I did not travel much this year. I had a knee replacement in May and it worked! I am now getting around very well. Of course, work did not stop, especially now that I have a smaller team. Ricardo left to start his own company, although I would very much have liked him to take over the reins at Tierra Yucatan. Laura also left, and after nineteen years together, David Palomo left as well. He left to start a law office with his grown sons. I miss the long-time companionship, but they are doing great and with the support of Karla, Javier and Alex, so are we! Isabel is now the front-desk bilingual support and my trusty Rocio runs the office with an iron fist. We are here, or as they say in Yucatan, Wayan’e!

Yucatan just had it’s fist “cold front” of the year in early November, bringing some welcome rain plus pleasantly cooler days and nights. “Cold” in these parts means we are still in short sleeves and light cotton, but really enjoying being in the 80s rather than the 90s.

At the end of November, we celebrated the national holiday for Day of the Dead (Hanal Pixan here in Yucatan). My village of Tepakan started festivities on a Friday night, with the children dressed in their Day of the Dead best putting up traditional altars in the park, and a candle-lit Parade of the Spirits from the cemetery to the central park. In the days and nights that followed, the festivities became more home- and family-oriented. Citizens of the town could be seen cleaning the graves of loved ones, refreshing things with fresh coats of paint, and putting flowers everywhere. In each home, a small personal altar or ofrenda was filled with photographs, flowers, candles, favorite foods of their dead relatives (see a photo on the banner above). Those foods included tamales, pib, some candy for the souls of the children, and perhaps a beer or a tequila for one’s beloved and remembered grandfather or father. Traditional orange cempaxochitl marigolds, dark red coxcomb and purple bachelor’s buttons…. the flowers and colors were everywhere.

I spent November 1 helping make traditional Yucatecan tamales with Maya friends in a nearby village, learning recipes and how to wilt the huge banana leaves over a fire to prepare them as wrappers. It was a long day, but fun, and rewarded by heaps of steaming hot tamales colados (steamed) and tamales tortillados, both filled with shredded chicken and pork. And both pretty and delicious! Now that those festivities are over, it is time to start thinking about making Christmas puddings. I will go to San Antonio for the holidays and that’s an essential part of any Christmas dinner in my family.

Regarding the Merida real estate scene, no cold front here! Things are selling faster than ever before and consequently prices, even for old unremodeled homes, are spiraling upward. Closing costs have increased a bit for both buyers and sellers with the introduction of some new taxes and mandatory appraisals to set property values. You should expect closing costs now to be around 8% of the purchase price, although this will vary by location and appraised value. We will be happy to help with estimates on specific properties when it comes time to make offers.

Corner store in Tepakan with hand sanitizer at the door

I have to give the Mexican government high marks for at least seeming as well prepared as possible for what we are all experiencing during this Coronavirus pandemic. The government began by putting in place a six-phase plan for the stages of the emergency.

Phase 1 was when the virus was spread principally by people bringing it from abroad, and Phase 2, which lasted until yesterday, was slow controlled spread from person to person.  Last night Phase 3 was announced.  This is the phase when we will experience the most spread of the virus in all communities with the greatest pressure on our hospitals and medical teams, with the peak estimated to be around May 8 to 10^th.   Social distancing has been put in place. Only businesses deemed necessary have been open for more than a month.  Schools, restaurants and bars are closed, and, in fact, Yucatan has been a dry state for the past few weeks.

The main centers of infection have been the larger cities, particularly Mexico City.   In Yucatan, Merida has the highest incidence, but we have so far managed to keep the numbers low.  As of yesterday, the government reported the following numbers:

Total confirmed cases in Mexico …………………     8772

Total recovered ………………………………………….        2627

Total number of dead ……………………………….          712

Total confirmed cases in Yucatan…………………………      172

Total recovered ………………………………………………….         5

Total number of dead …………………………………….          10

As you can see from the above numbers, the measures they have taken (social distancing, gel everywhere, disinfecting cars coming in and out of villages) has helped keep people fairly safe.  There have been one or two cases in most larger towns in Yucatan, but nothing so far in my village of Tepakan.  In addition, to prepare for the medical emergency, the Governor of Yucatan obtained 110 additional ventilators for use in hospitals and ambulances.  That said, we have a huge lack of N95 masks and protective equipment of all kinds.

