Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Isla Mujeres Daily News & Events Wednesday, April 29




  Here's the webcam LINK, which also has time lapse of the past 24 hours.
Join the 11,000 followers of Isla Mujeres News & Events on Facebook for more photos, videos, events & updates  
 SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS MONTH'S EVENTS SCHEDULE!
~Please visit our sponsors~
email: info@mvcisla.com

 Other sites we host: Isla Mujeres History on Facebook & Website 


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Isla Mujeres now has 3 active cases and 1 recovered for a total of four.
On April 29th, Q. Roo reports 711 positive cases with 109 deaths, 211 under study, and 362 recovered. Cancun reports 531 cases with 74 deaths and 286 recovered.


.Santa Ana's fake legs were captured by US troops in the Mexican-American war & one was used as a baseball bat. The other is still on display as a trophy in an Illinois museum (where it was fictionally stolen in an episode of "King of the Hill").
He'd lost his left leg in the Pastry War, when France invaded Mexico over unpaid loans & an offended baker with the King's ear. Although Mexico was defeated, Santa Ana parlayed his loss into another presidency (his total was 11), and threw a state funeral for the leg.
Broken promises from the Pastry War led to France invading Mexico for a second time. Mexico lost that war & was ruled by the French empire for five and a half years, but first they kicked France's butt in Puebla. And that's why Americans will be drinking Mexican beer on Tuesday.
WHAT??

A Story About Cinco de Mayo, The Pastry War & Santa Ana's Lost Leg
Usually, historical accounts are chronological, but let's start with the familiar part of this story, "Cinco de Mayo", a popular holiday in the US, that receives little recognition in Mexico, except in Puebla.
CINCO DE MAYO
May 5th is the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla against the French in 1862. Although the outnumbered soldiers of Mexico won this battle, they lost the war against the French. The conflict began after Mexico was unable to pay debts owed to France, Spain & Great Britain, because it was broke after warring with the US (1846-48) & an internal Civil War (1858-61).
In late 1861, ~10,000 European soldiers invaded, landing in Veracruz. The other two countries quickly withdrew, but Napoleon III wanted to take control of Mexico while the US was too busy with its Civil War to enforce the Monroe Doctrine. Emperor Maximilian ruled over Mexico until 1867.
THE PASTRY WAR
That wasn't the first time France invaded Mexico over unpaid debts. The "Pastry War" was caused by unpaid loans from the 1836 Texas Revolution, but it was sparked when Mexico's Congress rejected exaggerated demands for compensation by a French pastry chef. His bakery had been looted by Mexican soldiers ten years earlier, during the chaos following the country's independence from Spain. The baker took his complaint to the King of France, demands were made, and refused.
In late 1838, the French Navy blockaded Mexico's Gulf seaports from Yucatan to the Rio Grande, and then invaded, seizing Veracruz. Mexico declared war on France and ordered the conscription of all men who could bear arms. French marines captured most of the Mexican Navy. Santa Anna came out of retirement to rally a small army, who temporarily ousted the French, sending them back to their ships. Santa Ana's horse was shot from under him and doctors amputated his left leg.
The French promptly retook Veracruz, but withdrew a few months later, after the Mexican government agreed to pay 600,000 pesos. This was never paid, and was used as a justification for France's invasion a couple decades later, in 1861.
SANTA ANA'S LEG
When the Pastry War began in late 1838, former President Santa Ana was in forced retirement at his Veracruz hacienda. He had returned to Mexico in disgrace after his humiliating surrender at the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, when he signed a treaty granting independence to the Republic of Texas in exchange for his return to Veracruz.
The loss of his left leg battling the French in the Pastry War earned him redemption in the eyes of his countrymen. When he became President again in 1842, he celebrated by exhuming his leg in Veracruz & having it brought to Mexico City in its own coach. It was given an elaborate state funeral, with cannons and poems, and buried under a monument. When he lost power in 1844, an angry mob dug it up and dragged it through the streets of Mexico City until nothing was left, chanting "Death to the Cripple", and he went into exile.
Although Santa Ana called himself the "Napoleon of the West", he could also be considered a "Comeback Kid", since he gained and lost control of the Mexican presidency a total of eleven times.
In 1846, the one-legged general was called back into service in the Mexican-American war. In 1847, during a battle outside Veracruz, Santa Ana was on a lunch break when he had to make a hasty escape from an attack by an infantry unit from Illinois. He escaped on a horse, leaving his prosthetic leg behind in his carriage, which was captured as a trophy. It now resides in the Illinois State Military Museum at the state's capitol (and has toured various county fairs). Both Mexico and Texas have made requests for the leg, which have been denied. A second, simpler "peg leg" was also captured by the soldiers, who reportedly used it as a baseball bat. It is displayed in another Illinois museum, after being rediscovered in the home of a former Illinois governor who served in the regiment.
During his exile in the 1850's, Santa Ana introduced chewing gum to the United States, which eventually had a tremendous impact on the economy of this region, but that's another story.
Written by Ronda Winn Roberts of Maravilla Caribe Bed & Beach & Isla Mujeres History
Photo credit-Lane Christiansen, Chicago Tribune. Trophy leg made of wood & cork. It was also featured in a "King of the Hill" cartoon in 1998.

