Tourism:
Except for 2 of those famous long weekends (Days of the Dead and Revolution Day - (make that week, this year), Catemaco's Malecón was a bowling alley cluttered only by shrieking boatmen and gypsies.
Snowbirds in their road hogs are now again arriving in transit to the south. Since I don´t talk to the Lard of Tepetapan anymore, I don´t know if business is good, but I doubt it.
Hotels:
Casa Rosa added a few rooms. Aside from being a friend of mine, that German lady literally will do hand stands to please her guests. If there were more like her in Catemaco, we might have a return tourism business.
The renovated El Cid, down the street from city hall is also doing well.
La Finca hung out its seasonal 689 peso sign (plus tax in small letters, on weekdays) which makes it a best buy in the overpriced "luxury" market.
Weather:
The chill arrived, and out came all those heavy comforters. Each year it is more difficult to survive when the temperature drops to the maximum subarctic 61 degrees F. A few rain storms hit, but overall, this season is relatively dry, and most of the days are simply gorgeous.
Business:
The mini Soriana supermarket opened with a great parking lot and not much else to brag about, still leaving me in the quandary of: if not here, then San Andrés, if not there, Veracruz.
Last month, I mentioned Tienda Lores as another "GAP" - wrong! It is another aggressive grocery chain, that temporarily halted its construction, because their architect screwed up their plans.
Over the next few years I think that will be marked as the death knell for the miserable central "mercado" that is still the heart of commerce in Catemaco.
Food:
No new major restaurants. Taco joints and food stalls open and disappear faster than you can say "tacos al pastor". I have not eaten there, but the joint next to Don Pedro's liquor store keeps attracting a crowd.
And somehow, great sweet ball tomatoes are now available. Love 'em!
Drink:
The hole in the wall "The Pub" is celebrating its first anniversary, and I think all 12 of its chairs are taken for the anniversary party.
The new "Caballo", near Gorell's on the Malecon is jam-packed on weekends, not necessarily because some raunchy bible thumping gringo is doing country music.
Crime:
What crime? Catemaco never really had any, except for the occasional hits here and there. But what can you expect from a county of almost 50 thousand?
Politics:
Actually this should be under the Crime header!
Between now and next July you may read a lot about this. The gist is that some of the same dinosaurs that I have never, ever, heard anyone saying anything good about, (granted!, my circle of spies is small), are all running again to be mayor of Catemaco. If this town spent as much effort on improving itself, as on political infighting, this might be a functional tourist resort.
General:
