stands in contrast with the clever, funny, sometimes devious-yet-delightful old Peter Schmid.

and yes, Peter had the most twinky-eyes, peering out through bushy-brows, as he leaned-in with pure devilment in his sights … as he LOVED intellectual duals with sharp collegues … as he’d reveal flashes of the still-bright steel of his delightful intellect … as he’d pose questions that he knew the answers-to … laying traps for the unsuspecting … especially if those unsuspecting opponents were even a bit arrogant. 🤣

So, I am so grateful & appreciative for a wonderful day of camaraderie with Sid & Peter … jousting … toasting … and reminiscing about old-times in the ’70’s, ’80’s, 90’s, and naughties …

Here’s a video of my friend, Peter.

• 
  Cheers,
  Dr. Steven M. Fry
  
  
  
  * * * * * * *
  Feel free to copy any of our materials, yet please also give appropriate credit, by citing Yucalandia.com.

Read On … MacDuff !

Do you enjoy shifting your perspectives?

Consider how the maps of Merida have changed over time.

How many readers have believed the many past supposed “old” maps of Merida that show Merida’s Plaza Grande (aka “Plaza Principal” or “Zocalo”) as being bordered by “Calle 60”, “Calle 62” and “Calle 61” & “Calle 63” ?

I never bought that … because when Merida Centro was laid out in 1542, it’s clear the founders never imagined a big 30 block by 30 block Centro region … which always made the so called “old” maps of Merida, with their “Calle 60”, “Calle 62” and “Calle 61” & “Calle 63” bounding the center of Merida seem more than a bit specious to me.

In a fun find this morning, I finally encountered an official “Plano Grafico de la Ciudad de Merida” (1864) … that has the earlier ACTUAL names of the streets of Merida.

The smaller map shown below is a closeup of an official 1864 map of the center of Merida.

One thing that jumps out right away is that the so-called “Plaza Grande” is actually named “Plaza de Armas” on this map.

The next fun things that pop-out are the street names around the center of Merida … Starting from North to South … (top to bottom)

~ Calle Central … North side of the Plaza de Armas (“Plaza Grande”)

~ Calle 1A Sur … South side of the Plaza de Armas

~ Calle 2A Sur … The 2’nd street south of the Plaza de Armas

~ Calle 3A Sur … The 2’nd street south of the Plaza de Armas

~ Calle 4A Sur … The 2’nd street south of the Plaza de Armas

= = = =

Notice how the whole Calle Par (even) & Calle Impar (odd) street naming system is a quite ~MODERN~, quite recent imposition of street names … along with the whole MODERN “Calle 60”, “Calle 62” and “Calle 61” & “Calle 63” naming convention of the streets around Merida Centro …

= = = =

Then notice the fun street names going out East and West of the Plaza de Armas (“Plaza Grande”):

Naming them from West to East (right to left)

~ Calle 5A Poniente … aka “Calle 70” today

~ Calle 4A Poniente … aka “Calle 68” today

~ Calle 3A Poniente … aka “Calle 66” today

~ Calle 2A Poniente … aka “Calle 64” today

~ Calle 1A Poniente … aka “Calle 62” today

… Plaza de Armas … aka “Plaza Grande” today …

~ CALLE DEL PROGRESO … “Calle 60” today

~ Calle 1A Oriente … aka “Calle 58” today

~ Calle 2A Oriente … aka “Calle 56” today

~ Calle 3A Oriente … aka “Calle 54” today

and so on, and so on.

= = = =

Then … Notice the big curious FORT … “Ciudadela de San Benito” that was smack dab where we experience the supposed “old market” of todays “Mercado Lucas de Galvez ” … and today’s supposed “new Mercado San Benito” …

For more details on Merida Centro’s fort, check out the 1788 Plano-map (below) of the “Ciudadela de San Benito” fort … that was built next to the 1537 Convento de San Francisco – that had been built on Merida Centro’s “cerro de San Benito” … “San Benito Hill”.

= = = =

Finally, to get an even more full picture of Merida in the 1860’s … Imagine 9 big Arcos (Arches) at that time … (1864-1865)**

2 in the West: “Arco El Caído” (C61 y C70) & “Arco de Nuestra Señora de La Concepción Truncado” also called “Arco Xcul” (C63 y C70).

Then … 2 in the East: “Arco de Dragones” (C61 y C50) & “Arco del Puente” (C63 y C50).

