Think tank warns of potential for a huge cost overrun on Maya Train

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March 20, 2019

The Maya Train project could end up costing more than 10 times the amount estimated by the federal government, according to a Mexican think tank.

The Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (Imco) estimated in a technical report that “if planning is not optimal,” it will cost between 479.9 billion pesos (US $25.5 billion) and just under 1.6 trillion pesos (US $85 billion) to build the Yucatán peninsula rail project.

The government estimates that its signature infrastructure project will cost between 120 and 150 billion pesos (US $6.4 to $8 billion).

The Imco report was based on an analysis of 23 rail projects in a range of countries as well as the incomplete Mexico City-Toluca passenger train.

Ana Thais, an Imco researcher and the author of the report, said the cost of the Maya Train is likely to be much higher than anticipated due to expenses associated with obtaining rights of way.

She explained that the government has already acquired the rights for some of the proposed route, including sections where tracks already exist.

However, Thais added that it still needs to secure rights of way for more than half the proposed route, or around 900 kilometers, and some sections of track will likely have to go through ejidos, or communal lands.

The government has faced stiff opposition and legal action from communal landowners when trying to obtain rights of ways for other infrastructure projects such as the Mexico City-Toluca train.

Thais also contended in her report that the viability of the railroad is compromised because of the low population in many of the areas through which it will pass.

“If you have very few people around the stations, it’s very likely that few people will use the train and if very few people use it, it won’t generate enough profits to cover investment costs and ensure that the train can operate using its profits and not through a government subsidy,” Thais said.

She added that the train has to find a way to attract as many passengers as possible and expressed doubt that tourists alone would be able to fill it and make it economically viable.

Train study questions its viability — will there be enough passengers?

In addition to warning of the potential for a huge cost overrun, the report also highlighted another possible economic danger.

“The worst-case scenario would be one in which the construction of the Maya Train doesn’t meet the objective of providing comprehensive growth and development to the communities through which it will pass, and the federal government ends up subsidizing with taxpayers’ resources another project that benefits no one,” it said.

To avoid such a scenario, Imco proposed incorporating activities other than tourism in the plans for the train.

The report contended that a second track could be built – “one solely for freight and one solely for passengers.”

However, Thais recognized that would have two consequences: the cost of construction would go up and the impact on the environment would be greater.

“You’re no longer talking about needing 15 meters for construction . . . [with] two tracks you maybe need 50 meters in addition to the space between the two tracks,” she said.

In light of the concerns it raised, Imco also recommended consulting regularly with residents who will be affected by the project, building the rail line so that it passes through populated areas and obtaining all rights of way before work starts.

President López Obrador today rejected Imco’s view that the cost of the project would increase, contending that the government would actually save money as a result of the rights of way it has already obtained.

He remains adamant that the project will act as a trigger for economic and social development in Mexico’s southeast.

A public consultation before the government took office found almost 90% support for the project despite environmental concerns and claims from indigenous communities that they hadn’t been consulted.

In December, experts warned that the 1,500-kilometer railroad, which will link cities in the three Yucatán peninsula states as well as Tabasco and Chiapas, poses environmental risks to the region’s underground water networks and the long-term survival of the jaguar.

Source: El Financiero (sp), Milenio (sp)

Valle de Bravo, upscale but accessible colonial town in México state

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Lydia Carey

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March 20, 2019

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The beautifully preserved colonial town of Valle de Bravo.

In the past several decades, Valle de Bravo in México state has gone from a beautifully preserved colonial town with small posada hotels and boat trips around the lake to a beautifully preserved colonial town with upscale shopping, boutique hotels and gourmet cuisine.

Playground to Mexico City’s rich and famous, locals will tell you it’s been a double-edged sword — tourism has brought jobs and money to this Pueblo Mágico (magical town), but also raised rents and the cost of living.

But unlike somewhere like San Miguel de Allende, where you might be tempted to ask where all the regular people live, a lot of local charm has been preserved here, with beautiful natural surroundings and even some great street food and traditional cuisine still intact.

