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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. |
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Both issues of
The Isla Mujeres Magazine
to benefit Isla charities
are here,
featuring a variety of talented writers and photographers!
The Isla Mujeres Magazine
to benefit Isla charities
are here,
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
Trend continues
Increasing numbers arriving
Se mantiene tendencia
Tráfico de pasajeros hacia la Isla continúa creciendo, confirma Beto Borge
Original article by Lanrry Parra
ISLA MUJERES, 6 de febrero.-
ISLA MUJERES, 6 de febrero.-
Last year the number of passengers who traveled to Isla Mujeres increased significantly, surpassing the two million mark. The trend continued in January, with an increase of 13 percent compared to the same month in 2015. According to APIQRoo, this year there were 356,665 passengers arriving and departing, compared to 315,000 in January 2015, which is an increase of 13 percent.
The Governor of the state, Roberto Borge Angulo, said this increase of 41,000 more passengers confirms the success of efforts at tourism promotion, which includes all the destinations in the state, which are promoted in national and international markets, positioning Isla Mujeres as a location that is preferred by vacationers.
The Director of APIQRoo, Erce Barron Barrera, confirmed that the number of passengers has consistently increased annually under the administration of Gov. Borge. He said in January 2014, there were 251,665 passengers, which was an increase of 25 percent over that month in the previous year, with 63,335 additional passengers.
Special Mass for Catholics traveling to visit the Pope
Bendicen a los peregrinos
Que viajarán a la visita papal
Original article by Lanrry Parra
ISLA MUJERES, 6 de febrero.-
ISLA MUJERES, 6 de febrero.-
On Friday evening, a special Mass called "For the pilgrims" (“De los peregrinos”) was held for Islanders who are going to see the Pope in the state of Chiapas, in the state of Mexico, or in Rome. It was conducted at the Church of Immaculate Conception by priest Raúl Sánchez Alonso. About 100 people will be traveling to Chiapas and to Ecatepec, Mexico, on February 11 and 12 to attend the events associated with Pope Francisco's first visit to Mexico. Another group is simultaneously preparing to travel to Rome when the Pope will be having various liturgical events, accompanied by the priest Raul Sanchez Alonso.
Yesterday....
Tours allowed to operate near el Farito
Puerto seguirá cerrado
Frente Frío 35 entra con fuertes turbonadas: Náuticos sólo pueden laborar en el área del Farito
Lanrry PARRA
ISLA MUJERES, 5 de febrero.
At approximately 10pm Thursday, Cold Front 35 arrived in Isla Mujeres
bringing heavy rains and strong winds gusting to 60kph, which caused the
closure of the port for small boats on Friday morning, affecting
fishing boats, diving boats, and tour boats. This continued on Friday, with heavy rains caused accumulations of water in the moored boats; therefore
the owners had to drain them to prevent their sinking.
The Harbor Master
ordered closure of the port for small boats at 8am on Friday, and he said this is
likely to continue until Sunday, February 6th. The Isla Mujeres tour
providers were allowed to work in the bay near el Farito and in the
lagoon area, although with the lower temperatures and strong winds there
was no demand. The Puerto Juarez tour providers weren't allowed to
provide tours because crossing the bay would endanger their passengers.
Suspension of classes during Carnaval
Beneficiará a fiestas carnestolendas
La suspensión de clases
Lanrry PARRA
ISLA MUJERES, 5 de febrero.-
ISLA MUJERES, 5 de febrero.-
Classes are suspended on Monday, Feb. 8 and Tuesday, Feb. 9 for the celebration of Carnaval, which was a late announcement after it had previously been announced that classes would not be suspended. The Director of Culture, Ruben Perez Martin, said they will continue to follow the established schedule. He said the suspension will allow greater participation by whole families, and the young people won't need to worry about the late nights.
Announcement of the suspension was made Thursday night by the SEyC (Ministry of Education and Culture), as a result of their negotiations with the educational workers union. The strong winds brought a slight drop in temperatures on Friday, which didn't cause absences among the students. They will return to school on Wednesday, February 10th.
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The City of Isla Mujeres, via the Social Development Department, advised the beneficiaries of the program PAL WITHOUT HUNGER that they can visit the DICONSA store located at the mercado market in colonia Canotal between 8am and 4pm, to redeem their items, with Monday, Feb. 8, as the deadline.