The hardest thing that has affected almost every family in Yucatan and all of Mexico, is that there is less and less work.  Construction projects are shut down and more and more people are out of work.  For people who live on a few dollars a day, this is becoming more and more difficult.

Yesterday, trucks came to every house handing out one “dispensa” to each family (80,000 total were distributed). A “dispensa” is a box containing some food supplies and soap. It is a help, but not enough to keep everyone fed.  Below is a

Spraying down the car as it enters town

translation for yesterday’s newspaper, Diario de Yucatan:

Monday, April 20, 2020

Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal launched the delivery of this aid that comes to support families during this period of economic inactivity in the face of the health emergency. Together with the mayor of Mérida, Renán Barrera Concha, Vila Dosal confirmed the distribution plan that is being carried out in the Yucatan capital.

House by house, a total of 80,000 food packages were delivered to each home in the 47 police station districts of Mérida, as well as to homes in the marginalized areas of the capital. This program was launched today by Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal and the Mayor of Mérida, Renán Barrera Concha, to support Yucatecans during this period of economic inactivity due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

In warehouses where the food packages are kept, the Governor and the municipal president of the Yucatan capital verified the distribution plan that will provide this monthly support, so far planned for April and May, to be delivered to the homes of Merida families who need it most.

It was explained that the State Government is distributing 20,500 packages in Merida, and another 43,000 packages to the houses that are located in surrounding areas.

In addition to these efforts, the Merida City Council has already distributed more than 16,500 food aid packages in shelters and civil associations, support that will continue to reach a total of 20,000 people. In this way, it seeks to benefit a greatest number of people.

The aid from the Government of Vila Dosal is part of the State Plan to Promote the Economy, Jobs and Health of Yucatecans. This plan will distribute 1.8 million food packages to 450,000 Yucatecan households during the months of April and May. They hope this will alleviate the economic effects that inactivity is causing due to the health emergency. Starting last Wednesday, April 15,  distribution was also initiated to each home in the 105 municipalities in the interior of the state.

Accompanied by the head of the State Secretariat of Social Development (Sedesol), Roger Torres Peniche, the Governor and Barrera Concha participated in the preparation and loading of the first trucks that left the warehouse with food aid packages to be taken to the door of the beneficiary homes today.

To do this, Vila Dosal and the Meridano mayor followed proscribed sanitary measures, which are also implemented every day to protect the health of the collaborators and the population.

The Municipal President stated that as a sign of this joint work, since the first day the health contingency began, close communication has been maintained within the State Government regarding pertinent measures and creating emerging programs to safeguard the health of all citizens.

Those in charge of carrying the dispensas house-to-house are following the corresponding sanitary protocols, such as using face masks, gloves and keeping a healthy distance with the beneficiaries, in order to guarantee that they reach Yucatecans in the healthiest and safest way possible. .

It must be emphasized that, with the aim of benefiting the largest possible number of people, four food supply packages are being provided per household, which should allow support for most Yucatecan families.

With strategies such as these, the State Government reiterates the call to the entire Yucatecan population not to leave their homes at this time. This is why these packages will be delivered directly house by house, allowing citizens to avoid crowds and prioritize social isolation as the main prevention measure.”

When I’m gone for any length of time, I find I start missing my adopted home. (Yes, I was not born here… I was born in England, but I’ve been traveling through and living in Mexico for over 25 years now).

It’s interesting to me what I miss when I miss Merida. Because what I miss is not what a person might see or experience who has only been in the Yucatan for a short time.

To start, I miss waking up here. After years of living in the centro historico of Merida, I purchased and live in a home about an hour outside of Merida in a pueblo called Tepakan. When I wake up, I don’t hear much at all. I hear a few dogs barking, and far-off children playing or calling to each other. I might hear a car or truck going by once every five or ten minutes in the morning, though there are stretches of up to an hour during the day when I won’t hear anything with a motor. When I wake up, I hear birds… all sorts of birds. And not just any birds… these are the raucous calls of tropical birds that sound like screams and cries and laughter. At home in the Yucatan, I wake up to a cacophony of birds that is unique to this part of the world… and I miss it when I’m not here.