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  This blog is brought to you by....

MaraVilla Caribe   Bed & Beach    Four rentals with large glass doors overlooking our white sand beach and the beautiful Caribbean sea, with  kitchenettes & fast WIFI. In the upscale neighborhood of  Bachilleres, convenient to downtown or the colonias, yet separate.  Quiet & Private.   
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 out of the pic at left.

"Reverse Sunset" (looking east from MVC)
Free amenities include hammocks, portable beach chairs, beach towels, washer & dryer, loungers, shared bikes, BBQ grill, and safes.  Panoramic views from the rooftop terrace. Large sliding doors open to a patio & the white sand backyard-beach, overlooking the Caribbean sea.  Downtown is  ~ a mile away; we're on all four bus routes or  flag a $3 taxi. Off street parking. You can enjoy the music & crowds downtown, then return to the quiet neighborhood of Bachilleres and  sleep to the sounds of the sea.$275/$325/$425 wk   $40/50/$65nt  Monthly Discounts
Fine dining a few steps away at Da Luisa or try the neighborhood eateries a couple blocks farther. We provide a list of links & direction to over 20 eateries within ten minutes walk, including Mango Cafe,  Mike's Pizza, Brisas, Rosa Sirena, Coco Jaguar, Manolitos, La Chatita, Green Verde, Kash Kechen Chuc, and the large department store-grocery Chedraui & the local craft brewery.  Visit marinas, bars, & beach clubs that are minutes away by bike or on foot. Attend Yoga classes a couple villas away at Casa Ixchel. Fresh juice, produce & tortillas a few blocks away in the village, as well as a variety of other stores.
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Full moon rising over the Caribbean 
 Just after Sunset--May 7  7:46 (sets 7:15p)
May 8      8:51  
May 9      9:55
May 10   10:55
May 11    11:50

 Sunset  7:12-7:25pm (beginning vs end of month)
Sunrise  6:16--6:05am
Painting by Pamela Haase at MVC

Turtles begin mating and nesting in May. They can be observed mating offshore from Punta Sur during this month, and they nest along the eastern beaches. Tortugranja staff and volunteers gather the eggs and incubate them in the sand in a pen outside the facility. The Protection season officially begins May 15, but Tortugranja staff usually begin checking for nests at the beginning of the month. Three species nest annually in Isla Mujeres, Greens, Loggerheads, and Hawksbills, and very rarely, a Leatherback will attempt to nest, but generally the sand isn't sufficiently deep.

The season for swimming with the whale sharks normally begins on May 15th, which ends annually in mid-September. They congregate and feed on a 'buffet' of plankton and fish eggs from a type of tuna. Rays are also attracted to the feeding areas.  Photos by Tony Garcia

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks before dawn on May 5th, but can be seen during the early hours (starting ~3a nightly) from mid-April thru mid-May. The longest "windows" to see them as they near peaking are the wee hours Friday & Saturday nights, May 1st & 2nd (which are the mornings of Sat & Sun). They peak as the moon is approaching fullness. On May 5th it sets at 4:55a, so will be low on the western horizon, while the radiant point is in the east. You don't need to focus on the radiant, because you may miss the meteors that create the longest bright streaks flying across the sky. This shower is caused by debris from Halley's comet. 

During May, the climate changes 
 Although May is the hottest month in the neighboring state of Yucatan, here on the coast, the hottest months begin in June. In May the "Perceived Temperature" (thin line above the others) begins to rise, as the humidity increases and the rainy season begins as the month progresses. We've been in dry season since November-December, and late April & early May are when firefighters are busy across the Peninsula fighting brush fires. There are ~13+ hours of daylight in May & humidity increases from 92% to 99% as the month progresses. Water temperatures are 81-82 degrees. 


Source: Weather Spark
Source: Weather Spark


Source: Climates to Travel
A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation. In CancĂșn, the chance of a wet day over the course of May is very rapidly increasing, starting the month at 14% and ending it at 36%.
For reference, the year's highest daily chance of a wet day is 52% on September 27, and its lowest chance is 12% on March 22.   Source: Weather Spark
Source: Weather Spark
 
Source: Weather Spark



Friday, May 1  Labor Day  Official Holiday with offices closed. 

May 3 Dia de la Cruz, a holiday celebrated by construction workers in Mexico, and is associated with St Helena (Elena in Spanish). Normally, crosses are placed atop construction projects, and crews take a break to pray and eat together, with food & drink supplied by the owner.


