Mexico Moves Sand, Canada Moves Snow

In 2005, Hurricane Wilma caused a great deal of destruction as well as soil erosion along the beach coasts of the Rivera Maya. An attempt was made to resolve the erosion of the beaches. It did not work.
In September 2009 (four months ago), a second attempt started in Cancun. The beach recovery has made its way to Playa del Carmen. Boats dredge sand from the ocean bottom and pipe, then dump it along the beaches. Huge pipes transport and pile sand on the beaches.


A great deal of controversy has surrounded this one billion peso project. 1.3 billion gallons of sand will be brought to the beaches. They are using 2 thousand tons of pipeline materials. The main controversy has been the ecological effects on the coral reefs and ocean bottom. It is a hard call as this area depends on its pristine, world famous beaches for the livehood of many people.

So now, the beach fronts of many of the Playa del Carmen hotels are off limits. The project was to take four months but as most large endeavours, there were many delays.

Each day, you can go and see the changes that occur. It is hard to believe how the beaches can be transformed so quickly.

My sister tells me that in British Columbia, Canada, snow is being moved up to the mountains to accommodate the Winter Olympics, beginning next month.

¡Recycling!

It is 6:30 AM and I am standing on the balcony of the bedroom. I take a close up shot of this view in the distance. It is not an uncommon sight, people going through garbage and collecting tins. There is no recycling for homes, condo or apartment buildings here. Playa del Carmen has just recently put recycling containers on the beach and the main street. These containers are so small, they fill quickly though. Garbage cans or bags, or in this case, the condo building has a small dumpster, are in front of all homes and buildings. The garbage is collected daily, sometimes twice. At all times of the day or night, families, mothers with young children, singles or couples are going through the garbage collecting tins. I have seen this practise for almost 7 years now. If I have a lot of tins, I put them in a bag and wait until someone comes by or I give the bag to them directly. They are grateful.

Once enough cans have been collected, these people will take them to an aluminum plant, to have them weighed and then to recycling. As you can imagine, they do not get a lot of money per kilogram but it is a small source of income for these people. The hardest part is when I see mothers and children collecting.

This couple leaves the dumpster as they found it. It looks like they are sharing a joke. I see they have sticks. Many don´t and use their bare hands to go through the garbage.

Now, it is 6:40 AM and they continue on until they find another garbage container, big or small. As I watch, another man approaches the last dumpster. He will be disappointed.

¡Feliz Ano Neuvo!

At the stroke of midnight to welcome the new year, the 12 grapes were eaten and the sidra served. Each year, I can only manage 4 grapes but everyone else seems to eat all 12 in record breaking time. We had the T.V. on for the countdown and each had their glass of 12 grapes. Then sidra was poured into the glasses. After midnight, a meal is eaten. A very Happy New Year 2010!

1) OH, the grapes and sidra are a Mexican tradition. As you eat a grape, one for each month, you make a wish. Then you fill your glass with sidra and drink that. Grapes and bottles of sidra appear in Walmart and Mega right after Christmas. Here are other New Year´s Eve traditions in Mexico. We followed all of them but did not go around the block with the suitcase, we just walked out the door and back in again.

2) On New Year´s Eve wear red underwear for good luck in love in the coming year, or yellow for financial success. The stores in Mexico are filled with red and yellow undergarments right after Christmas.

3) Walk around the block with a suitcase if you're hoping to travel in the coming year.
4) Open your door and sweep out all the bad.

5) Put money in your shoe for financial success.

Nativity Scenes

Nativity Scenes are a plenty in Mexico at this time of year, in hotel lobbies, in the town centres, in windows, in homes, in front of homes, in shopping centres... The displays come in all sizes. The question I have is how did the wise men travel to the Bethlehem? All the nativity scenes in Mexico that I have seen have the wise men arriving on an elephant, a horse and a camel! I wish everyone a Merry Christmas of comfort and joy!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town - or is he?

If Santa Claus is coming to town, I´m not sure how is getting here or what he will wear! No snow here and only beautiful, breezy, sunny days you can only dream about! Here are some pictures of Santa in Merida and Playa del Carmen. Later today or tomorrow, I will try to post some wonderful Navitity displays. I hope you are experiencing the wonderful feelings associated with Christmas where ever you are!

