Easy money

Tourists coming to the island see restaurant prices that would be a bargain back home and think the rental owners are living large every day.
I live on a half pension and Social Security Disability. It certainly is more money than most of my neighbors can rely on in a month. But their shops make money and know one knows what's inside their houses.
When I was hospitalized in June, the bill was $1,300US. Friday I have an appointment with the neurologist in charge of my case and pay him and three other consults a total of $13, 000 pesos. Life here goes this way: 200 pesos here, 500 there, 778 for phone and internet, 200 pesos to the cleaner. Only have one electric bill delivered so far, 2800 pesos. Are you getting the picture? So the other night's crabbing adventure with Gilligan was for him to prove that we can survive even an Armageddon and live like kings on this little island. And Gilligan has been working here in exchange for room and board since I only have at best 50 percent occupancies in the future and he need a place with a table for his jewelry crafting.
Hopefully the Mexican tax system will work as advertised and I will get tax credits i.e. cash credit on future taxes owed as part of the Mexican Stimulus for swine flu scare victims: The tourist sector.
That will enable me to come home to Ohio for a winter break or next spring for the summer. What I need in that garden is a money tree and some easy money.

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!

Golf cart flu now blue

Last Sunday, at the height of panico-demico, I took a ride toward town, thinking brunch. At the high speed bump new the ball fields, my windshield dropped and the aluminum frame cracked. Actually broke at the base at two points.
The roof was also dependant on what broke, but I just grabbed the windshield I had driven over when it fell, I opted for Soggy Peso baby back ribs and chicken, a smaller plate than the two slab standard! I plenty of leftovers for dogging trick training! Lora sits real pretty now, with both front paws in the air.
There were about 30 people when I was there, a far cry away from the couple hundred or so that Mal, Sal, Fredy and Yeyo serve on a typical Sunday. Swine flu panic at that point had killed no one in Quintana Roo but tourism.
Properly fed, and a bit socialized, I came home holding onto one side of the cart to keep the roof up.
My buddy came by and we came up with a plan: get new frame parts from a golf cart cemetery.
When he left, I thought, OMG, it's something he has not done before.
I picked up the phone and called Wilberth, my golf cart mechanic. He raced right over.
Said galvanized steel, primed and spray painted black would be the way to go at a cost of 400 pesos, about $30US, to the little old man who still fabricates out of his home.
While he was dismantling the roof support, he said the top should be painted now, now that the cart is 10 years old! With an oil based paint in spray gun, fffft, y ya! Done. Were it to continue unpainted, sun and salt "chemo" would cause it to break eventually!
The whole process took several days and several people who wanted to visit didn't because they didn't see the golf cart. It was in the carport, but without a roof, you really could see it unless you went right up to the house.
My buddy took care of it when it came home, ArmorAll-ing the seats and seams, floor, body. superwashing the windshield, treating the tires with ArmorAll too!
So, it's all better now. Some day. Wilberth will pick it up to paint the remaining aluminum black, for show. To make it look like a post millennium model!

Throwing cement

My neighbor across the street, Federico was bored during the Swine Flu outbreak way north of here. So, he decided to rearrange his windows. On the left side of the screen, you see a house and stores that need repainted. I was a day late taking the picture, since a big hole had already been knocked out of the wall.
Now your see the progress and where he was heading: Puma Palace! Federico is a big Puma team fan in Mexican football. The colors are gold and blue.

When my brother was here, he exclaimed at one point: "There's a lot of money here!" Why? Because of all the cement. Well, for us, changing a wall is like hanging new curtains. Not all that expensive if you have the right masons!
So during the H1N1 scare, I had an old Mexican acquaintance do some work for me too. He painted around the new meter tower and around the pool, where the carpenter built a shade cloth roof and wall. He drained the apartments' water storage tinaco and bleach-washed inside, and refiled twice to drain the crud. He also cleared my pickle and zucchini plants and sowed seeds for chard and cantelope.
Coming soon: an update on my golf cart!