Part of what draws tourists to the area, especially Mexico City residents escaping the smog, is nature. Avandaro lake, the town’s most prized possession, is the result of a 1930s hydroelectric project. With the lake came lakeside mansions and resorts, and more recently a tourist-friendly boardwalk replete with floating restaurants, picnic areas, vendors hawking crafts and parasailing rides.

The lake is a good jumping-off point for nature-seekers. Simple boat rides with a local guide run between 500 and 1,000 pesos (US $27-$54) depending on the length and speed with which you want to ride. These are pretty basic affairs with a run around the lake and a peak at some of the lake’s quiet inlets. For a more upscale option there are sailboat rentals available from private owners and companies.

Saint Francis of Asis church stands next to the town pavilion.

The nearby Velo de Novia waterfall is lovely, but even more so is the network of trails in the park where it’s located, which seemingly most tourists never explore. You can walk along the river and all the way to the lake for a swim (if you don’t mind chilly water).

Other walking, hiking and biking trails can be found in the nearby Monte Alto State park reachable on the bike path that extends from the junction of Rt 1 (Carretera Valle de Bravo-Toluca) and the Acatitlan highway and then along the latter until you reach the park’s entrance. (You can also take a cab and be there in about 15 minutes from downtown).

I know the mention of parasailing caught your eye earlier and it’s true, several local companies take you up for what is an incredible view of the valley and lake below.

Another option for getting that view is La Peña, a rocky lookout located in town, a 30-minute hike from the entrance. The view is 360 degrees of the lake and valley below and makes a nice spot for sunset.

The other side of Valle life is having yourself a slow and lazy pamperfest that includes a massage at one of the local spas, a meander through the boutique shops on 5 de Mayo street, and dinner at one of the town’s high-end restaurants, many of them Italian — Dipao, D’Ciro, Batucada, Trattoria Toscanos.

Up until recently the most upscale accommodations have been outside of town – Hotel Rodavento, El Sanctuario, Misión – but Rodavento has recently opened up two new luxury hotels within the city limits – Casa Rodavento and Rodavento Cinco – that now make staying in style downtown easier than ever. Casa Rodavento also has a great onsite restaurant (international food, local ingredients).

Cobblestone street in the magical town of Valle de Bravo.

For a more budget-friendly trip, there are dozens and dozens of posada hotels downtown (like Real Hotel San Agustín just steps from the town’s main plaza), but they fill up on the weekends so it’s best to reserve in advance.

Lots of mediocre international and Italian restaurants are in the mid-range, so why not go much cheaper and more delicious and check out the street food scene.

The local market has tons of good food stands during the day, and in the afternoon/evenings the esquites (roasted corn) sellers set up on Villagrán street which meets the taco vendors on El Arco street at a V.

I recommend the taco stand closest to the junction where the two alleys meet. Local nieves (water-based ice cream) are also delicious and come in all kinds of wild flavors. Be sure to buy from a vendor and not in a shop because they’re always better on the street.

The Saint Francis of Asis church is located right on the square and it’s a beautiful piece of neoclassical architecture built in the late 1880s. There is also the Joaquín Arcadio Pagada Museum, dedicated to a native-son poet priest from the 1800s.

The museum contains his personal effects as well as a gallery where every three months a new exhibit features a different local artist.

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If you are craving space and silence and don’t have a rich friend to loan you their lake house for the weekend there are plenty of hotels and homes outside the city limits that will keep you out of the hustle and bustle.

And there is always the option of staying in smaller, nearby Avandaro, a more earthy, crunchy upscale, with organic grocery stores, smoothies and lots of outdoorsy types.

All said, Valle de Bravo is a fun weekend escape, which for foreign tourists still offers luxury rest and relaxation with prices within reach. In addition, if you take the time to walk through town and sample some local cuisine you will also find that its heart hasn’t been replaced by some Disneyland-esque vibe —it’s still sweet, historic and full of charm.

Lydia Carey is a freelance writer based in Mexico City.

Giant murals beautify Mexico City and help improve air quality

By

MND Staff

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March 20, 2019

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One of the murals is on a building on Paseo de la Reforma.

Three giant murals in Mexico City not only help to beautify the capital’s urban landscape but also clean its contaminated air.

