November 20, 2019
… It’s not even Thanksgiving, yet.
😉
~ Our Yucatan sidewalks ~ … ??
In need of shoveling … 😉
and
There are other reasons to visit here …
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff.
November 20, 2019
The issue of drinking water quality keeps coming up over & over on Expat web-boards, webpages, and Expat FB pages, for at least the past 14 years.
The common ~lurid rumor~ that many newbies propose is that our Merida City tap-water is somehow ~magically~ “bad” …
Fortunately, the opposite is true. … Merida City tap water consistently tests clean roughly 97% of the time, when tested before the water enters the home. … Sadly, so many Merida homes have contamination in their tinacos** and cisterns** that just 75% of Merida homes test clean at the kitchen sink tap. * (See below for instructions on inspecting your home water system quality.)
Continuing… Why is Merida tap water so clean, but SO HARD??
Our Merida City Water (JAPAY) comes from 130 ft deep wells … and it’s from 10 million years ago. … Were there pesticides & herbicides 10 million years ago?
Since there is 100 feet of limestone between modern surface water and our 130 ft deep Merida City drinking water wells, there really is no practical way (route) for surface contamination to get down 130 ft to our drinking water supply. … Merida is not New Orleans whose Mississippi River contains the effluents & sewage & feed-lot & farm run-off from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians… like in the USA & Canada (tar sands & fracking) …
USA water??
Not Merida … 😉
Fortunately, here in Merida … We have no tar-sands oil… We have no fracking .. We have no Mega-hog farms or Mega-chicken farms … No big chemical plants nor refineries … and there’s NOBODY “upstream” from our drinking water …
=> Remember … USA-nians are justified to fear the over 5,000 USA water districts** who have been failing US EPA standards for years … But those fears simply do not fit Merida. … Seriously … It’s US drinking water that people should fear.
**https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-05/documents/nejac_white_paper_water-final-3-1-19.pdf
Again … 40 years of Scientific Testing show … It’s USA water we should fear … That’s the USA … Think Michigan .. New Jersey .. Texas … Louisiana … Chicago .. Pittsburgh
Fortunately, Merida City JAPAY water is proven clean at 97% of the homes tested***, when it enters our homes.
**The water for Merida City wells at 130 ft depths is very clean … but it is very hard (High calcium carbonate levels – which are NOT a health risk – but just taste a bit “off”)… Why is Merida city water so clean? …. because that water is 10 million yrs old … and there were no pesticides 10 MILLION years ago.
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***Past independent studies show clean Merida city water 97% of the time, ~ENTERING~ the house … but that water entering the house … is not the same as water at the kitchen faucet … That means that roughly 25% of the water tested in Merida kitchen sinks had microbial contamination (fecal coliforms) FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE’s plumbing.
KEEP YOUR TINACOS CLEAN !!
No dead birds … no dead ‘possums … no accumulated leaf litter … SERIOUSLY … people leaving the tops of their cisterns & tinacos open is THE REAL ISSUE, per 20 yrs of test results.
and yes, Virginia … You can test your own water!
~ Note that if you test the water coming into your Merida home for free-Chlorine (swimming pool test kit) … and if you measure chlorine present – then your water is FINE !
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Next: Are you unsure about the quality of your Merida City water in your tinaco or cistern ?
*Tinaco~Cistern Inspection & Maintenance:
For people on Merida City water (JAPAY) … Basically … LOOK in your tinaco~cistern and ~sniff~ it. 😉
If you see organic detritus (dead leaves, dead rotting vegetation, dead birds, dead iguanas, or roots) … then REMOVE all the detritus, rinse it out … and disinfect it with normal laundry bleach**.
If the tinaco~cistern water looks clear & clean, and smells OK, then it’s 97% likely OK … And yes, some accumulated “sarro” … scale … is OK.
