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| This is the live webcam at North Beach / Playa Norte. HERE is a timelapse version, that you can set to slow or fast (fps-frames per second). It takes a few seconds to load. |
Follow Isla Mujeres News & Events on Facebook for highlights of news & events, and more photos & videos
Both issues of The Isla Mujeres Magazine are here,
featuring a variety of talented writers and photographers!
featuring a variety of talented writers and photographers!
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From Noticias de Diario de Quintana Roo ....
link to their Isla articles & photos
City offers discounts in October and November
Aproveche descuentos
Invitación a contribuyentes en octubre y noviembre
Lanrry PARRA
ISLA MUJERES, 22 de octubre.-
See City section below.
Digitization of files for public transport concessions
Digitalizarán expedientes de concesiones
Para ordenar el transporte
Lanrry PARRA
ISLA MUJERES, 22 de octubre.-
ISLA MUJERES, 22 de octubre.-
The SINTRA (Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport) representative in Isla Mujeres, Jorge Miguel Martín Alvarez, announced that he will initiate the process of digitization of files of concessions and authorizations of those offering transport for the public in the island to in order to provide a better service to the public and guarantee their access to such information.
He said that head of SINTRA Jorge Portilla Mánica, has given instructions to systematize and put the administrative information in order, because they currently have hundreds of files on taxis, trucks, and golf carts, among others, some of which are very old, damaged by the passage of time and some are even illegible.
He said, "There is a great deal of clutter related to records, many documents have been damaged by the passage of time, some documents have been lost, many are completely unreadable. We will order and digitize all documents for the sake of transparency and for better service from SINTRA."
Mr. Martín Alvarez said that with the systematization and digitization of archives, not only will the information on the concessions be in order and provide a better service to citizens, but also in case of a natural contingency (such as a hurricane), this information will also be preserved.
In this manner, the processing times can be optimized, information can be channeled to different areas to facilitate punctual follow-ups, expenses will be decreased and space in which the documentation is preserved will be reduced.
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From the Municipal Facebook site..... ( FB page link)
With the discounts offered by the municipal Treasury Department, we are providing an opportunity for the islanders to catch up on their taxes without affecting their family economy. VIDEO
https://goo.gl/DXqg3H
During October and November, the island community will have access to discounts in procedures, services, surcharges and fees as follows: 25% in Urban Development, 30% in Civil Protection and 50% in Municipal Transit; as well as a 100% discount property tax fines and surcharges. For the garbage collection service (which is charged for businesses and free for residents) a 25% discount is available for updating past due fees, and a 15% discount on current payments. These offices, as well as the Treasury office in the Town Hall, are open from 9am to 4pm.
The official encouraged residents to take advantage of these discounts for the benefit of their family budgets and said that each peso that is collected by the municipality for these fees and taxes translates into better streets, more parks, more domes and other programs that benefit everyone.
There is a notice about the suspension of the Noches Magicas anniversary performance Sunday evening due to the weather (which I posted on the News & Event FB page yesterday afternoon).
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From Tvisla Mujeres ( link to photos & articles)
Last night customers of the Banamex company reported a suspicious device, apparently used to clone cards at the Banamex ATMs and via this media they are alerting users not to use these ATMs.According to the complaint, the device was found in the ATM on the left (photos at LINK)
Discounts are still available at the municipal Treasury office during October and November LINK
In her first year as the head of APIQROO, the state Port Authority, director Alicia Ricalde Magaña achieved an investment of nearly 15 million pesos LINK
The director of APIQRoo, the Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo, Alicia Ricalde Magaña, reported that during the first year of this state government's administration, 14,788,726 pesos were invested in maintenance, reconstruction of maritime terminals, equipment, and training of personnel. She said they achieved a saving of 32 percent in current expenditures, which is equivalent to 2,010,166 pesos, compared to the expenditure incurred during the last year of the previous administration. Also, during this period, the arrival of passengers increased in all terminals.
