January 2013 - Catemaco

On a scale of 1 to 12 months, I give January in Catemaco a 10 for visiting and a 6 for living here.

Tourism:
Lots of tourists showed up the first week of January and then went into hibernation.

Hotels:
Nothing exciting. The newest Del Cid Hotel has added a restaurant on its ground floor, and the Casa Rosa has a new website.

Beaches:
The winter storms, as usual, are nibbling on the beaches. But don´t worry, the sand returns by summer.
The crashing waves made for great beach walks, on the few days that were nice and sunny this month.

Events:
The enjoyable musical presentations on Saturday night in the central park seem to be occurring less and less- And that is a shame!.

Weather:
Typical yo-yo weather, from freezing (68f today) to sweating (88f tomorrrow).

January at times gets pretty foggy in the mornings

Business:
The recently opened mega stores are flourishing with employees. Customers seem to be a rarity. In the US, by now, I think they would have "going out of business signs".

Food:
Several new or new owner taco stores have opened. I am sure that will make someone happy.

"Tampiqueña" at La Casita

Drink:
Basically only the drunks in the Zona Rosa (by the boat docks) are holding their own.

Crime:
Nothing exciting, unless you want to read about a young women slicing up her lover.

Politics:
Hot Hot - a dozen pretenders that want to be future millionaires and live in Xalapa are now cluttering the local press, juggling for the July7 elections.

Dozens of political signs messing up the neighborhoods

General:
Good time to be in Catemaco, if you can stand the coldest month of the year, average 68.9f. (Unfortunately I am hot blooded and become lethargic.)

Yes, you can get your hat polished in Catemaco

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!