To ENSURE it’s OK, you can add enough ordinary laundry bleach** to disinfect it: … ¼ cup of bleach per 1,100 liter tinaco (300 gal) … completely eliminates bacteria, viruses, microbes. … This free-chlorine concentration is equal to a US public swimming pool … (for about the next 2 days). 😉
After adding the bleach, mix the water gently … and wait 15 minutes. … Then flush the toilets, run the sinks & showers … etc to fill your all of your home’s pipes with the nice free-Chlorine disinfectant (bleach) …
Allow that water to stand for about 15 minutes … to kill everything that may have accumulated in the pipes.
Then …. use the water as normal. … Note that there will be a light chlorine smell (like a swimming pool) for the next 2-3 days => thoroughly disinfecting your home’s plumbing !
**Use ONLY normal plain dull household-laundry bleach .. Not scented bleach … Not “Gel-no-splash” bleach … Just normal household bleach.
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As long as you have a good top on your tinaco~cistern, this bleach treatment is likely needed only about twice a year. … If you get dead birds, dead possums, dead iguanas or dead leaves in your tinaco~cistern, in the meantime … then start over. 😉
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What if you are not on Merida City JAPAY water?
If you are drinking private well water from TOO SHALLOW wells across Yucatan – or drinking cenote water … then all bets are off. 😉
If you are drinking well water from a TOO SHALLOW well, dump a bottle of blue food dye into the toilet … flush the toilet … and turn on all the faucets in the house for about 10 minutes … collecting the water into white containers (like a white bowl) … then wait 30 minutes, and run your kitchen sink water again into a white bowl (and flush the toilet) … and look for blue …
Why?
The first 30 ft of ground water here ACROSS YUCATAN is often contaminated … most often by private homes septic systems. … That means shallow wells are a problem, but GOOD wells drilled to 18m – 20m almost always have hard, but clean water … Why?? … Note that our BIG hard limestone aquatard between 30 ft to 60 ft (20m) ~blocks~ surface contamination from reaching even private wells drilled to 18 – 20m.
😉
Final note … A literal 47 years of scientific measurements show there is very little horizontal (sideways) movement of ground water in Yucatan, with 2 exceptions.* … Notice that there are NO mythical “underground rivers” flowing in almost all of Yucatan. … 47 years of measurements shows that most (95%?) of our surface water moves vertically through our limestone.
Notice that if there was lateral-horizontal movement of water in the caves that connect cenotes … then the sediment in this channel would be stirred up by the flow of the mythical “underground river” …
No flowing river here… just quiet still water ..
<===
*The 2 exceptions to “no under-ground rivers”:
Near the coasts, the rainwater in the first 10 km – 15 km of rainwater does slowly move out towards the sea. and … In the hilly areas of Yucatan – like Campeche & Bacalar – the rain water does move downhill underground …
But notice how slow the flow is … from how clear the happy diving-girl image is. 😉
Don’t worry …. Be happy …
You’re in Yucatan! ….. Enjoy!
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff.
Nov. 16, 2019
Mexico beats the USA in extra innings … to advance … as just 1 of 6 teams … into the 2020 OLYMPICS !!
Before we go to the official MLB recap … note that the USA was ahead the whole game … Going up 1:0 in the top of the 2’nd … then… finally Mexico tied, 1:1 in the bottom of the 6’th … then top of the 7’th … Vaughn sped around third and made it home just ahead of the throw …. 2:1 … staying @ 2:1 through the bottom of the ninth …
Bottom of the ninth … with their Olympic bid slipping away …
Mexico’s Matthew Clark (a Mexican-American professional of the Bravos de Leon)
~ CRUSHED ~ a solo HOME RUN … to tie the game.
I’ll leave it to the official MLB Recap to describe the ending … 😉
” … In the Bronze Medal Game of the Premier12 tournament in Tokyo, Mexico defeated USA, 3-2, in 10 innings to earn a spot in the 2020 Olympic Games.
The WBSC rules for the event called for runners on first and second to begin each extra inning. Red Sox prospect Bobby Dalbec, who drove in a run earlier in the game for the United States, opened the inning with a perfect sacrifice bunt, which was followed by an intentional walk. Mexico’s Carlos Bustamante, a 25-year-old pitcher who spent some time in the D-backs’ system, came up clutch with a strikeout and a popout to end the inning tied at 2-2 despite entering with a pair of runners on and no one out.