Arco de Dragones is seen here:

Then … 1 in the North … “Arco de San José” (C53 y C62).

2 in the South … “Arco de San Juan” (C64 y C69-A) & “Arco de San Cristobal” (C62 y C69-A).

Arco de San Juan is seen here:

and finally, one close to the Cathedral, “Arco del Semina Rio” (C53 y C58)

This information is courtesy of Arquilogo D. Luis Millet Camara

= = = =
Here’s a somewhat crude but fun image of the locations 9 Arcos of Merida in 1864

Courtesy of YucatanAncestral.com … See more here:
https://yucatanancestral.com/xcul-arco-merida-yucatan/?fbclid=IwAR3pyOYG2Vq4H1U05SQWTfZX-AFeABt-9EDFGkVkD9ZMeWV0MAGNi_hSstw

**Note that Arcos have come & gone since 1560, with a peak of 13(?) arches, that included many TRIUMPHAL arches that no longer exist …

and yes, we plan to publish more details in the future.

Cheers,
Dr. Steven M. Fry

• 
  
  * * * * * * *
  Feel free to copy any of our materials, yet please also give appropriate credit, by citing Yucalandia.com.

Read On … MacDuff !

Do you enjoy shifting your perspectives?

I LOVE how this overhead image of El Observatorio – “El Caracol” at Chichen Itza … shows how crazy-inconsistent the Maya mis-aligned the building’s stairs …

~ Shows how crazy-inconsistent the Maya mis-aligned the building’s two different platforms … 🤣

~ Shows how crazy-inconsistent the Maya mis-aligned the building’s stairs … 🥰

~ Shows how crazy-inconsistent the Maya mis-aligned the window openings (aperatures) in the building’s wall … 🤣

= = = =

When we draw lines extending to the Eastern horizon from all those crazy-inconsistent, NOT SQUARE … NOT PARALLEL … intentionally inconsistent features …

we find that ~every single one~ of the seeming inconsistent sight-lines … has a celestial and time-keeping function.

The two different platforms’ weird cockeyed E-W sightlines point to the extreme points of the key movements of the Sun’s annual movements from North to South on our eastern horizon – tracking the Equinoxes & the Solstices.

The northernmost & southernmost rising points of the 5 visible planets (including Venus) on our Eastern horizon are built into the sight lines of the peculiarly placed windows (aperatures) in the tower…

= = = =

Even the northernmost & southernmost rising points of the Moon, are also built into those peculiar E-W sight-lines, built into the building, walls, platform & stairs peculiar alignments …

Those special extremes of the Moon’s rising points are only seen once every 18.5 years … so MOST humans never even notice these special lunar events … because they only happen about 3 times during a human life. 😉

= = = =

While most tourists put their focus on “El Castillo”

(that pitifully tracks just one simple thing … the Spring Equinox)

~ Instead, El Observatorio is a wonderfully inconsistent, assymetrical strange structure ! … that tracks so many more things than El Castillo ~

Which makes it my favorite feature in all of Chichen … 😉

• 
  
  * * * * * * *
  Feel free to copy any of our materials, yet please also give appropriate credit, by citing Yucalandia.com.

Read On … MacDuff !

Aug. 23, 2023:
A good issue was just raised in one of the smaller local expat FaceBook forums about how to safely make a left turn, when on a rural highway in Mexico.

Sadly, foreigners reported innocently, yet-proven-guilty**, getting into accidents on rural highways by putting on their left turn signal, and then starting to turn left (just like in the USA & Canada)
~ only to be crashed-into by a driver trying to pass them from behind ~ .

Many foreigners comments expressed shock, horror … or disdain for Mexican drivers …

Yet, it’s important to know that the written Law in many Mexican states require a driver on a 2-lane (libre) rural highway to pull all the way off to the RIGHT … pause … WAIT for all traffic to clear … and then make their left-hand turn. … The purpose of this is to KEEP TRAFFIC flowing on rural highways, and to PREVENT wicked T-Bone accidents.

Why pull over way-off to the right … when making a left turn on a rural highway?

When a US or Canadian driver stops (dead) on rural 2 lane Mexican highway, waiting to make their left, traffic backs up behind the stopped driver. … Plus, driving conventions across Mexico say, drivers who want the trailing car to pass, PUT ON THEIR LEFT TURN SIGNAL as a message that the oncoming lane is empty, and it’s safe for the trailing car to pass.