The new environmentally-themed murals were painted with Airlite, a technically-advanced paint that helps to neutralize contaminants in the air through a process similar to photosynthesis.

When sunlight hits the surface of the murals, a chemical reaction occurs and the surrounding air is oxygenated.

The three murals, located on buildings in the Cuauhtémoc, Juárez and Roma neighborhoods, are part of the “Absolut Street Trees” project, an initiative of French alcoholic beverage company Pernod Ricard.

Together they cover a surface area of 2,000 square meters and have the capacity to eliminate the annual contamination emitted by 60,000 cars.

Ana Carolina Herrera, brand manager for Pernod Ricard in Mexico, told the news agency EFE that the “Absolut Street Trees” project aims to raise awareness of environmental problems among young people while they are appreciating the urban street art.

“One of the most difficult challenges in the city is the contamination problem,” she said.

“. . . By mixing technology and art, this way of planting ‘trees’ was created . . . Besides putting a vibrant and colorful stamp on Mexico City, they [the murals] contribute to oxygenating the air.”

Herrera explained that the paint used in the murals has a lifespan of around 10 years.

The mural in the Cuauhtémoc neighborhood was painted on a building located on the Paseo de la Reforma boulevard by the Spanish collective Boa Mistura.

The group said that the soy porque somos (I am because we are) message in the mural is meant to convey that all humans are unique individuals but also part of something larger, like single leaves on the same tree.

Mexican artist Revost said that his mural on Álvaro Obregón street in Roma aims to promote sustainable living and gender equality. Entitled El árbol de las serpientes, the mural features two snakes wrapped around the trunk of a tree.

The third mural, located where Paseo de la Reforma meets Insurgentes avenue in Juárez, is still being painted by Seher One, a Mexican artist with an international reputation.

He told EFE that 98% of his art is focused on nature and aims to send a powerful message to people in order to “transform” their way of thinking or “stimulate curiosity” about certain issues.

Source: EFE (sp)

An apple for the teacher? No, try a rooster instead

By

Madison Koen

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March 20, 2019

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Primary school teacher Gutiérrez and her student.

Short on cash but not affection, a Tamaulipas primary school student did what he could to give his teacher a present for her birthday.

Teacher Esthefany Gutiérrez Hernández of Matamoros recounted the story on Facebook, recalling that the student had told her he had no money to buy a gift but would bring her one regardless.

Some days later, the student approached his teacher to say he had brought the present, “but I had to hide it because I thought the other teachers might not let me into school with it.”

After receiving her permission to retrieve it, he returned several minutes later carrying a large cardboard box with holes on one side and held shut with a piece of string.

Inside was a rooster.

Gutiérrez's student and her birthday present. — Gutiérrez’s student and her birthday present.

Said the student: “I picked out the prettiest one I had just for you! I don’t have the money to buy you anything, but I hope you like roosters.”

Knowing the youngster rode to school on a bicycle every day, the teacher asked how he managed to carry the box. He found a neighbor to give him a ride, he said.

Gutiérrez wrote on Facebook that she not only appreciated the great effort to which her student had gone — finding a ride and then having to walk back home later, preparing the box and carefully hiding it — in order to celebrate her birthday but the fact that the incident reminded her why she chose to be a teacher: “to give my all every day so that [her students] are better people.

“Thank you for reminding me why I love my job.”

Her post has received 216,000 likes and 24,000 comments and has been shared 71,000 times.

Source: El Universal (sp)

Foreign investment in tourism dropped 50% last year

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MND Staff

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March 20, 2019

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Foreign investment in hotels and other tourism projects was way down last year.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico’s tourism sector declined by 50% last year to just under US $800 million, government statistics show.

Data from the Secretariat of Tourism (Sectur) reveals that foreign investors spent US $798.5 million on tourism projects in 2018 compared to US $1.585 billion in 2017.

Of the former amount, 61% went to the construction of tourist-oriented apartments and homes and 24.2% was invested in new hotels.

FDI in tourism represented 2.5% of all foreign investment in Mexico last year, which was US $31.6 billion.

In the 20 years since tourism FDI was first recorded in 1999, just under US $20.4 billion has come into the sector from abroad, a figure which equates to 3.8% of all foreign investment in the period.

