Great month for birthdays and name days so this will be just some ramblings about names in Mexico. Today, December 8, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception so it is the name day for all with the name “Concepción” or shortened to Conchita!

It is still somewhat common to name children for the Saint whose feast day it is when they are born. I have a friend who was born on Dec. 5. One of his names is Sabas and I also know a Conchita. Tomorrow, Dec. 9, is the feast day of St. Juan Diego, the peasant who supposedly saw the apparition of the Virgen of Guadalupe.

And, of course lots of people in Mexico with their name day coming up on Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe–Patron Saint and Queen of Mexico, the Mexican Revolution and Empress of the Americas. So many boys and girls either born on that day or not, have that name: Guadalupe shortened to “Lupe” or the more endearing term of “Lupita” or “Lupito” depending on the gender. Our Lady of Guadalupe is also known as The Virgin of Guadalupe and commonly referred to as “La Morenita” or the “The Dark Lady.”

The suffix “-ito” and “ita” are tacked onto names as 1)a sign of endearment or closeness or 2)a reference to size or age. The father might be Juan and his son of the same name Juanito or you just may use the “Juanito” as a sign that you are close to the person or that he is smaller or younger than someone else. In Spanish, A father and son with the same name are–for example–Juan padre(father) and Juan hijo(son) although the word “Junior” is also quite common now but usually with the connotation of “spoiled.” Women also name daughters after themselves. I have a friend whose name is Férida and her daughter has the same name but they don’t called them juniors!

Of course “María” is probably the most common name in Mexico for a woman–often with another name tacked on by which the person is know and sometimes even combining the name of Joseph with it. Examples: Maria Carmen (known as Maricarmen or just Carmen), Maria José (Marijose). Men can be called José María.

Which brings us to Joseph the reputed or “putative” father of Jesus. In Spanish he is the “padre putativo” of Jesus and if you take the two first letters of that (PP) and pronounce it like you would in Spanish, you get the nickname Pepe so José is often called Pepe or Pepito and NOT Josito!

Now we are at nicknames. As in other languages, they sometimes are logical and sometimes seemingly not. María/Mari– Roberto or Alberto or Norberto, etc often turn into “Beto”–Nicolas/Nico, etc.. And then there is the name of Jesus (which the Catholic Church limits to people of Hispanic origin as a reward for the Spanish Armada winning a famous battle for the Pope!) and which has some of the rarest of nicknames: Chucho (Choo-cho) or Chuy (pronounced “chewy”).

There are many more but at the end of December–the 28th to be exact–there is The Feast of the Holy Innocents which marks a supposed massacre of children–a seemingly sombre occasion one would think. In Mexico it is the equivalent of April Fool’s Day in English-speaking countries. It is about taking advantage of someone’s “innocence” or naiveté and pulling a prank. A common one is to ask someone to loan you money on that day as money loaned on that day does not have to be repaid! A custom which many carry over to the other 364 days as well here! Most newspapers also have joke headlines and stories like “Mayor Actually Does Something!” “Pope Says Priests Can Be Good Babysitters” “Bill Gates Pays Off National Debt” and such things and at the end of the article mentions that “if you believe this you must me a real rube that just fell off the banana truck.” But in Spanish.

On a personal note, my name–James–has two translations in Spanish: Jaime and Santiago.

Something that exists in Spanish because of the importance of relationships I think, that does not really exist in English is the concept of the “tocayo.” That is a person who has the same name as you have…not someone you were named for like a favorite uncle or grandparent..they just have the same name as you have and they are your tocayo(a).

So that is all for today. Let’s see what I think of next! Hasta Pronto!

Well, December is here and my promise to post more than once a month has not been kept but at least today I will post. I am just not that good at long term commitments I guess and do better one day at a time!

Here in Cancun, the long-awaited beach restoration project has begun with–as is to be expected–problems and arguments and slow downs but it is going. They have rebuilt from Punta Cancun (Hyatt Regency at the point) down to about the Flamingo so far with a minor “gap” due to legal and ego problems. The two hotels that were “skipped” are the Gran Caribe Real and The Royal Cancun–two hotels owned by Fernando Garcia Zalvidea.

For almost two years he has been pressuring everyone who will listen about the beach erosion problem and often during evening hours–illegally–built his own little artificial beach there with a breakwater that stuck out 100 yards or so into the ocean to protect the beach.  He didn’t get permits to do that and he has had problems with the environmental folks all this time. Now they are pumping sand onto the beaches–well, every beach but his. He had to remove what he had built and drop some legal suits and cancel some court orders he had gotten before they would put sand on his beach. He removed the breakwater and piled up the rubble in front of the foundation of his hotel to protect it but he won’t withdraw the legal suits and court orders soooo–no beach for him–at least today.