A few foreigners on the local FB forums have complained that it might not be the law in your individual state, yet big Mexican OTR semi-trucks on the libres highways (two lane roads) will signal with their left turn signal, to let the vehicle following that the left lane is free to overtake-pass …

– and those big truck drivers bring their customs with them to Yucatan, Q. Roo., Campeche & Tabasco.

**And yes, the left-turning driver is cited by the police & insurance companies as the guilty – responsible party.

IOW… regardless of the State law … across Mexico, under no circumstances should you ever thoughtlessly turn left on busy stretches of 2 lane rural highways, when you have other cars following behind you. … Instead, pull to the right and let all vehicles pass from both directions … then, when both lanes are devoid of any traffic, cars, trucks, passenger buses, motorcycles, natives on bicycles … THEN make your left turn.

Here’s our latest Yucatan Ley de Transito for curious people to read, to find out for themselves. 😉

https://www.yucatan.gob.mx/docs/pdf/Reglamento_vialidad.pdf

• 
  
  * * * * * * *
  Feel free to copy any of our materials, yet please also give appropriate credit, by citing Yucalandia.com.

Read On … MacDuff !

The Piedra de Tízoc, a stunning piece in Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, was found in 1790 under the Plaza de Constitución.

This big piece, 93 cm tall, 2.65 meters diameter, and circumference of 8.31 meters, announces the power of the Aztec-Mexica people. Overall, it’s a representation of the “order of the cosmos” that the Aztec-Mexica people brought to Central Mexico – similar to the “order” that Rome “brought” to the Mediterranean world.

The side of the wheel is covered in rich relief carvings that depict 14 Aztec warriors taking captive the gods of other conquered civilizations, which explains some of the repeated elements in the stunning relief-carved frieze.*

The glyphs describe the names of the various cities-civilizations conquored by the Aztecs, so the Stone of Tízoc represents the Aztec domination of central Mexico, glorifying the order that their Empire brought to the cosmos.

Overall, the stone is thought to represent the Aztec Empire’s cosmos, as the top surface has an 8 pointed sun-disk. Each of the 8 rays represents the four cardinal & inter-cardinal directions. Next, the upper edge of the outer ring has a band of stars representing the heavens, while the lower edge has a double row of pointed vertical blades which represent the earth. This lower band also has four masks depicting the Aztec earth deity, each placed at one of the four cardinal points.

*The warriors, all face to the right, therefore, moving counter-clockwise around the stone, are grasping the gods by their hair, represent capture & submission in meso-American art.

The stone also depicts the Aztec God Tízoc with a large headdress, along with the Aztec gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca, in their full ceremonial regalia.

This stunning piece resides in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.


Is it time to travel ???


* * * * * * *
Feel free to copy or cite or reference, by citing Yucalandia.com

Read-on, MacDuff …

Tren Maya Information:

There are lots of recent comments & posts popping up on various expat FB groups here, inquiring about the details of next year’s upcoming Tren Maya services for Yucatan, Q. Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas & Oaxaca … but the information offered is scattered-though & buried-in so many comments & replies, that it’s difficult to suss it all our, or to even ken a little bit of it.

Here’s a summary of what’s currently known:

There will be 5 different types-levels of train services under the Tren Maya program umbrella.

The highest profile Tren Maya trenes are called “P’atal” … Express trains for “tourists” that run fast (100 mph) … have reclining seat options, dining cars, and sometimes even some sleeper cars for the longer stretches … Yet the P’atal trenes will only be stopping at the major “Estaciónes” – stations … AND there will be only limited numbers of these fast, luxurious, express P’atal trains every day.

The next level of Tren Maya trains are slower trains called “Xiinbal” of “Servicios de pasajeros” trens with lots of local smaller stops (“Paraderos”) for local people to get from point A to point B.

Next … There’s a slightly-more luxurious yet-still-slow trains called “Janal” that have high-levels of services, a coffee shop on board, but with slower speeds and lots of stops at Paraderos and Estaciónes …

Then … There’s Merida’s internal loop of trams, called “IETRAM” or “IeTram”, of smaller electric trains (trams) transporting passengers from stations (Estaciónes) out on the main Tren Maya line running south of Merida, shuttling passengers in and out from downtown Merida’s “La Plancha” station (Calle 47 & Calle 50) out to the eastern Hacienda Teya mainline station & western mainline station outside of Uman.