May 5  "Cinco de Mayo" Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla against the French in 1862.
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May 10 Mother's Day

The Events section will resume when there are public events scheduled.

Sources for Weather Information:
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
 LINK to GOES East Band 16 GIF (animation)
LINK to a private weather station on Isla Mujeres

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Isla Mujeres Daily News & Events Tuesday, April 28




  Here's the webcam LINK, which also has time lapse of the past 24 hours.
Join the 11,000 followers of Isla Mujeres News & Events on Facebook for more photos, videos, events & updates  
 SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS MONTH'S EVENTS SCHEDULE!
~Please visit our sponsors~
email: info@mvcisla.com

 Other sites we host: Isla Mujeres History on Facebook & Website 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rain?! (It's dry season & has been a long while since it rained.) The National Weather Service forecast: Cold front #57 will extend over the Yucatan Peninsula, in a process of dissipation, causing heavy rain in Chiapas and intermittent showers in Yucatan and Quintana Roo. The morning & early afternoon have been sunny, with a few scattered clouds & a little more overcast/hazy in the later afternoon.
Graphic-Corriente en chorro=Jet stream, Viento fuerte=Strong winds, Linea seca=Dry line, B=Low pressure, A=High pressure.

The municipal DIF (social service agency) received a donation of 300 dispensas/grocery-staples from Hotel Belo, which they will distribute to vulnerable members of the community, house-by-house.

Banamex is closed until Thursday for disinfecting.

This morning from MVC Bed & Beach...
#1 Spectacular pre-sunrise
#2 Trying to break thru
#3 Sunrise!



TUESDAY-There have been 47 more cases in Q Roo since yesterday, of which 37 were in Cancun. So far, the state has done a total of 1506 tests, of which 46.3% have been positive and 53.7% have been negative.
On April 28, Quintana Roo reports 697 positive cases of Covid-19 with 91 deaths, 166 under study, and 312 recuperated. There are 150 hospitalized and 144 in social isolation. Isla Mujeres continues to have on active case & one recovered case.  Benito Juarez (Cancun) has 523 cases with 56 deaths and 240 recuperated.

MONDAY--In two days, 100 more cases have been reported in Q.Roo, of which 79 were in Cancun. Since last Monday, the number of deaths statewide have increased from 32 to 85 (+165%) with a rate of 1 per 7.6 cases.
On April 27, Quintana Roo reports 650 positive cases with 85 deaths, 124 under study, and 184 recuperated. There are 156 hospitalized and 215 in social isolation. Isla Mujeres continues to have one active and one recuperated case. Benito Juarez (Cancun) reports 486 cases with 53 deaths and 122 recuperated.

SUNDAY--Q Roo reported its largest increase in cases today, with an additional 53 since yesterday, of which 40 are in Cancun. Isla Mujeres has one active case and one recovered case. Last week, the number of deaths statewide doubled (30 to 60), with another 19 so far this week. The death rate statewide is 1 in 7.6 positive cases and for Cancun it's 1 in 8.8
On April 26, Quintana Roo reports 603 positives with 79 deaths, 66 under study, and 179 recuperated. There are 140 hospitalized and 205 in social isolation. In Benito Juarez (Cancun) there are 447 positives with 51 deaths and 119 recuperated.



Monday's sunrise...

little yellow school house
"These are Strange Days for sure, the school made and delivered 300 Hamburgers to some of the vulnerable on Isla Mujeres. It is an opportunity to show the same love and care the school provides to this community. It also allows an opportunity to check on families of previous students to the school and some of the forgotten families on the island. This post is not meant to bring attention to the good works of anyone, but to demonstrate the level of commitment the school has for its community. If you want help in any way we welcome you to contact us directly."

In National news~~SEDENA (Ministry of National Defense) is seeking medical personnel for hospitals to treat patients with Covid-19. They are seeking:
-Specialist doctors, for a salary of 35,773 pesos/month
-General doctors, for 22,969 p/mo
-Specialist nurses, for 20,969 p/mo
-Laboratory & X-ray techs for 15,000 p/mo.
Working 6 days a week, that's $25-$65usd/day.
Five day weeks would be $30 to $78/day.
SALARIES IN DOLLARS:
15,000 is ~$650usd or ~$150/wk for lab/Xray techs.
21,000 is ~$900usd or ~$210/wk for specialty nurses
23,000 is~$1000usd or ~$225/wk for general doctors
35,800 is ~$1550usd or ~$390/wk for specialty doctors


Staff with ZOFEMAT (Federal Zone agency), the municipal Department of Civil Protection, and officers with the municipal police department continue to patrol and monitor the beaches on the island and in the Continental Zone to prevent the presence of people in these public areas, in response to the health situation caused by Covid-19, particularly now that the pandemic is in Phase 3 in Mexico.
   Access is restricted to all beaches including Playa Centro, North Beach, and the Pet Friendly beach, as part of the strategies to contain the spread of Coronavirus. The head of ZOFEMAT, Kerem Pinto Aguilar, said there are also personnel at the street entrances to the beaches to advise people that they cannot access the beaches now, who invite them to return to their homes and not expose themselves unnecessarily.
   She said, "We are requesting that everyone stay in their homes. It's not a vacation, if we all do our part soon we will be able to enjoy the goodness offered by our island, but we must follow the health and hygiene recommendations that authorities have provided; social distancing is paramount to stop the spread of the virus."