El Ayuntamiento de Isla Mujeres a través de la Dirección de Desarrollo Social informa a los beneficiados del programa PAL SIN HAMBRE, que pueden pasar a la tienda Diconsa ubicada en el mercado de la colonia Cañotal, de 8 de la mañana a 4 de la tarde, a canjear sus productos, teniendo como fecha límite el lunes 8 de febrero.
Classes are suspended on February 8 & 9
Les recordamos que este 8 y 9 de febrero se suspenden las labores en las escuelas.
Saturday: Cuban night for Carnaval Isla Mujeres 2016. Don't miss it!
Noche cubana en el Carnaval Isla Mujeres 2016 ¡No te lo puedes perder!
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From Tvisla Mujeres ( link to photos & articles)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From por esto Link to their Isla Mujeres articles & photos
Dive shop owners met with authorities
Se reúnen buzos con autoridades. [+] Ver mas
Dive shop owners expressed confidence that local authorities will address any irregularities, after they expressed their concerns about foreigners, who they allege are violating many regulations, causing unfair competition, according to Raymundo Fernandez Ferral, president of the Diver's Association "Actun-ha". They are asking for intervention from Immigration, the Ministry of Labor, the City government, and the state government of Quintana Roo.
Dive shops have arrived in Isla Mujeres which are part of a chain of shops belonging to foreigners, already operating in Mexico, mostly in Playa de Carmen. According to divers, they already have at least three subsidiaries in Isla Mujeres, competing for tourists seeking underwater activities and tours to the whale sharks, whose season begins in May.
Sr. Fernandez said these companies have sufficient financial and human resources to offer the same services they provide for visitors, after their hard work, sacrifice, and tenacity has enabled them to attract and retain clients over time. He said their source of work is threatened by these outside companies coming into town and competing unfairly, and he is confident the authorities will respond to their concerns.
Telmex execs meet with hoteliers
Reclamo de hoteleros a Telmex. [+] Ver mas
Executives from Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex) met with hoteliers of the Asociación de Pequeños Hoteles Fascinantes de Isla Mujeres (APHFIM) on Thursday at the hotel Bahia Chac Chi to discuss developments of projects to improve Internet services. The executives said the installation of another antenna, in addition to the existing one, is scheduled for February 15, which will instantly improve services for customers downtown; doubling and even tripling the average speeds of the Internet. In March, these improvements will be implemented for the rest of the island. Regarding the installation of fiber optics, they said that project is still pending, and gave no specific dates.
The vice president of the hotel association, Gerardo Magana Barragon, advised the executives to consider improving the infrastructure for the tourists who only visit for the day, and also require good internet service, while increasing the load on the network, which affects the customers who stay for longer periods during the winter season. He also recommended they open a customer service office in Isla Mujeres, because it is inconvenient to go to Cancun to resolve problems.
The president of the hotel association, Leonel Povedano Castillo, said that quality Internet service is very important. He said it is a basic service that is now demanded by hotel customers, and they cannot compete when there is a deficiency, because if guests are not satisfied they will seek other options, such as vacation rental homes. He said these homes do not meet the minimum requirements for safety and lack Civil Protection's approval, but they can provide better internet service because it is shared between fewer customers, compared to a hotel.
Sr Povedano advised members of the association to verify that their information is correct, because after February 15, the company will be conducting diagnostic visits associated with these improvements in service, in order to identify any gaps in the internal or external wiring of the small hotels.
Names and titles of the Telmex executives are given.
Carnaval begins in poor weather
Inicia el carnaval bajo clima adverso. [+] Ver mas
The kings and queens of Carnaval Isla Mujeres 2016 were crowned on the Town Square stage on Friday night, amid weather that was poor, but better than expected, and before an audience of hundreds of tourists and residents who braved the weather to enjoy the festivities. The Mayor, Agapito Magana Sanchez, and his wife ,Marthy Vargas León de Magaña, who is president of the DIF social service agency, crowned the Queen and King: Darcy Dannae Magaña Cahuich, Darcy I, and Jesús Alberto Beristain Carrillo, Beristain I.
During the evening, the other Kings and Queens were crowned,including the senior citizen King and Queen and the children's King and Queen. There were dance troupe performances by various groups, and a special presentation by the young singer Jomal.
