December 2012, Catemaco

Tourism:
I live on the Malecón, Catemaco's most famous street, and I mostly judge the amount of tourism by how many people walk in front of my nose, steal my parking spot, and the number of boatmen shouting "lancha- lancha" on my corner. Looks like December turned out pretty good for Catemaco. Better than last year.

Hotels:
The first world Club Neyama, on the way to Ruiz Cortines in San Andrés Tuxtla, added 7 cabañas to its recreation center. They also have gocarts and a restaurant. Interesting place to visit when it is open. They are flakes and apparently only open when they feel like it. Nevertheless, this is not what you expect to see in Los Tuxtlas. http://www.clubneyama.com/

Events:
The celebrations of the Virgin of Guadalupe, whose home is actually in Mexico City, attracted  thousands, maybe even 10000,  mostly day trippers, to the local Virgin version. The parades were endless and as usual mostly composed of taxis decorated with Virgin photos and blaring horns. Soon after, the customed "viejos" started strutting the streets of Catemaco until on New Year's eve, firecracker stuffed replicas were exploded. O Joy!  After you have seen both events once, you may consider heading for the beach or the mountains instead.
One nice recurrent addition are the fairly regular jarocha music presentations in Catemaco's central park.  I hope they keep them going.

Weather:
Running hot and cold, and most everyone I know laid down for a week with some really bad cases of the flu. I was lucky, I had mine a few months ago.

Business:
A Coppel department store opened where the Hotel Catemaco used to be. Two storied, with a little bit of parking behind it, it is a very welcome addition to Catemaco. I just wish they had built it on the highway instead of "beautiful" downtown Catemaco. Contino, a mostly dry goods retailer opened in the Bancomer building on the plaza.  I think that is a future disappearance act in that jinxed building.

Food:
Nothing exciting, except households fall all over themselves preparing dishes you usually do not see in restaurants. Make a friend in Catemaco, maybe they'll invite to a holiday meal.
I had my first meal at Valentino's, (next to El Caballo). Not bad!

Drink:
The teeny bopper and above crowd is barely holding its own in Catemaco's pink zone (Malecón near the boat dock). Watch out for some of those gorgeous creatures that have 5 o'clock shadows!
Saturday night, Dec. 30th, started a party that was still going strong at 7 am this morning 1 Jan.
For adults, nightlife is pretty much limited to El Caballo and the increasingly popular Wahikini, both at the south end of the Malecon.

Crime:
Didn´t really notice any this month, except for some really nasty stuff in neighboring counties. Very heavy army and police sightseeing traffic.

Politics:
The Catemaco mayor, best known for his frequent absence from Catemaco, followed by a flurry of  self praising pronouncements, did offer his 2nd annual  computerized "state of the union" speech. A big let down from the pomp of last year, especially the absence of monetary figures that would give citizens a chance to understand where the money went.

General:
Good time to be in Catemaco, if you can stand the noise. If not, don´t worry. 95% of the rest of Catemaco  stayed idyllic.

New News for Catemaco (in Spanish)

Catemaco Noticias

http://www.catemaconoticias.blogspot.mx/

November 2012, Catemaco

What sticks out in my mind about November was the arrest of a guy while trying to screw a mare in neighboring Lerdo de Tejada. That news may give you a hint of my current mindset.

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:

I am  almost 70 years old and have wasted away my last 10 years in beautiful downtown Catemaco.

Recenty a non local  friend died  and líke to remember him.

http://youtu.be/754sRFIHIrA

October 2012, Catemaco

The rains that were promised during the previous months of the "rainy season" finally hit!
But surprisingly, almost no obstruction in coming or leaving Los Tuxtlas.

The new Soriana is almost ready to open, give them another 30 days!
Meanwhile, supposedly CONTINO, a hardware dealer is supposed to occupy the space behind Bancomer on the plaza.

Day of the Dead festivities ran their course, as usual. and the local mayor tried to turn it into a mega event. He flunked, I think,  despite some nice presentations! I think local yokels are switching their kids to Halloween. Bad news, I guess, for pure-ists.

The construction mania in Catemaco continues. Within a month I expect a SORIANA subsidiary to open along the carretera and eat the local Walmart's shorts. (o goody, their ice cream section sucks, both here and in San Andrés).


The new Coppel, on the side of the municipal "palace" is going gung ho at American speed. I expect it to be open for all the impoverished local Christmas shoppers, eager to receive credit cards with up to 55% interests.

The famous Caballo, formerly on the edge of the basilica, now in a rat hole on the edge of the Laguna, is again being threatened by EVICTION. I hope he finds another locale, better than the great gringo doc Ganzoni who left for greener pastures in Tulum, QR.

After 7 days of almost being a model city, because the local mayor tried to impress some friends, the city reverted to the usual. But, it strikes me a little cleaner, less cluttered than usual.. I know that it will not last.

