‘Hobbit hotel’ inspires imagination while boosting local economy in Xilitla

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July 2, 2022

Hotel Tapasoli's burrow houses — The "burrow houses" of Hotel Tapasoli are based on the shelters built by the lowland paca, a small native mammal. Leigh Thelmadatter

The lodgings at the Hotel Tapasoli aren’t for hobbits, but the misnomer has worked out to the benefit of the community where the hotel is based in the Huasteca region of San Luis Potosí.

By far, most people come to the area to visit Las Pozas, the much-hyped surrealist home and gardens of English poet Edward James, in the Pueblo Mágico of Xilitla. The town proper is packed with small places to stay almost up to the gates of the gardens.

There are some resorts and other lodging up the canyon walls that promise more than just a place to sleep, but I don’t think any of them can surpass Tapasoli, the brainchild of Alberto Muñoz González, in the nearby community of Apetzco.

Apetzco (sometimes spelled Apexco) is a mostly indigenous community also located in the Xilitla municipality, and Tapasoli means “bird’s nest” in Náhuatl. Muñoz had the unusual idea of creating lodgings here that hang from the rather large trees on his family’s land. Their shape and thatching are based on the nests of the Altamira oriole, a bird native to northeast Mexico. Built for coziness and with a camping feel, they have room only for a bed or two and up to three people maximum. Bathrooms and showers are communal and located under the restaurant. They are not completely rustic, having steel cables for support, waterproofing against the very rainy climate, and mosquito nets.

The design of Tapasoli's "nests" take inspiration from the nests of the Altamira oriole. — The design of Tapasoli’s “nests” take inspiration from the nests of the native Altamira oriole. Facebook / Hotel Tapasoli

They still have six of these nests, but by 2016, Muñoz realized he needed to offer another option.

His next idea was what he calls “burrow houses,” based on homes created by local lowland pacas, small mammals that are also native to the area. Taking advantage of the steep incline on part of the land, with its stunning views of Xilitla below, the rooms are dug into the rock, and then enclosed with a front with a circular door. The rooms have more than a passing resemblance to the houses of the hobbits of “The Lord of the Rings.” In fact, Mexican media simply refers to Tapasoli as the “hobbit hotel.” These “burrows” have been quite successful with 15 now built in a span of only six years. All have one or more beds, a fireplace, bathroom, climate control and Wi-Fi, but no television. All have spectacular panoramic views, and the newest overlook a new artificial pond with two small waterfalls. Although Muñoz insists the hobbits had nothing to do with the design, he does not mind the comparison, finding it rather amusing.

The area is small, but everything you need for an intimate weekend away is right there. The restaurant specializes in dishes from local kitchens in Apetzco, made by local women, no chef. Foodstuffs are local and everything is cooked over traditional wood stoves. Representative dishes include enchiladas huastecas, eggs cooked in banana leaves, roasted chayote and plantains roasted with the peel on and served with cream. Oil and other fats are generally avoided, and are not missed.

“We want people who visit us and stay here to have a unique experience.” Muñoz says.

Left: A cook at work in the kitchen over a wood-fired stove. Right: eggs cooked in banana leaves, black beans and roasted chayote. — At the restaurant, local cooks use traditional methods to prepare *enchiladas huastecas*, eggs cooked in banana leaves, whole-roasted plantains with cream, and other regional specialties. Leigh Thelmadatter

Over 90% of those who make reservations are women, often looking for a romantic weekend getaway. He has been in contact with people in other parts of Mexico and even Germany who have expressed interest in building something similar.

Tapasoli does not market itself as an ecological resort, although there are ecological elements. First is that its buildings do not clash or seek to dominate the landscape, but rather blend in. As few trees as possible have been cut and in some cases, built around. Firewood is used judiciously (as in many homes), and there are composting facilities, rainwater capture, and greywater reuse for plants.

Tapasoli also “blends in” with the local community. Muñoz’s maternal family has been here for over four generations. Before the hotel, they primarily used the plot of land to grow corn, oranges, bananas and coffee, one reason why there are still larger and older trees on the property. Tapasoli sources both supplies and labor locally, employing 47 local people directly and doing business with about 70 others.

Muñoz is not done yet. His immediate project is to rework the nests. New COVID regulations mean he needs to provide separate bathroom facilities for them. But the long-term challenge is getting more people to the hotel. The road to Apetzco from the valley below is in bad shape, apart from the fact that Xilitla itself is not easy to get to. The community has been fighting the municipality for some time to repair the road, and Muñoz is looking into providing transportation from Tampico and Mexico City.

Until then, it is best to use a car and drive up slowly – but it is worth it.

Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico 18 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019). Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily.

