Huatulco EyeLiving and Loving the Oaxacan RivieraIssue No. 3 April, 2011
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In this issue...Shopping guideGreen teamCacaluta
Huatulco Moment by Frances Lopez
www.huatulcoeye.com
All day Happy Houron Select Cocktails
Maguey Bay, Huatulco
BaseballVolleyballAmbulante Film Fest
Whales
Around Huatulco...Hemingway`s Oscar Party
Best Dressed Winners
Gabriel... Winnerof the Old Road Bike Race
Artesanos Event at Villa Aurora
Alfredo, Ron and Greg Mónica, Jacobo and Maria Hosts Howard and Julie with Bulmaro and wife
Valerie
Maguey Fun
Celeste Mezcal Tasting
Wes and Neal
Graphic design, Offset, plotter,
Awnings, Signs, Publicity materials
Gardenia 501, La Crucecita
Shopping Huatulco Those of us who live here have
our own favorite places to shop
for food and necessities. Most of
us haunt the same stores with
some regularity, and each has
something to offer, yet not
completely. Who among us has
only made one stop on “shopping
day”? More like 3-5 stops. It is
completely subjective of course,
my dependable standbys may not
be yours, but eventually we get
our routines down and know
where to go and what to expect
from those particular stores.
There are always surprises
though. Every now and then one
finds something totally
unexpected that it feels like a
treasure hunt when we shop.
Every Tuesday and Friday we
visit Fruver and/or Hermanos
Lucas soon after the produce has
come in, to pick over the fresh,
often local, fruits, vegetables, and
herbs, alongside our neighbours
and friends. You could delay the
trip to say Wednesday or
Saturday, but it's not the same.
For us Northern Californians,
this is like farmers' markets on
Saturday morning, and the
traditional markets in the local
communities around our area.
There are several fruit and
vegetable stores in the area, and
we cruise them as well.
(Although a Monday trip to the
Pochutla market is well worth the
effort, as they have an incredible
array of fruits and vegetables
from the local farmers that are
not seen in Fruver or Hermanos
Lucas). Tuesdays and Fridays
also bring people from the
surrounding communities to sell
their fruits, vegetables, pastries,
herbs, honey and my personal
favorite street buy, the coconut
tortillas. The ritual of baking
these disks of coconut cookie-like
tortillas (a pleasure with a cup of
coffee), is unique. Ovens in the
ground,
Pane Italiano on Ocotilo, sells the
best foccacia in the world--try the
tomato or black olive. Stefano
also has great Italian breads and
pizzas. Soon gelato will turn up
in Little Italy (we hear) --we are
missing Franco's former life (as a
gelato maker).
There is fish street (Macuitle),
and chicken and meat markets
tucked in here and there in this
area around the public mercardo.
We buy fish at the local markets
here. It is almost always caught
that day (or night before,
whenever they fish), they filet,
scale, etc. You can smell the fish
and check the eyes like you were
taught. As for chicken, Mexicans
like their chicken fresh. My
Mexican friends scorn me when I
say we buy chicken at Che. It's
old they tell me, not good. I like
the chicken from Che, and
chicken here is quite good by the
way. Buy any of those fresh
roasted chickens in the shops in
La Crucecita and they will tell
you all you need to know about
chicken... it's all good (even Che's
rotisserie chicken).
We do try to stick to locals when
shopping, places like the store we
all call “Colorin” (what is that
store really named?) on Colorin,
which carries such items as 3 kg
(6.6 lbs!) Nestle chocolate bars for
cooking (a steal), frozen meats
(thanks to Enrique when he
closed his freezer store) that can
include hard to find items like
duck, and yeast when you can't
find it anywhere else. Also, in an
emergency search for a plunger,
(ahem), it was Colorin that had it!
But some chain stores are in the
mix, like Che, because they are
easy, and shamelessly sell things
that lure the Canadians and
Americans, like real maple syrup,
blue cheese, all things Thai, and
a conveniently located
imported/domestic wine section,
right near the front door. They
know their market. I get my cake
mix there, I admit it. But Che
does have a pharmacy (so
convenient), and always
interesting seasonal stuff that
lets you know that almost
everything is commercialized here
too. (See my collection of world
cup soccer beer mugs.) For meat
like “home” Papaloapan, on
Bugambilia, fixes us up with
prime rib, rib eye steaks cut to
order, bacon and other cuts of
meats that Canadians and
Americans might be more
familiar with. As North
Americans, we often ponder cuts
of meat here. Read “The Sausage
Rebellion: Public Health, Private
Enterprise, and Meat in Mexico
City, 1890-1917 by Jerry
Pilcher, if you really want to
know what's what with meat in
Mexico.
We have favorite coffee stores (if
we haven't been up to Pluma
Hidalgo recently and need coffee
now), popsicle stores (because
those Michoacan stores have
really amazing popsicles and they
are a perfect desert on warm,
sultry nights). There are so many
great little stores that sell
specialty items, and the public
mercardo is a must (worth a visit
even if you live here), it has
things like mole, tamarind paste,
hard to find herbs, and other
Mexican cooking essentials with
vendors eager to educate you on
the finer points in Oaxacan
cooking. Huatulco is full of
stores and sometimes you have to
make an effort to locate your
favorites, but that's the joy of
living here. Please feel free to let
me know what your favorite
shopping find is, as I don't think
I'm done with this topic yet.
tortillas are slapped up on the
walls like tandoori chicken, and
out comes these crunchy, slightly
sweet, like a coconut/corn tortilla
that hints of fortune cookie. One
vender is often on the corner of
Carrizal and Guarumbo.
Occasionally, you can find these
in Fruver, but they are best on
the street. Also on Carrizal is the
Abarrotes de Santa Cruz, another
grocery store worth checking out
when in need of all things Che
doesn't have. Calle Carrizal is
always worth a cruise, even on
non-delivery days.
There is also in this vicinity a
lovely woman, who sells her
homemade pastries. They are
light, flaky and delicious. There
are more than a couple of good
bakeries in town though. I'm not
saying Che is bad, but the guys
in town are way better, way.... BC
(before Che) we had found
Panaderia Alejandro on
Flamboyant - fabulous bakery!
Then friends brought me a pie
from Elschers on Macuitle.
Another terrific bakery. Baking
here is left to the panaderias. If
you visit the local's homes, you
will note not many have ovens.
There are several other good
bakeries in town, check them all
out. They all have goodies that
are particular to the baker, and
there are some yummy finds.
There is a little Italy, of sorts,
over on Gardenia or near, and
another Italian bakery is in the
works on Gardenia. Giordana, as
local celebrity goes, had a great
Italian restaurant, but it took up
her life more than she wanted.
Now she runs a pasta shop on
Palma Real, around the corner
from Mamma Mia (across from
Hemingway's). I'm suspicious
though, as I see she has added a
couple of tables; that's how the
last restaurant started.
Upholstery, seat covers, carpets, shades,
curtains, furniture reupholstery, boat interiors.
Best Quality in Huatulco!
Decoratec
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Bahias de Huatulco, OaxacaTel/Fax 958 587 1505 [email protected]
By Doreen Woelfel
I love fish, and I love fishing. One
of the wonderful aspects of life in
Huatulco is the abundance and
variety of fresh fish available. I am
particularly lucky because I have
great friends who love to fish, are
great fishers (the new PC term for
fishermen and women); they are
great friends who take me fishing,
and when they have their fill, give
me fish.
I also have a new hobby. I smoke
fish, here in Huatulco, mostly
billfish. This past season I have
smoked blue marlin, striped
marlin, sailfish and Dorado. The
most popular by far has been the
striped marlin, with the sailfish
coming last in popularity. That I
have a smoker in my courtyard is
yet another of those miracles of
circumstance that occur while
living in Huatulco. I literally put
my request into the Universe, and
poco a poco, an unused Little
Chief smoker was unearthed.
Experiments with a variety of
marinades has resulted in one
clear winner – equal amounts of
soya sauce and brown sugar, add
enough water to cover, a bit of
Chinese five spice, a handful of
peppercorns, and a few star anise.
Marinate for 24 hours, smoke with
Jack Daniels flavoured chips for
about 8 hours. We have been
serving it with cream cheese and
crackers for a handy hors
d'oeuvre. I have also chopped it
into mashed potato, added some
finely chopped onion and fresh
parsley, shaped into patties and
fried to a golden brown, marlin
hash patties, a wonderful supper
with a poached egg on top. But the
hands down favourite has
been a quirky recipe I found on
the smoked fish forums, a quirky
place for quirky smokers. Here is
the recipe for
Smoked Fish Dip (aka sailfish
“crack” – so good you'll get
addicted!)
6-8 ounces smoked fish,
skin removed, meat
chopped in coarsely (so as
not to burn out the motor
on your food processor!)
1/2 block (4 oz)cream
cheese (most Mexican
cream cheese comes in 190
grams (6.5 oz)packages vs
the northern size - 225
grams (8 oz))
2 jalapenos (I often use
rajas)
juice of one lime
1 tablespoon old bay
seasoning
1/4 cup light mayo (or less,
depending on how wet your
mixture is and how well it is
blending)
salt, pepper to taste
Puree ingredients in a food
processor until well blended. I like
to make mine almost whipped so
as to easily spread on crackers.
Smoked or fresh, there is little of
any fish that is not used by local
cooks. Even the prize billfish that
are caught during fishing
tournaments are donated to local
kitchens, or in some coastal cities,
auctioned for charity to high end
restaurants. But it is the fish
palapas on Huatulco's beautiful
beaches. What to buy? What to
order?
This month I have included a
guide to Mexico's most popular
eating fish. There are others that
are eaten, others divers get to
enjoy, and some that get away!
But these are the ones most often
found in the market and on the
menu.
To buy fish in the market, apply
the old adage of appearance and
smell. If the eyes are clear, flesh
firm, and there is no “fishy smell”
then buy it. I like mahi mahi best
of all, and usually treat it like
halibut or sablefish- marinated or
simply seasoned, then grilled.
Make an Argentine style
chimichurri and drizzle it over to
take the fish to a completely
different level. Combine some
salsa with cream and spoon over
the fish – delicious. A chipotle
mayonnaise makes a great dip, or
baking sauce. (Try it at Caray
Beach Bar at Maguey Bay). A
whole Sierra or Red Snapper split
and grilled with lime and butter
and garlic, zarandeado style, is
one of the coolest ways to
entertain your friends. But the
quintessential test of fresh fish is
ceviche. As many ocean states as
there are in Mexico, there are
styles of ceviche. Almost all of
them share the same basic list of
ingredients –raw fish “cooked” in
lime juice, salt, onion, cilantro,
tomato, and chile. Jalisco style
ceviche is usually very finely
chopped, and includes the usual
cast of characters, but often with
the addition of grated carrot. The
Oaxaca/Guerrero style is “tiritas”
with the fish cut into long strips,
marinated, and then dressed with
a healthy amount of chile, onion
and cilantro. My favourite ceviche
is a cross between recipes from
Rick Bayless and my good friend
Guadalupe Dipp, owner of the eco-
resort Los Arroyos Verdes in
Puerto Vallarta.
My Ceviche
About 1 kg of fresh white fish –
sierra or mahi mahi - cut into ½
inch dice.
Lime juice to cover.
At this point, mix it around a bit,
and put into the fridge to marinate
for a few hours. When the fish
becomes “cooked”, no longer raw-
looking, strain and add the other
ingredients which you have
prepped.
About a kilo of tomatoes (around
5), chopped about the same size.
A small red onion, chopped or
sliced (I tend to slice it thinly –
easy to pick out if you don't like it)
A chopped bunch of cilantro.
One or two jalapenos, stemmed,
seeded and chopped.
Juice of one orange.
Salt to taste, about ½ to 1 tsp.
Optional ingredients: chopped
avocado, sliced manzanillo olives.
Serve with tostadas or saladitas.
All of these ingredients can be
adjusted to your personal taste.
Buen provecho! Eat more fish.
Check out www.rickbayless.com
and www.losarroyosverdes.com .
Smoked Fish Dip courtesy of
www.grillgrrrl.com
Kathy Taylor is a freelance writer
who arrived in Huatulco in
December 2007 by sailboat. She
writes about life in Huatulco on
her blog,
www.lavidahuatulco.blogspot.com
Fish Talk
Popular Fish In MexicoEnglish - SpanishAnchovy - Anchoa Sea Bass - MeroCarp - Carpa Clam - Almeja Crab - CangrejoCrayfish - Langostino Eels - Anguillas Grouper - GarropaLobster - Langosta Mahi Mahi – DoradoManta Ray – MantarayaTilapia - Mojarra Needlefish - AgujonOctopus - PulpoOysters - Ostiones Perch - Perca
Pompano - Pampano Red Snapper - Huachinango Sailfish - Pez VelaSalmon - SalmonScallop - Callo de Hacha Skipjack - Barilete Shark - Tiburon Shrimp - Camaron Sole - Lenguado Spanish Mackeral - Pez Sierra Shark - Cazon (Tiburon)Snook - Robalo Squid - Calamar Swordfish - Pez Espada Trout - Trucha Tuna - Atun Yellowtai l Tuna-Jurel
Popular Fish In Mexico
www.huatulcoeye.com
By Kathy Taylor
Alfredo Patiño
Caryl Delaney
Julie Etra
Kathy Taylor
Doreen Woelfel
Carminia Magaña
Marcia Chaiken
Jane Bauer
Johnny Gonzalez
Pat Hudson
Jose Maria Filgueiras Nodar
Opinions and words are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Huatulco Eye. To be a collaborator please send us an email [email protected]
Quintessential Mexico! That is
the Pochutla Market on Mondays
experience. See the colourful
bags, shoes and produce on
display down corridors of tarp
covered stalls. Vendors come
from the Oaxaca Valley to sell
their goods. This is not a tourists
market- no shot glasses or t-
shirts emblazoned with 'Mexico'
on them here. This is a market
for things that you live with,
necessities.
Hear the vendors calling to you
with their best auctioneer voices
as you pass 'Epazote Guera,
Flores, Sopes....' Bargain if
buying several items, however,
respect the sellers. Listen to what
the person in front of you is
paying to get an idea of the price.
The sounds of women laughing
and children playing- these are
the small business owners that
make this country so diverse and
interesting.
Pochutla MarketSmell the salted barrilete stacked
in baskets, fresh flowers, the
hanging meat (not for the feint at
heart), shrimp, fresh herbs you
have never heard off and pine
furniture as clever as IKEA.Walk
through the market and your
body will invariably brush up
against others; all of you sticky
with sweat from the hot sun.
Human contact is unavoidable-
there are no shopping cart
boundaries here, it is pushing,
shoving and bargaining and
always with a big smile.
Taste the fresh masa. Women
selling fresh street food- warm
tortillas, the saltiness of the lard
as it heats up- best sopes hot off
the comal. Spicy salsa, always
several kinds available;
habanero, jalapeno, chile de
arbol.
Feel the excitement of the sale,
the vendors at work, the promise
that all your purchases hold-
meals to be made throughout the
week and served up with love.
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Huatulco Eye CollaboratorsWelcome to the Huatulco Eye. If you are
reading this then you know what a paradise
and vibrant community Huatulco is. Huatulco
Eye is an effort to integrate and inform the
English speaking community about what is
happening around town, with the hope of
getting this important section of Huatulco
involved. This is the work of many people.
Contact us if you would like to be a
collaborator.
Cold Beer
Great FoodPalma Real & Gardenia, La Crucecita
Tuesday to Sunday Open at 5 pm
Cel. 958 107 08 04
www.hemingwayscantina.com
5 to 7 Happy Hour
By Jane Bauer
Cacaluta Bay, a virgin beach,
is one of the most beautiful
places on the Oaxacan coast.
Sadly its future is under
discussion and could be changed
into a luxury condo site and golf
course. The biological wealth of
the Cacaluta area is impressive;
40 species of mammals among
them the fishing bat, the pigmy
skunk, more than 110 species of
birds, 35 species of mollusks,
145 flower species, amazing
water vegetation that includes 43
species of macroalgae and the
most well preserved coral reef
along the Pacific coast. From an
ecological point of view, the
development of Cacaluta would
be barbaric and cruel.
Sometimes the projects turn out
bad or don´t have the expected
outcome.
Consider Fonatur´s Master Plan.
Huatulco should be a place of
international class and a beacon
of economic development for the
whole coastal area, but in reality,
it is a tourist destination that
simply hasn't taken off. There's
no doubt that building a golf club
and living spaces could
bring about some sort of
economic benefit for a while.
Although golf tourism is currently
in good shape, there is the risk
that it will collide head-on
against a new trend that
numerous experts are talking
about: the emergence of the new
tourist, very different from the old
models, a tourist who is very
concerned about the social and
ecological impact of his behavior.
How many of these tourists will
be willing to play golf on a course
that is located in a protected
natural area?
Huatulco already has a beautiful
golf course in Tangolunda which
is almost always empty. Building
a new courses, in Cacaluta,
Conejos or between Huatulco and
Puerto Escondido–simply means
that a bad business will be
multiplied by the number of
courses. Although many golfers
don´t like to go to a place where
there is only one golf course as
they want to vary their game and
have choices where to play.
However, right from the start,
this place would have to be made
known as a great place for golf,
an ideal golf destination. It would
take huge investments to
convince people play to golf here.
But so far it just hasn´t
happened; in the last twenty
years, not even half the expected
tourists have arrived.
The lack of tourists is due to lack
of effective marketing that has
been missing in the development
of the Bays of Huatuclo. This is a
fact that even Fonatur admits to
in its document about the first
“relaunching” of Huatulco, where
they recognize that more
aggressive marketing needs to be
carried out. Marketing that
effectively promotes the tourism
market, that defines promising
goals, that is capable of giving
tourism product designers the
information needed to create
attractive offers and that is
capable of giving Huatulco an
image that is clear in the minds
of the prospective tourists.
Without this type of marketing,
whether there is one golf course
or ten, people will keep on
travelling and golfing, but they
won´t come to Huatulco!
With the right marketing, we can
see a future for Huatulco much
more interesting options than
golf, such as building a
convention center or exploring
eco-tourism options that will not
cause the destruction of a truly
exceptional natural area like
Cacaluta.
Dr. José María Filgueiras is a
Tourism Marketingprofessor and
founding member of the Red
Sustentable Ocho Venado de
Huatulco, A.C., an environmental
group.
By Jose Maria Filgueiras Nodar
Why a Golf Course in Cacaluta is Bad Business
The Huatulco Green Team (Equipo Verde) Coordinating Committee is a group of representatives of key organizations and volunteer community leaders, including the group's President, Monica De La Peña, who have taken on responsibility for maintaining the wonderful environment in Huatulco that so many of us cherish and tend to take for granted. In 2002, core members began discussing how to promote education and activities for sustaining our natural resources and enhancing our economic and communal development. By 2003, Green Team was formally organized and decided to associate with the international organization, Earth Check, formerly called Green Globe, which certifies tourist facilities for compliance with its standards in seven categories that include energy use, emissions, community involvement, and waste handling.
According to Yvonne Kraak, Managing Director at Camino Real Zaashila, who is considered the spiritual leader of the Green Team, motivation for participation consists not only in commitment to achieving specific Earth Check benchmark objectives but also a shared passion for sustaining a very high quality of life in Huatulco. She sees this commitment and
The Team that Keeps Huatulco Green and Pristine
passion as key to the remarkable coherence of the group membership over the last eight years. And she justifiably points to the long-term cohesion of the group as a major accomplishment.
One of the first steps the group took was to agree on a mission statement: “To be a leading citizenship group in the integration and organization of the different social participants of the Huatulco Bays tourist destination, generating synergies that allow to define a procedure towards sustainability in joint and strategic manner.” To achieve this mission, the Green Team divided into seven working groups, each focusing on a different set of activities needed to achieve one of the seven Earth Check benchmarks, with the goal of having Huatulco certified as a model community.
Residents still remember the flurry of initial activities launched by the Green Team. Schools were organized to clean up beaches, FONATUR provided recycling containers, and an intensive publicity campaign was carried out to educate the community about the value and necessity of recycling, weekly events were held to promote responsible use of natural resources. Less visible to the community as a whole were the still ongoing education
and training of hotel staff and administration in practices for conserving the natural environment, including composting of organic waste.
By June 2005, the hard work was rewarded. Huatulco was awarded the Green Globe Sustainable Tourist Community International certification. The Green Team began to spin off some of their initial activities to other agencies. For example, beach clean-ups were taken over as a municipal function. However, Green Team continued year after year to pursue the coveted Green Glove Award.
According to a 2008 case study conducted by Earth Check, the community more than meets major benchmark objectives. The study noted that energy consumption was 64.3% better than Earth Check's best practice standard with 23% of used energy produced by renewable sources; according to Kraak, primarily by the windmills in Ventosa. For the Green Team members, Green Globe certification is important, yet not as important as the ongoing practices that keep Huatulco a sustainable community. They know that continued efforts are needed to maintain and improve sound practices. Ongoing efforts include increasing recycling in the community by creating a new
recycling center located at the entrance to Sector N, and increasing community education. Every first Saturday of the month, beginning on April 2, at 9AM in Rufino Tamayo Park, across from the Pemex Station, the Green Team will have entertaining and educational activities geared to teach useful ways to recycle.All community members are urged to actively become involved in Green Team activities. In addition to decreasing our use of water and energy, increasing our individual recycling efforts and purchasing tree certificates, those among us who have special knowledge and know-how are invited to attend Green Team weekly meetings held on Wednesdays, at 5PM, at the Camino Real Zaashila. Please confirm that the meeting will take place by contacting the coordinator, Lorenzo Alfaro Ocampo at
.-Marcia Chaiken, Ph.D. is delighted to provide information about the Green Team collaboration carrying out best practices in her home town in Mexico.
Above: Cacaluta Bay
Below: Green Team-Monica De La Peña, Lorenzo Alfaro Ocampo,Maricruz Melchor Miz, Feliciano Calderon Nava, Verónica R. Gómez Rojo, Cecilia Flores,Hugo Montejo, Virginia Hernández Viera
By Marcia Chaiken
It is important to distinguish between erosion control and sediment control. Erosion control is source control and the soil never moves in the first place. Sediment control is after the fact, clean up the mess after it moves, and this is much more expensive. There are rules and regulations in place for pollution control in many countries although enforcement varies. The United States of America began with the Clean Water Act (1977), and we now have the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) that are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Mexico does not have this kind of regulatory structure, but I have developed two SWPPPs for projects in Mexico (Guadalajara, Justice Center for the State of Jalisco, and Bombardier factory, Queretaro), so they can be done. Erosion is a natural process, occurring over centuries. It is the human engineered infra-structure changes in land use that if the most detrimental; road construction, timber harvesting, mining, and especially agriculture, contributing to the loss of native vegetation. Although agriculture may be the
Erosion and Sediment Control in Huatulco and Surroundings Although agriculture may be the largest source of pollutants, these other sources are also large contributors. What appears to me most problematic in this region are tourist developments, roadway projects, storm water control, and timber harvesting. A gross example of an unprotected site, with a huge potential to damage the environment, is the Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue) Project. Widening of this short-cut between the Bahia de Santa Cruz and La Crucecita began in 2009, and local outrage was reported in the Huatulcostas on-line paper in May of 2009
The site sits above the Santa Cruz marina, and large stockpiles of soils and debris remain unprotected in the drainageway. The steep slopes themselves are largely granite, and geotechnically stable, but not the stockpiles. Although lack of precipitation in the dry season is unlikely to result in massive pollution now, once the rainy season sets in the risks increase exponentially. This is just one rather large example of this problem; drive around town and it seems that every construction site has similar issues.
www.huatulcostas.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=235&Itemid=1
What can be done? There are lots of tools in the toolbox and not are all high tech or expensive. In the USA we are required to control temporary erosion, and use a lot of silt fences, which are expensive and not cost effective or really green as they are often left in place and become pollutants. We have switched to using fiber rolls or sediment logs, which are cigar-shaped bundles (like a fascine) currently made out of a variety of materials such as straw and wood chips, usually with a plastic netting enclosing the material (not very green either!). Here in Huatulco we could use palm fronds tied into cigar-shaped bundles with native sisal from agave (Agave sisilana) and place these in a keyed trench around the perimeter of the project. This would be a locally available waste product (everyone has seen the Fonatur trucks "harvesting" the palm fronds) that could be used. Gravel can also be used as an infiltration berm, and gravel is certainly readily available. Gravel berms are what my team designed for Copachisa (http://www.copachisa.com) in Guadalajara and Queretaro. It seems the only method I see around here are gabions, those wire-filled baskets developed by the Romans (gabion is descended originally from Italian "gabbione"
originally from Italian "gabbione" and means "big cage”). This is sediment control and not erosion control. There are a lot of 'green' changes that I hope are coming to Mexico soon, but until it's mandated, "That's the way we do it" (or don't do it) will probably prevail.
Julie Etra, MS, Principal of Western Botanical Services, Inc., a 25-year old consulting firm located in Reno Nevada, is a botanist and restoration specialist with an avid love of flora and fauna and Huatulco. She currently serves on the International Erosion Control Association Board ( ) of Directors as Director of International Development and is the liaison for the Iberoamerican Chapter
www.ieca.org
By Julie Etra
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Located in Marina Park Plaza across the street from Marina Chahue.
ZipoliteCell phone number (01958) 587 8961
Email: [email protected]
Quinta Avenida
A Mexican documentary has been
making international headlines.
Not only as the highest-grossing
documentary film ever screened
in Mexico but for its provoking
subject matter. The documentary
examines the Mexican legal
system in which you are
presumed guilty until proven
innocent, through one case. In
the dramatic retrial for murder of
Antonio Zúñiga, two young
married lawyers, Layda Negrete
and Roberto Hernández, bring
cameras into Mexican
courtrooms to expose a justice
system which they see as corrupt
and fatally compromised by a
medieval concept of guilt and
innocence. Convicted without any
conclusive proof. Zúñiga was
sentenced to 20 years to prison.
Despite a temporary ban, which
has now been lifted. Presumed
Guilty has taken top prizes at
several film festivals all over the
world including London, Morelia,
Dubai, L.A. and New York.
Presunto Culpable
Each year, the AMBULANTE Organization, in collaboration
with Canana, Cinépolis and the Morelia International Film
Festival, organizes a travelling documentary film festival
that tours to 12 cities in Mexico with a selection of over 50
documentaries shown in over 140 venues. It creates a space
to exhibit ground-breaking documentaries, both current and
classic, that we consider socially or cinematically relevant.
Travelling with these works, sharing them in different cities,
towns and communities, provides the essential ingredient
for exchange, fostering a critical vision and generating a
collective conscience around how we perceive and
understand our realites. AMBULANTE is one of the film
festivals with the largest scope in Mexico and an important
platform for the exhibition of Mexican documentaries.th th
Ambulante Film Festival is coming to Huatulco April 9 , 10th.
and 11
“Matchless in tonal magnitude,
tuneful fluency and concentrated
teamwork,” says The Washington
Post of the Cuarteto
Latinoamericano formed in 1982.
It is known worldwide as the
leading proponent of Latin
American music for string
quartet. This award-winning
ensemble from Mexico consists of
the three Bitrán brothers,
violinists Saúl and Arón and
cellist Alvaro , along with violist
Javier Montiel. The Cuarteto has
recorded most of the Latin
American repertoire for string
quartet, and the sixth volume of
their Villa-Lobos 17 quartets'
cycle, recorded for Dorian, was
nominated for a Grammy award
in 2002 in the field of Best
Chamber Music Recording as well
as for a Latin Grammy.
The Cuarteto has performed as
soloist with many orchestras,
including the Los Angeles
Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka
Salonen, the Seattle Symphony
under Gerard Schwarz, with the
National Arts Center Orchestra in
Ottawa, Orquesta Filarmónica de
la Ciudad de México, the Dallas
Symphony and the Símón Bolívar
Orchestra of Venezuela. The
Cuarteto has toured extensively
around the world including
performances in Europe and the
Quarteto LatinoamericaAmericas, as well as in New
Zealand and Israel; they have
appeared in a wide range of
venues and festivals like the
Concertgebouw, the Kennedy
Center, Santa Fe Chamber Music
Festival, Dartmouth College,
Cornell University, Dartington
International Summer School
and the Ojai Festival. They have
collaborated with many artists
including cellist Janos Starker,
pianists Santiago Rodriguez,
Cyprien Katsaris and Rudolph
Buchbinder, tenor Ramon
Vargas, and guitarists Narciso
Yepes, Sharon Isbin, David
Tanenbaum and Manuel
Barrueco. With Mr. Barrueco,
they have played in some of the
most important venues of the
USA and Europe, have recorded
two cds, and commissioned
guitar quintets from American
composers Miguel del Aguila,
Michael Daugherty and Gabriela
Lena Frank.
The Cuarteto was in residence at
Carnegie Mellon University in
Pittsburgh from 1988 until 2008.
Under the auspices of the
Sistema Nacional de Orquestas
Juveniles of Venezuela, the
Cuarteto has created the Latin
American Academy for String
Quartets, based in Caracas,
which will serve as a training
ground for five select young
string quartets from the Sistema.
The Cuarteto visits the Academy
four times a year.
The Cuarteto has been awarded
for the third consecutive time the
México en Escena grant given by
the Mexican government through
FONCA (National Fund for
Culture and the Arts) for the
2009/2011 period. The project
revolves around the Bicentennial
Celebrations of the Mexican
independence and features
Mexican music for string quartet
from the 19th, 20th and 21st
centuries.
...they play with more fire, precision and taste than most of their North American peers... one of the most satisfying performances of Schubert's music that I've heard.
- Houston Weekly
An exceptional group because of their clean playing, energy, and freshness.
- Le Monde de la Musique
Not only do the members of this ensemble play with a rapport that verges on telepathic, but they investigate a repertoire of which most other such groups evidently are ignorant.
- The Pittsburgh Press
FRIENDS OF MUSIC HUATULCO
are proud to present this
exceptional ensemble with a well-
balanced repertoire on April 7, at
Hotel Camino Real Zaashila,
20:00 Hrs. General Admission is
a donation of $150 pesos/person
and tickets are available at the
Hotel itself, Foto Conejo,
Residencial Chahué, Yamaha
Musical and REMAX. DON'T
MISS IT!
By Carminia Magaña
Sometimes
you gotta create
what you want to be
a part of.
Geri Weitzman
By Alfredo Patiño
By Carmina Magaña
Humpback whales are
mammals, and they are of the
species of whales known as
baleen whales. They are found
all around the world, but
most importantly for us, they
frequent the waters in the
Bays of Huatulco. They are
well known for breaching, and
their complex songs. The
name humpback whale
describes the motion it makes
as it arches its back out of the
water in preparation for a
dive. The breaching and tail
slapping we have been
fortunate to witness is part of
the mating ritual for these
whales. They come to the
warmer waters of Huatulco to
breed, and to give birth.
Humpback whales breathe air
at the surface of the water
through 2 blowholes located
near the top of the head.
Their blow is a double stream
of spray that rises 10-13 feet
(3.1-4 m) above the surface of
the water and is easily visible
from a long distance away.
The tail flukes of a humpback
whale, which are lifted high in
Have a Whale of a Time in Huatulco!the air when they dive, have
wavy rear edges. Their flukes
(tail) are up to 12 feet (3.7 m)
wide. An adult usually ranges
between 12-16 m long and
weighs approximately 36
tonnes.
The pectoral fins are up to one-
third of a humpback's body
length, and have rough edges.
They are the largest flippers of
any whale. Humpback whales
also have many throat grooves
that run from the chin to the
navel. These grooves allow their
throat to expand during the huge
intake of water during filter
feeding.
The female usually breeds
every two or three years
and they are pregnant for
eleven months. Some
females can breed in two
consecutive years. A calf is
about 4-4.5 metres long
when born and weighs
approximately 700 kg.
Calves are nursed by their
mothers for their first six
months, they eat a
mixture of mother's milk
and independent feeding
the air when they dive, have
wavy rear edges. Their flukes
(tail) are up to 12 feet (3.7 m)
wide. An adult usually ranges
between 12-16 m long and
weighs approximately 36
tonnes.
The pectoral fins are up to one-
third of a humpback's body length,
and have rough edges. They are
the largest flippers of any whale.
Humpback whalesfor a further six.
months. Calves leave their mothers
at the start of their second year,
when they are typically 9 metres
long..Both males and females are
ready to breed around the age of
five. Full adult growth is achieved
at around 15 years. The largest
ever recorded specimen was 19
metres long and had pectoral fins
measuring six metres each. A
Humpback Whale can live for 45–-
50 years.
