Help Mexico

Right now, a good stiff dose of tourism would help! Restaurant freezers being full, the fishermen's cooperatives are not going out, saving gasoline. Vegetable stands are getting bare because there is no one with money to buy stuff once it is transported.
The son-in-law of the feet above was forced to lay off workers at his two restaurants this week. Garrafon laid off 70, Dolphin Discovery 50. The lists go on.
The feet above belong to the head of housekeeping, whose husband is a fisherman. Her son-in-law and daughter have some food staples in the restaurants.
But...when will she be able to buy a nice pair of leather sanals again? Not soon!
When Johanna came a week ago, a week late, she was carrying these shoes for Carmen, that I had bought on eBay as a Mother's Day gift. She was near tears!
I also had bought 1 10 pack of romaine lettuce at Costco for 30 pesos. I gave her 2 for the grandchildren. Little things in addition to pay.
If you think H1N1 is the killer flu, think again. It is the tour agencies and airlines that made the decision, misreading WHO and CDC warnings, and cancelled flights and tours to the region. If people don't start coming back, real, intractable suffering will deepen. And it is not the fault of a virus. It is the fault of ignorance!
My Facebook friends and I are involved in a campaing to Help Mexico. You do not need to send aid. You need to come if you can and tell your friends that no, the resort towns never had a case of swine flu and Mexico is beautiful!