Mexico would not falter with the same advantage presented to it in the bottom half of the frame, as a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk were followed by a broken-bat single to center by former Angel Efren Navarro to plate the game-winning run to earn Mexico a spot at Tokyo 2020. ” **
A broken-bat bloop single WINS THE GAME !!!
https://www.mlb.com/news/mexico-defeats-usa-to-earn-olympic-baseball-bid
Here’s an official video of the highlights:
**The Rest of the Story …
The United States will have another chance to qualify for the Olympics via the Americas Qualifier, held in Arizona in March 2020, where the winner will advance to the Tokyo Games, and the second- and third-place nations will be placed into the Final Qualifying Tournament for … one last chance … to earn a berth in the Olympics.
¡¡ VAMOS MEXICO !!
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Feel free to copy with proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read-on MacDuff . . .
Nov. 14, 2019
Roughly every 2 months, there’s a post on expat forums complaining that their gas stove doesn’t all them to get low-low flames for simmering things slowly.
It’s NOT a “regulator” problem … It’s NOT a “propane vs Natural Gas ” problem … It’s NOT a “Call a plumber” problem … It’s not a “Buy a new stove with lower BTU burners” problem … It’s not a “Use an electric hot-plate to do low simmer” problem. … 😉
… The real real problem is just in how you adjust the burner dial. 😉
If the burners light fine and run well on normal higher settings … then you have the correct regulator & correct orafices (in the burners), and correct gas … because the stove lights & operates.
Want to avoid this? 
The problem is that there’s no low “simmer” normal setting on your burner control dial … Instead, you simply needs to use a little trick to get the low low “simmer” flames:
Low flame trick:
Light the burner … Turn the dial clock-wise to the High Flame “stop” position (burner on FULL – High) … Next… Push in the dial slightly, and ~continue~ turning the dial clockwise to get a low low flame.
Note: Don’t use a fan anywhere near the stove when using this trick to get the super low flames, … Don’t blow out the weak low flame. 😉
Enjoy cooking … simmering … braising … by using this simple ~safe~ low-flame special-setting trick . 😉
and yes, Virginia … Over 80% of the stoves in North America are made by Mabe (regardless of the name-plate brand) … so this nice trick works on basically all Mabe, GE, Acros* etc brand stoves in the Americas. 😉
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Feel free to copy with proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read-on MacDuff . . .
October 24, 2019
The British Museum has digitized a big part of their extensive Maya collection, and put ~some~ of it on-line for us to look at.
Here are some LINKS to click, to check out some of it:
Guatemalan Maya Masks & Stelae:
(They get especially cool about 7 slides into the show)
https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/guatemalan-masks/BwIyWmZyU4NhKA
Untangling Maya Glyphs & Maya Codices … Learning to read dates, names & events:
https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/untangling-maya-glyphs/pgJilqaqtBwwIw
A Brief History of the British Museums Maya Collection:
https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-ancient-maya-at-the-british-museum/FQKC3cwFgTgbKA
The British Museums official Maya Collection Website:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/research_projects/preserving_maya_heritage.aspx
Enjoy !!
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Feel free to copy with proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read-on MacDuff . . .
With the recent rains, it’s time to remember that the mosquitoes around your home may carry Dengue Fever risks, so, it’s important to eliminate Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding sites.
Aedes aegypti mosquitos are superbly adapted to urban life, breeding in as little as a tablespoon of water that doesn’t dry out for 7 days. During rainy times, the female Aedes ae. mosquitoes lay eggs at water’s edge. When the collected water spot dries out, the eggs remain – stuck to the side of the container, or bit of trash, or bit of plastic … remaining viable for years … waiting for the next rain to rehydrate the eggs, and to create whole new generations of Aedes ae. Dengue virus carrying mosquitoes.
This means that NOW is the time to check your patio, front yard, back yard, and even up on the roof for things that collect just 1 tablespoon of water … and to eliminate that standing water. Buckets, crockery, plastic containers can simply be turned upside to eliminate standing water mosquito nurseries.