= = = =

Continuing on: There will also be yet another whole different group of trains, running on the second set-pair of rails along the Tren Maya routes, are called “Trenes de cargas” … Freight trains that are scheduled to start in Sept. 2024 … efficiently carrying cargo from Oaxaca to Merida & Cancun …

So, hopefully, these descriptions of the 5 kinds of trains that will be running along the Tren Maya system helps lift a little of the current confusion … along with this fun map of all the small stops (Paraderos) and the main stations (Estaciónes).

The Rest of the Story:
And yes … The Tren Maya program of 5 different kinds of trains doesn’t formally enter Oaxaca … yet, when we consider the Tren Maya’s freight train system, the Tren Maya system really does have direct rail links to Oaxaca …

The key is to look at the overall Mex Gob. Tren developments.

Remember the Tren Maya link under construction to the big important Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec (FIT) terminal over on the Gulf of Mexico.

I hope this map is helpful, for people who don’t know Mexican geography … and those who don’t know the current Mex. Federal Gob. Tren projects under construction

Foto courtesy of El Financero*


* * * * * * *
This Tren Maya rail connection over to Oaxaca is SUPER important, because the Panama Canal has been FAILING.

The recent years of Global Warming & Global Climate Change have mostly killed-off the rainfall in the Panama highlands, meaning almost NO WATER to operate the Panama Canal …

Panama has scrambled to try to pump massive amounts of water up to those high locks in the mountains of Panama … but it’s been a huge money-losing struggle.

IOW … Mexico’s big new … ” Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec (FIT) ” route to efficiently & cheaply transport massive amounts of good & freight from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico … appears to replace the Panama Canal in the future.

With all that massive amounts of the world’s ocean freight-cargo traffic moving through the upcoming Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec (FIT) rail system … the Tren Maya’s connection to the FIT system has the potential to drive really positive, beneficial economic growth for our poor Southeast Region of Mexico

… aka big future help for the poor people of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche & Yucatan`.

= = = =
and yes, I suspect all the nay-sayers, grumps & critics are unaware-of, or are ignoring this huge part of the plans. ???

Cheers! … Steven Fry

Sources:
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tren_Maya
Mexican national news broadcasts on Canal 14
and
* https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/nacional/2023/05/23/ferrocarril-del-istmo-de-tehuantepec-cuales-seran-sus-rutas-y-estaciones/#:~:text=El%20Ferrocarril%20del%20Istmo%20de,Guatemala%20y%20el%20Tren%20Maya.

Feel free to copy or cite or reference, by citing Yucalandia.com

Read-on, MacDuff …

May 22, 2023:
A very small study** from Zambia just found that “high attractiveness (to Malaria mosquitoes) is associated with whole body odor profiles from humans with increased relative abundances of the volatile carboxylic acids butyric acid, isobutryic acid, and isovaleric acid, and the skin microbe-generated methyl ketone acetoin.”

” Conversely, those least preferred had whole body odor that was depleted of carboxylic acids among other compounds and enriched with the monoterpenoid eucalyptol. “

The study found that the mosquitoes were particularly attuned to the oily secretions that hydrate skin and protect it from microbes, inlcuding chemical compounds called carboxylic acids that are produced by microbes in our eccrine glands. Eccrine glands are the microbe-rich, particularly stinky glands that make our feet stink, butt stick, and pit stink.

**Out of the just 7 people in the study, just one individual in the new study was relatively unappealing. That person’s personal signature scent included an unusually low amount of carboxylic acids, along with high levels of eucalyptols. Because eucalyptols are found in many plants, it raises the possibility that diet can play a role,

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00532-8

Other past studies have shown that pregnant women are more likely to attract mosquitoes. … Drinking alcohol attracts mosquitoes. … Using certain kinds of soap, even ones that leave behind a smell dominated by a chemical known to repel mosquitoes, paradoxically increase people’s attractiveness to mosquitoes.

“What really matters to the mosquito is not the most abundant type of chemical, it’s really those chemical interactions and relative abundances,” said Clément Vinauger, an assistant professor of biochemistry at Virginia Tech. He recently tested four commonly used soaps and found that three increased humans’ attractiveness to Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, while one — Native coconut and vanilla body wash — seemed to decrease it, probably because mosquitoes don’t like coconut oil.”

Scientific Context:
In practical terms. we each have some unique odors coming from our personal mix of different microbes (bacteria) living in our eccrine glands.