Yesterday he led a demonstration of about 150-300 of his hotel employees on the beach (unless you read another paper that says he saw them and asked them to disband!) against the government agency in charge of NOT giving him sand. (Of course one of the court orders he has states that no one can put sand on the beach or make changes to it until the legal issues are settled. Catch 22.)

And then there is the other issue of where to get some of the sand from. A small part comes from a sand bank out by Isla Mujeres and they are (finally after many protests and discussions) taking sand from there for the Cancun beaches. The other sand bank where they are getting the majority of the sand is out by Cozumel and the environmentalists are fighting the use of that tooth and nail to “save the pink conch” that lives there. The government says that after months of litigation on both sides, there is now no impediment to them taking sand from there but the other side says there is.

Can you say Mexican Standoff? Mexican Standoff (I have actually been to the street where #2 happened. It is by the original Sanborn’s in Mexico City. )

Other than that, the process is fascinating to watch and the results remarkable. Here are some pictures and videos.

Other than that, business is still slow in Cancun and the Riviera Maya but picking up some. There are lots of good deals to be had in lots of hotels of all categories so search around and take advantage.

I had the opportunity about a month ago to stay for 4 nights at Hacienda Tres Rios Resort in the Riviera Maya with some business associates. It is just one year old and is impressive both for the facilities as well as the food and service. Some of my pictures are here and include some pics of the food provided at “Chef Oscar’s Corner”–an innovative concept where some guests are invited into a corner of the kitchen set up as a restaurant and Chef Oscar serves a special 8-course meal to you himself! I am working on getting another invite down there!

So that is all for now. Hasta Pronto!

Well, another month has passed and for all of my best intentions I still haven’t gotten into the habit of blogging on a regular basis. I just have to convince myself it is worthwhile for me to do it. Lots of excuses not to–mainly time and sloth but here we go again.

I attended a 2-day seminar at the Westin Michigan Ave. across from the John Hancock building in Chicago. Actually it was 3 conferences in one: Hotel Distribution Systems, Mobile Technology and Revenue Management. All very interesting and focused on the hotel and travel industry.

Then there was a 5-day tourism conference in San Diego with a dinner at Sea World and another in the Bay on board a replica of a Mississippi paddle-wheeler.

Then back to Cancun where we are finally getting some rain for our drought-stricken region–mostly at night and away from the beach area so that the tourists are not bothered too much. Not that there are many tourists here! The lowest occupancy records except for after major hurricanes: about 35% in Cancun and lower in the Riviera Maya. Lots of hotel deals available–look for them and come visit! Wish you were here!

I have recently taken on a new additional responsibility at yet another new company. I am in the E-Business business with all that that entails like web design and development, SEO, social media marketing and–to get to the point–live streaming. Our first big project is to live stream the World Travel Awards (The “Oscars of the Travel Industry”) to be held tonight at Hacienda Tres Rios in the Riviera Maya. Our team has been working on the technical part of the live streaming in conjunction with the production company of the World Travel Awards.

The event starts this evening at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail party. Then there will be the Black Tie Dinner and Awards Presentation followed by a concert by the Village People and KC and the Sunshine Band! Live Streaming begins at 9 p.m.

(I remember when you couldn’t even find a tie in Cancun let alone a tux and now I am renting one! A tux–not a tie! And 9 p.m. is way past my bedtime but we have a saying in Spanish: Una vez al año no hace daño–once a year won’t hurt!)

Check out the live streaming at the Sponsor website Yucatan Holidays. Enjoy! I will have some pics tomorrow!

So much has been happening that there has been not much time to report what has been happening.

Cancun beach recovery program seems just around the corner. Plans are to start in Cancun on October 3 or 4. They waited so long, many of the beaches have recovered naturally but extra sand on the beach will be great and still needed in front of some hotels. In preparation for the work, the Gran Caribe Real is removing its artificial breakwaters that it put in over a year ago to help save the foundations of the hotel and create a small beach.

Occupancy is the lowest ever not counting post-hurricane and swine flu times…around 38% in Cancun and lower in the Riviera Maya. Lots of deals are available at both hotels and with the airlines.

This coming week is Mexican Independence Day–officially the 16th but the “Grito” (cry–as in cry of freedom) is traditionally held in the “zócalo” (main square) of every city, town and village at 10 p.m. on the 15th where, after reading off a litany of the names of the heroes of freedom the cry of “¡Viva México!” is chanted 3 times and then the fireworks go off. The 16th is the holiday usually celebrated with a parade.

I will be looking for a place in Chicago(!) to celebrate the Grito as I arrive there on the 15th for a conference and return on the 18th to Cancun. Will have to make a stop at a book store and a Teavana store to stock up. Staying at the Westin by the JH building on the Miracle Mile. Love Chicago!

Still not much rain here in the Canun area although Mexico City with its acute water table problem and water shortage has been inundated. Things are going well at the ranch with radishes, zucchini, nopales and even a melon or two being harvested along with all sorts of chile peppers, cilantro, corn and chaya. Had some tamales made with chaya last night.  Well, that’s all for now. Off to work a bit, have breakfast and maybe go to the ranch today or tomorrow. Mainly just resting as work has been fun but grueling for the last couple of weeks.

After returning next weekend will probably spend 3 days at the Hacienda Tres Ríos Resort to see the World Travel Awards presentation being hosted there and catch some sounds from the past with the Village People and KC and the Sunshine Band that will be performing there. Looking forward to that and a little rest at the hotel.

The sun has come out here in Cancun after pushing through the morning haze. It promises to be a gorgeous, hot day here. At least here in Mexico they say it was the dryest July in 68 years! Except for an occasional short-lived downpour or a few sprinkles I am glad I finally bought a pump for my vegetable garden at the ranch–dry, dry, dry.

The much-fought-over and long-awaited beach rebuilding project looks like it may finally begin in September while scrabbling continues over details of the project like where they are going to get the sand from. The dredgers are wending their way here from Dubai where building beaches and the everyday phenomenon of building islands from scratch is child’s play. What shape do you want yours in?

Fernando Garcia Zalvidea, the owner of the Real Resorts in Mexico has always been a loose cannon in the hotel association here and suspect of many things and subject of many rumors. But then most successful people are. Envy and jealousy are things we do. Well, he has been pressuring everyone who will listen about the need for this project and since getting any 2 people to agree on anything is difficult, just imagine getting thousands of people in 3 different municipalities and the Federal, State and local governments to all agree to rebuild the beaches. Well, not so much to rebuild them but HOW to rebuild them.

Anywho….when things started taking a long time (Can you say “mañana?”) and the waves were threatening the foundations of his hotel and tourists stopped coming because there was no beach, he set out to truck in material and sand and fill in the beach and rebuild it himself (mostly under cover of night!). He also built breakwaters out into the ocean to stop the beach from being washed away. When the big, official beach rebuild project was approved, they told him he had to remove the breakwaters in preparation and he said to the affect “I will when I see it is really going to happen.”

Well, as usual, initiative is one of the things least tolerated by people who don’t do anything and he was in trouble. Truth to tell, what he did was illegal since he did not get an environmental impact study approved–in cuadruplicate–and the proper permits from the local and Federal governments. (He knew they would never approve it so why try?) So after a couple of years, a new Federal Environmental “Czar” with his own agenda and dubious political and real estate history, an ex-Governor of Yucatan, (after closing 7 or 8 hotels in Tulum and one hotel and Marina in Punta Maroma)closed the beach of the Hotel Gran Caribe Real.

Since iniciative and action of any kind are frowned upon, this caused a big stink with the Federal State and Local governments and businesses. The Federal government Czr guy came in WITH ARMED MARINES and closed down the beach in the middle of the day in high tourist season while it was full of tourists. After one day they came to a truce and opened the beach and Fernando agreed to remove the breakwaters. He started the other day with the permission of the neighboring hotel to the north, Park Royal Caribe Real (formerly Hyatt), that graciously offered to let them tear down a wall and give them an easement to removed the debris.

Now, late afternoon on a Friday, in a well-timed maneuver, Park Royal sends a fax (or email depending on what paper you read) saying they have to stop the work. So we have 2 hotels and a government agency in a “Mexican Stand-off.”

Occupancy around here has gone way down since the Mexican tourists have returned home in preparation for the kids going back to school. It is around 60% in Cancun and about 65% in the Riviera Maya. My guess is that is will get really low in September and October BUT hotels and airlines both are putting out really heavy promotions. I saw one for Valentin Hotel for mid-January, mid week for $1220 for 9 days for 2 people with air included from Baltimore. And there are lots more where that came from!

I will stop here. I have more to ramble on about but this has gotten too long. I will try to post more and less–more often and less content! So have a good weekend and if you aren’t in Cancun or the Riviera Maya, check out the websites or travel agents and maybe one of the great deals will convince you!

So now I am off to breakfast and out to the ranch! Have a good one!

Well, I know it is almost August but here I am talking about July anyway. It has been a good and interesting month. Cancun is back up to about 85% occupancy with the highest occupancy being downtown. Half of the flights in are domestic flights and the Cancun airport reports June international arrivals down 31.31% so that is good news and bad news.

Domestic tourism is different than international tourism. First of all about 50% of the domestic visitors to Cancun do NOT stay in hotels. They stay with family and friends. They do help local restaurant business though and then there are Cancun people who do “staycations” also and just hang around town and the beaches here which are absolutely crammed with people these days. This is the time of year referred to as “Paisa-break” when instead of Spring or Summer breakers, Cancun fills up with paisanos.

For those who may remember 10 or so years ago when Americans hadn’t yet heard of all inclusive or Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya was still called the “corredor turístico”, the newest group heading to the Riviera Maya is now the domestic tourist–especially now with the big 1,000+-room hotels running big specials to fill up the empty rooms left by the international tourists who aren’t arriving. One week at a luxury Riviera Maya hotel per person airfare included from Monterrey, NL Mexico is $13,000 pesos or about $1000 usd.

Rain has been scarce, the kids out of school and the sun hot so beaches have been full. Malls, discos and streets are all getting back into the habit of having people walking around in them. Special discounts for hotels and airlines are continuing even more for the slower months of September and October so take advantage and head on down.

I am harvesting fresh white corn, all kinds of chili peppers, cilantro, zuchinni, radishes, green beans and nopal out at the ranch. I have also started working on the little artificial pond I have to get it ready for my experiment with growing tilapia. Work is plentiful and satisfying. I feel great after losing over 35 pounds. I live in Cancun and life is good.

Well, after almost 4 years (Wilma was in October of 2005!), all of the disparate entities involved (federal, state, local, business, tourists, hotels, marinas, locals, the Light Company et al) have finally decided that it is time to rebuild the 12 kilometers of  beach in Cancun, the 4.2 km. in Playa del Carmen and the 1.5 km. on Cozumel.

Last time–in Spring of 2006–most of the 3 million cubic meters of sand used to rebuild the Cancun beach came from “La Ollita,” a sand bank out in the ocean out by Isla Mujeres. This time, the Federal government through its Environmental Agency SEMARNAT, has approved the whole project using around 7 million cubic meters of sand mostly from a Cozumel sand bank.

Getting any group of people to approve anything is not easy and there have been and are people and groups that are not in favor of the project or not the way it is being done. It is, of course, always easier and less risky to do nothing. The “Mayor” of Cozumel even refused to go to the press conference yesterday where they announced the approval of the project because he and 1,400 other people from Cozumel are against the government using “their” sand to rebuild the beaches in Cancun.

But the program officially starts tomorrow, July 15, 2009 with the company Mexicana de Dragados (the Mexican affiliate of Jan de Nul that rebuilt the beaches back in 2006 and has been involved in the famous Dubai Palm project)starting to hire people and send for their equipment. Around the first part of August they will actually have the dredgers on the way and will start assembling the tubing that will run along the beach to distribute the sand that they bring in. Here are some pictures http://good-times.webshots.com/album/549194379GmTeTS of the process as it was done last time. I don’t expect it to be much different this time.

By the end of August they will actually start dredging and dumping sand onto the beaches–starting with Cancun and then going to Cozumel and Playa later on. The plan (with some extra built in “cushion” days) is to be finished by December 13, 2009. From their lips to God’s ears!

Well, it has been a while again since I have posted. Been busy with a new interesting project at work but now have a little time for some “for free and for fun” stuff.

1.- My diet is doing well. Down to about 190 (85K) so maybe it is time to get off the 1,200-calory regimen! Hoping that’s what the Doc will say today. Now if he would just prescribe chocolate cake and cochinita pibil! (Lite, of course!) Not likely though!

2.- Cancun and the Riviera Maya ar getting back to normal. Great to see people in the malls, on the streets and beaches and in the hotels having a great time and enjoying the sun and sand. Had a chance to see the beaches of Bay View Grand, Sunset, LeBlanc and Park Royal Caribe (formerly Hyatt) and the beaches are huge and beautiful. Better than I have seen them since the last beach rebuild. And with the calm turquoise-blue sea lapping at them, they are soooooo inviting!