Fountains, wash basins, bird baths that hold standing water can be treated with either Copper Sulfate, or Abate.
So, now’s the time to check around outside our homes for even a tbs. of standing water that persists for 7 days here … to eliminate A. aegypti mosquito breeding sites, where the eggs hatch out into larvae, that can become free flying adults in just 48 – 72 hrs.
Dengue Fact Sheet:
https://yucalandia.com/science-health-issues/dengue-fact-sheet/
.>>>
Clever readers might realize that we did not address whether the A. aegypti mosquitoes emerging with these latest rains are infected with Dengue virus. At this point, the answer is that we don’t know.
It’s curious that some A. aegypti eggs carry Dengue virus, as they sit dry, clinging to the sides of dried out rainwater collectors for up to 450 days. … aka A. aegypti. nurseries.
The key term in the processs is “vertical transmission”.
Aedes aegypti eggs sometimes carry the Dengue Virus. Infected female A. aegypti mosquitos can pass the virus directly to her offspring. As a result, the developing larvae and the newly hatched mosquitoes can already carry the virus before they ever bite a human.
A single A. aegypti Dengue infected female mosquito can produce over 1,000 offspring, via Dengue virus infected eggs.
In warm conditions, the newly hatched A. aegypti larvae can emerge as free flying adults in as little as 72 hrs after rehydration.
I can’t find any citation for what percentage of A. aegypti eggs carry Dengue Virus, so I let the matter lie. I do know that Dengue rates in Yucatan were low last Fall, with just 192 total confirmed cases for all of Yucatan State in all of 2025, which is the other reason I left the issues unmentioned. (preferring to NOT raise any unnecessary alarms).
Here’s what older (brownish) A. aegypti eggs look like … roughly 4 mm in length.
https://www.ioc.fiocruz.br/en/dengue/textos/oportunista.html
October 19, 2019
Curiously, we got an anxious PM (FB chat) message & phone call from an expat here in Merida, from Clinica de Merida, whose daughter was admitted just last night for a 40.6ºC (105ºF) fever … needing a transfusion of platelets … aka plaquetes …**
So … Dengue Fever infections are being transmitted ~now~ in Merida. … Take precautions …
Educate yourself on how to protect your families from Dengue risks … See the ~”How To Avoid Dengue”~ articles listed below.
**FORTUNATELY, she was not bleeding from nose, eyes, gums or stomach (GI system), and she had no DSS symptoms (no fluid in the lungs, no shock symptoms) … If a family member has Dengue symptoms (high fever, plus possibly achy joints) ~Pay special attention~ to their symptoms on Days #4 – #6, because that’s when the real health risks happen.
Education … and actions … are the keys to staying safe. 😉
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Sidelights:
~ If someone in your household (or neighbors) gets Dengue … SPRAY YOUR HOME carefully to eliminate mosquitoes that may (likely) be infected with Dengue virus to protect your family & friends.
… Past studies show up to 95% of household members get subsequent Dengue infections, when one member is bitten by a Dengue-infected mosquito. … Those Dengue-infected female mosquitoes can easily live ANOTHER 10 to 30 more days – biting other household members & biting neighbors (because the females go back outside to lay their eggs).
~ SPRAY every room carefully with typical mosquito killing ~indoor~ sprays … like H24 … Aedes aegyptii mosquitoes LOVE to hide underneath furniture … in with our clothes (lightly-stinky from our body-odor residues) … and up by the ceiling … So, FOCUS the spraying on those areas … briskly moving-disturbing the clothes when spraying them.
~ Check ALL screens & doors to find & block even small holes that mosquitoes can enter. …. You can cut little pieces of fiberglass screen material, to fold & fit … to block the gaps, openings, tears & spaces …
~ We personally have nylon sheer curtains over our exterior doorways … weighted at the bottom corners (to hold the curtain closed over the doorway) … because the mosquitoes LOVE to ride in on our backs, and fly-in in our wake … as we enter the house.