Our eccrine glands are glands in our skin, that produce the unique odors of our feet, in the crack above our butts, behind our ears, in our armpits, and in our groin area. … Example: Notice how the people whose feet stink like European speciatly cheeses, have the same bacteria in their eccrine glands that are used to make the stinky cheeses. 😉

Because carboxylic acids have been proven by 2 studies to play such big roles, then neutralizing the acids, and changing our mix of bacteria in our eccrine glands can (at least temporarily) can change some people’s distinctive personal odors that attract mosquitoes.

IOW … Selectively apply a small amount of baking soda (wetted with a little water) to your stinky spots, to not only neutralize the mosquito attracting carboxylic acids, but to also change our bacterial mix in our eccrine glands. 🙂

Unless you re-seed your eccrine glands with a beneficial mix of microbes whose waste products do not attract mosquitoes, you may have to re-apply the tiny amounts of baking soda every 3 – 5 days, depending on how sweaty you are.

= = = =
Finally, YES … Carbon dioxide CO2 wafting downwind in plumes from our breath does play a significan role in attracting mosquitoes at longer distances, and heat sources also play a role as the mosquitoes get close to us (sensing our hot skin), yet it took ALL 3 components (CO2, heat source and body stink) to attract mosquitoes.

Cheers.
Dr. Steven M. Fry

Read-on, MacDuff …



Read On … MacDuff !

May 20, 2023:
There are many basic things about Mexican home construction, Mexicab home design, & home maintenance that don’t seem to be documented on the Internet. This article serves as a repository for some of the answers to these issues, that I keep rewriting on expat forums over the years.

ARTICLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION:

Re How to Stop Algae from Growing in Your Tinaco & Roof Top PVC Pipes,
(especially when you have untreated well water).

One reader opined:
“Put a pool puck in your tinaco.“

Our thoughts on this:
Realize that the pool or spa tablets can work VERY WELL to release free chlorine, WITH RESERVATIONS – EXCEPTIONS – CAUTIONS:

~ Do NOT just put pool pucks straight into the tinaco – because they dissolve WAY TOO FAST releaseing way too much free chlorine too quickly … Notice how we put just 1 or 2 pool pucks into a SLOW RELEASE floater, to dissolve only very slowly, one puck treating a WHOLE swimming pool.

~ Next, notice that even using the floaters that heavily limit the amount of water flowing past the pool puck – the resulting swimming pool free chlorine concentrations ARE MUCH-MUCH HIGHER than you want continuously in your tinaco & plumbing.

~ The much higher swimming pool free chlorine concentrations from uncontrolled pool pucks damages the metal parts in our faucets, showers & plumbing… plus the extra high chlorine levels chew up the rubber seals in toilets, faucets etc.

~ Notice that pool puck are chemically quite simple … with solid chlorine salts that dissolve to release (disinfecting) free chlorine, along with Cyanuric Acid. The Cyanuric Acid is added to pool pucks to absorb the UV light from sunlight, that destroys free chlorine … (note that there is no Cyanuric Acid in swimming pool chlorine powders).

So … If you must use chlorine pucks … get the SMALL ONES designed for spas & tinacos … and USE A very small FLOATING chlorine dispenser, with only 1 quite-small slot open. 

and finally … Don’t drink much of the pool puck water treated water – because the Cyanuric Acid is a little hard on our kidneys.

Cheers,

Dr. Steven M. Fry

Ph.D. in Chemistry, Environmental & Public Health, and Laboratory Measurement Science

Another local poster opined:
“Just one note, if one has a water softener, one must not add chlorine nor pool pucks because those damage (shorten the life) of the softener’s resin (that’s what the guy said).“

Notice that if your water softener guy was correct, then all of the water softners with resin, across America & Canda would be failing … due to all US & Canadian water districts chlorinating their water., with guaranteed residual-disinfecting levels of free chlorine in USA-Canada tap-water, as it exits or kitchen sink faucets. 

Then consider how (above) I wrote about the normal big pool pucks release way too much free chlorine for use inside a tinaco.

Unfortunately, the local “water softener guy” appears to not know about the special VERY SMALL floater-dispensers, that only hold the VERY SMALL spa-tinacao chloro tablets …

and he doesn’t seem to know about how you can adjust that VERY SMALL spa floating chloro dispenser, to have just one tiny slot open. 😉

And yes … He may have designed your system a bit poorly to not anticipate the algae plugging up the water softener’s resin … because well water is almost guaranteed to frequently introduce so much algae into the tinacks here …

Does he have really high quality sediment and algae filters and carbon filters installed before the water softener system – because a good set of filters, with a final GAC (Granular Activated Carbon) filter as the last step for polishing the water REMOVES ALL THE CHLORINE …

So, if your special water system was designed properly, there would be no free chlorine reaching your water softener resin …

= = = =

On to the NEXT issue of … Algae Crud Blocking-Plugging up Valves & Aerators in Mexican Homes:

What’s this??
(a local gringo asked)

It’s a blue green algae ..