Ms. Ricalde Magaña gave a report to the Operations Committee about the work done in the first year under her management, where the members of the Committee gave her recognition and congratulations, because, they said, never before had they observed so much investment and, above all, maintenance of the terminals.
The next few paragraphs explain monies spent in Chetumal, Cozumel, San Miguel, Marina Banco Beach, and Puerto Morales. In Puerto Juárez more than 587,984 pesos were spent on maintenance to the fishermen's pier. In Isla Mujeres more than 6,529,619 pesos were spent. In the terminal and dock of the cargo/vehicle ferries a perimeter fence was constructed and general maintenance was done to the pier and the electrical network was renovated. Maintenance was done at the Maritime Terminal for the second stage of the wooden pier and walker. At the Punta Sam ferry dock, various maintenance and repairs were done, including maintenance to the bathrooms, and a steel ramp was purchased and installed. .
During this year, 2 million pesos were also invested in surveillance equipment with the installation of closed-circuit cameras to guarantee user safety, as well as computer equipment, technological infrastructure equipment, and a a "plotter" for the printing and digitizing of plans.
Amounts are given for replacement of office equipment, vehicles, maritime signage including lights and buoys, tools and equipment, and hurricane curtains. She said they reduced the amount spent on supplies for computer equipment, office supplies, cleaning supplies, fuel, electricity, and construction materials, achieving a savings of 32% compared to the previous year under the prior administration.
In Puerto Juarez, Punta Sam, and Cozumel, she replaced the surveillance and external cleaning companies by personnel directly contracted by the agency, as well as decreasing expenses related to studies, consulting, and publicity (Press), generating a saving of 87%, which amounts to $19,147,770 pesos, as well as $ 1,588,968 pesos in travel expenses, which represents 48% less.
Regarding the statistics on the arrival of boats and passengers in our port facilities, ferry companies replaced boats with higher capacity vessels, so that their boat arrivals decreased in some terminals although the number of passengers increased in all of them.
Chetumal recorded a decrease in the arrival of boats of 1% (8 fewer arrivals), but in passengers there is an increase of 6.6% (1,630 more) compared to the same period. Cozumel had a 13% increase in arrivals of cruise ships (144 more) and 13.5% in arrival of passengers (473,442 more passengers). Ruta San Miguel had 30.21% in boat movements, (7,992 more movements) and 24.97% more passengers (885,253 more).
Isla Mujeres had 1.4% fewer boat movements (647 operations less) but a 10.6% increase in the number of passengers (442,630 more). Regarding the Isla Mujeres cargo/vehicle ferry, there was an increase of 9.47% (433 more) in operations and 31.62% increase in cargo (104,518 more tons). There was a 25.46% increase (66,142 more passengers) at that terminal, and an 11.16% increase in vehicles during that same period (8,332 more).
Floating house is nearly a shipwreck LINK
The floating house that was built in a lagoon of Isla Mujeres from recycled materials, including plastic bottles, has been falling apart since September, with reports of sacks of its plastic bottles washing up on the beaches, mainly in the port area. Boaters say hundreds of plastic bottles are being shed by this 'Private Isle", which is said to have been built by a Londoner.
The lack of maintenance and the obvious neglect by the owner is causing concern. In addition to being in poor condition, due to rain and strong winds, it is causing contamination from the plastic bottles that end up in the sea.
While it was initially a novelty that captured national and international media attention, now it has become a headache for authorities. What was once a 'habitat' encouraging care for the environment has become quite the opposite, causing islanders to become concerned about the new floating house that was created in the sea very close to this first floating home.
There is a weather forecast for Sunday about Tropical Wave #40 moving west from the Yucatan Peninsula (It was rainy Sunday and Sunday night) and Cold Front #6 approaching from the north. At early afternoon there are blue skies with many clouds.