~ ELIMINATE or treat ALL water that stands more than 5 days. … fresh Aedes aegyptii hatch out & fly in just 7 days of only 1 tbsp of standing water here … Plus: Pay special attention to flower-pot drip trays, bits of old crockery, bits of poly*styrene pkging or even small pieces of plastic trash & plastic bags …
~ Treating water that stands for more than 7 days? … There are 2 good larvicides that kill all the mosquito larvae in standing water: Copper Sulfate (-trihydrate or pentahydrate crystals) ~ works permanently ~ … or Abate (lasts for 3 months) … Note that after checking 12 different ag-chemical stores & pesticide vendors, there’s no Abate tablets~puck~pellets available in Merida … so use Copper Sulfate. … Just 1 or 2 crystals in a tire kills larvae for years. … AND for swimming pools or fountains, your chlorine disinfectant is enough … AND for unused (drained) pools or fountains with standing water, Copper Sulfate ( CuSO4 – 5H2O ) works GREAT at just 3 ppm (3 mg/L) levels.
For both mosquito & algae control in pools and fountains, just 1½ tablespoons of the pretty blue crystals of Copper Sulfate (… CuSO4-5H2O or CuSO4 – 3H2O … ) in 30,000L of pool water works great & is very safe (per WHO, EPA & US State Health Depts).
See this good article for additional ways to protect yourself & your loved ones:
https://yucalandia.com/science-health…/dengue-fact-sheet/
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Yes, I am available for PMs & chats on Facebook … Please read the “Dengue Fact Sheet” (see second link below) … first.
Plus … Two good sites:
https://yucalandia.com/science-health-issues/dengue-what-to-do/chikungunya-dengue-virus-information/
and
Dengue Fact Sheet:
https://yucalandia.com/science-health-issues/dengue-fact-sheet/
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Feel free to copy with proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read-on MacDuff . . .
October 17, 2019
Making travel plans? **
It’s time again to turn ~back~ the clocks in Mexico 1 hour, in TWO WEEKS … Sunday AM Oct. 27, 2019.
The U.S. will wait another week (Nov 3) … so TV schedules for people watching the World Series & other USA or Canadian TV will be screwed up for a week.
*Also note that CANCUN does not change it’s clocks … so if you are flying into or out of Cancun … or taking a bus to or from Cancun, then pay SPECIAL ATTENTION to the actual bus~flight times.
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff!
October 17, 2019
The question of “open-jawed” ONE-WAY tickets for coming into Mexico, or traveling through USA airports … keeps cropping up on internet & travel forums.
Any airline clerk MIGHT & sometimes-do challenge your right to fly (or to continue flying) into Mexico, when you only have a 1 way ticket. … This is an especially BIG problem for foreigners traveling to Mexico on itineraries that include layovers or stops & plane changes in the USA. It’s no fun when an airline clerk (or TSA scanner or Immigration agent) sends you back ‘home’, just because you don’t have a paid ticket for a return flight.
The USA, including USCIS immigration authorities & CBP also do sometimes seriously hassle, delay, and even detain some foreigners flying on just one-way tickets. Sadly, the TSA screeners, CBP agents, ICE cops & Immigration agents even deny some onward-travel, and forcibly put people on flights back to their origination-airport. …
There is a GOOD SOLUTION:
Use a company that simply creates a temporary return ticket, that gives you valid proof of onward travel. …Example: consider Onwardticket.com. They’re a travel agency that books you a 100% real flight ticket that is valid for 48 hours.
Instead of paying the full price for the ticket, you only pay a $12 service fee. 😉
If you get hung up at an airport, or at a TSA screening post … or with USCIS-CBP … It takes less than 5 minutes to create a fully legal, legitimate “return ticket”. 😉
Happy Trails,
Steve
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read-on MacDuff . . .
In the recent past, literal thousands of Canadians have been denied entry to the U.S. simply for admitting they’ve smoked a joint once in their lives, but US Homeland Security and their “officers” of the CPB & ICE … have RAISED THE BAR …
Just 4 days ago, U.S. border “protection” barred a young Canadian woman from crossing the border when they found medical CBD oil (cannabidiol) for her extreme scoliosis pain … in her backpack … BANNING HER FOR LIFE from ever entering the USA …
For people who don’t know, CBD oil is a medical product from Hemp … It is a non–psychoactive natural product of the cannabis plant … used by the young Canadian lady to treat the great pains of scoliosis.
“… The woman, who has asked not to be identified by CBC News pending the outcome of an application for reentry, is the latest Canadian to face border troubles after Canada legalized cannabis last year.
Thousands of Canadians have been denied entry to the U.S. simply for admitting they’ve smoked a joint once in their lives. Others have been banned from entering the country for life for carrying cannabis products to the border — a punishment that this unsuspecting CBD oil user could now face as well, according to immigration experts. ”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tasker-cbd-oil-us-border-lifetime-ban-1.5252479?fbclid=IwAR3U0LaDk869VyT89GViGE4tv5Pk_p6PVfyEeWXhg6pVCgcd8jLUOkCWWRU
The Consequences?
Many millions of ordinary Mexicans & Canadians … should now beware of entering … or even changing planes in the USA.
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff.
Updated January, 2020:
US TSA just announced ALL US CITIZENS must provide either a valid “REAL ID” **, passport, or Military ID … by October, 2020 … to be able to fly on any US domestic flight … regardless of your home State.
** https://www.tsa.gov/real-id
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff.
Back in October 2018, the Trump Administration quietly gave an official 1 year notice to withdraw from the international postal system agreement (aka the “Universal Postal Union”), because of Trump’s refusal to pay our annual membership dues.
” As required under the Union’s constitution, the announcement and notice to the UPU initiated a one-year withdrawal process during which the United States can renegotiate terms before the exit becomes final on October 17, 2019. ”
So, as of October 17, 2019, mail service between the USA & Mexico ~may~ change, because the Trump Administration has refused to negotiate, so far.
It may not be a big deal to some people, but all of our US soldiers, sailors & Air Force personnel serving abroad … and all other people living abroad … may lose their avenue to vote absentee … raising concerns of yet more voter suppression in time for the 2020 elections.
Since the USA has our troops stationed in over 75% of the world’s countries, this latest Trump Administration change seems to presents challenges to man of our troop’s opportunities to vote, because the Trump Administration has announced no plans for allowing our troops to vote, when serving abroad.
??
We’ll publish more updates, as the news becomes available.
= = = = = = =
FIRST UPDATE:
A bit more research shows that we may want to plan to take our absentee ballots to a US Consulate, here in Mexico, for the 2020 election.
Happy Trails, Steve
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff.
August 11, 2019
For years, we’ve heard stories of some jungle plants~trees that you must not brush, or risk getting severe painful skin blisters that last for weeks.
We finally found some reliable reports, descriptions and fotos to describe the specific tree … the consequences of brushing the tree with bare skin … AND a proposed remedy.
These are called “Chechen blisters”
… Nasty stuff, eh?
Fortunately … as happens across the Americas, Native peoples have either found (or planted) the supposed remedy nearby to the source of the problem. The proposed remedy comes from a tree called a Chaca tree. Across Yucatan, Chechen & Chaca trees are found growing near each other, including at beach areas.
The black sap of the Chechen tree is reportedly poisonous, while the often-nearby Chaca has nectar is said to neutralize the Chechen’s poisonous sap. … Since we’re not trained Tropical-plant biologists, we defer to the experts at the aptly named “Mayan Garden Club” of Akumal:
They really are a marvelously talented group, whose superb report beautifully speaks volumes. … Here is their dandy report … un-varnished, untouched, unedited:
* * * * * * *
If you travel anywhere in the Yucatan and Riviera Maya jungle areas, you will eventually run into the Chechen tree and the nearby growing Chaca tree. The Chechen tree has black sap that seeps out of the grayish trunk , however, several trees in the Yucatan can look similar.
Chechen trees
If you travel anywhere in the Yucatan and Riviera Maya jungle areas, you will eventually run into the Chechen tree and the nearby growing Chaca tree. The Chechen tree has black sap that seeps out of the grayish trunk , however, several trees in the Yucatan can look similar.