Blue green algae spores are floating around all the time here in Yucatan, Tabasco, and Q. Roo.

Unless you maintain reasonable free chlorine levels in your tinaco & pipes … it will return.

If you have PVC tubes on the roof, exposed to the sun, the algae grows into quite hard chunks – and slowly clogs the pipes … and as time goes by, bits – chunks of that roof-top algae garden inside the pipe … break off … and plug up toilet fill valves, and plug up shower mix valves, and other things that can be difficult to clean or replace.

Once the algae is established (as proven by you finding it coming out your faucet), then just running water through the system does basically nothing to stop or clear it.

In our experience, you can hit the water system really hard with heavy chlorine …. and then let that strong chlorine sit in the pipes for an hour … and then apply a pressure washer to a low point in the system … to force gradually increasing pressurized water backwards through the system … opening a port in the plumbing on the roof, for all the accumulated algae to spurt out.

Then, after back-flushing/pressure-washing out the plumbing lines from different key points, then heavily re-chlorinate the system another time …. and then open the taps in bathrooms & kitchen, to flush out the remaining small bits of hard algae residues.

Basically … one has to treat well water about 1 time a week with a ½ cup of bleach per tinaco … to maintain enough chloro in the pipes, to stop new algae growth, as algae spores keep blowing in…

Welcome to Mexico.

Read On … MacDuff !

Jan. 26, 2023:
As of this week, the USA has a new dominant mutant COVID substrain called Omicron XBB.1.5 … yet another highly contagious strain out of South Africa.

In further COVID news: The CDC just announced that the “bi-valent” vaccines are only just a little over 33% effective against the new dominant substrain of COVID: Omicron XBB.1.5 for people over age 65.

“Based on data collected from Dec. 1 to Jan. 13, researchers found that the updated boosters cut the risk of symptomatic infection by about half for most adults, and by more than one-third for people 65 and older.”

Big Pharma’s e m-RNA booster’s &vaccines’ low levels of protection fits with earlier lab study results that had raised concerns that the bivalent m-RNA vaccines produced lower levels of virus-fighting antibodies against the XBB-related subvariants.

Since even the latest “bivalent” boosters provide only nominal protection (just 33% – 50%), and because prior COVID infections are providing insubstantial protection from the latest mutant-COVID strains, it means that people concerned about long-COVID harm and serious COVID hospitalizations & COVID deaths need to continue to wear tight-fitting N95 quality masks or use 8 ft of social distancing around strangers, especially when indoors.**

https://www.nicd.ac.za/covid-19-update-xbb-1-5-variant/?fbclid=IwAR3uHfVOg9x-HWrS-C3_nur8Sh4WtNgk6XoPGe8JILXSBK9Y1_ITaw-9p6w

From the Washington Post:
“New Variant XBB.1.5 is ‘Most Transmissible’ Yet, Could Fuel Covid Wave “
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2023/01/08/new-covid-variant-xbb15/

= = = =

**How effective is the bivalent booster against severe outcomes from XBB.1.5?

Because the Omicron XBB.1.5 mutant subvariant is so much better at evading immunity (evading the vaccines), that even after over 5 months data there are NO DATA that show that the updated boosters protect against severe disease, hospitalization and death.

Since the XBB.1.5 subvariant moved into our populations AFTER people were vaccinated with the “bi-valent” m-RNA vaccines, then IF the new vaccines provided protection against severe COVID disease, hospitalization and death, then we should have seen evidence of even a little protection by now – 5 months later.

Because the vaccines & prior COVID infections have shown NO PROTECTION so far, it is proof that the latest mutant COVID substrains have mutated so much in the last 9 months since Big Pharma Pfizer & Moderna designed the current “bivalent” boosters, those boosters basically do not work well ~ providing only minor 33% effective protection ~ practical people need to take additional precautions.