The federal government has indicated that it will attempt to attract greater FDI in tourism by supporting private developments and offering opportunities for investment in its own tourism infrastructure projects, most notably the Maya Train.

The government will only provide 10% of the estimated 150 billion pesos (US $8 billion) needed to complete the ambitious Yucatán peninsula rail project with the remainder to come from the private sector.

Announcing the new national tourism strategy last month, President López Obrador emphasized the importance of tourism to Mexico’s economic well-being, pointing out that it is the country’s third biggest foreign exchange earner behind the automotive industry and remittances by Mexicans working abroad.

A record 41.4 million international tourists came to Mexico last year, 5.5% more than in 2017, but some travel industry experts have expressed concern that visitor numbers will fall this year due to the government’s decision to disband the tourism marketing agency.

It was revealed this week that Mexico fell one position in the 2018 ranking of the world’s top tourism destinations. It is now in the seventh place.

Source: Milenio (sp)

Three cities top Ikea’s list of possible store locations

By

César Hernández

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March 20, 2019

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The Swedish furniture and home accessories store Ikea is looking at Mexico’s three largest cities as the sites for its first outlets in Mexico.

The company set up an office in Mexico City in 2017 in preparation for establishing a presence here, but has said little on the subject until now.

Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey are in the running but “we’re also looking at the country in general,” said Ikea México marketing manager Antonia Bañuelos León.

He said the company is considering several store formats; further details are to be announced in a month’s time.

Last August, Ikea posted vacancies for its Mexico City office and another in Guadalajara.

A store in the capital could be a challenge because the traditional Ikea business model requires large warehouse space on the outskirts of a city. But the model is changing, reported the Economista newspaper.

The company has announced it will open a new store in the highly populated center of Paris, France, where it will sell a wide variety of products in a relatively small space.

Ikea has 427 stores in 52 countries.

Source: El Economista (sp)

New US ambassador a ‘firm hand’ for Trump in Mexico, expert says

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MND Staff

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March 20, 2019

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United States President Donald Trump’s nomination of Christopher Landau to be his new ambassador to Mexico sends a message that he intends to maintain a “firm hand” in bilateral relations, according to an international relations expert.

The White House press office said in a statement Monday that Trump intended to nominate Landau, a constitutional and appellate attorney, to the post that has been vacant since Roberta Jacobson resigned last May.

Javier Urbano, a professor at the Iberoamerican University in Mexico City, told the newspaper El Financiero that Landau will be an embodiment of Trump’s “firm hand” approach to Mexico, and that he will have limited scope to establish more cordial relations with Mexico.

“They’re sending us a makeshift [ambassador], he’s a lawyer who will have little room to maneuver,” he said, adding that the outlook is poor for Mexico-United States relations in coming years “unless the relationship goes through channels other than the embassy.”

Urbano contended that Landau doesn’t have the necessary skills and experience required to effectively manage the complex relationship between the two countries, and that his proposed appointment “doesn’t send a message from the United States government that [it wants to] increase the level of cooperation” between the two.

Bilateral relations have warmed slightly President López Obrador took office in December but under the Enrique Peña Nieto government, they became openly hostile as migration, trade and Trump’s border wall proposal were front and center in the antagonism.

Jacobson’s resignation as ambassador was widely seen as a response to the incompatibility of her views about how the bilateral relation should be conducted with those held by Trump.

Indeed, Jacobson slammed the U.S. president’s immigration policies after she left, calling them “un-American” and counterproductive.

For almost a year, the ambassador’s post has remained vacant, and the failure to appoint a replacement was interpreted by some as a slight by the U.S. towards its southern neighbor.

Kimberly Ann Nolan, a professor at Mexico City’s Latin American Social Sciences Institute (Flacso), asserted that proposing Landau – who has no prior diplomatic experience – shows that the United States is not placing the value on the relationship with Mexico that it deserves.

“By sending a person who is not qualified [to be an ambassador], the United States is sending a message that they don’t care,” she said.

In contrast, Raúl Benítez, a researcher at the Center for Research on North American (Cisan) at the National Autonomous University (UNAM), took a more positive view.