The wood of (the Chechen tree) is very hard and prized for furniture and for building. The leaves are curly and often black-spotted with the sap. The Chaca tree has a distinctive light brown bark that appears peeling in older trees. The wood is softer but the tree grows easily from just a limb being stuck in the ground or in a pot. It is often used to make living fence posts.
One of the trees, the Chechen (Black Poisonwood Tree), has sap that is very toxic and can cause a horrible rash and burn. Even touching the leaves can cause a bad reaction. Often you will not even know that you have been infected until the burning and itching rash appears. It is similar to the worst poison ivy you have ever seen! Luckily, growing near the Chechen tree you will usually find a Chaca tree (also called Gumbo Limbo) which is an antidote to the Chechen’s poison — if applied in time.
Simply cut a piece of the bark of the Chaca tree vertically and wipe the inside on the affected area to neutralize the rash. You may also make a tea with the bark to help rid your body of the toxins. If you don’t use this in time, it may be necessary to use cortisone cream or even make a trip to the doctor.
So why do these trees always grow near each other? According to the Maya legend, two great warriors were brothers, but of entirely different personalities. One, Kinich, was kind and loving while his older brother, Tizic, was hateful and angry. Both fell in love with the same maiden, the beautiful Nicte-Ha. T hey declared a battle to the death to determine who would have her.
A terrible battle raged on, the moon hid, and black clouds filled the skies as the earth was torn apart and the heavens went into hiding. Eventually the brothers both died in each other’s arms.
In the afterlife, they begged for forgiveness and asked to return to the world of the living to see Nicte-Ha again. The gods granted their wish and the brother Tizic was reborn as the Chechen Tree which burns and blisters anyone who touches it. The loving brother, Kinich, was reborn as the Chaca tree, which neutralizes the venom of the Chechen. They both watch over Nicte-Ha who was reborn as a beautiful white flower. ”
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Again, we thank the “Mayan Garden Club” of Akumal for their superb report, and congratulate them on their willingness to educate and inform others.
and as we do with all articles that include anything that looks or smells like medical or fiscal or tax advice:
Please Note that this article is for informational, educational and entertainment purposes only. Consult the appropriate experts for professional advice and information before taking any actions that may impact your physical, mental, emotional or financial well being.
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff.
August 10, 2018
Looking to the future.
” (The Progreso port~terminal) has seen tremendous growth, having doubled its volumes from 80,000 to 140,000 TEUs throughput over the last two years, as the region’s economic activities expand. This year alone the terminal expects 20-35% further growth in volume. ”
” The (Progreso) terminal provides the region with unparalleled connectivity through 5 vessels a week, including direct connections with the US and Europe. … To continue to facilitate this trade growth, APM Terminals has committed to investing in the terminal to meet the evolving needs of importers/exporters in the region and shipping lines. ”
“We are committed to the long-term sustainable development of the region and are delighted to announce that we have signed an addendum with the port authority to commence a 20% expansion of the yard to support the region’s growing trade needs, as well as other investments to improve productivity and efficiency. This represents a significant additional investment on top of the USD 22.6 million that has already been invested in the terminal since the concession began in 2005,”
The modernization represents an important investment, include a 20% expansion of the yard capacity, (Cost $714,000 USD) …
Yucatan keeps growing.
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff.
August 8, 2019
If you’re Canadian … DON’T send in that check to Chase. 🤪
American consumers are picking up your tab. 🤔🤔
🤨🤣🤨🤣
It’s real …
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff.
August 8, 2019
It’s always been their land …
.
regardless of today’s “borders” …
The people in El Paso … are no different than the people in Juarez …
… It’s all … ~America~ …
Regardless of all the fear … Regardless of all the bias …
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff.
August 9, 2019
Gone in 30 seconds …
Love your ‘keyless entry’ modern car?
Know that they’re hacked more easily than US voting machines.
~ “… motor theft insurance claim payouts hit their highest level in seven years at the start of 2019. ” ~
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* * * * * * *
** US cars keyless remotes use 315 MHz (UHF band)
…. 433.92 MHz for European, Japanese and Asian cars.