What to expect when you’re moving in Mexico

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Sarah DeVries

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July 2, 2022

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When it comes to relocating, shuttling boxes to a new place may be easy part. — When it comes to relocating, shuttling boxes to a new place may be the easy part.

We’re moving next week!

I know that most people hate moving. I, however, in a likely very annoying way, am energized by it: there’s just nothing like a fresh start.

The first part – purging my current space of all the things I no longer want or need – is my favorite. It gives both me and my space such a shift in energy that as far as I’m concerned, it’s witchcraft (that works).

The first couple of days after we get the keys to the new place, we’ll take everything we can over in a car. Then later, we’ll have a moving truck transport all the big stuff.

The actual, physical moving is, to me, the easy part.

The part that comes before that though is a doozy. Finding a place to rent is an adventure in and of itself (more on that below), as is deciphering rental contracts and figuring out what needs to happen in order to leave one’s current place. Making sure I was doing everything the way it was supposed to be done was my main concern.

Unfortunately, being an anxious and meticulous goody-goody is very much at odds with the confusion surrounding rental properties in cities like mine, which are not used to dealing with foreigners and their cultural assumptions around the topic.

Because of that, I think a simple article on what to expect paperwork-wise during a move within Mexico would be timely. Here’s what to look out for.

Searching for a new place

If you’re not in a huge hurry to move out of your current place, this part can be quite an exciting adventure!

Mexico does not have a central listing of properties for rent or sale, so the landscape is wide and a bit chaotic. To find something, then, you’ll just have to do some leg work. Facebook Marketplace can be a good starting point, as can Vivanuncios (which is where I found my current house). Properties are rented by either their owners or through real estate agencies, all of whom may or may not have photos to look at online.

You’re also likely to find many places for rent or sale simply by walking around areas that you like! If you see a “For Sale” sign on a place you’d like to rent, go ahead and give them a call: many owners are willing to rent in the meantime rather than simply letting their homes sit on the market making no money, so it can’t hurt to try your luck.

Just remember: if a place is technically for sale, you’ll of course have to move if it sells, which is always a risk. If you have a contract (which are almost always made for a year) then it should be respected until the year is up, but if you’re renting “informally,” which I don’t recommend, then you’ve definitely got less protection. Make sure to clarify whatever you decide on with the owner so that you don’t suddenly find yourself needing a new place within two weeks!

Contracts: lots of bark, unknown bite

The law in Mexico when it comes to property is … complicated. And because the rule of law is one of the country’s weakest institutions in general, it’s honestly a wonder to me that anyone is willing to take the risk of renting at all.

The short explanation is that squatters (or overstayers who simply quit paying rent) have rights, and quite a lot of them. I’ve heard many stories of unprotected (but owned) property being built on and lived in by others, with this result: the law tends to side with those who are physically using the space whether it belongs to them on paper or not.

A lot goes into these (quite long) contracts, but the gist of it is that you agree to pay rent on time every month and to evacuate the property if you don’t. Late payments incur fees, and you have to take care of the property and not make any major changes to it. All this is fairly common in any rental contract, but there are a few other things that go into it as well.

First, you’ll likely need an aval, which is a co-signer. This will sometimes be waved, especially for foreigners who have a reputation for obeying laws, if you pay several months’ rent in advance and sometimes even if you can simply prove steady and high income; basically, they just want to increase the odds as much as possible that they’ll get paid. At least in my city, the aval must be a property owner with property in the same city. Not only do they need to own property, but they need to fully own their property and be up to date on all of their taxes with extensive paperwork to prove it. If they’re still paying for it, then their property couldn’t be seized in the event that the renter didn’t pay or refused to leave because the bank that made the loan would have first dibs. You and your aval will then both need to sign …

Pagarés. This literally means “I will pay,” and many places have you sign 12 of them, one for each month of your contract, to be returned to you each month.

Sometimes there’s a specific item in the contract outlining fees and fines for ending the contract before the year is up. Check for those! I was very nervous about my current contract, as, after looking closely, I discovered that I’d agreed to pay essentially two extra months of rent as a penalty for moving before the year was up. Luckily it wasn’t even mentioned, and I’ve come to understand that for the most part, those are simply there to prevent bad actors.

Out of the old, into the new

Once the contract is signed and the first month’s rent and deposit (which you will very likely not get back) are paid, the place is yours! While you can’t make any major changes (see above), most places are happy to let you paint, install shelving, etc. One thing I really appreciate about renting here is that there are so many ways to really make it your own. It should be passed on to you with all previous bills having been paid (they’ll have the owner’s name on the bills, not yours). Just make sure that’s actually the case.

Beyond those bills, most owners will keep a fairly hands-off attitude toward the house, though they may ask if they can show the house to someone once in a while if it happens to be for sale (something that I do not love). Renters are typically responsible for minor repairs and upkeep of the property, though the owners should step in for anything major like structural damage or the water heater ceasing to work.

