Catemaco medicinal plants

Ending yesterday, a Veracruz educational agency offered a course in beautiful downtown Catemaco about medicinal plants, possibly sponsored by the local governor as his response to the local witches (brujos) endorsement of his candidacy for the next presidential race.

My Popoluca, whose father was a known minor brujo, decided to attend. As her homework or perhaps thesis, she was obliged to portray some local medicinal plants.

To my absolute surprise, within half a day, our house began filling with samples of local vegetation supposedly having curing effects. I lost count after 50 and escaped to Veracruz City to avoid to be possibly being used as a guinea pig.

The still remaining knowledge and use of plant lore is simply amazing to me in this small town known for witchcraft and assorted other esoteric endeavors. But now I am looking at my Popoluca bruja as a possible source for a hair loss remedy. Yet I am hesitant, she might turn me into a toad.

Photo: One of many displays of the local medicinal flora.

Catemaco machetes

+`l`´This one really got me.

Here I am in beautiful downtown Catemaco and almost no week passes by without the machete slashing  of  someone in Los Tuxtlas. The majority of these machete slashed victims are women. This is not a serial killer at work, just the usual macho at work.

In the last few weeks,  many women of LosTuxtlas got what they deserved. AT least in the minds of associated psychopath machos of the area. Usually these crimes are directly attributable to family members, usually supposedly cuckolded husbands.

How the hell does this area pretend to protect its environment if they can´t even protect its women.

OT - Mexican Fence

Mexico City, MX – Mexican lawmakers today proposed a 700 mile border fence to keep Americans from illegally entering the country. Recent economic conditions in the US have sent tens of thousands of Americans over the border seeking employment.
Read more: The Edwards Report

Off Topic - plane crash in Mexico City

A Learjet 45XR crashed onto the upper parts of Mexico City's Reforma, missing the presidential palace by less than 2 miles. Passengers included the equivalent of the Mexican vice president and drug tzar.

I have watched and followed assorted plane crashes and am absolutely dumbfounded by the lack and conflict of information being published on the internet.

First they get the type of aircraft wrong, 25D instead of XR. Then they retract a flight controllers statement, Then they ignore bystanders reports of flames from the plane before it crashed. Then they ignore its flight pass and altitude, etc.

Either Mexican newsmen are ignorant or lazy. Within 24 hours I should know what exactly was the aircraft, what is its history,  where was it last maintained , and specifically what SHOULD have been its flightpath over Mexico City..

Instead I am reading verbose repetitive bullshit without an ounce of investigative journalism promoted by Mexican news agencies. And to add insult to injury, every twinkling left winger or former PEJE (last presidential candidate)  supporter is now waiving internet flags of murder in high places.

A few fact checks revealed the plane as of 2002 was in the hands of a Baja Mexico consortium. As of 2007 the plane was not registered on the Mexican presidential books.

But to me the most possible lead in ascertaining the reasons for its crash are in the plane's call letters XC - VCM (equivalent to a license plate):
XC  are the  call letters for Mexico
VCM  are the call letter assignation for individual planes in Mexico, translated a: victor-charly-mike.
XC in Mexican flyer's languages is translated as: eXtra coca. And Coca is not the nose sprudel Coca Cola produces.

Of course the Mexican government will do its utmost to reveal the reasons for this particular plane crash, probably in line with the last 2 crashes which killed major Mexican officials without revealing their causes.

At present , the 2 black(one orange) boxes are in US hands. No matter what will be revealed, I am sure  the devil USA in one way or another will be responsible in the forthcoming  liturgy of PEJE and his press.




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No Name Waterfall in Catemaco

This is one of the many magnificent waterfalls in Los Tuxtlas that are almost invisible to most tourists and residents. Located on the road to Miguel Hidalgo, 25 kilometers from Catemaco, the waterfall is only prominent during the rainy season, and then only after a few days of heavy rain. At that time the roaring white waters set off clouds of fog which draw the eyes of the passerby to its existence. Curiously the inhabitants have no name for the falls and say that it is not accessible except to bushhogs. When the movie Medicine Man was shot in Catemaco, Sean Connery supposedly used a helicopter to film there. Time to rent the movie again.

Catemaco weather

The rainy season on the Veracruz Gulf Coast is in full swing now, and as usual, dozens of communities are innundated and isolated, major roads are breached, bridges are washed away and the civil defense forces are having a field day.

Apart from the rain, most of the annual problems stem directly from poor planning, inadequate construction techniques, and corrupt road builders from hell.

The Mexican national weather service apparently ran out of money 10 or more years ago and is only maintaining statistics on rainfall in  major cities. So noone really knows how much rain has fallen in Catemaco and Los Tuxtlas.

Anecdotally, the owner of the Hotel Tepetapan claims 4 inches in his rain gauge in the last 2 days. Other tell signs are how many fishing boats are parked on the Malecon sidewalk, and how many big rocks have washed down from the hills in front of the La Ceiba restaurant.

The best indicator, though is the dock leading to the La Panga bar in the laguna. If the dock is flooded, then we had some major rains. So far, I can still walk across with dry feet. Therefore the rains locally have not been that heavy.

Nevertheless, within the last week, the Toro Prieto bridge washed away, the new coast road at Playa Hermosa was cut, the new road from Catemaco to Montepio was destroyed in 2 places, and the road from Catemaco to Zapoapan swallowed a tractor trailer. The road to Las Margaritas is flooded as usual and the village is drowning and clamoring for their yearly relief package.

The hydroelectric plant and its dams in Tepetapan actually control the water level of the lake, and after letting it rise for more than 3 feet within a week, finally relented and opened the sluice gates so my feet would not get wet crossing to La Panga.

I am still waiting for the BIG rains.

Foto: Politica en Los Tuxtlas