UHF band repeaters … can be bought on Mercado Libre & Ebay for about $100 US dollars. 😦
The best defense?
Install a lo-jack tracking system, to let the cops track the car when it’s been stolen.
Hopefully, the cops can get there before the car is too badly trashed ~ chopped … into parts. 😦
Old School … aka KEYS … (like paper ballots) do have some advantages.
😉
Read on, MacDuff.
August 3, 2019
As of August 3’rd, 2019 … Mexico simplifies telephone dialing:
Effective August 3, 2019, there will be no more special rules needed to to dial long distance nor between or to cell phones. Mexican phone dialing will follow international dialing standards (as in Canada and the USA).
http://www.ift.org.mx/comunicacion-y-medios/marcacion-a-10-digitos
After Aug. 3, 2019 … Just dial 10 digits …
Happy Trails, Steve
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read-on MacDuff . . .
August 5, 2019
Minors Traveling Abroad out of Mexico?
If you want to avoid hassles, consider checking-out the Mex. Govt’s … “Formato SAM” … ~before~ going to the airport. You can fill it out on-line first … and then take it to INM ~before~ travel, for easy INM approval … to avoid airport INM hassles or missed flights.
“Formato SAM” … permission for minor children to travel out of Mexico when 1 or both parents are not present. This site gives general instructions.
https://www.gob.mx/inm/acciones-y-programas/formato-de-salida-de-menores
This additional website has the actual “Formato SAM” to fill out and take to INM:
https://www.inm.gob.mx/menores/publico/solicitud.html
To avoid setbacks, we recommend you go to the nearest INM office,
before travel, or to the internment and departure points abroad
(airports, sea and land ports) with the SAM form (Formato SAM)
duly filled out, plus the following documentation:
Original and 3 copies of the child's Passport
3 copies of the child's birth certificate
3 copies of the current identification
of the person exercising parental authority or guardianship of the minor.
and
3 copies of the valid identification of the minor's companion
(in case you travel with a third party of legal age)
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read-on MacDuff . . .
August 3, 2019 Update
Ever since all the very good Nov. 2012 Immigration policy changes, Mexico’s immigration system just keeps getting better & better.
Consider how we foreigners-in-Mexico now do our “Change of Address” process: … The Change of Address (“Cambio de Domicilio“) charges no fees … We simply fill-out the online form, take it to INM (where they have a letter you can fill out) and submit the change.
We receive an email with a password ( “contresena” ) to get into your online portal. INM then notifies you, in that portal, when you can go down and pick up the document.
Click here to go to the INM website for tramites …
Immigrants Form for Filing Applications for Changes in Immigration Status
INM-Merida’s New Address:
Calle 31 * #94 x C16 y C20, Colonia México
Merida, Yucatan
*Note that this section of Calle 31 also corresponds to Circuito Colonias.
Lots more Details at:
~ Current Rules and Procedures for Immigration ~ Immigrating to, Visiting, and Staying in Mexico
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff.
Imagine that you briefly see that the helpful Pemex attendants have pumped $720 pesos of gasoline (as momentarily shown on the pump’s display) , yet now , the pump’s display now shows: $920 pesos …. the YES, they zeroed the pump out at the beginning & you verified the Zeros ( $0.00 & 0.00 Litros).
Hint: Zero’s at the beginning do not help (at all) to stop this new scam.
(Instructions on how to defeat their scam are at the bottom of this report.)
If you catch them doing this switcheroo … INSIST that they show you the amount pumped~delivered … NOT the amount pre-ordered value … The correct value is still there, in the pump’s display system … It’s just 1 screen back from that bogus-HIGH pre-selected “Total Ordered” $$Peso value.
This latest scam is about at cute as …
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HOW TO BEAT THE SCAM?
The key is that the attendant should NOT touch the handle while it is filling. … The pump should shut-off automatically … without the attendant touching it.
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Interested in the other ‘old-school’ Pemex scams?
Click here:
aka Pemex Gasoline: Issues?
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
Steven M. Fry
Read on, MacDuff !
Surviving Yucatan 