And don’t forget about the place you lived before: you’ll need to fix it up a bit!

While the outside parts of the property are not typically the renter’s responsibility beyond regular upkeep and you having not obviously destroyed anything, the inside will likely need some paint touch-ups, some cleaning, and to have any holes from nails filled in. I seem to have gotten lucky: the real estate agency likes the way I’ve painted, so hopefully the next person to rent will be happy with those colors and I won’t have to leave it completely white again like I would in most places (y’all keep your fingers crossed for me!).

If you’ve been a good steward of the property, have always paid on time, and have made a good effort to communicate early and clearly, even the most buttoned-up agents will usually be willing to work with you to make the transition as smooth as possible.

And if you’re like me and like to put out every possible problem that might come up along the way for discussion: just don’t. Keep them in your back pocket in case any issues come up.

Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sdevrieswritingandtranslating.com and her Patreon page.

Mango madness: It’s time to make the ultimate cheesecake

By

Janet Blaser

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July 2, 2022

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Blending fresh mango into the cheesecake batter gives it a delicate color and luscious flavor. Janet Blaser

Know from the start that I am both a mango and a cheesecake fan. Mango-love goes without saying; as for cheesecake, I’ve made many different styles, from New York to Japanese, and I love them all. But never a mango cheesecake.

This recipe calls for blending mangoes into the filling, resulting in a beautifully colored, softly flavored, totally delicious dessert. Other versions have a layer of mango gel on top, or just sliced mangoes as a garnish, or are “no-bake” recipes. Pshaw! This is the way to go.

Cheesecake depends as much on its ingredients as the cooking method and timing to be successful; I encourage you to follow directions to the tee. Have all your ingredients and equipment laid out and ready to go before you start. There are not that many steps, but they are specific and detailed. If you don’t set up your mise en place first, you will hate me, this recipe and the whole idea of ever making cheesecake yourself.

Do you need a springform pan? Well, there’s something undeniably elegant about a tall, stately, cream-colored cheesecake, brought to the table anchored by the thinnest layer of brown cookie crust. So sure, you can use a regular cake pan, but it won’t be as tall and you won’t be able to unmold it; you’ll have to just cut and serve slices right out of the pan. Whatever pan you use, though, you must still bake it in a water bath to get the texture you’re looking for.

It's hard to go wrong with a fresh, ripe mango. — Juicy, ripe mangoes make a flavorful purée that perfectly balances the smooth creaminess of the cheesecake.

Cheesecake acts like a custard — all eggs and dairy, no flour or leavening — so it must be baked slow and steady at a low, even heat. That’s where the water bath (a bain marie) comes in. No matter what temperature the oven is, the water will never get hotter than 100 C (212 F); without this moist heat, your cheesecake will get rubbery, curdle or overbake. (Take note: Another reason for a rubbery texture is overmixing the batter.) A deep roasting or lasagna pan will work; just check to be sure your springform pan will fit inside.

As far as the crust, I can’t find actual graham crackers anywhere here and hate the artificial taste of most other plain cookies (like Galletas Marías). I prefer Gamesa-brand “Classicas Ricanelas” (a not-too-sweet cinnamon cookie) or their “Barras de Coco.” If you can find a pre-made graham cracker crust in your local big-box store — lucky you! Whatever you use, it’s really not that important. The filling is what we’re after and the crust is simply a vehicle to give it a bit more structure on its way from fork to mouth. Do use Philadelphia brand cream cheese (or make your own). I’ve adjusted the amount in the recipe to allow for the package size in Mexico.

If you’re new to cheesecake-baking, most recipes say to take it out of the oven when it’s set but still a bit wobbly in the middle, meaning if you shake the pan, a two-inch circle in the center of the cheesecake should wiggle. Believe this! The filling will continue to cook a little as it cools. Cook longer and it will be tasty but dry. (A knife inserted in the center won’t work; this isn’t a cake.) You’ll notice the filling pulled away slightly from the edges of the pan and the surface of the cheesecake will no longer be shiny. A cheesecake that’s done will give a little but feel firm if you touch it gently with your finger. Finally, if you have a food thermometer, check the temperature in the center of the cheesecake: if it’s done, it will be 66 C (150 F).

Mango Cheesecake

8 oz. (two 113-gram packages) cookies (see above)
½ cup butter, softened and cut into pieces
2 cups fresh mango purée (unsweetened)
Three 180-gram packages + ½ cup Philadelphia cream cheese, softened (1.5 lbs. total)
½ to 1 cup white sugar, as desired
6 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Juice of 1 small lime
Optional: Unsweetened shredded coconut, mango slices for garnish

In a blender, purée mangos; set aside. Heat oven to 165 C ( 325 F).

