This morning the sun rose before six, because last night we set our clocks back for Daylight Savings Time. This is not today's photo, it is from Google Earth.
Come & Eat In Isla Mujeres
The director of CANIRAC, the National Chamber of the Restaurant Industry, advised restauranteurs in Isla Mujeres to offer promotions to improve business. He said there are currently ~250 tourists staying at hotels which is enough to reactivate the restaurant industry, which was affected when ~700 overnight visitors evacuated the island as Tropical Storm Rina approached. He urged employers to abide by their agreements with their workers, and noted the Tourism Trust will be promoting domestic tourism packages in Cancun and the Yucatan peninsula via radio.
18 Inmates Returned To Isla Jail
Diario QRoo reports the 18 inmates who were transferred to Cancun before TS Rina have been returned to jail in Isla Mujeres. DQR says a former state official, Guadalupe Briceño León, told a police patrol in colonia La Gloria that Teodoro Tun Rodríguez, a 44 year old waiter, had climbed a wall, had a weapon, and intended to enter an apartment to commit burglary. The article says it occurred at 1:40 a.m. and the police found no weapon, noting that in his pockets were two keys "to the rooms of that place". SIPSE reports his side of the story where he said he does maintenance for Sra. Briceño and had been on the roof to turn on the pump to the water tanks. He said after that he went down to the Mini Super to buy a soda & a bottle of rum and a pastry, and was arrested for disturbing the peace. He denied carrying a knife and said he had not yet started drinking before the police detained him. There is a sentence whose translation is unclear to me, about him repairing a floor at her apartments. The differing versions probably align with the differing politics of the two newspapers, corresponding to the ex official's political affiliation. This photo was published in May when General Villa visited our small jail. (200 sq mts or 656 sq. ft.)
Islanders Talk To Their Governor
The Governor toured the island neighborhoods to verify that families had not been affected by TS Rina. He visited the vulnerable colonia of the Chiapanecos and handed out groceries at a ceremony in colonia La Gloria, while listening to concerns of citizens. He reported that Isla Mujeres is back on its feet, with an intact tourism infrastructure, and pledged to promote tourism to improve the state economy. Diario QRoo notes that his mother is from Isla Mujeres. I think he is wearing red in all the photos in Isla Mujeres because it is the color of his political party (PRI).
Tourism Resumes After TS Rina
Por Esto notes that dozens of tourists have been arriving since the ferries resumed service Friday morning, although most are not overnight visitors with hotel occupancy at 15-18 percent. Merchandise and restaurant sales have improved in the past two days and the tourism boards need to promote the island, which should recover in about two weeks, says Por Esto.
Ferries & Boats Back To Normal
Por Esto reports that the ferries are running normally again, the fishermen are working, and the boat tours are back in business since the Harbor Master reopened the port to all boats on Saturday morning. He does not expect any further closures due to TS Rina.
Cancun Red Cross Commemoration Confusion
SIPSE reports the Cancun Red Cross celebrated International Red Cross Day, but that is on May 8, the birthday of its founder. The caption under this photo says the Mexican Red Cross was founded on Aug 7, 1907. It does not say when the Cancun Red Cross was founded, and I suspect that is what they were commemorating.
Red Cross Emergency? Dial 065!
This video about the Isla Mujeres Red Cross is from 2009. The music was probably not chosen by someone fluent in English...substitute "Beside" for "Inside" and the lyric seems more appropriate. The Facebook page for Isla Mujeres Red Cross says their emergency phone numbers are "877-0280"and "065", noting that 065 can be dialed from your cell phone. Sometimes the "Like" button on FB can be a little odd. For example, when someone approves of educational diagrams of fractures, it seems as though they are saying, "I LIKE bones sticking outa flesh!"
From the annual collection drive 2010, when the city donated 20,000 pesos.
There were heavy rains in the wee hours, and Hidalgo looked like this after sunrise.
In the colonia "Salinas" beside the baseball field "Pescador" there was some flooding in the street.
This is the main street, Rueda Medina, in front of the UltraMar ferry where drains were not connected when the road was reconstructed. During the Governor's visit promises were made about getting the storm drains connected to the sea.
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HarborMastor (Port Captain) Miguel González Gil reports that reconstruction work of their new facility is 30 percent finished and they expect to be using it in December. Report by Por Esto.
"Playas desiertas"
"Deserted Beaches", reports Por Esto. The port is closed to small boats while a front moves through. (At least they set out some chairs & thought someone might come?)
It Looks Worse In Cozumel
This photo is from Cozumel. Tomorrow's news will probably have similar pics from Isla Mujeres. The storm is sitting on the whole area, so folks are donning their rain capes and trying to keep the drains clear & the water flowing. Isla has had some outages of electricity and internet service and plenty of rain.
TV's Religious Horsemen of Chetumal in Rain
One hundred riders paraded in the rain in the state capital for an event filmed for Pay TV, snarling traffic. Fronts like this produce rain that is often intermittent with intense bouts.
Two Busts
Diario QRoo reports that Friday around 7:30 pm in colonia “La Caribeña”, police arrested Analy Valente Bautista, 23 for possession of 150grams (~5oz) of white powder, presumably cocaine. It says because she appeared nervous and excited, police stopped her and found it among her belongings wrapped inside a nylon "ball". Saturday morning at 5:25 am police arrested Pablo de Jesús Vázquez Pérez, for drunk driving on a red motorcycle on main street and found 12 baggies of cocaine in his pockets.
"Voice of Isla Mujeres" Try Outs
Diario QRoo reports 24 singers participated in try outs for the Voice of Isla Mujeres competition. The three judges evaluated their stage projection, intonation, voice, "performance and charisma". ("desenvolvimiento y simpatía".) and listened to them singing a capella. The top ten will compete at a concert on Nov 18 for cash, prizes, and the right to compete in state competitions as "The Voice of Isla Mujeres".
500 Young Athletes
Diario QRoo reports that over 500 athletes aged 7-17 represented 37 teams in competitions held in Isla Mujeres this weekend at the start of the Southeast Basketball Circuit. Games were scheduled at four municipal courts, and due to weather they played at the Convention Center and under the dome at colonia Salina Chica. At a ceremony at the convention center, they were sworn in and officials threw the first basketball
A Mountain View "Just Like Isla Mujeres"
(This story is from a newspaper in Pennsylvania, where Israel Campos and his brother the chef have closed their "Cancun Inn" restaurant and moved to a smaller venue with an upstairs apartment for their mom. Here is what it says about her visit to the new apartment:
A cool breeze blew in.
Hilda shuffled out to the patio railing, her gaze fixed on the mist-covered mountain to the south.
"It looks just like Isla Mujeres," she said while looking out at Sugar Loaf Mountain.
(I'm guessing it was the panoramic beauty from a breezy balcony that were similar.)
New "Old" Video
This video on YouTube is a slide show of old photo.It has extensive credits for the music. Some of the photos from the De Wolf collection on Flickr. Spanish In Today's News lluvia--rain viente--wind bolsita--little bag pelota--ball
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