Punta Santa Cruz
A few Sundays ago in March
when the newest of the Oceania
liners Marina tied up at the dock
in Santa Cruz, and I found out
about the Lalique chandeliers
and Ralph Lauren suites, the
Wine Spectator “pairing”
restaurant, the Bon Appetit
onboard cooking school, The
Studio where artists-in-residence
teach fine arts, etc., etc… I
thought, wow, there's the “Eye”
story. And then, when the more
“casual cruising” 965 foot Coral
Princess sailed in and tied up on
the other side of the dock, almost
dwarfing the 782 foot Marina, I
got even more excited. Here were
two ships that represent the
outermost styles of the broad
spectrum of cruising options,
together disembarking 3500
visitors into Huatulco for that day
to enjoy its unique splendours.
And if that couldn't get more
interesting, we went for a sail on
our little sailboat Paloma, and as
we were rounding Punta Santa
Cruz, we witnessed one of the
most spectacular shows that
nature has to offer – a breaching
From My Balcony
nature has to offer – a breaching
humpback whale splashing walls
of water with each leap and fall,
the emotional slap of one flipper
over and over as she called her
babies, her charging breach along
a tour catamaran, thrilling and
frightening the passengers, many
from the big ships, with the big
ships a backdrop for this
extravaganza. Now, how can that
story be beat? From my balcony,
from the water - nature,
technology, luxury, adventure,
the big ball of wax that forms the
anomaly that is magical
Huatulco.
More photos and stories about
Huatulco at my blog
http://lavidahuatulco.blogspot.c
om
It used to be one of the most
important weekends in the pre-
development times in Bahia Santa
Cruz; I remember all the prep that
went in to getting ready to receive
all the pilgrims that came to
honour the Holly Cross of
Huatulco. The pilgrims came from
all over the Sierra Madre and even
further, from Miahuatlan which
took over a week of travel on
mules, horses or walking and on
the trucks that were used to
transport the coffee to the Puerto
Angel Port to be shipped out. It was
so much excitement as a kid to
watch all the people and rides
arrive and get all the products that
was only available this time of the
year that my mother use to trade
for dry-salted fish with the
serranos and the people from the
valley of Oaxaca.
Now, I don't know if I'm
getting old or it is the times that
change or is it the development
that took its toll on my perspective
and feelings about these festivities,
or is it that now I just see things
differently, like all the mess Santa
Cruz was during this celebration, It
is sad for me to see the pilgrims
been accommodated in an
abandoned unfinished building
Municipality and
Fonatur Unprepared
for PilgrimsBy Alfredo Patiño
next to the banks where the
conditions are so bad for them that
it is putting them at risk of falling
off, no doors or windows, getting
sick because of the unsanitary
conditions. The noise pollution is
another great problem for the
people that live or work in Santa
Cruz area they had the worst
weekend of the year, to the point
that some businesses, like La
Terraza Restaurant decided to
closed in the last week of high
season and some residents decided
to spend the weekend elsewhere. It
is time for the authorities to wake
up and realize this is not a small-
town fair anymore; Huatulco
deserves something better than
this unsanitary, loud, disorganized,
and not good business for anyone,
fair.
It is awkward to see places for sale
in the hundreds of thousands of
dollars next to where you can see
people squatting and cantinas full
of drunks when FONATUR and the
Municipality are promoting a high-
end tourist destination. To
convince people to invest we to find
the balance of a commercially
viable destination that has
traditions and events which are
enjoyable for everyone in Huatulco,
By Pat Hudson
By Kathy Taylor
Sports
Four years ago, Giovanni
Rodriguez, a first year student at
the UMAR Huatulco, tried, without
success, to start up a baseball
team. Now, with the help of UMAR
English professor José Ponce, the
dream is up and running and
Giovanni is back at bat.
José Ponce has always had
baseball in his heart. In the 90's, he
played for Borough of Manhattan
Community College (BMCC) in New
York City, where he went on to
become assistant coach.
In Huatulco, Ponce planned to just
be a coach for this local team, but
has ended up as player, captain and
fundraiser.
“There was some leftover equipment
from the old team, but it was
somewhat worn out,” adds Ponce.
Although resources were scarce,
enthusiasm was high among
players. It was all about sacrifice.
Giovanni Rodriguez, the assistant
coach, said it best
“This sport is not an obligation. We
are here because we want to be here.”
The team practices two days a week
during lunch at their “home field” in
Chahué. As expected, the majority of
the players had to learn the game.
“They were not conscious of the
fundamentals and didn't realize just
how difficult baseball actually is,”
says Ponce, “but I like to teach the
sport. I realize it is a gradual
process.”
During the Christmas holidays,
Ponce traveled to New York City.
He managed to get donations from
the youth support organization
C.A.R.E, run by fundraiser
Mr. John C. Calhoun and Juan
Colon. The donations include bats
and balls, gloves, helmets, and
uniforms that bear the name
“C.A.R.E Reds” – the former name
of the team in the Hector O'Neill
League in New York City
sponsored by C.AR.E. They are
used, about seven or eight years
old, but worn with pride here.
“The university donates water for
the players for home games and
gives us transport for the away
games,” Ponce explains, “Thanks
to a couple of players, Sol
sponsors the team with 25-30
chairs and a couple of tarps for the
sun during home games.” The
police at the Municipal building
have also been very supportive.
The UMAR competes against other
teams from Santa Maria de
Huatulco, Pochutla, Barra de la
Cruz and Puerto Escondido .