Catemaco no longer is a one traffic light hick town. Now we have four hicks, three of them evenly spaced to make crossing Catemaco a 15 minute experience. Take photos  of some of the side street vendors. They will be remarkable!

The new TEXX (imitation 7-11) is now operating at full speed on the Malecon at 14 of 24 hours, except weekends. (Incompetent assholes).

There is no food news, except the Fool on the Hill keeps bragging about better than prime, rib eye steaks being delivered in Catemaco and disappeared faster than I wrote this from Casa Lost.

Did I miss something?
Oh yeah, the mystery building on the highway is still a mystery. Looks like a shack being converted into a mansion with a few store fronts in front. O yeah, a new hardware store with probably less than what you were looking for, is opening on the carretera.near the Tepetapan turn off.

And yes, they tore down half a block of historic Catemaco behind my home, planning to erect a Tienda Lores, the equivalent of Mexico's Gap for extremely low income earners.

After a few weeks of permanent rain, the weather today is magnificent!  A little chill, almost 79 degrees, but very welcome.

We are now in the absolutely dead touristic season in Catemaco. What a great time to visit!

September 2012 - Catemaco

To keep this blog alive, I will publish a monthly update of beautiful downtown Catemaco and its surroundings.

Nothing of importance happened in September.

Because of some stupid event, supposedly promoting the adventure tourism of Catemaco and Los Tuxtlas, to which the governor but almost nobody from Catemaco was invited, the downtown of Catemaco miraculously cleaned up itself, disappearing almost all loud mouths screaming "lancha, lancha", painting anything that held still, either green or yellow, and constructing some fabled figurines and a boat dock for some political VIPS.

The road work on the Catemaco - Sontecomapan highway continues to be a fool's paradise. It amazes me how many workers and machines produce rubbish instead of a highway.

Progression of the the new commercial centers of Soriana and Coppel are zipping along at US speeds. Expect openings within the next two months. 

Another mickey mouse chain "Tienda Lores" also purchased an antique half a block in downtown Catemaco and expects to adds its cacaphony to the local environment, a la Doctor Zimi. Unfortunately, I live 2 lots away from them and I need new ear plugs..

Tourism is next to nil, as expected during this time of the year.

Rain has been surprisingly mild during the last few months. Despite a few storms, I expect Catemaco to present a relatively dry profile for the year. Remember that the higher altitudes report up to 15 feet of rain per year! One of the wettest places in the universe.

Amazingly, another two rip off offices of loan sharks opened in downtown. Where 5 years ago there were none, now there are a more than a dozen pawn shops and "personal" finance companies. And still only one bank with lines, at times, around the block!

Food has not improved. The Aurrera (Walmart) store maintained a freezer full of rotten ice cream for 2 weeks before anyone apparently noticed. The pizza in the "pizzeteria" has deteriorated. and the egg rolls in the new chinese joint are yesterdays.

I had some very nice lunches, as usual, in the Playa Cristal, La Finca, and some hole in the wall that apparently has no name. YET! My first venture to Valentino's on the Malecon was a bust because they "ran out of gas". And I am damn tired of the Coney Island Hot Dogs at Casa Lost. (I wish that beautiful joint would increase their menu). 

That is pretty much the attitude of local restauranteurs. (Here I will sneak in a recomendation for a rib eye steak proffered by the Fool on the Hill at Merendero's in San Andrès). Of course I know you all want typical Mexican food. I DO NOT! I like Texmex.

Catemaco's Malecon has actually reverted into a pleasant place to walk after dark, after the local government abided by the state law to prohibit drinking alcohol in public. Overnight, dozens of loudspeakers on wheels and hundreds of underage drinkers disappeared. Now the few rent paying joints are fighting for customers.

Oh yeah, a BIG TEXX  convienence store opened on the Malecon, Almost none of the conveniences of any self respecting 7/11, including the absence of 24 hour service.

The hole in the wall "Caballos" on the Malecon, after deservedly getting kicked out its premise below the basilica, is holding its own. Also, the offshore La Panga seems to attract customers. I have yet to go, because I still have to digest my opinion of its current lessee.

The gringo haven Tepetapan, after suffering a drought, is now again enjoying mostly full capacity of retirees pumping a few bucks into the local economy. 

There is nothing new on the beaches except for complaints about the roads on how to get there.

A recent article reported that 40% of the annual 15,000 visitors to the community museums of Santiago Tuxtla, Tres Zapotes and San Lorenzo were foreigners. Since I suspect that less than 2% of visitors to Los Tuxtlas are foreigners, that figure both indicates that most Mexicans prefer their heritage on TV or wherever, while gringos, or whatever, prefer to walk it.

More gringos would be welcome. 

Actually, anyone, wanting to spend more than 3 hours in Catemaco would be welcome (the average stay of a Mexican tourist). I can provide an itinerary of 7 or 365 days of  local adventures without getting bored!