Dump cookies into a food processor or blender. Process until almost fine crumbs. Add butter and continue processing until mixture clumps together like damp sand. (Push mixture down from sides with a spatula if necessary.) Dump mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly into bottom and up sides. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Place springform pan on two pieces of foil (heavy-duty if possible) laid out in a cross. Crimp edges up around sides of pan to make a waterproof nest. (If using a regular cake pan, no need for the foil.) Place foil-covered pan in the roasting pan. Set aside. In a large pot, bring to a boil enough water to half-fill a deep roasting pan.

Unbaked cheesecake in an aluminum foil "nest" — Ready to bake! Aluminum foil “nest” protects the cheesecake from the water bath. Janet Blaser

In food processor, blender or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, place mango purée; add all of the cream cheese and process till smooth. Add sugar, and with motor running, add eggs one at a time. Add lime juice and vanilla. Process until thoroughly blended. Don’t overmix!

Pour or scrape filling into pan; if you like, decorate the top with unsweetened shredded coconut. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of cake pan and place on center rack in the pre-heated oven. This is tricky! You may want to fill it part way, put the pans in the oven, and then pour in more hot water a cup at a time until the desired level is reached.

Bake until filling is set and wobbles slightly in the center, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. (See tips above.) If needed, bake longer in 5-minute intervals. Remove from water bath. Discard foil and cool on a cooling rack. When completely cool, 1-2 hours, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, resisting the urge to eat it immediately.

To serve, carefully remove from pan and place on a platter before slicing with a knife dipped in hot water. Garnish each slice with a thin wedge of mango.

Janet Blaser is the author of the best-selling book, Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats, featured on CNBC and MarketWatch. She has lived in Mexico since 2006. You can find her on Facebook.

Truck deaths in Texas; thinking like Hitler: the week at the morning news conferences

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MND Staff

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July 2, 2022

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President López Obrador, 68 years young, spent the weekend in Guerrero. His attention was turned to the virtual world on Sunday where his 15-year-old son Jesús Ernesto was receiving online abuse and being mocked for his weight. “The problem is with me, not with him. Even in the mafia the family is respected,” AMLO derided.

Monday

Was it time to relieve the attorney general of his duties, a journalist asked López Obrador after the president met with Alejandro Gertz Manero. Gertz has repeatedly been accused of collusion and faces legal action from the president’s former legal counsel. López Obrador said he didn’t raise the topic of damning leaked telephone calls with Gertz and added that he’d requested an acceleration of the investigation into the 43 students who went missing in Iguala, Guerrero, in 2014.

“There is a very good relationship, with regards to the separation of powers. I don’t get involved in matters that correspond to the judiciary, only when it comes to matters that affect the population,” the president insisted.

Later in the conference, the tabasqueño was less restrained in his treatment of jailed former security minister Genaro García Luna, and a certain disfavored U.S. newspaper. He charged that The New York Times previously supported the disgraced minister. “The New York Times [was] talking up García Luna’s wonders … at the time. [Saying] that he was like Batman … such newspapers should offer apologies,” he said.

However, one U.S. citizen was enshrined into the president’s good books. “Today the best Mexican basketball player in history is coming,” he said referring to U.S.-born Juan Toscano-Anderson, who became the first Mexican NBA champion earlier this month. “He has Mexico in his heart, in his blood. He is a son of migrants … we’re very proud of him,” he added.

Tuesday

A sense of sorrow accompanied Tuesday’s conference, as López Obrador addressed the dozens of migrants found dead in a trailer in Texas, many of whom he said were Mexican. “These unfortunate events, which have to do with the poverty and desperation of our Central American brothers, and of Mexicans, happen because there is human trafficking and a lack of controls,” he said, before adding a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House was fixed for July 12.

The president assured immigration would be a central topic of conversation at the meeting. “We’ve been insisting on support for Central America and also on increasing temporary work visas and ordering the migratory flow … there is a reality that they have a hard time accepting, especially because of their dogmas and their anti-immigrant policy,” he said of U.S. politicians.

After all, the president added, the U.S. and Canada are in need of migrants: “They don’t have labor power, there’s no labor force, neither in the United States nor in Canada, for them to grow and produce, and not just consume what is produced in Asia … That is an obvious crisis,” he said, before announcing that his wife, Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, would accompany him to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, principally to discuss education.

Wednesday

The president celebrated the first birthday of the “Who’s who in the lies of the week” section, which examines media misinformation. The section, led since its inception by Ana Elizabeth García Vilchis, has dispelled myths, clarified confusion and had its own occasional struggles with truth.

The head of the National Immigration Institute (INM), Francisco Garduño Yáñez, offered some hard facts. He said the driver of the trailer in which dozens of migrants died in Texas had tried to pass as one of the survivors to evade authorities and added the vehicle passed through two migratory checkpoints in the U.S. before it was discovered.

