ISLA MUJERES DAILY NEWS & EVENTS: Isla Mujeres Daily News & Events Tuesday, April 19

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!

Anastacia FB pages where updates will be posted

https://www.facebook.com/TheMissingAnastacia/?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/groups/rescueanastacia/

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From Noticias de Diario de Quintana Roo ....

link to their Isla articles & photos

Police surprise Cubans trying to board the ferry: 12 balseros in custody

Policías municipales los soprenden cuando intentaban abordar una embarcación

Lanrry PARRA

ISLA MUJERES, 18 de abril.-

Leer más..Photo & full article at this link.

According to municipal police, on Monday, April 18, around 4am, they received a report about a group of people behaving oddly, who intended to board the Ultramar passenger ferry. The police immediately went to the Maritime Terminal of Isla Mujeres, and arrived as these people were disbanding. First, the police took eight Cubans into custody at the terminal, and they detained four more on the Town Square. After questioning the 12 Cubans, it was learned there were apparently a total of 13 balseros, but one escaped and his whereabouts are unknown.

The Cubans said their boat capsized, after sailing it from Cuba, and several of them nearly drowned, but they did not give more details. They said they left Cuba on Tuesday, April 12, and that the journey was long and difficult, and that they had run out of food and water. However, their physical condition and health appeared unaffected. At least one of them wore a shirt with a logo from a restaurant-bar on Hidalgo in Isla Mujeres, which indicates that someone had prepared them to go unnoticed among the people, so they could board the ferry and successfully leave the island for Cancun, where someone was possibly waiting for them.

Meanwhile, along the coast of Isla Mujeres, there was no evidence or traces of any flimsy boat similar to those used by Cuban balseros. It is very strange no one knows how they arrived on the island. The Cubans taken into custody are: Luis Alberto Vidal Francia, de 37 años de edad; Delvis Díaz Rosa, de 45 años; Dayvel Rivera Alonso, de 33 años; Javier Antonio Reyes Rodríguez, de 23 años; Eleazar Díaz Rivero, de 26 años; Rolando Medina Fernandez, 29 años; Yurisel Pupo Licea, de 27 años; Raúl Hernández Hernández, de 26 años; Daniel González López, de 34 años; Israel Mantilla Estenoz, de 41 años; Rubén López Rivas, de 23 años, and Mario Ríos Fuentes, de 27 años.

Rain caused puddles in the streets

Agarró a todos desprevenidos

Lanrry PARRA

ISLA MUJERES, 18 de abril.-

Leer más..Photo & full article at this link.

On Monday, large puddles formed in various parts of the island after it rained at least three times. These puddles occurred downtown and in the colonia neighborhoods, annoying the tourists and residents who had to drive around them. The threat of rain, especially after 3pm, disrupted activities at the local beaches.

There was sunshine for a few hours, but tourists prefer to go to the beaches around noon, and at 3pm there was an increasing threat of rain, which disrupted beach activities. The poor weather discouraged swimmers, who preferred to walk around the edge of the beach and to go to the commercial area. Today, tourism activities were decreased, compared to yesterday when there was a great deal of sun and activity at the beach.

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From the Municipal Facebook site..... ( FB page link)

Este 22 de abril celebremos juntos el ‪#‎DíaMundialDeLaTierra‬ economizando la energía.

On April 22, together we will celebrate ‪#‎díamundialdelatierra‬ saving energy.

Participa este 20, 21 y 22 de mayo en el Torneo Internacional de Pesca Cosme Alberto Martínez Magaña.

Participate in the International Fishing Tournament Cosme Alberto Martínez Magaña on May 20, 21 and 22

#‎VisitaIslaMujeres‬ y disfruta de un hermoso mar cristalino.
‪#‎PuebloMágico‬

‪#‎Visitaislamujeres‬ Visit Isla Mujeres and enjoy the beautiful crystal clear waters.
‪

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From Tvisla Mujeres ( link to photos & articles)

Wives of the missing fishermen seeking cell phone records of their last calls
http://www.tvislamujeres.com.mx/…/esposas-de-pescadores-de…/