I miss the long, quiet drives with no traffic. In so many parts of the world, commuting to work involves driving in traffic. I have my own business and I do a lot of driving here in Merida and around the Yucatan Peninsula. But I am almost never stopped at a stoplight for more than a minute, and I have practically forgotten the experience of driving on a highway in traffic. That kind of thing just doesn’t exist in my world now.

I miss the food, too. Not just the panuchos and sopa de lima that I can get on almost any street corner in Merida, or the great lunches at my favorite cocina economicas. But I also miss the food my neighbors in Tepekan share with me. During the Day of the Dead season, my neighbors will bring over a homemade pib or two… a Yucatan-style chicken pot pie that is traditional during that time of year. Every Sunday, I can just walk out my door and down the street for a homemade dish of cochinita, probably the Yucatan’s most famous and most delicious dish… and very hard to reproduce in other parts of the world.

I miss the colors. Have you ever noticed how drab most first world cities can be? In Mexico, and certainly in and around Merida, if houses are painted, they are often painted in bright colors. It costs just as much to buy a can of brown paint as it does a can of purple paint… so why not paint my house purple? All the better if my purple contrasts with my neighbor’s blue house, don’t you think? I love that about this area (and the rest of Mexico).

If you come to live here, you already have probably fallen in love with many things about Merida and the Yucatan. You probably have lots of reasons why you moved here or want to move here. But sometimes the things you grow to love about a place are not the things you first fell in love with… but those are the things you miss when you are away.

What do you miss when you aren’t in Merida?

Art in Merida initially centered around the MACAY, Merida’s contemporary art museum just off the Plaza Grande, and the Archaeological Museum on Paseo de Montejo. There were various artists in Merida, such as Fernando Castro Pacheco and Alberto Castillo (now both deceased), who studied abroad and in Mexico City and then returned to paint in Merida. Pacheco became famous around Mexico for his unique and colorful style, examples of which can be seen in the murals in the Governor’s Palace on the Plaza Grande in Merida. Alberto Castillo, a less recognized painter, was a favorite among visitors and locals alike for his more naive but no less colorful style.

Over the last ten or so years, many artists have converged on Merida, attracted by the same set of amenities that the rest of us are drawn to: inexpensive living, laid back life style, large houses to be renovated, access to modern amenities and great food, to name a few! People like Melva Medina and Abel Vazquez came to Merida from Morelia and Oaxaca respectively. Other artists have come from places like New York City, such as fabric designer Luli Sanchez or Harold McAnaney… not to exhibit or sell their art, but to have a quiet and inspirational place to create their art. Some of the most exciting art comes from street artists that may or may not be selling their works on any given night on the streets outside the Peon Contreras Theater, and from some of the fine graffiti artists who have taken their art to new and beautiful works on walls throughout the city.

Also over the last ten years, art museums and art galleries have proliferated in Merida, ranging from the City Art Museum in the old and renovated Post Office to the Soho Galleries and others in Santa Ana and Santiago, which sell art from local artists as well as from artists in Cuba and other nearby Latin American countries.

Art is everywhere in Merida now… from the ESAY art school in the old Railroad Station to the art market on Paseo de Montejo every Sunday morning. If you love art, come to Merida!

On the ground floor of the museum is the entrance, which is reached by walking through the covered passageway, itself an exhibit area for outdoor sculptures. The ground floor also has a small gift shop, children’s art workshop areas and a lovely garden with a central fountain… a great place to sit and get away from the crowds, if you need that. Some of the most interesting art is exhibited in the atrium area, where a high ceiling and skylights flood the room with light. Everything else about the MACAY is upstairs… and no, there is no elevator.

The MACAY museum has a few rooms that have installations from the permanent collection, and these rooms never change. But out of about 20 rooms, these are only three or four rooms. The rest of the museum is dedicated to showing the population of Merida new and interesting art from around the world. In the last few years, the management of this museum has stepped up their game and has begun sourcing art exhibits from around the world. Most recently, during the summer of 2013, an entire exhibit was dedicated to art from Argentina.

The MACAY changes their temporary exhibit quarterly, with an opening night open to the public at the start of each exhibit. The museum also conducts various children’s programs at different times during the year, and has a weekly local radio show (in Spanish). Installation and performance art pieces are also a part of this museum’s offerings.

