Apr 13, 2012
Mar 7, 2012
Catemaco Oywey
More than 3 months ago, my web hosting server, Yahoo Sitebuilder, destroyed my website because of conflicts between Windows XP and Windows Vista/7/8.
Dozens of my 1200 pages in English and Spanish now lack photos, words and titles.
Dozens of my 1200 pages in English and Spanish now lack photos, words and titles.
It took me 5 years to build the site to show my love for the paradise of Los Tuxtlas.
At the moment I have neither energy, nor love, to make all the necessary corrections.
Feb 8, 2012
Catemaco Brujos 2012
Traditionally the brujo event of Catemaco begins at the stroke of midnight on the first Thursday of March (1st of March 2012 this year), which is actually the first Friday of March.
At present, although two neighboring cities have announced their events, Catemaco so far has not
deigned to announce anything.
Stay tuned.......
First tune: I think they were drunk when they added the dates to the poster! Right now they are Wednesday to Friday, should be Thursday to Sunday! Stay tuned....
First tune: I think they were drunk when they added the dates to the poster! Right now they are Wednesday to Friday, should be Thursday to Sunday! Stay tuned....
Second tune: Here is the program for Thursday and Friday,
read it and weep
Third tune: 23 Feb
Also see http://www.catemaco.info/brujos/index.html
Jan 19, 2012
Catemaco Amazonas
Amazon is the nickname of a funeral director in Catemaco. For the past ten years he has been one of the few promoters of tourism in the area.
The photos are from his first DVD from Catemaco, published in 2002.
Pick up your free copy in his crypt at El Cerrito in the center of Catemaco.
see some of his videos herei:
Jan 15, 2012
Catemaco Shit
I smell of shit. My house smells of shit. And especially my dog smells of shit. If my Popoluca were here, she would smell of shit.
For 9 years, I am living in a town that for 4 to 6 months of the years requires pedestrians to cross sheets of sewage flowing down the principal streets of Catemaco.
The local sewage system is 50 years old and totally incapable of handling the shit of a population that more than quadrupled during those years.
So during my 9 years, the principal public works in Catemaco City have been remodeling the town hall, painting the lake walk, and again, remodeling the town hall and painting the lake walk..
For the last 6 years the same inept person has managed the system that after 6 years still cannot get its sewage system to work, and instead contaminates the lake and the river flowing out of Catemaco. In addition the incompetent has greatly expanded the sewage connections to a system totally incapable of handling that load of shit.
Promises of corrections to the system have been on the political palate for years. Last year around 50 million pesos were bragged about to be spent on repairing the sewage system.
Instead, a few months ago, work began on an 11 million peso dock jutting into the lake that has no function except for visitors to ogle the laguna which is already accommodated by 5 view points along the lake front.
Meanwhile I wade through shit to enter my house, which is directly on the corner of the Malecon.
You think I a am concerned about narcos in Veracruz? Hell, no! I care about shit. And typically, neither my community nor the country can handle either!
Too bad, I can´t vote, or participate in politics!
see: http://www.catemaco.info/s/catemaco/ciudad/alcantarillado.html (in Spanish, of course)
For 9 years, I am living in a town that for 4 to 6 months of the years requires pedestrians to cross sheets of sewage flowing down the principal streets of Catemaco.
The local sewage system is 50 years old and totally incapable of handling the shit of a population that more than quadrupled during those years.
For the last 6 years the same inept person has managed the system that after 6 years still cannot get its sewage system to work, and instead contaminates the lake and the river flowing out of Catemaco. In addition the incompetent has greatly expanded the sewage connections to a system totally incapable of handling that load of shit.
Promises of corrections to the system have been on the political palate for years. Last year around 50 million pesos were bragged about to be spent on repairing the sewage system.
Instead, a few months ago, work began on an 11 million peso dock jutting into the lake that has no function except for visitors to ogle the laguna which is already accommodated by 5 view points along the lake front.
Meanwhile I wade through shit to enter my house, which is directly on the corner of the Malecon.
You think I a am concerned about narcos in Veracruz? Hell, no! I care about shit. And typically, neither my community nor the country can handle either!
Too bad, I can´t vote, or participate in politics!
see: http://www.catemaco.info/s/catemaco/ciudad/alcantarillado.html (in Spanish, of course)
Catemaco Chagalapoli
The Chagalapoli are in bloom, and I am looking forward to jelly tasting sessions.
The fruit is vaguely related to mistletoe and is unique to Central America and endemic in Los Tuxtlas. Its latin name is ardisia compressa, and even Wikipedia does not know what it is. Originally I was told it was a wild grape vine, until I discovered I had a 10 foot tree of it growing on my sidewalk, and now in containers on my roof.
The fruit is about the size of a pinky fingernail, and begins with a nice claret color going to a lush burgundy and finishing almost like a blueberry. It has a seed. The fruit itself is on the bitter-sour/sweet side and is a popular homemade local lemonade, or better, chagalapolimade. It is also used to flavor atoles, which are basically liquefied tortillas. My preference is chagalapoli mermelade which used to be available in a now defunct gift shop on the Malécon and soon, for me and select friends, from the loving hands of my Popoluca.
Late February to May is harvest season, and the fruit stalls around the central market will be offering the fruit.
And would you believe, I do not have a photo, among my 5000, of the damn tree? Check back, tomorrow.
Flowering Chagalapoli
It is incredible how I cater to my undeserving readership at 5:30 in the morning in a torrential rain
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