Catemaco Beaches

Ok! the sand is not glittering white, and there are no 8 foot Pacific breaking waves, but do you notice the absence of foot prints?

This is just one of the dozens of beaches within easy access of beautiful downtown Catemaco.

Catemaco Monkey Islands

This is for you all of you who never had the thrill of walking along Mexico's most beautiful lake while being accosted by vultures shouting "Lancha Lancha".

In 1974 an animal "research" project imported macaque monkeys from Thailand onto an island in Laguna Catemaco. Presumably this was to be a breeding facility of monkeys for vivisectionists. Nothing is mentioned about that subject anywhere, but why would anyone import foreign monkeys into an area that was already aware of the imminent extinction of its resident monkeys?

A few years later the monkey colony was abandoned and fishermen in Catemaco recognized a golden opportunity and started offering boat rides to the monkey islands to visitors from the beach of beautiful downtown, Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico.

This monkey opportunity developed into one of the major cash earners for many local fishermen (there is an absence of fisherwomen), so that by now more than 70 small boats, seating up to 20 people in front of noisy outboard motors are authorized to transport tourists to see the monkeys and the scenery along the way.

The current transport charge is 50 pesos per person or 350 pesos for a private boat, and during the apex of the tourist season, the smog, noise and wakes of dozens of small boats compete to cast noxious spells on novice tourists on this laguna of enchantment.

During the off season, these boat rides are actually very pleasant. Unfortunately during any time, none of the boat operators speak English. The boat tour will stop at Nanciyaga, Laguna Catemaco's "famous jungle" resort, and if you like, you can exit, tour Nanciyaga, and return on a later boat.

If you ever have the chance to do so, hire either a sailboat or the pontoon boat and spend half a leisurely and unforgettable day on the lake. The cost is not much more than what some over priced local hotels charge for a room.

Catemaco Protest

A common political tool in Mexico is a protest march. It is so common in Mexico City, that downtown shop owners expect their streets to be blockaded a large part of the year.

Generally, and specifically in the provinces of Mexico, a protest is a political act, paid for by a political agent supported by "under classes" promised some bags of cement, a few chickens and a threat to have their welfare programs rescinded for failure to participate. Political achievement in Mexico is related to who can make the most political noise. That is why almost daily, in this beautiful country, a highway is blocked to travellers because of the perception of some outside malfeasance.

A relatively new wrinkle on this sort of protest was the recent shutting down of fresh water supplies to southern Veracruz by mostly indigenous peoples, because of perceived failures of state infrastructure projects.

Beautiful downtown Catemaco has now joined the rank of protesters, because its prince (alcalde) is allegedly lacking money to maintain his princedom (ayuntamiento) because of over spending and is now desperately seeking promised state public works, which are known to clandestinely add 10 to 20% of their cost to a local leader's portfolio.

Apparently the local prince misunderstood the state's king (gobernador) who, as customary, had promised a boat motor and four chickens for every pot in Catemaco, but whose office is also customarily known never to deliver on promises.

As an example, it took 26 years of promises to pave a local road from Catemaco to the beach.
So now, the local prince, who used who knows whose funds, has engaged various bus companies to transport people from the beautiful uptown Catemaco area for a free visit to the state capital, including free lunches and perhaps a bag of cement to keep warm in the cold temperatures of Xalapa.

The intent is to make so much noise that the possibly embarrassed king of Veracruz will throw a bone to the Catemaco prince so that he can hopefully say he was "promised" that a mile of lake front or other dirt road would be paved.

On their way, these troubadors blocked the federal highway from Veracruz to Coatzacoalcos. This created many more loyal supporters among local drivers and foreign tourists who allegedly joined in the lament of the local ayuntamiento .

Some of the local brujo (witch) population, or at least the ones aligned with the princedom, have also joined this protest and are prepared to draw spells on anyone standing in the way of this protest. (The last protest was welcomed with tear gas).

The king became upset at these happenings and sent troups of his black and white police cars to intercept the merry troubadors. Frightened by the thought of going to jail most of the party makers decided to walk home and left the prince with a handful of lackals, and 22 mostly empty buses.

So much for that supposed brujo magic!

Brujo Protest

Alleging that the Veracruz state government failed to deliver promised municipal improvements, the brujos (witches) of beautiful downtown Catemaco exhort 3000 of their fellow inhabitants to march on Xalapa, the Veracruz state capital, today.

The brujos intend to do a "limpia" (spiritual cleaning) of the seat of government and to illuminate the governor's spirit.

Gringospeak

Ana Maria Salazar host an English radio show in Mexico City and occasionally goes off the deep end. This is cribbed from her latest blog.

SPANISH FOR GRINGOS (Para que los Gringos aprendan castellano)…There's always something to learn or to try, many times you need to say some phrase in Spanish, but you don't know how to say it, don't worry, your problems have finished, if your are a gringo and you don't know speak

We took from it some common phrases, just try and you're gonna see the difference and how easy is to speak Spanish.(Léanlo en voz alta en inglés, está genial!)

1.Boy as n r = Voy a cenar = I'm gonna have a dinner
2.N L C John = en el sillón = on the armchair
3.Be a hope and son = Viejo panzón = fat old man
4.Who and see to seek ago = Juancito se cagó = Little John is a chickenshit.
5.S toy tree stone = estoy tristón = I'm kind a sad.
6.Lost trap eat toss = los trapitos = the little rag.
7. Desk can saw = descanso = (you) rest.8. As say toon as = aceitunas = olives.
9. The head the star mall less stan dough = deje de estar molestando = stop bugging me.
10.See eye = si hay = yes we have
11. T n s free o ? = tienes frío = are you cold?
12. T N S L P P B N T S O = Tienes el pipi bien tieso = you have an erection.
13. Tell o boy ah in cruise tar = Te lo voy a incrustar = I'm going to insert it in you

El Azuzul

El Azuzul is a swamp at the north end of downtown Catemaco, Veracruz. Supposedly it is inhabited by fresh water shrimp, one or two of the almost extinct local turtles, maybe a tiny crocodile or two, and of course some goblins. In the "old days" the swamp was connected to Laguna Catemaco and served as a reservoir of bait shrimp for the local fishermen.

Since then, a short causeway separating the swamp from the laguna was developed which has now become Playa Espagoya, one of the Catemaco beaches that tourists are advised to use for swimming, in order to avoid getting chopped by boat propellers elsewhere.

Of course, with customary foresight, no culverts were installed. So, El Azuzul depends on sub surface percolation to keep its waters level with Laguna Catemaco. And of course when it rains a lot, the area becomes flooded.

A rich Catemaco hotel owner now occupies one corner of the swamp. He must have been reading the Noah section of the bible. His walls are 15 feet tall, topped with electric stunners. Maybe one day his whole castle will float out to the lake to form a new island.

Another hotel owner is now proposing to convert the swamp to a deification of the Olmec gods. Meanwhile the local neighbors of the swamp are praying for mosquito relief.

See more lagunita El Azuzul photos here: