Good Times…Again

Several years ago, on April 13, 2009 the first case of a death in Mexico from the swine flu virus (H1N1) was found in Oaxaca and quickly led to the 2009 Swine Flu Pandemic.  Even though the final results in Mexico were 398 deaths with only 15 in the state of Jalisco the economic impact placed a severe the strain on an economy already under pressure from an ongoing economic crisis. Although the World Bank extended Mexico $25 million in loans for immediate aid and $180 million in long-term assistance, it wasn't enough to restore customer, investor confidence leading to a significant tumble in the value of the peso.

It was reported that the food services sector within Mexico City experienced losses of over $4.5 million US dollars per day; that pork meat prices dropped 30% within Mexico.  As a precaution all schools were closed for several days, mass gatherings were prohibited, and it also prompted cancellations of all the festivals in the country.  Obviously tourism was heavily impacted with warnings by the U. S. State Department to avoid any unnecessary travel to Mexico.

Since then the ensuing 8 years have seen a long, slow recovery in tourism and financial growth.  This came at a time during which the U.S. was struggling with recovery from its own economic recession caused by the housing bubble in mid-2007.  Since then the weak economic recovery has led many to call it a "Zombie Economy", so-called because it was neither “dead nor alive”.  May 2014 marked the recovery of all jobs lost during the recession. However, it’s claimed that these new jobs are not equal in pay to those medium-paying jobs lost.

As a result while it appeared that we saw a growing increase in the numbers of travelers during the past few years they were not spending as much on non-essential goods to take back home and were spending most of their travel dollars on low cost food and beach time.  One of our favorite inexpensive establishments on Basilio Badillo, Pancho’s Takos, is a perfect example of this.  Given, the food is outstanding, an early evening drive by has an average of 25-30 persons waiting for their turn at service which already has approximately 30 seating. WOW.  Dolores and I wait until hi-season is over before attempting to visit.

This year has appeared to us to have many more visitors than the past several years.  Its predicted over 35 million persons will visit Mexico in 2017.While crowded, it’s a wonderful sight to see so many visitor wandering the streets, and in the stores shopping for things to take back home.  Our friends who have business are reporting a great year.  Its time!

Good Times…Again…

Several years ago, on April 13, 2009 the first case of a death in Mexico from the swine flu virus (H1N1) was found in Oaxaca and quickly led to the 2009 Swine Flu Pandemic.  Even though the final results in Mexico were 398 deaths with only 15 in the state of Jalisco the economic impact placed a severe the strain on an economy already under pressure from an ongoing economic crisis. Although the World Bank extended Mexico $25 million in loans for immediate aid and $180 million in long-term assistance, it wasn't enough to restore customer, investor confidence leading to a significant tumble in the value of the peso.

It was reported that the food services sector within Mexico City experienced losses of over $4.5 million US dollars per day; that pork meat prices dropped 30% within Mexico.  As a precaution all schools were closed for several days, mass gatherings were prohibited, and it also prompted cancellations of all the festivals in the country.  Obviously tourism was heavily impacted with warnings by the U. S. State Department to avoid any unnecessary travel to Mexico.

Since then the ensuing 8 years have seen a long, slow recovery in tourism and financial growth.  This came at a time during which the U.S. was struggling with recovery from its own economic recession caused by the housing bubble in mid-2007.  Since then the weak economic recovery has led many to call it a "Zombie Economy", so-called because it was neither “dead nor alive”.  May 2014 marked the recovery of all jobs lost during the recession. However, it’s claimed that these new jobs are not equal in pay to those medium-paying jobs lost.

As a result while it appeared that we saw a growing increase in the numbers of travelers during the past few years they were not spending as much on non-essential goods to take back home and were spending most of their travel dollars on low cost food and beach time.  One of our favorite inexpensive establishments on Basilio Badillo, Pancho’s Takos, is a perfect example of this.  Given, the food is outstanding, an early evening drive by has an average of 25-30 persons waiting for their turn at service which already has approximately 30 seating. WOW.  Dolores and I wait until hi-season is over before attempting to visit.

This year has appeared to us to have many more visitors than the past several years.  Its predicted over 35 million persons will visit Mexico in 2017.While crowded, it’s a wonderful sight to see so many visitor wandering the streets, and in the stores shopping for things to take back home.  Our friends who have business are reporting a great year.  Its time!

Interesting Times…

Finally ran out of excuses to return to my Blogging…I think…

We returned to Mexico in late October, 2016 feeling liberated – we had eliminated the worries of a minimally used Condo in the PNW and Dolores decide to retire the Essence of Cuisine Cooking School -  a fun thing, but lots of work.  

In mid-November we completed another leg of our personal “Bucket List” – an 8 day trip to Merida/Yucatan with Roberta Valdez Alegre tours and 16 fellow travelers.  Merida has always fascinated me.  It is the Capital of the state of the Yucatan with a population of over 970,000 and was once the Hemp capital of the world.   It is one of Mexico’s most hospitable and nostalgic colonial cities with rich graceful colonial buildings that date back to the 17th and 18th centuries.  For a brief period, around the turn of the 20th century, Mérida was said to house more millionaires than any other city in the world and became known as the “PARIS of the WEST.”

The city, and the state of Yucatan has heavy Mayan, Spanish, French, British, and to a lesser extent Dutch influences. Mérida has the highest percentage of indigenous persons of any large city in Mexico with approximately 60% of all inhabitants being of the Maya ethnicity (Wikipedia).

The trip included visits to Uxmal, considered one of the most beautiful Mayan cities with its Mayan art, limestone murals and architecture, Celestun a National Park fishing village with calm beaches and colonies of beautiful Flamingos, Becal, the Panama hat capital of Mexico, and Campeche, a colonial port. 

Dolores older daughter, Christine, stayed with us during the month of December while she performed her one woman show at the Act II theater venue.  It was a good time for all.  She’s now back in L. A. tending her home and her garden while working on new material, a never ending process in the entertainment business.

We’ve both been somewhat under-the-weather since December, I with a cold which turned into a case of pneumonia complete with a 4 day hospital stay and Dolores with a bad attack of bronchitis while still having to be a “Florence Nightingale.”  We’re on the mend and enjoying our wonderful 78/65 F weather.

We took another trip with Roberta Valdez (Algere Tours) to Tonala in early January where we purchased…another Multi-Lens objet d'art – now an even dozen.  Of course Dolores found another set of dishes for her collection.  I’ve lost count…

We are working on different plans for this year, including staying in Ajijic (Guad.) during the miserable summer months in August-September, and a planned tour to Argentina late September/early October to Buenos Aires/Iguazu Falls/Mendoza with Algere Tours.  It’s been another checkmark on our bucket list for some time and now we’re going.  Come join us!

With the large number of visitors in PV it finally looks like economic good times have returned.  Our favorite fast food place, Pancho’s Takos (correct spelling) on Calle Basilio Badillo is always too busy for us to go – sometimes 20 + persons waiting patiently.  We’ll return after high season.

Hasta Luego

Summer Is Creeping Closer

According to my brother-in-law, who lived nearly twenty years in Mexico before resettling in Sicily, the rainy season begins at 4:00PM, June 14 each year.  Even though the past several years have been missed, our first rain/thunderstorm this season occurred at 4:00AM the morning of Wednesday June 15th, just 12 hours later. That’s close enough for me to re-validate his “Seer” status.  The sound of the lightning strike caused me to sit straight up in bed wondering what holiday were the locals celebrating at this time of day – or did I just need to pee?- then came the rain.  I did pee then went about closing some of the windows  to keep the wet stuff from entering.  Wednesday evening was a repeat: however, some of the local Facebook wags commented on that evening being the first rains.  I think some need to look into a better brand/label of tequila.

We will be revisiting the PNW approximately a month earlier this year to attend the wedding of my second grandson  in Rainier, WA, a small community just North of Olympia, our state capital.  This is my daughter Paula Kay’s only child, Broc.  We plan that this visit to the Great North will give us more time to get much better acquainted with him and his new bride Samantha plus spend some time with my other grandson’s and his bride of one year.  Now it’s only one grandson left still enjoying the single lifestyle.  It also goes without saying that we’re really excited to be able to be back with the rest of the family.

We’ve been busy trying to find a local contact that we can work with to nationalize our 2007 Suzuki SUV.  Since we carry Residente Permanente status we are not supposed to drive a foreign licensed automobile.  This nationalization process is complicated due the fact that there is not a single opinion on how to accomplish the process without driving up to a border port of entry and spend 2-3 days working the process.  There are some who say this can be done; however, none of these persons are local.  The process is very expensive so we are uncomfortable with funding a process “up front” with non-local representatives.  The additional danger is that your car can be permanently seized by police representatives.  Locally the officials have been turning their heads; however, there are reports that some have gotten a “crick” in the neck and are leaning towards enforcing the law with moving roadblocks.  You would hope that someone locally would setup to work this process…you would hope.

I’ve finally started using our swimming pool to walk as a form of exercise, spending up to an hour wandering aimlessly around and around.  Occasionally some the local niño’s will join and breakup the action and even though I tend to grumble its fun to have them join in.  Tonight it’s late and Dolores is feeling slightly under the weather – so I’m headed to to the pool with my iced Negra Modelo.

Hasta luego!