Category 5 doldrums

Mexicans are free to go back to work and non essential government jobs, since the H1N1 flu virus appears to have been slowed through social isolation. That, for the past 10 days or so, was the unwritten rule!
But now, we are free to sit in a crowded restaurant, if only we could find one!
I went to Centro this morning to pay the water bill and enjoy some of Lenora's chilaquiles at Alexia and Geovanny's. I took the long way in, past the church and hospital, past Manana and Ciro's. When I took my table, I looked around the loncherias and among the few customers there were five non-Mexicans and then Donna Jane came in. With me about 8 now!
Afteward, I went to pay the water bill. I saw two people at Jax as I drove by. That was it for my gringo head count.
All in all, Isla Mujeres feels like it did after the three-day hit of Category 5 hurricane Wilma! It is dead.
I cooked in the last two days, saving money to pay the guy who washed out the apartments' water tank, dug up failed zuccini, washed the deck, painted over stains.
At breakfast, I shared a table with Luis, the bartender at Sergio's. He pointed to a newspaper, Sunday's, that showed empty beaches. They are going to be that way again today.
I guess every Mexican dark cloud has a silver lining. The government is giving property owners tax abatements in the form of credit on last years monthly declarations as reconciled on annual returns filed. Also, a 25 percent discount on health insurance paid by employers. All in all, the average small business stands to gain 2500 pesos. Aren't you all glad I pay an accountant to file all the declarations and pursue the rebate?
That is the kind of government action that helped islenos build second stories after Wilma. Now there are also low interest loans available for that sort of thing.
Meanwhile, at the ferry dock, everyone is having their temperature taken with infrared thermometers, coming and going. Despite advise to eat more greens and vegetables, there were few takers when the fruit truck came by yesterday, and almost no veggie ladies on the corners this morning. So I am picking the India spinach and being creative, using it in omlets, salads and soups.
I kind of like the island without a lot of tourist and the favors we are doing for each other. Reminds me of post Wilma days.
My headline of a post earlier "Under the inluenza" is catching on here. Baja la inluecia translates to under the influence, a commonly used phrase in Mexico. Baja la influneza will be our state for a while.

Our little tempest

There is enough information out there about the distribution of H1N1/A, aka swine flu, that fueling panic by one's ill informed concerns serves no purpose.
There is a very competent doctor, Dr. Antonio Coronado, a man of conscience, in charge of investigating and reporting findings for our region of the state of Quintana Roo. Two corrupt administrations ago, he was believed to have been the victor in the municipal election that set into motion the various questionably attained developments on the island. Largely because of his honesty and human compassion, he overwhelmingly carried the neighborhoods in the popular vote for presidente, or mayor.
Now, as a health official for a government of his party, eventually victorious, he is in charge of investigating and reporting the potential emergence of the H1N1/A virus.
On a popular message board, a woman has said she has no faith in the reporting of health statistics, expressing her belief that they are tied to the tourism bureau. That is certainly her opinion, but just that.
Dr. Coronado, an ob-gyn, delivered many of the children on the island, His interest is not in tourism, but in protecting those children, not only from the influenza, but from the panic of their mothers.
It is easy to bash the medical delivery system in Mexico. Supplies are often hard to come by and expensive. But the government has a history of rallying in crisis.
After Hurricane Wilma, we were all given the opportunity for tetanus shots, flu shots, updates of hepatitis inoculation. Lack of money from the patients was no barrier. I expect no less than the same should there be an outbreak of swine flu here.
No good is served by expressing unfounded fears in public forums, or seeing plots where none exist. It is another good day in paradise.

Under the Influenza

The Skippers' Reception at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club's El Sol Del Sol Regatta yesterday was under the influence of influenza. It was Day of the Child in Mexico, the day Regatta participants have come to enjoy giving presents to children. Today, the boaters were to have taken the island's children aboard their boats for a race to Cancun and back.
The alternate plan is to race six boats in the name of each of the public schools and give the shool directors the gifts for the children. As the nation enters the first day of a total shutdown - no non essential government offices are to be opened, restaurants are being limited in seating, we are to practice social isolation - it's hard not to feel victimized. We are also taking an financial hit!
There have been no case of H1N1 influenza in Quintana Roo or Yucatan, two states with vibrant economies heavily dependent on tourism and culture. But we will stay home. Annual tax returns, always hand delivered, will go underlivered today, although my accountant is coming by at 11am for signatures. Tagging the golf cart will wait, too.
The kids, already off school til the 6th, will stay in the neigbhorhoods. A friend I met after the Regatta reception yesterday said it was curious that kids haven't been going to the beach. No, they are under the influenza. In a country where old wives tales abound, there are no cold beverages being enjoyed in my immediate vicinity. Cold beverages are believed to cause so throats.
No, were are under the influenza, to immerge in 5 days. And hopefully then there will be some answers about how we can to be on the verge of a pandemic.