Saturday is "Cuban Night" and will include dances by various troupes. On Sunday, the beach carnaval parade will go from the monument by the Naval base to the Posada Beach. Other activities on Sunday include "Fantasy Night", and the costume contests for children and for pets. Monday is "Regional Night", which is one of the islands most beautiful and vibrant traditions, and there will be dance troupe performances, the costume contest for adults, and a spectacular (comedy) show by Manu Nani y sus Estrellas. To close the festival in a grand style, on Fat Tuesday, there will be a presentation of the dance troupes, and the burning of Juan Carnaval, and reading of his will, a wry event.
Half empty beaches
Playas lucieron semivacías [+] Ver mas
Feb 6...
For the second day, the beaches remained half empty due to cool and overcast weather, which threatened to rain, caused by Cold Front #35. There were not many tourists visiting for the day, and those who did preferred to tour the island. There were no problems with security during the cool spell, except for the arrest of a local youth near the Naval housing on Friday. He had a high powered motorcycle and was in the company of a youth, and was taken into custody by the municipal police, led by the Chief, Joaquin Poot Acost, after appearing to be looking for a "bag" on the sidewalk. No information was given.
Drag Racing
Foreigners who spend their winters on the island are complaining about motorcycle races in the late hours of the night, and complaining they are unable to sleep due to the noise. They want the traffic police to intervene to stop the noise and to prevent any potential accidents. The races occur on a 400 meter stretch from from the skate park to the Guadalupe chapel in colonia Salina Chica; and on a stretch along the coastal road by the colonia Guadalupana to the southern part of the island.
Forecast
The effects of cold front 37 are expected to be felt on Tuesday in northern Quintana Roo, with improved weather on Sunday and Monday, because #36 will be dissipate before then, according to the forecast of the National Water Commission (CONAGUA). Small boats remained restricted from navigation on Saturday.
Yesterday....
Allegations of foreigners operating illegally
Extranjeros operan ilegalmente. [+] Ver mas
This information about the dive shop owners meeting with authorities has already been translated. In addition it notes that they want intervention from the National Migration Institute, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, and the Ministry of Tourism to curb the advance of "piracy" as they call it. Specific names and details were given to the authorities by members of the diver's organization, including the president, Raymundo Fernández Ferral; the secretary, Misael Fernández; and the treasurer, Antonio González.
The first reports of these problems began in 2012, from various dive shop owners, when various foreigners were working downtown. During last whale shark season, several people observed that it had gotten to the point where there were two foreigners in a boat, which is not allowed by the regulations. In January, 2013, a complaint about unfair competition was made by properly registered Ariel Barandica Rosas, asking authorities to intervene in the problem of competition with dive shops. He said, "Several foreigners have invaded into this activity which we do, lacking proper permits, and therefore not paying the taxes, which we pay." (I don't know who they are referring to, but there's a woman who was working on the whale shark tours who looks and sounds like a foreigner, but was born in Mexico, in Isla Mujeres.)
Lack of activity on beaches
Nula actividad en las playas+] Ver mas
The lack of many people visiting the beaches was due to the winds from the north caused by Cold Front #35, which reduced in strength in the afternoon, but continued, indicating the port would probably remain closed for small boats on Saturday. At 1pm on Friday, the Harbor Master allowed boats to navigate near el Farito, Sac Bajo, and the lagoon area.
Farewell Mass for those going to see the Pope
Misa de despedida para ver al Papa.. [+] Ver mas
This has the same information as translated above, noting that there were more than 120 Catholics planning to travel to different locations for the first visit of Pope Francisco to Mexico, of whom ~50 are going to Tuxtla Gutierrez in Chiapas; ~50 are going to Ecatepec in the state of Mexico, and 28 are going to Rome.
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Photos from Carnaval yesterday by Bruce Roberts...
This group danced in our neighborhood. For many of their performances, they split into two groups, with one group changing costumes, while the other danced. Each group had about five costumes. The transformations were almost as fascinating as the dancing. The theme for Carnaval Isla Mujeres 2016 is “El Escenario del Mundo” (The World Stage or Scenes of the World). They performed dances from around the world, with costumes to match, beginning with an Aztec (Maya?) ceremony, and including one from India that looked like a scene from a Bollywood movie (second photo)
Later in the afternoon, we took a friend to Bobo's and were perched in the tall chairs at street-side, when various troupes began arriving and taking turns performing, right in front of us! It was unexpected, but we were prepared with beads to share and pesos to spare. A wonderful surprise!