Living in Merida provides many amenities, and the continually changing art exhibits at the MACAY museum are an amenity those who live here treasure greatly.

Most of the time, when people first get here, they are in the process of falling in love with Merida and the Yucatan. They love the old homes, the opportunities for renovation and for creating something beautiful they can call their own. They love the vibrancy and culture of the city, or they love the chance they have to afford something at the beach. They love how close Merida is to their home in the States or how wonderful the weather is here when it is cold back home in Canada. If they come from a big city in North America or Europe, they love how relaxed this city is… Merida, after all, is the city of tranquilo. If they are from the US or Canada, they love the European influence in the architecture, the stately mansions on Paseo de Montejo, the soaring cathedral on the Plaza Grande. If they are from Europe, they love the affordability of beautiful old homes and haciendas. And everyone loves the mystery of the Maya culture, the adventure of Yucatecan cuisine and the chance to learn or practice their Spanish.

What most people do not think about when they buy their first home is what it is really like to live here. I think they underestimate both the beauty and the beast.

Most people are not thinking about how they will deal with the inevitable paint, plumbing or electrical issues that are just part and parcel of living in a home in the tropics. A house in a warm climate with hard water has issues with corrosion, paint peeling, humidity, etc. One day you’ll find that ants have eaten through your electrical wire. Another time it will be humidity in the walls causing the paint to peel. Maybe your flotador in your tinaco will stop working. Before this, you didn’t even HAVE a flotador, did you? So how could you have anticipated that it might not work?

Luckily, you are not alone in dealing with these house maintenance issues. And wherever you are in the Yucatan, somewhere near by is a man or woman who makes it their job to fix people’s plumbing, or rewire their electrical or repaint their walls. Your home maintenance issues are easily solved with 100 pesos here or 100 pesos there, and they help keep all those local business people in business.
What most people ALSO don’t understand fully when they purchase their first home here is how lovely it really is going to be to have a home here. If you come from the Great White North, there is nothing that quite prepares you for the pure pleasure of walking around your house, barefoot and wrapped in a sarong early in the morning or late at night. It is hard to really understand, until you’ve been there, the complete luxury of swimming naked in your own pool in the middle of the day, serenaded by birds and the wind in the palm trees. Until you have lived through an afternoon thunder storm in your own home, warm and dry, watching sheets of water wash down your walls and into your courtyard or your garden, you just cannot quite appreciate how lovely it will be.

I know probably hundreds of people who came to Merida, fell in love with it, and bought a house here on their first trip. I know hundreds more who took their time, making multiple trips and waiting until they were very sure. Either way you do it, you’ll never be fully prepared… because that is how Life is, right? But whatever way you choose to buy your first home in Merida, I think you’ll be glad you did.

Here is one version of the local recipe for you cooks out there who like to experiment – you won’t be disappointed! (for 4 or 5 people)

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of black beans
1/2 lb of pork loin or leg, cut into small cubes
1/2 lb of pork ribs
Bacon fat
1 fresh chile “guerro” (long pale and not very hot chile)
2 while or yellow onions
1 sprig of epazote
1/2 C chopped cilantro
2 large ripe tomatoes
1/2 C chopped radish
1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
The evening before, wash and clean the beans then leave to soak, covered with water.

1. Cook the beans with 1 tsp salt IN THE SAME SOAKING WATER, covered, over medium heat until they begin to soften.
2. Add the pork and and continue to cook until everything is tender (Some people prefer to fry the meat before adding to the
beans – up to you!)
3. Fry onion until soft and slightly browned and add to the beans with epazote and the whole chile. Cook slowly a further 30
min. then remove from the heat.
4. At the same time, cook sufficient white rice for your dinner party – around 1 cup cooked per person.

For the “salsa”, finely chop the second onion, cilantro and radish. Put together in a mixing bowl, add salt, juice of the lemon or lime and mix together (blend if you prefer it more liquid than chunky).

How to serve:
Serve in soup plates with a cup of rice and garnished with chopped radish, cilantro and chopped onion to taste, and some salsa. Enjoy, and wish you were in Yucatan!