In her festive section, García denied that planes had been arriving at Felipe Ángeles airport from Venezuela full of undocumented migrants and, in light of a scandal, said Pemex was contractually required to provide ice cubes to workers in hot conditions. The fake news expert also pointed to some suspicious activity on Twitter, where one account had abusively retweeted 4.58 times per minute about AMLO’s son.

Thursday

After the murder of two Jesuit priests in Chihuahua on June 20, the president reiterated his respect for Pope Francis, who he called “a true Christian,” but was less impressed by the reaction of others in the church who’d criticized the government’s security strategy. “Those comments that hugs aren’t enough. What do the priests want? For us to solve problems with violence? Are we going to disappear everyone? Are we going to gamble on war?” the president said.

Mexican advertising executive Carlos Alazraki.

López Obrador raised another controversy with religious undertones. “Yesterday I said that Mr. Alazraki is Hitlerian,” he said, referring to a Jewish advertising executive who’d suggested malpractice was the best way to defeat the government.

“There may no longer be Hitler, there may no longer be Mussolini, there may no longer be Stalin, there may no longer be Franco, but the fascist, Francoist Nazi ideas, Stalinism, still exist … Mr. Alazraki is a follower of Hitler’s thinking,” the president affirmed.

“The Jewish community in Mexico considered it offensive,” a journalist returned.

“I have very good friends in the Jewish community,” the president rebutted, before showing a video of Alazraki saying that the more propaganda and lies disseminated against the ruling party, the better.

Friday

There was no conference on Friday as the president traveled to his home state Tabasco to open the Dos Bocas refinery, a project that has run up a hefty bill and could end up costing more than double its original US $8 billion estimate. The president has set a goal of making Mexico self-sufficient in fuel by 2023.

Last month, López Obrador indulged his nostalgia talking about his happy childhood in Tabasco. He recounted walking around barefoot and shirtless in the heat, immersing himself in nature and playing baseball. One of his inspirations is the tabasqueño poet Carlos Pellicer who acted as a mentor, and something of a moral guide, early in his career.

Much of Pellicer’s poetry focuses on his home state and his poem “Esto Soy” (What I Am) addresses Tabascan identity:

I was born of Olmecs and Mayans, and Spanish people,

from the mountain and the sea.

….

I am more water than earth

and more fire than heaven.

In my blood sails

the most ancient of Mexico.

Mexico News Daily

Murdered ‘guardian’ of the butterflies will be focus of Netflix series

By

Lydia Carey

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July 1, 2022

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The 2020 murder of Homero Gómez González, a world-renowned monarch butterfly activist in Michoacán, brought attention to dangers faced by environmental activists in Mexico. Now, Gómez will be the subject of a new Netflix series honoring his work.

Gómez’s brother, Amado Gómez González, announced that the series had begun filming on Wednesday from the municipality of Ocampo, Michoacán, where he currently serves as mayor.

Homero Gómez was often called “the butterfly guardian” because of his work in Ocampo’s El Rosario butterfly sanctuary, and most agree that he was killed for was his conservation work there. The new series will also be named El Guardián in honor of his work.

A local from the Ocampo community, Gómez was a dedicated defender of the area’s migratory monarch butterfly population and their habitat, which spans almost 140,000 acres across Michoacán and México states and hosts over a billion butterflies each winter along their migratory journey back to the United States and Canada.

Butterflies at El Rosario sanctuary. — Butterflies at El Rosario sanctuary in Michoacán.

Gómez denounced the organized crime groups that used the forest for illegal logging, avocado farming, and other illicit activities and worked with local groups and communities to reforest much of the land devastated by logging in the sanctuary. He was an outspoken critic of anyone that harmed the sanctuary as well as a champion for those who worked in the forests, defending their rights to just working conditions. In the end, most people believe his activism was behind his murder, but his death is still considered unsolved.

Gómez disappeared on the afternoon of January 13, 2020, after leaving a regular meeting at the sanctuary. Local authorities and community members searched in vain for him for the next 16 days, pressured by the state Human Rights Commission, whose spokesperson Mayte Cardona said that Gómez was “surely affecting the interests of the people illegally logging in the area.”

After it was announced that he was missing, Gómez’s family received several calls claiming that he was being held for ransom, claims that authorities assessed to be false. His body was found on January 29 at the bottom of a 6-meter-deep well. While at first authorities said that there were no signs of torture on the activist’s body, they later confirmed that he had suffered a trauma to the head before drowning at the bottom of the well. Forensics reports confirmed that Gómez had been dead for at least two weeks. Despite interviewing over 50 local police officers suspected of being involved in the crime, no one was prosecuted for his murder.