IOW … Because the m-RNA “bi-valent” vaccines are NOT providing substantial protection from the current dominant COVID mutant substrains for people over age 65 … and just 50% protection for others …

… readers should continue to mask-up with N95 grade masks and use 8 ft of Social Distancing around strangers w/o masks, especially indoors.

FORTUNATELY … Yucatan’s COVID CASES ARE AT RELATIVELY LOW LEVELS (less than 400) THIS PAST 3 WEEKS …

* * * * * * *
Also note that over 200 COVID strains, substrains & variants have been catalogued so far,

The m-RNA Trap:
Sadly the m-RNA vaccines & boosters have the tiny-est viral payloads of any prior vaccines. … Over 200 varieties of COVID viruses point to the folly of trying to rely on vaccines … because each m-RNA vaccine can only target a few subvariants … because m-RNA vaccines have only a TINY VIRAL PAYLOAD ….

Remember that the whiz-bang m-RNA vaccines offer literally just a kiddie-sand-box pail sized payload of viral payload

… when the job actually requires a Terex Titan sized vaccine payload, to include all the current circulating variants & subvariants … meaning the m-RNA vaccines are doomed to providing only minimal- incomplete protection from all the new COVID substrains that will continue to appear:

Attentive readers may have already realized that is is yet another basic-yet-essential fact about m-RNA vaccines & boosters that neither Big Pharma, nor Biden, nor government bureaucrats like Faucci & Wallensky all neglected to report, even though some top scientists reported this, and predicted the built-in problems & likely failures from choosing to use m-RNA as the vehicle for vaccines.

For these exact reasons, (tiny viral payloads and too narrow a selection of SARS protein segments), some scientists, including top virologists, chose to also get vaccinated with broader-spectrum vaccines using the WHOLE SARS-CoV-2 virus, like Sinovac.

And yes, these facts were known & reported in March, 2020 through Dec. 2020, and again in 2021, and again in 2022, even though Faucci, Wallensky, Biden et al said nothing about these troubling realities:


How to Keep Yourself Safe from COVID-19 ~ SARS-CoV-2

BEAT COVID NOW with Proven Solutions … aka COVID Keeps Spreading Because We Are Still Doing the Wrong Things

Proofs of Why COVID Vaccinated People Still Need to Keep Wearing Masks & Socially Distancing

COVID Cases Spiking: Vaccines & Boosters ~ Prior COVID Infections Give Almost NO Protection from Hospitalization from the USA’s New COVID BA.5 Variant

COVID Updates on Vaccination, Boosting, Long COVID for Even Mild Cases, and Best COVID Treatments

COVID Cases Spiking: Vaccines & Boosters ~ Prior COVID Infections Give Almost NO Protection from Hospitalization from the USA’s New COVID BA.5 Variant

New COVID Wave Underway in Yucatan … Along with 2 New COVID Subvariants Spreading in the USA and a New Mutant Omicron BW.1 Subvariant Spreading in the Yucatan

COVID Vaccines Continue to Fail Against Yet More New Mutant COVID Omicron Subvariants

Previous COVID infections supposedly giving protections from Omicron exposed as a myth – anti-vaxxers hoax:

Finally, it has become clear that having a prior COVID infection IS NOT GIVING PROTECTION from Omicron infections, as people who recently had Delta infections ARE GETTING OMICRON infections, too many with NASTY lung thrombosis, hospitalized due to coughing up blood … along with other Omicron patients getting nasty brain, liver, & kidney thrombosis => which are PRIMARY CAUSES of COVID deaths.

So … The whole set of some people’s claims that somehow “COVID ~magically~ might not kill people“, continues to be exposed as a big anti-vaxxer’s, anti-COVID hoax … along with unvaccinated people being the vast majorities of serious injury, hospitalizations and deaths.

Keep wearing tight-fitting medical grade masks & Socially Distancing by 8 ft when masks are off for eating & drinking indoors.

Stay informed … Stay healthy … Stay safe …

Dr. Steven M. Fry
Ph.D. in Chemistry, Public Health, & Laboratory Measurement Science.

Read-on, MacDuff …



Read On … MacDuff !

A recent post by a foreigner here reported that they were *shocked* to find that their tinaco was secretly overflowing into their pool’s disposal well – wasting 1,000’s of gallons of treated water … and she commented:

“…how were we to know? “

In the domain of pinned posts, here’s another suggestion for a post of some things essential to good living in Mexico. 😉

Living in Mexico is different from the USA or Canada. There are a number of pretty essential tasks that sharp homeowners do here, that never cross the mind of a Canadian or USA-nian homeowner.