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From por esto Link to their Isla Mujeres articles & photos
Although Playa Centro grew to a large size in the spring, accumulating a great deal of sand to the point where it was obstructing part of the navigation channel, during the recent high tides, it has begun to erode. On Sunday, significant losses could be seen at the northern part of the beach, where the base of a wooden pier was now in the water, and a few weeks about it was on the sand.
There was also some saragasso, which commonly arrives after the end of September, and also affects the nets of the fishermen who catch lobster. The erosion could be seen among the loungers, especially when there were larger waves, taking more sand away with them. Waves caused by the car ferry and the recreational boats contributed, combined with the high tide that Isla Mujeres has experienced over several days.
The increase in the beach in the late spring and early summer was attributed to the south-southeast winds, and it grew to the point that it was covering the navigation channel and the sand went beyond the line of buoys that was meant to keep swimmers away from the navigation channel.
The Director of Civil Protection, Ulises Berman, said that this is a natural cyclical phenomenon that occurs as the winds change and the tides rise. When Hurricane Irma hit Florida, it affected North Beach, which lost sand on the east side, but Playa Centro remained intact, until now when it has begun to decrease from the high tides.
Despite this erosion, the buoy line that keeps swimmers from the navigation channel is still close to the beach, and the federal zone concessionaires are not very concerned, since this is a normal cycle that occurs in that area yearly.
Rainy weather affected tourism
El mal tiempo semiparalizó el sector turismo+] Ver masFull article at this link
On Sunday morning at 8am, there was mild precipitation that lasted more than 100 minutes, and then the sun reappeared, until more rain occurred after noon. This caused a decrease in business for those in the tourism industry, and fewer tourists visited the attractions and areas of the island where they usually gather. Those renting chairs and umbrellas at the beach made very few sales, nor did the masseuses, despite lowering their prices during this slow season. It is also noted that small hotel occupancy is decreased during this fall season.
Isla Mujeres news briefs
Breves de Isla Mujeres [+] Ver masFull article at this link
By Ovidio Lopez
The taxi union election is expected to occur on Nov. 4th.
There is a Facebook page “Elecciones Isla Mujeres 2018”, launched Oct. 16th, where six aspirants for the office of Mayor from the main contending parties are shown. They are: Faustino Uicab, mayor Juan Carrillo, Atenea Gómez, Edgar Gasca and Carlos Gamboa, and Roberto Martinez.
Blocked storm drain
Drenaje pluvial, obstruido[+] Ver masFull article at this link
On Saturday morning, personnel with Civil Protection used a bilge pump to remove accumulated water from the street near the Monument to the Fishermen. Water accumulation there has been a problem, which is said to have been complicated by the renovation of the malecon in 2009. The drainage tubes are buried under the sand of Playa Centro and aren't long enough to reach the navigation channel, according to entrepreneurs in the area, who also say the drainage by the Monument simply doesn't work. They say the tube doesn't reach the lifeguard tower, and it take 100 meters to reach the water, and is now completely under the sand and you can't see where it is located.
It is proposed that the Urban Development Department make a plan to expand the storm drain network at the malecon, that the federal zone concessionaires give their support and assistance,a dn that the Public Services and Civil Protection agencies provide frequent cleaning. It is said that when it rains, several sections of the malecon become impassable for tourists and local pedestrians, and that vehicles also complicate the situation, making it difficult to board a taxi because of the risk of water entering the interior. Business owners in the area have been asking for a solution to this problem for a long time, and have received promises from those occupying Town Hall.
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| View from the rooms. |
MaraVilla Caribe Bed & Beach Three rentals with large glass doors overlooking our white sand beach and the beautiful Caribbean sea, with kitchenettes & free WIFI. In the coastal neighborhood of Bachilleres, among upscale villas & boutique hotelitos, convenient to downtown or the colonias, yet separate. Quiet & Private.