Those women in the second photo had lovely, complicated embroidery on their outfits (and a great attitude!)
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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 or hop on the bus. We also have room for 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. Stroll five minutes southward down the coastal sidewalk to Mango Cafe, Bahama Mama, Brisas, or Manolitos. Walk less than 10 minutes southwest to shop at Chedraui or to dine at Green Verde, Kash Kechen Chuc, or other options. Visit marinas, bars, & beach clubs that are minutes away by bike or on foot. Our guests recommend the 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.
February events
Sunset ~6:30
Moonrise over the Caribbean
Feb. 22, Monday: 6:57 (Full Moon, sunset 6:50)
Feb. 23, Tuesday: 7:47
Feb. 24, Wednesday: 8:37
Feb. 25, Thursday: 9:25
Feb. 26, Friday: 10:14
Feb. 27, Saturday: 11:03
Feb. 28, Sunday: 11:52
Sunday, Jan. 31
Pescadores vs Cockteleros at 1pm at the El Pescador baseball field for the Winter Technical League
Feb. 1, Monday Day off for Constitution Day
Feb. 2 Candlemas If there was a plastic baby in your piece of Rosca (King's cake) on Dia de los Reyes (Kings Day Jan. 6), you're expected to provide tamales today for the friends who shared the cake with you. Link to info about Candlemas.
Announcement of the activities to commemorate World Wetlands Day.
Feb. 2, Tuesday 6pm Casa de Cultura "The Importance of Wetlands" Conference
Feb. 3, Wednesday 9am-11:30 am Clean Up Adult volunteers needed to assist & supervise the students. Wear closed shoes, hats, comfy clothing
Meeting place is the Bicentennial Dome in colonia La Gloria
February 4, Thursday Artist Fair 4-9 Outside the Casa de Cultura
Carnaval is February 5-9
Feb. 5, FRIDAY: GALA NIGHT Town Square 8pm
Coronations of the Carnaval King & Queen, the Senior Citizen King & Queen, and the King & Queen with Disabilities. Dance Troupe Performances. Special performance by the young singer Jomal.
Feb. 6, SATURDAY: CUBAN NIGHT Town Square 8pm
Dance Troupe Performances (Including RDS)
Dancing by Residents & Tourists to Music of the Band "Rebelde"
Rueda Medina & Posada Beach aka Playa Centro Live Music
FANTASY NIGHT Town Square 8pm
Costume Contests for Children & for Pets
Performance by Eduardo Togi
MONDAY: CARNAVAL Town Square 8pm
Dance Troupe (Regional Night) Performances, Adult Costume Contest
Comedy with Nani Namu & Stars
TUESDAY: CARNAVAL Town Square 8pm
Dance Troupe Performances (including RDS), Burning of Juan Carnaval & Reading of His Will
The theme for Carnaval Isla Mujeres 2016 is “El Escenario del Mundo” (The World Stage or Scenes of the World). Ten dance troupes are registered. The theme song is “Calor, Pasión, Mucha Diversión”.This article says Monday is Regional Night/Noche Regional LINK.
For more information, visit the social network sites of the Ayuntamiento (City government) LINK or go to the Casa de la Cultura, Av. Guerrero at the intersection with Abasolo, tel.: 8 770767
For more information, visit the social network sites of the Ayuntamiento (City government) LINK or go to the Casa de la Cultura, Av. Guerrero at the intersection with Abasolo, tel.: 8 770767
Feb. 8 & 9 No School (for Carnaval)
Feb. 10 Ash Wednesday
Feb. 11 Thursday, Naval Wives Monthly Breakfast Benefit (For Naval Hospital) 9am Naval Club
Feb. 13 & 14, Sat & Sun, Salina Chica Futbol Rapido Lightning Tournament
Feb 13-21 National Artisanal Fair Pabellón Nacional Artesanal
Feb. 14 Valentine's Day
Feb. 24 Flag Day
Every Tuesday and Thursday: Free spay/neuter clinic (Isla Animals)
Consults 100p, Vaccines: parvo & distemper 50p, flea & tick meds 20p, wormer 10p. Helpers always welcome! Isla Animals, Mundaca Hacienda, 10am-4pm (No food morning of surgery/water ok)
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