The info-graphic is published again about labeling contaminated trash/hazardous waste as "Peligros" after putting it in a separate bag.
This info-graphic is titled Actions to protect senior citizens (hand washing, covering when coughing/sneezing with arm or tissue, distancing 1.5 meters, greeting without contact, disinfecting common surfaces & objects in the home, stay away from them if you have respiratory illness symptoms, and use face masks when you care for them if you have symptoms of a cold. )

There are photos published yesterday afternoon of the three levels of government working together to deliver the second food assistance packages in the Continental Zone of the municipality.

If you leave home, remember that it is mandatory to wear a face mask.

TVisla Mujeres    

In the municipality of Lazaro Cardenas, brush fires on the mainland near Chiquila can be seen from Isla Holbox, more than 8 kms. away, with this image circulating on social media. LINK 
      The fire has been active for a week, and continues to gain ground due to the dry savannas in the areas, the lack of rain, and the intense heat, despite the efforts of members of the Chiquila ejidatario. Firefighters from the state Department of Civil Protection or other brigades of firefighters are expected to arrive to fight the forest fire which is affecting various hectares of the Yum Balam natural reserve. That area is the source of a dispute between locals and a business group from Yucatan who are planning a large tourism development.

In Mexico, the number of deaths from Covid-19 has reached 1434, and the number of confirmed cases is at 15,529 (as of Monday evening's report.) LINK 


VIDEO of erosion at a section of North Beach where a palm is endangered, near Leidy's palapa.

VIDEO of North Beach whose captions says it looks fantastic, despite some erosion. 

A resident of Isla Mujeres ("Juan Carlos, 49")  lost control of his pickup truck in Playa del Carmen on the road to Puerto Morelos around 2pm on Sunday and the vehicle flipped. Fortunately he was unharmed, and he was allegedly under the influence of alcohol. (photo)

   Noti Isla Mujeres     

Condolences to the family and friends of the victim who was found murdered by knife wounds in her home in colonia La Gloria, who worked for the municipal Department of Civil Protection and Firefighters. Her boyfriend is in custody. VIDEO (of cordoned street)

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  This blog is brought to you by....

MaraVilla Caribe   Bed & Beach    Four rentals with large glass doors overlooking our white sand beach and the beautiful Caribbean sea, with  kitchenettes & fast WIFI. In the upscale neighborhood of  Bachilleres, convenient to downtown or the colonias, yet separate.  Quiet & Private.   
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 out of the pic at left.

"Reverse Sunset" (looking east from MVC)
Free amenities include hammocks, portable beach chairs, beach towels, washer & dryer, loungers, shared bikes, BBQ grill, and safes.  Panoramic views from the rooftop terrace. Large sliding doors open to a patio & the white sand backyard-beach, overlooking the Caribbean sea.  Downtown is  ~ a mile away; we're on all four bus routes or  flag a $3 taxi. Off street parking. You can enjoy the music & crowds downtown, then return to the quiet neighborhood of Bachilleres and  sleep to the sounds of the sea.$275/$325/$425 wk   $40/50/$65nt  Monthly Discounts
Fine dining a few steps away at Da Luisa or try the neighborhood eateries a couple blocks farther. We provide a list of links & direction to over 20 eateries within ten minutes walk, including Mango Cafe,  Mike's Pizza, Brisas, Rosa Sirena, Coco Jaguar, Manolitos, La Chatita, Green Verde, Kash Kechen Chuc, and the large department store-grocery Chedraui & the local craft brewery.  Visit marinas, bars, & beach clubs that are minutes away by bike or on foot. Attend Yoga classes a couple villas away at Casa Ixchel. Fresh juice, produce & tortillas a few blocks away in the village, as well as a variety of other stores.
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Full moon rising over the Caribbean 
 At Sunset--April 7  6:54p (sets 7:04p)
April 8     7:59  
April 9     9:04
 April 10   10:08
April 11    11:11

 Sunset  7:02-7:12pm (beginning vs end of month)
Sunrise  6:40--6:17am
Painting by Pamela Haase at MVC


The Events section will resume when there are public events scheduled.

Sources for Weather Information:
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
 LINK to GOES East Band 16 GIF (animation)
LINK to a private weather station on Isla Mujeres