Now Netflix will pay homage to the man, his life, and his activism in the new series, a point of pride for the Ocampo community, for Gómez’s family and the entire country, as messages across social media have relayed in the past several days.

With reports from Infobae, El País and El Financiero

Google to invest US $10 million in digital skills training for Mexican women

By

MND Staff

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July 1, 2022

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Google announced the new investment at their Google for Mexico event in Mexico City on Thursday. Google México

Google announced Thursday that it will invest 200 million pesos (US $9.9 million) in training for women in Mexico’s southeast over the next three years.

The training will help 2,300 women develop their digital skills in order to improve their work prospects. The money comes from the technology company’s charitable arm, Google.org, and will be placed in a fund to be managed by International Youth Foundation, a non-governmental organization which has experience working with vulnerable communities in Mexico.

The funds are in addition to 40 million pesos (US $2 million) Google had already committed to the training of women in Mexico’s southeast, which includes states such as Tabasco, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.

The new funding was announced at Thursday’s Google for Mexico event, held in Mexico City. Florencia Sabatini, Google’s director of communications in Spanish-speaking Latin America, said it was the company’s biggest ever investment in women in Mexico.

The announcement came two months after the United States government unveiled a new US $30 million employment and sustainability program for seven states in Mexico’s south and southeast.

The Mexican government is investing billions of dollars in the region to spur economic development, mainly via large infrastructure projects such as the Maya Train railroad, the Dos Bocas refinery and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor.

With reports from El Economista, Bloomberg Línea and Mexico Business News

Secret graves yield remains of 22 in Villamar, Michoacán

By

MND Staff

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July 1, 2022

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Forensic investigators at a grave site in Michoacán.

Authorities in Michoacán have recovered the remains of 22 people from clandestine graves in Villamar, a municipality in the state’s northwest.

The number of bodies found in the community of Los Negritos increased from 20 to 22 Thursday. The Michoacán Attorney General’s Office said in a statement Friday that bone remains of two people were located Thursday night. The first of the human remains – those of four men and two women – were discovered on agricultural land on June 18.

State government secretary Carlos Torres Piña said Thursday that some of the bodies were buried recently while others had been in the graves for many years. The remains, none of which have been identified, have been transferred to a government morgue for autopsies and forensic identification testing.

While it is clear that a criminal organization has been disposing of bodies in Los Negritos, the identity of that group hasn’t been established.

Michoacán was the second most violent state in the first five months of 2022 with 1,204 homicides. The state’s Tierra Caliente region, where the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Cárteles Unidos are engaged in a battle for supremacy, is particularly notorious for violence. Villamar is located near Michoacán’s northwestern border with Jalisco, about 40 kilometers west of Zamora, which was the most violent city in the world last year, according to a study by a Mexican non-governmental organization.

With reports from Milenio and El Sol de Morelia

Seven Mexican Spanish sayings to add to your arsenal

By

Lee Jamison

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July 1, 2022

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Mexican Spanish is full of colorful idioms.

In our everyday speech, we use sayings naturally — without ever considering that their literal meaning would be incomprehensible for a foreigner learning the language. Are you in a downpour? Then it’s raining cats and dogs. Will you care for two matters on the same trip? Then you are killing two birds with one stone. Did you accidentally reveal a confidential tidbit? Then you let the cat out of the bag.

In the same way, Mexican Spanish is littered with colorful sayings whose literal meaning may perplex you. Let’s unpack seven common sayings, so that they will be at your ready command.

1. Hay pa’ aventar pa’ arriba.

Literal meaning: There is [enough] to throw upwards.

The airspace above your home or workplace is infinite. Suppose you were to begin tossing some of your belongings skyward. When would it fill up? Never! That’s the idea behind this clever local saying. If you have an excess of something, then the sky’s the limit.

Example:

Después de la boda, todos nuestros amigos nos mandaron las fotos que sacaron. Ahora hay pa’ aventar pa’ arriba.

(After the wedding, all of our friends sent us the pictures they took. Now we’ve got pictures coming out of our noses.)

2. Entre menos burros, más olotes.

Literal meaning: The fewer donkeys, the more corn cobs.

Did fewer guests than expected show up at your dinner party? Don’t fret. Look at the bright side. There’s more food and drink for everyone else! That’s the basis for this barnyard wisdom. If your party of 12 just became a party of eight, fire off this optimistic adage — even if it is a little “corny.”

Example:

A: No vinieron los Vargas.

B: Entre menos burros, más olotes.

A: The Vargas family didn’t show up.

B: Great! There’s more for us.

3. Se cree la divina garza.

Literal meaning: He thinks he’s the divine heron.

Ever met someone who thought they were God’s gift, better than everyone else? Mexican actress María Félix once boasted:

Yo no me creo la divina garza; soy la divina garza. (I don’t think I’m God’s gift; I am God’s gift.)