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| Kitchen in a large studio. (Sur & Norte are identical) |
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| Kitchenette in small room, Medio. There's a table & chairs across from it & a double bed. |
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| A large slider opens from each of the 3 rooms onto the patio where each has a table & chairs, hammock & clotheslines. The BBQ is behind the pole, and the outdoor shower is outa the pic at left. |
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| Large studio (Norte), I'm standing in the kitchen. A queen & single bed. |
Free amenities such as hammocks, bikes, outdoor shower, portable beach chairs & beach towels, washer, loungers. Breathtaking panoramic views from the rooftop terrace. Upstairs room also available. Downtown is ~ a mile away; if you don't feel like walking or biking, flag a $2 taxi. Parking. You can enjoy the music & crowds downtown, then come home our quiet neighborhood of Bachilleres where you'll sleep to the sounds of the sea.. $275/$325/$425 wk $40/50/$65nt Monthly Discounts
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| Large studio (Sur) with Queen & Single bed. Slider door & view are behind me. |
Fine dining a few steps away at Da Luisa or try the traditional neighborhood eateries a couple blocks farther. Within ten minutes walk are the restaurants Mango Cafe, Brisas, Manolitos, Green Verde, Kash Kechen Chuc, and the large department store-grocery Chedraui. Visit marinas, bars, & beach clubs that are minutes away by bike or on foot. Attend Yoga classes a couple villas away at hotelito Casa Ixchel. Fresh juice, produce & tortillas a few blocks away in the village, as well as a variety of other stores and small local restaurants. It takes 20-30 minutes to walk downtown.
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Provided by MaraVilla Caribe & Isla Mujeres Daily News & Events
Sunday, Oct. 1 Noches Magicas 8p Town Square
Full moon Thursday, Oct. 5
Sunset ~6:30
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| Oct. 5 6:49 Oct. 6 7:33 Oct. 7 8:19 Oct. 8 9:09 Oct. 9 10:01 Oct. 10 10:57 |
Sunday, Oct. 8 Noches Magicas 8p Town Square
Monday, Oct. 9 Day of Fishermen
Thursday, Oct. 12 Dia de la Raza
Sunday. Oct. 15 Noches Magicas 8p Town Square
Saturday, Oct. 21 Anniversary of the birth of Ramon Bravo
Sunday, Oct. 22 Noches Magicas 8p Town Square First Anniversary Celebration
Saturday, Oct. 28 8p Mundaca Theater 8pm "Festival of the Dead" (In the end, we are born to die)
Sunday Oct. 29 Noches Magicas 8p Town Square
Tuesday, Oct. 31 Halloween
Tuesday, Nov. 1 All Saint's Day Dia de los Muertos
Wednesday, Nov. 2 All Soul's Day Dia de los Muertos
At this time of year, Mexican families remember & celebrate their departed relatives. Hanal Pixan is the name of the Mayan celebration. Altars are made with photos of the deceased, where offerings of favorite foods and items are placed, copal incense is burned, and marigold flower petals are often used. The schools usually have altar contests & displays, there's usually one in the Town Hall, and last year there was a display of altars representing different of Mexico at the Casa de la Cultura.
All Saints Day & All Souls Day, Nov. 1 & 2, are the Dias de los Muertos...one for children, one for adults, when families visit graves & clean & decorate them. On the island, these are private moments in the cemeteries, not public celebrations like in many parts of Mexico.
There is usually a silent procession with residents dressed in white, black, and traditional clothing, and many wear Catrina makeup. In addition to keeping these traditions alive, Halloween is celebrated enthusiastically on Hidalgo. Bring lots of little items & be prepared to be mobbed by cute kids and to enjoy the various impressive, clever homemade costumes.
Sources for Storm Information & Weather:
Wunderground
Tropical Tidbits
NOAA
LINK to Civil Protection Q Roo weather bulletin (Spanish)
LINK to Mexico National Weather Service (Spanish)
LINK to satellite images for the Mexico National Weather Service (Yucatan peninsula is under Satellite GOES Este, I recommend "Animacion" (it used to be in my blog margin, until Blogger became incompatible with it).