3.- Which reminds me…Grand Caribe Real beach. Not really sure what you call those things made of rock that they built that jut out into the water to help the beach but, anyway, the government environmental agency came in yesterday afternoon and put “closed” signs on them since they lack the proper approved environmental impact study. Nothing new here. They have done it before. Nobody else has done anything to fix the beach and they have so let’s mess with’em! At least the owner didn’t get into trouble for not doing anything!! Anyway…….this has no affect on anything or anyone at the hotel. The beach is open, the hotel is running and just the rocks are “closed!” I guess we can live with that!

4.- A few days ago I was reading that Virgin Atlantic was going to buy some more jets for their fleet and today I read that one of the new routes will be between London and Cancun!! Count me in!! Not a cheap charter of course but most ways OUT of Cancun to Europe are through Mexico City (DUH! Wrong direction!) or the U.S. that is unfriendly to Mexican in-transit passengers. I don’t have a problem but if I travel with someone who doesn’t have a visa, that option is out. And the charters through Thomas Cook, TUI, etc. only come INTO Cancun and you can’t get a flight OUT of Cancun to the UK unless you have a UK address and/or credit card domiciled their.

5.- During the height of the swine-flu scare, about 15,000 people were laid off just from the 30 or so hotels that had to close and, although some hotels are still closed, about 7,500 people have been called back to work and most hotels will be open next month. Average occupancy in Cancun is around 60% now which is way up. July should be back to normal.

6.- BTW take advantage of the promotions!! Airfare, hotels, freebies. They are giving away the ranch to get you to come back to CAncun!

7.- And speaking of the ranch, all is well. I have a new gasoline pump so even though it hasn’t rained, I am getting some tomatoes, cilantro, radishes, green beans, corn, green tomatoes for salsa verde, onions and carrots. Tomorrow it is out to the ranch and the hammock and maybe a ride on the horse.

Have a good weekend and keep an eye out for those deals. Sun is hot, drinks are cold, the people are warm and the place is cool! Wish you were here!! Don’t you??

I have had a lot of work lately and have not updated my blog. Not that I have a lot of people depending on that! Since last we met………

1.- I have started a diet and stuck to it. When I hit 100 kilos, a little over 220 lb., I decided that not only did I not like the way I looked but that it was time to get rid of some of that excess and take better care of myself.  Knowing that left to my own devices, I would continue the same eating habits and never lose wait, let alone maintain a healthy lifestyle, I went to a Nutritionist M.D. and got some pills, mostly natural and some that scare me a bit but fortunately are only for a short time. He also gave me a diet of 1,200 calories per day along with 45 minutes of walking per day.

2.- Sticking to the diet and excercise plan from May 14 until now, I have lost about 20 pounds and have a couple of weeks left on the treatment so expect to be around 85 kilos or about 190 lbs.. Then we will see how it goes with the maintenance. I have hired a girl who works for me to prepare my meals so I am sticking to the portion control and the excercise and am getting results. Amazing what following instructions does.

3.- Things are going well at the ranch. Some new kids of the lambie variety. Have to get rid of some of the older ones so it is time to plan a company party at the ranch with barbacoa de borrego and maybe some cabrito. Tomatoes–both red and green–are doing ok–lack of rain and an irrigation sytem at the ranch are the main problem but am working on that. We have built a tower of wood from the property, dug a well and will install the gasoline pump this coming week. The manual pump (and/or the man that mans it) are just not sufficient to compensate for the heat and powerful sun here.

4.- Other things that are doing well at the ranch are radishes, green beans, lettuce and all kinds of chile peppers, cilantro and nopal. The rain has started a little and that has helped but things are still dry and the rain has at least put out the wildfires in the area.

5.- I have been very busy at work. Of course when things are going well, everything is a well-oiled machine but when things are slow is when you really have to be out beating the bushes. I have also been given a new exciting assignment to investigate marketing options for a large ecommerce project so I am able to use some knowledge I already have and it gives me a chances to expand that knowledge and actually put it to some practical use.

6.- Tourism has started returning to Mexico but will not be back to normal until July probably. There are a lot of deals now for hotels, airlines and packages combining the 2.

7.- So today is a day of rest bfore another busy week. Maybe I will see the new Star Treck movie. Saw Angels and Demons last weekend and enjoyed it–mostly for the sights of Rome, the history and the pomp of the Church.