These animals are similar, but not the same.

4. Dar el gatazo

Literal meaning: to give the cat a slap.

According to an article on the website of the Mexican Radio Institute (IMER), this phrase is a derivative of dar gato por liebre. This literally means to give a cat instead of a hare. In most Spanish-speaking countries, this saying is applied when a salesman gives us the switcheroo and sells us inferior goods. The implication is that our intention was to buy a hare, but the salesman sold us a cat instead. Mexicans took the gato from the phrase to form this phrasal verb, which means “to look like.” In other words, even though the item being discussed is not the original, it could pass for it.

Esta refacción no es Toyota original, pero da el gatazo.

(This part is not genuine Toyota, but it could pass for it.)

5. Un ojo al gato, y el otro, al garabato.

Literal meaning: One eye on the cat, and the other on the meat hook.

Imagine the scene at home in the kitchen back in our grandparents’ day. There’s no refrigeration. The meat hangs from above on a hook, called a garabato, thus out of the reach of rodents. But watch out for the family cat! An agile leap could be the end of the family meal. Clearly, the meat had to be protected from multiple dangers. This saying, then, means that we shouldn’t focus on just one possible threat, but rather, remain on high alert for anything that may happen. For example, a friend may leave your home late at night in a bad rainstorm and have to traverse a dangerous neighborhood to get home. You might say to him in parting:

Amigo, está lloviendo fuerte y hay muchos rateros por aquí. Así que, un ojo al gato, y el otro, al garabato.

(Hey, buddy, it’s raining hard and there are a lot of thieves around here. So be on high alert!)

6. Quedarse como el perro de las dos tortas

Literal meaning: to end up like the dog with two sandwiches.

What a dilemma! A dog loiters just in front of a stand where tortas, hoagie-like sandwiches, are sold. Suddenly, a stroke of fortune comes his way when two tortas fall to the ground. Upon which of the two does he pounce? This one? That one? This one? Before he decides, other animals rush in for the steal; he is left with nothing. This saying is applied when indecision and perhaps a little greed leave us empty-handed.

Sometimes, you only get one chance. — Sometimes you only get one chance.

Example:

Pedro comenzó a noviar con Ariana y Selena al mismo tiempo. ¡Pobrecito! Quedó como el perro de las dos tortas.

(Pedro started dating Ariana and Selena at the same time. The poor guy ended up with neither one!)

7. Aquí solo mis chicharrones truenan.

Literal meaning: Here only my pork rinds thunder.

Picture yourself back in the day, ready for the family meal. On the menu is chicharrón, or pork rinds. Who gets first dibs? The father, of course. He selects the largest and crunchiest piece. When he tears it in two, according to this saying, it thunders. Nothing captures macho authority better than this. It means: I am the only one in charge here. For example, a family may be discussing possible vacations destinations. Frustrated and angered by the lack of consensus, the father may finally blurt out:

¡Ya basta! ¡Vamos a Cancún! Aquí mis chicharrones truenan.

(That’s enough! We are going to Cancún. I am the only one in charge here.)

Learning and using Mexican Spanish sayings in everyday conversation will add color to your speech. Hungry for more? Review the article Make your Spanish more Mexican with these 10 everyday phrases, which appeared on Mexico News Daily in December or check out 20 ways to speak Mexican Spanish on insiderspanish.com.

Lee Jamison has lived and worked in Latin America for more than 25 years and is a resident of Mexico. He operates the site insiderspanish.com and is the author of the book My Burning Tongue: Mexican Spanish available in paperback and Kindle formats at Amazon.com. He has also written guides on the Spanish spoken in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Panama.

7 Yucatán beaches renew certificates for environmental, social standards

By

Lydia Carey

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July 1, 2022

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Local leaders celebrate the re-certification of Río Lagartos beach in Yucatán as a Playa Platino. Facebook / Playa Platino Río Lagartos

The Mexican Institute of Standardization and Certification (IMNC) has re-certified seven Yucatán beaches for the excellence of their environmental and social standards.

The Río Lagartos, Celestún, Telchac, Sisal, Cancunito, San Felipe and El Cuyo beaches, which have all been part of the IMNC’s beach improvement program since 2019, will maintain their “platinum beach” (Playas Platino) certifications. Four of the beaches are located in the state’s biosphere reserve and another two in state reserves.

Certifying beaches is a part of the state and Governor Mauricio Vila’s efforts to attract more tourism, care for the state’s coastal areas, to increase jobs in local communities and improve the region’s economy.

Yucatán hosts over 3 million tourists a year, most of whom come to enjoy the beautiful white sand beaches and warm Caribbean waters. Programs like IMNC’s draw international attention to the region as a destination and state authorities believe that this along with other infrastructure projects, such as the new cruise ship port in Puerto Progreso as well as the Tren Maya, will bring an even greater number of tourists to Yucatán state in 2023.

The Playas Platino program judges beaches on their trash reduction efforts, tourism facilities, security, accessibility and signage. In order to maintain the standard needed to gain re-certification, groups on each beach, made up mostly of local women, have organized beach clean-ups, local spay and neuter campaigns, and tourism training.

To be considered clean the beaches must be free from solid waste, dangerous waste, oil or derivatives of petroleum, and feces. Celestún and Telchac beaches both reduced contamination on their beaches by 88%, Sisal beach by 74%, Cancuncito by 93%, San Felipe beach by 87%, and El Cuyo by 71%.

With reports from Reportur, Diario de Yucatán, and Forbes

Passengers report immigration, baggage, taxi delays at Mexico City airport

By

MND Staff

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July 1, 2022

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Travelers have reported long wait times at baggage claim, immigration and other services in AICM. — Travelers have reported long wait times at baggage claim, immigration and other services at AICM.

Passengers at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) are facing long wait times to collect their luggage, get through immigration and board taxis at both terminals.

The newspaper Reforma published a report on the delays Thursday, saying there was chaos at the airport and that passengers have been most annoyed by long waits at barrage carousels.

Juan Luis, who flew into AICM from Miami, told Reforma he waited for almost two hours for his luggage to appear “without any explanation” as to the reason for the delay. “The security guards get annoyed if you complain,” he said.

Martha, who traveled to Mexico City from Atlanta, said she waited for over an hour for her luggage. “We believe it’s an excessive amount of time and … [the airport staff] are rude,” she said.

Some travelers have taken to social media to complain, like Twitter user @SaupartS who shared photos of long lines and said he waited more than 90 minutes for a taxi at the end of June. Twitter @SaupartS

Passengers who flew in from San Antonio recounted similarly long waits at the baggage carousel.

Reforma reported that travelers are also facing long waits in immigration and taxi queues. Demand for taxis has recently increased as drivers for ride-hailing apps such as Uber are now prohibited from collecting passengers at AICM, although the ban has generally not been enforced.

Authorities and airlines have blamed each other for the delays passengers have faced to collect their luggage, Reforma said. An official with the Federal Civil Aviation Agency said the long wait times were perhaps the product of a lack of airline staff on the ground at the airport.

But airline sources said that AICM operates the baggage carousels and has caused delays by directing luggage from as many as four flights to the same one at the same time. One airline source directed blame at customs. “Almost everything is customs’ fault. They don’t have enough personnel or [X-ray] machines,” the source said.

Airport employees said that inspections of luggage immediately after it has been taken off a plane by navy personnel – who are responsible for security at the airport – and sniffer dogs have also contributed to delays in getting baggage into terminals.

An airport security employee told Reforma that delays at immigration have been caused by slow computers and lengthy questioning of some incoming passengers. “That causes long lines,” the employee said.

The high number of passengers that use AICM is also a factor in the long wait times people experience as they move through different parts of the airport. The federal government declared in March that both terminals had reached saturation point, and the opening of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) north of the capital has so far done little to alleviate the pressure.

The heavy traffic isn’t limited to passengers in the terminal buildings: runways and the airspace surrounding the airport are also congested, leading to an increase in aborted landings, or go-arounds, this year, including two very close calls – one on May 7 and another four days later.

The president called the <i>Reforma</i> report exaggerated, but acknowledged that AICM is overcrowded. — The president called the *Reforma* report exaggerated, but acknowledged that AICM is overcrowded.

Asked about the airport chaos at his regular news conference on Thursday, President López Obrador claimed that the problems were exaggerated by Reforma and suggested that the focus on them is aimed at damaging his government.

“The Mexico City airport has been saturated at other times and … there wasn’t the same dissemination [of information] as now,” he said.

The president did, however, acknowledge that some passengers have faced delays. He said that changes carried out at the airport, including putting the navy in charge of security, have caused longer wait times, but defended marines’ presence at the facility, considered the most important airport in Latin America.

“There was contraband, the arrival of drugs [before the navy took charge],” López Obrador said. “… The airlines don’t help [with the delays] and [there are] other issues,” he said.

AMLO also acknowledged that too many planes are using the airport, but getting airlines to use AIFA instead is proving to be a challenge. “There is some resistance from airlines to move to the Felipe Ángeles airport,” he said.

“The Felipe Ángeles airport is a great airport. It’s already a functional airport and it will be the best airport in Mexico soon, with a lot of flights, but we’re in a process of transition. So, that’s what’s happening. And [the issue] is very politicized … [but] we’re already taking steps [to alleviate pressure at AICM] and we’re going to finish putting things in order.”

With reports from Reforma

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