He said Landau’s background as a lawyer is evidence that the United States intends to place greater emphasis on the legal aspects of the relationship, including those within issues such as drug trafficking, migration and trade.

“[The appointment] could be positive if the relationship between both governments is positive and if it helps to resolve a lot of legal cases . . . [related to] drug trafficking and extraditions . . .” Benítez said.

The fact that Landau doesn’t have prior experience as a diplomat “is not a sin,” he added, pointing out that a lot of Mexican ambassadors don’t have diplomatic backgrounds either.

Benítez also said that Mexico could benefit from the presence of a United States ambassador who is much closer to the U.S. president than his predecessor.

Beyond his legal experience, the White House said the 55-year-old Landau has a certificate in Latin American studies from Harvard University and is fluent in Spanish, a skill that could be useful in any direct dealings with President López Obrador.

Source: El Financiero (sp)

After 25 deaths, restrictions placed on moving horses in Nayarit

By

César Hernández

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March 20, 2019

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Dancing horses won't be seen at the Nayarit fair due to a prohibition on moving the animals.

Horses have been confined to their stables by government order in Ixtlán del Río, Nayarit, due to a case of the western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE) virus, which causes a potentially serious disease that also affects birds, mosquitoes and humans.

There have been at least 50 possible cases reported in the region, and half of those animals have died. While it has yet to be confirmed if those deaths were caused by WEE, state authorities have ordered horses be kept in their stables and suspended their participation in rodeos, shows and other events.

Government officials have so far collected 192 samples that are currently being analyzed in a laboratory.

“We advise against moving horses within the state and to and from it, as a preventative measure,” said rural development undersecretary Rodrigo Polanco Rojo.

The first reports of the virus were heard two weeks ago when owners reported that their horses showed symptoms such as poor motor coordination and depression.

WEE is most often spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, and can then spread the virus to humans and animals when they bite. It is not spread from person to person.

Source: La Razón (sp)

Mexico drops to seventh place in world tourism ranking

By

Madison Koen

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March 20, 2019

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Tourism Secretary Torruco speaks with reporters.

After four years of steady growth, Mexico dropped from sixth to seventh place last year in international tourism rankings.

Tourism Secretary Miguel Torruco said yesterday the decline was the first since 2013, when Mexico dropped from 13^th to 15^th place in 2013 during the first year of Enrique Peña Nieto’s presidency.

Mexico was edged out of seventh place in the 2018 World Tourism Organization ranking by Turkey.

Torruco warned that Mexico could see its position decline yet further given strong tourism numbers in the United Kingdom and Germany.

According to statistics gathered by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), Mexico welcomed nearly 41.5 million international tourists last year.

Torruco said that Mexico ranks 15^th in the world in terms of tourist spending. The tourism secretary has said previously that increasing that figure will be a top priority of the government’s tourism agenda.

Torruca said on Tuesday that the government would also place a strong emphasis on sustainable tourism in order to increase the economic spillover to benefit local populations.

The tourism chief was in Cancún for the third forum on the creation of the 2019-2024 National Development Plan, with which the federal government hopes to tackle such diverse issues as insecurity, equal employment opportunities, corruption and sustainable development. The forums are open to citizens to bring public participation in the creation of the plan.

Source: El Universal (sp)

A walk through the Mexico City markets of Colonia La Condesa

By

Andy Hume

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March 20, 2019

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La Condesa’s only permanent market, Mercado Michoacán.

If you like to explore or shop in Mexico City’s numerous and diverse markets, the Condesa neighborhood offers three.

In downtown Condesa which, by the way, must be the electric scooter app capital of the world, is the tiny Mercado Michoacán, a beautiful art deco building shared with one of the city’s many iterations of Café Toscano and surrounded by the pearls of modern suburbia: Wing’s Army, 7-11 and Panam Shoes.

Aside from the nearby El Centenario cantina, Mercado Michoacán is one of La Condesa’s few older businesses to survive into the 21st century. It’s definitely worth a stop in for the gringas and sopes, but Michoacán really only provides the basics: you’ve got your chicken guy, your beef guy, some general stores and fruits and veggies.