Virginia Barbosa Ojeda, the wife of missing fisherman Rubicel Pech Ceme, said they are overwhelmed and exhausted after so many days waiting for news. It has been 18 days since the Anastacia and its crew disappeared, and the families continue to wait and hope for news. All possibilities remain open, since up to this time there has been no evidence of the men or the boat. One of the family members said, "Today, no boats went out to search, and it is expected that one or two will go out tomorrow, depending on the meeting that will be held this afternoon."
    Sadly, at this time there has been no news, however they are beginning to hear many versions that they could be alive at sea. (muchas versiones de lo que ellos pudieron haber vivido en la mar)
She said that at this point, they are trying to be prepared to receive any kind of news, but these doubts need put out of mind for now, because so far, no one knows anything about them.
       She said, "There has been talk of various calls and messages from their phones, one of which involves a lawyer, but we don't understand exactly what that is about." ("Se hablo inclusive de varias llamadas y mensajes realizados desde sus telefonos, uno de ellos inclusive que involucra a un abogado, pero no sabemos con claridad que sucedio con ellos). She said in order to find out more about this possibility, they want to find out the last calls and messages that were made from their telephone numbers.

Twelve more Cubans taken into custody and turned over to Immigration
http://www.tvislamujeres.com.mx/…/doce-cubanos-mas-son-ase…/

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From por esto Link to their Isla Mujeres articles & photos

12 undocumented Cubans taken into custody
Aseguran a doce cubanos indocumentados.. [+] Ver mas Photo & full article at link
On Monday around 4am, a group of 12 undocumented Cubans were taken into custody by municipal police while they were waiting to board the ferry crossing to Puerto Juarez. It was obvious that they were wet and had sand on their bodies, from swimming some meters to the beach after their boat sank. They said they had sailed the waters of the Caribbean for a week, after departing from Havana, Cuba in an attempt to reach Florida, in the United States.
   While they waited for three hours for the Immigration agents, one said, "We focused on the Isla Mujeres lighthouse when water was entering the boat, and we were bailing water (?achicándolo) for quite a while."
      The Cubans were given a medical assessment at the police station, and it was reported that they were mildly dehydrated, and there was little effect from the sun on their bodies. One said, "We are in good health. We had a good quantity of food for several days." However, after police procedures were completed, they admitted that they were hungry, and a supportive family member (of the police, presumably) brought them some fruit and biscuits (crackers/cookies) to eat while they waited for the Immigration agents to arrive. Shortly before noon, they were taken to Puerto Juarez by the Navy to continue with Immigration procedures.
       They explained that they had left Havana seven days ago, heading south of that island, where the natural elements moved them into the Yucatan Channel. One said, "We were lost and did not know we were in Mexico. There were strong winds and currents that caused us to lose our way." When they arrived on the island, the first thing they did was ask some tourists and tourism service providers how to leave the island. Then they went to the Maritime Terminal, where there was a young man from Chiapas, Luis Miguel Núñez Sánchez, 18, who was drunk, who said, "I was just waiting there for my taxi". He gave directions to the group, and he was also taken into custody by the police, but he wasn't jailed. It was expected that he would be released after giving a statement.
           The Cubans taken into custody were all from Havana, and they are: Luis Ramón Castillo Fuentes, Delvis Díaz Rosa, Luis Alberto Vid de Froncia, Raúl Hernández Hernández, Rolando Medina Fernández, Javier Antonio Reyes Rodríguez, Daniel González López, Yuriseli Pupo Licea, Eliezer Díaz Alvero, Rubén López Ríos, Daibel Rivera Alonzo, Israel Mantilla Estenoz.
       On of them said this was his third attempt to leave Cuba, and that he would come back after returning to Cuba, to seek better opportunities. Another said he had recently spent several days in Chetumal for these same immigration procedures. The undocumented Cubans said their group had been bigger, composed of more than 30 people, and one said there were about 40 of them. It has been rumored that undocumented immigrants have been arriving on the island for two decades. Some of them communicate with their friends and family in the US to let them know what happened to them in Isla Mujeres.
        A source with the Port Authority said in order to determine the fate of the capsized balsero boat, they would investigate near the chain of rocks parallel to Isla Blanca. The official said, "If the boat sank, as the Cuban said it did, it would have been dragged north along the seabed or in the water, depending on its ability to float."