Peace and Tranquility - A1) Hotel Maria Jose, Merida

On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, Alfredo and I travelled to Merida (a three hour drive), to renew Alfredo´s federal tourist driver´s licence. On Wednesday night, we stayed at a 48 room hotel en el centro (the downtown area) of Merid, Hotel Maria Jose. While there is lots to tell about the trip, we could not get over our hotel, so clean, yet so peaceful and tranquil in the hustle and busyness of Merida. We felt we had struck it rich. The members of the ¨Ballet de San Petersburg Russia¨were staying at the hotel , but we felt like we were the only guests. The ballet was performing when we arrived at the theatre and I only saw them depart on Thursday morning at breakfast. Upon our arrival, we were ready to book a room. It is traditional in Mexico that you always look at several rooms, before choosing the one you want. Well, when we decided, the manager said we could have the master suite for the same price. We paid 600 pesos ($55.00 CDN) for the night. We had a separate room, with chairs and a sofa. But, for me, the highlight was the outdoor patio, with sliding doors. The patio opened up to the heavens above! The front desk turned the swimming pool lights on just for us as we wanted a late night swim! As always, for me, the Mexicans can create such beauty and quietness in a country and city that is so noisy. Merida is a very large, old city full of hustle and bustle. Yet, we found this gem. I have about 20 pictures to share with you, ranging from the quiet settings this hotel created, to the entrance to our room, the hallways, parking lot and exterior shot of the hotel. I hope the pictures tell it all. There were others things I could share about our short trip, but we were struck with the hotels´peacefulness. Oh yes, the hotel allowed us to stay in the room until 2PM the following day, as Alfredo needed to go to the government office in the morning.

A2) Hotel Maria Jose, Merida

B) Hotel Maria Jose, Merida

C) Hotel Maria Jose - Merida

Raising the Barn...Well the Palapa!

On Thursday night at 5PM, the tearing down and reconstruction of a small palapa over the entrance to Las Borjas began. Las Borjas is a small apartment building across the street and one lot over to the right. By 8 AM, Friday morning it was finished. How cute is that! Hope blogspot will upload these photos in the correct order.

Back in the Saddle Again!

Well, not exactly back in the saddle BUT back in Mexico again! I arrived just a week ago, November 26th. We have done so much already. Alfredo and I went to the annual Jazz Festival two night on the beach, took a trip to Cozumel and Cancun, and went to see the movie, Amelia. Wow, Amelia Earhart was so strong and passionate. Even though her life ended tragically, she was doing what she loved. Today, there was a Eco Think Green Fair on the main avenue in Playa del Carmen. Organic sunscreen was selling for 200 pesos for 50 ml (about $18.00 Canadian dollars)! I was tempted to buy some organic mango chutney but actually made some myself a couple of days ago. There are so many things to do. When we went to the Island of Cozumel they were hosting the Ironman Marathon, so lot of cyclists on the highway. Once off the passenger ferry in Cozumel, we rented a jeep and headed off to the eastern coast of the island - away from it all. We stopped at a few places but especially enjoyed Chen-Rio and Playa Bonita. Here are a few pictures of Cozumel. Enjoy! And no, I did not stand up and ride as Alfredo drove the jeep, only for the photo op! The posed stance in the jeep, can not match the posed stance in Alfredo´s August mariachi post. Ha, ha!

Water, OneDrop.org

Water: Cenotes to Tinacos
Did you have the opportunity to watch the webcast, Poetic Social Mission, Moving Stars and Earth for Water, a global even on water related issues in October? One Drop Foundation’s founder is Guy Laliberte, also founder of Cirque Du Soleil. The non-profit organization helps fight poverty worldwide by ensuring that everyone has access to water now and in the future. The one night webcast featured people performing, from around the world, to help heighten global awareness of our water crisis. U2, Shakira, Jose Stone, Salma Hayek and Cirque du Soleil preformed as well as many others from around the global. Each presented preformed in their own country. You can still watch the night at http://www.onedrop.org/en/default.aspx

My palapa photo in this post features the entrance to the most beautiful cenote I have ever been to in my 6 years in Mexico. It is a recently found (3 months ago) cenote near Coba. It has been named Mutal Piramide Ha Agua (underwater pyramid). Cenotes are natural, clear, freshwater underground ‘pools’, which can be found in the Yucatan and along the Riviera Maya. They are great places to swim, snorkel or scuba dive. They were formed millions of years ago. Cenotes are part of a cave ceiling, which collapsed leaving natural entrances to the underground river system. In this area, there are only a few above ground lakes and rivers. All the cenotes are connected by underground rivers, explored by scuba divers. Swimming in an underground cenote is a most mystical, magical experience. It is most refreshing.


A tinaco is a plastic water storage tank located on the roof tops of many houses and buildings in Mexico. In this photo, taken from the apartment balcony, you can see four tinacos. The tinaco is connected to the plumbing system of the house. Most are lines with an anti-fungal material. These would be electrical (as is the one on the apartment) and have a sensor attached. When the water level is low, the tinaco has water pumped into it. The water is pumped up to the tinaco from your cistern or city water supply. A standard tinaco holds 1120 litres of water. I hope you will do a search on cenotes and tinacos!