It’s always surprising there isn’t a larger market in Condesa but maybe Mercado Escandón supplies the need. At Frutería las Delicias, Camelia Ferreyra Olivares tells me that it’s mostly neighbors that come in or visiting foreigners.

“Restaurants will come to buy,” she says, “if they run out of something. But they have distributors, so they don’t buy from us regularly.”

• Mercado Michoacán is at the corner of Tamaulipas and Av. Vicente Suárez.

Every Tuesday, just blocks from Chapultepec Park, on the western edge of La Condesa lies the grande dame of Condesa-area street markets – Tianguis Condesa, the Condesa Tuesday Market.

Running along quaint Pachuca, lined with lush trees and quintessentially picturesque Mexico City architecture, Tianguis Condesa is a foragers’ paradise.

It’s best to come early, when the morning sun still feels good, before it gets too hot and the crowds form. The international food tours are ubiquitous, with foreigners learning about strange new fruits.

Melon and papaya pushers hand out samples and a hard sell, alongside vendors of clothing, cosmetics and housewares, all glowing pink under the CDMX-issued market tarps.

But the vegetables are the best reason to come, some of the most perfect produce you’re likely to find in the area, much of it sourced just outside of the city and likely picked only the day before.

Lilia Hernández has been selling fruits and dried nuts at the market for 40 years.

• Tianguis Condesa runs along Pachuca from Veracruz to Juan de la Barrera from 10:00am to 5:00pm every Tuesday.

On the other end of Condesa, right of to the side of busy Avenida Nuevo León, is the Condesa Friday Street Market, where the atmosphere is thoroughly upbeat. It’s Friday, very likely payday, and the clientele appear to be feeling fine.

Every tiny plastic stool is occupied at the counter of the simply named Barbacoa, known for its barbacoa flautas and a variety of sopes, quesadillas and tacos.

A spunky gray-haired woman in a double smock, plain white over pink gingham, multi-tasks throughout the stand, quick on her feet – patting out tortillas, wiping down tables, taking orders. It’s incredibly crowded, but even if you can’t find a stool, you’ll be able to eat on your feet at Barbacoa.

The flautas are perfectly golden with the crunch that tells you they’re fresh, topped with crema and queso fresco. Don’t be shy with the salsas – there are buckets full of them behind the counter.

Local workers on lunch break and visiting tourists are the bread and butter of most street market restaurants, and they visit this tianguis about 50/50, I’m told. Rodrigo Reyes, who works in an office nearby, tells me, “We come every Friday to fill our stomachs before going out for drinks after work.”

The Doña holding it all together at Barbacoa at the Condesa Friday Street Market.

Right behind Barbacoa, Pescados y Mariscos Los Pescaditos is almost equally busy. The fish cocktail “with everything” (meaning extra cocktail sauce, cilantro and avocado on top) is a perfect balance of lime, spice, crunchy bell peppers and a touch of extra sweetness.

Another specialty is the caldo de camarón, a deep red shrimp broth with plenty of richness to line the belly for a night on the town.

Moving away from the food vendors is a bit more of a local scene. At Ian Toys, Alejandro Mendoza washes a newly acquired action figure in a bucket of soap.

He’s been selling at the market for 20 years and specializes in older collectibles, like favorite superheroes and Star Wars and Jurassic Park figurines.

“Mostly adults buy the toys because kids are only into tablets these days — iPads,” he says, guessing that his clientele is about 80% adults and 20% kids.

“Kids don’t want to play with dolls,” he says with a smirk. “Some of my clients come about every week. I’ve had some clients for over 10 years, since they were kids.”

The beautiful fish cocktail from Los Pescaditos at Condesa Friday Market.

Most of the vendors move throughout the city, selling at a different street market every day, and despite Condesa’s fame as one of the city’s major tourist zones, I’m told sales are pretty equal on any given day.

But Tianguis de los Viernes is the fun one because everyone’s in a weekend kind of mood.

• Tianguis de los Viernes runs along Campeche from Saltillo to Ometusco and along Ometusco to Nuevo León every Friday until 5:00pm.

This is the second in a series on the markets and weekly tianguis (markets on wheels) of Mexico City.