“Win or lose, it doesn't matter, says
Ponce, “the fact that we have an
actual team and are able to
compete is an accomplishment in
itself.”
The baseball team has received
positive feedback from the UMAR
and the Huatulco community,
evident by the attendance at the
games. The future certainly looks
promising. Many students and
professors are interested in
forming a woman's softball team in
the near future.
Games are usually played
on Sundays at the baseball field in
Chahué, near the municipal
building at 12:00. Check calendar
in the Huatulco Eye for game times
in April.
Baseball on the Pacific coast
Names of the ballplayers.
Top row, from left to right: José Ponce, Omar Sanchez, Giovanni
Rodríguez Paz, Alex Matos, Vladimir Iriarte, Octavio Gandarillas,
Didier Espinosa
Bottom row: Ismael Luis Pérez, Alexis Castillejos Fuentes, Raúl
Valdivieso, José Edwin García
* Players not in the photo: Mara Toledo, Luis Flores UMAR, Puerto
Angel
ClassifiedsFOR SALE
LOT FOR SALE Sector J, 150 sq metersExcellent location!! Residential AreaPapers in Order958 1096 489 – 9581007339
Invitation to BUY a piece of paradiseCasa Cassandra in Sueno Realwww.casacassandra2002.comCasa Anita and Los Suenos in Sueno del Marwww.casaanita2007.comwww.lossuenoshuatulco.com
contact owner directly,
312 698-4466 or [email protected]
FOR SALE: 2 bdrm, 2 bath, ground floor, completely furnished, kitchen fully equipped. Sueno del Mar $375,000USD. Rental also. Contact Sue at .
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SERVICESGARAGE SALE furniture gifts clothes accesories pillows, bed sheets, glasses, table, beds, tvAll month, just knock on the door. 416 Chacah st. La Crucecita
Experienced local guide.
English and Spanish. 250
pesos/hour. Call Pablo cel. 958
589 0866 or email
BIRDWATCHING TOURS
BUY - SELL - RENT - SERVICES
3 pesos / word Email [email protected]
Bill and Donna Feffer would like to meet other Christians
to begin share time together with them for fellowship, Bible study
and, perhaps someday, a church. They are non-denominational
and do not push any denominational distinctive. They are
available to anyone, regardless of beliefs, for prayer, counseling
or any other need. Bill is an ordained evangelical minister. Local
phone number is 958 583 4763 or they can be reached via email
at or . [email protected] [email protected]
Ten weeks of Monday Mixed
Team Drop In Volleyball wound thup on March 14 . From a few
emails sent the first week of
January, and a notice in the
Huatulco Eye, sometimes over 40
people showed up on the Beach,
players and fans!
Life's a Beach and then you play….VOLLEYBALL!
See you next season!
Competitive Volleyball Players are invited to play on Sundays in Chahue at 4.30pm More info:[email protected]
Bahía Santa Cruz Calle Mitla,
Oaxaca, Mexico.
Cel. 958 100 7339
www.yogahuatulcomexico.com
21-day 200 hr. Yoga Teacher Training*Yoga Alliance Certified
Thirty minutes from Huatulco International Airport at the base of the
Sierra Madre, on the Pacific coast in Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico,
is the ideal location for rest, relaxation and learning.
SUMMER: July 4th- July 25th
FALL: Sept. 5th- Sept. 26th
Cost: $2400 USD includes course,
all meals and accommodations
21-day 200 hr. Yoga Teacher Training*Yoga Alliance Certified
Thirty minutes from Huatulco International Airport at the base of the
Sierra Madre, on the Pacific coast in Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico,
is the ideal location for rest, relaxation and learning.
SUMMER: July 4th- July 25th
FALL: Sept. 5th- Sept. 26th
Cost: $2400 USD includes course,
all meals and accommodations
By Caryl Delaney
AprilMON TUE WED THR FRI SAT SUN
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To announce your event for FREE on our calendar, email details to [email protected]
Important Phone Numbers:
PORT CAPITAIN 587-1674, 587 1013Fax.587 0726
FIRE DEPARTAMENT 068, 587 0047Tel. / Fax.587 0847
FEDERAL ELECTRICITY COMISION 071, 587 2664587 1124
RED CROSS: 065, 587-1188, 587 1548
STATE TRANSIT DELEGATION NUMBER 30Tel.587 0186
MUNICIPAL POLICE:587 0675
29 30
Taxi 587 2217
Fool's Day/
Fair in Santa
MaríaRecycling
workshop 9am
Park Rufino
Tamayo
Green Team
Every Monday
2x1 haircuts at
Cronos in
Madero Mall
Concert Quarteto
Latinoamerica
Camino Real
Hotel
Festival
Ambulante
8 pm Parque
Crucecita
Senor Puck's
International
Food Night
Senor Puck's
International
Food Night
Every Monday
2x1 haircuts at
Cronos in
Madero Mall
Good Friday,
Earth Day
8am Free
Morning Yoga
at El Faro
Easter Sunday
Dia del Nino
COCOTILLO 218, LA CRUCECITA BAHIAS DE HUATULCO, OAX. C.P. 70989
.
587 06 05 044 958 1060912
www.kristalrose.com.mx
Festival
Ambulante
8 pm Parque
Central Sta. Maria
Huatulco
Festival
Ambulante
8 pm Parque
Teatro del Mar
Sta. Cruz
Copalita Duathlon
Expo Cafe at
Pluma Hidalgo
Competitive
Volleyball
Chahue 4.30 pm
info:
Competitive
Volleyball
Chahue 4.30 pm
info:
Competitive
Volleyball
Chahue 4.30 pm
info: