Catemaco Bound

This is just about the death knell for Texas border to Veracruz and beyond  vehicular tourist traffic.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/driving-mexicos-highway-of-death/2011/04/21/AFpdA7KE_story.html

The only good thing may be that those driving up from the south will decide to stay a year or so until that mess clears up.

Ironically, I think I've noticed a healthy upsurge of foreign tourists to Catemaco this winter season. Most arrive via Mexican tour buses, presumably after having flown to Veracruz or Mexico City. Last month, the Veracruz airport showed a significant 21% jump in foreign arrivals. I wish there were better statistics available such as rental car usage, toll road usage, hotel occcupancy, etc.

What the government provides is blown out of someone's nose. I missed  most of the 30 thousand arrivals for the non-brujo weekend and am now counting the supposed 60 thousand semana santa visitors,  half of whom will probably take the shortcut to the San Andrès beaches. Of course there is no clicker lying on that road  that might provide a good indicator.

The major very prominent new presence in the Catemaco area is cops. They are all over the place. Small ones, big ones, skinny ones and fat ones, even one on small heels, most dressed in full black on black battle gear and riding around on the back of pickups and sucking up the current extreme temperatures.

That someone buy them all a nice cold Coca Corona.