Check your tincaco at least 4 times a year (or 6 times a year) to make sure :

~ The lid is on securely.

~ There are no frogs, or roots, or crud growing inside your tinaco.

~ That there are no leaks.

~ That there are no dead birds in the tank.

~ Consider treating the water in your tinaco with ¼ cup of bleach 4 times a year … to disinfect your home’s plumbing.

The last big study found that 25% of Merida homes had bacteriological (fecal coliformes) contamination inside their home”s plumbing … meanwhile 97% of Merida homes tested HAD CLEAN WATER AT THE METER.

= = = =

While you are up on the roof checking the tinaco:

~ Make sure there are no puddles of standing water on your roof.

~ Briefly examine the condition of the impermibilizante – that it is not lifting away from the roof, with leaks, or with water trapped underneath it (slowly wrecking the concrete underneath the impermbilizante).

~ Do a simple examination of the electrical connections to look for junction boxes missing their covers, or exposed electrical connections with their tape baking in the sun.

~ Also take a look at your solar panels(?) and air conditioners to see if they need maintenance or cleaning

~ BE SURE there are no accumulations of leaves or other debris that’s holding water, esp in the corners of the roof.

= = = =

It’s a decent idea to take a peek at your water meter about once a month, to see if you have any hidden leaks … running toilets (leaking at the flush valve in the bottom of the tank – or toilets with bad float valves overflowing water inside the toilet tank) … or for leaks under floors, or inside walls…. If no water is turned on in your home, the meter’s wheel should not be spinning. 😉

= = = =

Every 2 months, review your CFE kWh of electrical usage to see if it makes sense (esp looking at the back of the bill).

Do the calculations to determine if the kWh used makes sense with your daily-weekly use of air conditioners, water purifiers (UV lamp energy pigs) … (pointlessly?) running wasteful ceiling fans 24-7 … pool pumps running more than 1 – 2 hrs a day … irrigation or well pumps running …

If you don’t know how to do those energy kWh usage, then hire a professional home energy auditor to do the job…

= = = =

and also, check your property outside for anything that holds 1 tbsp of water for 7 days … to eliminate standing water that breeds the Dengue-Chikungunya mosquitoes that love clean standing water … treat fountains, flower pot bases, etc with anti-larval pellets.

= = = =

Run a botttle of a good fuel system cleaner (like Chevron Techron) every 4 – 5 tankfuls of gasoline, because the gasoline across Mexico is such poor quality – and your fuel tank, fuel pump, and injectors get so crapped up by poor quality Mexican gasoline.

= = = =

Here’s an Editor’s Addition (after the fact):

Check electronics, and electrical devices, and digital circuit boards, and electrical wiring, and electrical contacts on the pressure sensor switches for hidropneumaticos for … ants.

One species of ants LOVES the toasty warmth of a circuit board that’s always ON, like the control board on an airconditioner … except THIS species of little ants include some nasty blackish-brown goo in their nest constructions – and when they make enough of the black gooy gunk across components on the board, it conducts electricity between components and fries them.

Yet a DIFFERENT species of ants here love the taste of the plastic covering on electric wires, turning the protective covering on electric wires into Swiss cheese, inside our homes electrical outlets and electrical conduit-tubes (which they use as super-highways) … and once they have turned the protective coating on our electrical wires to Swiss cheese, the wires corrode & short out if a homeowner or electrician pull out an outlet – causing wires to touch…

and Yet a THIRD species of ants here LOVES SPARKS … as this variety of Yucatecan ants is attracted to metal electrical contact points that open & close (to turn on & off a pump) … so this species of ants strangely is attracted to the sparking that happens with every opening and closing of the metal points (aka contacts) – and the little bugger climb between the points – and get FRIED … burning their little bodies into charred black goo in the sparks & 10A currents … coating the points with burnt black goo charred offering to their God … ???

In all 3 cases, the organic pesticide H24 white powder BANISHES THEM … as you liberally sprinkle insecticide powder onto the wires & onto all entrance-exit points-paths … aka Better Living Through Chemistry. … and yes, the organic ant powder lasts for years … and NO… DO NOT USE BORIC ACID for this (esp as a conductor of electricity) … Dr. Fry * Chemistry Professor …

= = = =

For Comparison:
Centro Architects posted this helpful chart on FaceBook for public use, of their version

Cheers!

Happy Trails

Read On … MacDuff !