Three weeks & no clues
Tres semanas y no hay pista.. [+] Ver mas Photo & full article at link
     Three weeks after five Isla Mujeres fishermen were lost, their families remain hopeful that they will be found, and the public continues to offer support to finance part of the search operation. The Harbor Master, Ismael Gonzalez Gil, said he was informed by a family spokesperson regarding the plane flying over the Belize border, searching near the Sian Ka'an Biosphere. He said the plane would resume flying over the southern part of Quintana Roo on Tuesday.
The Naval fleet which serves the southern part of the state is also involved in the search, with the search intensifying in the midst of special circumstances, with efforts to meet this crisis. (? en medio de una circunstancia especial en que se ha extendido la búsqueda por la intensidad y esfuerzo de la sociedad para atender esta emergencia.)
      There were no search efforts on Saturday and Sunday, but on Friday there were flights over southern Quintana Roo. The whereabouts crew of the 33 foot boat "Anastacia" were last known on March 30, when they went fishing north of Cozumel. The crew is : Jorge Fernando de la O. Avalos “Pipis” (captain), Marco Antonio Bardales Pastrana “Vampiro”, Alfonso Jiménez Torres “Chatilly”, Rusel Pech Cemé “Curro” and Humberto Constantino Ordaz “Beto”.
      The search began on April 1, over the entire Gulf of Mexico and part of the Caribbean, when coastal boats began searching the coasts of Quintana Roo, as well as official and private planes. The search moved to areas that are farther away, without success. The specialists have explained that within the Gulf there are various minor currents of water that form, as well as the strong current of the Yucatan Channel, which very well may have sent them directly toward Florida. Also, it is possible to loop back near the Grand Cayman's; therefore it is beneficial to search the Quintana Roo coastal area.
On Monday, containers for collecting money were in place at various stores, and efforts to fund part of the search continue. The labels on the containers have photos of the missing men, and they say, "A day without news is a day with hope." (“Un día sin noticias, es un día con esperanza”).

Young women's basketball team going to the National Olympiad
Femenil de baloncesto, a la Olimpiada Nacionald.. [+] Ver mas Photo & full article at link
     In the final minutes of a tense game, the young women's basketball team of Isla Mujeres beat the Cancun team 36-38 and won the honor to represent the state of Quintana Roo in the regional competition, which will be held in Tabasco May 5-8. One of the coaches said, "This is the first time in many years that a women's basketball team from Isla Mujeres has qualified for the regional competition of the National Olympiad". In the previous games of these state finals, the Isla Mujeres team beat Cozumel 40-20 and they won against the team from Chetumal with a score of 57-35.
       There was an immediate response to the news by basketball fans, who went to the Maritime Terminal to greet the players and congratulate them.

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Kitchen in a large studio. (Sur & Norte are identical)

Kitchenette in small room, Medio. There's a table & chairs across from it & a double bed.

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.

Large studio (Norte), I'm standing in the kitchen. A queen & single bed.

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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.

April events

Sunset ~7p
Moon rise over the Caribbean
April 21 6:54pm
April 22 7:44pm Full Moon
April 23    8:33pm
April 24    9:24pm
April 25   10:14pm
April 26   11:04pm
April 27    11:54pm

Every Tuesday & Thursday at 10am: Sergio's Batik class. ~3 hours long. 400p includes materials.
Kid's classes every other Saturday at 12:30: March 26, April 9 and April 23.

To reach the classroom enter the doors shown in the photo & go through the building, into the courtyard. His classroom is on the right. If this front door is locked, go left around the side of the building to the back/seaside and enter the courtyard from there. LINK to FB page w photos & more info

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)

April 7, Thursday 4-9p Casa de Cultura: Artist Fair (Last of the season)

April 7, Thursday at 6:30pm on the Town Square, in a "Sesion Ordinaria" (That usually means a regular session of the City Council) the Music Trova (repertoire) of Isla Mujeres will officially be declared a part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the state of Quintana Roo.
It doesn't mention if there will be a performance, but since it is happening on the Town Square rather than inside the Town Hall, that seems like a possibility.